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☆ Blackstone, Macquarie deny ASPI sale report, pledge commitment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen outside the Blackstone Group headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Blackstone and Macquarie on Friday dismissed as "completely false" an Italian newspaper report about possible ownership changes at Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI), pledging their commitment as investors in the motorway operator. Following the 2022 deal, ASPI is controlled by state-lender CDP with funds Blackstone (BX.N) and Australia's Macquarie (MQG.AX). Under JPMorgan's plan ASTM would transfer its assets to ASPI whose shareholders would be CDP, Gavio group and Blackstone. In denying the report, Macquarie said it was committed to the "ongoing delivery of ASPI's multi-billion euro investment programme".

Persons: JP Morgan, Italy's, ASPI, Australia's Macquarie, Macquarie, Blackstone, Matteo Salvini, Elisa Anzolin, Giuseppe Fonte, Valentina Za Organizations: Blackstone Group, REUTERS, Blackstone, La Stampa, ASTM, Benetton, Shareholders, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Macquarie, Ardian, Milan, Rome

☆ TIM grid sale paves way for state-controlled network operator - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Tim logo is seen at its headquarters in Rome, Italy November 22, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia's (TIM) (TLIT.MI) planned sale of its fixed-line network to U.S. fund KKR (KKR.N) boosts the prospects of creating a national grid operator under state control, Italy's industry minister said on Tuesday. "Prospectively, I think this [the deal] will enhance the creation of a national grid operator under public control, in full respect of the EU competition law," Minister Adolfo Urso said during an event in Rome. The 19-billion-euro deal ($20.4 billion) is backed by the administration of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which authorised the Treasury to spend up to 2.2 billion euros to take a 20% stake in the network. ($1 = 0.9330 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing Federico MaccioniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yara, Adolfo Urso, Giorgia Meloni, Elvira Pollina, Federico Maccioni Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Telecom, KKR, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ Telecom Italia CEO defends grid deal as top investor threatens legal challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. CEO Pietro Labriola's comments follow criticism from top shareholder Vivendi (VIV.PA), which has threatened a legal challenge to the plan to sell the grid, saying it considered the decision to proceed without a shareholder vote as "unlawful". "It is not possible under the Italian law to transfer such competence to the shareholders," the CEO added. According to Vivendi, the sale required an extraordinary shareholder vote because it would change TIM's corporate purpose and therefore required a change to the company bylaws. Labriola said the deal is "no more than the strict execution of the delayering (business) plan" unanimously approved in 2022.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Pietro Labriola's, Labriola, Agostino Nuzzolo, Elvira Pollina, Giulia Segreti, Jan Harvey Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, Rights, Telecom, KKR, Vivendi, TIM, Thomson Locations: Milan

☆ Telecom Italia core profit up 9% as grid share deal helps domestic sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That is ahead of a 1.37 billion euro company-provided analyst consensus. Total domestic sales rose 2.2% in the quarter to 2.98 billion euros, also above forecasts. The company confirmed its 2023 financial targets, including a stabilisation of core earnings and service revenue in Italy. In the nine months, service revenue at TIM's domestic operations fell 1.3% to 7.9 billion euros. TIM's net financial debt stood at 26.3 billion euros as of Sept. 30, marginally up from the end of the previous quarter.

Persons: Stefano Rellandini, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, Vivendi, Italy's, KKR, TIM, Thomson Locations: Rozzano, Milan, Italy, TIM's

That has left Italian equities overall more cheaply valued than even battered UK shares (.dMIGB00000PUS), which are trading at a 33% discount to global peers. Goldman Sachs estimates that each 10 bps rise in sovereign spreads takes around 2% off Italian bank shares and 1.5% off the FTSE MIB index. Conflict in Ukraine and in the Middle East meanwhile threaten to spark a fresh surge in energy prices and weaken growth. UniCredit shares are up almost 80% this year and among the best performing euro zone banking shares. Fidelity International portfolio manager Alberto Chiandetti, said he was chasing opportunities in battered industrials and consumer sectors in the FTSE Italia Star index.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Chris Hiorns, Fitch, Goldman Sachs, Giuseppe Sersale, Andrea Scauri, Lemanik, Scauri, LSEG, Alberto Chiandetti, Joice Alves, Danilo Masoni, Dhara Ranasinghe, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, LONDON, Barclays, European Commission, FTSE Italia Star, Anthilia, Banco, Fidelity International, FTSE, Thomson Locations: Milan, Silicon, Italy, Companies Italy, MILAN, Germany, Ukraine, iShares, Europe, dei, London

☆ Stock Market Today: Futures Edge Up to Start the Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Stock futures crept higher early Monday, with investors eyeing bond yields for signals on whether a recent rally in equities can continue. Friday’s weaker-than-expected jobs report propelled the S&P 500 up 0.9% and helped the index notch its best weekly performance in about a year. In recent market action:Index futures nudged higher. Contracts linked to the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100 and the Dow industrials inched up by about 0.1% to 0.2%. Treasury yields rose slightly.

