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MILAN, June 10 (Reuters) - U.S. fund KKR (KKR.N) strengthened its lead in the race to secure the landline grid of Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) when it offered to raise its bid by up to or over 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion), two people with knowledge of the matter said. The value of KKR's offer could top 23 billion euros overall, widening the gap with a rival proposal by a consortium comprising Italian state lender CDP and Australian fund Macquarie (MQG.AX). The improved offer would still be short of a valuation of more than 30 billion euros for the grid sought by TIM's top shareholder Vivendi (VIV.PA). Sources had previously told Reuters that both Labriola and some leading Italian officials already saw KKR as the strongest bidder prior to Friday's proposal. TIM's board meets to review the proposals on June 19 and is expected to take a decision on June 22.

Persons: Pietro Labriola's, Labriola, KKR, Macquarie, Akriti Sharma, Elvira Pollina, Marguerita Choy, Leslie Adler Organizations: MILAN, KKR, Telecom Italia, Macquarie, Vivendi, Reuters, TIM, Thomson Locations: ServCo, NetCo, Bengaluru, Milan

MILAN, June 9 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) said on Friday it received two new offers for its landline grid as Italy's biggest telecoms group seeks to resolve the impasse over the sale of its main asset. U.S. fund KKR (KKR.N) and a rival consortium comprising state lender CDP and Australian fund Macquarie (MQG.AX) separately submitted bids for Telecom Italia's network, according to a statement. Debt-crippled TIM had sought improved offers for its most valuable asset after having assessed as not yet adequate the proposals received in May. The antitrust problems are linked to CDP and Macquarie's owning fibre optic wholesale provider Open Fiber. Treasury-owned CDP is the second-largest investor in TIM after France's Vivendi (VIV.PA) with a 10% stake.

Persons: Pietro Labriola's, Akriti Sharma, Elvira Pollina, Marguerita Choy, Leslie Adler Organizations: MILAN, Telecom Italia, KKR, Macquarie, Telecom Italia's, TIM, Treasury, France's Vivendi, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, Milan

☆ KKR, CDP rival consortium readying new bids for Telecom Italia's grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. fund KKR (KKR.N) and a rival consortium comprising state lender CDP and Australian fund Macquarie (MQG.AX) are readying to submit slightly improved bids for Telecom Italia's (TIM) (TLIT.MI) network ahead of a June 9 deadline, sources said. KKR and the CDP-led consortium offered 21 billion euros($22.5 billion) and 19 billion euros, respectively, for TIM's domestic landline grid and its submarine unit Sparkle, sources have previously said. Their approach for TIM's grid is part of a plan to combine Open Fiber with the former phone monopoly infrastructure, which has been complicated by antitrust issues. People familiar with the matter told Reuters last month the Treasury CDP joining forces with KKR for TIM's grid, with one source saying government officials were pushing for CDP to drop its separate proposal. But Macquarie is raising about a possible alliance between CDP and KKR, other sources said at the time, citing clauses in the Open Fiber shareholder pact.

Persons: Macquarie, Pietro Labriola's, Elvira Pollina, David Evans Organizations: MILAN, KKR, Macquarie, Telecom Italia's, TIM, Reuters, Treasury, Vivendi, Telecom, Thomson

Rome CNN —Pope Francis was recovering well in a Rome hospital on Thursday, the day after the 86-year-old had abdominal surgery that renewed health fears. “This wasn’t an urgent surgery,” Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who operated on Pope Francis, said at a press conference. Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair, attended a weekly general audience at the Vatican on June 7. Pope’s fragile healthThis operation is the latest in a series of health scares surrounding Pope Francis. Medical sources say that the intervention was likely related to the surgery Francis underwent in 2021, which removed half of his colon.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN — Pope Francis, “, ”, Matteo Bruni, Francis, ” Dr, Sergio Alfieri, Pope Francis, ” Alfieri, Andreas Solaro, Alfieri, he’s “, –, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Bruni, Francis ’, Pope Francis now, Annatuli, Carina, State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Tarcisio Bertone, ’ ”, Pope Benedict XVI, Gregory XII, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Gemelli, Reuters, Catholic, Papal, Getty, CNN, Spanish, ABC, State, Catholic Church Locations: Rome, AFP, The Prefecture, Mexico, Myanmar, Iraq, Ukraine

