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☆ Paris metro ticket price to double during 2024 Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Paris metro ticket prices will almost double during the 2024 Olympics, the French capital region's president said on Tuesday, adding that residents with passes would be shielded from the temporary rise and visitors would be charged "a fair price". "During the Olympics and the Paralympics, the Ile de France region will dramatically increase its transport offer. "We're going to create a new pass, the Paris 2024 pass, that will allow visitors to travel through the whole Ile de France region. Last week, Paris mayor hit out at Pecresse, saying the French capital would not be ready in terms of transport. Pecresse said that it was crucial that the Paris region residents be spared.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Valerie Pecresse, Pecresse, Clement Beaune, it's, Julien Pretot, Lucien Libert, Alexander Smith, Pritha Organizations: French, REUTERS, Rights, Paris, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Pecresse

☆ Mossad hosts Qatari counterparts on Gaza talks: Israeli official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Qatari intelligence officers arrived on Saturday for an indefinite stay in Israel, the official said, adding that cooperation between the agencies is "traditionally close", despite the lack of formal relations between the countries. A Qatari delegation travelled to Israel on Saturday to discuss a possible extension to the truce, another official told Reuters on Saturday, but it was unclear if intelligence officials were involved in the talks. Gas-rich Gulf state Qatar hosts several top Hamas officials and the group's political office. Qatar also has cordial relations with Iran, Israel's arch-foe, which backs Hamas. Writing by Dan Williams and Andrew Mills; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dan Williams, Andrew Mills, Alexander Smith Organizations: Hamas, Prime, Office, Qatari, Sunday, Reuters, ", Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, JERUSALEM, Doha, Qatar, Iran

☆ Germany's Kuehne examines offer for Signa's Hamburg skyscraper, Handelsblatt reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

View of the construction site of the Elbtower building, owned by Rene Benko’s Signa and a Commerzbank subsidiary, in Hamburg Germany, November 2, 2023. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 26 (Reuters) - German logistics entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kuehne is examining a takeover of Signa Group's abandoned Elbtower high-rise project in his hometown of Hamburg, Handelsblatt reported. Discussions on the takeover by Kuehne are quite advanced, but no decision has been made, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported, citing a source. Signa, owner of New York's Chrysler Building and Britain's Selfridges store, and spokespeople for Kuehne and the city of Hamburg did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday. This led to the insolvency of its subsidiary Signa Real Estate Management Germany on Friday, Spiegel magazine reported.

Persons: Rene Benko’s Signa, Fabian Bimmer, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Group's, Handelsblatt, Signa, Kuehne und Nagel, Hapag Lloyd, René Benko, Emma, Victoria Farr, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kuehne, Lufthansa, Chrysler, Real Estate Management, Spiegel, Thomson Locations: Hamburg Germany, Hamburg, Austrian, Real Estate Management Germany, Signa, Germany

☆ Israel's Mossad Hosts Qatari Counterparts on Gaza Talks -Official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Mossad intelligence service is hosting its Qatari counterparts to confer on the recovery of hostages held by Hamas and other elements of a Gaza truce that was mediated by Doha, an Israeli security official said on Sunday. Qatari intelligence officers arrived on Saturday for an indefinite stay in Israel, the official said, adding that cooperation between the agencies is "traditionally close", despite the lack of formal relations between the countries. A Qatari delegation travelled to Israel on Saturday to discuss a possible extension to the truce, another official briefed on the visit told Reuters on Saturday, but it was unclear if intelligence officials were involved in the talks. Gas-rich Gulf state Qatar hosts several top Hamas officials and the group's political office. Qatar also has cordial relations with Iran, Israel's arch-foe, which backs Hamas.

