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☆ Swiss Gut-Behrami clinches narrow win in giant slalom World Cup opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Giant Slalom - Soelden, Austria - October 28, 2023 Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami celebrates on the podium with teammates after winning the women's giant slalom REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Acquire Licensing RightsSOELDEN, Austria, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami narrowly won the women's giant slalom, edging out Italy's Federica Brignone, while the favourite, U.S. Mikaela Shiffrin, finished sixth at the opening event of the 2022-23 World Cup season in Soelden on Saturday. Gut-Behrami had a mediocre first run, finishing in fourth place, but she beat the entire field in her second run, when she was 0.75 faster than Brignone. And I paid for that a little bit in the first run," Gut-Behrami said. "The second run, I felt again that everything was normal and I could do what I wanted." "A little messy in some spots, but I liked my mentality going into the second run better," Shiffrin said.

Persons: Lara, Leonhard Foeger, Behrami, Italy's, Mikaela Shiffrin, Petra Vlhova, Shiffrin, Tommy Lund, Aadi Nair, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Austria, Soelden, Austrian, Slovakia, Gdansk, Bengaluru

☆ Italy to raise taxes for flat owners doing multiple short-term rentals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Italy's government plans to hike taxes on short-term rentals by people letting out more than one flat, a draft of the 2024 budget seen by Reuters showed on Saturday. The move comes in the wake of criticism of Airbnb (ABNB.O) and other short-term rental platforms for contributing to a shortage of affordable housing for residents in the most popular tourist destinations. Italian legislation allows owners to rent out their apartments and pay a tax rate of 21% on earnings. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni intends to raise that band to 26% "in the case of the short-term rental of more than one apartment in each tax period," the draft showed. However, the government has scaled back its initial plans as previous drafts reported by Reuters envisaged increased taxation also applying to short-term rentals of single apartments.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Giuseppe Fonte, Keith Weir Organizations: Reuters, Thomson

☆ Italy to Raise Taxes for Flat Owners Doing Multiple Short-Term Rentals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government plans to hike taxes on short-term rentals by people letting out more than one flat, a draft of the 2024 budget seen by Reuters showed on Saturday. The move comes in the wake of criticism of Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms for contributing to a shortage of affordable housing for residents in the most popular tourist destinations. Italian legislation allows owners to rent out their apartments and pay a tax rate of 21% on earnings. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni intends to raise that band to 26% "in the case of the short-term rental of more than one apartment in each tax period," the draft showed. However, the government has scaled back its initial plans as previous drafts reported by Reuters envisaged increased taxation also applying to short-term rentals of single apartments.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Giuseppe Fonte, Keith Weir Organizations: Reuters Locations: ROME

☆ UniCredit CEO says shareholders prefer buybacks to dividends
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Unicredit Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Italy's UniCredit (CRDI.MI) is using mostly share buybacks to return capital to shareholders, rather than dividends, because that is what investors prefer, Chief Executive Andrea Orcel said in a shareholders' meeting on Friday. "This is what shareholders tell us when we speak with them," Orcel told a meeting that approved a 2.5-billion-euro ($2.64 billion) share buyback. Presenting quarterly earnings on Tuesday, Orcel said that UniCredit would consider increasing over time the cash portion of its distribution, which is "arguably low." With shares trading at between 5 and 5.5 times the bank's forward earnings, "I think I am doing investors a favour by reducing the share count and boosting the yield going forward", Orcel said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Andrea Orcel, Orcel, UniCredit, Valentina Za, Alvise Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson

☆ ATP roundup: Andrey Rublev wins in Vienna, lands Finals spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rublev had 21 winners against six unforced errors while reaching the Finals for the fourth straight year. Arnaldi had 19 winners and 11 unforced errors. Croatian wild card Borna Gojo had 22 winners and five unforced errors while upsetting sixth-seeded Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-4. Shevchenko, from Russia, had 40 winners and just eight unforced errors while outlasting third-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5). Griekspoor of the Netherlands need just 84 minutes to complete a 6-4, 6-3 win over Australia's Alex de Minaur, the No.

