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☆ Egypt says it received 'positive signals' over possible extension of Gaza truce
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Israeli soldiers sit in Merkava tanks near the Israel-Gaza border, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in southern Israel, November 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsNov 25 (Reuters) - Egypt said on Saturday it had received positive signals from all parties over a possible extension of the Gaza truce for one or two days. Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that the country was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement over extending the four-day truce, which "means the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails." Reporting by Aidan Lewis Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Diaa Rashwan, Aidan Lewis, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Egypt's, Information Service, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Egypt

Oil futures traded steady ahead of next week's OPEC+ meeting, which could bring some kind of agreement on output cuts in 2024. Gold futures finished higher as the dollar index slipped against a basket of currencies on Friday. Germany's 10-year government bond yield , the benchmark for the euro area, rose 3 basis points to a 1-1/2-week high. Oil prices were steady after tumbling more than 1% on concerns over a delayed OPEC+ meeting. ($1 = 7.2111 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York, Naomi Rovnick in London and Stella Qiu in Sydney.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Germany's DAX, Peter Doherty, Arbuthnot Latham, Robert Holzmann, Pierre Wunsch, Chris Prentice, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Toby Chopra, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter, Deepa Babington Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Hamas, P Global, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, China's CSI, Brent, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, OPEC, Germany, Israel, London, Belgian, Asia, New York, Sydney

☆ VW struggling with S.Africa costs as group targets savings - executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Joe Bavier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Thomas Schaefer, Volkswagen's CEO of the VW Passenger Cars Brand speaks with Reuters about the future of VW production in Africa, in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 24, 2023. The German automaker has been in South Africa for nearly 80 years. Factors like competitive labour costs once placed it among the company's higher-ranking bases globally, VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer said during a visit to the country. Schaefer said there were no current plans to introduce EV manufacturing in South Africa, since electric cars are currently priced out of the reach of most domestic consumers. "There's a realistic chance that South Africa, with enough focus, with all the raw materials in the neighbourhood, they could be a champion," Schaefer said.

Persons: Thomas Schaefer, Volkswagen's, Sumaya Hisham, Schaefer, We're, " Schaefer, Victoria Waldersee, Mark Potter Organizations: VW, Reuters, REUTERS, Volkswagen, Polo, European Union, Thomson Locations: Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG, Uitenhage, Britain, Berlin

☆ Nissan invests $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nissan has made its electric Leaf model in Sunderland for years and will continue to do so, with batteries supplied by a small plant at the site. It announced a $1.4 billion investment in 2021 to build a second, 9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC. Nissan did not comment on the value of any subsidies or guarantees being provided by Britain. [1/4]Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt attach a Nissan badge to a car as they visit the car manufacturer, Nissan, in Sunderland, Britain, November 24, 2023. But Sunak, who became prime minister a year ago, is having some success turning that around.

Persons: Rishi, Sunak, Nissan's, Alan Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor, Makoto Uchida, Brexit, Nick Carey, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Sonali Paul, Mark Potter Organizations: Nissan, Investment Summit, Britain, BBC, Britain's, India's Tata Motors, Rover, Thomson Locations: Sunderland, England, Britain, Europe, EVs

☆ Rubik's Cube-loving 9-year-old among hostages freed from Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Rami Amichay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas fighters included sisters aged 2 and 4 and their mother, a 5-year-old girl and her mother, as well as elderly women. As well as the Israeli hostages, 10 Thais and one Filipino, who were taken captive at the same time, were also freed under a separate agreement, Qatari mediators said. The rest of a group of at least 50 Israeli hostages due to be exchanged under a Qatari-brokered agreement are expected to be freed in the coming days and more hostages could be added if the truce deal is extended. MIXED EMOTIONSFor the families of the hostages, there was happiness mingled with concern for those who remained in Gaza. That's a human thing," said Yoni Katz Asher, whose wife Doron and children Raz and Aviv were freed on Friday.

