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STOCKHOLM, June 30 (Reuters) - The proposed EU Artificial Intelligence legislation would jeopardise Europe's competitiveness and technological sovereignty, according to an open letter signed by more than 160 executives at companies ranging from Renault (RENA.PA) to Meta (META.O). EU lawmakers agreed to a set of draft rules this month where systems like ChatGPT would have to disclose AI-generated content, help distinguish so-called deep-fake images from real ones and ensure safeguards against illegal content. Since ChatGPT became popular, several open letters have been issued calling for regulation of AI and raising the "risk of extinction from AI." The third, Yann LeCun, who works at Meta, signed Friday's letter challenging the EU regulations. The letter warned that under the proposed EU rules technologies like generative AI would become heavily regulated and companies developing such systems would face high compliance costs and disproportionate liability risks.

Persons: ChatGPT, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua, Yann LeCun, OpenAI's Altman, Supantha Mukherjee, Jamie Freed Organizations: EU Artificial Intelligence, Renault, EU, Meta, Spanish, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, French, Europe, Stockholm

☆ H&M to grow third-party brand strategy as online rivalry intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, June 29 (Reuters) - H&M (HMb.ST) plans to sell more third-party brands online and in stores, CEO Helena Helmersson said on Thursday, as one of the world's top fashion retailers ramps up its effort to take on e-commerce rivals. Its marketplace strategy, launched last year, is aimed at challenging online rivals like Zalando, ASOS, and fast-fashion giant Shein as competition intensifies. Inditex-owned (ITX.MC) Zara features other brands only for exclusive collaborations, such as with South Korean label Ader Error and British shoemaker Clarks. "This has been really well received by customers who also complement the H&M assortment with other brands," Helmersson said. "Inditex's thinking is focused on its own brands, own stores and own online," said Lowery.

Persons: Helena Helmersson, M's, Zara, Clarks, Helmersson, Geoff Lowery, Inditex's Zara, Lowery, Marie, Helen Reid, Josephine Mason, Emma Rumney Organizations: Adidas, South, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Cos, Swedish, Monki, Hong Kong, Stockholm, London

☆ How a record-setting 'Ugly Baby' mission allowed US special operators to outmaneuver Iraqi forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US special-operations forces wanted to infiltrate northern Iraq to tied down Iraqi forces there. Operation Ugly BabyA map of the Ugly Baby mission route along Iraq's western border on March 22, 2003. US Green Berets in an MC-130H heading to Iraq during Operation Ugly Baby on March 22, 2003. A US special-operations aircraft that was forced land by enemy fire during Operation Ugly Baby in March 2003. In all, Task Force Viking numbered about 400 special operators, including elite Delta Force commandos, Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group, and frogmen from the UK's Special Boat Service.

Persons: —, Saddam Hussein, Elwell, JOSEPH BARRAK, Baby, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Operation, US, Allies, US Army, Operation Iraqi, NATO, Turkish, Special Forces, Green Berets, Air, Special Operations Squadron, Detachment Alpha, Air Force, Task Force, US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade, Getty, Delta Force, 10th Special Forces Group, CIA, Republication Guard, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Iraq, Operation Iraqi, Baghdad, reorienting, Turkey, Kurdish, Turkish, Romania, Jordan, Syria, Erbil, AFP, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Johns

☆ Spanish researchers aim to 'trick nature' with artificial womb
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Horaci Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, June 29 (Reuters) - Researchers in Barcelona are trying to "trick nature" by creating an artificial womb for extremely premature babies after tests on animals kept foetuses alive for 12 days. Their artificial placenta prototype recreates a protective environment with a translucent container made of biocompatible material inside which the foetus' lungs, intestines and brain can continue to develop. Babies born after six months of pregnancy or less are considered extremely premature with a high risk of death or disability. It's a challenge, it's extremely delicate to achieve this, to trick nature to make this possible," Gratacos said. "Although it is an exciting development, the artificial placenta is not intended to replace a natural placenta," Werner said.

