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☆ Factbox: Economic reliance on China that EU wants to 'rebalance'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen leaves after an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium March 24, 2023. Von der Leyen said the bloc could not decouple from China, but needed to reduce risk and "rebalance" economic ties. China is the EU's third largest outside market for its cars, and some 15% of EU car exports head there. Chinese EV exports to the bloc shot up to 6.9 billion euros in 2022 from less than 800 million euros in 2020. CLEAN TECHThe EU imports 80% of its solar panels from China, importing 21 billion euros worth in 2022.

☆ Frank founder Charlie Javice, who allegedly defrauded JPMorgan out of $175 million, hit with federal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Charlie Javice, who sold her student-aid startup Frank to JPMorgan Chase, was charged with fraud. The bank claimed Javice faked millions of customers to convince it to buy Frank for $175 million. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Javice with wire fraud affecting a financial institution, securities fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy on Tuesday. JPMorgan acquired Frank in 2021 for $175 million, but began to question the authenticity of the startup's purported 4 million users after an email marketing campaign ended in "disaster," according to the bank's lawsuit and a filing by prosecutors. Out of 400,000 emails sent to Frank users, more than 70% bounced back and only 103 were opened, the bank claimed.

☆ Factbox: Winners at the 2023 Olivier Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Jodie Comer poses with the award for Best Actress for "Prima Facie" at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain, April 2, 2023. REUTERS/May JamesLONDON, April 2 (Reuters) - The Olivier Awards for theatre were handed out in London on Sunday, with "My Neighbour Totoro" winning the most prizes. Below is a list of winners in the key categories. BEST NEW PLAY"Prima Facie"BEST NEW MUSICAL"Standing at the Sky’s Edge"BEST MUSICAL REVIVALRodgers & Hammerstein’s "Oklahoma!" BEST REVIVAL"A Streetcar Named Desire"BEST ENTERTAINMENT OR COMEDY PLAY"My Neighbour Totoro"BEST ACTRESSJodie Comer, "Prima Facie"BEST ACTORPaul Mescal, "A Streetcar Named Desire"BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICALKatie Brayben, "Tammy Faye"BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICALArthur Darvill, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "Oklahoma!"

☆ In the spotlight: London hosts Olivier Awards for theatre
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Paul Mescal arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar party after the 95th Academy Awards, known as the Oscars, in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 12, 2023. The London theatre community will gather at the Royal Albert Hall for the annual ceremony, named after the famed British actor Laurence Olivier and which celebrates the best productions in the capital. These include nods for best entertainment or comedy play, choreography, directing, costume design and music, as well as a best actress nomination for Mei Mac, who plays younger sibling, four-year-old Mei. Paul Mescal, who was nominated at this year's Oscars, has been recognised in the best actor category for playing Stanley Kowalski in a revival of Tennessee Williams' “A Streetcar Named Desire”. "Killing Eve" star Comer is up for best actress in one-woman play "Prima Facie", in which she portrays a barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault before herself being assaulted.

☆ 'My Neighbour Totoro,' Paul Mescal, Jodie Comer win at Olivier awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Jodie Comer poses with the award for Best Actress for "Prima Facie" accompanied by Paul Mescal at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain, April 2, 2023. It won best entertainment or comedy play as well as the director, set, lighting, sound and costume design category prizes. It won best revival, best actor for Paul Mescal for his role as Stanley Kowalski and best actress in a supporting role for Anjana Vasan, for her portrayal of Stella. "Killing Eve" star Jodie Comer won best actress in one-woman play "Prima Facie," in which she portrays a barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault before herself being assaulted. won best musical revival and best actor in a musical for Arthur Darvill.

