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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
Mediobanca posts record profit ahead of vote on new board
  + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
A logo of Mediobanca is pictured at Mediobanca headquarters in Milan, Italy, November 12, 2019. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Mediobanca (MDBI.MI) posted its best-ever quarterly profit on Thursday, ahead of a key shareholder vote to name the Italian bank's new board and hand Chief Executive Alberto Nagel a new three-year mandate. Net profit rose 34% year-on-year to 351 million euros ($370 million) in the three months through September, beating a bank-provided analyst consensus of 315 million euros, thanks to contributions from wealth management and insurance. Del Vecchio, who died last year at the age of 87, had criticised Nagel for failing to grow the investment bank's business decisively and hampering expansion at insurer Generali (GASI.MI), in which Mediobanca is the main shareholder. ($1 = 0.9489 euros)Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Alvise Armellini and Valentina ZaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Flavio Lo Scalzo, Alberto Nagel, Revenues, Mediobanca, Delfin, Leonardo Del Vecchio, Del Vecchio, Nagel, Gianluca Semeraro, Alvise Armellini, Valentina Za Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Italian, Del
"We can do that because we already spend 300 million euros a year for social causes," Messina said. Intesa has among core shareholders charitable banking foundations inspired by Catholic values, commonly referred to in Italy as "Catholic finance". "I hope to have the honour to continue to lead our company for many years with this philosophy," Messina said. At the helm since 2013, Messina has made the digital switch a key plank of his long-term strategy for Intesa, with a view to cutting costs and focusing resources on wealth management and insurance operations. Intesa this year launched both Isybank, a cloud-based, low-cost mobile bank to serve younger, mass-market clients, and Fideuram Direct, a digital wealth management service targeting younger private banking clients.
Persons: Carlo Messina, Messina, Intesa, " Messina, Pope Francis, Valentina Za, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: MILAN, Thomson Locations: Italy, Messina
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 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
UniCredit 'rebalancing' Amundi relationship in fee income drive
  + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
It's rebalancing a little bit, and will rebalance going forward," UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel told analysts when presenting the bank's third quarter results. Sources told Reuters in May that UniCredit had been trimming the proportion of Amundi funds in its total AUM, paying penalties for failing to meet contractual minimums. Orcel said UniCredit will maintain its current "open architecture" approach to asset management, which involves partnering with all major players, including Amundi, to offer "best in class" products. Since taking over at UniCredit in 2021, the former investment banker, has been working to boost revenue from asset management in an effort to increase net fee income as a proportion of UniCredit's overall revenue. As he sought to review the 10-year Amundi distribution deal, Orcel signed an agreement with Azimut (AZMT.MI) in late 2022 giving the Italian asset manager access to UniCredit's clients.
Persons: Dado Ruvic, UniCredit, Amundi, It's, Andrea Orcel, Orcel, Valentina Za, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, BlackRock, Thomson Locations: UniCredit, Italian
LaGrange, Georgia CNN —My little Spider-Man, his mother called him. He was holding on out there, in the open space, until his mother pulled her little Spider-Man back onto the balcony. Read other profiles of children who have died from gunfireThe next few minutes are jumbled in her memory. Most accidental shooting deaths among children involve guns left loaded and unlocked, study findsIn a recent interview, as she struggled with her emotions, Williams said she wished she hadn’t gotten the gun. His mother looked at her little Spider-Man, and wished she could take his place.
Persons: Ayden King, Chepial Williams, , , Williams, Ayden, ” Williams, don’t, King, Chris Pritchett, they’re, ” Ayden, they’d, Za’Niyah Organizations: LaGrange , Georgia CNN, CNN, Firearms, Authorities Locations: LaGrange , Georgia, LaGrange, Atlanta, Birmingham, America
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that CVC was in the early stages of considering a possible bid for Nexi, Europe's largest payments company by volume of transactions. Nexi shares have lost 22% this year, adding to a 47% drop in 2022 and stoking speculation about potential takeover interest. By 0730 shares in Nexi were indicated up 16.7% at 6.72 euros a share, not far from a record low of 5.25 euros a share hit earlier this month. The presence of shareholder funds which will eventually need to liquidate their investment and the depressed share price have fuelled persistent speculation about Nexi's future. The government has powers to block any unwanted interest over a company such as Nexi, considered of strategic national interest.
