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☆ Analysis: Canada pressured by allies to up military spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 average spending for all of NATO was 2.58% of GDP. "We say nice things but do not invest," said the former defense official, and allies now say: "Show us the money." And you don’t get elected in Canada by promising to increase defense spending." The move is allies telling Canada: "We don't want to hear the words anymore. David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, also said it was time for Canada to step up.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Scotti, I'd, Daniel Minden, Anita Anand, Roland Paris, Trudeau, don’t, Christyn, David Perry, Steve Scherer, Denny Thomas, Grant McCool Organizations: Canada's, NATO, Canadian Forces CF, Minister's, REUTERS, Canada, OTTAWA, Canadian, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Forces, University of Ottawa, Trudeau's Liberal, Lockheed Martin Corp, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Washington Post, HIGH, Canadian Association of Defence, Security Industries, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, Thomson Locations: CFB Cold Lake, Cold Lake , Alberta, Canada, China, Russia, Ukraine, NATO, Lithuania, Pacific, Australia

☆ Pakistan hopes for bailout decision in day or two as IMF seeks deal 'quickly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends a summit on climate resilience in Pakistan, months after deadly floods in the country, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, January 9, 2023. "The IMF team continues discussions with Pakistani authorities with the aim of quickly reaching an agreement on financial support from the IMF," mission chief Nathan Porter said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier in the day that he hoped consensus over the IMF programme's points "will lead to a decision in a day or two". The statement from the prime minister's office added that Sharif spoke to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva about the country's bailout funds, stalled since November. The IMF funds subject to approval by its board promise respite for Pakistan, which is battling its worst economic meltdown, with an acute balance of payments crisis and falling reserves of foreign exchange.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Denis Balibouse, Ishaq Dar, Nathan Porter, Sharif, Kristalina Georgieva, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Ariba Shahid, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Shivam Patel, Charlotte Greenfield, Krishna N, Das, William Maclean, Mark Potter Organizations: Pakistan's, United Nations, REUTERS, Pakistan, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Geneva, Switzerland, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Paris

☆ Ireland bolsters data watchdog's powers, privacy activists cry foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, June 28 (Reuters) - Ireland bolstered its powerful data regulator's ability to stop the sharing of information during its inquiries into global tech companies amid criticism from opposition parties, privacy activists and non-governmental organisations. Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) is the European Union's lead regulator of many of the world's largest technology companies due to their EU headquarters being based in Ireland, and has levied billions of euros worth of fines under the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018. The DPC had sought the powers in order to ensure fair procedure, he said. "To be clear nothing in this amendment will prevent a complainant from speaking out about the nature of their data privacy complaint. The European Consumer Organisation, European Digital Rights group and Amnesty International also spoke out against the bill.

Persons: Max Schrems, James Brown, DPC, Johnny Ryan, Catherine Murphy, Padraic Halpin, Grant McCool Organizations: DUBLIN, Data Protection, Irish, of Civil Liberties, European Consumer Organisation, European Digital Rights, Amnesty International, Social Democrats, Thomson Locations: Ireland, European, Austrian

☆ Analysis: Where are Russia's top generals? Rumours swirl after mercenary mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Valery Gerasimov, Russia's top general, has not appeared in public or on state TV since the aborted mutiny on Saturday when mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded Gerasimov be handed over. Gerasimov, 67, is the commander of Russia's war in Ukraine, and the holder of one of Russia's three "nuclear briefcases," according to some Western military analysts. Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application run by a former Russian defence ministry press officer, said a purge was underway. Surovikin, Gerasimov's deputy, was last seen on Saturday when he appeared in a video appealing to Prigozhin to halt his mutiny. He had been spoken of by Russian war correspondents as a potential future defence minister.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuravlev, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Rybar, Wagner, Prigozhin, Michael Kofman, Viktor Zolotov, Shoigu, Alexei Venediktov, vilifying Shoigu, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry Board, Sputnik, REUTERS, LONDON, New York Times, Wednesday, Moscow Times, Reuters, Russian Armed Forces, Carnegie Endowment, Twitter, National Guard, Moscow, Tuesday, Western, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow's, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Where are Russian generals Gerasimov and Surovikin after Wagner rebellion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Absent from view too is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application run by a former Russian defence ministry press officer, said a purge was underway. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attend an annual meeting of the Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, Russia, December 21, 2022. Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the RAND Corporation think-tank, said that something looked odd about the video, in which Surovikin has an automatic weapon on his lap. "Surovikin (is) a brute but also one of the more capable Russian commanders," Freedman said on Twitter.