☆ Pope Francis to have abdominal surgery, in latest health concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( John Allen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome CNN —Pope Francis will have surgery on his abdomen and remain in a Rome hospital for several days, the Vatican said Wednesday, sparking renewed fears over the 86-year-old’s fragile health. The pope was forced to cancel several work commitments in late May after he was debilitated by a fever. According to medical sources, the intervention is likely related to the surgery Francis experienced in 2021 to remove half of his colon. Should Francis be incapacitated for any length of time, the Vatican could find itself facing something of a constitutional crisis. Francis said he wrote the letter several years ago and gave it to then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN — Pope Francis, Francis, he’s “, Vatican, Matteo Bruni, ” Francis, Pius XI, ”, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Tarcisio Bertone, ’ ”, Francis ’, Pope Benedict XVI, “, Gregory XII Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Rome’s Clinic, Catholic, Spanish, ABC, State Locations: Rome, St

☆ Kipyegon sets women's 1,500m world record, Kerly wins 100m in Florence
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kipyegon shaved almost an entire second off the previous mark of 3:50.07 set by Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba in 2015. The world record completes the 29-year-old's collection of feats, adding to her two Olympic 1,500m golds and the 2017 and 2022 world titles, Commonwealth Games gold medal from 2014 and three Diamond League titles. Dina Asher-Smith, who won the world 200 metres title in Doha in 2019, pulled out in the build-up to the race. Spaniard Mohamed Katir produced a lung-busting performance to win the 5,000m with a world leading 12:52.09, with world record holder Joshua Cheptegei coming in fourth. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pietro Mennea Golden, Luigi Ridolfi, Kipyegon, Remo Casilli FLORENCE, Fred Kerley, Ethiopia's Genzebe, Britain's Laura Muir, Jessica Hull, Muir, Ferdinand Omanyala, Trayvon, Jamaica's Yohan Blake, Jacobs, Ivorian Marie, Josee Ta Lou, Gina Lueckenkemper, Imani, Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher, Smith, Ta Lou, Erriyon Knighton, Grant Holloway, Mohamed Katir, Joshua Cheptegei, Italy's Leonardo Fabbri, Andy Diaz, Larissa Iapichino, Aadi Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Diamond League, Commonwealth Games, Kenyan, Rabat, Thomson Locations: Florence, Italy, Ivorian, Doha, Netherlands, Rabat, Nashik, India

☆ Kenya's Kipyegon sets women's 1,500m world record at Florence Diamond League
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Athletics - Diamond League - Pietro Mennea Golden Gala - Stadio Luigi Ridolfi, Florence, Italy - June 2, 2023 Kenya's Faith Kipyegon poses with the screen as she sets a new world record and wins the women's 1500m final REUTERS/Remo CasilliJune 2 (Reuters) - Kenya's Faith Kipyegon set a women's 1,500 metres world record by clocking 3:49.11 at the third Diamond League meeting of the season in Florence on Friday. Kipyegon, winner of the last two Olympic 1,500m golds and the 2017 and 2022 world titles, bettered the previous mark of 3:50.07 set by Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba in 2015. The Kenyan finished well ahead of Britain's second-placed Laura Muir and Australian Jessica Hull in third, with Kipyegon's rivals crowding around to congratulate her after the race. "I'm so happy for Faith," Muir said. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pietro Mennea Golden, Luigi Ridolfi, Kipyegon, Remo Casilli, Ethiopia's Genzebe, Laura Muir, Jessica Hull, Muir, Aadi Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Diamond League, Kenyan, Thomson Locations: Florence, Italy, Britain's, Nashik, India

