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☆ A Minute With: Michelle Williams on playing Steven Spielberg's mother
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Michelle Williams won critical acclaim for her performance in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical coming-of-age drama, "The Fabelmans", and her portrayal of the director's mother secured her a best actress Oscar nomination on Tuesday. Williams and Paul Dano play Sammy's mother Mitzi and father Burt, inspired by Spielberg's parents, the late Leah Adler and Arnold Spielberg. In an interview with Reuters earlier this month, Williams spoke about the role, seeing an emotional Spielberg on set and awards season. Q: What was it like to essentially play Steven Spielberg's mother and take on this high energy role? Q: As a mother and artist, how much did your character Mitzi and Spielberg's mother Leah Adler resonate with you?

Bitar told Reuters on Wednesday that Oweidat "had no right" to file the charge or release detainees because Oueidat himself was charged over the explosion. Oweidat told Reuters he had summoned Bitar for questioning but did not say whether he had charged him. Oweidat had earlier recused himself from any involvement in the blast probe as Bitar had issued an arrest warrant for his brother-in-law, former public works minister Ghazi Zeaiter. "Instead of me appearing before him, he'll be appearing before me," Oweidat told Reuters by text message. He met with French investigators visiting Beirut last week as part of a French probe into the explosion, whose victims included two French nationals.

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 7, 2022. Trade in European stocks was lacklustre, as signs of an improving economic outlook in the euro zone fed worries about further rate hikes. AUSSIE DOLLAR SURGEThe Australian dollar surged to $0.7123 after the latest inflation data. Germany's Ifo institute said its business climate index rose to 90.2, in line with the consensus, according to a Reuters poll of analysts, and up from 88.6 in December. U.S. crude futures recently rose 1.01% to $80.94 per barrel and Brent was at $86.68, up 0.64% on the day.

☆ Brazil's Lula proposes Mercosur trade deal with China after EU accord
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that he favored an agreement between Mercosur and China in a plan to modernize and open the South American trade bloc to other regions. On a visit to Uruguay to dissuade its government from reaching a deal on its own with China, which would undermine the Mercosur customs union, Lula said the long-awaited Mercosur accord with the European Union must be completed urgently. "We want to sit down as Mercosur and discuss with our Chinese friends the Mercosur-China agreement," Lula said, adding that China is Brazil's biggest trading partner. Talks for the EU-Mercosur trade agreement were completed in 2019, but environmental concerns stalled the deal before it was approved by the legislatures of the EU member states. Uruguay's President Lacalle Pou said that his country needed to open up its economy to the world and it could discuss parallel trade arrangements outside of Mercosur.

☆ Two killed in knife attack on German train - authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Forensic experts stand next to a train on which an incident involving a knife attack took place, at a railway station in Brokstedt, Germany, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Two people were killed and several others injured in a knife attack on Wednesday on a regional train travelling between Kiel and Hamburg in northern Germany, authorities said. Earlier, the Bild newspaper had said five people were injured in the attack. Police were investigating at the train station in Brokstedt, the German railway Deutsche Bahn said on Twitter, adding some services between the two cities had been cancelled. "Federal and state police are working closely together on investigating this case," state interior minister Sabine Suettelin-Waack said in a statement.

☆ Italy supreme court upholds nullity of ruling over Vivendi's control of TIM
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Italy's supreme court upheld a ruling which had annulled a market regulator's resolution indicating French media group Vivendi (VIV.PA) was exercising 'de facto control' of Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI), a court document showed on Wednesday. Italian market watchdog Consob ruled that Vivendi, TIM's top shareholder with a 24% stake, took control of two-thirds of the Italian phone company's board in 2017. Activist fund Elliott eventually wrested control from Vivendi the following year. In 2020, Italy's top administrative court annulled the resolution of Consob, which subsequently appealed that decision. The supreme court's ruling came as Vivendi is calling for governance changes in Telecom Italia to better reflect the relative weight of shareholders.

