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☆ CEOs from Alphabet, Walmart, Pfizer meet White House officials on refugees
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Accenture PLC FollowAirbnb Inc FollowAlphabet Inc Follow Show more companiesWASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Chief executives from a wide array of U.S. companies will meet White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients on Thursday to discuss refugee resettlement and sponsorship programs, a White House official said. The CEOs will include Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Pfizer's Albert Bourla, HP's Enrique Lores and others. They are part of a council of leaders affiliated with Welcome.US, a group dedicated to helping support refugees in the United States. They will meet Zients and other White House officials "to discuss specific ways we can continue to work together to support safe, orderly pathways for people in need of safety to come to the United States, including through refugee resettlement and new, expanded humanitarian sponsorship programs," a White House official told Reuters. The White House, which says it wants to partner with the private sector to build a humane immigration system, worked with Welcome.US to help Afghan refugees coming to the United States after Biden pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in 2021.

Persons: Annegret, Jeff Zients, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Doug McMillon, Pfizer's Albert Bourla, HP's Enrique Lores, Richard Dickson, Julie Sweet, David Risher, Hamdi Ulukaya, Mike Sievert, Goldman Sachs, Kathy Hochul, Zients, Biden, Donald Trump, Welcome.US, Jeff Mason, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Google, Arena, REUTERS, Accenture, White, Welcome.US, Reuters, Lyft, Mobile, Blackstone, Comcast, Meta, Republicans, Democrat, Republican, Biden, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, WASHINGTON, United States, Airbnb, New, New York City, United, Afghanistan

☆ VIEW Reactions to EU probe of Chinese electric cars imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN"Global markets are now flooded with cheaper electric cars. "So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China. UK TRADE MINISTER KEMI BADENOCH"I think it just highlights the difficulties that all countries are having with the supply chain for electric vehicles. "China's apparent advantage and cost-competitive imports are already impacting European auto makers' domestic market share, with a massive surge in electric vehicle imports in recent years. At the same time, the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is also a game-changer in the electric vehicle value chain.

Persons: Annegret, URSULA VON DER, LAURENCE BOONE, BRUNO LE MAIRE, Von der, KEMI BADENOCH, MATTEO SALVINI, SIGRID DE VRIES, AIWAYS, ALEXANDER KLOSE, Aiways, KINGSMILL, they've, They've, STUART COLE, AJ BELL, DANNI HEWSON, Josephine Mason, Catherine Evans, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, European Commission, European Union, FRENCH FINANCE, EU, League, GENERAL, Volkswagen, BMW, Tesla, INSTITUTE SENIOR, CITI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China, Europe, Brussels

☆ German inflation eases to 6.4% in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A pack of sausages is pictured next to a price tag, with a reference to the Europe-wide "true costs" campaign week by the discount supermarket Penny, in which nine selected products are given the calculated "real price" as the sales price, under consideration of the environmental costs, in Berlin, Germany August 1, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Acquire Licensing Rights Read more

Organizations: REUTERS Locations: Europe, Berlin, Germany

☆ Tesla suppliers say carmaker expects 2026 or 2027 Mexico production start, Reforma reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A general view shows the Tesla logo on the Gigafactory in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, August 30, 2022. But one month later, they told us to wait," the source told Reforma. Several sources previously told Reuters that Tesla planned to begin production in Mexico in 2025. Tesla announced its plans for Mexico in March, but has not publicly revealed a start date for construction or production. Nuevo Leon's economy minister, Ivan Rivas, declined to comment on Tesla's timeline, saying it was a matter for the company to address.

