Thursday, February 2, 2017

UPDATE 3-Ralph Lauren CEO to leave after differences with founder

* Shares hit 6-yr low of $76.86

(Adds Larsson's comment, details, updates shares)

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UPDATE 3-Fillon bid for French presidency in chaos as MPs call on him to quit

* French election graphic: http://tmsnrt.rs/2jLwO20

(Adds Fillon comment in paragraphs 8 and 9)

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UPDATE 1-Hastor family says not seeking a hostile takeover of Grammer

* Says Grammer has not addressed margin erosion

(Adds further Hastor comments, background)

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Saudi Aramco examines Berri oilfield oil, gas expansion -sources

KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Feb 2 (Reuters) - State oil giant

Saudi Aramco is considering expanding its oil and gas production

from the Berri offshore oilfield, industry sources told Reuters.

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UPDATE 1-New York Times revenue, profit beat estimates

Feb 2 (Reuters) - The New York Times Co reported

better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, helped by

higher digital subscriptions.

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UPDATE 3-EU probes online sales in electronics, video games, hotels

* Melia Hotels, four tour operators under investigation

(Adds reaction from Melia Hotels)

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Indian textile firms fail to investigate abuse complaints - activists

CHENNAI, India, Feb 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women

facing sexual harassment in India's garment industry have no

place to turn as textile companies are shirking their legal duty

to investigate abuse allegations, activists said on Thursday.

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UPDATE 2-Panasonic says its avionics business being probed by U.S. authorities

* Panasonic Avionics probed by DOJ, SEC under FCPA,

securities law

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Delphi Automotive earnings widely beat Wall Street estimates

DETROIT, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Delphi Automotive Plc's

fourth-quarter earnings widely beat Wall Street expectations, as

the automotive supplier continued to benefit from automaker

interest as it helps develop technology in the evolution toward

self-driving vehicles.

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FEATURE-Faced with blackouts, Pakistan's largest public park goes solar

ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Mushtaq

Khan, a 48-year-old bank manager, used to enjoy his nightly jog

in Islamabad's huge Fatima Jinnah Park - until worsening power

cuts two years ago began plunging him into darkness mid-stride,

forcing him to run in the morning instead.

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UPDATE 1-Syrian army says it will press on against Islamic State near Aleppo

BEIRUT, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Syrian army signaled on

Thursday it would press on with operations against Islamic State

northeast of Aleppo, in a veiled warning to Turkey which backs a

separate military campaign in northern Syria.

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UPDATE 2-Autos to fuel Infineon profit growth in 2017

* Shares rise 2.5 pct to almost 15-year high

(Adds CFO comment, peers, analyst comment, shares)

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European shares down on poor earnings, Deutsche Bank suffers

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - European equities fell on

Thursday, with companies such as Germany's Deutsche Bank

and Denmark's Novo Nordisk leading the

broader market lower after their results failed to cheer

investors.

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UPDATE 2-Swatch annual profit plunges, targets return to "healthy growth"

* Sees return to "healthy growth" this year

(Adds detail, background, analyst quotes, shares)

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UPDATE 1-Gambling firm GVC sees 2016 gaming revenue ahead of estimate

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Gambling company GVC Holdings Plc

said it expected full-year net gaming revenue to rise about 9

percent, slightly ahead of its previous estimate, on strong

fourth-quarter trading.

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UPDATE 1-Japan PM to meet Toyota president before Trump summit

* Japan PM Abe to meet Trump next week

(Adds details on trade friction)

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RPT-U.S. tax plan would break WTO rules, lawyers say, as EU business frets

* Congressional plan would unfairly penalise imports

-lawyers

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UPDATE 1-Daimler sees slight growth in 2017 operating profit, sales

* Shares fall 2.2 pct, underperforming sector

(Changes dateline; adds detail, comment, background)

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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

RPT-Airbus calls in the movers as power shifts to new HQ

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - After top-level restructuring at

Airbus come the musical chairs and a new logo intended to convey

unity as the European giant aims to refocus its management

without a return to past infighting.

Read more

Sony cuts annual profit view on movie business writedown

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Sony Corp on Thursday cut

its full-year outlook for operating profit on Thursday after the

Japanese TV-to-gaming group took a $1 billion writedown on its

struggling movie business.

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Nikkei falls to more than 1-week low as stronger yen sours mood

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average fell

on Thursday to its lowest in more than a week after a stronger

yen soured sentiment.

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Hong Kong stocks fall on U.S. policy concerns, gaming shares ease

HONG KONG, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks fell on

Thursday as investors continued to lock in gains after the

Federal Reserve stuck to its mildly upbeat view of the U.S.

economy but gave no hints of the timing of its next rate move.