Persons: Eduard Gratacos, Gratacos, Kelly Werner, Werner, Horaci Garcia, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Reuters, Fundacion La Caixa, Caixabank, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Columbia University, Science Media Centre, Thomson Locations: BARCELONA, Barcelona, Spanish

☆ European wind developers play down Siemens Gamesa turbine troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UBS analysts said that in a worst-case scenario charges for Siemens Energy could exceed 5 billion euros. Denmark's Orsted said it operates one onshore wind farm with Siemens Energy turbines and that Orsted's portfolio of turbines has "high availability rates, reflecting that wind power has very little down-time." Siemens Gamesa has already told Iberdrola that it would proceed with a retrofit design, the source said, adding no technical issues for the remaining fleet of Siemens Gamesa turbines had been observed. Siemens Energy shares were up 5.7% at 1428 GMT, recovering some losses after analysts said Friday's sell-off was overblown. Siemens Gamesa first disclosed problems around its 5X model in July 2021, flagging higher than expected ramp-up costs.

Persons: Siemens Gamesa, Germany's, Denmark's Orsted, Eolus Vind, Iberdrola, Friday's, Andres Gonzalez, Forrest Crellin, Christoph Steitz, Marek Strzelecki, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Nora Buli, Pietro Lombardi, Nina Chestney, Mark Potter, Alexander Smith Organizations: Siemens, Siemens Energy, UBS, EDF, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Siemens Gamesa, Poland's PGE, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Copenhagen, Baltica, Baltic, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Oslo, Madrid

☆ Telecom Italia grid talks leave Vivendi in a bind
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) is moving ahead with the long-awaited sale of its grid. The 5.5 billion euro Italian group has entered exclusive talks with private equity powerhouse KKR (KKR.N), and wants a binding offer by Sept. 30. Vivendi however is valuing the NetCo at 31 billion euros. A 26 billion euro price tag would imply an EV/EBITDA multiple of 14 times. That’s almost three times that of Vodafone (VOD.L) or Telefonica (TEF.MC), assuming the grid’s EBITDA at 1.8 billion euros, according to Barclays estimates.

Persons: Pietro Labriola, Il Messaggero, That’s, – Labriola, Pamela Barbaglia, Pierre Briancon, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Telecom, KKR, Vivendi, hardball, Telecom Italia’s, Vodafone, Telefonica, Barclays, Twitter, Intel, Thomson Locations: Rome, York, French

The company has provided more than 132 gigawatts (GW) of wind turbines as of the end of April this year to all global regions: 108 GW of onshore wind and 22 GW of offshore wind. The discovery of faulty components at Siemens Gamesa's onshore wind turbines had already caused a charge of nearly half a billion euros in January. Siemens Gamesa has provided wind turbines to some of the biggest power companies and oil and gas majors worldwide. Shares in European wind turbine producers Nordex (NDXG.DE) and Vestas (VWS.CO) also fell as confidence in the industry was shaken. Many wind power developers have already seen delays in projects due to the availability of components and rising costs.

Persons: Siemens Gamesa, Spain's, Denmark's, Nina Chestney, Christoph Steitz, Susan Fenton Organizations: Siemens Energy, Siemens, SIEMENS, WHO, Scottish Power Renewables, East Anglia, Poland's PGE, Siemens AG, Thomson Locations: Spain, Europe, Americas, Britain, North, Baltica, Baltic

☆ Credit Agricole's CACEIS registers in France as crypto custody services provider
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - CACEIS, the asset servicing business owned by Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA) and Santander (SAN.MC), has registered with France's markets regulator AMF to provide custody services for digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies. The company registered as a digital asset service provider (DASP) on June 20, according AMF's website, adding a major traditional financial services group to the growing number of crypto companies registered by the French watchdog. France has been supportive of the nascent industry and was the first major European country to grant registration to the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. CACEIS had 4.1 trillion euros ($4.51 trillion) in assets under custody at end of last year, according to its website. Credit Agricole SA is its majority owner with a 69.5% stake, while Santander holds a 30.5% of the group.

Persons: Mathieu Rosemain, Jane Merriman Organizations: Credit Agricole, Santander, AMF, Binance, Societe Generale, AXA, CACEIS, Credit Agricole SA, Thomson Locations: France

☆ Abu Dhabi's ADNOC, AI firm G42 plan IPO of technology joint venture AIQ -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, June 22 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence company G42 are having early discussions about a possible flotation of their joint venture technology firm AIQ, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. AIQ, which is 60% owned by ADNOC and 40% by G42, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimise processes, improve planning and increase profitability for ADNOC and the wider oil and gas industry. AIQ recently hired veteran investment banker Youssef Salem as chief financial officer, the sources said. G42, which is backed by Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co, AIQ and Salem did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It listed its gas business in March after raising $2.5 billion from the IPO, which was the world's biggest in the first quarter.

