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☆ ProSiebenSat.1 interested in Sky TV operations in Germany - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Andreas Rinke | Miranda Murray | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN/MILAN, Nov 9 (Reuters) - German media group ProSiebenSat.1 (PSMGn.DE) is exploring a potential deal to buy into Sky's pay-TV operations in Germany, two sources close to the matter said on Wednesday. Comcast (CMCSA.O), which acquired Sky Deutschland as part of a $40 billion buyout of European pay-TV broadcaster Sky in 2018, did not immediately respond to request for comment. Comcast is working with advisory firm PJT Partners as it is weighing a disposal of the German business, the sources said. One of the sources said there were limited synergies between the two businesses, given that ProSiebenSat.1's TV business was driven by advertising. European broadcasters are struggling to find ways to tackle increasing challenges as the continental landscape is increasing dominated by U.S. streaming giants.

☆ China's Covid controls are hurting more of the economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's Covid situation is only getting worse, preventing the country from stamping out the virus and relaxing controls. As of Monday, China's Covid controls negatively affected 12.2% of national GDP — up from 9.5% a week ago, according to Nomura's model. Recent Covid infections have been reported in more than 20 of China's 31 province-level regions. It was not immediately clear whether there was any impact on factory production in the South China region. China's Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

☆ Skoda focused on profitability over volumes, CEO tells E15
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Czech carmaker Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen group (VOWG_p.DE), is still aiming for sales of at least 1 million cars a year but is targeting profitability over higher volumes, its CEO was quoted as saying on Monday. "Before it was speculated about whether Skoda should aim for 1.5 or 2 million cars sold a year. Our goal is and will be passing the 1 million mark, but in the current situation profitability is much more important than the volume itself," Skoda Chief Executive Klaus Zellmer told daily E15 in an interview, part of which was published on Monday. Like other carmakers, Skoda is working through a large backlog of orders that is keeping production at capacity. Reporting by Jason Hovet Editing by David Goodman and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Listen to the haunting audio of Earth's magnetic field released by the European Space Agency
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The European Space Agency released five minutes of haunting audio from Earth's magnetic field. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe European Space Agency this week released five minutes of haunting, crackling audio — revealing what Earth's magnetic field sounds like. Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark took magnetic signals, measured by ESA's Swarm satellite mission dedicated to surveying the magnetic field, and converted them to sound. "The rumbling of Earth's magnetic field is accompanied by a representation of a geomagnetic storm that resulted from a solar flare on 3 November 2011, and indeed it sounds pretty scary," Nielsen added. Representatives of the European Space Agency and of the Technical University of Denmark did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Russian naval officers discussed nuking Berlin during a training exercise to unnerve Germany and erode support for Ukraine, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian naval officers chatted last year about nuking Berlin and two military bases in Germany, per Der Spiegel. The military bases — Ramstein and Buchel — are both used by the US military. The Times of London reported that the chatter may have intended to spook Germany and the West. Reuters reported that deeply-held fears of a nuclear war in Germany, felt strongly during the Cold War, have begun to re-emerge. Towns near US military bases, such as Ramstein, are particularly nervous, Reuters said.

It is a flashback for a nation that found itself at the geographic and political centre of the Cold War. "No one should use nuclear weapons," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned earlier this month. While some Germans are nervous, not everyone fears another Cold War. Stuttgart mayor Frank Nopper grew up next to neighbours who bought a vacation home in Spain to flee any hostilities in Germany during the Cold War. He said his city feels closer than many German municipalities to the Ukraine war because his region is home to two U.S. military command centres.

☆ Fact Check-Social media users duped by tweet about Sunak from account parodying the World Economic Forum
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media users are sharing a tweet about new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from an account that parodies the World Economic Forum (WEF), which says: “We always get our man in the end.”The post (here) has been shared more than 7,800 times. Replies suggest people believe it was tweeted by the verified WEF account (found at twitter.com/wef), with two users posting separate images about the WEF’s chief executive Klaus Schwab allegedly controlling Sunak (here and here). Screenshots of the tweet have been uploaded to Facebook (here, here and here), where together the posts have been shared dozens of times. The tweet was originally uploaded by an account called World Ecommunist Forum (twitter.com/EcommunistForum), which says it is: “The international organization for public-private-parody cooperation”. The tweet was posted by a Twitter account that parodies the WEF.