Persons: Annegret, Tesla, Ivan Rivas, Ramboll, Daina Beth Solomon, Raul Cortes, Hyunjoo Jin, Sarah Morland, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Reforma, MEXICO, Reforma, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gruenheide, Berlin, Germany, Mexico, Nuevo Leon, Reforma, Nuevo Leon's, Mexico City, Hyunjoo, San Francisco

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a plenum session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, for a general debate on the Federal Government policy in Berlin, Germany September 6, 2023. The chancellor announced a new "Germany pact" with a bundle of measures aimed at reducing bureaucracy, speeding up approval processes for new construction and digitising citizens’ access to key government services. The chancellor rejected the idea of fresh stimulus to boost an economy battling high inflation, financing costs and a drop in exports. Such sums showed Germany was holding its own vis-à-vis the U.S. and the $430 billion U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, he said. For a special Reuters World News podcast on what is ailing the German economy please click here .

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Annegret, Scholz, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Thomas Escritt, Miranda Murray, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Bundestag, Federal Government, REUTERS, Scholz's Social Democrats, Deutsche, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, Europe's

☆ Factbox: Scrutiny of iris-scanning crypto project Worldcoin grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Worldcoin has drawn criticism from privacy campaigners over its data collection. It has said the biometric data is either deleted or stored in encrypted form, and that it is "committed" to working with regulators. CNIL had previously said it was aware of the Worldcoin project and that the legality of its biometric data collection "seems questionable". GERMANYA German data watchdog has been investigating Worldcoin since late last year due to concerns over its large-scale processing of sensitive biometric data, it said. PORTUGALPortugal's data regulator, the CNPD, has inspected Worldcoin's local data collection operation and been in contact with the Bavarian data protection authority in Germany, a spokesperson said.

Persons: Annegret, Sam Altman, Altman, Worldcoin, CNIL, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Agencia, Informacion Publica, Commissioner's, Communications Authority of, Data, Thomson Locations: cryptocurrency, Berlin, Germany, ARGENTINA, Argentina, Informacion, BRITAIN, FRANCE, Worldcoin's, GERMANY, Handelsblatt, KENYA, Kenya, Communications Authority of Kenya, PORTUGAL

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies CNIL's checks took place on WednesdayWorldcoin is new project of ChatGPT founderPARIS, Aug 31 (Reuters) - France's data watchdog carried out "checks" at Worldcoin's Paris office this week, amid global regulatory pressure on the digital currency firm co-founded by ChatGPT-founder Sam Altman. France's CNIL watchdog said in July it was investigating Worldcoin as the legality of its biometric data "seemed questionable". "Checks took place at the Worldcoin offices," a CNIL spokesperson said on Thursday, confirming an earlier Politico report that the visit took place on Wednesday. Worldcoin requires users to provide their iris scans in exchange for a digital ID and, in some countries, in exchange for free cryptocurrency. The Worldcoin Foundation, a Cayman Islands-based entity, told Reuters via email: "The team at Worldcoin welcomes any opportunity to address questions regarding the project’s purpose and technology."

Persons: Ricardo Macieira, Annegret, PARIS, Sam Altman, France's, Worldcoin, Sudip Kar, Martin Coulter, Alexander Smith, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, ChatGPT, Politico, Worldcoin, Worldcoin Foundation, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Europe, cryptocurrency, Berlin, Germany, Worldcoin's, Cayman Islands, London

☆ Data show inflation rising in some German states
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Inflation rose in four of six key German states in August, according to data released on Wednesday, casting doubt on a continuation of a national downward trend. The national data will be published at 1200 GMT. Data from Bavaria and Hesse showed that inflation eased modestly in those states to 5.9% and 6.0%, respectively. Bastian Hepperle, economist at Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe Privatbank, said inflation in Germany was still expected to slow despite the mixed picture. However, inflation remains well above the European Central Bank target of 2% and core inflation, excluding volatile prices like food and energy, has been stubbornly high.