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UPDATE 1-Samsung Elec may build a U.S. manufacturing base for appliances -source

* Samsung says continues to evaluate new U.S. investment

needs

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Toyota a Japanese brand, but also a U.S. manufacturer -president

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp

President Akio Toyoda said on Thursday that his company was

increasing its U.S. production, and that it may be a Japanese

brand but was also a U.S. manufacturer.

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Japan PM Abe to hold two-day summit with Trump - sources

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

and U.S. President Donald Trump are planning to extend their

summit meeting scheduled for Feb. 10 by one day, two Japanese

government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on

Thursday.

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UPDATE 2-Australia's Tabcorp disappoints as British startup's costs grow

* Tabcorp pursuing competition approvals for Tatts merger

(Recasts throughout, adds CFO comments and market reaction)

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UC Berkeley on lockdown amid protest over speaker

Feb 1 (Reuters) - The University of California, at Berkeley,

said it went on lockdown on Wednesday amid a violent protest

over a planned appearance by a right-wing speaker.

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Australia celebrates record trade surplus as exports boom

* Shrinking current account deficit lessens risk of ratings

cut

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UPDATE 1-Amazon plans more than 200 daily flights from new cargo hub

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc

plans to schedule more than 200 flight departures and landings

per day at a $1.49 billion cargo hub it is building near

Cincinnati, the airport's chief said in an interview on

Wednesday, in a sign of the soaring ambitions of the online

retailer.

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UPDATE 4-Facebook eases past Wall St estimates, sees spending up in 2017

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc cruised past Wall

Street's earnings and revenue expectations on Wednesday with

strong growth in its mobile ad business, demonstrating that

controversy over so-called "fake news" and inaccurate

advertising measurements had little impact on its financial

performance.

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Amazon plans more than 200 daily flights from new cargo hub

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc

plans to schedule more than 200 flight departures and landings

per day at a $1.49 billion cargo hub it is building near

Cincinnati, the airport's chief said in an interview on

Wednesday, in a sign of the soaring ambitions of the online

retailer.

Read more

Create big businesses to build British towns or risk failing on housing pledges - think tank

LONDON, Feb 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Britain must

embark upon a radical project of town building to avoid falling

short of its targets to build one million new homes by 2020, a

leading think tank said on Thursday.

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UPDATE 2-Canada January auto sales climb, set record for month

TORONTO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Canadian car and light truck

sales rose 2.2 percent in January over last year to an

all-time record for the month, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants

said on Wednesday, as the big Detroit Three automakers posted

gains that contrasted with U.S. declines.

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UPDATE 1-China-Mexico tie-up to invest $200 mln in Mexican auto plant

MEXICO CITY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A Chinese-Mexican tie-up on

Wednesday unveiled plans to invest over $200 million in a

Mexican car plant in a welcome sign of confidence even as

threats from U.S. President Donald Trump have paralyzed

investment plans by U.S. companies.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Missing Washington bobcat found in zoo after three-day search

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A 25-pound (11-kg) female

bobcat who escaped from her enclosure at the Washington Zoo, was

found on Wednesday, just hours after zoo officials called off a

three-day-search for the missing feline, zoo officials said.

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Suspect in Canada mosque shooting sought money, scouted site

QUEBEC CITY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The suspect in the shooting

rampage at a Canadian mosque visited the site before Sunday's

massacre, asking for money and scouting the scene before

returning with guns and killing six men as they prayed, a member

of the mosque said.

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UPDATE 2-Beyonce's surprise twins announcement goes viral

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Pop superstar Beyonce said on Wednesday

that she and her husband, rap star and entrepreneur Jay Z, were

expecting twins, sending social media into a meltdown.

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China-backed electric vehicle startup Faraday scales back U.S. plans

DETROIT/BEIJING, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Electric luxury car

startup Faraday Future, one of several Chinese-funded companies

taking aim at Elon Musk's Tesla Inc, is throttling back

on plans to build vehicles in the United States, the company and

public officials said.

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Beyonce is pregnant with twins

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Pop superstar Beyonce announced on

Wednesday that she and her husband, rap star and entrepreneur

Jay Z, were expecting twins.

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Ever-shorter U.S. bankruptcies have creditors scrambling

WILMINGTON, Del., Feb 1 (Reuters) - Financially distressed

companies that file for U.S. bankruptcy are emerging from court

proceedings more quickly than ever, lowering legal costs but

also forcing junior creditors to scramble to protect their

interests.

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UPDATE 1-U.S. Senate tax chief questions border adjustment tax

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The top U.S. Senate Republican

on tax policy raised questions on Wednesday about a border

adjustment tax backed by Republicans in the House of

Representatives, and suggested it could have difficulty passing

the Senate as a part of a U.S. tax reform.

