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☆ Exclusive: CEZ plans to bid for Czech gas distribution network GasNet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Electricity transmission lines carry power from CEZ's Ledvice coal-fired power plant near the village of Ledvice, Czech Republic, February 9, 2016. REUTERS/David W Cerny/File PhotoPRAGUE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Czech electricity producer CEZ (CEZP.PR) plans to bid for the country's gas distribution network GasNet if it goes on sale, CEZ's deputy chairman said, as it would complement CEZ's expansion into gas, a transitional fuel in the shift from coal to clean energy. Pavel Cyrani told Reuters that CEZ would bid when a formal sale process is launched for GasNet, adding the unit would also be a good fit for CEZ's electricity distribution business. GasNet, owned through Czech Gas Network Investments by a consortium led by Macquarie Asset Management and including British Columbia Investment Management Corporation and Allianz Capital, covers 80% of the country's gas distribution through a network of 65,000 km of gas pipelines. "Having gas distribution in the hands of a strong local player would clearly help us in this effort," a spokesman said.

Persons: David W Cerny, Pavel Cyrani, Cyrani, Macquarie, GasNet, Jan Lopatka, Jason Hovet, Susan Fenton, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Czech Gas Network Investments, Macquarie Asset Management, Columbia Investment Management Corporation, Allianz Capital, Thomson Locations: Ledvice, Czech Republic, Czech, Prague, Ukraine

☆ French lawmakers raise strategic concerns over Atos sale to Kretinsky
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Atos is seen on a company building in Nantes, France, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File PhotoPARIS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Talks to sell parts of French company Atos (ATOS.PA) to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky are raising concerns among some French lawmakers, who say the deal risks undermining the independence of France's nuclear deterrence. Lawmakers cannot block a sale of a French company, only the government can if it considers there is a strategic reason for doing so. The lawmakers questioned why an alternative French buyer, a consortium of French companies Astek and ChapsVision, who were reported in French media to have been interested, were not given more consideration. A source close to Astek said Atos's cybersecurity business also hosted other sensitive assets crucial to French intelligence interests.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Daniel Kretinsky, Atos, Thursday's, Figaro, Cedric Perrin, Kretinsky, Perrin, Astek, Atos's, Michel Rose, Mathieu Rosemain, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Les, Kretinsky, Casino, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nantes, France, Czech, Europe

☆ French media giant AFP is suing Twitter over payments for news distribution. Elon Musk almost immediately called the lawsuit 'bizarre.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Agence France-Presse is taking legal action against Twitter related to payment for sharing news. Twitter, now known as X, is facing another lawsuit — this time from the world's oldest news agency, Agence France-Press. AFP said in a Wednesday press release that it has taken legal action after X's "clear refusal" to discuss payment for distributing news content. The dispute relates to a French copyright law called "neighboring rights" which was enacted in 2019. "This is bizarre," Elon Musk said of AFP's legal action in an X post.

Persons: Elon, X, Euronews, Elon Musk, Meta Organizations: Agence France, Twitter, Elon Musk's, Google, Press, AFP, French Competition Authority, Agency Locations: Paris, AFP, Canada

An aerial view of traffic on a street in the capital Niamey, Niger July 28, 2023. In a sign of this resistance to one-time allies, Niger on Thursday suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international news outlets France 24 and RFI - drawing condemnation from the French foreign ministry. One of the demonstrators in Niamey held a placard that said: "Long live Niger, Russia, Mali and Burkina. After their coups, Burkina Faso and Mali kicked out French troops, many of whom are now stationed in Niger. In Niger, there are signs that regional sanctions are starting to have an impact: Nigeria has cut power supplies to Niger, while Nigerien truckers have been stranded by border closures.