☆ Mbappe looking to reach new heights with ambitious France
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, March 26 (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe's rise continued as France started their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win against the Netherlands and the forward will be looking to reach new heights as Les Bleus face Ireland away in Group B on Monday. Mbappe has scored 38 goals for France and sits in fifth place overall in the list of the country's top scorers, three shy of former great Michel Platini and 15 behind all-time leader Olivier Giroud. Mbappe netted a double at the Stade de France last Friday as France crushed the Netherlands in seemingly casual, yet brutal fashion. "We want to show we can be a great team, that's the identity of this generation - this desire for greatness, a lot of players have that," said the 24-year-old Mbappe. To do that, France will rely on their pair of centre backs after Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate proved unbreakable last Friday.

☆ TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has the internet eating out of his hand
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Well, court filings have laid bare the company's excessive spending habits on luxury estate, hotels and, of course, a yacht. Shou Zi Chew said the average TikTok user was "an adult well past college age." Wall Street says TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew had a "disaster" day in Congress. Wall Street may have dubbed Chew's testimony a "disaster," but by the end of it, Chew had the internet eating out of his hand. Google Bard is already behind in the AI wars.

☆ Nationwide protests in France after Macron doubles down on pension bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Protesters gather during a demonstration after the pension reform was adopted as the French Parliament rejected two motions of no-confidence against the government, in Paris, France, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho DocePARIS, March 23 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people were set to strike and demonstrate in France on Thursday after President Emmanuel Macron vowed to push on with a deeply unpopular pension reform despite escalating anger across the country. Macron drew an angry response from unions and opposition parties on Wednesday when he rejected their calls for him to heed growing popular anger. Most protests have been peaceful, but anger has mounted since the government pushed the bill through parliament without a vote last week. Polls show a wide majority of French opposed to the pension legislation and the government's decision to push it through parliament without a vote.

The president, the government and the majority," a senior MP in Macron's camp, Gilles Le Gendre, told Liberation newspaper. Another MP in Macron's camp, Patrick Vignal, bluntly urged the president to suspend the pension reform bill, which will raise the retirement age by two years to 64, given the anger it has triggered, and its deep unpopularity. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes 1 2 3 4 5While Borne said the administration would try in future to better involve citizens and unions in lawmaking, she gave no specifics, and both said they had devoted as much time to dialogue on the pension bill as possible. Other opposition MPs urged Macron to fire Borne, call snap elections and hold a referendum on the pension bill because of the widespread anger. Polls show a wide majority of French are opposed to the pension reform, as well as the government's decision to push the bill through parliament without a vote.

☆ France's OVH expands into India amid growing cloud adoption
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Olivier Sorgho | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 20 (Reuters) - French software firm OVHcloud (OVH.PA) has launched its first data centre in India as it expands in the Asia-Pacific region aiming to capitalise on growing cloud adoption amid heightened concerns over data privacy, it said on Monday. The new data centre in Mumbai will provide Indian businesses with local computer and storage infrastructure to meet changing data compliance needs as India digitalises and pushes for more data protection, OVH said. "The Indian market is a very...fast-growing market," CEO Michel Paulin told Reuters, adding OVH had already sold a few hundred servers. "We will continue to recruit in India," Paulin said, adding OVH had created jobs last year in Mumbai to prepare the launch and implement the technical infrastructure. But the need for digital and cloud solutions was still there, Paulin said.

ZURICH/BERLIN/LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Urs Kessler, who runs Jungfrau Railways, a train that takes tourists up the highest mountain in Switzerland, was excited for the return of Chinese tourists after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted late last year. Chinese outbound flight bookings to Europe during March and August are only 32% that of pre-pandemic levels, according to travel data firm ForwardKeys. OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTUREMany tourist operators and retailers hope the second half will bring a relaxation in visa policies, more flights and the long-expected influx of Chinese tourists. Harrods launched branded stickers, including its iconic teddy bear, on China's popular WeChat messaging platform this year to attract Chinese tourists. Kessler believes his Lang Lang campaign was still worth it.