Persons: AIQ, Youssef Salem, Salem, Abu, OpenAI, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, ADNOC, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Stephen Coates Organizations: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Reuters, ADNOC, Moelis, Mubadala Investment, U.S, Microsoft Corp, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, U.S, Salem

But the plunge in the deal pipeline prompted soul-searching and job-hopping among investment bankers accustomed to a feast. Barclays, which has struggled to retain bankers following a shake-up in the management of its investment banking division, has lost at least nine top technology bankers in recent weeks. Traditionally, smaller firms have been reluctant to offer investment bankers guaranteed compensation, in order to have more of their pay tied to performance. Alan Johnson, managing director of compensation consultancy Johnson Associates, said that first-year guarantees were common practice in the hiring of investment bankers, but second-year guarantee used to be rare. "You get paid a higher percentage of revenue than in a big bank, but you have to generate the revenue with perhaps less help," Johnson said.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Sam Britton, Britton, Anthony Keizner, Goldman, Nick Pomponi, Rob Chisholm, Troy Broderick, Goldman's, Perella Weinberg, Laurence Braham, Richard Hardegree, Steve Markovich, Ron Eliasek, Jason Auerbach, Alan Johnson, Johnson, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Jamie Freed Organizations: YORK, Goldman, Bank of America, Barclays, Qatalyst Partners, Jefferies Financial, Technology, LSEG, Intelligence, Search, Evercore, UBS, Centerview, Jefferies, SVB Securities, Bank, Reuters, Johnson Associates, Thomson Locations: Qatalyst, New York

☆ Bahrain's Investcorp seeks to raise up to $600 mln from investment vehicle IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, June 20 (Reuters) - Middle East alternative asset manager Investcorp Holding is seeking to raise up to $600 million from the listing of an investment vehicle in Abu Dhabi this year, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Bahrain-based Investcorp is making preparations for a potential public share sale of Investcorp Capital, registered in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the international financial centre in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Investcorp is working with Goldman Sachs (GS.N), First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) (FAB.AD), Emirates NBD (ENBD.DU) and HSBC (HSBA.L) on the plan, the people said. Bloomberg in March reported Investcorp was putting together a plan to list the vehicle. Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Company acquired 20% of the firm in 2017.

Persons: Investcorp Holding, Goldman Sachs, Investcorp, Emirates NBD, Gucci, Mohammed Al Ardhi, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Jason Neely Organizations: Reuters, Investcorp, Abu Dhabi Global Market, United, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates, HSBC, Moelis, Bloomberg, FAB, Tiffany, Nasdaq, Mubadala Investment Company, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, United Arab, Abu, Emirates, U.S, Europe, India, Singapore, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi

☆ A US Reaper drone made its first-ever landing in the dirt, breaking away from the 'leash' of traditional runways
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military recently landed a MQ-9 Reaper drone on a dirt strip for the first time. An Air Force official hailed the exercise as an opportunity to break away from traditional runways. A US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper conducts the first ever MQ-9 Reaper landing on a dirt landing zone during a training exercise near Fort Stockton, Texas, June 15, 2023. For the Air Force, that means learning how to fight from austere locations that provide increased survivability and flexibility. In doing so, a travel pod was attached to the Reaper so it could resupply soldiers who were waiting at the dirt landing zone.

Persons: —, Brian Flanigan, Flanigan, Sgt, Cody H, Ramirez, David Payne , Organizations: An Air Force, Service, US Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, AFSOC, Special Operations Squadron, Commando, 2nd Special Operations Squadron, The Air Force Locations: Fort Stockton, Texas, Fort Stockton , Texas, Wyoming, Rawlins , Wyoming

☆ What Greta Lee, Lizzy Caplan and Spike Lee Wore to Party This Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Emma Grillo | Sadiba Hasan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Monday night, luminaries of music and film, dressed in ruffles, sequins and tulle, gathered in Harlem at the Apollo Theater and in SoHo for a Tribeca Film Festival dinner. Uptown, the Apollo hosted its annual Spring Benefit, where musicians and philanthropists celebrated the theater’s 90th year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Sean Combs accepted awards. The event included performances by Wyclef Jean; Stout; Gladys Knight, and MC Lyte, who were supported by Ray Chew, the music director for the event, and his band. Downtown, on Spring Street, Chanel hosted the 16th annual Tribeca Festival Artists dinner at Balthazar, which honored women artists who contributed original artwork to the festival’s filmmakers. The crowd included Robert De Niro, Lizzy Caplan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Brendan Fraser, Katie Holmes and Sofia Coppola.