Persons: General Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiani, crackdowns, Sall, Antony Blinken, it's, Allah, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Moussa Aksar, Camillus Eboh, Thiam, Tiemoko Diallo, Ange Aboa, Alessandra Prentice, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning, Emelia, Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Niger's, France, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Sunday, EU, National Assembly, Islamic, Niger, Reuters, West, Senegalese, U.S, United Nations, Nigerien, CFA, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, NIAMEY, ABUJA, France, West, Central Africa, Russia, Burkina, Down, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Niger ., Nigeria, Senegal, Nigerian, China, Paris

☆ French Journalists Call Off Strike, Failing to Block ‘Far-Right’ Editor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Liz Alderman | More About Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Journalists at France’s leading Sunday newspaper announced Tuesday that they were ending one of the longest media strikes in recent French history, but they predicted that dozens might resign to protest the appointment of an editor with a far-right track record as the new editor in chief. Staff members said they had little choice but to work with the new leadership or leave their jobs. The new editor, Geoffroy Lejeune, who formerly led a far-right French magazine that was fined for publishing racist insults, was scheduled to take up his new post on Tuesday. Word of his appointment at The JDD, as the paper is known, had ignited a firestorm in French media and political circles, raising concerns that a major mainstream news outlet could be transformed into a right-wing platform. Before the uproar, about 100 journalists worked at the Paris paper.

Persons: Vincent Bolloré, Geoffroy Lejeune Organizations: France’s, Sunday, Le, Staff Locations: Paris

☆ Telecom Italia's quarterly core profit rises as domestic revenues edge up
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

which was above a company-provided analyst consensus of 1.3 billion euros. TIM's net financial debt rose to 26.1 billion euros ($28.57 billion) as of June 30 from 24.6 billion euros in the same period last year. The company confirmed its financial targets for 2023, including a stabilisation of service revenue and core earnings at the domestic level. The government has special vetting powers on any deal involving TIM's grid and wants to join KKR's bid to keep a strategic oversight on Italy's main telecommunications infrastructure. The grid sale has faced heavy reservations from TIM's top investor, Vivendi (VIV.PA), which is demanding a higher valuation to back a deal.

Persons: Yara, Pietro Labriola, Giorgia, Elvira Pollina, Urvi, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Telecom Italia, KKR, TIM, U.S, TIM's, Vivendi, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Milan, Bengaluru

☆ You may hate what Twitter — sorry, X — has become. But it's just what the company needs right now, brand experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The social media platform Twitter rebranded to X, Elon Musk announced last week. It's been a whirlwind week for Twitter, or X — whatever you decide to call it now. But Elon Musk, long obsessed with the idea of a brand named X, trudged on in the face of disapproval from users. He said that the risky move could inject newfound excitement and interest into the social media company. "I would never bet against Elon Musk," Carr said.

Persons: Elon Musk, it's, It's, Jenn Takahashi, Takahashi, Musk, —, she'll, Mike Carr, Carr, Twitter —, CivicScience, Vanitha, Swaminathan Organizations: Twitter, X, San, Takahashi PR, Bloomberg, New York Times, Elon, Center, Branding, University of Pittsburgh Locations: San Francisco

☆ France says Niger coup not definitive, president must be reinstated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, July 28 (Reuters) - France's foreign minister said on Friday that a power grab in Niger was not definitive and that those responsible still had time to accede to international demands that the ousted president be reinstated. "If you hear me say attempted coup d'etat, it's because we don't consider that things are definitive," Colonna was quoted by French media as saying. Niger President Mohamed Bazoum is being held in the presidential palace and it remains unclear who is in charge of the country after soldiers on Wednesday evening declared a coup that sparked widespread condemnation. In a statement signed by its chief of staff, the army on Thursday declared support for the soldiers who stripped President Mohamed Bazoum of power. "President Bazoum must be restored to his constitutional functions," Colonna said.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Catherine Colonna, Colonna, Mohamed Bazoum, Macron, Bazoum, John Irish, John Stonestreet Organizations: West African ECOWAS, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Niger, Papua New Guinea

☆ Kylian Mbappé: Saudi Arabian club submits world record bid superstar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Hilal has submitted a world-record bid of over $332 million (300 million euros) for Paris Saint Germain (PSG) striker Kylian Mbappé, according to multiple reports on Monday. CNN has reached out to PSG, Al Hilal and Mbappé’s representatives for comment. The current world record fee is $262 million (€222 million) when Neymar moved from Barcelona to PSG in 2017. Al Hilal reached both the FIFA Club World Cup and the AFC Champions League finals last season. Last month, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced that Al Hilal was one of four Saudi clubs that have been transformed into companies, each of which is owned by PIF and non-profit foundations for each club.