Persons: Andrey Rublev, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Brendan Mcdermid, Italy's Matteo Arnaldi, Rublev, Arnaldi, Daniil Medvedev, Medvedev, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Sinner, Lorenzo Sonego, Gojo, Tommy Paul, Tsitsipas, Tomas Machac, Frances Tiafoe, France's Gael Monfils, Basel Dominic Stricker, Alexander Shevchenko, Tallon Griekspoor, Ugo Humbert, Casper Ruud of Norway, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, France's Humbert, Nicolas Jarry of, Holger Rune, Argentina's Sebastian Baez, Felix Auger, Botic van de Zandschulp Organizations: Russia's, Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS, Erste Bank, France's Gael, Swiss, Basel, Shevchenko, Denmark, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Vienna, Croatian, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Stricker, Russia, Netherlands, Nicolas Jarry of Chile, Canada

☆ 'Venus of the Rags' to rise from ashes in Italy's Naples
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Giulia Segreti | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto's 'Venus of the Rags' is displayed in Piazza Municipio before being destroyed in a fire, in Naples, Italy June 27, 2023. It will absorb what was left from the fire of the original artwork, art critic Vincenzo Trione explained, "to show that it is possible to rise from the ashes, not only metaphorically". The original "Venus of the Rags" was created in 1967 and various versions are on display in museums across Europe, including the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, northern England. I would have never thought in 1967 that I would find myself once again immersed in this piece of art," Pistoletto said, adding that "we must now heal (Venus)". The installation is meant to convey the juxtaposition between eternal beauty, represented by Venus, and modern society's social degradation and consumerism.

Persons: Michelangelo Pistoletto's, Ciro De Luca, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Vincenzo Trione, Gaetano Manfredi, Pistoletto, Giulia Segreti, Keith Weir, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Naples, Tate, Venus, Thomson Locations: Italian, Piazza Municipio, Naples, Italy, Piazza del, Europe, Liverpool, England

Worldline's (WLN.PA) stock slide, which saw around $4 billion wiped off its market value, is the latest wake-up call. COMMISSIONS CUTRevenue growth has suffered at payments firms as inflation has force European consumers to spend less, while investors fret about the euro zone slipping into recession. Some analysts say payments firms have also been caught napping, after a period of growth during COVID lockdowns. In a further sign of investor wariness, venture capital investment flows into European payment firms have also dried up. Now, it may leave private equity investors to pick up the pieces for payment service firms, analysts said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Paul Charpentier, Bryan Garnier, napping, Jefferies, Hannes Leitner, Leitner, Charpentier, wariness, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo, Morgan Stanley, Worldline, Bryan Garnier's Charpentier, Elizabeth Howcroft, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, PayPal, Holdings, Companies, Barclays, Reuters, Spain's Banco Sabadell, Fidelity National Information Services, CVC Capital Partners, CVC, Thomson Locations: London, U.S, Nexi, Europe

A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. That was a relief to financial markets, roiled in recent weeks by a surge in government bond yields led by U.S. Treasuries. The central bank reiterated it would reinvest all the cash it receives from maturing bonds it holds under its 1.7 trillion euro pandemic-era bond scheme until the end of 2024. Instead, the ECB kept the emphasis on slowing inflation, raising investors' conviction that September's rate rise was the central bank's last. And inflation risks have not disappeared.

Persons: Heiko Becker, Christine Lagarde, Lagarde, Piet Christiansen, Gabriele Foa, reinvestments, Marcus Brookes, Sabrina Kanniche, Yoruk Bahceli, Naomi Rovnick, Amanda Cooper, Nick Zieminski Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, ECB, U.S, Treasuries, Reuters, Danske Bank, The Bank of, Algebris, Quilter Investors, Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, Copenhagen, Israel, The Bank of Canada, wean, Ukraine

☆ Newcastle's Tonali banned for 10 months for betting offences
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been banned from soccer for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday. It will rule Tonali out for the remainder of the club season and next summer's Euro 2024 tournament should Italy qualify. Tonali, 23, is the highest profile player caught up in a betting scandal that is shaking Italian soccer. Legal and sporting authorities have been investigating the use of illegal betting platforms by soccer players in Italy. Aston Villa's Italy midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo is also assisting authorities in their investigation into alleged illegal betting activity, the Premier League club said last week.

Persons: Sandro Tonali, Tonali, Gabriele Gravina, Nicolo Fagioli, FIGC's Gravina, Nicolo Zaniolo, Elvira Pollina, Keith Weir, Alvise Armellini Organizations: Newcastle United, Italian Football Federation, Newcastle, Milan, AC Milan, Champions League, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Aston, Premier League, Thomson Locations: Italy, Italian, Newcastle, Turin

☆ Atletico fight back to draw thriller with Celtic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GLASGOW, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid battled back twice to draw 2-2 at Celtic in a thrilling Champions League Group E clash on Wednesday in which the Spanish side played the last few minutes with 10 men. Feyenoord took over top spot in the standings on six points after a 3-1 win at Lazio earlier on Wednesday and the draw left Atletico second on five points, one clear of Italy's Lazio in third. Celtic are bottom with one point from three games. With 11 men it would have been different, but at least we leave with a point," Atletico defender Mario Hermoso told Movistar Plus. These are things that happen in football and we hope to do well when we see them at our home."

