Reuters UK/EU - Squid Business

Nordea CEO flags price war in Sweden as lenders battle for market share

By Jesus Calero and Elviira Luoma (Reuters) – Nordea has seen aggressive pricing behaviour among Nordic banks, especially in Sweden, as they compete for customers amid softening loan demand, the CEO of the region’s biggest lender said on Thursday. Competition in Nordea’s key markets is intensifying, with lenders chasing market share in both retail and …

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Greece court sentences former state officials over deadly 2020 floods in central Greece

ATHENS (Reuters) – A Greek court on Thursday handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence to a former regional governor in central Greece and three other former officials over the handling of deadly floods in 2020. Cyclone Ianos swept through central Greece in 2020, killing three people, flooding cities and highways in the region of Thessaly …

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No plan to revive HS2 rail link to northern England, govt source says

LONDON (Reuters) -The new Labour government will not revive a plan to build a high speed railway line from the central English city of Birmingham to northern England, a source said, denying an earlier media report. LBC Radio said earlier on Thursday the government was set to announce that the HS2 high speed railway line …

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France says conditions of citizens held in Iran unacceptable

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – France’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that the conditions that three of its nationals were being held hostage in by Iran were unacceptable, and that Paris continued to work to secure their immediate release. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot met the families of the three citizens on Thursday, deputy spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said …

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Schindler upbeat on North America business as it confirms 2024 guidance

By Bartosz Dabrowski and Bernadette Hogg (Reuters) -Swiss lift- and escalator maker Schindler said on Thursday it was more confident of securing increased orders in North America, as it reaffirmed its full-year guidance of low single-digit revenue growth in local currencies. “We have accelerated our modernisation business and enhanced our offering,” CEO Silvio Napoli told …

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Sweden to loosen budget rules to boost infrastructure, defence

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden plans to ease tight budget spending rules as it looks to boost spending in areas like infrastructure and defence, Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said on Thursday. The government coalition, the Sweden Democrats and the opposition Social Democrats have agreed to target a balanced budget instead of aiming for a surplus of 0.33% …

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UNIFIL has vital role, mission must be strengthened, Italy says

By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) -The U.N. peacekeeping mission to Lebanon is vital to ending war in the region and needs to be strengthened, not withdrawn from combat zones as Israel has demanded, Italy’s defence minister said on Thursday. The U.N. mission known as UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the …

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Vonovia CEO: no longer need cash flow to relieve balance sheet

BERLIN (Reuters) – Vonovia will no longer need cash flow to relieve its balance sheets after officially initiating a change of strategy with the presentation of nine-month figures next month, the property company’s chief executive told Handelsblatt newspaper. Germany’s largest real estate group will present the results on Nov. 6. “After that, we will no …

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Schneider Electric to buy data centre cooling firm Motivair for $850 million

(Reuters) – Schneider Electric will pay about $850 million for a controlling stake in Motivair Corp, a specialist in liquid cooling for high-performance computing, the French firm said on Thursday, beefing up offerings for rapidly-growing data centres. The all-cash deal, expected to close in the coming quarters, will give Schneider a stake of 75% in …

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Britain raises risk level of bird flu to medium

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain has increased on Thursday the risk level of bird flu to medium from low after the virus was detected in a number of wild birds in the country over the autumn, the government said in an update posted on its website. Bird flu, officially called highly pathogenic avian influenza, has increasingly …

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