Persons: Al Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, Mbappé, Nasser Al, Khelaifi, Luis Enrique, “, ” Al, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Al, Paris Saint Germain, PSG, Saudi, FIFA Club, AFC Champions League, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Sovereign Wealth Fund, French Locations: Saudi Arabian, Japan, Al Hilal, Barcelona, Paris, French, Saudi Arabia, Spanish, Real Madrid

☆ Macron decides to keep French PM in role despite pension unrest, riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Months of unrest and strikes over Macron's pension reform in the spring as well as five days of riots and looting in French cities earlier this month had fuelled calls among political opponents and some government insiders for a reshuffle. "To ensure stability and in-depth work, the President has decided to maintain the Prime Minister," Macron's office said. But Macron said last week he needed more time to draft policy in response to the riots, which he said required more than "knee-jerk" reactions. A source close to Macron told Reuters changing prime minister now made no sense, since Macron's minority government had not managed to strike a deal with potential right-wing conservative allies in parliament. Macron was keeping the option of offering the conservative Les Republicains the prime minister seat as a prize for a formal coalition, the source added.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Elisabeth Borne, Borne, Macron, Les, Liu Zhifan, Dominique Vidalon, Michel Rose, Sandra Maler, Alistair Bell Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: Borne

☆ Jane Birkin, British-born actress and singer, dies at 76, French media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The 74th Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Jane par Charlotte" (Jane by Charlotte) presented as part of Cannes Premiere - Cannes, France, July 8, 2021. Director Charlotte Gainsbourg and cast member Jane Birkin pose. REUTERS/Johanna GeronPARIS, July 16 (Reuters) - British-born actress and singer Jane Birkin, a 1960s wildchild who became a beloved figure in France, has died in Paris aged 76, the French Culture Ministry said on Sunday. Birken was best known overseas for her 1969 hit in which she and her then-lover, the late French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, sang the sexually explicit “Je t’aime...moi non plus”. Jane Mallory Birkin was born in London in December 1946, daughter of British actress Judy Campbell and Royal Navy commander David Birkin.

Persons: Jane, Charlotte, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Johanna Geron PARIS, Birkin, Birken, Serge Gainsbourg, John Barry, Roselyne Bachelot, BFM, Jane Mallory Birkin, Judy Campbell, David Birkin, Michelangelo Antonioni, Gainsbourg, John Irish, David Goodman, Frances Kerry Organizations: Cannes, Cannes Premiere, French Culture Ministry, Le Parisien, Royal Navy, Thomson Locations: France, Paris, French, British, London, Charlotte

☆ Markéta Vondroušová reaches Wimbledon final with straight sets victory over Elina Svitolina
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Markéta Vondroušová reached her first Wimbledon final after a scintillating performance against Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, winning 6-3 6-3 in just an hour and 14 minutes. The 24-year-old Czech star is the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon final and her exquisitely varied game was too much for Svitolina to handle. It was an inspired performance from Vondroušová, who rose to the occasion on Centre Court and got the better of her opponent with a potent mix of speed, spin and power to reach the second grand slam final of her career. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesAfter reaching the French Open final in 2019 as a 20-year-old, Vondroušová looked set to become a force at the top of the women’s game. After trailing 4-0 in the second set, Svitolina showed all the resiliency and grit that has been on display during her incredible run in SW19 to break Vondroušová back twice and make it 4-3.

Persons: Markéta Vondroušová, Elina Svitolina, I’m, Elina, ” Vondroušová, “, ” Elina Svitolina, Adrian Dennis, Vondroušová, she’s, Svitolina, Venus Williams, Skaï Monfils, – Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, Iga, Markéta, Adam Davy Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Court, Getty, Press Association, Lawn Tennis Club Locations: Vondroušová, SW19, Ukrainian, AFP, Czech

☆ French police scramble to find missing toddler in remote Alpine village
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —French police searching for a 2-year-old boy who went missing from his grandparents’ garden in the French Alps on Saturday said on Tuesday they had no clues as to what could have happened to him. The boy, Emile, was last seen walking down the street of his grandparents’ house – located in a remote mountain outpost with only two dozen inhabitants – by two witnesses on Saturday afternoon, a prosecutor said. “At this point, we don’t have any clues allowing us to follow any particular theory (on his whereabouts),” the local public prosecutor told Franceinfo radio. French authorities at the weekend opened a telephone hotline and released a photograph of the boy, a yellow flower tucked behind his ear. French media reported the boy went missing while his grandparents were preparing a car for a ride.