Persons: Munder, Gilat Livni, Livni, Roni Haviv, Keren, Ruth, Avraham Munder, Yosef Mendelovich, Benjamin Netanyahu, it's, Yoni Katz Asher, Doron, Raz, Shelly Shem Tov, Omer Shem Tov, Omer, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Eli Berlzon, James Mackenzie, Alexandra Hudson, Hugh Lawson, Daniel Wallis, Mark Potter Organizations: Schneider Children's Medical, Pediatrics, Hamas, Red Cross, Qatari, Israel's, Thomson Locations: PETAH TIKVA, Gaza, Israel, Petah Tikva, Aviv

Prior to the February 2022 invasion, Chinese cars accounted for less than 10% of the Russian market. Russia has jumped from 11th place to become China's largest export market for cars, reaching a value of $9.4 billion in January-October, Chinese customs data showed. Overall, monthly car sales in Russia are now more than double what they were a year ago, Autostat data showed, while separate data from federal statistics service Rosstat showed car production was nearly three times higher in September year-on-year, underlining the sector's partial recovery. 'UNSTABLE, SHAKY' MARKETSanctions against Russia contributed to lower car production and sales most notably in 2022, but also after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Meanwhile, the rouble's slide to 100 against the dollar this year has made imports more expensive, depressing purchases of Chinese cars.

Persons: PPK, Sergei Udalov, Udalov, Russia's, Natalia Zubarevich, Zubarevich, Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow, Zoey Zhang, Vineet Sachdev, Mike Collett, White, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Chery, Geely, HK, West shuns, Autostat, Russia, Western, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Moscow State University, Wages, Lada, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Soviet, Beijing, China, West shuns Russia, Western

☆ Major New Jersey mall reopens after bomb threat - governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] New Jersey State Troopers patrol the American Dream Mall after a bomb scare in Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S., November 24, 2023. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado Acquire Licensing RightsNov 24 (Reuters) - The American Dream Mall in New Jersey has reopened after briefly being evacuated while police investigated a bomb threat, state Governor Phil Murphy said in a post on the X social media network on Friday. The mall is located at the New Jersey Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, home to the New York Giants and Jets National Football League teams. "The matter is still under investigation, but law enforcement has determined there is no imminent threat at American Dream at this time. The New Jersey State Police has reopened the mall," Murphy said, less than an hour after telling people to leave.

Persons: David Dee Delgado, Phil Murphy, Murphy, David Ljunggren, Mark Potter Organizations: New, New Jersey State Troopers, REUTERS, New Jersey Meadowlands Sports, New York Giants, Jets National Football League, The New Jersey State Police, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, Rutherford , New Jersey, U.S, East Rutherford, The

☆ Montenegro court approves extradition of 'cryptocurrency king' Do Kwon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur, who created the failed Terra (UST) stablecoin, is taken to court in Podgorica, Montenegro, March 24, 2023. The decision will be made after Do Kwon completes serving his prison sentence for document forgery, the court said. A South Korean national, Kwon is the former CEO of South Korea-based Terraform Labs, the company behind the stablecoin TerraUSD that collapsed in May 2022, roiling cryptocurrency markets. Following Kwon's arrest, the U.S. District Court in Manhattan made public an eight-count indictment against him for securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud and conspiracy. In late May, a Montenegrin court scrapped a bail of 800,000 euros for the pair, saying it could not be taken as a solid guarantee, nor their promise they would not run away once released from detention.

Persons: Kwon, Stevo, Do Kwon, Kwon ´, Han Chang, joon, Daria Sito, Mark Potter Organizations: UST, REUTERS, Rights, Police, Terraform Labs, Court, Korean, Labs, U.S, Thomson Locations: Podgorica, Montenegro, Rights SARAJEVO, South Korea, United States, U.S, Rican, Montenegrin, Dubai, Manhattan

☆ UK pension transfer boom continues as deals worth $11 bln struck
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Legal & General insurance company is seen at their office in central London March 17, 2008. Legal & General (LGEN.L) said it had agreed a so-called full buy-in to the Boots Pension Scheme worth 4.8 billion pounds, in what it said was the largest such deal in Britain by premium size. The market has been running at around 30 billion pounds a year in Britain, but consultants expect 2023 to top that. Rising funding ratios for pension schemes are driving unprecedented demand, Legal & General (L&G) said, as funds scramble to protect schemes against the vagaries of market movements amid rising interest rates worldwide. L&G has written a total of 13.4 billion pounds worth of pension risk transfer deals this year globally, up from 9.5 billion pounds last year.