☆ Gender equity at work is stalling after 'mass exodus' of women during pandemic, new research finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gender equity progress in the workforce has slowed down over the pandemic, a KPMG report found. Progress slowsBefore the pandemic, many businesses were making strides toward gender equity, but their progress has significantly slowed down since, the report found. Among most of the surveyed companies, women made up just 17% of leadership positions and 25% of total employees as of 2022. Women still make up just 17% of leadership positions, according to the latest KPMG DEI Progress survey. "Only 12 percent have reported making significant changes in their companies' DEI profiles," it found.

☆ Germany to legalize cannabis use for recreational purposes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Riham Alkousaa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a cornerstone paper on planned legislation to regulate the controlled distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among adults. Acquiring and possessing up to 20 to 30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption would also be made legal. Many European countries, including Germany, have already legalised cannabis for limited medicinal purposes. The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has been legal in Germany since 2017. Germany's pharmacists association warned of the health risks of legalising cannabis and said it would put pharmacies in medical conflict.

☆ Romanian defence minister resigns, pressured after Ukraine comment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUCHAREST, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Romanian Defence Minister Vasile Dincu resigned on Monday, saying he could not collaborate with the country's president, amid pressure weeks after he said Ukraine's only chance to end the war was to negotiate with Russia. Some 2.65 million Ukrainians have fled to Europe through Romania in the eight months since the war started. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"My gesture (resignation) comes as it is impossible to cooperate with the Romanian president, the army's commander-in-chief," Dincu said in a statement. In early October, Dincu said Ukraine needed international allies to negotiate security guarantees and peace with Russia, sparking criticism from President Klaus Iohannis and leaders of the ruling governing coalition. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German companies increasingly struggling to access credit - Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Around one in four German companies currently seeking new loans are reporting restraint from lenders as high inflation and concerns over energy supply rattle Europe's largest economy, according to a survey published on Monday. The figure - 24.3% - is the highest seen since 2017, said the Ifo institute, which conducted the survey. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Without new loans, some companies might struggle for economic survival," he added. As many as 28.8% of companies seeking credit in the services sector reported difficulties, around 8.4% of chemical companies and 22.5% automakers, Ifo said. The smallest businesses and the solo self-employed were most affected due to their dependency on bank loans, according to the institute.

☆ Eurowings pilots begin strike over workload
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Pilots at Lufthansa's (LHAG.DE) Eurowings began a three-day strike on Monday over working hours, their union said, confirming action that could affect thousands of the budget airline's passengers. And so far there is no new offer," sais a spokesperson for the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots' union. The union wants the carrier to ease pilot workloads through measures such as increased rest periods, but Eurowings warned over the weekend that the demands put jobs at risk. It expects to cancel a similar number of flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. The walkout is due to end at 11.59 pm local time (2159 GMT) on Wednesday.

☆ Tens of thousands of passengers affected by first day of Eurowings strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Pilots at Lufthansa's (LHAG.DE) Eurowings began a three-day strike over working hours, their union said, affecting tens of thousands of the budget airline's passengers on Monday. And so far there is no new offer," said a spokesperson for the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots' union. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA view of a time table showing cancelled flights as Eurowings pilots go on a three-day strike, in Cologne, Germany, October, 17, 2022. REUTERS/Thilo SchmuelgenThe airline said about 240 out of 488 flights have been cancelled at airports in Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart, affecting about 25,000 passengers on the strike's first day. Eurowings pilots had held a one-day strike for improved working conditions at the start of October, affecting about 30,000 passengers and the cancellation of about 250 flights.