Persons: Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, Rybar, Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuravlev, Prigozhin, Michael Kofman, Viktor Zolotov, Shoigu, Dara Massicot, He’s, he’s, Alexei Venediktov, vilifying Shoigu, Lawrence Freedman, Freedman, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Lisa Shumaker, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: New York Times, Wednesday, Staff, Reuters, Moscow Times, Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry Board, Sputnik, REUTERS, Carnegie Endowment, Twitter, National Guard, Moscow, Tuesday, RAND Corporation, Western, King's College London, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Surovikin, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Moscow's, Lefortovo, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Japan stocks are roaring back. This rally may be different from the 1990's 'bubble high'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The bubble burst after the Bank of Japan tightened monetary policy at the start of 1990, triggering the collapse of equity and land prices. But analysts who spoke to CNBC said Japan is not headed for another crash like the one during the bubble. Furthermore, "current high inflation rates in Japan are due to higher import costs on the back of a weaker yen and high commodity prices. What led to Japan's bubble? Nikkei reported in March that share buybacks by Japanese companies was set to reach their highest level in 16 years.

Persons: Kazuhiro NOGI, KAZUHIRO NOGI, Nogi, Dong Chen, Ryota Abe, Abe, Japan's, Shinzo Abe, Chen, SMBC, Warren Buffet's Organizations: Nikkei, Getty, Afp, Bank of Japan, CNBC, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Tokyo Exchange, Billionaire, Global Locations: Tokyo, AFP, Japan, China

☆ The prime minister of New Zealand flies in a 30-year-old plane and prepared a spare plane for his trip to China in case the old one breaks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has readied a spare aircraft for an official visit to China — just in case the 30-year-old plane he's traveling in breaks down. Hipkins traveled to Beijing on Sunday in a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 with a business and trade delegation, as well as media. A New Zealand Air Force plane sits on the tarmac at Auckland Airport on May 21, 2023, preparing to take New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to Papua New Guinea. The prime minister's spokesperson said using the air force plane is "far cheaper" than a commercial charter. In August, Defense Minister Peeni Henare and a 30-person delegation got stuck in the Solomon Islands after their plane broke down.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Hipkins, China —, Nick Perry, David Seymour, Jacinda Ardern, Peeni Henare, John Key Organizations: Morning, Zealand's, Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing, Air Force, New Zealand Air Force, Auckland Airport, New Zealand, Associated, ACT, Boeing Locations: China, Beijing, Royal, Manila, Philippines, Darwin, Australia, Shanghai, Papua New Guinea, Zealand, Antarctica, Solomon Islands, India

☆ The New Zealand prime minister's plane is so old they sent an empty backup plane so he didn't get stranded in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New Zealand uses Betty, an aging Boeing 757, to transport Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Betty's so prone to breakdowns that they sent an empty backup so he didn't get stranded in China. The twin Royal New Zealand Air Force planes are about 30 years old and due to be replaced by 2030. Back in New Zealand, acting Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni was left to explain. In 2016, then Prime Minister John Key was on his way to India with a delegation when they got stuck in Australia until a backup plane was sent from New Zealand.

Persons: Betty, Chris Hipkins, Chris Hipkins didn't, Carmel Sepuloni, John Key, Key, Sepuloni, David Seymour, We're Organizations: Boeing, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Morning, Air Force, ACT Locations: China, WELLINGTON , New Zealand, United States, New Zealand, Manila, Wellington, Beijing, India, Australia, Mumbai

☆ Australian prime minister's visit to China to be locked in at 'appropriate time'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 25 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that he would set the date for a China visit at an "appropriate time" as he stressed the importance of bilateral trade and expressed concerns about an Australian journalist detained in Beijing. Talks are under way about a visit by Albanese to China as Australia's centre-left Labor government pushes to end unofficial Chinese bans and tariffs placed on some Australian products in 2020 during a lowpoint in diplomatic relations. Australia continued to advocate for the removal of any impediments to trade between the "two great nations", Albanese added. China in May said it was set to resume imports of Australian timber days after Trade Minister Don Farrell returned from a trip to Beijing. A visit by Foreign Minister Penny Wong in December was followed weeks later by the resumption of coal shipments.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Cheng Lei, it's, Don Farrell, Penny Wong, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Our Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian, Labor, NATO, Vilnius, Sky News, Trade, Foreign, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Lithuanian, Australia

☆ Israel's Ben-Gvir rebukes police over 'collective punishment' of settlers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Palestinian covers his face during clashes with Israeli troops after Israeli settlers attack Umm Safa village near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamad TorokmanJERUSALEM, June 25 (Reuters) - Israel's far-right police minister rebuked the force on Sunday for what he called "collective punishment" of Jewish settlers, as cracks widened between the security services and the government over sectarian violence in the occupied West Bank. U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at founding a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza collapsed in 2014. Ben-Gvir told the police chief that "he opposes any violation of the law" but cannot accept "collective punishment" of settlers, a statement from the minister's party said. Last week he issued a general censure of rioting in the West Bank.