Persons: Dan Williams, Andrew Mills, Alexander Smith Organizations: Qatari, Sunday, Reuters, . Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Doha, Israel, Qatar, Iran

☆ Cargo ship sinks off Greek island, one dead, 12 missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ATHENS, Nov 26 (Reuters) - One person has died and 12 people were missing on Sunday after a cargo ship carrying salt with 14 crew on board sank off the island of Lesbos, the Greek coast guard said. The Comoros-flagged "Raptor" had departed from El Dekheila port in Egypt and was bound for Istanbul when it reported a mechanical failure and issued a distress call early on Sunday, the coast guard added. "One body recovered from the area," a coast guard official told Reuters adding that one person was rescued by helicopter and was taken to the island's hospital. Eight of the crew were Egyptians and the rest were Syrian and Indian nationals. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Jan Harvey, David Goodman and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Jan Harvey, David Goodman, Alexander Smith Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Lesbos, Comoros, El Dekheila, Egypt, Istanbul

☆ Human Rights Watch says rocket misfire likely cause of deadly Gaza hospital blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image shows Al-Ahli hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza November 7, 2023. The explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital triggered outrage across the Arab world. Palestinians blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said it was caused by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch. The Al-Ahli hospital blast was one of the most fiercely disputed incidents in a war marked by accusations from both sides of disinformation and war crimes. Palestinians accuse Israel of targeting hospitals and schools, while Israel says Hamas uses ordinary Gazans as human shields by placing military positions in civilian buildings.

Persons: Israel, Basem Naim, Emmanuel Nahshon, Naim, Ida Sawyer, Emma Farge, Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood, Alexander Smith Organizations: Hamas, Maxar Technologies, REUTERS, Rights, Rights Watch, Al, Ahli Arab Hospital, HRW, Israel's Foreign Ministry, Authorities, Hospitals, Thomson Locations: Ahli, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Al

"We hoped and prayed today would come," Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, Edan's great aunt and cousin, said in a statement, thanking Biden and the Qatari government for their work in getting Abigail released. Her siblings were already there, Noa Naftali said, and the family can provide "the love and support that they need after losing their parents." According to Noa Naftali, Abigail had been held captive in Gaza with neighbors also taken from the Kfar Aza kibbutz, where the toddler, her parents and her siblings lived. Biden said he expects Hamas to release other U.S. hostages as well, and that he wants the pause in the fighting to be extended as long as prisoners are being released. "We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," Biden said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Joe Biden, Abigail Edan, Abigail, Israel, Biden, Liz Hirsh Naftali, Noa Naftali, Edan's, Carmel Edan, he's, Aza, —, Judith Tai Raanan, Natalie, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jeff Mason, Andy Sullivan, Moira Warburton, Jason Lange, Steve Gorman, David Goodman, Alexander Smith, Mark Porter, Josie Kao Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, CBS, Qatari, Reuters, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ofakim, Israel, Rights NANTUCKET , Massachusetts, Israeli, Palestinian, United States, Nantucket, Washington, Buffalo , NY

☆ Zelenskiy praises Ukrainians for battles with Russia and the weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen move past a burning car hit by a kamikaze drone outside the front line town of Avdiivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine November 8, 2023. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said relentless, intense battles were ongoing in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv, while "extremely challenging weather" was affecting areas from Kyiv region in the north to Odesa in the south. In Russian-controlled territory, Oleg Kryuchkov, a senior Moscow-installed official, said nearly half a million people were without power in Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. Ukraine's border service said Moldova had temporarily suspended vehicle access to its territory from two crossing points in Odesa region. Moldovan authorities also asked local schools to consider closing due to snowfall and high winds.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's, Zelenskiy, Oleg Kryuchkov, Henadii Trukhanov, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Alexander Tanas, Elaine Monaghan, Alexander Smith, David Gregorio Our Organizations: servicemen, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Odesa, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Moscow, Crimea, Russia, Sevastopol, Kherson, Moldova, Odesa region, Chisinau, Washington

☆ Iceland remains on eruption alert as seismic activity wanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Johannes Birkebaek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] General view of an area near to the evacuated town of Grindavik, in Iceland, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Marko Djurica/ File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOPENHAGEN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Icelandic authorities said on Friday they were still on alert for a volcanic eruption in the southwest Reykjanes peninsula, although the odds were falling after a drop in seismic activity. Iceland has been living with a high risk of an eruption since seismic activity and underground lava flows increased in the region near the capital Reykjavik in late October. "Seismic activity continues to decrease," it said, adding that "the likelihood of eruption decreases over time". Five ministers from the Icelandic parliament visited Grindavik on Friday, where evacuated residents have been allowed back since Thursday to pick up more personal belongings.

