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☆ Hungary central bank chief sees 15%-18% inflation in 2023, urges end to price caps
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Hungary's inflation could be between 15% and 18% next year, the National Bank of Hungary's governor said on Monday, sharply criticising the government's price caps imposed on fuels, basic foodstuffs and mortgages. He said the price caps had prompted retailers to raise the prices of other, non-capped-price products, adding 3% to 4% to inflation. "We have said this to the government several times," Matolcsy said referring to ending the price control measures. November consumer price data are due on Thursday, with a Reuters poll of analysts seeing annual inflation at 22.2%. Matolcsy said inflation was the "number one enemy", adding that the NBH would fight it with all possible means.

☆ UAE president visits Qatar in sign of warming ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) president arrived in Qatar on Monday on the first such visit since Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies ended a boycott of Doha nearly two years ago. Qatar is currently hosting soccer's World Cup,The visit "is another step towards strengthening Gulf solidarity and joint action," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on Twitter. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt early last year ended a 3-1/2 year embargo of Qatar, but ties between Doha and Abu Dhabi have not warmed at the same pace as those with Riyadh and Cairo, which re-established diplomatic ties with Doha. UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan visited Doha twice as part of Abu Dhabi's push to manage regional differences. Abu Dhabi, like Manama, has not appointed an envoy to Doha, but restored travel and trade links between the UAE and Qatar.

☆ Greece, Britain discussing Parthenon Sculptures return but deal not close, Athens says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Renee Maltezou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATHENS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Greek government on Monday quashed local media reports that a deal with Britain over the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens was imminent but said the two sides were in talks on the long-running dispute. The museum, custodian of the sculptures known in Britain as the Elgin Marbles, also reiterated it would not dismantle its collection. Last week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that there was "progress" and a sense of "momentum" in talks with Britain to reunite the sculptures in Greece. Citing a British official, Greece's ANT1 TV said on Sunday that the only way to return the sculptures to Greece without violating British law was "if the British Museum opened a kind of annex in Greece". In March, the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO urged Greece and Britain to reach a settlement on the issue.

☆ Turkey says it expects more extraditions from Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sweden on Friday deported Turkish citizen Mahmut Tat, who had sought asylum in Sweden in 2015 after being sentenced in Turkey to six years and 10 months in jail for alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "This is a good start from Sweden that shows their sincerity and goodwill. We hope new (extraditions) will follow in line with this sincerity," Bozdag said in a televised interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber. However, he made clear that Turkey expected further moves from Stockholm before it could ratify Sweden's NATO application. "In line with the trilateral memorandum with Sweden and Finland, they should lift all (arms) embargoes on Turkey, change their legislation for the fight against terrorism, and extradite all terrorists that Turkey wants.

☆ Factbox: What is happening in Sudan?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with officials appointed by civilian political groups ahead of elections. But that arrangement was abruptly halted by a military coup in October 2021, which triggered a campaign of frequent pro-democracy mass rallies across Sudan. Another is an investigation into the killings of pro-democracy protesters on June 3, 2019, in which military forces are implicated. Several of its neighbours, including Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan have been affected by political upheavals and conflict. Talks stalled and Ethiopia started filling the reservoir behind the dam, which Sudan says could put its citizens, dams and water facilities at risk.

☆ IAEA says deal over Ukrainian nuke plant "almost there"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A deal aimed at safeguarding Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is close at hand, the head of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday. Europe's largest power plant, which was seized by Russia shortly after its invasion of Ukraine, has since come under repeated shelling, drawing condemnation from the IAEA, which has called for a safety zone to be created around the site. .. Now we have a proposal on the table which simply put is aiming to stop the folly of bombing the largest nuclear power plant in Europe," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told a conference in Rome. Earlier on Friday, Russia's RIA news agency said Moscow had outlined its position on the creation of a safety zone around the plant and was awaiting a response, citing the head of the state-run nuclear energy agency Rosatom. Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Vatican website down in suspected hacker attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The official Vatican website was taken offline on Wednesday following an apparent hacking attack, the Holy See said. "Technical investigations are ongoing due to abnormal attempts to access the site," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, without giving any further information. The suspected hack came a day after Moscow criticised Pope Francis's latest condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with a Jesuit magazine, the pope had singled out troops from Chechnya and other ethnic minorities in Russia for their particular "cruelty" during the war. Reporting by Crispian Balmer Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU ministers seek to ease tensions on migration after France-Italy spat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Nov 25 (Reuters) - EU interior ministers sought to ease resurgent tensions over illegal migration at an emergency meeting on Friday, after the fate of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean triggered harsh words between Paris and Rome. "Everyone agrees not to repeat this kind of situation," European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas said after the meeting, referring to tensions over the Ocean Viking. While no concrete decision was taken, ministers welcomed a 20-point action plan proposed by the European Commission to address surging migration in the central Mediterranean. One focus of that plan was to seek to strengthen cooperation with third countries, including steps to prevent departures from North Africa. Southern EU countries, including Italy, Spain and Greece, where most migrants arrive, say there is too much pressure on them and EU states to the north are not helping them enough.