Persons: Tesla, Stocks, Brent Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow, KKR, Telecom Italia's, Telecom Italia Locations: Asia, Milan, Saudi Arabia, Russia

☆ Telecom Italia gives green light to KKR's grid bid, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The price tag can reach 22 billion euros when including some future payments were a long-awaited combination of TIM's grid with that of state-backed fibre optic rival Open Fiber materialise, the first two sources said. Italian infrastructure fund F2i is also preparing to take a stake in the grid to bring the holding in Italian hands to 30%-35%. With its 24% TIM stake, Vivendi has warned TIM's board it is ready to bring a legal challenge to the sale after criticising its approval process, documents seen by Reuters showed. ($1 = 0.9321 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina; Editing by Valentina ZaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola's, Merlyn Advisors, Stefano Siragusa, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, Vivendi, Sunday, KKR, Reuters, TIM, Treasury, Thomson Locations: MILAN, London

☆ Telecom Italia approves KKR's $20 billion grid bid in blow for Vivendi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The board started a review of KKR's offer on Friday, approving it on Sunday, TIM said. The sale's 18.8 billion euro price tag, including debt, could reach 22 billion euros if certain conditions are met, TIM said. TIM said it would not put the board's decision to a shareholder vote, in a setback for leading shareholder VivendI (VIV.PA). Vivendi, which owns 24% of TIM, has been seeking a higher price and questioned the sustainability of the business left behind.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola's, Labriola, Merlyn Advisors, Merlyn, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za, Will Dunham Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, TIM, Vivendi, Sunday, KKR, European Union, Treasury, VivendI, Thomson Locations: Italy, MILAN, London

☆ Italy Weighs Ban on Technocrat-Led Government in Proposed Constitution Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Angelo Amante and Giuseppe FonteROME (Reuters) - Italy's cabinet was set to propose on Friday a ban on technocrat-led governments, a draft law bill seen by Reuters showed, as part of a constitutional reform to introduce the direct election of the prime minister. Italy has had almost 70 governments since World War Two, more than twice the number in Britain and Germany. The right-wing administration of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office last year, made ending the country's chronic political instability strengthening the bond between governments and voters a key policy plank. The main opposition groups, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the 5-Star Movement, have already spoken out against the plan. Only the small centrist Italia Viva party of former premier Matteo Renzi said it might back the government.

Persons: Angelo Amante, Giuseppe Fonte, Giorgia Meloni, Mario Draghi, Sergio Mattarella, COVID, Matteo Renzi, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, Democratic Party, Star Movement, Italia Viva Locations: Italy, Britain, Germany, technocrats

☆ Berlusconi family halts monthly payments to Bunga Bunga party guests
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Forza Italia leader and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives for a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi's family has halted the 2,500 euro ($2,670) monthly payments that the late former prime minister had guaranteed to each of 20 female guests at his so-called Bunga Bunga parties, two legal sources said on Friday. Berlusconi died in June at the age of 86. Berlusconi's family declined to comment. Reporting by Emilio Parodi, additional reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Sergio Mattarella, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Silvio Berlusconi's, Berlusconi, Berlusconi's, Emilio Parodi, Elvira Pollina, Nick Macfie Organizations: Forza Italia, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ MFE retains domestic TV rights of Italian soccer cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Italy's top soccer league Serie A said on Monday it had awarded commercial broadcaster MFE-MediaForEurope <MFEB.MI> the domestic TV rights for the next three seasons of the Italian Cup competition. The deal also includes the right to screen the Italian Super Cup which has been revamped earlier this year as a four-team competition rather than being a match between the winners of Serie A and the Italian Cup. That brings the total value of the deal, which covers the three seasons until 2026-27, to around 168 million euros. The company, which is controlled by the family of late media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, is the current holder of the Italian Cup and Super Cup domestic TV rights, under a three-year contract expiring in June and worth some 145 million euros. ($1 = 0.9415 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Gavin Jones and Federico Maccioni and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Elvira Pollina, Gavin Jones, Federico Maccioni Organizations: MILAN, Serie, Reuters, Italian, Super, Sky Italia, Thomson Locations: Italy