Persons: Chandon, Annegret, Bastian Hepperle, Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe Privatbank, Price, Rachel More, René Wagner, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Moet, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, North Rhine, Westphalia, Germany's, Baden, Wuerttemberg, Brandenburg, Saxony, Bavaria, Hesse, Europe's, Ukraine

☆ Google Cloud to open office in El Salvador in seven-year partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A screen with a Google Cloud logo is pictured during Google's presentation of a detailed investment plan for Germany outside the Google office in Berlin, Germany, August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse Acquire Licensing RightsSAN SALVADOR, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Google Cloud and the government of El Salvador announced a multi-year agreement on Tuesday that will establish an office and deliver Google Distributed Cloud services in the Central American country, Google Cloud said in a statement. The seven-year strategic partnership, pending legislative approval, will focus on the areas of digital government, healthcare and education. Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel WoodfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annegret, Google Cloud, Nelson Renteria, Brendan O'Boyle, Isabel Woodford Organizations: REUTERS, SALVADOR, Google, El, Central, Thomson Locations: Germany, Berlin, El Salvador, Central American

The Ifo institute said on Friday that its business climate index stood at 85.7, down from 87.4 in July. Reuters Graphics"The German economy is not out of the woods yet," Ifo president Clemens Fuest said. The economy then posted zero growth in the second quarter compared to the previous three months, separate data from the statistics office showed on Friday. The Ifo survey showed sentiment among German managers had become more pessimistic across all sectors in August. The Ifo survey chimed with flash PMI data released on Wednesday, which showed that German business activity contracted at the fastest pace for more than three years in August.

Persons: Annegret, Clemens Fuest, Christian Lindner, Klaus Wohlrabe, Claus Niegsch, Niegsch, Andrew Kenningham, Carsten Brzeski, Maria Martinez, Friederike Heine, Mark Potter, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, . Finance, DZ Bank, Reuters Graphics, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, Europe

☆ This Ugandan earns a bonus for each person he gets to sign up for Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning crypto project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The business-to-business software firm, which has a market cap of $11.5 billion, gave users the option of logging in with their World ID beginning in June. Social media app Discord also uses World ID for verification. But ultimately, the foundation envisions a future where a World ID could be used to facilitate nationwide votes, among other use cases involving banking and e-commerce. Ava Labs president John Wu tells CNBC that the self-custody feature of the Worldcoin ID is also critical. Despite his concerns, Mwangi ultimately chose to enroll in the project because he believed in the wider mission of the World ID.

Persons: Keneth Byarugaba, Byarugaba, Namureba Abel, Abel, Muvya Muthama, Muthama, Sam Altman, Peter Mwangi, I'm, Mwangi, They're, Worldcoin, John Wu, Wu, Ricardo Macieira, Annegret Hilse, hasn't, Byarugaba indoctrinates, it's, isn't, CNBC's Jordan Smith Organizations: Worldcoin, CNBC, cryptocurrency, Social, FBI, Reuters Locations: Uganda, Kampala, Nairobi, Kenya, web3, Chile, Europe, Berlin

The headquarters of the European Energy Exchange (EEX), world's biggest online power trading platform is seen in a centre-of-town high-rise office building in Leipzig, Germany April 25, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Deutsche Boerse's (DB1Gn.DE) European Energy Exchange (EEX) has to seek EU antitrust approval for its acquisition of Nasdaq's (NDAQ.O) European power trading and clearing business because of its importance to Europe's energy market, EU antitrust regulators said on Monday. The Commission said the two companies are the only providers of services facilitating the on-exchange trading and subsequent clearing of Nordic power contracts. This is the third time that the EU antitrust watchdog has used its power under the so-called Article 22 whereby EU countries can request that it reviews deals which do not meet the merger criteria but can impact their markets. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annegret, Foo Yun Chee, Sudip Kar, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: European Energy Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Deutsche, Energy Exchange, European Commission, Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: Leipzig, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway

☆ Majority of Germans unhappy with Scholz amid fight over spending -survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Aug 18 (Reuters) - A majority of Germans are dissatisfied with the leadership of Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the first time since he took office in 2021, a survey showed on Friday, capping off a week of tension within his three-party coalition over spending. Fifty-one percent of respondents to a survey conducted on behalf of public broadcaster ZDF said they were not happy with the chancellor's work. Despite the survey's findings, Scholz remains the second most popular politician in Germany behind defence minister Boris Pistorius, who has been in pole position for months. Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Annegret, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Scholz's, Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Friederike Heine, Rachel More Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ZDF, SPD, Greens, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany

Western automakers are rattled, with Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Peugeot-to-Fiat carmaker Stellantis (STLAM.MI), warning last month of an "invasion" of cheap Chinese EVs in Europe. But Chinese brands are likely to struggle to sell cars in Europe as cheaply as at home. CONSUMER TRUSTWhile some Chinese brands, such as MG, are well known in Europe, others like XPeng (9868.HK) and Nio need to build trust. Surveys indicate most potential EV buyers in Europe do not recognise Chinese brands. But among those aware of Chinese brands, 1% or fewer would consider buying one.

Persons: Annegret, Carlos Tavares, Chen Shihua, ” Shihua, Spiros Fotinos, Alexander Klose, BYD, Geely’s Lynk, Tesla, Aiways, Zeekr's Fotinos, ” Fotinos, Klose, Victoria Waldersee, Zhang Yan, Gilles Gillaume, Giulio Piovaccari, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Allianz . Western, Peugeot, Fiat, EV, New Energy Vehicle, Jato Dynamics, Logistics, Geely, South Korean, YouGov, GAC, Victoria, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe, BERLIN, China, Beijing, Munich, Milan

☆ Offensive tactics and leadership rise to top of Kyiv's training wish list
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In January, Western nations pledged to send to Ukraine several dozen modern Leopard 2 tanks, a scarce asset in most armies today. Scrambling to find more heavy armour for Kyiv, they later also turned to the industry's mothballed Leopard 1 tanks. Citing reasons of operational security, Marlow declined to give a number for the Ukrainian tank crews trained and tanks delivered so far. However, he said that the training of the next Ukrainian Leopard 1 crews would start as soon as the current round of training wraps up next week. "We are strongly motivated to defend our fatherland, and this is the best remedy for fear," he said.

Persons: Annegret, General Andreas Marlow, Marlow, Sabine Siebold, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Leopard, European Union Military Assistance, EUMAM, REUTERS, Command, IRIS, KMW, Germany's Bundeswehr, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, EUMAM Ukraine, Klietz, Germany, Berlin, Kyiv, Denmark, Ukrainian

A general view shows a special ship, "Neptune", the floating liquefied natural gas terminal, during the inauguration of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal 'Deutsche Ostsee' in the port of Lubmin, Germany January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File PhotoLAUNCESTON, Australia, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The comfort that had characterised natural gas markets in Asia and Europe in recent months was shown to be a mere illusion by the threat of strike action at three major Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants. Benchmark Dutch natural gas prices jumped 28.3% from the close on Aug. 8 to the finish on Aug. 10 as reports of the looming strike action spooked the market. Woodside and Chevron are engaging in talks with labour unions at the LNG facilities, and it's not yet clear what form any strike action would take, assuming no agreement can be reached. Europe's LNG imports in contrast have been trending lower as the continent's natural gas storages remained elevated and demand shifts structurally lower as countries move to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Persons: Annegret, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Woodside Energy, Chevron, West Shelf, Benchmark, South Korea, China, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lubmin, Germany, LAUNCESTON, Australia, Asia, Europe, Western Australia, North Asia, Woodside, Chevron, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, United States

☆ Early adopters in Mexico lend their eyes to global biometric project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Anna Portella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret HilseMEXICO CITY, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Eager early adopters recently descended upon a Mexico City cafe where their eyes were scanned by a futuristic sphere, part of an ambitious project that ultimately seeks to create a unique digital identification for everyone on the planet. The so-called Worldcoin project is a biometric verification tool led by Sam Altman, the chief executive of Open AI, and the crypto company he co-founded, Tools for Humanity. After the orb scanner captures each user's iris, it converts the image into a unique numerical code called an iris code, which Sadle stressed can only be used to prove the user's identity. "The image on default is deleted and the only piece that is kept is the iris code." "They don't clearly mention the time frame in which the biometric data they collect will be processed and retained," she said, adding that the ownership of the iris code is also unclear.