Persons: Mohamad Torokman JERUSALEM, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Police spokespeople, Netanyahu, shied, Israel Katz, Dan Williams, Alexander Smith Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, National, Police, Reuters, Likud, Likud's Energy, Army Radio, Thomson Locations: Umm Safa, Ramallah, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, Ateret

☆ Amazon raises investment in India to $26 bln by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man walks past a logo of Amazon Prime Video during a launch event in Mumbai, India, April 28, 2022. Earlier, Amazon had announced a $6.5 billion investment plan, largely to boost its e-commerce business where it competes with Walmart's Flipkart and billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail. The new investment amount committed now comes to around an additional $6.5 billion. The e-commerce giant's announced investment during Modi's trip adds to other companies, including U.S. semiconductor toolmaker Applied Materials and memory chip firm Micron Technology, which have made commitments during the Indian prime minister's state visit. Modi and Jassy spoke about supporting Indian startups, creating jobs, enabling exports, digitisation, and empowering individuals and small businesses to compete globally, an Amazon blog post said.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Andy Jassy, Narendra Modi, Jassy, Walmart's Flipkart, Mukesh Ambani's, Modi, Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Google's, Satya Nadella, Aditya Kalra, William Mallard, Jacqueline Wong, Toby Chopra Organizations: Amazon Prime, REUTERS, Amazon.com Inc, Web Services, Amazon, giant's, Micron Technology, Google, Reuters, Twitter, U.S, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, DELHI, United States, U.S, City, India's, Gujarat, Washington

☆ 'Things will just have to be accepted as tense': Saudi-Iran relations have a long way to go despite rapprochement efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister made a high-profile visit to Tehran over the weekend, drawing coverage and praise about the improvement in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, two longtime foes. His Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian praised the re-establishment of diplomatic ties, saying it would improve security for the region. The meeting was the result of Iran and Saudi Arabia agreeing to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in each other's countries after China-led negotiations in Beijing in March. The Iranian hosts complied with the minister's request for a change of venue in order to avert a diplomatic incident, regional outlets reported. What exists is a fragile agreement that can only be made stronger with time, consistency and trust building."

Persons: Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Qasem Soleimani, Sanam Vakil Organizations: Mutual, United Nations, Saudi, Chatham House Locations: Saudi, Tehran, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Beijing, East, North Africa

☆ India eases curfew in violence-hit Manipur
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Zarir Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUWAHATI, India, June 18 (Reuters) - Indian authorities said on Sunday they had started to relax a curfew imposed in violence-hit Manipur after 45 days of civil unrest in the north-east state, seeking to reduce anger spilling onto the streets and restore normalcy. Meiteis, the dominant community in the low lands of the state, who account for half of state's population, demand extension of limited affirmative action quotas to them. But Kukis fear it would mean Meiteis would get a greater share in education and government jobs reserved for them. "We believe that if the prime minister takes action, then peace in Manipur can be restored in 24 hours," said Nimaichand Luwang, an opposition lawmaker in Manipur. A senior home ministry official in New Delhi said at least 32,000 security forces will continue to support local police until normalcy is restored.

Persons: Diana Devi, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Nimaichand Luwang, Rupam Jain, Lincoln Organizations: Thomson Locations: GUWAHATI, India, Manipur, Imphal, Myanmar, Meiteis, New Delhi

☆ China 'deplores' UK security minister's meeting with Taiwanese minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat addresses a press conference, with Kenya's Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki, during his visit, in Nairobi, Kenya May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi/File PhotoLONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - The Chinese embassy in London on Sunday condemned a meeting last week between Britain's security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Taiwan's digital minister, saying it violated international relations. "This move seriously violates the one-China principle and the basic norms of international relations," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said in a statement. Although junior British ministers hold talks with their Taiwanese counterparts, the convention was that senior British ministers do not meet with Taiwanese officials. "We want to make it clear to the UK side that any actions that undermine China's interests will be met with resolute responses," the Chinese embassy spokesperson said.

