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☆ France's Macron, Ukraine's Zelenskiy discuss wartime plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed strategies on Sunday, including what the Ukrainian leader described as joint decisions ahead of this week's anniversary of Russia's invasion of his country. The two leaders spoke by telephone as Western leaders pledged at a conference in Munich to strengthen their support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's latest military attacks. "...We also discussed important decisions that we are planning for this week - for our year of resistance." Macron also reaffirmed to Zelenskiy his support for a 10-point peace proposal laid out by Zelenskiy, during their phone call. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Ron Popeski, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ French car parts group Faurecia to sell SAS cockpit unit to Motherson
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - French car parts maker Faurecia (EPED.PA) has agreed to sell its SAS Cockpit Modules arm to automotive supplier Motherson Group (SAMD.NS), in a transaction based on an enterprise value of 540 million euros ($577.5 million), Faurecia said on Sunday. Faurecia last year took over German rival Hella (HLE.DE) to form a new European car parts company called FORVIA, and Faurecia chief Patrick Koller said the sale of the SAS business would help FORVIA to focus better on its core activities. "I am convinced that this transaction would unlock additional value for SAS," Koller said in a statement. "This would also allow FORVIA to focus on its core business activities developing breakthrough technologies and would fulfil our non-strategic asset divestment programme of 1 billion euros by end-2023," he added. ($1 = 0.9351 euros)Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by David Goodman and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) aid convoy enters northwestern Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Paris-founded medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said that a convoy of 14 MSF trucks had entered northwestern Syria on Feb. 19 from a nearby border crossing to assist in earthquake rescue operations. More than 46,000 people have been killed as a result of the quake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6. The toll is expected to climb, with about 345,000 apartments in Turkey now known to have been destroyed and many people still missing. Reporting by John Irish Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Macron - France wants Russia's defeat, but not to 'crush' it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - France wants Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but it does not want to "crush" it, President Emmanuel Macron told paper Le Journal du Dimanche. "I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil. Those observers want to, above all else, crush Russia. That has never been the position of France and it will never be our position," Macron said in an interview published on Saturday. On Friday, Macron urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine.

☆ Police operation underway in Paris district of La Defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A police operation is underway in the French capital's La Defense business district, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter on Saturday as Paris police said "an incident" had triggered a panicked rush of people in the area. A spokesperson for the Paris police department dismissed reports that gunshots had been fired. The Paris police department earlier issued a tweet advising the public to avoid the area. It did not give further details. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Laetitia Volga Editing by Richard Lough and Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pfizer, Valneva to stop testing Lyme disease vaccine in some U.S. patients
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Bhanvi Satija | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pfizer company logo is seen at a Pfizer office in Puurs, Belgium, December 2, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronFeb 17 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and France's Valneva (VLS.PA) will stop testing a Lyme disease vaccine in roughly half of U.S. patients in a late-stage study, the companies said, citing a breach of clinical trial guidelines by a third-party contractor. Pfizer still expects to submit marketing applications for the experimental vaccine in the United States and Europe in 2025. The trial was expected to include around 6,000 participants aged 5 and older across Europe and United States, where Lyme disease is highly endemic. Paris-listed shares of Valneva fell nearly 10% to 5.72 euros following the news and U.S.-listed shares of Pfizer were down marginally in premarket trading.

☆ Airbus targets 720 deliveries in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Industry sources have said Airbus is currently producing 45 of the workhorse jets a month. Revenues rose 13% to 58.763 billion euros, buoyed by higher deliveries compared to the previous year and a strong dollar. Industry sources had previously said A350 output was scheduled to remain steady at 6 a month throughout 2024 and 2025, up from 5.6 a month in 2023. Airbus' net cash rose to 9.4 billion euros, closing in on a threshold previously identified for potential share buybacks. Faury told investors in September he would discuss buybacks with the board "as soon as we hit the 10 billion euros mark."

☆ Atos flags talks with Airbus after offer for minority share in Evidian
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - French IT group Atos (ATOS.PA) said on Thursday it had received an indicative offer from Airbus (AIR.PA) for Atos' minority stake of 29.9% in Evidian, adding that its board had decided to continue talks in view of a deal. "Atos does not intend to grant any exclusivity to Airbus, and no assurances can be made that the parties will successfully negotiate and enter into a definitive set of agreements," Atos said in a statement. Last year, Atos had said it planned to split into two publicly listed companies by spinning off its cybersecurity operations along with some other units into a new unit dubbed Evidian. In January, the company's shares rallied after first media reports about interest in Evidian. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Tom Hogue and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. and NATO see Ukraine in urgent need of more arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/10] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov attend a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 14, 2023. "Ukraine has urgent requirements to help it meet this crucial moment in the course of the war," U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said at a meeting of the so-called Ramstein group of allies of Ukraine. When it comes to artillery, we need ammunition, we need spare parts, we need maintenance, we need all the logistics to ensure that we are able to sustain these weapons systems." NATO defence ministers were also to discuss adapting a target for members to spend 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Some nations see this as too low, given the Ukraine war, while others such as Germany are still far below the 2%.