Persons: Sam Altman, Jose Incera, Sam Sadle, Sadle, Agneris, Anna Portella, David Alire Garcia, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Humanity, Thomson Locations: cryptocurrency, Berlin, Germany, Annegret, MEXICO, Mexico City, Mexico, Worldcoin's

Hands hold the biometric imaging device, the Orb, of the identity and financial public utility Worldcoin, which aims to create a World ID digital passport, with a tradeable cryptocurrency, in Berlin, Germany August 1, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - Worldcoin has no problem attracting eyeballs. More than 2.2 million people have signed up, getting their irises scanned in exchange for a digital ID and, in some countries, free crypto. The new project from ChatGPT founder Sam Altman aims to create a blockchain-based "identity and financial network". PitchBook analyst Robert Le said there were several startups trying to build blockchain-based digital identity systems, but none on Worldcoin's scale.

Persons: Annegret, Sam Altman, WLD, Gordon Grant, Andreessen Horowitz, Robert Le, James Butterfill, Worldcoin, It's, Riyad Carey, Elizabeth Howcroft, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Genesis, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Pravin Char, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Berlin, Germany, Kenya

☆ German inflation eases to 6.5% in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A general view of a fruit and vegetable stand on a weekly market in Berlin, Germany, March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File PhotoBERLIN, Aug 8 (Reuters) - German inflation eased in July, the federal statistics office said on Tuesday, confirming preliminary data. German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, increased by 6.5% on the year in July. This follows a 6.8% increase in June. (This story has been corrected to say inflation eased, not rose, in the headline and in paragraph 1)Reporting by Friederike Heine, Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annegret, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray Organizations: REUTERS, Union, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany

☆ Infineon boosts Malaysia investment as Q3 revenue above forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

For the full year, Infineon expects investments amounting to approximately 3 billion euros. The planned expansion of the Kulim fab is backed by customer commitments covering about 5 billion euros and about 1 billion euros in pre-payments, said Infineon, which said it would invest up to an additional 5 billion euros over the next five years. The company expects the expanded facility - together with its plant in Villach, Austria - to generate annual revenues of 7 billion euros. The company on Thursday confirmed its revenue outlook of around 16.2 billion euros, which it had raised in May. Infineon's third-quarter adjusted, or "segment", result was down 10% from the previous quarter at 1.067 billion euros, while its margin came in slightly lower than expected, at 26.1%.

Persons: Robert Habeck, Annalena Baerbock's, Annegret, Schwarz, Jochen Hanebeck, Ford, China's Cherry, Infineon's, Miranda Murray, Christina Amann, Friederike Heine, William Mallard Organizations: Infineon Technologies, REUTERS, Infineon, Lang, Semiconductor, SAIC, Thomson Locations: Dresden, Germany, Malaysia, BERLIN, electromobility, Villach, Austria

☆ Infineon shares slump on Q4 warning, eyes Malaysia expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Infineon forecast revenue of around 4 billion euros ($4.37 billion) in the fourth quarter, below expectations of 4.14 billion euros, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The company, however, confirmed its revenue outlook of around 16.2 billion euros, which it had raised in May. Infineon's third-quarter adjusted result was down 10% from the previous quarter at 1.067 billion euros, while its margin came in slightly lower than expected, at 26.1%. MALAYSIA FACTORYInfineon said it will invest 5 billion euros over the next five years to build a power chip plant in Malaysia, on top of the 2 billion euros investment it had planned last year. For the full year, Infineon expects investments amounting to approximately 3 billion euros.