Persons: Emile, ’, Emilie’s Organizations: Reuters, Police, Twitter

☆ Wimbledon 2023: 500 days after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian players are playing at Wimbledon. Here’s how it’s going
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

During the opening week, fans at Wimbledon have generally been quite warm to the Russian and Belarusian players but they’ve been especially enthusiastic to the Ukrainians. Unfortunately, they could not fight the professional Tours and others on their own,” added Zukin, who also said the ATP and WTA could do more to support Ukrainian players. CNN reached out to the WTA, ATP and The Russian Tennis Federation for comment. Tension simmers behind the scenesAway from the crowds and the cameras, Russian and Ukrainian tennis players revealed there are also strained relationships in Wimbledon’s locker rooms. Sabalenka condemned the booing and said she understands why Ukrainian players won’t shake her hand.

Persons: London CNN —, ”, they’ve, Sabalenka, I’m, Shi Tang, Russian Veronika Kudermetova’s, Elina Svitolina, ” Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Tim Clayton, Corbis, Dmytro Kuleba, “, ” Kubela, Ian Hewitt, Yevhen Zukin, Kudermetova, Ben Rothenberg, Rothenberg, It’s, ” “, Marta Kostyuk, Javier Garcia, Kostyuk, Aryna Sabalenka, won’t, Anastasia Potapova, Iga, Slovakia’s Anna, Karolína, Svitolina, Daniil Medvedev Organizations: London CNN, Wimbledon, Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, CNN, Russian, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, Azarenka, Ukraine’s, Russia, All England, Tennis Federation of, Tennis Association, ATP, WTA, Russian Tennis Federation, Tennis, CNN Sport, Belarus, Aryna, Spartak Moscow, Melbourne Locations: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Belarusian, Russian, Svitolina’s, Odesa, Tennis Federation of Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, ” Russian

☆ France: Fund for killer cop dwarfs that of family of victim
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And what does it tell us about French politics? “Currently, this fund complies with our terms of use because the funds will be paid directly to the family in question. Le Pen also tempered her rhetoric in response to this crisis, in what Marliere said was an attempt to appeal to more middle-of-the-road voters. While Zemmour called the rioters “scum” and called for some of their requests for French nationality to be refused, Le Pen spoke more sympathetically about the victim. “The Meloni strategy is very much what Le Pen is trying to follow in France,” Marliere said.

Persons: Nahel, Jean Messiha, Messiha, Eric Zemmour, Pen’s, Eric Dupond, Moretti, “, GoFundMe, ”, Philippe Marliere, ” Marliere, Florian.M, Pen, Marliere, Zemmour, Le Pen, Le, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Georgia Meloni, Joseph Downing, Downing, that’s, ” Downing, Nahel Merzouk, Alexis Jumeau Organizations: CNN, National, Marine, ”, France Inter, BFMTV, Twitter, University College London, AP, Nanterre, Italian, Bois, Macron Locations: France, Paris, Marseille, Nanterre, Clichy

☆ The Ashes: ‘Spirit of cricket’ called into question after fiery confrontation between Australian players and fans results in suspensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The incident, whilst not against the laws of cricket, divided many as to whether it went against the spirit of cricket, including many inside Lord’s. The Long Room is one of sport’s most unique settings; a room filled with MCC members through which players of both teams have to travel to reach the playing area from their respective dressing rooms. MCC members celebrate after a ball is hit for six over the head of Australia bowler Mitchell Starc. “MCC condemns the behavior witnessed and once again we re-iterate our apology to Cricket Australia. Khawaja walks through the MCC members gate at Lord's.