Persons: Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Sean Combs, Wyclef Jean, Stout, Gladys Knight, MC Lyte, Ray Chew, Derrick Jones, ”, DJ Kool, Chanel, Balthazar, Robert De Niro, Lizzy Caplan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Brendan Fraser, Katie Holmes, Sofia Coppola Organizations: Apollo, Tribeca, Downtown Locations: Harlem, SoHo

☆ Ferrovial says Dutch relocation could damage brand in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, June 15 (Reuters) - Ferrovial's (FER.MC) decision to move its holding company to the Netherlands to try to speed up a U.S. listing could have an adverse impact on its brand in Spain, the company said in a document published on Thursday. The operation "could potentially have a negative impact on its brand in Spain, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on the group's competitive position," it said. The reverse merger, under which its Dutch subsidiary Ferrovial International SE (FISE) has absorbed holding company Ferrovial, was fully completed on Thursday. In the website prospectus, Ferrovial said Spanish tax authorities could decide the merger falls outside a special tax regime for holding companies that allows dividends and capital gains from the transfer of shares from subsidiaries to be exempt from taxation. Ferrovial on Thursday had no comment beyond the published document.

Persons: Ferrovial, Rafael del Pino, Nadia Calvino, Corina Pons, Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, Sharon Singleton, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Ferrovial, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Netherlands, U.S, Spain, Amsterdam, Madrid, Ferrovial, Spanish

☆ Santander appoints Pedro Castro e Almeida as Europe's regional head
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MADRID, June 15 (Reuters) - Spain's Santander (SAN.MC) on Thursday announced it appointed Pedro Castro e Almeida as regional head for Europe, replacing Antonio Simoes, who was hired to head Britain's Legal and General Group (LGEN.L). As regional chief, Castro will be responsible for the bank's businesses in Europe, including its units in Spain, Britain, Poland and Portugal. The appointment will take effect on September 1, subject to customary approvals, with Simoes continuing in his current position until then, the lender said. Castro will lead the transformation in the region and report to the group's CEO, Hector Grisi, while maintaining his current position as CEO of Santander Portugal. Reporting by Jesús Aguado; editing by Inti LandauroOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pedro Castro e Almeida, Antonio Simoes, Castro, Simoes, Hector Grisi, Jesús, Inti Organizations: Spain's Santander, General Group, Santander, Inti Landauro, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Europe, Spain, Britain, Poland, Portugal, Santander Portugal

☆ Vodafone and Three merger faces scrutiny from competition regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The $19 billion tie-up will be scrutinised by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority, the antitrust regulator which made global headlines in April when it blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. The long-awaited mobile deal reduces the number of networks from four to three, challenging a tenet long held by regulators that four help to keep prices low in major markets. "The government's desire to make the UK a 5G powerhouse requires a lot of investment," he said. One London-based investment banker, who declined to be named, said he put the chance of the deal receiving the green light from regulators at 50%. A major telecoms investor said the deal could be approved, but only with strong remedies, and that could risk undermining its rationale.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Activision Blizzard, Hutchison, Paolo Pescatore, Peter Broadhurst, Moring, James Gray, Sarah Cardell, Robert Finnegan, Gray, Paul Sandle, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Hutchison, O2, Vodafone, CK, HK, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, Ofcom, European Commission, Foresight, Hutchison's, UK plc, Victoria, Crowell, CMA, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Britain's, Tesco Mobile, Telefonica, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Britain, Europe, China, London, Germany

STOCKHOLM, June 15 (Reuters) - H&M (HMb.ST) reported weaker than expected second quarter sales on Thursday as chilly weather held back demand in key markets, although the Swedish clothes group said June had started well and its shares rose by 3% in early trading. "Sales in the second quarter were affected by unfavourable weather conditions compared to the corresponding period last year on several of the H&M group's large markets" H&M said. Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC), whose largest market is warmer Spain, has a smaller share of sales in northern Europe and the U.S. and is also less affected by weather swings. Inditex, which has coped better than H&M in sluggish markets, last week said net sales in its quarter through April were up 13% and, in May, up 16%. H&M, whose single-biggest market is Germany, is due to publish its full quarterly earnings report on June 29.