Persons: Alessia, Eva Mathews, Lawrence White, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter Organizations: General, REUTERS, Legal, Co, Regulators, Bank of England's Prudential, Authority, Health, Thomson Locations: London, BRITAIN, Britain, Rothesay, Bengaluru

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a plenary session of the Artificial Intelligence Journey 2023 international AI and machine learning conference in Moscow, Russia November 24, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Putin to approve new AI strategy soonChina and U.S. lead on AI currentlyRussian AI has been set back by Ukraine war, sanctionsPutin calls Russia to up its game on AIMOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that the West should not be allowed to develop a monopoly in the sphere of artificial intelligence (AI), and said that a much more ambitious Russian strategy for the development of AI would be approved shortly. "In all spheres of our life, humanity is beginning a new chapter of its existence," Putin said of AI, adding that Russia needed to up its game on AI both in ambitions and execution. Russia, he said, would have to change laws, boost international cooperation, and ensure much more investment for the development of AI. He told Putin in June that Sberbank was making around $3 billion annually from $1 billion in AI investments.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Gref, Sberbank, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Artificial, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, MOSCOW, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, China, U.S, Russian, Ukraine, United States, India, Israel, South Korea, Japan

☆ Oil slips 1% on concerns over delayed OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slid 75 cents, or 1%, to $76.35 after dropping as much as 5% in the previous session. In a surprise move on Wednesday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia delayed a ministerial meeting at which they were expected to discuss oil output cuts to Nov. 30. OPEC+ members Angola and Nigeria are aiming for higher oil output, officials told Reuters on Thursday. "However, it may be more difficult to bridge the gap with Angola, which has been a moodier member of the producer group since it joined in 2007."

Persons: Angus Mordant, Helima Croft, Phil Flynn, Nia Williams, Natalie Grover, Arathy, Andrew Hayley, Mark Potter, David Goodman, Alexandra Hudson, Marguerita Choy, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . U.S . West Texas, U.S, Organization of, Petroleum, Producers, Reuters, Capital Markets, Price Futures Group, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, ., Russia, OPEC, Angola, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Chicago, British Columbia, London, Houston, Beijing

☆ Oil slips 2% on growing angst over delayed OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slid $1.37, also about 1.4%, to $75.73 after dropping as much as 5% in the previous session. In a surprise move on Wednesday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia delayed to Nov. 30 a ministerial meeting at which they were expected to discuss oil output cuts. Angola, Congo and Nigeria are seeking to raise their 2024 supply quotas above the provisional levels agreed at the June meeting of the OPEC+ producer group. The questions over OPEC+ supply come as data showed that U.S. crude stocks jumped by 8.7 million barrels last week, much more than the 1.16 million build analysts had expected.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Helima Croft, Tamas Varga, Natalie Grover, Arathy, Andrew Hayley, Mark Potter, David Goodman, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . U.S . West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Producers, Capital Markets, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, ., Russia, OPEC, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, London, Houston, Beijing

☆ Oil slips 1% on growing angst over delayed OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slid 86 cents, also about 1.1%, to $76.24 after dropping as much as 5% in the previous session. In a surprise move on Wednesday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia delayed to Nov. 30 a ministerial meeting at which they were expected to discuss oil output cuts. Angola, Congo and Nigeria were seeking to raise their 2024 supply quotas above the provisional levels agreed at the June meeting of the OPEC+ producer group, analysts said. The questions over OPEC+ supply come as data showed that U.S. crude stocks jumped by 8.7 million barrels last week, much more than the 1.16 million build analysts had expected.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Helima Croft, Tamas Varga, Natalie Grover, Arathy, Andrew Hayley, Mark Potter, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . U.S . West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Producers, Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, ., Russia, OPEC, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Saudi Arabia, London, Houston, Beijing

