Walt Disney Co to begin second wave of layoffs, cutting several thousand jobs – sources

By Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters) -Walt Disney Co will begin a second wave of layoffs on Monday involving thousands of jobs, as part of efforts to eliminate 7,000 positions and save $5.5 billion in costs, according to sources familiar with the matter. The company will cut “several thousand” jobs through Thursday, with the latest round of…

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Russian central bank to hold rate at 7.5%, inflation pressure looming

By Elena Fabrichnaya and Alexander Marrow MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Russian central bank is expected to hold rates at 7.5% on Friday, a Reuters poll showed, with the risk of inflationary pressure picking up limiting the bank’s room for manoeuvre on any monetary easing. Last year, the bank gradually reversed a late February emergency rate…

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Valentino sales up 10% in 2022 boosted by directly-owned shops

MILAN (Reuters) – Italian fashion house Valentino reported on Monday an 18% rise in core profit for 2022 as sales rose 10% at constant currencies, boosted by its directly operated shops and defying a weak Chinese market. Controlled by Qatari investment vehicle Mayhoola, Valentino reported preliminary revenue of 1.42 billion euros ($1.56 billion) last year….

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Strikes ground flights at German airports, railway walkouts to follow

BERLIN (Reuters) -Industrial action grounded dozens of flights at two major German airports on Monday as security workers and ground services employees in the capital, Berlin, and in Hamburg held a one-day strike over pay. Berlin-Brandenburg airport cancelled all departures and said some landings would also be affected after the Verdi union called security workers…

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Brazil woos sceptical foreign investors with new fiscal plan

By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) -Brazil’s business and political leaders are pressing the case in Europe for investment in the Latin American oil producer as they seek to quell concerns over leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s high-priced spending wishlist. Rebounding commodity prices and a hawkish, independent central bank made Brazil an emerging market…

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EU sanctions more individuals, telecom firm over rights violations in Iran

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) -The European Union imposed sanctions on Monday on eight Iranians and a mobile telecommunications provider in its latest effort to target individuals and organisations it holds responsible for human rights abuses in Iran. The Council of the EU, which brings together the bloc’s member countries, said it was sanctioning Ariantel, a company that…

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Jordanian lawmaker should face trial for gun-running -Israeli minister

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s foreign minister called on Monday for the prosecution of a Jordanian lawmaker held on suspicion of trying to smuggle weapons into the occupied West Bank. Sunday’s arrest of Imad al Adwan at an Israeli-controlled border crossing threatened new strains on the neighbours’ almost three-decade-old relations, often tested by Israel’s policies toward…

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Mexico inflation cools to lowest since Oct 2021, fueling rate cut hopes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican inflation slowed in the first half of April and reached its lowest level in a year and a half, the national statistics agency said on Monday, fueling expectations the central bank may have completed a long cycle of interest rate hikes. Annual headline inflation through mid-April hit 6.24%, further declining from…

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Denmark presents “tight” fiscal budget to fight inflation

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark’s government presented on Monday what it said was a “tight” fiscal spending plan for 2023, seeking to help bring down soaring inflation with a much-delayed budget for the year. “The primary aim is to get Denmark through tough times,” Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen told reporters, calling the government’s policy a “very…

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