Persons: Jefferies, Inditex, Richard Chamberlain, Marie Mannes, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Alexander Smith Organizations: Reuters, Royal Bank of Canada, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Europe, Zara, Spain, U.S, Germany

☆ Fashion retailers resilient despite consumer fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares in H&M gained 6% as analysts forecast a stronger third quarter after flat sales from March to May. Bank of America analysts said H&M's sold-out collaboration with luxury brand Mugler could also help boost half-year earnings expected on June 29. Despite sales falling, it said its focus on profit per order was paying off. The online retailer, bruised by shoppers' return to physical stores post-pandemic, has cut stock by 15% since the start of the year and said it was removing unprofitable brands from its platform. "While cracks are clearly visible in the U.S. consumer environment and to a lesser extent in Europe, Hugo Boss has been immune so far," Citi analysts said.

Persons: Sweden's, Inditex, M's, ASOS, Hugo Boss, Helen Reid, Marie Mannes, James Davey, Linda Pasquini, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank of America, Citi, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, China, Zara, London, Stockholm, Gdansk

☆ Subsidies from Big Tech should be last option for EU telcos - Meta Platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 15 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) said on Thursday subsidies from Big Tech should be the last option for European Union telecoms operators trying to get U.S. companies to foot some of their network cost. The European Commission launched a consultation early this year on whether tech giants should bear some of the costs of Europe's telecoms network. A majority of European Union countries have also rejected the push to levy a network fee on Big Tech, sources told Reuters earlier this month. The European Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. It added any subsidies be awarded by a tender to ensure availability to all network operators, not just the large players.

Persons: Meta, Akash Sriram, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Big Tech, European Union, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, European Commission, Meta, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Orange, Bengaluru

☆ New L&G CEO has ways to tackle Brexit discount
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Britain’s Legal & General (LGEN.L) is betting on an outsider to offset a valuation discount against non-UK rivals. The $17 billion insurer has picked Banco Santander’s (SAN.MC) regional head of Europe António Simões as its new CEO. The unit’s non-UK assets accounted for 43% of new money last year. The arrival of the Portuguese-born banker will cost L&G 1.175 million pounds in annual basic salary, 9% more than Wilson’s base pay. That adds pressure for Simões to tackle L&G’s Brexit valuation gap.

Persons: Nigel Wilson –, –, Simões, Assicurazioni, Wilson, Pamela Barbaglia, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Banco Santander’s, Allianz, HSBC, HK, G Capital, Twitter, Bank, Thomson Locations: Europe, Zurich, London, Hong Kong, United States, Portuguese, India

Under the terms, Vodafone will own 51% and Hutchison 49% of the combined group, which will be led by current Vodafone UK boss Ahmed Essam. The finance chief of Hutchison's Three UK, Darren Purkis, will take the same role in the new group. The combined operator will have about 27 million customers, overtaking BT's (BT.L) EE and VM O2, jointly owned by Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Liberty Global (LBTYA.O). Vodafone, which is currently Britain's third-biggest mobile operator, and fourth-placed Hutchison will have options which would allow Vodafone to acquire the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's 49% stake in the future. Shares in Vodafone, which fell to a 25-year low of 71 pence on Tuesday, rose 3.6% after the deal was announced.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Canning Fok, Ahmed Essam, Darren Purkis, Hutchison, Vodafone's Essam, Robert Finnegan, Gail Cartmail, Paul Sandle, Clare Jim, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Vodafone, CK, HK, Hutchison, Hutchison's, BT's, VM O2, Telefonica, Liberty Global, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, Unite, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Britain, Hong Kong, China, London

☆ BTS 10th anniversary: Superfans make pilgrimage to South Korea to celebrate the K-pop band that conquered the globe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Kathleen Magramo | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Scroll through the gallery to see how the K-pop group went global. ilgan Sports/Multi-Bits/Getty Images BTS fans at the "Love Yourself" North American Tour at the Staples Center on September 9, 2018 in Los Angeles. Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/Getty Images BTS won all three awards they were nominated for at the 2021 American Music Awards held in Los Angeles. Theo Wargo/Getty Images BTS addressed Asian inclusion and representation at the White House in Washington, DC on May 31, 2022. “Being in America and not seeing that much of Asian representation, when I saw that seven Asian guys were trending … that totally like piqued my interest immediately.

