Italy's Economy Ministry has ordered an in-depth review of ​existing safeguards against cryptocurrency risks, which ‌are seen potentially rising, the Bank of Italy ‌and other financial regulators said on Thursday, Reuters reported. "An in-depth review has been launched to assess the adequacy of existing safeguards for direct ⁠and indirect investments in ‌crypto-assets by retail investors," the regulators said in a statement.
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The Eurogroup — the meeting of finance ministers from eurozone countries — today will discuss whether the Italian government's use of discretionary or "golden" powers to block UniCredit's acquisition of a competitor was justified, EuroNews.com reported. Italy’s golden power is a national security filter for deals in strategic assets such as defence or energy and functions like a veto. The government is allowed to intervene directly in the market and stop deals that it believes are not beneficial to the country.
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Mainland businessman Li Yonghong’s company, Rossoneri Sport Investment Co., Ltd., which previously owned Italian football club AC Milan, is facing a liquidation petition filed by creditor General Fantasy Limited, with a hearing set for next January, TheStandard.com.hk reported. Li acquired AC Milan through his Chinese-led consortium in 2017. However, the company later failed to repay debts after signing a bond subscription agreement with five investment fund firms.
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Monte dei Paschi di Siena has secured more than two thirds of Mediobanca's bourse data showed on Friday, crossing the ownership threshold needed to push through any extraordinary shareholder decisions, Reuters reported. Monte dei Paschi's hostile share-and-cash buyout offer concludes on Monday, the last day on which Mediobanca shareholders can tender their shares.
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The European Union should clarify rules for identical stablecoins issued across borders, a senior Bank of Italy official said on Thursday, urging uniform standards to protect users, Reuters reported. Stablecoins - crypto assets pegged to traditional currencies or commodities - have created friction between the European Commission and the European Central Bank. They are also known as electronic money tokens (EMTs).

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Mediobanca shareholders rejected a roughly €7bn proposal to acquire wealth manager Banca Generali in a pivotal vote on Thursday, Reuters reported. The Milanese bank said that 35% of investors accepted the proposal, just shy of the 50% plus one vote needed to pass. 32% of investors abstained, while 10% rejected the proposal. The outcome could threaten Mediobanca’s independence as the bank seeks to fend off a takeover by Italian competitor Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS).
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Sales of new cars in Italy fell by 5.11% year-on-year in July, transport ministry data showed on Friday, indicating a persistently weak market in the European Union's third largest economy. Total sales in July stood at 118,493 vehicles, Reuters reported. Market leader Stellantis, whose brands include Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot, suffered an even bigger sales slide of around 13% year-on-year, according to Reuters calculations.
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Italy risks losing 20 billion euros ($23.6 billion) in exports and 118,000 jobs next year if the U.S. imposes tariffs of 10% on all European products, the head of the main Italian business lobby said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. "Italy does not just export luxury products - with a demand that isn't very sensitive to prices - but mainly machinery, means of transport, and leather goods," Confindustria President Emanuele Orsini told daily Il Corriere della Sera in an interview.
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Eleven executives from companies including Japan's Mitsubishi and Luxembourg-based International Chemical Investors (ICIG) were convicted for contaminating nearly 200 square kilometres (77 square miles) of drinking water as well as soil through the Miteni plant in the northeastern city of Trissino, France24.com reported. The court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from two years and eight months to 17 years, in the case of two executives at now-folded Italian firm Miteni.
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