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[1/4] Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto poses for a picture during an interview with Reuters, in Rome, Italy, December 16, 2022. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, a co-founder of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, said Rome would make a final decision on how much to invest in the multi-billion-dollar project after more details had been defined. Crosetto said there should be no bar on joining forces with the rival European programme, adding that the GCAP should also aim to find new partners, especially within Europe. Italy has never disclosed details of its shipments, but Crosetto confirmed that Kyiv had requested air-defence systems, including the Franco-Italian SAMP/T. He added that Italy was also open to suggestions for joint procurement by the EU Defence Agency.

☆ Former UK PM Johnson has earned 1 mln pounds for speeches since quitting
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been paid more than 1 million pounds ($1.24 million) to deliver four speeches since he left Downing Street just over three months ago, official data showed on Wednesday. As a member of parliament, Johnson is required to declare external earnings, as well as the number of hours involved. Johnson's best paid work was a speech in New York to the U.S. finance firm Centerview Partners worth 277,724 pounds. In October Johnson abandoned an attempt to reclaim the job he lost just weeks earlier following his successor Liz Truss's brief tenure as prime minister. Johnson, whose verbal flamboyance has long been one of his hallmarks, was widely expected to enter the speaking circuit after leaving office.

☆ EU's Borrell: European Parliament corruption probe is "very worrisome"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - A Belgian investigation into alleged corruption at the European Parliament is "very worrisome", European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday after raids and arrests linked to alleged money and gifts from Qatar. The European Parliament said at the weekend it had suspended the powers and duties of one of its vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, in light of the Belgian investigation. "Certainly the news is very worrisome," Borrell told reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "We are facing some events, some facts that certainly worries me as a former president of the European Parliament, also." The European Parliament was due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador.

Money manager positioning on the CME's copper contract shifted back to a net long at the start of November for the first time since early May. Bulls remain conspicuous by their absence, waiting to see how Doctor Copper prices the confusing combination of Western recession and tentative recovery in China. The bounce has forced an unwind of fund short positions, which have more than halved to 31,177 contracts as of last Tuesday. Bears have retracted their claws on both exchanges but there's been no corresponding surge in bullish exuberance among fund managers. Investment fund and other financial net positioning on LME copperRECOVERY AND RECESSIONFunds' reticence to commit to copper is understandable given the market is trying to price two conflicting trends.

☆ Heathrow sees minimal impact from planned Border Force strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Border Force workers due to strike from Dec. 23Heathrow working to protect full flight scheduleLONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Heathrow Airport said on Monday that it expected the vast majority of travellers will be unaffected by this month's planned strikes by Border Force workers. British Border Force workers plan to strike for several days from Dec. 23 at airports including Heathrow, Britain's busiest, and Gatwick due to a dispute over pay. Border Force has contingency measures to ensure other arriving passengers are cleared safely and as quickly as possible, Heathrow said. Interior minister Suella Braverman warned last Thursday that Border Force strikes may cause travel delays, adding that people should think carefully about their plans to fly abroad. It said over 55 million people had travelled through Heathrow so far this year -- nearly 70% of 2019 levels.

☆ Belgium charges four people in European Parliament corruption probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Prosecutors searched 16 houses and seized 600,000 euros ($631,800) in Brussels on Friday as part of an investigation into money laundering and corruption. The European Parliament said at the weekend it had suspended the powers and duties of one of its vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, in light of the Belgian investigation. Belgian Socialist party member Marc Tarabella confirmed it was his home and that a computer and mobile phone had been taken. "If it were confirmed that someone took money to try to influence the opinion of the European Parliament, it will really be one of the most dramatic stories of corruption in recent years," he added. The European Parliament is due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador.

☆ After cash row, Italy central bank chief stresses its independence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The head of Italy's central bank stressed its independence on Sunday after it became dragged into a row with coalition lawmakers over the use of cash in shops. "The Bank of Italy does not depend on the (commercial) banks. It is autonomous in judgement, independent in substance but is also independent by law," Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco told state broadcaster Rai 3. A Bank of Italy official warned last Monday that such a move would fuel Italy's black economy, drawing accusations from members of Meloni's party that the central bank was siding with financial groups who profit from card charges. The Bank of Italy, whose independence is safeguarded by European treaties, is more than 60% owned by domestic banks and insurers.