Persons: Furuhashi, Antoine Griezmann, Joe Hart, Griezmann, Nahuel Molina, Luis Palma, Celtic's, Alvaro Morata, Hart, Rodrigo de Paul, Paulo Bernardo, De Paul, Mario Hermoso, Fernando Kallas, Ed Osmond Organizations: GLASGOW, Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Feyenoord, Lazio, Atletico, Frenchman, Movistar, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Celtic, Madrid

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Hamas is not a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NO ARCHIVES Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people. "Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he said, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith. Erdogan also slammed Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, saying "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud". Many of Turkey's NATO allies consider Hamas a terrorist group, and Erdogan's comments drew a swift rebuke from Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation". Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's good intentions.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Matteo Salvini, Antonio, Tajani, Salvini, Israel, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: AK Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, AK, NATO, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Rights ANKARA, Gaza, Israel, Turkish, Gaza . Turkey

☆ Intesa to add 2 bln to reserves from bank tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of bank Intesa Sanpaolo is seen in Milan, Italy, January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Italy's biggest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), on Wednesday said it would increase non-distributable reserves by 2.07 billion euros ($2.19 billion) instead of paying a one-off windfall tax, making use of an opt-out clause in the law. A similar decision was announced on Tuesday by rival UniCredit (CRDI.MI), which is boosting reserves by 1.1 billion euros. Reserves must increase by 2.5 times the amount that would be paid as tax, which in Intesa's case would have been 828 million euros. In announcing it was increasing reserves, Intesa said it had decided to spend around 1.5 billion euros over the 2023-2027 period to help people in need.

Persons: Stefano Rellandini, Intesa, UniCredit, Carlo Messina, Valentina Za, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy

☆ UniCredit revamps Buddy online banking service to ease cloud shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unicredit Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Italy's UniCredit (CRDI.MI) on Wednesday announced improvements to its mobile banking service Buddybank, in a move that Chief Executive Andrea Orcel said would ease the eventual transition to a cloud-based core banking infrastructure. UniCredit had managed to unify the backend structure supporting traditional commercial banking operations and Buddybank, Orcel told a press conference. To shift to Buddy R-Evolution, UniCredit customers have only to download the application in order to access their current account without any changes to their bank details. A change of bank details caused disruptions this month for customers of rival Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) which is gradually shifting younger, digitally-savvy clients to its cloud-based mobile bank Isybank.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Buddy R, Orcel, Intesa Sanpaolo, Valentina Za, Keith Weir Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Thomson

☆ Italian PM's former partner loses TV show over sexist comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Andrea Giambruno, partner of Italy's new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, arrives at the Quirinale Presidential Palace for the swearing-in ceremony of Italy's new government, in Rome, Italy October 22, 2022. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 25 (Reuters) - /Andrea Giambruno, the former partner of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has been taken off a television talk show he had presented before Meloni left him following sexist comments he made to female co-workers. Audio excerpts also revealed him talking about being in an affair and telling colleagues they could work with him if they took part in group sex. MFE is owned by the heirs of the late Silvio Berlusconi, a former prime minister and Meloni ally. Reporting By Gavin Jones Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrea Giambruno, Giorgia Meloni, Yara, Meloni, Giambruno, Silvio Berlusconi, Gavin Jones, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Italian, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Giambruno

Gas accounted for around 51% of Italy's total electricity generation in 2022, making the country the most gas-reliant among Europe's largest economies, data from Ember shows. INDUSTRIAL BASEKey to natural gas' staying power in Italy's generation mix is the country's high level of industrial energy demand. However, Italy's power costs have climbed sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 cut natural gas supplies to Western Europe and sent regional power costs soaring. This week's ENI deal offers additional protection for consumers by further reducing Italy's reliance on Russia for natural gas supplies, even as it cements Qatar's position as Italy's top LNG supplier. Higher gas supplies may also help reduce overall power costs, and in turn should help boost the competitiveness of Italy-based businesses relative to regional rivals.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gavin Maguire, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Italy's ENI SpA, Gas, Energy Institute, United States, Department of Commerce, LSEG, ENI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LITTLETON , Colorado, QatarEnergy, Southern, Italy, Europe Italy, Europe, United, Ukraine, Western Europe, Germany, Russia, United States, Algeria, Qatar

