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An employee stands by cables inside a ASML Twinscan XT1000 lithography machine, during manufacture at the ASML factory in Veldhoven, Netherlands. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Dutch government is pressing ahead with export restrictions on "advanced" semiconductor manufacturing equipment following political pressure from the United States. Although the letter does not reference China, it comes after pressure from the White House, which in 2022 imposed export controls that limit Beijing from accessing certain semiconductor chips. At the time, American officials recognized that if other countries did not impose similar restrictions, the export controls would lose effectiveness over time. Since 2018, the U.S. has reportedly been asking the Dutch government to stop ASML shipping its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines to China.

☆ Biden to host EU chief as Europe hopes to avoid subsidy race with the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (L) speaks with US President Joe Biden. President Joe Biden will welcome Ursula von der Leyen to the White House this week, with the European Union's top official eager to gain concessions amid a tense subsidy spat between the two giant trading blocs. "We want to achieve as much non-discriminatory treatment for EU products and companies as possible, avoiding distortions of the level playing field," a spokesperson for the European Commission, told CNBC via email Friday. This could ultimately mean less innovation in Europe and fewer jobs for Europeans too. "I do not think [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen will manage to extract meaningful concessions from the U.S. on the IRA.

☆ DeSantis' hand-picked Walt Disney World oversight board meets for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Octavio JonesMarch 8 (Reuters) - A new board controlling Walt Disney World's special taxing district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as Governor Ron DeSantis' hand-picked group gets ready to end the entertainment giant's "corporate kingdom." Nothing in the language of the legislation creating the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District gives the board of supervisors authority to direct Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) content. "The District board members are now in place and will be examining all of the needed actions to get back on track," Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, said on Tuesday. Legislators in Florida passed a bill in February giving DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. “Shameful to see Disney continue to use children as pawns to advance their WOKE political agenda,” Ziegler tweeted.

☆ The U.S. has warned on China's support for Russia. Now the EU says 'we need to remain vigilant'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The CIA Director Bill Burns told CBS News last week that he is confident China is considering providing lethal aid to Moscow. China's role in international politics in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year has been a particularly sensitive one for western nations. Europe's top diplomat said the West needs to be vigilant when it comes to support for Russia from China, after U.S. officials warned that Beijing could be about to send lethal weapons to Moscow. Blinken had previously told NBC that there is information that China is "strongly considering providing lethal assistance to Russia." "The U.S. has been pouring lethal weapons into the battlefield in Ukraine and heightening tensions, while spreading false and malign accusations against China.

☆ Tesla is not the only company reviewing its Europe investment after Biden's IRA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla recently announced a strategy shift away from Europe as it seeks to benefit from unprecedented subsidies in the United States. But it's not the only company reviewing investment decisions vis-à-vis Europe. The landmark legislation, which features green subsidies for businesses, has raised competition issues for European companies — and upset politicians in the region. Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker; Linde, a chemical giant from Germany; Volkswagen, the carmaker; Enel , the Italian energy giant, have all expressed an interest in profiting from U.S. subsidies. It is still early to assess just how much investment could drift away from Europe as a result of Biden's policy.

☆ Euro zone inflation softens to 8.5% in February as ECB signals interest rate hiking is not over
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

All eyes on the latest inflation numbers out of the euro zone as market players consider what the ECB will do next. Inflation in the euro zone eased slightly in the month of February, following comments from the European Central Bank chief that bringing the rate down will take some time. Headline inflation across the 20-member bloc came in at 8.5% in February, according to preliminary data released Thursday. Analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal were expecting a lower February inflation rate of 8.2%. In recent days, market players have been wondering whether the ECB will have to keep its hawkish stance for longer, following hotter-than-expected February inflation figures from France, Germany and Spain.

☆ Stubborn inflation will remain at a very high level, German central bank president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Joachim Nagel, president of Germany's Bundesbank and one of the ECB's more hawkish members, told CNBC's Annette Weisbach Wednesday that consumer price rises are set to remain stubbornly high. "But still, what we expect for this year for Germany is an average inflation rate of around 6 to 7%." The yield on the 10-year German bund — seen as the main benchmark in the region — rose to its highest level since 2011 on Wednesday. Goldman Sachs said Wednesday that it was increasing its expectations for peak interest rate hikes in the euro area. The ECB is this month starting to sell bonds at a pace of 15 billion euros a month until June.