☆ British trade minister heads to India to kick off new round of trade talks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - British trade minister Kemi Badenoch will hold her first face-to-face meeting with her Indian counterpart on Monday in New Delhi in an effort to spark life into talks over a free trade agreement (FTA) between the countries. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April set an ambitious target to agree an FTA with India by Diwali in October. New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is committed to getting a deal with India but won't sacrifice quality for speed, in a change of tone compared to Johnson. Badenoch, who was appointed to her role in September, will meet Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and address the negotiating teams before the round of talks begins. We applaud the Secretary of State and Prime Minister for listening and prioritising substance over pace," said Andy Burwell, International Director at the Confederation of British Industry.

☆ A winning group! 165 Belgians share $150 mln lottery jackpot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Illustration/File PhotoDec 9 (Reuters) - Christmas came early for 165 people from the small northern Belgian village of Olmen who won 142,897,164 euros ($150.81 million) in the EuroMillions lottery this week, the biggest group win ever in Belgium. She said it was the first time in Belgium that such a big group had won this much. "Many winning customers were in disbelief at first," said storekeeper Wim Van Broekhoven who was as stunned as his wife when they heard the winning numbers. "We have had quite a few new customers since the big win, but no one in the village holds any grudges against the winners," Van Broekhoven said. EuroMillions is a draw game of the National Lottery, organised in coordination with lotteries from France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland and Luxemburg.

☆ Hydrogen pipeline from Spain to France to cost 2.5 bln euros, Spanish PM Sanchez says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Belén Carreño | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ALICANTE, Spain, Dec 9 (Reuters) - An underwater pipeline to carry green hydrogen between Spain and France will cost about 2.5 billion euros ($2.64 billion), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, adding that he hoped the European Union would partly fund the project. An additional pipeline connecting Spain and Portugal will cost 300 million euros, a Spanish source said. The undersea section will be known as BarMar, while the entire hydrogen corridor connecting Spain and Portugal to France will be called H2MED, Sanchez confirmed. Sanchez said that France, Spain and Portugal would apply for EU funds to pay for up to 50% of H2MED's cost. "If you already have an overland pipeline why build an undersea pipeline?"

☆ Norway's Reitan Retail buys 114 Danish stores from Germany's Aldi
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OSLO, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Norway's Reitan Retail said on Friday it had agreed to buy 114 Danish grocery stores and three distribution centres from German rival Aldi for an undisclosed amount, boosting the Norwegian group's chain of Rema 1000 discount stores. "This will significantly lift our Danish revenue and should make Rema 1000 the largest chain of grocery stores in Denmark," Reitan Retail Chief Executive Ole Robert Reitan told Reuters. Before the transaction, Rema 1000 had around 330 grocery stores in Denmark. German discounter Aldi said in a statement the sale was part of a full exit from the Danish market, where it has a total of 188 stores. Reitan Retail, which has some 42,000 employees across seven countries, earlier this year reported an operating profit (EBIT) of 3.8 billion Norwegian crowns ($381 million) for 2021, down from 4.4 billion in 2020.

The EU has blocked the funds over worries around corruption and poor judicial independence in Hungary, which in turn vetoed the EU loan to Kyiv and a proposal for a global corporate tax. "I note the efforts made so far by Hungary to address several of the remedial measures," EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn wrote in a letter. Orban, in power since 2010, has cultivated close ties with Moscow and repeatedly stalled EU sanctions against Russia. International watchdogs say Orban has long channelled EU funds to associates to entrench himself in power. It has also been withholding approval of some 5.8 billion euros for Hungary from an EU fund set up to help countries recover from the COVID pandemic, citing insufficient independence of courts from politicians.

☆ Israel's next finance minister brings religion to the front of economic strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Israel's incoming finance minister has said his economic strategy will be infused with religious beliefs laid out in the Torah, predicting that this would help the country prosper. Bezalel Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, said that as finance minister he would delve deep into the inner workings of the economy. Smotrich was tapped by prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to serve as finance minister for two years. At the same time, only about half of ultra-Orthodox men work, according to government data. Israel's central bank has said this is a drain on the economy and has recommended incentives to draw more ultra-Orthodox men into the workforce.

