Reuters

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The far-right Sweden Democrats, a party the government relies on to keep its coalition afloat, said on Thursday it would reassign staff and change tactics after a TV investigation revealed it had directed online smear campaigns ahead of EU elections.

An investigation by TV4 aired last week, featuring a report with a hidden camera, showed that the Sweden Democrats' communications staff were involved in secret online campaigns... (continue reading...)

By Marianna Parraga and Daphne Psaledakis

HOUSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. is preparing to prioritize issuing limited licenses to operate in Venezuela to companies with existing oil production and assets over those seeking to enter the sanctioned OPEC nation for the first time, two people close to the discussions said.

The move appears designed to encourage companies that have projects frozen because of U.S. sanctions, such as... (continue reading...)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Production at U.S. factories unexpectedly fell in April amid a decline in motor vehicle output, data showed on Thursday.

Manufacturing output dropped 0.3% last month following a downwardly revised 0.2% increase in March, the Federal Reserve said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast factory output rising 0.1% after a previously reported 0.5% advance in March.

Production at factories fell 0.5% year-on-year in... (continue reading...)

By Gaelle Sheehan

(Reuters) - Offences against the LGBT+ community in France rose 13% in 2023, with 4,560 incidents reported, and after a rise of 3% in 2022, data from the French interior ministry showed on Thursday.

Seven out of ten victims were men, the statistical service said, and around 50% were under 20 years old. It added that about 7% of the victims were under the age of 15.

The number of offences reported in 2023... (continue reading...)

By Foo Yun Chee, Ilona Wissenbach and Angelo Amante

BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/ROME (Reuters) - Lufthansa has offered to keep some competing ITA short-haul routes in an effort to secure EU antitrust approval for its bid for a stake in the Italian airline, people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.

The offer is part of a package of remedies submitted to EU competition enforcers last week to allay concerns that the deal could... (continue reading...)