☆ 'We have to be prepared,' Norway's foreign minister says of nuclear risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We have to be prepared,' Norway's foreign minister says of nuclear risksNorway and its neighbors "have to be prepared" for rising nuclear risks, following Russia's decision to suspend its nuclear-arms treaty with the U.S., Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt tells CNBC.

☆ Sweden NATO membership is happening, Swedish foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSweden NATO membership is happening, Swedish foreign minister saysSweden has fulfilled conditions it agreed to at the NATO Summit in Madrid last summer, so it is time for the Turkish Parliament to begin the ratification process, Tobias Billström, Sweden's minister of foreign affairs, told CNBC.

☆ Sweden and Finland's NATO membership is a 'matter of time' amid Turkey negotiations, Swedish foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sweden and Finland are firmly on course to become NATO members this year, Sweden's foreign minister said Wednesday, amid strained negotiations with Turkey over their admittance. Turkey's opposition to Sweden and Finland's NATO membership centers around what, it says, is their harboring of militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Hungary is the other ratification holdout, though local media reported Tuesday that its Parliament could ratify NATO membership for Finland and Sweden early next month. That included preparing to deliver new legislation to the Swedish Parliament in March, he said. He also said that Swedish membership at the NATO summit in July was the goal.

☆ Giving Ukraine fighter jets is 'difficult' because we need them, says Sweden's defense minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGiving Ukraine fighter jets is 'difficult' because we need them, says Sweden's defense ministerSwedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson told CNBC's Silvia Amaro that giving Ukraine fighter jets is "difficult," because Sweden needs them "to maintain [its] territorial integrity."

☆ Goldman-backed battery firm Northvolt earmarks next quarter for U.S. factory announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Northvolt building in Sweden, photographed in February 2022. Mikael Sjoberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSKELLEFTEA, Sweden ꟷ Battery firm Northvolt will outline details of a new manufacturing plant in the U.S. before the start of the summer, CEO Peter Carlsson told CNBC Tuesday. The Swedish company has been reevaluating some of its investment decisions in light of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act — often referred to as IRA. "I would be surprised if we have not done an announcement by latest in Q2 [second quarter]," he said. A worker walking past the coating ovens section at the Northvolt Ett factory in Skelleftea, north Sweden.

☆ Finland and Sweden's plans to join NATO could be delayed after Turkey's devastating earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Finland is concerned that its application to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine will be delayed after a devastating earthquake in Turkey. Joining NATO has been a somewhat difficult process for Finland and Sweden, with Hungary and Turkey holding back their ratification. These tensions between Turkey and Sweden have raised the possibility that Finland will be accepted in the NATO alliance first, separate from Stockholm. "It is up to Turkey if they separate us," Haavisto said, adding that Helsinki would prefer if Sweden were to join at the same time. The entire process might now be on hold for longer, given the recent 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6.

☆ Europe considers a digital currency as it strives to counter U.S. and China's tech dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The European Central Bank is working on a digital currency as the region seeks to protect itself from tensions with China and the United States. The central bank started investigating the feasibility of a digital euro back in October 2021. Right now, Europe lacks digital platforms," Guido Zimmermann, senior economist at German bank LBBW, told CNBC Wednesday. "Already now more than two thirds of European card payment transactions are run by companies with headquarters outside the European Union," she added. Mastercard , Visa , PayPal, Alipay and UnionPay make up the top global companies for payments.

☆ Germany rules out spending 'more and more money' as Europe hopes to avoid subsidy race with the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European Union officials have been embroiled in tense discussions over how to make the region more competitive in the wake of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, also referred to as IRA. The American legislation was approved by U.S. lawmakers in August and includes $369 billion in spending on climate and energy policies. But, according to Christian Lindner, the German finance minister, the answer for the 27-member EU bloc to boost competitiveness is not via more public spending. "We need a better quality of public sector investments, not more quantity of public sector investments," he said. "Belgium is a small market, very open economy, Germany is a big market.

☆ Europe is looking to tackle sky-high debt loads after signs it will dodge a recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The euro zone is now expected to have reached a GDP (gross domestic product) rate of 3.5% in 2022, rather than the 3.2% estimated in November. BRUSSELS — European officials sighed with relief Monday after new data suggested the region will avoid an economic recession. The euro zone is now expected to have reached a GDP (gross domestic product) rate of 3.5% in 2022, rather than the 3.2% estimated in November. The outlook for this year is also better with an expected GDP rate of 0.9%, compared to the 0.2% growth rate forecast just three months ago. So we need to steer the course and we need to make choices, some of them are difficult," she said.