Persons: Tom Tugendhat, National Administration Kithure Kindiki, Monicah, Tugendhat, Audrey Tang, Michael Holden, Sharon Singleton Organizations: British, State, Ministry of Interior, National Administration, REUTERS, Reuters, Taiwanese Digital Affairs, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, London, Britain, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Xinjiang

☆ Indian minister's home set ablaze in violence-hit Manipur state
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Zarir Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUWAHATI, India June 16 (Reuters) - A federal Indian minister's house was set on fire by a mob in the remote northeastern state of Manipur, which has been hit by clashes between members of rival ethnic groups for over a month, officials said on Friday. Junior foreign minister R. K. Ranjan Singh's office confirmed that a mob vandalised and set fire to his house in the Manipur capital Imphal. Singh is a federal minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Modi's ruling party also governs the state of Manipur. Civil society organisations from the Meitei and Kuki communities said hundreds of people from their communities were injured and homeless.

Persons: Ranjan Singh's, Singh, Narendra Modi's, Rupam Jain, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Thomson Locations: GUWAHATI, India, Manipur, Imphal, New Delhi, Singh, Kuki

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Nicola Sturgeon in a police vehicle is edited
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An edited photograph showing Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in the back seat of a police vehicle was widely circulated online after she was arrested as part of a police investigation in June 2023. Examples of the altered image, shared as showing Sturgeon’s arrest, are visible on Facebook (here), (here) and Twitter (here). The image was edited to include the car with the yellow-and-blue checkered pattern, typical of police vehicles in Scotland (here). A photo showing Nicola Sturgeon in the back of a police car is edited and unrelated to her June 2023 arrest. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

Persons: Nicola Sturgeon, Sturgeon, John Linton, Read Organizations: Police Scotland, Scottish National Party, Reuters, Facebook, Twitter, Bute House, Getty Locations: Bute, Edinburgh, Scotland

☆ Factbox: UK Privileges Committee's findings about Boris Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He has accused the privileges committee, a parliamentary standards body that has investigated Johnson, of mounting a "witch-hunt" and behaving like a "kangaroo court". The former prime minister said it was a lie to say he deliberately misled parliament and called the report a charade. Below are the main findings from the report into Johnson's behaviour:JOHNSON DELIBERATELY MISLED PARLIAMENTThe committee offered a damning verdict on Johnson's honesty and conduct, concluding that he had deliberately and repeatedly misled parliament. JOHNSON WOULD HAVE FACED 90-DAY SUSPENSION FROM PARLIAMENTThe Committee said it would have recommended a suspension of three months from the House of Commons for Johnson if he had not resigned. FIVE WAYS JOHNSON COMMITTED CONTEMPTS OF PARLIAMENTThe committee found that Johnson had committed five contempts of parliament.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Johnson, JOHNSON, CONTEMPTS, Mr Johnson, Scottish National Party –, Andrew MacAskill, William James, Angus MacSwan, Toby Chopra Organizations: CONTEMPTS OF, BE, PASS, Labour, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: British, COVID, Downing Street, Downing, Chequers

☆ Ex-PM Boris Johnson deliberately misled UK parliament over parties during Covid, committee rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A U.K. parliamentary committee has found that former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson intentionally misled parliament over illegal Covid-19 lockdown parties held during his tenure. Former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson intentionally misled parliament over illegal Covid-19 lockdown parties held during his tenure, a parliamentary committee said Thursday, describing it as a "serious contempt." "We conclude that in deliberately misleading the House, Mr Johnson committed a serious contempt," the findings of the cross-party committee showed. "There is no precedent for a Prime Minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House," it added. It also said that, if Johnson were still a member of parliament, he should be suspended from the House for 90 days.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Johnson, Mr Johnson Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservative

The more than 100-page report detailed six events held at Downing Street, the prime minister's offices and residence. There is no precedent for a prime minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House (of Commons, lower house of parliament)." It recommended that he should not be entitled to a former member's pass, which enables most former prime ministers and lawmakers to gain automatic access to parliament. But so-called Partygate spelt the beginning of the end for his tenure as prime minister. They have also rowed this week over the former prime minister's resignation honours list.