☆ Ryanair CEO predicts higher fares on 'surprisingly strong' bookings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Klaus Lauer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Ryanair sees mid to high single-digit fare growthO'Leary says travel demand supported by high savingsBERLIN, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Ryanair's (RYA.I) bookings for the autumn mid-term and Christmas holidays are ahead of pre-COVID levels and it sees average fares rising by more than expected for the financial year to end-March, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Thursday. "At the moment they (bookings) are surprisingly strong, we thought they would begin to ease off but actually forward bookings into the mid-term and into Christmas are stronger in terms of volume and pricing than they were pre-COVID," O'Leary said in an interview. "But so far everything seems to indicate that people are switching to the lowest cost airline and in all markets that's Ryanair," he said. It expects to fly 166.5 million passengers in the year to the end of March, significantly ahead of its previous annual record of 149 million reached before the pandemic brought the travel industry to a standstill. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Klaus Lauer, Writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Mark Potter and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German gas consumption too high, says energy regulator
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Germany's network regulator, which would be in charge of gas rationing in the event of a supply emergency, on Thursday said that household consumption was too high to be sustainable. Last week's usage of natural gas by German households and small industry was 483 gigawatt hours, up 14.5% above the average for that week over the past four years, the Federal Network Agency said. "Without significant savings in the private area of consumption, it will be difficult to avoid an emergency situation in winter." Germany requires more gas imports and its neighbours need to organise stable supplies, he said, but energy savings are the order of the day. Households and small industry account for 40% of consumption while big manufacturing industries require 60% of the country's gas.

☆ German inflation at highest level in over 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Full shelves with groceries are pictured in a supermarket during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschSummary EU-harmonized inflation at 10.9%Energy costs up 43.9% year-on-yearAnalyst: ECB must act quickly, vigorouslyBERLIN, Sept 29 (Reuters) - German inflation was at its highest in more than a quarter of a century in September, driven by high energy prices, data showed, as analysts warned that the energy crisis has yet to make itself fully felt. Consumer prices, harmonised to make them comparable with inflation data from other European Union countries (HICP), increased by 10.9% on the year, the federal statistics office said. That was the highest reading since comparable data going back to 1996. Dwindling gas supplies from Russia have pushed energy prices, and correspondingly inflation, to highs not seen in decades, with the massive loss in consumer purchasing power adding to the likelihood that a recession is on the way.

☆ German economic institutes see 2023 contraction as gas crisis hits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Four leading German economic institutes have almost halved their spring economic growth forecast for Europe's largest economy this year and slashed their 2023 projection to -0.4% from 3.1%, they said on Thursday. The four institutes now expect 1.4% growth this year, down from 2.7% seen in the spring. "The crisis on the gas markets is having a severe impact on the German economy," said the four institutes - Munich-based Ifo, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) and the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (RWI). "Soaring gas prices are drastically increasing energy costs, leading to a massive reduction of the purchasing power," they added in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Klaus Lauer and Paul Carrel, Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germans will face a gas shortage this winter unless they use less energy - while a new price cap could encourage more consumption
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amid colder weather, gas consumption was 14.5% above average compared to 2018-2021, Federal Network Agency data shows. The German government, however, has also proposed a gas price cap, which could incentivize more energy use. But that could be difficult to achieve with the government proposing a price cap that could make using gas more affordable. "Without significant savings in the private sector, too, it will be difficult to avoid a gas shortage in winter," he said in a statement Thursday. To avoid a gas shortage, a reduction of at least 20% in consumption is necessary, the regulator estimated.

☆ Germany must protect gas infrastructure after Nord Stream leaks, regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Erol Dogrudogan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Nord Stream AG FollowBONN, Germany, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Germany must move to protect its gas infrastructure in light of the incidents that caused the Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines to leak into the sea, the head of Germany's network regulator told Reuters on Thursday. Europe is scrambling to investigate suspected sabotage that caused pipelines carrying Russian gas to leak into the Baltic Sea. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Gas has not flowed to Germany or Europe via either of the two pipelines. There are liquefied gas plants, a gas energy infrastructure and it has to be well protected. Finance Minister Christian Lindner, while outlining Thursday's relief measures, said Germany was in an "energy war".