Persons: Marko Djurica, RUV, Vidir Reynisson, Johannes Birkebaek, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Grindavik, Iceland, Reykjavik, Hagafell

☆ Amsterdam crowd protests against discrimination after Dutch far-right win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Esther Verkaik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wilders, who is now trying to build a governing coalition, has vowed to close Dutch borders to immigrants and cut spending on climate change, cultural and foreign development programmes. "I feel sad about the election results ... And I'm really worried about our country," said Sara Coster. Another demonstrator, Jan Jaap van Oosterzee, 62, said he felt Wilders' win was "against every thing we're standing for, and that I'm personally standing for". Wilders party "stands for exclusion of my colleagues, of my children, of denying climate change," he said. Muslims, who make up around 5% of the Dutch population of almost 18 million people, have expressed shock at the election result.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders, I'm, Sara Coster, Jaap van Oosterzee, Oosterzee, Toby Sterling, Alexander Smith Organizations: Social, Freedom Party, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, Solidarity

☆ Bank of Spain seeks details on pre-Black Friday payment network crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Jesús Aguado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Bank of Spain has asked for detailed information after recent disruptions to the country's payments network, a source close to the central bank said. Customers complained on social media about failed ATM withdrawals and credit card payments on Nov. 18. "A technical incident has occurred which has caused temporary instability in the system responsible for processing payment transactions. The central bank is looking into both incidents, which come as European Central Bank (ECB) data shows cash payments in Spain fell by 18% between 2019 and 2022, a figure only surpassed in the euro zone by Cyprus, where transactions fell 23%. Redsys competes with another payment provider in Spain, which belongs to Cecabank and holds a market share of about 15%.

Persons: Redsys, Jesús Aguado, Emma Pinedo, Inti Landauro, Alexander Smith Organizations: Bank of Spain, BBVA, Central Bank, Redsys, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Santander, Spain, Cyprus

Barclays Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. As part of these 1,500 to 2,000 jobs could be cut if implemented in full, the person said. Barclays' 1 billion pound cost saving target would represent about 7% of the bank's underlying annual operating expenses of 15 billion pounds in 2022. Meanwhile, annual staff costs at BX have risen to 2 billion pounds, from 1.8 billion pounds. Barclays is "evaluating material structural cost actions", Venkat said when it reported disappointing third quarter results in October.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, C.S, Venkatakrishnan, Venkat, Sinead Cruise, Lawrence White, Alexander Smith Organizations: Barclays Bank, REUTERS, Barclays, Services, Chief, Barclays Execution Services, BX, Deutsche Bank, BNP, UBS, Reuters, Boston Consulting Group, Thomson Locations: British

☆ Muslims in shock over anti-Islam party's Dutch poll win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People walk past shops in Kanaleneiland, an immigrant-dominated area of the central Dutch city of Utrecht, Netherlands November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Acquire Licensing RightsTHE HAGUE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Dutch Muslims expressed shock on Thursday at the election win of far-right populist Geert Wilders, who has previously called for mosques and the Koran to be banned in the Netherlands. "These election results are shocking for Dutch Muslims. Muslims make up around 5% of he Dutch population of almost 18 million people. After his surprise win, Wilders said he wanted to be prime minister for all Dutch people, but that appeared to do little to assuage concerns about what he might do later.