☆ Czech gunmaker Colt CZ makes offer for Vista Outdoor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jason Hovet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Visitors look at firearms from Colt CZ Group at the Milipol Paris, the worldwide exhibition dedicated to homeland security and safety, in Villepinte near Paris, France, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPRAGUE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Czech gunmaker Colt CZ Group (CZG.PR) has made a cash-and-stock merger offer to Vista Outdoor (VSTO.N), valuing the U.S. sporting and outdoor goods group's shares at a 16% premium. Colt CZ said it proposed keeping the company together, scrapping plans to separate Vista at this time. Colt CZ, along with a majority shareholder and its chairman, together acquired more than 5% of Vista shares, they announced in October. Colt CZ shares fell around 3% at the Prague open on Thursday but had recovered to trade nearly 1% higher by 1053 GMT.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Colt CZ's, Vista, Colt, Jason Hovet, Mark Potter Organizations: Colt CZ, REUTERS, Rights, Vista, Czechoslovak Group, Czechoslovak, Colt, CSG, Thomson Locations: Paris, Villepinte, France, Czech, U.S, Vista, Prague

The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics center in Lauwin-Planque, northern France, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O) is set to win unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot (IRBT.O), three people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The Commission, which is due to decide on the deal by Feb. 14, declined to comment. The deal announced in August would add iRobot's Roomba robot vacuum to U.S. online retail giant Amazon's portfolio of smart devices, includes the Alexa voice assistant, smart thermostats, security devices and wall-mounted smart displays. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by Mark Potter and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pascal, Foo Yun, Mark Potter, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Big Tech, European Commission, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Lauwin, France, Rights BRUSSELS

OPEC+ said after its last meeting in June that the 2024 output quotas of Angola, Nigeria and Congo were conditional on reviews by outside analysts. "The postponement of the meeting also shows there are some different views among the group participants." A view of logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 2, 2023. Saudi Arabia, Russia and other OPEC+ members have already pledged oil output cuts of about 5 million barrels per day (bpd), or about 5% of daily global demand, in a series of steps that started in late 2022. This figure includes a 1 million bpd voluntary reduction by Saudi Arabia and a 300,000 bpd cut in Russian oil exports, both of which last until the end of 2023.

Persons: Giovanni Staunovo, Brent, Leonhard Foeger, Alexander Novak, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Helima Croft, Croft, Nadine Awadalla, Nayera Abdalla, Ahmad Ghaddar, Vladimir Soldatkin, El, Alex Lawler, Jason Neely, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan, Deepa Babington Organizations: Oil, DUBAI, Organization of, Petroleum, REUTERS, Russian, Saudi Energy, OPEC, RBC Capital, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: LONDON, OPEC, Angola, Nigeria, Congo, Russia, Vienna, Austria, OPEC's Vienna, Saudi Arabia

☆ Italy's privacy regulator looks into online data gathering to train AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Italy's data protection authority has kicked-off a fact-finding investigation into the practice of gathering large amounts of personal data online for use in training artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, the regulator said on Wednesday. The watchdog is one of the most proactive of the 31 national data protection authorities in assessing AI platform compliance with Europe's data privacy regime known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Earlier this year, it briefly banned popular chatbot ChatGPT from operating in Italy over a suspected breach of privacy rules. "Following the fact-finding investigation, the Authority reserves the right to take the necessary steps, also in an urgent matter", the regulator said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Elvira Pollina, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, General Data Protection, Authority, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Italy, France, Germany