☆ Ukraine needs to be 'far-sighted' to secure peace, pope says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine's leaders will have to be "far-sighted" to secure peace, Pope Francis said on Friday, suggesting that Kyiv would have to make concessions to end the war with Russia. The pope earlier this month called for a ceasefire to avert the risk of escalation of the conflict and asked God to "hurry up" to end it. "On them lies the duty to govern the country in tragic times and to make far-sighted decisions for peace and to develop the economy during the destruction of so much vital infrastructure." President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week that Ukraine was ready for peace, but only on its terms that would restore all occupied territory. In a newspaper interview also released last week, the pope said the Vatican was ready to do anything possible to mediate and put an end to the war.

Many in the art and insurance world, however, say it may be only be a matter of time before art works are vandalised, especially if protests spread beyond climate activism. The art insurance market globally earns around $750 million in premiums. PRESSURE ON PREMIUMSLosses and levels of insurance availability tend to dictate insurance premiums. Commercial museums and galleries, however, buy art insurance, and its use is also more prevalent among larger museums in the United States than in Europe. While five insurers contacted by Reuters said they were not yet factoring climate attacks into premiums, some artists say they already face increased costs.

[1/5] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a news conference to present her government's first budget in Rome, Italy, November 22, 2022. Meloni, a fiery conviction politician, has often spoken out against Italy's reliance on technocrats to solve its economic problems and lambasted alleged interference from "high international finance" and "Brussels bureaucrats". During the election campaign Meloni called in vain for her predecessor Mario Draghi to freeze the sale of a majority stake in ITA. PUSHBACKDeputy Economy and Finance Minister Maurizio Leo, an adviser to Meloni, had proposed splitting his ministry by hiving off the finance department responsible for tax matters. The head of the finance department, Fabrizia Lapecorella, has asked to move to another ministry, two sources said.

☆ First nationwide map of Italy's fascist monuments goes online
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man walks past a bas-relief depicting fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the EUR neighbourhood of Rome, Italy, known for its fascist architecture, October 19, 2022. The "places of fascism" website (www.luoghifascismo.it) was unveiled on Tuesday by the Istituto Nazionale Parri, a Milan-based historical research institute, following four years of research. It lists famous landmarks, such as the obelisk in Rome marked in giant lettering with "Mussolini Dux" (Mussolini leader), as well as more obscure memorials up and down the country. Italy has a complicated relationship with its fascist past, now under greater scrutiny as Giorgia Meloni, a hard-right politician with a teenage past as a Mussolini fan, was sworn in as prime minister last month. Reporting by Alvise Armellini; editing by Crispian Balmer and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ G7 calls for 'significant' U.N. response to North Korea missile launches
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The United Nations' Security Council needs to take "significant measures" in response to the latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch by North Korea, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialised nations said on Sunday. The Security Council is set to discuss North Korea in a meeting on Monday at the request of the United States, following the latest in a series of missile test launches this year. "(North Korea's) actions demand a united and robust response by the international community," the ministers of the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, Britain, France and Italy said. The G7 statement said Friday's test was a "reckless act" and "another blatant violation" of U.N. resolutions. "The unprecedented series of unlawful ballistic missile launches conducted by (North Korea) in 2022 ... pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security," the G7 statement said, adding that the country "cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon state".

☆ New Italian government's budget to boost spending to fight energy crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Past attempts to do that have ended in disaster," Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told La Stampa newspaper on Sunday. Meloni has already said that roughly two thirds of the additional spending power would be used to help companies and households survive record-high gas and electricity bills. This comes on top of some 75 billion euros splashed out in 2022 to tackle surging energy prices. But ministers say they will be fiscally prudent, and avoid the budget errors that unseated Britain's former prime minister Liz Truss. Once the cabinet approves the budget, parliament will have until Dec. 31 to pass it into law.

☆ Former Italian PM Berlusconi acquitted in bribery case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Marco Carta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, Nov 17 (Reuters) - An Italian court on Thursday acquitted former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi of bribing a witness in a 2013 underage prostitution case, giving a boost to the veteran politician weeks after his return to parliament. party that is backing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's newly installed government, was eventually acquitted in that case. Berlusconi was eventually excluded from parliament in 2013 after his conviction in a tax fraud case. In a separate case pending at a Milan court, Berlusconi is accused of bribing 24 witnesses, mostly young guests at his evening parties. Last year a court in Siena acquitted Berlusconi of allegedly bribing another witness to his parties.

☆ Russia coming under heavy pressure in Ukraine, says NATO chief
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Nov 10 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday Russia was coming under heavy pressure in Ukraine after Moscow ordered the withdrawal of its troops from the southern city of Kherson. Speaking after meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Stoltenberg said NATO would be watching in the coming days to see if the Russians did indeed pull back from the west bank of the Dnipro River. "What is clear is that Russia is coming under heavy pressure and if they leave Kherson it would be another victory for Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters after talks with new prime minister Meloni. He added that NATO would support Ukraine "for as long as it takes". Meloni, who took office last month, said her government remained committed to defending "the territorial integrity, sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine".