Persons: de Wouw, Geert Wilders, Wilders, Mark Rutte's, Muhsin Koktas, Mehdi Koc, Taheri, Koc, Kemal Yildiz, Yildiz, Stephanie van den Berg, Bart Meijer, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, HAGUE, Freedom Party, Labour, The Hague, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kanaleneiland, Dutch, Utrecht, Netherlands, The

[1/2] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the opening session of the Global Food Security Summit at Lancaster House in London, Britain November 20, 2023. Years of political churn - with five prime ministers and a non-stop ministerial carousel since the 2016 Brexit vote - have shaken Britain's reputation for stability among investors. Some executives say the country, long a magnet for FDI, has simply taken them for granted. But companies and investors say that a focus by regulators on limiting costs for bill-payers in sectors such as water, telecoms and energy has crimped investment. British investment minister Dominic Johnson said the government would be in listening mode at the gathering on Nov. 27 to hear how it can remove hurdles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Sunak, Emanuel Macron, Jack Paris, Paris, Jeremy Hunt, EY, Alina Osorio, Mikhail Taver, Richard Harrington, Harrington, Dominic Johnson, Johnson, Kate Holton, Sinead Cruise, Andy Bruce, Alexander Smith Organizations: British, Global Food Security, Lancaster House, Hampton Court, Partners, Reuters, European Union, United, Labour Party, India's Tata Group, Britain, AstraZeneca, Ireland, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Hampton, France, Versailles, European, Germany, United States, Europe, Delaware

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 22 (Reuters) - EU lawmakers agreed on Wednesday to draft rules requiring Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google, Meta (META.O) and other online services to identify and remove online child pornography, saying that end-to-end encryption would not be affected. EU lawmakers have to thrash out the final details with member states before the draft can become legislation in a process that may be finalised next year. An EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse will be set up to act as a hub of expertise and to forward reports to the police. To avoid mass surveillance, EU lawmakers beefed up detection orders to allow judicial authorities to authorise time-limited orders to find and delete CSAM. These can only be issued if there is reasonable grounds of suspicion of child sexual abuse.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Foo Yun Chee, Alexander Smith Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS, Rights, Google, European, European Union, EU, Liberal, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS

China, the world's second-largest economy, is already a major investor in South America and has offered tariff-free access to its huge consumer market to four countries. But Uruguay faces opposition from other members of the Mercosur bloc who want to settle an FTA with Europe instead. By comparison, other major beef exporters Australia and New Zealand, which have FTAs with China, pay tariffs at 3.3% and 0%. The elevation of ties with Uruguay to the level of Brazil and Argentina also pushes the remaining Mercosur member Paraguay further outside China's global trade and investment network. Agriculture-dependent Paraguay, whose main exports include beef and soybeans, is the last South American nation that has ties with democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, and not with Beijing.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Luis Lacalle Pou, Florence Lo, Lacalle Pou, Xi, Joe Cash, Ryan Woo, Ella Cao, Toby Chopra, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Chizu Nomiyama, Alexander Smith Organizations: Uruguayan, of, People, REUTERS, New Development Bank BEIJING, Mercosur, South, Nations, New Development Bank, China, United, Mercosur CET, National Meat Institute of, China's National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil Mercosur, American, Brazil, South America, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Shanghai, United States, MERCOSUR Uruguay, Brussels, Montevideo, Mercosur, National Meat Institute of Uruguay, Paraguay, Taiwan

☆ British tax cut spells trouble in store for next government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt's big tax cut surprise could help the ruling Conservatives recover some favour among voters, but it threatens to store up budget problems for whichever party wins power after the expected 2024 election. Combined with his decision to make permanent the incentives for business investment announced earlier this year, Hunt's package of tax cuts would be worth about 20 billion pounds ($25 billion)a year by the 2028/29 tax year. "The giveaways announced today are funded by handing whoever wins the next election implausibly large spending cuts," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. Hunt is likely to remain under pressure from within his party to go further with more tax cuts in a final pre-election budget statement expected in March. "There's a material risk that those plans prove undeliverable and today's tax cuts will not prove to be sustainable," Johnson said.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Liz, Rishi Sunak, Labour Party's, Rachel Reeves, Torsten Bell, Investec, David Jones, Paul Johnson, Johnson, William Schomberg, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Ex-Huawei handset maker Honor prepares IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk near a sign for Honor Magic Vs phone, during the GSMA's 2023 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHENZHEN, China, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Handset maker Honor is preparing for an initial public offering, the company said on Wednesday, three years after it was sold by U.S. sanctions-hit Huawei Technologies. Honor was first in terms of handset shipments in China in the third quarter with 11.8 million units sold, and was the second biggest seller last year, research firm Canalys said. Huawei sold Honor to a consortium of more than 30 agents and dealers in November 2020 after the U.S restricted its access to technology essential to its handset business. Reporting by David Kirton Editing by Louise Heavens, Alexander Smith and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Magic, Nacho, Canalys, David Kirton, Louise Heavens, Alexander Smith, Frances Kerry Organizations: Congress, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Huawei Technologies, Huawei, Counterpoint Research, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Rights SHENZHEN, China, Europe, U.S, Washington