☆ Euro zone's shadow banks face risk of margin calls, ECB says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Euro zone shadow banks face the risk of receiving large margin calls or client redemptions they cannot meet because they do not have enough cash on hand, the European Central Bank (ECB) said on Wednesday. The ECB said liquidity buffers among shadow banks - an umbrella term for funds, insurers and other non-bank financial intermediaries (NBFI) - were "very low", exposing them to the risk of running out cash at times of market stress. Insurance companies and pension funds (ICPF) that use derivatives could be exposed to the risk of "large margin calls", the ECB added, citing those suffered by their UK peers last year as a precedent. "Any sharp increase in sovereign bond yields or a spike in financial market volatility could expose those ICPFs which use interest rate derivatives to large margin calls," the ECB said. The central bank reiterated its call for introducing regulation for shadow banks like the one that governs traditional lenders, including liquidity requirements and stress tests.

Persons: Francesco Canepa, Mark Potter Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Insurance, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT

A view of logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary OPEC+ had been scheduled to meet on SundayOil drops almost 5% as delay raises questions about output cutsDelay shows there are some different views in group - analystDUBAI/LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - OPEC+ has delayed a ministerial meeting expected to discuss oil output cuts to Nov. 30 from Nov. 26, OPEC said in a statement on Wednesday, a surprise development that sparked a further drop in oil prices. The delay to the meeting into next week might be to allow more time for countries to discuss both compliance with existing output cuts and potential additional cuts, an OPEC+ source said, declining to be named. Saudi Arabia, Russia and other OPEC+ members have already pledged oil output cuts of about 5 million barrels per day (bpd), or about 5% of daily global demand, in a series of steps that started in late 2022. This figure includes a 1 million bpd voluntary reduction by Saudi Arabia and a 300,000 bpd cut in Russian oil exports, both of which last until the end of 2023.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Giovanni Staunovo, Brent, Helima Croft, Nadine Awadalla, Nayera Abdalla, Ahmad Ghaddar, Vladimir Soldatkin, El, Alex Lawler, Jason Neely, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Organization of, Petroleum, REUTERS, Sunday, DUBAI, RBC Capital, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, LONDON, Russia, OPEC, OPEC's Vienna, Saudi Arabia

Handout via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Ozempic shortages expected throughout 2024Victoza shortages expected until at least Q2 2024Diabetes drug Ozempic used 'off label' to treat obesityNov 21 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) will ration starter kits of Ozempic in Europe and reduce supplies of another diabetes drug, Victoza, to prioritise producing Ozempic, which has seen a surge in demand from people using it to lose weight. Ozempic contains semaglutide, an ingredient in Novo's hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy. Intermittent Ozempic shortages are expected throughout 2024, while Victoza shortages are expected at least until the second quarter of 2024, according to the statement on the EMA's website. "No new patients should be started on Victoza until at least Q2 2024 when supply is expected to normalise," Novo urged doctors in the document. It also told doctors to consider other injectable GLP-1 drugs or "other suitable alternatives" where Ozempic or Victoza are not available for patients.

Persons: Ozempic, hasn't, Novo, Eli Lilly's, tirzepatide, Ludwig Burger, Eva Mathews, Emelia Sithole, Mark Potter Organizations: Handout, REUTERS, Diabetes, Novo Nordisk, European Medicines Agency, EU, Thomson Locations: Novo, London, Britain, Europe, Danish, United States, France, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Wegovy, Norway, Denmark, EU

☆ Politicians waking up to higher-cost offshore wind power, Equinor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nora Buli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I believe that politics and markets will adjust, and that is also necessary in order to keep up the pace of offshore wind developments," Paal Eitrheim told Reuters on the sideline of the Norwegian company's autumn conference in Oslo. The offshore wind industry has found itself in a perfect storm of rising inflation, interest rate hikes and supply chain bottlenecks, in some cases leading to project cancellations as support schemes failed to adjust. Similarly, Britain has adjusted the price for next year's renewables auction higher by 66%, after failing to attract offshore wind bids in the previous round. Equinor is considering extensions to existing offshore wind farms in Britain that could qualify for auctions in future, and Eitrheim defended higher prices in the near term after over a decade of cost reductions. "Although it's dramatic right now, I think, as we are building this supply chain, we are going to come back to a price level for offshore wind that is competitive for governments, for companies and also consumers."