Persons: it’s, ”, Jonny Bairstow, Bairstow, Alex Carey, Carey, Ryan Pierse, “, Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw, unreservedly, Mitchell Starc, Matt Impey, Pat Cummins, Cummins, ” Lord’s, Khawaja Organizations: CNN, The Marylebone Cricket Club, MCC, England, Cricket Australia, Australian, ” Australia Locations: England, Australia, Edgbaston, Lord's

☆ A French Newsroom on Strike After Appointment of ‘Far-Right’ Editor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In its 75-year history, Le Journal du Dimanche, France’s leading Sunday newspaper, has almost never missed publication. But its operations ground to a halt this week after an editor with a far-right track record was abruptly appointed just ahead of a takeover of the paper by the French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, prompting a mass walkout by journalists and igniting a firestorm in French media and political circles. Mr. Bolloré, an industrialist often described as France’s Rupert Murdoch, has been steadily building a conservative media empire, anchored by a Fox-style news network, CNews. The appointment of the editor, Geoffroy Lejeune, who was formerly at a far-right magazine that was fined for racist insults, raised concerns that one of France’s most prominent newspapers could be transformed into a right-wing platform. The paper did not publish Sunday, only the second time since its founding in 1948, and on Thursday evening the website was still leading with news from last week.

Persons: France’s, Vincent Bolloré, Bolloré, Rupert Murdoch, Geoffroy Lejeune, ”, Lejeune Organizations: Fox, France’s, Journalists Locations: France, Le Monde

☆ Nanterre shooting: More than 600 arrested as France sees third night of violence after 17-year-old shot dead by police
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The boy, Nahel, was shot dead during a traffic stop Tuesday morning in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. The officer said he fired his gun out of fear that the boy would run someone over with the car, according to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache. He is currently facing a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported Thursday. This screengrab from video posted on Twitter shows the moment when police interacted with a 17-year-old teen during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb. Fires were set in the Paris suburb of Montreuil early Friday morning.

Persons: France CNN —, Pascal Prache, ”, Mounia, Prache, BFMTV, Stephane Rouppert, Nael, Emmanuel Macron, Nahel, Laurent, Franck Lienard, “, ” Lienard Organizations: France CNN, France, CNN, Twitter, Interior Ministry, BFMTV, French, country’s Foreign, RTL Locations: Nanterre, France, Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Roubaix, Marseille, Lille, Montreuil, Aubervilliers, ”

☆ Second night of unrest erupts in France after police shoot teenager
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Protesters shot fireworks at police and set cars ablaze in the working class Paris suburb of Nanterre on Wednesday, in a second night of unrest following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy during a traffic stop there. Shortly before midnight, a trail of overturned vehicles burned as fireworks fizzed at police lines on Nanterre's Avenue Pablo Picasso. Videos on social media showed dozens of fireworks being directed at the Montreuil town hall, on the eastern edge of Paris. The interior ministry has called for calm, and said 2,000 police have been mobilized in the Paris region. Rights groups allege systemic racism inside law enforcement agencies in France, a charge Macron has previously denied.

Persons: Pablo Picasso, Emmanuel Macron, Macron Organizations: Prosecutors Locations: Nanterre, Paris, France's, Lille, Toulouse, Amiens, Dijon, Essonne, Montreuil, France

☆ French Sunday newspaper on strike over fears of far-right turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The newspaper’s owner, French media group Lagardere (LAGA.PA), on Friday named Geoffroy Lejeune as JDD's new editor-in-chief, succeeding Jerome Begle who left for Paris Match. Lejeune is the former head of magazine Valeurs Actuelles, which has courted controversy with anti-immigrant covers and was fined for racist insult in 2022. The company already owns news channel CNews, which has taken a conservative turn since Bollore took control. In a statement, Arnaud Lagardere said Geoffroy Lejeune was a "raw talent of journalism" that he could not pass up. "Under Geoffroy Lejeune, Valeurs Actuelles spread hateful attacks and fake news.

Persons: Geoffroy Lejeune, Jerome Begle, Lejeune, Vincent Bollore, Bollore, Rima Abdul Malak, Arnaud Lagardere, Valeurs, Michel Rose, Juliette Jabkhiro, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Sunday, Paris Match, European Commission, Lagardere, Vivendi, U.S, Fox, Twitter, Thomson

☆ Telecom Italia grid talks leave Vivendi in a bind
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) is moving ahead with the long-awaited sale of its grid. The 5.5 billion euro Italian group has entered exclusive talks with private equity powerhouse KKR (KKR.N), and wants a binding offer by Sept. 30. Vivendi however is valuing the NetCo at 31 billion euros. A 26 billion euro price tag would imply an EV/EBITDA multiple of 14 times. That’s almost three times that of Vodafone (VOD.L) or Telefonica (TEF.MC), assuming the grid’s EBITDA at 1.8 billion euros, according to Barclays estimates.