☆ NATO Secretary General: incidents with balloons over U.S. form part of pattern
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Recent incidents regarding balloons shot down by the United States, which suspects they are surveillance balloons from China, form part of a pattern which highlights the need for NATO to be vigilant, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "What we saw over the United States is part of a pattern where China and also Russia are increasing surveillance activities on NATO allies," Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. It was the fourth flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week. China's foreign ministry said it had no information on the latest three flying objects shot down by the United States. Reporting by Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ France urges stronger international response to Iran's missile program
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna looks on during a news conference with Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira ( not pictured ) at Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File PhotoSummary French govt: Colonna spoke to Blinken on ThursdayDiscussed Iran, Ukraine, Armenia, AzerbaijanUrged stronger response to Iran missile programmePARIS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - There must be a stronger "international response" to the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles program, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told her U.S. counterpart Anthony Blinken, France's Foreign Ministry said on Friday. The French Foreign Ministry said Colonna and Blinken had spoken by phone on Thursday, during which they discussed an array of topics, including Ukraine and Iran. Colonna and Blinken also reiterated their "full support" to Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia almost a year ago, and discussed the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten and John Irish; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ French Senate to open commission of inquiry into TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The French Senate will open a commission of inquiry into Chinese social media company TikTok to look into its use and strategy of influence, according to a statement from senator Claude Malhuret's office. The commission of inquiry will aim to shed light on whether TikTok promotes certain content in some parts of the world, excluding China, in order to undermine its foreign users or not, according to Claude Malhuret, the lead senator on the topic. It will also look into the platform's obligations in terms of protecting personal data. The commission, approved last night by a conference of the presidents of political groups in the Senate, will start working from March 1 with 19 members of the Senate. Reporting by Marine Strauss, Blandine Henault; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

PARIS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - French investment firm Eurazeo (EURA.PA) ousted Chief Executive Virginie Morgon on Monday and named a new executive board following a row with the group's number one shareholder, the Decaux family, a source close to the matter said. Jean-Charles Decaux, Eurazeo's chairman, pushed for the decision after a number of matters caused friction between Morgon and the Decaux family, which owns 18% of Eurazeo, the source said. A spokesperson for Jean-Charles Decaux, who is also co-CEO of JCDecaux (JCDX.PA), the world's biggest outdoor advertising firm, declined to comment. In a statement Jean-Charles Decaux, Eurazeo's supervisory board president, called the newly appointed executive board "collegial" and "focused". ($1 = 0.9298 euros)Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nissan board also approved planned restructuring deal with Renault - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The board of Nissan (7201.T) has also voted in favour of reshaping its alliance with French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA), a source said on Monday. The agreement, which will retool the two-decade-old alliance, had already got the backing from Renault's board on Sunday. It will be formally unveiled on Monday in London. Reporting by Gilles Guillaume and Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU agrees on price caps on Russian refined oil products
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 3 (Reuters) - European Union countries agreed to set price caps on Russian refined oil products to limit Moscow's funds for its invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish presidency of the EU said on Friday. The price caps, together with an EU ban on Russian oil product imports, are part of a broader agreement among the Group of Seven (G7) countries. Both caps prohibit Western insurance, shipping and other companies from financing, insuring, trading, brokering or carrying cargoes of Russian crude and oil products unless they were bought at or below the set price caps. There will be a 55-day transition period for sea-borne Russian oil products bought and loaded before Sunday. For crude, regular reviews will set a price cap at least 5% below the average market price for Russian oil.

"Major economies are rightly stepping up investment in net zero industries," von der Leyen told a news conference. And we want to be an important part of this net-zero industry that we need globally," von der Leyen said. RESISTANCEThe European Commission is hoping member states will back its plan at a Feb.9-10 summit but it faces a hot debate. Solar sector industry group SolarPower Europe said it was concerned by what it called a "lack of focus" on specific technologies in the EU plan. The bloc is heavily reliant on China for rare earths and lithium, which are vital materials for the green transition.

☆ France's scandal-hit Orpea reaches restructuring agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Orpea will cut its debt by around 3.8 billion euros ($4.13 billion) and receive a cash equity injection of 1.55 billion euros under the deal reached with state financial institution Caisse des Depots & Consignations (CDC) and other investors. The main group of investors will hold around 50.2% of Orpea's capital and unsecured financial creditors will own 49.4%, Orpea added in a statement. Its unsecured financial debts will be convertible into equity, while there will be capital increases to fund the new cash equity injection. Orpea's shares slumped by 93% in 2022 after a book highlighted potential malpractice at its care homes. French police carried out raids on Orpea care homes last November, while an independent audit found evidence of financial wrongdoing.