☆ Italy drafts plan for direct election of prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Italy suffers from chronic political instabilityCabinet seen discussing proposed reform on FridayBroad majority needed to avoid referendumROME, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and top ministers on Monday backed a constitutional reform proposal introducing the direct election of the prime minister, in an effort to end the country's chronic political instability. Meloni made constitutional reform a key policy plank of her right-wing coalition after winning power in September last year. Italy has had almost 70 governments since World War Two, more than twice the number in Britain and Germany. Matteo Renzi, who stepped down as premier after his failed reform in 2016, said his small centrist Italia Viva party would be ready to back the direct election of the prime minister. The prime minister need not necessarily be an elected politician.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, Benito Mussolini's, Matteo Renzi, Angelo Amante, Gavin Jones, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Italian, Monday, Star Movement, Democratic Party, Italia Viva, Thomson Locations: Italy, ROME, Britain, Germany

☆ Marseille match against Lyon called off after team bus attacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Sunday's Ligue 1 match between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais was called off after Lyon's team bus was pelted with stones, injuring coach Fabio Grosso, as the players made their way to the Stade Velodrome. Sky Italia footage showed damage to two bus windows and Grosso being led into the stadium by two assistants. Italian media said Grosso suffered injuries to his scalp and face. "He can't hold a conversation, he had shards of glass in his face," Lyon's club president, John Textor added. "Because of a handful of thoughtless people, the party planned for this evening has been ruined, and 65,000 fans have been deprived of attending a football match," the club added.

Persons: Fabio Grosso, Grosso, John Textor, Lyon, Francois Letexier, Fabio Grosso's, Amelie Oudea Castera, Raffaele Longo, Tommy Lund, Kate Entringer, Hugh Lawson, Clare Fallon Organizations: Ligue, Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, Stade Velodrome, Sky, OL, French Professional League, Lyonnais, Marseille, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Gdansk, Paris, Lincoln

About five teams around Europe including Ineos Grenadiers are involved in the early-stage talks and more could join, the people said. Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma team is also involved in the talks, one of them said. Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) controls the Tour de France and La Vuelta while the Giro d'Italia is controlled by RCS Sports. This is not the first time cycling teams have explored a new cycling league project. Eight teams founded a league project called World Series Cycling (WSC) at the end of 2012 but the plans failed to materialise.

Persons: Jonas Vingegaard’s Jumbo, Spokespeople, EY, Amy, Jo Crowley, Anousha Sakoui, Julien Pretot, Andres Gonzalez, Elisa Martinuzzi, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters, Ineos Grenadiers, de France, Partners, Formula, Tour de France, La Vuelta, Amaury Sports Organisation, La, RCS Sports, Thomson Locations: Europe

☆ Swim coach Verhaeren dips toe into cycling world with Jumbo-Visma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Dominant Dutch cycling team Jumbo-Visma aim to stay at the front of the peloton next season with the help of an unlikely addition to their coaching set-up -- swimming guru Jacco Verhaeren. "Over the past few years, I have often exchanged ideas with Jacco", Jumbo-Visma sporting director Merijn Zeeman said in a statement announcing the unusual collaboration. "After our best season, we have to keep looking for improvements and new insights. Together with (head of performance) Mathieu Heijboer, I have come to the conclusion that Jacco can provide us with these new ideas and different insights from another sport. "What Jumbo-Visma does with my advice is up to them."

Persons: Jacco, Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Pieter van den Hoogenband, Inge de Bruijn, Merijn Zeeman, Mathieu Heijboer, Verhaeren, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge Organizations: France, Paris Olympics, Thomson Locations: Espana

☆ Italy, Europe need state-controlled cloud services - Leonardo chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Italy and other European countries need government-controlled cloud services to store sensitive data, the head of Italian defence and electronics firm Leonardo (LDOF.MI) said on Wednesday, calling it "one of the key issues of our future". "In my opinion, a safe country needs a government cloud, at least for financial, health and defence data," Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani told a hearing at the defence committee of the Italian lower house of parliament. First of all creating a (national) government cloud. Then understanding that these (national) government clouds need to become European government clouds," he said. Leonardo, a listed company controlled by the Italian government, offers cloud services to the Italian state through a consortium including Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI), Italian state lender CDP and state-owned IT firm Sogei.