☆ The stock market is going to be trading flat as long as risk-free assets offer much more yield
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Meanwhile, markets are still reeling from the SVB fiasco, but there's a simpler reason why the stock market is going to be trading flat for the foreseeable future. Banking turmoil aside, the stock market doesn't have much momentum as long as investors are getting much higher yields on risk-free assets. Even before Silicon Valley Bank crashed, investors were feeling the pain of a volatile stock market. What's your prediction for the stock market through the first half of this year? Zurich-listed shares of Credit Suisse are down more than 58% early Monday.

☆ French and US hostages released in West Africa after years of captivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dubois was kidnapped in Mali in 2021, while Woodke was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger in 2016. "After several months of efforts, Nigerien authorities obtained the liberation of the two hostages from the hands of (JNIM), an active terrorist group in West Africa and the Sahel," Niger's interior minister Hamadou Adamou Souley told journalists at the airport, flanked by the two men. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Niger for its help in securing the Dubois's release. "I’m gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity," Sullivan said on Twitter. Those groups have repeatedly declared French citizens in West Africa to be targets since a 2013 military intervention by France drove them back a year earlier.

☆ From spying to Swiss bailout: How years of turbulence at Credit Suisse came to a head
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland February 21, 2022. The announcement that Credit Suisse would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the central bank came after consecutive sessions of steep drops in its share price. It made Credit Suisse the first major bank to receive such an intervention since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Scandals Credit Suisse is currently undergoing a massive strategic overhaul in a bid to address these chronic issues. These oversight failures resulted in a massive shakeup of Credit Suisse's investment banking, risk and compliance and asset management divisions.

☆ Blackface, booze, and blurred lines at the $2 billion tech firm Rokt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

A cropped version of an image shared with Rokt employees at the 2020 meeting. Buchanan told Insider. "We think it's important that we stand up and fight it," he told Insider when asked about that message. In an email, Viles told Insider that he hasn't had any day-to-day involvement with Rokt since 2020, when he did some contract work. Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesOne employee told Insider they were encouraged to post the photos and proclaim 2023 to be Rokt's "best year yet."

☆ Facing political pressure, Sanofi follows Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in slashing insulin prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sanofi already offers a $35 monthly cap on insulin for uninsured diabetes patients. The company is the last major insulin manufacturer to try to head off government efforts to cap monthly costs by announcing its own steep price cuts for the lifesaving hormone. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk made similar sweeping cuts earlier this month after years of political pressure and public outrage over the high costs of diabetes care. President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act capped monthly insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $35, but it did not provide protection to diabetes patients who are covered by private insurance. Approximately 8.4 million diabetes patients rely on insulin, the American Diabetes Association said.

[1/11] Protesters take part in a demonstration against the French government's pension reform plan, as part of the eighth day of national strike and protests, in Ancenis-Saint-Gereon, France, March 15, 2023. The pension bill passed to a joint parliamentary committee on Wednesday where lawmakers from the lower and upper chambers are seeking a compromise text. If a deal is reached, a final vote in both the Senate and National Assembly will be held on Thursday. This new day of protests "is meant to tell lawmakers: don't vote this reform," he said. "In the National Assembly, there will not be an easy vote, nor will there be panic," government spokesman Olivier Veran told Europe 1 radio station.

☆ France's Sanofi to acquire US-based Provention Bio for $2.9 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Dina Kartit | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 13 (Reuters) - France's Sanofi (SASY.PA) said on Monday it has entered into a deal to acquire U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company Provention Bio in a transaction worth $2.9 billion, or $25.00 per share in cash. This transaction builds on an existing co-promotion deal between Sanofi and Provention Bio to provide TZIELD to patients in need, said the French firm. "Provention Bio also brings certain pipeline assets in early development in immune-mediated diseases," added the group. Sanofi said it expects to complete the acquisition in the second quarter of 2023. Reporting by Dina Kartit; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Macron seeks French pension reform support as strikes run on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - Strikes blocking fuel deliveries from French refineries ran into a sixth day on Monday, piling further pressure on President Emmanuel Macron as he races to shore up support for unpopular pension reforms in a final parliamentary vote. The last and crucial moment would then be a final vote, Thursday, both in the Senate and in the National Assembly. [1/3] A view shows the French oil giant TotalEnergies refinery in Donges near Saint-Nazaire, France, March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe 1 2 3Macron's party needs the support of Les Republicains in the National Assembly to ensure the bill is approved. Veran also echoed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who has said she preferred a vote rather than using the 49:3 procedure, which refers to the related article in the French constitution.