Persons: Alessandro Garofalo, Friedman, Bain, Elisa Anzolin, Giancarlo Navach, Valentina Za, Cristina Carlevaro, Gavin Jones Organizations: REUTERS, CVC Capital Partners, Bloomberg, Nexi, Nets, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Nexi
South Africa will be Amazon's 21st country with a local domain name-based website, challenging a slew of online retailers dominated mainly by Naspers' (NPNJn.J) Takealot.com. "The launch of Amazon.co.za in 2024 will provide independent sellers throughout the country an opportunity to rapidly launch, grow, and scale their businesses," Amazon said in a statement. The launch of its service comes at a time when South Africa has seen a sharp rise in online shopping after the pandemic created an opportunity for e-commerce to finally take hold, with retailers doubling down on investments in response. "I don't think their takeover of South Africa retail is a slam dunk," said Sasfin Wealth senior equity analyst Alec Abraham. While Amazon is expected to intensify competition with local online and traditional retailers, "the reality is that the consumer pie in South Africa is not growing," he said.
Persons: Naspers, Pascal, Alec Abraham, Mamongae Mahlare, Nqobile, Promit Mukherjee, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Sasfin Wealth, Amazon, Takealot, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Africa, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Egypt
Research shows women in richer economies are more likely to have children if they work. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - Italy's first female premier - has said women are "an untapped resource" that lessens the need for immigrant labour. Yet her conservative government's 2024 budget, to be presented on Monday, is not expected to include measures to drive change. According to a government report relating to 2021, nearly one in five Italian women aged under 50 left their job after having their first child. SPANISH SUCCESSMeloni's government could learn from Spain, whose female activity rate lagged Italy's in the early 1990s but is now above the EU average.
Persons: Guzzo, Vittoria, Claudia Greco, Elena, Claudia Goldin, Giorgia Meloni, Claudia Olivetti, Enza Guzzo, Gian Carlo Blangiardo, Blangiardo, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Olivetti, Paola Profeta, Katharine Neiss, Valentina Za, Elisa Anzolin, Giuseppe Fonte, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Reuters, Research, Dartmouth College, ISTAT, Bank of, EU, France's, Milan's Bocconi University, AXA Research, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Arese, Italy, MILAN, Bank of Italy, Rome, Barcelona, Spain, Milan
View of the entrance to the headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the oldest bank in the world, which is facing massive layoffs as part of a planned corporate merger, in Siena, Italy, August 11, 2021. Among the 15 defendants cleared by Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation were former MPS Chairman Giuseppe Mussari and its former Managing Director Antonio Vigni and Deutsche (DBKGn.DE) and Nomura (8604.T). The appeals court cancelled seizures imposed on Deutsche Bank and Nomura Holdings Inc (8604.T) for 64.9 million and 88 million euros, respectively. The case centred on two derivatives transactions — dubbed Alexandria and Santorini — that Nomura and Deutsche Bank arranged for MPS in 2009. MPS, the world's oldest bank still in business and Italy's fifth biggest listed lender, had reached a court settlement in 2016 in the derivatives case at a cost of 10.6 million euros.
Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Siena, Giuseppe Mussari, Antonio Vigni, Nomura, Marco Carta, Keith Weir, Valentina Za Organizations: Monte, REUTERS, Rights, Monte dei, Deutsche Bank, Nomura, Italy's, Cassation, Deutsche, Nomura Holdings Inc, MPS, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, Milan, Alexandria
The government last week revisited a 40% tax on banks' net interest margin (NIM) that it had introduced in a shock move in August. Lenders now have the option to boost reserves by an amount equivalent to 2.5 times the tax. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Sept. 27 the final outcome of the process would be "a great bank policy measure" that makes Italy's banks the strongest in Europe. The law requires banks that forego the tax to set aside money under ad hoc reserves in their accounts. If forced to boost capital through the ad hoc reserves, banks can use larger buybacks over time to compensate shareholders, one of the sources said.