☆ French farmer awarded 11,000 euros over Bayer pesticide inhalation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A French court has ordered Germany's Bayer (BAYGn.DE) to pay compensation of some 11,000 euros ($11,560) to a crop farmer for the accidental inhalation of a weedkiller, ending a 15-year legal battle, his lawyer and the company said on Thursday. "11,000 euros for so much sacrifice," the farmer, Paul Francois, told franceinfo radio. Francois had argued that the fumes he inhaled from the weedkiller Lasso, a product that was subsequently withdrawn from the French market, caused neurological problems, including memory loss, fainting and headaches. Bayer France said in a statement that the sum awarded to the farmer was less than 1% of what he had requested. The exact amount of the damages was 11,135 euros, the farmer's lawyer told Reuters.

His centre-left Social Democrats, the Greens and liberal Free Democrats, have had to wrangle to reach compromises, sometimes delaying decisions. Some European allies say the focus on domestic challenges and internal politicking have distracted Berlin from regional cooperation and especially the key German-French motor that traditionally drives the European Union. Relief measures worth hundreds of billions of euros have helped Scholz's coalition stave off serious social unrest due to soaring energy prices in the wake of the Ukraine war, but recent polls suggest it has lost its majority. MIXED MESSAGESTo be sure, Germany's allies have welcomed the Zeitenwende after years of warning the country of complacency on security. The government may for example not reach the NATO spending goal until 2025, a spokesman said this week.

☆ Pope Francis breaks down and cries while mentioning Ukraine at public prayer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Pope Francis speaks as he attends the Immaculate Conception celebration prayer in Piazza di Spagna in Rome, Italy, December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Yara NardiROME, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis broke down and cried on Thursday as he mentioned the suffering of Ukrainians during a traditional prayer in central Rome. Since Russia invaded its neighbour in February, Francis has mentioned Ukraine in nearly all his public appearances and has grown increasingly critical of Moscow. After reading the prayer on Thursday at the statue near the Spanish Steps, the pope greeted people in the crowd, including journalists. When one of journalists mentioned to Francis that she had seem him overcome with emotion, he responded:"Yes.

[1/2] Oil product tanker Lila Fujairah sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk IsikCompanies Ingosstrakh SPAO FollowLONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey, a British Treasury official said, after the G7 and European Union rolled out new restrictions on Dec. 5 aimed at Russian oil exports. "The UK, U.S. and EU are working closely with the Turkish government and the shipping and insurance industries to clarify the implementation of the Oil Price Cap and reach a resolution," the official told Reuters. At least 20 oil tankers continue to face delays to cross from Russia's Black Sea ports to the Mediterranean as operators race to adhere to the Turkish rules. "The (insurers) have agreed that they cannot and should not issue such a letter," UK P&I said in a statement on its website.

☆ Anti-war protesters in Italy denounce La Scala for staging Russian opera
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sara Rossi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Demonstrators holding Ukrainian flags and signs protest outside of La Scala opera house, ahead of its 2022-23 season opening night performance of "Boris Godunov," a Russian-composed opera performed by Russian artists, in Milan, Italy, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Flavio Lo ScalzoMILAN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Anti-war protesters demonstrated outside Milan's La Scala theatre on Wednesday before it opened its 2022-2023 opera season with a gala performance of the Russian work "Boris Godunov". Around 20 people waved the Ukrainian flag and held up placards denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine in February. She questioned why La Scala had not changed its programme over the nine months since the war began. La Scala artistic director Dominique Meyer last month defended its decision to stage the work, written by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in the 19th century, after protests from Ukrainian exile groups.