Persons: Johnson, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Mr Johnson, Sunak, Thangam Debbonaire, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Muvija, William James, Kate Holton, Frank Jack Daniel, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Conservatives, Downing, Street, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: COVID

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The Fed paused, but so did markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, at the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2023. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Pause and playThe Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, as widely expected. That could mean a return to raising rates to combat Turkey's sky-high inflation, which was 39.6% in May.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Elon Musk, Noel Barrot, Barrot, Jeffrey Gundlach, Gundlach Organizations: Federal Reserve, CNBC, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Twitter, DoubleLine Locations: Washington ,, Europe, France, EU, U.S

MILAN, June 14 (Reuters) - Merger and acquisition speculation has lifted shares in MFE (MFEB.MI), the late Silvio Berlusconi's TV business, following his death, but a number of obstacles stand in the way of any rapid deal. With a 19.8% MFE stake, Vivendi (VIV.PA) is widely seen as the natural buyer for MFE. This week's rally has lifted the market value of the whole of MFE to 1.8 billion euros. Any accord between Vivendi and Fininvest would require overcoming the deep distrust between the two groups after years of courtroom battles sparked by a failed 2016 TV deal. Like Fininvest, Vivendi faces a loss on any potential sale of its MFE stake given the gap between book and market prices.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi's, Vincent Bollore, Urbano, Pier Silvio Berlusconi, Fininvest, MFE, Emilio Parodi, Valentina Za, Barbara Lewis Organizations: MILAN, Vivendi, Reuters, della Sera, U.S, Warner Bros ., VIVENDI, FININVEST, Fininvest, MFE, Thomson Locations: MFE, Urbano Cairo, Germany's ProSiebenSat, Italy, Spain, Rome, Netherlands

☆ A political drama series on Netflix has sparked a #MeToo wave in Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Reena Koh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Taiwanese Netflix political drama "Wave Makers" has sparked a #MeToo wave in Taiwan. It triggered a series of sexual assault allegations that have rocked Taiwan's political scene. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA new Taiwanese political drama series on Netflix that premiered on April 28 has sparked a #MeToo wave in Taiwan. This line threw open the floodgates to a wave of sexual assault allegations. As part of the #MeToo wave, Chien also came forward with her own sexual assault story in a Facebook post on June 2.

Persons: —, Let's, Chen Chien, Chen, Hsu Chia, Chen Mei, Yan Chih, Lin Nan, Tsai Mu, Hsu, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Chien Li, Chien, Yan Shi, Lin Chun Organizations: Netflix, Service, Washington Post, Democratic Progressive Party, China Morning, University Locations: Taiwan, Washington, China

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says he agrees to monetary policy turnaround under new Finance Minister Simsek
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has named former economy chief Mehmet Simsek as his new treasury and finance minister. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday appeared to make a crucial shift regarding the future of his inflation-ridden country's monetary policy. Newly appointed Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, who previously served as deputy prime minister and finance minister between 2009 and 2018, is widely respected by investors. The president was referring to his opposition to raising interest rates, which he said was not changed. "But upon the thinking of our treasury and finance minister," Erdogan added, "we have accepted that he will take steps swiftly, comfortably with the central bank."

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mehmet Simsek, Erdogan Locations: Turkey

☆ Jack Dorsey said India raided the homes of Twitter employees when the company wouldn't shut down accounts for the government
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jack Dorsey said India raided homes of Twitter's workers when the company refused to ban some accounts. Dorsey said India, the world's biggest democracy, also threatened to shut Twitter down in the country. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said India's government previously raided the homes of the company's employees when the platform refused to comply with censorship demands. The Indian government asked Twitter to permanently ban accounts that were aggressively critical of the government, which the platform refused to do. On Tuesday, India's information technology minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, tweeted that Dorsey's claim about Twitter employees' homes being raided was an "outright lie."

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Dorsey, India's, Krystal Ball, Saagar Enjeti, Narendra Modi's, Twitter, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Chadrasekhar, Chandrasekhar Organizations: Twitter, Insider Locations: India, Delhi, Gurgaon

The Additional Chief Secretary, G. Anupama, said in a text message, "Enquiry is underway" and directed Reuters to the health minister for Haryana state, Anil Vij, for further details. Its chief minister and health minister, to whom Yashpal also sent his complaint, did not respond to requests for comment. Naresh Kumar Goyal, the founder of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, told Reuters in December his company did nothing wrong in the production of the cough syrup. The bribery allegation was one of about half a dozen claims of corruption by Yashpal against Taneja in the letter. Yashpal told Reuters he did not comply, because he did not feel comfortable bringing such details to the deputy of someone he had accused of corruption.

Persons: Sagnia, Edward McAllister, Yashpal, Manmohan Taneja, Taneja, Maiden, Yashpal –, –, Shatrujeet Kapur, Kapur, Anupama, Anil Vij, Vij, Naresh Kumar Goyal, Goyal, Narendra Modi, Taneja's, Lalit Kumar Goel, Goel, Krishna N, Jennifer Rigby, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg Organizations: REUTERS, World Health Organization, WHO, Reuters, Corruption Bureau, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, pharma, Corruption, Taneja, EG, Thomson Locations: Yundum, Gambia, DELHI, Haryana, New Delhi, Vietnam, India, London

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