Persons: Giancarlo Giorgetti, Remo Casilli, Banks, Luigi Lovaglio, Andrea Orcel, Giorgia Meloni, Giorgetti, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Treasury, Economy, European Central Bank, Monte, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, ROME, Europe, Monte dei, Siena
Soccer AC Milan take first step in new arena project
  + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
The AC Milan logo is pictured on a pennant in a soccer store in downtown Milan, Italy April 29, 2015. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Sept 27 (Reuters) - AC Milan are starting a process to build a new stadium on the outskirts of Milan, the Italian soccer club said on Wednesday, after efforts to replace their historic San Siro arena led nowhere. "It's a first step," AC Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni said at a press briefing presenting the project. Like other Italian clubs, AC Milan, who are controlled by U.S. fund RedBird, do not own an arena, which is seen as a key driver to boost revenue. The club and local rival Inter Milan have been in talks for years with the city of Milan to advance a joint project to rebuild San Siro, which was built in the 1920s and is currently the home ground of both teams.
Persons: Stefano Rellandini, Milan, Paolo Scaroni, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Milan, AC Milan, U.S, Inter Milan, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Italian, San Siro, San Donato
The Treasury will issue new economic targets on Wednesday providing the framework for a budget in which Meloni will attempt to keep her tax-cutting promises while also lowering the fiscal deficit. "This budget is Meloni's first real economic test since she came to power last October," said Tim Jones, euro zone analyst for market consultancy firm Medley Advisors. Meloni has much less room for manoeuvre than when she hiked deficit targets in her first budget a year ago. Episodes targeting airlines and investors in Italy's 307- billion-euro ($326.74 billion) bad loan market have followed a similar pattern. Meloni subsequently said no measures were planned regarding non-performing loans, but her party's proposal is still before parliament and uncertainty persists.
Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Tim Jones, she's, Morgan Stanley, Reuters.G Rome, Roberto Perotti, Meloni's, Valentina Za, Francesco Canepa, Giuseppe Fonte, Sara Rossi, Gianluca Semeraro, Ed Osmond, Giselda Organizations: Treasury, Advisors, European Central Bank, Reuters, Ryanair, Milan's, Bank of, ECB, Thomson Locations: ROME, Italy, Greece, Rome, Italian, Italy's, Brussels, EU, Milan
The UniCredit bank logo in the old city centre of Siena, Italy, June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILANO, Sept 26 (Reuters) - UniCredit (CRDI.MI) said on Tuesday it had mandated Egon Zehnder and Spencer Stuart as headhunters to support the board in identifying candidates to be included in the slate of nominees current directors will put forward to appoint their successors. The current board is up for renewal next spring. In June UniCredit Chief Executive Andrea Orcel said he would be "definitely up for more," when asked about whether he would seek a new mandate at the helm of the Italian bank. Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Valentina ZaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Stefano Rellandini, Egon Zehnder, Spencer Stuart, Andrea Orcel, Gianluca Semeraro, Valentina Za Organizations: REUTERS, UniCredit, Thomson Locations: Siena, Italy, Italian
Cinven this month signed an accord with GIC, Singapore's sovereign fund, and another two investors to purchase from them 140 million euros of Tier2 Eurovita bonds, the source added. Cinven, which acquired Eurovita in 2017, also launched a tender offer to buy back another 20 million euros of bonds from investors including Italian financial institutions, so that only around 9 million remain outstanding, the source said. Italian insurance authorities placed Eurovita under special administration this year, the first time they have taken such a step, after rising rates blew a hole in the life insurer's cash reserves. Instead, Cinven was asked to carry out the debt buyback and cancel the bonds to support a solvent liquidation, one of the people added. Like other life insurers, especially those relying on banks to sell products, Eurovita was hit by early redemptions once rates started rising and savers sought better returns.