Persons: Leonardo, LDOF.MI, Roberto Cingolani, Cingolani, Alvise Armellini, Mike Harrison Organizations: Telecom Italia, Thomson Locations: Italy, Europe

☆ Italy backs calls for tech firms to help fund EU telecoms networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Italy broadly supports proposals at European Union level to ensure that Big Tech firms partly finance telecoms infrastructure in the bloc, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said in a statement on Tuesday. "All market players benefiting from the digital transformation must contribute fairly and proportionately to infrastructure costs," Urso said, intervening at an EU telecoms minister meeting in Leon, Spain. However, before introducing any legislation, the EU must carefully assess whether and to what extent network infrastructure is effectively overloaded by content and services generated by Big Tech firms, Urso added. Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) term it fair-share funding, while Big Tech says it amounts to an internet tax. "Italy believes the EU Commission should carry out further assessment and more time is needed to evaluate the extent of the impact of traffic generated on the network infrastructure" Urso said.

Persons: Adolfo Urso, Urso, Thierry Breton, Giuseppe Fonte, Elvira Pollina, Keith Weir Organizations: European Union, Big Tech, Industry, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Telecom Italia, France Telecom, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Italy, Leon, Spain, Orange

It was seen on taking power as the country's most right-wing since wartime dictator Benito Mussolini, as Meloni's Brothers of Italy party traces its roots to the post-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). At home she pleased her rightist grassroots through measures to defend the traditional family, protect Italy's cultural heritage and try to stem migrant arrivals. That makes it harder for Meloni to keep her tax-cutting promises and makes Italy's debt, equal to 140% of national output, vulnerable to market sell-offs. Last week Meloni weathered the first of several reviews on Italy's debt when S&P Global Ratings confirmed the country's BBB rating with a stable outlook. COMMANDING POSITIONAt home Meloni has so far avoided the domestic political chaos that dogged so many of her predecessors.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Juan Medina, Meloni's, Meloni, Benito Mussolini, Valentina Meliciani, Andrea Giambruno, Meliciani, Italy's, Ukraine Meloni, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, Giovanni Orsina, Angelo Amante, Giselda, Gavin Jones, Alex Richardson Organizations: Italy's, REUTERS, Western, Coalition, Italian Social Movement, EU, Ukraine, Democratic Party, Star Movement, League, Forza Italia, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, ROME, EU, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Rome, Brussels, Africa

Forza Italia leader and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives for a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. Vittorio Sgarbi, an art critic and former lawmaker with Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, told state TV RAI this week that the former prime minister spent around 20 million euros to create the collection. Sgarbi told the paper the collection was "monstrously entertaining", but of little value, with only "six of seven" deemed interesting. The family spokesperson said the collection had sentimental value and denied reports it was being dismantled. Forbes estimated that Berlusconi and his family had assets worth around $6.8 billion, of which around two thirds were held by holding company Fininvest.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Sergio Mattarella, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Vittorio Sgarbi, Berlusconi, Sgarbi, RAI's, Elvira Pollina, Angelo Amante, Alvise Armellini, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Forza Italia, REUTERS, La Repubblica, Berlusconi's Forza Italia, RAI, Forbes, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Arcore, La Repubblica

Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe first woman to be Italy's premier, Meloni "won out against Salvini and Berlusconi. Fears for Italy's democracy have proved to be “exaggerated,’’ said Franco, who noted that Italy's president serves as a guarantor of the republic's post-war constitution. Meloni contends the rulings support a long-held belief on the political right that Italy’s magistrates sympathize with the left. Since becoming premier, Meloni has topped surveys of eligible voters, hovering near 30% — compared to the 26% of votes her party garnered in the 2022 election. Currently, Italy's president asks someone likely able to command a parliamentary majority the task of forming a government.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, —, Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin, Meloni, Salvini, Berlusconi, Massimo Franco, ”, Tommaso Grossi, Ursula von der Leyen —, Joe Biden, ’ ’, Franco, it’s, ” Meloni, Von der Leyen, ″, Roberto Calderoli, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, Meloni’s, “, ″ Grossi, nostalgists, Benito Mussolini, Di Segni, Mussolini, Raf Casert Organizations: ROME, Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Russia’s, Forza Italia, European Policy, White, Italian Rai, European Union, “, Union of Italian, Nazi, Associated Locations: Italy’s, Europe, Italy, Brussels, Rome, Hungary, Poland, Meloni, Ukraine, Lampedusa, Libyan, Tunisia, Italian, Israel, Nazi

☆ 'Girl math' is toxic and it could be holding women back from growing wealth, says a financial specialist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Zoe Burt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

To Burt, the viral TikTok trend #girlmath reiterates the stereotype that women are bad at math. But often it's more overt, as with TikTok's most recent viral trend: "girl math." AdvertisementAdvertisementWhy girl math is a negative trendSeemingly lighthearted, the hashtag plays into a damaging stereotype that women are bad at math. Girl math doubles down on gendering lavish spendingThe #girlmath trend focuses on "feminine" spending habits as lavish — another common stereotype of women and money management. Women's financial literacy is an important issueThe girl-math trend brings women's financial literacy and investing into the limelight.