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Islands, chateau, art: Johnny Depp's lifestyle laid bare in lawsuit

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Johnny Depp took himself to the brink of

financial ruin by spending tens of millions of dollars on homes,

art, cars, a yacht and Hollywood memorabilia, according to a

lawsuit filed by his former business managers.

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Airbus calls in the movers as power shifts to new HQ

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - After top-level restructuring at

Airbus come the musical chairs and a new logo intended to convey

unity as the European giant aims to refocus its management

without a return to past infighting.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Mexico expects NAFTA renegotiation from May after industry consultations

MEXICO CITY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Mexico expects to begin

formal talks from around the beginning of May on renegotiating

the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) following a

90-day consultation with the private sector, the government said

on Wednesday.

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Senate Democrats boycott vote on Trump's pick to head EPA

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. senators on

Wednesday boycotted a committee vote on President Donald Trump's

pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt,

who has expressed doubts about the science of climate change.

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US Senate tax chief has questions about border adjustment tax

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The top U.S. Senate Republican

on tax policy raised questions on Wednesday about a border

adjustment tax backed by Republicans in the House of

Representatives, and suggested the proposal could have

difficulty passing the Senate as a part of U.S. tax reform.

Read more

UPDATE 1-GM posts U.S. sales drop in January, Ford beats view as trucks roar

DETROIT, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Automakers reported mixed U.S.

auto sales for January, with General Motors Co posting a

3.8 percent decline while crosstown rival Ford Motor Co

topped analysts forecasts on strong truck sales.

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Mexico to start 90-day NAFTA consultation with private sector

MEXICO CITY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Mexico will start a 90-day

consultation with the private sector and others to fix the

parameters for a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA), the country's foreign ministry said on

Wednesday.

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RPT-With new hybrid, Nissan offers cheaper route to electric cars

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co

has taken a step back into gasoline hybrids with its Note

e-Power model, which the Japanese automaker hopes will act as a

gateway for drivers who will later shift to all-electric cars.

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Fit for an emperor - a virtual reality tour of Nero's golden palace

ROME, Feb 1(Reuters) - Emperor Nero, a technology

enthusiast, would have loved it: his over-the-top golden palace

in Rome is about to get the virtual reality treatment.

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UPDATE 1-Spirit AeroSystems profit, full-year forecast miss estimates

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems

Holdings Inc reported a lower-than-expected quarterly

profit on Wednesday, and forecast full-year profit and revenue

below analysts' estimates.

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UPDATE 2-TalkTalk founder Dunstone takes reins from Harding

* Shares up 8.5 pct

(Adds further CEO, comments, analyst reaction, updates shares)

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UPDATE 1-Scandal-hit Fillon eclipsed by Macron, Le Pen in French presidency race -poll

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Conservative presidential candidate

Francois Fillon would not even make the second round of this

spring's election in France, an opinion poll showed on

Wednesday, cranking up the pressure on him as a scandal over his

wife's work engulfed his campaign.

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Johnson Controls profit rises 11.1 percent

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Multi-industry U.S. manufacturer Johnson

Controls International Plc reported an 11.1 percent rise

in quarterly profit, helped by strength in its power solutions

business.

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UPDATE 1-Investor Standard Life seeks change at Sports Direct, Volkswagen

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Standard Life Investments, the

fund arm of insurer Standard Life, has concerns about

governance at Sports Direct and Volkswagen

and will press for more change at the companies, it said in its

annual governance report on Wednesday.

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UPDATE 3-EU clears final hurdle for ending mobile roaming charges

* Last piece of legislation needed for abolition of roaming

fees

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European shares gain ground, led by industrials after strong euro zone manufacturing data

* European major indexes up as manufacturing activity

expands

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Centrist Macron seen most likely to win French presidency, Fillon not making 2nd round-poll

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Independent centrist Emmanuel

Macron is the candidate most likely to win France's closely

contested presidential election this year, according to

predictions in an opinion poll published as his conservative

rival Francois Fillon battles a scandal.

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UPDATE 1-Iran's president calls Trump a political novice over travel ban

DUBAI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani

dismissed his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump as a political

novice on Wednesday, stepping up criticism of the Republican's

immigration policies including a temporary travel ban on

Iranians.

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Audi says reviewing provisions for dieselgate scandal

MUNICH, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Audi is reviewing

whether it needs to put aside more provisions to cover the costs

of a settlement in the United States over the dieselgate

scandal.

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UPDATE 1-VW, Robert Bosch agree to pay $1.6 billion to settle U.S. diesel claims

* Robert Bosch to pay $327.5 million to compensate U.S.

owners

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Amazon to spend $1.49 bln on air cargo hub, fans talk of bigger ambitions

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc

plans to invest $1.49 billion to build a large air cargo hub in

northern Kentucky, state officials said on Tuesday, stoking

expectations it may one day opt to directly compete with FedEx

Corp and United Parcel Service Inc.

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