Persons: Matthew Childs, Cinven, Eurovita, Assicurazioni, Valentina Za, Emilio Parodi, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, GIC, Germany's Allianz, Allianz, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Cinven
The government sparked a market rout last month with the surprise announcement of a 40% tax on the profits banks are reaping from rising interest rates. The option would benefit banks that hold a higher proportion of Italian government bonds among their assets relative to loans. Banca Akros and broker Equita also expect most banks to pay the tax. Equita also said paying the levy would allow lenders to maintain more flexibility over their remuneration policy. Switching the tax basis to risk-weighted assets helps banks which have a lower 'risk density', meaning the average risk weight per unit of exposure.
Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Equita, Akros, Siena, Valentina Za, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Generale, Banca Akros, ICCREA, Bank, Banca Generali, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, Italy's
“It’s a moment that was inevitable based off of the environment that we’ve had in football,” Williamson told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies. “I’m glad that it’s getting the exposure that it is, but as a fellow footballer I really feel for the girls. Williamson captained England to victory at Euro 2021. Every cloud has a silver liningAfter injuring her knee during Arsenal’s Women’s Super League match against Manchester United in April, Williamson was later given the diagnosis that soccer players dread the most: a ruptured ACL. Williamson (center) suffered an ACL injury in May, causing her to miss the World Cup.
Persons: Leah Williamson, Luis Rubiales, Jennifer Hermoso, Williamson, we’ve, ” Williamson, Amanda Davies, “ I’m, , Naomi Baker, , Lionesses, Millie Bright, she’s, , ’ ’, Clive Rose, – Williamson, they’re, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Arsenal, government’s, of Sport, United Nations ’, UN, FA, League, Manchester United, England, The Arsenal Foundation Locations: England, Spain, Spanish, New York, Jordan, Za’atari
ROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Italy plans to revisit its contested windfall tax on banks by giving lenders the option to boost their reserve buffers instead of paying the levy, a draft amendment seen by Reuters showed on Saturday. Bank shares tumbled before the economy ministry clarified that it would not collect more than 0.1% of lenders' total assets. More importantly, instead of paying the tax, banks can boost their non-distributable reserves by earmarking an amount equivalent to two and a half times the levy. Such an option is expected to exempt cooperative banks from the tax, as they usually put aside a large part of their profits as reserves. In the current version, the tax would apply if NIM grows by 5% in 2022 and 10% in 2023 from 2021 levels.
Persons: Giorgia Meloni, NIM, Jan Harvey Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, Bank, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Frankfurt
General view of a branch of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the oldest bank in the world, which is facing massive layoffs as part of a planned business merger, in Siena, Italy, August 11 2021. Reuters was first in May to report the Treasury was open to selling down its Monte dei Paschi (MPS) stake on the market if conditions were right. Though the Treasury is considering cutting its stake with share placements, it would retain majority ownership, one of the sources said. Bankers said the capital raise has made any deal more expensive for any buyer, complicating the prospect for a merger. Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte in Roma and Valentina Za in Milan; editing by Alvise ArmelliniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Rome, Luigi Lovaglio, Lovaglio, Giuseppe Fonte, Valentina Za, Alvise Organizations: REUTERS, European, Reuters, Treasury, EU, MPS, Banco, Bankers, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, Roma, Milan
Fendi kicks off Milan's womenswear week with Roman ease
  + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
MILAN, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Milan kicked off its catwalk calendar on Wednesday, with Italian luxury label Fendi exploring the "ease of dressing with a certain Roman freeedom" at its womenswear fashion show. Milan Fashion Week follows New York and London events in which designers have been presenting their creations for spring/summer 2024. A patchwork of fabrics recreated Fendi's F logo on coats and dresses through "a playful and abstract exploration" of the symbol Karl Lagerfeld created in 1966, a year after joining the Roman brand as creative director. Milan Fashion Week includes 62 physical fashion shows of spring summer collections. Milan fashion week will mark the debut of Sabato De Sarno as creative director of Gucci, Peter Hawkings as creative director of Tom Ford, and Simone Bellotti as creative director of Bally.