☆ Putin ignores German tank decision, dispenses career advice on Moscow University visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided commenting on Germany's landmark decision on Wednesday to supply tanks to Ukraine during a visit to Moscow State University, instead dispensing career advice to students and fielding questions on other topics. Putin, 70, thanked him for his service and said he would definitely take his FSB ambitions into account. "People like you understand most acutely the importance of action to protect people... and Russia itself," the president said. A young woman named Darya told Putin she dreamed of working in the presidential administration, and he responded that he would "definitely tip off the personnel department". Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

European stocks have vastly outperformed their U.S. peers. The euro STOXX (.STOXXE) benchmark has beaten its U.S. peer, the S&P 500 (.SPX), by over 18 percentage points since September. "It's a very big move in European gas prices and that has dramatically improved the outlook. "Lower gas prices are surely a positive, but their rapid fall also tell us that they can rise just as fast should things go wrong. A closely watched index of European corporate credit (.MERER00) has seen its yield fall nearly 50 basis points this year.

☆ Bank of England to lift rates to 4% on Feb 2, finish at 4.25% in March - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationLONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The Bank of England will lift the Bank Rate by 50 basis points on Feb. 2 to 4.00% and then add another 25 basis points in March before pausing, according to a Reuters poll of economists who said the greater risk was that it would do even more. A firm majority, 29 of 42 respondents to the Jan. 18-24 poll, said the Bank would add 50 basis points next Thursday. Median forecasts in the poll showed the Bank would then add 25 basis points in March, giving a peak rate of 4.25%. Markets are pricing in a peak of 4.50% for Bank Rate. However, the poll showed GDP falling 0.3% this quarter and next and 0.1% in the third quarter.

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Hedge fund Elliott Management Corp has built a "significant" stake in Japanese automotive battery component supplier Dai Nippon Printing Co Ltd (DNP) (7912.T), sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. A DNP spokesperson said the company had confirmed Elliott's investment late last year, but declined to comment on details. The Financial Times, which first reported the news, said Elliott now holds a stake just under 5% worth $300 million. Elliott declined to comment. It recently won a board seat at Pinterest Inc (PINS.N) when the company added Elliott portfolio manager Marc Steinberg as a director.

☆ Twelve rescued after building collapses in India; more feared trapped
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Police officers and rescue workers stand on the debris of a residential apartment block after it collapsed in Lucknow, India, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Saurabh SharmaLUCKNOW, India, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Rescue workers pulled 12 people, including two children, out of the rubble after a residential apartment block collapsed in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, but more were feared trapped inside, a local police official said on Tuesday. At least 12 more people were feared trapped, the official said, as rescue workers sought to clear rubble and debris from the site, located in a crowded and posh area of Lucknow, the capital of India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh. Television channels showed piles of brick and concrete and police teams clearing the rubble to search for survivors. A total of 24 people were feared trapped when the building collapsed, Chauhan said.

☆ EU wants to cut red tape, costs to spur rollout of 5G - document
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The European Commission wants to cut red tape and costs to help Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) and other telecoms operators roll out fast-speed 5G, according to a Commission document seen by Reuters. The EU executive, which wants all Europeans to have access to gigabit connectivity and 75% of EU companies to use cloud infrastructure or artificial intelligence technology by 2030, is expected to announce its proposal, called the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, on Feb. 10. The measure could save telecoms operators about 40 million euros ($43.5 million) in annual administrative costs, the paper said. The measure also says telecoms providers can access physical infrastructure owned or controlled by public sector bodies irrespective of its location under fair and reasonable terms. ($1 = 0.9193 euros)Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The dollar edged lower against the euro on Monday, as the common currency found support from European Central Bank officials' comments signalling additional jumbo interest rate rises in Europe. The euro reached as high as $1.0927 , to trade at its highest level since April last year, before paring gains to trade up 0.1 % at $1.0865. A Reuters survey of analysts also favoured hikes of 50 basis points at the next two meetings and an eventual rate peak of 3.25%, from the current rate of 2%. "Really what's driving things is central bank policy divergence," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Convera in Washington. So when you weigh the outlook for central bank policy, it depicts the dollar at a disadvantage, given market bets on the Fed moving more slowly than its counterparts abroad," Manimbo said.