☆ Italy's Meloni and daughter targeted by online death threat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her 6-year-old daughter have received online death threats from an unemployed man angry over government plans to cut an anti-poverty subsidy, police said on Wednesday. Meloni's right-wing government wants to limit the so-called "citizens' income" scheme next year ahead of scrapping the measure altogether in 2024, when it will be replaced by a new benefit that has yet to be detailed. Meloni, who took office in October, has always criticised the citizens' income, which was introduced in 2019, arguing that able-bodied people of working age should not be allowed to live off state subsidies indefinitely. Under proposals included in the 2023 budget, currently under debate in parliament, citizens' income payments will be withdrawn after eight months except for households with children, people aged 60 or above, and disabled persons. Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Angelo Amante, editing by Crispian BalmerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ James Cameron on releasing long-awaited 'Avatar' sequel: "It's a relief"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Edward Baran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Filmmaker James Cameron is taking audiences back to his visually mesmerizing world of Pandora, releasing the sequel to his 2009 epic "Avatar", the top-grossing movie of all time. The stakes are high for "Avatar: The Way of Water", which reportedly cost more than $350 million and comes 13 years after the original that grossed $2.9 billion worldwide, with more "Avatar" movies in the pipeline. Sully, Neytiri and their children flee to a far-flung territory, seeking refuge with the oceanic Metkayina clan. They quickly have to learn the ways of the water to survive amid the approaching threat of their enemy. The new movie, which begins its global cinema rollout from Dec. 14, reunites Cameron with his "Titanic" star Kate Winslet, who plays the Metkayina clan's shamanic matriarch.

☆ Protests held as Italy's La Scala opens season with Russian opera
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sara Rossi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Demonstrators holding Ukrainian flags and signs protest outside of La Scala opera house, ahead of its 2022-23 season opening night performance of "Boris Godunov," a Russian-composed opera performed by Russian artists, in Milan, Italy, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Flavio Lo ScalzoMILAN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Milan's La Scala theatre opened its 2022-2023 opera season on Wednesday with a gala performance of the Russian work "Boris Godunov" as protesters against the Ukrainian war demonstrated outside the venue. "We have nothing against the Russian people, against Russian history, against Russian culture," Meloni told reporters before the performance. She questioned why La Scala had not changed its programme over the nine months since the war began. Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov took the lead role as Godunov while Russian soprano Anna Denisova was Kseniya, his daughter.

☆ Canada exports rose in October helped by weak dollar
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Exports rose 1.5%, helped by higher exports of medicinal products as well as gold bars and coins to the United States, Statscan said. "Canada's merchandise trade surplus widened in October, with a weaker Canadian dollar providing a helping hand. When expressed in U.S. dollars, Canadian exports were down 1.3% in October, and imports decreased 2.2%, Statscan said. Exports of farm, fishing and intermediate food products rose 10.2% in October to a record-high C$5.5 billion, helped by canola and wheat. The Canadian dollar was trading at 1.3625 to the greenback, or 73.39 U.S. cents, down 0.3% on the day.

☆ EU agrees law preventing import of goods linked to deforestation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Tuesday on a new law to prevent companies from selling into the EU market coffee, beef, soy and other commodities linked to deforestation around the world. Negotiators from EU countries and the European Parliament struck the deal on the law early on Tuesday. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 4% of a company's turnover in an EU member state. EU countries and the European parliament must now formally approve the legislation. The EU said it would work with affected countries to build up their capacity to implement the rules.

☆ Swedish man found guilty of murder, planning to kill politician
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A Swedish court on Tuesday found a man guilty of murdering a woman and of planning to kill a senior politician at a festival in July, and ordered that he be taken into psychiatric care. The murder took place close to where Centre Party leader Annie Loof had been due to hold a news conference. The Gotland district court said the killer, Theodor Engstrom, had mapped Loof's agenda and was planning to murder her. The 33-year-old has said his intention was to hit back at the Swedish population," Judge Per Sundberg told a news conference. Engstrom pleaded guilty to murdering the psychiatrist Ing-Marie Wieselgren, but rejected charges related to Loof.

☆ Latvia cancels licence of exiled Russian television station TV Rain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Russian TV station moved to Latvia after Ukraine invasionLatvian regulator says it poses security threatTV Rain calls accusation "absurd"VILNIUS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Latvia has cancelled the licence of Russian independent television station TV Rain after the company was branded a threat to national security, the state broadcasting regulator said on Tuesday. TV Rain said it programmes could still be seen on YouTube. Abolins said the regulator was convinced TV Rain did not understand "the essence and gravity" of its alleged violations. TV Rain apologized to its viewers and fired a presenter on Friday after Latvia's State Security Service launched an investigation into comments he made on air. TV Rain editor-in-chief Tikhon Dzyadko called the comments "misleading", tweeting last Friday: "TV Rain did not, does not, and will not act to help supply the Russian army".

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