Persons: Kim Jones, mohair, Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, Jones, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Versace, Sabato De Sarno, Gucci, Peter Hawkings, Tom Ford, Simone Bellotti, Elisa Anzolin, Valentina Za Organizations: Milan, New, Bally, Thomson Locations: New York, London, Fendi, Rome, Milan
Cleveland allowed an opponent to score two defensive touchdowns for the first time since Pittsburgh did it on Oct. 16, 1983. The Browns played most of the final three quarters without Chubb, who was carted off the field with what appeared to be his second major left knee injury. Chubb took a handoff from Watson early in the second quarter and reached the Pittsburgh 3 when Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick dove at Chubb's legs. The Browns beat the host Steelers in the playoffs after the 2020 season. Steelers: At Las Vegas (1-1) next Sunday, when they will try to beat the Raiders on the road for the first time since 1995.
Persons: — T.J, Watt, DeShaun Watson, Nick Chubb, Alex Highsmith —, Jedrick Wills Jr, Chubb, Watson, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Fitzpatrick, Jacoby Brissett, , Jerome Ford, tandems, Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, Cleveland, Ford, Pierre Strong, Matt Canada, Za'Darius Smith, Greg Newsome, KR Gunner Olszewski, ILB Elandon Roberts, ___ Organizations: PITTSBURGH, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland, The Steelers, Browns, Georgia, Pittsburgh, Steelers, Bowler's, ESPN, Steeler, KR, Host Tennessee, Sunday, Las Vegas, Raiders Locations: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Las
The audit court on Thursday approved the decree needed to set up the unit, the sources said, despite making critical observations about some aspects of it. Giorgetti has approached former banker Marcello Sala, currently director for investor relations at the Treasury, to lead the department, they added. Under the reorganisation plan, the influential Treasury department within the ministry led by veteran economist Riccardo Barbieri would be split into two units. The Treasury will continue to supervise public debt management, macroeconomic policies, European and international relations as well as financial regulation. ($1 = 0.9323 euros)Additional reporting by Valentina Za in Milan Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Sala, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Giorgetti, Marcello Sala, Antonino Turicchi, Dario Scannapieco, Riccardo Barbieri, Valentina Za, Christina Fincher Organizations: Treasury, Economy, ITA Airways, Department, Thomson Locations: ROME, Italy, Siena, Milan
Italy's new bank tax should count as cost, ABI banking lobby
  + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: 1 min
MILAN, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Italian banks should be able to deduct from their overall tax bill the one-off tax on income deriving from higher interest rates which the government plans to introduce, industry lobby ABI said on Tuesday. In comments prepared for a parliamentary hearing, ABI also said that the impact of lenders' government bond holdings on their income and capital should also be excluded from the tax. ABI warned the tax risked violating principles set by Italy's constitutional law. It added the sector faced challenges such as a rising cost of funding and a possible increase in unpaid loans driven by the higher rates. Reporting by Valentina Za and Giuseppe Fonte; editign Federico MaccioniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Valentina Za, Giuseppe Fonte, editign Federico Maccioni Organizations: ABI, Thomson
When the ambassador visited Ladomirova, he met with Mr. Cuper’s bitter rival, a former mayor whom Mr. Cuper had accused of embezzling village funds and who was convicted of fraud in 2019. The former mayor’s wife, Olga Bojcikova, who declined to be interviewed, was at the time running against Mr. Cuper, who was backed by pro-Ukrainian parties, in the local election last October. The ambassador’s story of “razed” Russian graves, though debunked by the police, was, Mr. Cuper recalled, “blown out of all proportion” by Kremlin-friendly Slovaks, particularly the Brat za Brata bikers. Mr. Cuper said he never touched the graves but had removed stone border markers because they were falling apart. The cemetery contains the unidentified bodies of soldiers from various countries, including Russia, killed in a World War I battle.
Persons: Ladomirova, Cuper’s, Cuper, Olga Bojcikova, , ” “, , Maros Zilinka Organizations: Mr, Kremlin, Facebook Locations: Russia, United States
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