☆ Baker Hughes misses profit estimate amid shortages, inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O) missed a fourth-quarter profit estimate on Monday as the oilfield services firm navigated challenges including component shortages, supply chain inflation and disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Many oilfield firms have also been facing workforce shortages, inflation and supply chain constraints. Baker Hughes restructured its business last year into two segments, one focused on oilfield equipment and services and another on industrial and energy technology. Total company revenues of $5.9 billion also missed Wall Street estimates of $6.1 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Still, analysts were upbeat on the firm's adjusted EBITDA of $947 million, which beat forecasts of around $925 million.

The euro reached as high as $1.0927 , breaking the recent peak of $1.08875, to trade at its highest level since April last year. The single currency was aided by European Central Bank (ECB) governing council members Klaas Knot and Peter Kazimir, who both advocated for two more 50 basis point hikes at meetings in February and March. A Reuters survey of analysts also favoured hikes of 50 basis points at the next two meetings and an eventual rate peak of 3.25%, from the current rate of 2%. Investors also have around 50 basis points of U.S. rate cuts priced in for the second half of the year, reflecting softer data on inflation, consumer spending and housing. The pound rose as high as $1.24475 , its highest in seven months, before turning 0.3% lower to $1.2355.

☆ Taiwan president tells pope war with China not an option
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has written to Pope Francis to say that war between Taiwan and China is not an option and only by respecting the Taiwanese people's insistence on sovereignty and freedom can there be healthy ties with Beijing. The Vatican is Chinese-claimed Taiwan's sole European diplomatic ally, and Taipei has watched with concern as Pope Francis has moved to improve relations with China. China staged war games near Taiwan last August, and Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan has complained repeatedly that its exclusion from the WHO, due to Chinese pressure, has hampered efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying that only the island's 23 million people can decide their future.

☆ Brazil, Argentina to encourage trade, says Haddad; plays down common currency
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

His remarks came after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentine leader Alberto Fernandez published a joint article saying their aim for greater economic integration included studies of a common South American currency. Haddad, who floated such a possibility in an article last year, said removing trade barriers between the two largest economies in South America could involve using a single currency for commerce, given a lack of U.S. dollars in Argentina. "Trade is really bad and the problem is precisely the foreign currency, right? Haddad noted Argentina was an important buyer of Brazilian industrial goods and that "several possibilities" were being floated to circumvent its currency problems, though no decision had been made. The Financial Times had previously reported, citing Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa, that the neighboring nations would announce this week they were starting preparatory work on a common currency.

Jan 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. labor board official is seeking a rare order requiring Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) to collectively bargain with workers at a Florida store, even after they voted against unionizing by a nearly two-to-one margin. Workers at the Estero, Florida store voted 21-11 in May against forming a union amid a nationwide organizing campaign that has involved hundreds of Starbucks locations. The campaign, Starbucks Workers United, has won elections at more than 260 U.S. stores and has lost about 70 elections since late 2021. The regional director is asking the board to issue a "bargaining order" forcing Starbucks to recognize and bargain with the union at the Estero store. Starbucks is facing similar claims in a pending case involving a Buffalo, New York store where workers voted against unionizing in 2021.

☆ BAFTA nominations: German 'All Quiet On The Western Front' gets most nods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] Crew from "All Quiet on the Western Front" attend the National Board of Review Awards Gala in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Andrew KellyLONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A German remake of the anti-war classic "All Quiet On The Western Front" led nominations for the British Academy Film Awards on Thursday, overtaking other award season favourites with 14 nods. That film and Steven Spielberg's coming-of-age story "The Fabelmans" were the two big winners at the Golden Globes earlier this month, but the latter received just one BAFTA nod, for original screenplay. Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic "Elvis" came in third with nine nominations, including best film and a leading actor recognition for Austin Butler. Drama "Tar", in which Cate Blanchett plays a gay conductor of a Berlin orchestra whose career comes tumbling down due to an abuse scandal, had five nods, including best film, director, original screenplay and leading actress.