☆ Staying in British castles may be easier — and cheaper — than you think
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Lucy Handley | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Storied Collection is a travel website that lists heritage hotels and homes — including private castles — so vacationers who love history can easily find accommodations that suit them. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is located inside the Royal Crescent, a row of terraced houses built between 1767 and 1775. Hauge and Goldin, with the help of former CEO of Best Western UK Rob Paterson, launched Storied Collection in 2022. Surnames of previous owners include Cooper, Bingham and Synge, according to Storied Collection. The drawing room of the Sir Percy Blakeney Suite at the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath, England.

☆ Unemployment for Black and Hispanic women rose in February, but more workers join the labor force
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty ImagesThe unemployment rate for Black and Hispanic women rose in February, but so did the number of people looking for jobs. Women aged 20 and over in the labor force tracked that move, with the unemployment rate rising slightly to 3.2% from 3.1%. Black women saw their unemployment rate jump to 5.1% from 4.7%. For Hispanic women, the labor force participation rate rose slightly to 61.3% from 61.1%, while the employment-population ratio stayed unchanged at 58.4%. In February, the U.S. economy added 311,000 payrolls, though the unemployment rate ticked up and wages rose slightly.

☆ Frank Sinatra musical looking at singer's life and career to open in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - A new musical about the life and career of legendary singer and performer Frank Sinatra will open in the British city of Birmingham later this year. "Sinatra The Musical" will debut at the Birmingham Rep on Sept. 23, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the "Come Fly with Me" and "New York, New York" singer’s UK tour, during which he performed in the city. The musical will look at the impact his affair with actress Ava Gardner had on his career, and how he staged "the greatest comeback in showbiz history". "Growing up, there were two pictures hanging in my grandmother's kitchen -- The Pope and Frank Sinatra. "Sinatra The Musical", which has Olivier and Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall at the helm, will run until Oct. 28.

On Tuesday, a nationwide day of industrial action brought record numbers of people onto the streets against the policy change. But Olivier Gantois, the head of the French Association of Petroleum Industry (UFIP), said there was little impact on consumers for now. The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at TotalEnergies fuel depot in Mardyck, near Dunkerque, as France faces the sixth nationwide day of strike and protests against French government's pension reform plan, France, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolThe four French LNG terminals and all of the gas storage facilities also remained blocked, FNME-CGT representative Fabrice Coudour said. The next nationwide day of strikes and protests is set for Saturday.

☆ Heineken blames Russia exit delay on local paperwork
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 7 (Reuters) - Heineken (HEIO.AS) on Tuesday blamed the delay in its Russia exit on local bureaucracy that it said was beyond its control, and reiterated it still planned to exit the country. Last month, a story by investigative website Follow The Money questioned whether Heineken had followed through on its March 2022 promise to leave Russia, including selling its non-Heineken international brands like Amstel. "There's no ambiguity about our promise: we will leave Russia," Heineken said in a Q&A section on its website on Monday, to which it referred in Tuesday's statement. Heineken is the third largest brewer in Russia and the local business accounts for just 2% of its global sales, the company said. Danish rival Carlsberg (CARLb.CO) said on Tuesday its chief executive Cees't Hart would retire at the end of September after seeing through the sale of its Russian business.

☆ SLB CEO: Here's why oil and gas are needed for the world's clean energy transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | 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 EmailSLB CEO: Here's why oil and gas are needed for the world's clean energy transitionOlivier Le Peuch, SLB CEO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss how long the world will need hydrocarbon power, how oil and gas are needed for the clean energy transition, and more.

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