☆ Zelenskyy completes a tricky charm offensive in Europe as Ukraine prepares for next phase of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, visited the European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Weapons, weapons, weaponsZelenskyy was direct in his message to European leaders asking for long-range artillery and ammunition, air defense systems, missiles, fighter jets and battle tanks. He pressured EU leaders to start the process this year. He has a sharp focus and is committed to the Ukrainian cause — he is a very sensible man," one EU official said regarding the Ukrainian president. The official working for a Nordic nation said: "Seeing him in person made [an] impact after a year of video addresses."

☆ Zelenskyy says certain agreements with allies are not public, but are positive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailZelenskyy says certain agreements with allies are not public, but are positiveUkraine's president said he achieved "positive" agreements during his second major trip abroad since Russia's invasion. CNBC's Silvia Amaro reports on the outcome of his meetings in Brussels.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskyy expected to ask for more aid from European leaders in Brussels trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting European leaders on Thursday as he continues his second major trip abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine. It is the second time that Zelenskyy is known to have left Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24 last year. Last month, Zelenskyy asked Ukraine's allies for fighter jets — a request that has so far not received the greenlight from Western nations. However, the U.K. said Wednesday it will provide training to Ukrainian pilots to fly fighter jets, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said nothing was off the table when it comes to supporting Ukraine. In Paris, Zelenskyy was also very clear with his requests to the French and German heads of state.

☆ Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to address European leaders in Brussels trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUkraine’s Zelenskyy to address European leaders in Brussels tripCNBC's Silvia Amaro speaks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he arrives in Brussels.

Disney issued a statement applauding Peltz's decision to end a board challenge which it called a "distraction. 'FIRST PHASE' IN DISNEY'S TRANSFORMATIONFor Peltz's Trian Fund Management the board challenge appears to have paid off with an estimated 20% gain on his investment. Analysts said Peltz made a reasonable request for one board seat and to join the 12-member board himself. Peltz appeared on CNBC on Thursday to announce his proxy fight with Disney was over. "Bob Iger has a long, strong track record which provides confidence he will manage this transition for Disney."

☆ SocGen beats expectations for the fourth quarter, boosted by investment banking unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Societe Generale on Wednesday reported a net income of 1.16 billion euros ($1.24 billion) for the final quarter of 2022. Analysts had estimated a net income of 905 million euros for the quarter and 1.5 billion euros for the full year, according to Refinitiv. Shares of the French lender are down more than 20% over the last 12 months. This is a breaking news story and it is being updated.

☆ Newly returned Disney CEO Bob Iger is cutting 7,000 jobs and reorganizing the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced layoffs on Wednesday. During the company's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, Iger said the company would cut 7,000 jobs. ESPN will be led by James Pitaro, formerly chair of ESPN and Sports Content, and president of ESPN before that. will be led by James Pitaro, formerly chair of ESPN and Sports Content, and president of ESPN before that. Disney reported in its earnings report that Disney+ lost subscribers for the first time — over 2 million, all from India's Disney+ HotStar.

☆ French bank BNP Paribas reports bumper profit for 2022, boosts stock purchase plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

BNP Paribas reported Tuesday a 7% rise in net income for 2022 and revised up its profit targets. The French bank said net profit attributable to shareholders came in at 2.2 billion euros ($2.36 billion) for the fourth quarter, taking its full-year profit figure for 2022 to 10.2 billion euros. Analysts had expected a figure of 2.36 billion euros for the quarter and 10.9 billion euros for the year, according to Refinitiv. Here are other highlights from the results:Annual revenues rose to 50.4 billion euros versus 46.2 billion euros a year ago;Operating expenses rose 8.3% from a year ago to 33.7 billion;CET 1 ratio, a measure of bank solvency, stood at 12.3% versus 12.1% in the previous quarter. Shares of the French bank are down about 7% over the last year.

OVER THE LAST decade, backbars across the U.S. have filled up with colorful, ornately labeled bottles of amaro, an Italian liqueur infused with herbs, roots and/or spices. The bitter option pulls from the often more than 15 amari (including Italian and domestic options) in stock. In fall and winter, amari mingle with aged spirits, like whiskey, often on the rocks. In the spring, they find their way into spritzes or drinks made with clear spirits like gin or tequila. There’s only one rule, said general manager Brittany Tinelli, who selects the spirits at Roman’s: “The bitter needs to be the star.”

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