☆ UniCredit beats third-quarter profit estimates, keeps 2023 outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Italian international banking group UniCredit stands on the facade of the group headquarters, located in the Porta Nuova district, as seen from the viewpoint of Palazzo Lombardia on September 29, 2023 in Milan, Italy. Italy's UniCredit on Tuesday beat third-quarter profit forecasts as higher rates boosted income, but kept its full-year profit goal, saying it needed time to decide how to best use this year's "exceptional" growth inearnings. Shares rose more than 2% in early trading. Income from the gap in lending and deposit rates, on which Italy in August slapped a surprise one-off tax, rose 45% year-on-year. After spooking investors in Italian banks with the extraordinary levy, Italy backtracked, giving lenders the option to set aside money as reserves instead of paying it.

Persons: Italy's UniCredit Organizations: Italy Locations: Porta Nuova, Lombardia, Milan, Italy

☆ Italy's Meloni 'enjoys good press' from the country's mainstream media, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailItaly's Meloni 'enjoys good press' from the country's mainstream media, professor saysLorenzo De Sio, professor of political science at Luiss University, reviews Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's first year in office.

Persons: Lorenzo De, Giorgia Meloni's Organizations: Luiss University

It was seen on taking power as the country's most right-wing since wartime dictator Benito Mussolini, as Meloni's Brothers of Italy party traces its roots to the post-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). At home she pleased her rightist grassroots through measures to defend the traditional family, protect Italy's cultural heritage and try to stem migrant arrivals. That makes it harder for Meloni to keep her tax-cutting promises and makes Italy's debt, equal to 140% of national output, vulnerable to market sell-offs. Last week Meloni weathered the first of several reviews on Italy's debt when S&P Global Ratings confirmed the country's BBB rating with a stable outlook. COMMANDING POSITIONAt home Meloni has so far avoided the domestic political chaos that dogged so many of her predecessors.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Juan Medina, Meloni's, Meloni, Benito Mussolini, Valentina Meliciani, Andrea Giambruno, Meliciani, Italy's, Ukraine Meloni, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, Giovanni Orsina, Angelo Amante, Giselda, Gavin Jones, Alex Richardson Organizations: Italy's, REUTERS, Western, Coalition, Italian Social Movement, EU, Ukraine, Democratic Party, Star Movement, League, Forza Italia, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, ROME, EU, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Rome, Brussels, Africa

☆ Italy's Meloni Urges International Community Not to Fall Into Hamas 'Trap'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that the international community must avoid an escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas and set a roadmap towards the two states solution. Meloni made the remarks while speaking in Egypt at the Cairo international summit for peace in the Middle East as Israel prepares a ground assault on Gaza following Hamas attack that killed 1,400 people. The Italian premier met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo before travelling to Tel Aviv to meet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I hope that there is a responsibility on the part of whole international community, and it seems to me that there is, to speed up this process and provide a structural solution to the conflict," Meloni said. She stressed that a two-state solution must have a clear timeframe.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abbas, Giselda Vagnoni, Tomasz Janowski, Alison Williams Organizations: Italian, Israel's Locations: CAIRO, Israel, Egypt, Cairo, East, Gaza, Italian, Tel Aviv

☆ Italy's Meloni urges international community not to fall into Hamas "trap"
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan speaks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni prior to the Cairo Summit for Peace, at the St. Regis in Cairo, Egypt, October 21, 2023. UAE Presidential Court /Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that the international community must avoid an escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas and set a roadmap towards the two states solution. Meloni made the remarks while speaking in Egypt at the Cairo international summit for peace in the Middle East as Israel prepares a ground assault on Gaza following Hamas attack that killed 1,400 people. The Italian premier met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo before travelling to Tel Aviv to meet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abbas, Giselda Vagnoni, Tomasz Janowski, Alison Williams Organizations: United Arab, Italian, Cairo Summit for Peace, UAE, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Israel's, Thomson Locations: United Arab Emirates, Regis, Cairo, Egypt, Rights CAIRO, Israel, East, Gaza, Italian, Tel Aviv

☆ Italy PM splits from partner after his sexist TV comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Andrea Giambruno, partner of Italy's new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, arrives at the Quirinale Presidential Palace for the swearing-in ceremony of Italy's new government, in Rome, Italy October 22, 2022. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday she had separated from her television journalist partner Andrea Giambruno, who has drawn criticism in recent weeks for sexist comments made on and off air. "My relationship with Andrea Giambruno, which lasted almost 10 years, ends here," Meloni wrote on her social media accounts. The TV journalist had already been widely criticised in August for apparent victim-blaming comments following a gang rape case. Meloni had said after that episode that she should not be judged for comments made by her partner, and that in future she would not answer questions about his behaviour.