[1/4] A migrant, in need of urgent hospital care, lies on a stretcher, as officers prepare them for helicopter transport from rescue ship 'Ocean Viking' in the Mediterranean Sea, November 10, 2022. The Ocean Viking, which is operated by the SOS Mediterranee charity, was sailing on Thursday by the French island of Corsica, but had previously been close to Italy. The French would also reinforce controls at its borders with Italy to prevent migrant crossings, he said. Ocean Viking was the fourth. The far-right was quick to react to the decision to let the Ocean Viking dock, with the RN's Marine Le Pen tweeting that he was being "dramatically" soft on immigration.

☆ World food index slips in Oct despite higher cereal prices -FAO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Friday that its price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 135.9 points last month versus a revised 136.0 for September. The index has fallen from a record of 159.7 in March, but remained 2.0% higher than a year earlier. While prices dipped overall, the cereal index rose 3.0%, with wheat up 3.2%, mostly reflecting uncertainties related to exports from Ukraine and also a downward revision for U.S. supplies. Rising international quotations for sunflower seed oil were more than offset by lower world prices of palm, soy and rapeseed oils. In separate cereal supply and demand estimates, FAO lowered its forecast for global cereal production in 2022 to 2.764 billion tonnes from a previous 2.768 billion tonnes.

"Anyone who believes it is possible to trade Ukraine's freedom for our peace of mind is mistaken," Meloni said. The government is Italy's most right-wing administration since World War Two and former close ties between Moscow and both Berlusconi and Salvini have raised concerns over its foreign policy. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attend the lower house of parliament ahead of a confidence vote for the new government, in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. Meloni's supporters gave her a standing ovation after her 70-minute speech, with some chanting: "Giorgia, Giorgia". A similar ballot is expected in the upper house Senate on Wednesday, where Meloni also enjoys a clear majority.

☆ Malta to maintain energy prices at pre-COVID levels
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VALLETTA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Malta's government said on Monday it would spend 10% of its recurrent expenditure next year to maintain a freeze on energy and fuel prices. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Without this measure, economic growth would have been halved. You would have been asking me how many businesses are expected to close and how high unemployment is expected to reach," Caruana told reporters. "Our economic growth projections are still double the European average," he said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Christopher Scicluna; Editing by Crispian BalmerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy's Meloni sworn in at head of right-wing government
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Italy's newly elected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacts during the swearing-in ceremony at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome, Italy October 22, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneROME, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italy's first woman prime minister on Saturday alongside her cabinet team, giving the country its most right-wing government since World War Two. Meloni, head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, swept to victory in an election last month as part of a coalition that included Forza Italia, led by former premier Silvio Berlusconi, and Matteo Salvini's League. "I swear to be faithful to the republic," the 45-year-old Meloni said under the crystal chandeliers of a frescoed chamber, before shaking hands with President Sergio Mattarella. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer invests $400 million to support Black entrepreneurs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFormer Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer invests $400 million to support Black entrepreneursFormer Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Balmer Group co-founder, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss his new $400 million investment in a venture capital fund focused on Black entrepreneurs.

☆ Italy's Meloni tells president she is ready to become prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni arrives for a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneSummary Meloni set to become Italy's first woman PMNew government could be sworn in at weekendBerlusconi irks allies with pro-Putin commentsROME, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Italy's Giorgia Meloni told President Sergio Mattarella on Friday that she was ready to become prime minister and could swiftly form a new government despite tumult within her right-wing coalition. Meloni, head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, met the president alongside her main allies -- Matteo Salvini, who leads the far-right League, and Silvio Berlusconi, founder of the conservative Forza Italia party. "We are ready to form a government as quickly as possible," Meloni told reporters after the unusually short meeting, which lasted barely 15 minutes. The conservative bloc won a commanding parliamentary majority at a Sept. 25 general election, with Meloni's party taking the most votes, putting her in pole position to become Italy's first female prime minister.

☆ EU, NATO at heart of Italian foreign policy, says Draghi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Membership of the European Union and NATO are cornerstones of Italy's foreign policy, outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday, ahead of the formation of a new, right-wing government. "We fully share European and transatlantic values and want to continue to protect and strengthen them," Draghi told Italian diplomats in Brussels. "These principles are even more important when dealing with the crises we are going through, from the war in Ukraine to the energy emergency," Draghi added in his address. Meloni issued a statement on Wednesday saying she would not let Italy be the weak link in the West, while senior Forza Italia politician, Antonio Tajani, looked to reassure EU centre-right allies over his party's foreign policy stance. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Crispian Balmer Editing by Gareth Jones and Gavin JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Her uncompromising statement came after her conservative ally Silvio Berlusconi reiterated his sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of triggering the war. In a sharply worded declaration, Meloni said any party that disagreed with her foreign policy line should not join the government, which is set to take office next week. Meloni has staunchly defended Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February, and has supported Western sanctions against Moscow. Repeating accusations made by Putin that have been denied by Ukraine, Berlusconi said Zelenskiy made the situation much worse when he came to power in 2019. "Berlusconi's comments are very grave and incompatible with Italian and European positions," said Enrico Letta, the leader of the centre-left Democratic Party.

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