Amundi signed a 10-year distribution accord in 2017 when it bought UniCredit's Pioneer Investments for 3.6 billion euros. Credit Agricole CEO Philippe Brassac told reporters this month it was no secret UniCredit was looking at ways "to optimise" the accord with Amundi. Orcel, sources have said, is unhappy with the amount of Amundi funds the accord binds UniCredit to place with customers. UniCredit had 134 billion euros in AUM from fund and portfolio management as of Sept. 30. If their relationship ended after 2027, it would still take UniCredit time to replace Amundi funds with other products.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Amundi, Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Philippe Brassac, Brassac, Orcel, Azimut, Valentina Za, Mathieu Rosemain, Silvia Aloisi, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Investments, Agricole, Credit, Amundi, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, MILAN, Italy, Italian, Milan

☆ Eutelsat OneWeb gets Indian go-ahead for satellite broadband services
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Eutelsat (ETL.PA) subsidiary Eutelsat OneWeb said on Tuesday it had won approval from India's space regulator to launch commercial satellite broadband services in the country. Prime Minister Modi's government, which is heading for elections next year, is pushing the development of India's space industry. Investors poured $119 million into Indian space startups in 2022, up from a total of just $38 million in all the years up to 2017. In March, OneWeb partnered with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to launch 36 satellites. Amazon's Project Kuiper (AMZN.O) has also been in talks with regulators to offer satellite broadband services in India, the Economic Times newspaper reported last month.

Persons: Eutelsat OneWeb, Modi's, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Eutelsat, Mittal's, Mittal, OneWeb, Elon Musk's Starlink, Nivedita, Kanjyik Ghosh, Alexander Smith Organizations: Mittal's Bharti Enterprises, Airtel, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, Reuters, Ambani's, Economic Times, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Bengaluru

☆ ECB says property slump could last years in threat to lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An ECB report which examines threats to financial stability underscored heightened concern over a property boom that is now unravelling in countries such as Germany and Sweden. Commercial property prices have been hit by economic weakness and high interest rates over the last year, challenging the sector's profitability and business model, the ECB said. The sector is not big enough to create a systemic risk for lenders, but could increase shocks across the financial system and greatly impact the financial firms, from investment funds to insurance firms, collectively known as shadow banks. The ECB issued its report as deep cracks emerged in the property market of the euro zone's top economy, Germany. Commercial real estate transactions were down 47% in the first half of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022.

Persons: René Benko, Banks, Balazs Koranyi, John O'Donnell, Barbara Lewis, Alexander Smith Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Signa, Chrysler, Signa Group, Reuters, Raiffeisen Bank, Bank, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Sweden, Austrian, Hamburg, Austria, Bank Austria

☆ Shakira stands trial in Spain for alleged tax fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shakira poses on the red carpet during the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards show in Seville, Spain, November 16, 2023. The 'Hips Don't Lie' Colombian megastar, who also has a second tax fraud investigation pending with Spanish authorities, has vowed to fight what she called false accusations. She rejected a settlement offer from the prosecutor's office to close the case and is expected to testify on Monday in the first of 12 hearings scheduled until Dec. 14. The prosecutor's office is seeking an up to eight-year prison term and to claim back the taxes it says she owes. Shakira, 46, lived with former Barcelona and Spain soccer star Gerard Pique for 11 years and the couple have two children.