☆ Telecom Italia urged to call board meeting to name Vivendi candidate - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, May 20 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) is being urged by some directors to hold an extraordinary board meeting to name a candidate sponsored by top investor Vivendi (VIV.PA) to fill a vacant director seat at the former phone monopoly, two sources said on Saturday. One of the sources said Telecom Italia's nomination committee will start a review of Carta's candidacy on Monday, adding no board meeting has yet been called. The board seat has been vacant since January when Vivendi Chief Executive Arnaud de Puyfontaine quit the board asking for a new governance set-up. In their latest bids, KKR and the rival consortium offered 21 billion euros ($23.12 billion) and 19 billion euros, respectively, for the asset, source have previously said, some 10 billion euros below Vivendi's price tag to back a deal. TIM directors are expected to discuss the bids at an ordinary board meeting due on June 22.

☆ Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out Ukraine peace mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Cardinal Matteo Zuppi attends the opening of the inter-religious meeting "The Cry of Peace" in Rome, Italy, October 23, 2022. REUTERS/Remo CasilliVATICAN CITY, May 20 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Saturday. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2019 and he was elected head of the Italian Episcopal Conference last year. Zelenskiy met Pope Francis at the Vatican last Saturday but afterwards appeared to downplay the possibility of a papal mediation. "With all due respect for His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we need a just peace ... Putin only kills.

☆ Telecom Italia urged to call board meeting to name Vivendi candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Pope hopes to send peace envoys to Kyiv, Moscow - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, May 18 (Reuters) - Pope Francis hopes to send personal peace envoys to the Ukrainian and Russian presidents to try to broker a ceasefire in the war, a Catholic website reported on Thursday. Il Sismografo, which specialises in Vatican news and has a good track record, said this is the "mission" Francis spoke of cryptically when he was returning from Hungary last month. It said both presidents had agreed to meet with the papal envoys, without citing sources or giving details. Zelenskiy met Pope Francis at the Vatican last Saturday but in comments afterwards he appeared to downplay the possibility of a papal mediation. "With all due respect for His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we need a just peace ... Putin only kills.

MILAN, May 15 (Reuters) - Australian fund Macquarie (MQG.AX) is raising legal hurdles over a plan backed by Italy's Treasury for state lender CDP to join forces with U.S. fund KKR (KKR.N) to buy Telecom Italia's (TIM) landline grid, three sources said. People familiar with the matter told Reuters this month the Treasury would welcome CDP joining forces with KKR for TIM's prized grid, with one source saying government officials ware pushing for CDP to drop its separate proposal. But Macquarie is raising legal issues about a possible alliance between CDP and KKR, three sources close to the matter told Reuters late on Monday. CDP and Macquarie are co-investors in Open Fiber, a smaller rival to TIM. One of them said Macquarie was aiming to improve its offer with CDP ahead of next month's deadline.

Prince Albert of Monaco said in an interview with People magazine that he and his wife, Charlene, would be attending. King Felipe VI of Spain, who ascended to the throne in 2014 after his father’s abdication, will attend, according to the Spanish news media. Crown Prince Fumihito of Japan and Crown Princess Kiko, on behalf of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, will attend, according to the Japanese news media. Credit... Clodagh Kilcoyne/ReutersSeveral members of Britain’s government will attend, as will about 100 heads of state from around the world, according to Buckingham Palace. British RoyalsImage Prince Harry, center, will be present at the coronation, though his wife, Meghan, and their children, will remain in California.