Persons: Paal Eitrheim, Equinor, Eitrheim, Nora Buli, Terje Solsvik, Mark Potter Organizations: ASA, Bp, Reuters, BP, York, Thomson Locations: OSLO, United States, Britain, Norwegian, Oslo, York, New York

☆ UK's Hunt to cut taxes to boost economy and election prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Buoyed by a fall in inflation, Hunt plans to use his Autumn Statement budget update speech to parliament to shift the government's focus to fixing the long-running weak growth problem of the world's sixth-biggest economy. The Times reported that Hunt would cut the headline rates of national insurance for around 28 million people and make tax incentives for business investment permanent. After the meltdown in British financial markets last year, triggered by the huge tax cut plans of former prime minister Liz Truss, Hunt and Sunak have promised to move carefully. Hunt and Sunak announced major tax-raising measures a year ago to assuage bond investors after Truss's mini-budget. Many analysts say that in the coming years whoever runs Britain will have to raise taxes further, not cut them.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Sunak, William Schomberg, Mark Potter Organizations: Conservative, Labour Party, The Times, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: Britain

MPS shares were down 7.8% at 2.83 euros by 1145 GMT on Tuesday, reflecting the impact of the sale. EU COMMITMENTSBofA Securities, Jefferies and UBS Europe coordinated the accelerated bookbuilding for the stake sale, the Treasury said in a statement. Commitments Italy agreed with European Union competition authorities at the time of the bailout bind Rome to eventually sell its entire stake in the bank. Two years ago heavyweight UniCredit (CRDI.MI) sank the government's privatisation efforts, forcing Rome to seek more time from the EU. The stake sale is seen as giving Italy more flexibility to pursue a long-term solution for MPS via a merger with a rival, after negotiations with UniCredit were complicated by an impending re-privatisation deadline.

Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Luigi Lovaglio, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Giorgia Meloni, Valentina Za, Lincoln, Richard Chang, Mark Potter Organizations: Monte, REUTERS, Treasury, MPS, BofA Securities, Jefferies, UBS Europe, European Union, Reuters, Economy, Banco, BPER Banca, EU, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, MILAN, Rome

☆ Samsung boss denies wrongdoing as South Korea prosecutors seek jail term over 2015 merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) chairman Jay Y. Lee denied wrongdoing on Friday after South Korean prosecutors called for him to be jailed for five years on charges of accounting fraud and stock price manipulation involving an $8 billion merger of Samsung affiliates in 2015. The hearing is the final lower court session before a ruling, scheduled for January 26, ending a trial that has lasted three years. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, October 26, 2021. "I have never had my personal interests in mind in the course of the merger," Lee told the court. Lee was previously convicted of bribing former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and went to jail for a total of 18 months from 2017 to 2021.

Persons: Jay Y, Lee, Kim Hong, Park, hye, Joyce Lee, Miral Fahmy, Mark Potter Organizations: Samsung Electronics, South, Samsung, Seoul Central District Court, Prosecutors, Cheil Industries, REUTERS, Korean, Analysts, South Korean, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, KS, Seoul, South Korea

[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 reset market expectations for how soon the Federal Reserve will cut rates and weighed on the dollar. The greenback is poised for its biggest weekly drop since July, down 1.6% over the past five days, and second-biggest decline this year. Data that showed U.S. single-family homebuilding increased marginally in October briefly supported the dollar, but with inflation the main market driver it remained lower on the day. The euro was up 0.17% at $1.0868 after Eurostat data confirmed year-on-year inflation in the euro zone slowed sharply in October.

Persons: Marcos Brindicci, Bipan Rai, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, Lee Hardman, Robert Holzmann, Joachim Nagel, Christine Lagarde, Herbert Lash, Iain Withers, Rae Wee, Tom Westbrook, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan 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

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