Persons: Rowan Joss, Katie Myles ’, they’re, ’ ”, Joss, HYBE, Myles, Kim Tae, Jung Ho, Kim Nam, Kim Seok, Jeon Jung, kook, Min Yoon, Psy’s, ”, Chelsea Guglielmino, Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Lipovsky, Matt Winkelmeyer, Theo Wargo, Kent Nishimura, CedarBough Saeji, ” Saeji, Katie Myles, –, hasn’t, Anthony Wallace, ’, Lisa Trinh, Diana Phung, they’ve, Trinh, they’ll, Jimin, Hwang Young, Startrip, Yoonjung Seo, Jungkook, dad, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, it’s, Michelle Cho, It’s, Phung Organizations: Seoul CNN —, BTS, Records, YouTube, ilgan, Staples Center, Chelsea, NBC, Getty, White, Los Angeles Times, East Asian Studies, Pusan National University, ARMY, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Tower, CNN, The, Guinness, Spotify, University of Toronto Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Scotland, Los Angeles, Washington , DC, Korean, AFP, Seoul’s, California, Gangwon province, Busan, Korea, Cafe, America

Another factor that several conference participants identified as vital is that the projects must have customers signed up before FIDs are made. GREEN METHANOLMethanol is shaping up as having the best potential for Tasmanian hydrogen projects, since it can be used to decarbonise shipping, one of the sectors deemed hardest to shift away from fossil fuels. Methanol in Tasmania would be made from combining green hydrogen with wood waste or wood chips. The state-owned grid operator, TasNetworks, needs to build some new transmission lines and refurbish others to meet the additional electricity requirements. And finally, some wind power projects need also to get to FID, with the 1,000-MW Bass Offshore Wind Energy project now looking set to be the first cab off the rank.

Persons: ABEL, Marinus Organizations: Tasmanian Energy Development Conference, FIDs, ABEL Energy, Hydro, Energy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAUNCESTON, Australia, Australia's, Tasmania, Devonport, Bell, Tasmanian, Hydro Tasmania, Victoria, FID

LONDON/MADRID, June 11 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners is poised to buy Sacyr's (SCYR.MC) Valoriza Servicios Medioambientales in a deal that could value the unit at close to 600 million euros ($644.8 million) including debt, people familiar with the matter said. Morgan Stanley Infrastructure has prevailed over other firms in an auction that Valoriza's owner, Spanish construction firm Sacyr, held for the company which started in February, the sources said on Sunday. Valoriza Servicios Medioambientales is specialized in managing a range of services in the waste recycling chain such as collection, treatment and management of waste. Sacyr and Morgan Stanley declined to comment. Sacyr has been advised by Santander and Nomura, while Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners was advised by Deutsche Bank, the sources said.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Valoriza, Sacyr, Morgan, Andres Gonzalez, Corina Pons, Jan Harvey, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, Santander, Nomura, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spanish

☆ Exclusive: LNG developer Venture Global spars with customers over cargoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Italian electric utility company, Edison SpA (EDNn.MI), in May brought an arbitration proceeding against Venture Global over its failure to supply cargoes, Edison's spokeswoman said. Venture Global described the complex at the time of its first cargo shipment last year as holding "the global record for the fastest large-scale greenfield LNG facility to ever be built." Edison and Repsol signed purchase contracts with Venture Global in 2017 and 2018, respectively. That volume irked contract customers who believe Venture Global took advantage of high spot LNG prices at their expense. In its reply to DOE, Venture Global chastised Repsol as an "impatient" customer.

Persons: Shaylyn Hynes, Hynes, Repsol, Portugal's, Edison, Venture Global's Hynes, Curtis Williams, Gary McWilliams, Paul Simao Organizations: HOUSTON, Venture Global LNG, U.S, LNG, Edison SpA, Venture Global, Repsol SA, U.S . Department of Energy, DOE, Venture, Reuters, Edison, Shell, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, General Electric Co, Thomson Locations: Calcasieu, Spanish, Arlington , Virginia, Cameron Parish , Louisiana, Europe, Russia, Ukraine

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