☆ Italy's TIM seeks final offer for grid by June 9
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Elvira Pollina Jubabu | Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TIM directors gathered on Thursday to draw a response to rival non binding approaches for its landline grid by KKR (KKR.N) and a consortium comprising state lender CDP and fund Macquarie (MQG.AX), worth 21 billion euros ($23 billion) and 19.3 billion euros, respectively. In a statement after the board meeting, TIM said it deemed the bids "not yet adequate", adding at least one of the bidders had expressed its readiness to improve its non-binding offer. Three sources with knowledge of the matter said KKR was willing to work further on its bid's terms. Italian last month said her right-wing administration would not intervene at this stage in the network sale process, although it is on alert to avoid any risk to the national interest. ($1 = 0.9081 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina and Juby Babu, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Secret ‘Mission’ for Peace in Ukraine May Show Limits of Pope’s Influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ROME — A secret mission revealed days ago by Pope Francis to bring peace between Russia and Ukraine is so secret that Russia and Ukraine claim to know nothing about it. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it had no idea what the pope was talking about. “Ukraine doesn’t know about it,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, said in an interview Wednesday, adding that he had scheduled a meeting for Thursday with the pope’s foreign minister. “I will for sure ask him what it is.”Later Wednesday evening, the pope’s second-in-command and chief diplomat, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told reporters, “to my knowledge, they were and are aware” of the peace plan, saying that the denial by the governments “surprises me.”The apparent bewilderment of the war’s parties, and confusion around the existence of a plan contributed to the sense that the pope’s influence as a geopolitical player and peacemaker — already chastened in countries like Cuba, South Sudan and Myanmar — did not extend to Ukraine.

☆ Pope meets Moscow Church official after puzzling peace 'mission' comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Pope Francis greets Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, May 3, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke to a top member of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) days after the pontiff made an intriguing but puzzling comment about the Vatican being involved in a mission to try to end the war in Ukraine. Francis added that he had spoken about Ukraine with Orban and with Metropolitan Hilarion, the chief representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest and Anthony's predecessor as head of the ROC's external relations. Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit Kyiv but also Moscow on a peace mission. He also said he had repeated a standing invitation for the pope to visit Kyiv.

☆ Louis Vuitton dazzles luxury-seeking Seoul with first pre-fall show
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 29 (Reuters) - LVMH's (LVMH.PA) top fashion brand Louis Vuitton held its first-ever pre-fall fashion show on Saturday on a bridge in Seoul, the capital of a leading luxury market. In one of the highest profile events since chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari started at Louis Vuitton earlier this year, the runway on the lower level of the double-decker Jamsu bridge that spans the Han River was bathed in blue shadows. Models walked the 795 metre (2,608 feet) bridge, where traffic was stopped for 24 hours, wearing fitted, sporty designs with geometric patterns designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton. They strode out of a tunnel on chunky-heeled shoes in slick windbreakers, miniskirts that flared out and striped suits. On Saturday the creator and director of 2021's Netflix hit drama "Squid Game" Hwang Dong-hyuk participated in the show scenography.

☆ TIM to seek new round of higher bids for landline grid - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MILAN, April 28 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TIM)'s (TLIT.MI) CEO Pietro Labriola is expected to propose to directors to seek further improvements of multi-billion bids for the company's landline grid at a board meeting on May 4, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. Rival suitors KKR (KKR.N) and a consortium comprising Italian state lender CDP and Macquarie (MQG.AX) have offered 21 billion euros ($23.2 billion) and 19.3 billion euros respectively, each raising their initial offers by one billion euros. ($1 = 0.9057 euros)Reporting by Milan newsroom; writing by Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Alvise ArmelliniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope Francis calls 'insinuations' against John Paul II unfounded
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File PhotoVATICAN CITY, April 16 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday rejected as offensive and unfounded what he called insinuations by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago about one of his predecessors as pontiff, Saint John Paul II. The voice of the alleged gangster says that more than 40 year ago, girls were brought into the Vatican to be molested and that Pope John Paul knew about it. Sgro told Reuters on Sunday that John Paul did not come up in her conversation with Diddi, adding in a text message: "I have never questioned the sanctity of John Paul II". Orlandi told Reuters on Sunday by telephone that it was "correct that Francis defended John Paul II". (This story has been refiled to make clear John Paul II was not Pope Francis' immediate predecessor, in paragraph 1)Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Francesca Paris | Larry Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +24 min

People are using ChatGPT and other A.I. Here’s how 35 real people are using A.I for work, life, play and procrastination. People are using A.I to …Plan gardens. Chris Norn Researcher at the University of Washington Two years ago researchers cracked the code on using A.I. When you run a Dungeons & Dragons game, Mr. Green says, you have to be creative, but that almost always means pulling from existing fantasy literature.