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - European Union energy regulators published their first daily liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessment on Thursday, a first step in the EU's plan to launch a new European LNG benchmark price by the end of March. WHY DOES THE EU WANT A NEW LNG PRICE? Unlike pipeline gas, LNG is not widely traded on exchanges, so there is less visibility on how much the fuel costs. HOW WILL ACER'S LNG PRICE BE DIFFERENT? ACER can only produce a price assessment if it receives at least five transactions in the assessed five-day period.

☆ U.S. agency says Amazon.com exposed workers to safety hazards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File PhotoNEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A U.S. government agency on Wednesday issued citations against Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) for failing to keep warehouse workers safe, by exposing them to ergonomic hazards that resulted in serious injuries. The agency said workers at the Florida facility were also exposed to "struck-by" hazards, where merchandise that was unevenly stacked or not secured was susceptible to collapse. Doug Parker, the head of OSHA, said Amazon's processes were "designed for speed but not safety, and they resulted in serious worker injuries." Amazon has said it invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually to ensure worker safety. Safety concerns, including after the deaths of six workers when an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, collapsed during a December 2021 tornado, have helped spur union campaigns at Amazon warehouses across the country.

☆ Davos 2023: UBS head says regulators' 'eyes off the ball' on non-banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher said traditional finance firms were "systemically safe" after years of increased regulation, but guardians of global financial markets had further to go to eradicate the risks posed by the non-banking sector. "Regulators have - with respect - taken their eyes off the ball in terms of the non-banking sector," the chairman of Switzerland's largest bank said during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, referring to a category of loosely supervised finance firms. They're systemically safe, we can argue," he added. "We are looking for the regulatory framework that will allow us to accommodate that for our clients." Reporting by Stefania Spezzati and Sinead Cruise; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

But this could present an opportunity to address shortages of homes, property bosses said. "Office buildings need to be converted to residential," said Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of New York-based investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, during a panel discussion. Offices are emptier than official data suggests as most buildings are still generating income for landlords. However, as these rental contracts expire, cities like New York will have a significant number of obsolete buildings, said Christian Ulbrich, CEO of global property consultancy JLL Inc. (JLL.N). Millions of workers were forced to work from home during lockdowns aimed at stalling the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

☆ Portugal wants EU green tech package to ensure level playing field
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The European Union's response to the United States' stimulus package for green tech investments should use financing instruments that ensure equality between all members instead of favouring the bloc's most industrialised nations, Portugal's finance minister said on Tuesday. Brussels is concerned that European companies will increasingly move to the United States, which has a $369 billion scheme to subsidise green production. "But it has to be implemented through European mechanisms that ensure equality within the European space," he added. "The smaller European countries cannot lose to the larger countries in an internal competition that would not make sense to open at this moment," he said. Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by David Latona and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Malaysia central bank to hike rates to 3.00% on Thursday: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Sujith Pai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) became in May last year one of the first Asian central banks to hike rates in the current cycle and has added a cumulative 100 basis points. Median forecasts in the poll showed inflation to average 3.0% this year, an upgrade from the 2.8% predicted in October. All but one of 27 economists in the Jan. 10-16 Reuters poll forecast the central bank to hike its overnight policy rate (MYINTR=ECI) to 3.00%, where it was before the pandemic, at its meeting on Jan. 19. While a slim majority of respondents, 13 of 24, expected rates to still be 3.00% at end-March, 10 of them had a 3.25% forecast. Nearly 60% of economists, 14 of 24, expected rates to reach 3.25% or above by end-June, a quarter point higher from a November poll.

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