Persons: Pietro Labriola, Il Messaggero, That’s, – Labriola, Pamela Barbaglia, Pierre Briancon, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Telecom, KKR, Vivendi, hardball, Telecom Italia’s, Vodafone, Telefonica, Barclays, Twitter, Intel, Thomson Locations: Rome, York, French

[1/2] A sign reading "Low prices for you" is seen on a shopping trolley in a supermarket in Nice, France, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoLONDON/PARIS, June 23 (Reuters) - Danone (DANO.PA) and Kellogg (K.N) are among 75 consumer goods companies that French authorities have asked to cut prices, according to a list seen by Reuters that sources say the government is using for the initiative. The French government is using the list seen by Reuters, produced by a research group, as a reference for the project, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter. Some consumer goods makers have said recently that costs are starting to ease, leading lawmakers and regulators to accuse companies of keeping prices high unnecessarily. Investors have in recent months warned that consumer goods companies should start easing price increases as supply chain costs decline, worried that further hikes could hit market share and margin growth.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Bruno Le Maire, Knorr, Avril, Pernod Ricard, Kellogg, Richa Naidu, Matt Scuffham, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Danone, Kellogg, Finance, Reuters, Unilever, Nestle, ABI, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, PARIS, Ukraine

A net 1,400 lots of short positions were covered by the time the market was suspended at 08:15. Xiang Guangda, the charismatic head of China's Tsingshan Holding Group, has attracted much media attention for being the big nickel short. The existence of at least once big nickel short wasn't exactly a secret in the market. LME nickel crisis had turned into potential LME clearing house crisis with Chamberlain having to juggle both parts of the meltdown while also being a nickel market specialist. The handful that remained, as one participant later recalled, knew nothing whatsoever about what was going on in the nickel market so decided to call everyone else back into the room.

Persons: Elliott, Street, Matthew Chamberlain, Chamberlain, Jane Street, Oliver Wyman's, Xiang Guangda, wasn't, Oliver Wyman, John Maynard Keynes, Xiang, doesn't, David Evans Organizations: London, Royal, of Justice, Hong Kong Exchanges, HK, Elliott Associates, Jane, Global, Tsingshan Holding, SEE, Bloomberg, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Ukraine

In the video, a Central African Republic rebel fighter says "the French want to drive Wagner out of Africa". Russia and Wagner have a track record of media manipulation and disinformation, which Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted to. The European Union sanctioned Wagner in February for alleged rights abuses and spreading disinformation, including in Africa. The foreign ministry unit doesn’t promote or generate fake news, the two diplomats said. However, the foreign ministry unit, and the broader strategy, will face an uphill battle to convince people in Africa that France has changed, seven analysts and diplomats said.

Persons: Ibrahim Traore, Vincent Bado, Wagner, Catherine Colonna, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Maria Zakharova, Meta, Anne, Sophie Ave, Lakhta, Prigozhin, Viginum, Faustin, Archange Touadera, “, Michael Shurkin, I'm, Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Bate Felix, Michel Rose, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Russia, Central, Facebook, Kremlin, Reuters, Quai D'Orsay, Vigilance, Protection, European Union, West, Central African, Twitter, Democratic, Internet Research Agency, Meta, Global, National Union, Gabonese, Thomson Locations: Burkina, French, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Russia, PARIS, DAKAR, Central African Republic, France, Russian, Africa, Paris, France's, Ukraine, Moscow, Central, West Africa, Quai, Kinshasa, Mali, Sahel, Europe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, U.S, Togo, Libreville, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar

☆ EU regulators checking if Vivendi jumped gun in Lagardere acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, June 15 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are checking whether French media conglomerate Vivendi (VIV.PA) closed its acquisition of French publisher Lagardere (LAGA.PA) before securing regulatory approval, the European Commission said on Thursday. Such so-called gun jumping can result in fines of up to 10% of a company's group aggregate turnover. The EU executive said it was alerted by media reports but has not opened a formal investigation yet. "The Commission was made aware of allegations of gun jumping, which have been reported in the press. The Commission can confirm that it is looking into the matter," the EU executive said in an email.

Persons: Lagardere, Foo Yun Chee, Mathieu Rosemain, Jan Harvey Organizations: Vivendi, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, EU, Paris

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