Persons: Zoe Burt, Burt, —, Caroline Criado Perez, Tamina, Shakuntala Devi, Elon Organizations: Service, Evening, New Zealand, Fiscal Studies, Guardian, Behavior, Organization, Fidelity, Twitter, Invest, deVere Italia

☆ Berardi helps Italy thrash Malta, Hungary, Denmark also win on road to Euros
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Tommy Lund | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Italy's win leaves them in second place ahead on goal difference of Ukraine, who won 2-0 against North Macedonia. Both teams have 10 points but Italy have a match in hand on all their group rivals except England, who top the group with 13 points. Hungary remain top of Group G after beating second-placed Serbia 2-1, with all the goals coming in the first half. Hungary have 13 points, three points above Serbia with a game in hand. They are level on 16 points with second-placed Denmark, who won 3-1 at home to Kazakhstan.

Persons: Domenico Berardi, Luciano Spalletti's, Ciro, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Mateo Retegui, Federico Chiesa, Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Zaniolo, Italy's, Giacomo Bonaventura, Bonaventura, Davide Frattesi, Spalletti, Gareth Southgate's, Benjamin Sesko, Erik Janza, Tommy Lund, Anita Kobylinska, Ken Ferris Organizations: Malta, Italy, Stadio San Nicola, North, Sky Sports, RAI Sport, England, Wembley, H, Slovenia, Thomson Locations: Italy, Hungary, Germany Slovenia, Denmark, England, Slovenia, Bari, Malta, Germany, Turin, Ukraine, North Macedonia, ENGLAND, Serbia, Lithuania, Finland, Kazakhstan, Gdansk

☆ Soccer Serie A looks at media platform as right sale faces stalemate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Italy's top flight soccer league Serie A is pressing ahead with plans to launch its own media operations with the support of financial investors as a sale process of domestic broadcasting licences struggles to gain traction, club and league officials said. The creation of a media platform to distribute Serie A matches to other TV outlets as well as the launch of a league-run live video streaming subscription service have been repeatedly floated in recent years. The launch of a TV streaming service platform to broadcast matches would a first for any major soccer league in Europe. The 20 clubs may also decide to use the league's streaming platform to screen only some of the matches, awarding part of the rights to the established broadcasters. TV rights are a key source of revenue for Serie A clubs such as this year's champions Napoli, Juventus (JUVE.MI) and Milanese clubs AC Milan and Inter.

Persons: Elvira Pollina, Keith Weir Organizations: MILAN, Serie, Sky Italia, Napoli, Juventus, Milanese, AC Milan, Inter, English Premier League, Premier League, Thomson Locations: Europe

Europe's telecoms operators say Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), Meta's (META.O) Facebook, Netflix (NFLX.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) should bear some of the costs because they make up a huge part of internet traffic. Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) call it fair-share funding while Big Tech says it amounts to an internet tax. The French commissioner, a former chief executive at France Telecom and supporter of the operators' push, faced blowback from some of his fellow commissioners and some EU countries. Breton will likely voice concerns about the recent acquisitions of telecoms stakes by sovereign investment funds and private equity firms to EU telecoms ministers at an Oct. 23-24 meeting in Leon, Spain, another person said. ($1 = 0.9418 euros)Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton, Foo Yun Chee, Tomasz Janowski, Mark Porter Organizations: Big Tech, European Commission, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Telecom Italia, France Telecom, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Orange, Leon, Spain

☆ At least 21 dead after Italian bus carrying tourists falls from Venice overpass
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Manuel Silvestri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VENICE, Italy, Oct 3 (Reuters) - At least 21 people died on Tuesday and 18 were injured after a bus carrying tourists to a campground crashed off an overpass near Venice in northern Italy and caught fire, city officials said. Venice city councillor Renato Boraso said one line of enquiry was that the driver, a 40-year-old Italian who was among those killed, had been taken ill before the crash. He said the coach had been carrying 40 passengers, of whom 21 had died and 18 were injured. Venice's city hall said the injured people had been taken to nearby hospitals, with four in a serious condition. The bus was also carrying passengers from France and Croatia, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Persons: Renato Boraso, Boraso, Luigi Brugnaro, Manuel Silvestri, Michele Di Bari, ANSA, Di Bari, Giorgia Meloni, Emilio Parodi, Gavin Jones, Keith Weir, Alvise, Crispian Balmer, Lisa Shumaker, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Sky Italia, Rescue, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: VENICE, Italy, Venice, Mestre, Venice's, France, Croatia, Verona

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