☆ As Biden vows to 'protect' Social Security, here's what we know about the future of benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"I want to save Social Security, Medicare and Veterans benefits." A spokeswoman for Scott pointed to a recent interview where he said his plan would help make sure people get their Social Security benefits. Specific plans from both parties are needed to secure the future of both Social Security and Medicare, she said. Due to high inflation, estimates show the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is poised to be the highest in decades, according to The Senior Citizens League. One more month of consumer price index data will come in before the official bump for next year is announced by the Social Security Administration.

☆ Lilium aims to build 400 air taxis a year, seek grants
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, Sept 28 (Reuters) - German air taxi developer Lilium Air Mobility plans to set up industrial capacity to make some 400 of its electrically powered Lilium Jet flying shuttles a year, while tapping schemes that provide public research support, its new chief executive said. But the challenges of securing certification and funding the innovations such as fresh battery technology have weighed on the new sector. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"I am pushing hard (for) a production system for 400 aircraft. "Let's size it and let's see how we have to design a production system including the whole supply chain for 400 aircraft," Roewe said after a quarterly shareholder update. The company is planning for the first time to tap standard public sources of funds such as research grants, Roewe said.

☆ Layoffs, lost sales, and revised business plans: How a Facebook tech glitch is wreaking havoc for advertisers around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A technical glitch continues to ban Meta ad accounts at random. But three weeks ago, business ground to a halt when Color Crush Book's Facebook ad account was unexpectedly terminated. The founders of Color Crush Books said they're considering shifting from their digital-only model after experiencing Facebook ad account issues. The company's Meta ad account was reinstated on Tuesday after Insider contacted Meta. Silverbird's ad account was disabled in mid-August and Lorenzos shifted some of the budget to search and offline channels.

☆ Ukraine refugees push German population to all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A soldier leads people during the "Schneller Adler" or "Fast Eagle" exercise of evacuation of refugees at an airport in Barth, North Germany May 5, 2022. Germany recorded net immigration of 750,000 people from Ukraine over the same period. In 1992, refugees from the war in former Yugoslavia helped swell the population by 700,000. In 2015, Germany let in almost a million refugees from war in the Middle East. Germany's female population grew by 1.2%, significantly more than its male population, which increased by 0.8%, reflecting the fact that mainly women and children fled the war in Ukraine.

☆ German officials reportedly believe the crucial Nord Stream natural-gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe were attacked near a Danish island
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

German officials reportedly believe the Nord Stream Russia-Europe natural-gas pipelines were attacked. Later Tuesday, the Kremlin said it couldn't rule out that damage to the Nord Stream pipelines was caused by sabotage. The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipeline systems are the largest for sending natural-gas from Russia to Europe. The Danish Energy Agency said Monday it had discovered a leak in the Nord Stream 2 system near Bonhomme, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea. The Swedish Maritime Authority said leaks had been detected in both Nord Steam 1 and Nord Stream 2 near Bornholm.

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Initial offers for RTL's 48% stake in French TV channel M6 are expected by Friday after a failed tie-up with France's TF1 broadcaster, a person familiar with the matter said. RTL has been "inundated" with expressions of interest in the M6 stake since TF1 and M6 called off their planned merger last week, its boss Thomas Rabe told the Financial Times on Thursday. Other potential buyers include French media group Vivendi (VIV.PA) and Altice, owned by billionaire Patrick Drahi, alongside Italian media conglomerate MediaForEurope (MFE), Reuters reported on Monday. If RTL wants to sell M6, a deal must be completed by spring 2023, because M6's broadcasting license comes up for renewal in May. In March 2021, when Bertelsmann confirmed talks to sell its stake, French media reported the RTL's stake was worth 1.5 billion euros ($1.48 billion), valuing all of M6 at around 3 billion euros.

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