Persons: Andrea Giambruno, Giorgia Meloni, Yara, Meloni, Giambruno, Mediaset, Silvio Berlusconi, Alvise Armellini, Gavin Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Italian, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ S&P upgrades Greece to investment grade for first time since 2010 crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 20 (Reuters) - S&P Global is the first among the “big three” rating agencies to upgrade Greece to investment grade since the country’s debt crisis in 2010. The other two agencies, Fitch and Moody's, rate the country one notch below investment grade. DBRS Morningstar upgraded Greece's rating to investment grade BBB (low) last month. Greece expects economic output to rise 3% in 2024 following a 2.3% expansion this year more than twice the eurozone average. It’s trading as investment grade anyway,” Rabobank senior rates strategist Lyn Graham-Taylor told Reuters.

Persons: Fitch, DBRS Morningstar, Lyn Graham, Taylor, Akshita, Harry Robertson, Shailesh Kuber, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Global, BBB, Reuters, Greece's, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: Greece, Bengaluru, Lefteris, Athens

☆ Italy picks UBS, Jefferies, Clifford Chance for MPS privatisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People pass in front of a branch of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) bank in Siena, Italy, August 11 2021. REUTERS / Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury said on Friday it had picked UBS (UBSG.S) , Jefferies and Clifford Chance as financial and legal advisers for the privatisation of bailed-out bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) (BMPS.MI). After a failed attempt to sell the Tuscan lender to larger peer UniCredit (CRDI.MI) in 2021, Italy agreed to Brussels' new privatisation terms that were never fully disclosed. However, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said this week MPS could return to private hands by the end of next year. Both Giorgetti and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have said in recent months that the government would try to boost competition among Italy's banks with the privatisation of MPS.

Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Jefferies, Clifford Chance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Giorgia Meloni, Gavin Jones, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, UBS, European Union, MPS, Banco, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, Rome, Brussels

"He is the change that Argentina needs," said 28-year-old Milei voter Ayrton Ortiz at a recent rally in Buenos Aires province in support of the candidate. Those working with his campaign say it is his authenticity that has made him so successful, especially with two-fifths of the population in poverty and looking for a new voice. "You can like him or not, but he is himself," said Fernando Cerimedo, a political consultant who works on Milei's campaign. Many Milei voters say they are willing to take the risk. At the end of the month, you see how they count pennies and cry," said Milei voter Valentina Brites, 18.

Persons: Javier Milei, Agustin Marcarian, Juan Luis Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Milei, Donald Trump, Beppe Grillo, Ayrton Ortiz, Sergio Massa, Patricia Bullrich, MURRAY, MILTON, ROBERT AND LUCAS Milei, Karina, Conan, Murray, Milton, Robert, Lucas, Milton Friedman, Eduardo Eurnekian, Fernando Cerimedo, Fernando Morra, Valentina Brites, Javier, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Eliana Raszewksi, Lucinda Elliott, Adam Jourdan, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Argentine, La Libertad Avanza, REUTERS, American, Peronist, Forces, Libertad Avanza, Reuters, Thomson Locations: La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, Argentine, Candelaria

A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. The U.S. on Wednesday lifted most restrictions on Venezuela for six months for producing, selling and exporting oil to its chosen markets. But it is not expected to significantly boost Venezuela's deteriorated oil production or immediately lead to stronger exports. Venezuela can now receive direct payments for goods or services under the license issued by OFAC, which oversees American sanctions. PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, PDVSA, Washington, Pedro Tellechea, Francisco Monaldi, Rice, Nicolas Maduro's, Monaldi, Maduro, Spain's, Joe Biden's, Marianna Parraga, Will Dunham, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Treasury's, Foreign Assets, Oil, OFAC, Washington, Chevron, Baker Institute, Venezuelan, Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, India's Reliance Industries, Nayara Energy, Eni, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, U.S, Asia, PDVSA, United States, American, CHINA, EUROPE, China, India, PetroChina, Houston, Maduro, Washington

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