Veolia Environnement SA

French water and waste group Veolia said strong growth across all its geographies, and particularly its new business lines, boosted core first-half earnings and revenue by more than five percent as growth sped up in the second quarter.

* No plans to go back into French district heating for now (Adds detail on urban heating and share price detail)

Utility Veolia's first-quarter core profits rose thanks to solid progress in all its markets, particularly in new high-value activities such as hazardous waste, plastic recycling, industrial utilities and onsite services.

French water and waste group Veolia said strong waste volumes and continued cost-cutting boost 2018 earnings and the firm increased its dividend and 2019 earnings outlook.

French water and waste group Veolia said its earnings outlook was strong thanks to a string of new contracts and a good contract renewal rate, as it prepares a new four-year plan that will focus on profitable new activities.

French water and waste group Veolia CEO Antoine Frerot said the outlook for the company was strong thanks to a string of new contracts and a good contract renewal rate.

Investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners has hired Philippe Capron, former chief financial officer at French utility Veolia, as a partner at the firm, which has been looking to build up its presence in France.

Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund and France's Veolia utilities group have agreed to jointly invest in the Tomskvodokanal water and sewage company in Siberia, the fund said in a statement on Tuesday.

French utility Veolia has agreed to sell its 30 percent stake in transport company Transdev to Germany's Rethmann Group for 340 million euros ($393 million), raising capital and allowing Veolia to focus more on its main businesses.

French waste and water group Veolia <VIE.PA> has agreed to sell its 30 percent stake in transport firm Transdev to Germany's Rethmann, Le Figaro newspaper reported.

French water and waste group Veolia <VIE.PA> said first-half core earnings rose nearly four percent due to strong waste volumes and despite a negative currency impact, and the company also confirmed its 2018 and 2019 earnings guidance.

French water and waste group Veolia <VIE.PA> said in a statement executive committee member Claude Laruelle had been appointed new chief financial officer while Veolia UK chief Estelle Brachlianoff will be appointed chief operating officer.

* Complaint lodged by France Nature Environnement (Recasts on production being halted)

French water and waste group Veolia <VIE.PA> Chief Financial Officer Philippe Capron is among the favourites to become the new chief executive officer of Air France-KLM, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday.

French water and waste services firm Veolia Environnement SA sees opportunities in China from Beijing's crackdown on waste imports and is preparing to open a ship-dismantling plant in the south of the country, company executives said on Monday.

French water and waste services firm Veolia Environnement SA sees opportunities in China from Beijing's crackdown on waste imports as it prepares to open a ship dismantling plant in Guangdong, two senior executives said on Monday.

* Says year started well, confirms financial outlook (Adds share price gain, M&A and deleveraging comments)

Utility Veolia said first-quarter revenue rose 3.7 percent to 6.4 billion euros ($7.7 billion), slightly better than forecasts for 6.3 billion, lifted by growth in new services such as toxic waste handling and so-called 'smart' water.

French water and waste group Veolia said on Tuesday it had opened an internal investigation after reports of attempted corruption related to a contract it won to manage wastewater in the area around Paris.