☆ Pope wants light shed on 40-year-old mystery of missing Vatican girl
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The daughter of a Vatican usher whose family lived in the Vatican, Orlandi, then 15, failed to return home on June 22, 1983 following a music lesson in Rome. The case, which has been the subject of on-and-off investigations in Italy and the Vatican, has drawn fresh worldwide attention following the release late last year of the Netflix series "Vatican Girl". In January, Vatican chief prosecutor Alessandro Diddi reopened a previous inconclusive Vatican investigation after he inherited files from his retired predecessor. Emanuela's older brother Pietro and the family lawyer, Laura Sgro, were meeting with Diddi in the Vatican on Tuesday afternoon. In an interview in Corriere della Sera ahead of the meeting, Diddi said Pope Francis wants "the truth to emerge without any reservations".

☆ Dybala penalty seals win over Torino to send Roma third
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 8 (Reuters) - A Paulo Dybala penalty and a superb defensive performance gave AS Roma a 1-0 win away to Torino on Saturday that lifted them to third place in the table and boosted their hopes of a spot in next season's Champions League. Roma are two points behind second-placed Lazio, who will play Juventus later on Saturday. The match was only eight minutes old when Dybala converted a penalty following a handball from Torino's Perr Schuurs. Following the goal, Roma went on the defensive, causing problems for Torino's midfield, who searched for opportunities without success throughout most of the match. Despite the visitors' overall control of the match, Torino's Pietro Pellegri could have equalised late on when his shot towards goal was deflected inches wide.

☆ Iberdrola aims for US subsidies after Mexican asset sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Pietro Lombardi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Iberdrola SA FollowMADRID, April 5 (Reuters) - Spanish power company Iberdrola (IBE.MC) will seek to expand in the United States and take advantage of its green subsidies after announcing the sale of gas assets worth $6 billion in Mexico, Chief Financial Officer Jose Sainz said on Wednesday. "Due to IRA, we will probably review our renewable plans in the U.S.," he said, adding that the Mexican sale could also allow acquisitions. Mexico remains a core market for the company, which aims to grow its renewables operations there, he added. Mexico's president hailed his government's purchase of 13 power plants from Iberdrola as a "new nationalisation" that will increase state control. For Iberdrola, RBC analyst Fernando Garcia said in a research note it "got rid of the Mexican headache".

☆ AI comes for the DJ: London partygoers rave to robot beats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Vin Shahrestani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"If we can have AI make beautiful music and we can play that to each other, I think that's probably why it's there. For Mubert’s CEO, Paul Zgordan, the rise of AI will inevitably result in some musicians losing jobs. "We want to save musicians' jobs, but in our own way," Zgordan told Reuters via videolink from the Armenian capital Yerevan. PRETTY GOOD JOBThe DJ booth, usually the focus of parties, was left empty as an experiment to see how revellers would react to the AI DJ. "There is no ChatGPT for music because music is more complex," he said.

☆ TIM to ask CDP-Macquarie to raise network bid, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The joint offer values TIM's grid at some 18 billion euros ($19.3 billion), including debt, sources have said. KKR, which already owns a minority stake in TIM's grid, offered up to 20 billion euros, including a 2 billion euros earnout mechanism - a valuation which was also billed as too low by TIM last month. The TIM board will meet on Wednesday to draw up a response to the CDP-Macquarie preliminary bid. Vivendi has indicated a price tag of 31 billion euros to back selling the grid. TIM itself has indicated a valuation of 25 billion euros, sources told Reuters last year.

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