Persons: Shakira, Marcelo del Pozo, Gerard Pique, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, Judge Jose Manuel del Amo Sanchez, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina's Lionel Messi, Diego Costa, Bayer, Xabi Alonso, Alonso, Emma Pinedo, Aislinn Laing, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Spanish, Bayer Leverkusen, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, Rights BARCELONA, Barcelona, Miami, Spanish

[1/2] A woman counts U.S. dollar bills at her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 28, 2018. Cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data on Tuesday and Wednesday hastened market expectations for how soon the Federal Reserve will cut rates. Such a move would weaken a major dollar support and could come as early as next year's first quarter. The yen - punished broadly this year by dollar strength - broke the 150 mark for the first time in nearly two weeks, gaining 0.69% to 149.68 to the dollar. Japanese authorities do not have specific exchange-rate levels in mind when deciding when to intervene in the currency market, Deputy Finance Minister Ryosei Akazawa told parliament on Friday.

Persons: Marcos Brindicci, Bipan Rai, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, Ryosei Akazawa, Lee Hardman, Robert Holzmann, Joachim Nagel, Christine Lagarde, Herbert Lash, Iain Withers, Rae Wee, Tom Westbrook, Alexander Smith, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, CIBC Capital Markets, FX, Eurostat, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, North America, Toronto, United States, Macquarie, New York, Britain, London, Singapore

Electric power transmission pylon miniatures and Iberdrola logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Spanish utility Iberdrola is planning to make an offer for Electricity North West (ENWL) that could value the British power distribution network at a maximum of 3.5 billion pounds ($4.34 billion), two sources familiar with the matter said. Iberdrola (IBE.MC) declined to comment on any involvement in the ENWL sale process, which one of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said is expected to start in December. Iberdrola is ramping up its investments in electricity networks, aiming to deploy 27 billion euros until 2025, with the goal of achieving 30% growth in core earnings of its networks unit to up to 8.5 billion euros. Iberdrola expects to receive around 6 billion euros from partnerships and asset sales by the end of the year that will help it close 2023 with a net debt of around 43 billion euros, roughly in line with 2022.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jefferies, KKR spokespeople, JP Morgan, Andres Gonzalez, Pietro Lombardi, Anousha Sakoui, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Electricity, Reuters, Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co, Macquarie, KKR, ENWL, Scottish Power, Colonial First State, Iberdrola, Thomson Locations: Manchester , Lancashire, Cumbria, Iberdrola, ENWL, Merseyside , Cheshire, North Wales, North Shropshire, England, Central, Southern Scotland

☆ Morning Bid: Ebbing oil sustains economic glow
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Word "Oil" and stock graph are seen through magnifier displayed in this illustration taken September 4, 2022. That drop, which takes annual producer price inflation as low as 1.3%, was driven largely by falling gasoline prices. And that meets news that China's oil refinery throughput fell back in October as industrial fuel demand weakened. The overall energy and inflation picture is helping buoy consumption and stokes the 'soft landing' narrative investors are betting on. The picture in overseas markets, where the economic picture is cloudier, was more mixed.

Persons: magnifier, Dado Ruvic, Mike Dolan, stokes, Mary Daly, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Biden, Washington, Christopher Waller, Lisa Cook, John Williams, Michael Barr, Loretta Mester, Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos, Andrea Enria, Dave Ramsden, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Walmart, Federal, San Francisco Fed, Treasury, U.S . Senate, Philadelphia Fed, Kansas City Fed, Applied, Ross Stores, Federal Reserve, Lisa Cook , New York Fed, Cleveland Fed, European Central Bank, Bank of England, New York Federal Reserve, Insider Intelligence, Reuters Graphics, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, United States, China . U.S, Target, San Francisco, Taiwan, China, Kansas, Treasuries, Lisa Cook , New, Franciso, Reuters Graphics China

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