Persons: Robert Habeck, Annalena Baerbock's, Annegret, Gartner, Jochen Hanebeck, Infineon's, China's Cherry, Miranda Murray, Christina Amann, Friederike Heine, William Mallard, Kim Coghill Organizations: Infineon Technologies, REUTERS, Infineon, AMD, Qualcomm, JPMorgan, Semiconductor, MALAYSIA, Ford, SAIC, Thomson Locations: Dresden, Germany, Malaysia, Refinitiv, Infineon's, Villach, Austria, German

☆ Thousands protest against Germany's far-right AfD party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MAGDEBURG, Germany, July 29 (Reuters) - Thousands took to the streets to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Friday and Saturday as the party held a convention to choose its candidates for European parliamentary elections next year. Polling at 22% behind the opposition conservatives, the AfD denies it is a Nazi party. [1/5]People gather on the day of the European election assembly 2023 of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Magdeburg, Germany, July 29, 2023. Germany's main opposition leader Friedrich Merz was on Monday forced to row back from comments suggesting he could work with the AfD at a local level. Vocal among the protesters in Magdeburg were "Grannies against the far-right" calling for an end to racism and far-right politics.

Persons: Alice Weidel, Friedrich Merz, Merz, Maria Martinez, Oliver Denzer, Alvise Armellini, Giles Elgood Organizations: Protesters, Nazi, Analysts, Repubblica, REUTERS, Christian Democrats, CDU, Vocal, Thomson Locations: MAGDEBURG, Germany, Magdeburg

“After examining several hints, there was not a single indication concerning a lioness or a wild animal in the area,” Michael Grubert, the mayor of Kleinmachnow, an area on the city’s southwest outskirts, told reporters. Michael Grubert, mayor of Kleinmachnow, holds a picture of the suspected animal. A major search involving 100 police officers was conducted. Grubert had said Thursday that the animal spotted was believed to be a lioness. That is to say, we checked zoos, animal parks and other animal-keeping facilities and made inquiries.

Persons: ” Michael Grubert, Michael Grubert, Annegret Hilse, Christian Mang, Grubert, Kerstin Schroeder, “ Organizations: CNN, Local, “, Reuters Authorities, Getty Images Police, ” Locations: Germany, Berlin, Kleinmachnow

☆ "Lioness" spotted near Berlin may have been boar, mayor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Michael Grubert, Mayor of Kleinmachnow, holds a picture which shows that suspected animal on the loose may not be a lion, according to experts, in Kleinmachnow, Germany July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret HilseBERLIN, July 21 (Reuters) - After a fruitless two-day hunt by police, hunters and veterinarians for a suspected escaped lioness in a wooded suburb of Berlin, the local mayor said on Friday that the beast may actually have been a wild boar. The search, started in the early hours of Thursday after a tip-off from passers-by, will now be scaled back although officers will still keep their eyes peeled, Kleinmachnow mayor Michael Grubert said. Computer analysis of the mobile phone video originally handed to police as well as other shots taken by local people showed that the "lioness" was likely to be a wild boar, Grubert told a press conference. "We only found a family of wild boar."

Persons: Michael Grubert, Hilse, Grubert, Thomas Escritt, Rachel More, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Kleinmachnow, Germany, Hilse BERLIN, Berlin

☆ Morning Bid: Markets await euro zone inflation; wary of yen
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A general view of a fruit and vegetable stand on a weekly market in Berlin, Germany, March 14, 2020. Economists polled by Reuters expect the euro zone inflation rate to fall to 5.6% in June from 6.1% in May. The hawkish rhetoric was shared by other major central banks including U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who signalled the U.S. central bank was ready to resume its rate-hike campaign. Meanwhile, the yen broke beyond 145 a dollar, a proverbial 'line in the sand', resulting in fresh warning from Japan's finance minister. The intervention launched in September, when the yen weakened past 145 per dollar, was the first in 24 years.

Persons: Ankur Banerjee, Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, Shunichi Suzuki, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Ankur, Reuters, Union, ING, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal, U.S, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Spain, Italy, U.S, North America, Singapore

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