Vodafone may fail to clinch Kabel Deutschland: paper

The logo of German cable television group Kabel Deutschland is pictured on the company's headquarters in Unterfoehring north of Munich June 24, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Michaela Rehle

FRANKFURT | Mon Sep 9, 2013 2:40am EDT

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Vodafone may fail to reach the 75 percent threshold of acceptances from shareholders needed to clinch Germany's largest cable operator Kabel Deutschland, the Financial Times said on Monday.

"Some of Kabel Deutschland's shareholders believe that the amount of tenders offered will fall well short of this goal," the paper said, citing anonymous shareholders.

Vodafone agreed a 7.7 billion euro ($10.13 billion) offer for Kabel Deutschland in June, a near 40 percent premium to Kabel's share price before its interest first emerged.

Vodafone urged shareholders on Monday to accept the offer, saying in a statement that it would lapse if the 75 percent minimum acceptance threshold was not met by Wednesday.

It said Germany's Federal Cartel Office had confirmed it would not request a referral from Europe on the deal.

It also said the European Commission was expected to complete a Phase I review of the offer by September 20.

($1 = 0.7600 euros)

(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Paul Sandle; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

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Curb on 'Paper Terrorism' Is Headed for Passage

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UPDATE 1-No Egypt request for bigger IMF loan, central banker tells paper

* Egypt has not asked for increase on $4.8 billion loan

* Senior IMF official has said loan size could be changed

* Egypt needs financial help to overcome budget crisis

CAIRO, April 14 (Reuters) - Egypt has not asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to increase a $4.8 billion loan it has not yet drawn down, central bank governor Hisham Ramez told al-Shorouk newspaper on Sunday.

On April 2 the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia director said the size of the loan could be changed depending on the country's needs.

Ramez said that Egypt could still request an increase of $1 billion on the loan if the maturity period was extended to more than 30 months from the 22 months agreed last November.

He reiterated the government's position that Egypt would not seek an emergency loan from the global lender and said that talks with an IMF delegation that arrived in Cairo 10 days ago were going well.

The most populous Arab country needs the loan to ease economic strains after two years of political upheaval. Low reserves of foreign currency threaten Egypt's ability to buy in wheat, of which it is the world's biggest importer, and fuel.

President Mohamed Mursi's government postponed implementating the loan in December in the face of unrest triggered by a political row over the extent of his powers.

Any IMF deal is likely to require Cairo commit to tax increases and cuts in subsidies, a highly sensitive issue at a time when Mursi is facing protests over his management of the country before this year's parliamentary elections.

Shortages of subsidised diesel have paralysed transport in parts of Egypt and the Egyptian pound has lost 9 percent of its value against the dollar since late last year.

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