☆ France eked out 0.1% growth in Q4 as energy crisis eased
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The French fourth quarter GDP figures also provided a positive contrast to Germany after data on Monday showed that the euro zone's biggest economy had unexpectedly shrunk in the fourth quarter. "However, the weakness of domestic demand at the end of last year suggests that a recession is likely, albeit not certain," he added. INSEE said that foreign trade added 0.5 percentage points to GDP in the final quarter of 2022 as exports fell only 0.3 percentage points against 1.9% for imports on lower energy prices. That helped make up for weak domestic demand and companies destocking inventories, which both subtracted 0.2 percentage points from GDP. As record inflation eroded households purchasing power, consumer spending weighed on overall domestic demand, falling 0.9% from the previous three months.

☆ VIEW Nissan, Renault agree to overhaul alliance, putting themselves on equal footing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We understand Renault is able to ring fence its own technology within the alliance allowing the firm to collaborate also with other external partners beyond the Renault Nissan alliance. "Overall we welcome this step which will enhance the industrial collaboration within the alliance." JEFFERIES"A re-sized capital structure should help keep the Alliance viable, maintaining synergies and opening up strategic opportunities on both sides. Ultimately it means that a disorderly unwind of the alliance has been avoided which is a positive. "Over the short term, it's possible there may be selling (of Nissan shares) due to a worsening of supply and demand.

☆ LVMH shares fall as margins disappointment takes shine off Q4 figures
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - LVMH (LVMH.PA) shares, which had hit a record high earlier this month, fell on Friday as some analysts expressed an element of disappointment over the company's margins, which took some of the shine off its fourth-quarter figures. LVMH reported late on Thursday that its sales rose 9% in the fourth quarter as shoppers in Europe and the United States splurged over the crucial holiday season, helping partly to offset COVID disruptions in China. However, some analysts said one weak spot was its flat margins. "The slight wrinkle is on the margin, where the group delivered a flat operating margin year-on-year (versus consensus of +90 bps) – largely a reflection of maintaining/raising H2 marketing spend despite disrupted revenue growth," wrote Credit Suisse analysts. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Silvia Aloisi and Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ France and Iraq sign comprehensive strategic partnership agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

France and Iraq signed a treaty seeking to strengthen bilateral relations in anti-corruption, security, renewable energy and culture, the Elysee Palace said in a statement issued in the early hours of Friday. "In terms of alternative energies, they showed their commitment to the implementation of TotalEnergies's (TTEF.PA) multiple-energies project (...) based on solar energy and investments in gas." When TotalEnergies and Baghdad in 2021 signed an agreement to build four giant solar, gas, power and water projects in southern Iraq over 25 years, hopes for an exodus reversal were high. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Shell (SHEL.L) and BP (BP.L) have all sought to scale back their operations in Iraq in recent years. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UNESCO grants Odesa's historic centre World Heritage in Danger status
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A man walks next to the Opera Theatre building in the city centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Serhii SmolientsevPARIS, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The United Nations' cultural agency, UNESCO, said on Wednesday that it had designated the historic centre of Odesa, a strategic port city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, a World Heritage in Danger site. The status, awarded by a UNESCO panel meeting in Paris, is designed to help protect Odesa’s cultural heritage, which has been under threat since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and enable access to financial and technical international aid. Although the city suffered significant damage in World War Two, its famed central grid square of low-rise 19th century buildings survived mostly intact. Odesa was one of Ukraine’s main tourist hubs before Russia’s invasion.

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I like Juniper Networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...AT&T Inc : "It's not as bad as it used to be." Loading chart...Plug Power Inc : "[CEO] Andy Marsh has promised us profitably for a very long time. Loading chart...Juniper Networks Inc : "I like Juniper Networks. I think KAR is very, very good." Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Devon Energy.

☆ Spain, France champion Europe's industry in bilateral summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Joan Faus | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. efforts to boost green technology should not lead to the dismantling of Europe's industry, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday after signing a new bilateral treaty with French President Emmanuel Macron in Barcelona. The industrial references come amid an intense debate within the European Union on how to respond to government support measures under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). "We need to accelerate our green technology, and our 'Made in Europe' strategy," he said. About 6,500 Catalan separatists protested outside the museum where the summit took place against Sanchez's position on independence, according to police estimates. Catalonia's regional leader Pere Aragones greeted Sanchez and Macron before the summit, but left before both countries' anthems were played.

☆ BNP Paribas' $16 bln U.S. sale to BMO wins regulatory OK
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), France's biggest listed bank, said on Wednesday that it had received all the necessary regulatory approvals to complete its previously announced sale of Bank of the West to Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO). BNP Paribas added that this transaction was expected to close on Feb 1. "The closing of the Bancwest sale has been long-awaited ... and is a significant positive catalyst for BNP shares in our view," Jefferies analysts said in a note. Once the deal closes, it will bring nearly 1.8 million commercial, retail, wealth management and business banking customers and over 9,300 Bank of the West employees to BMO. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Silvia Aloisi and Manya Saini in Bengaluru editing by Jason Neely and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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