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London CNN —WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday whether he can make a final challenge against his extradition to the United States. LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images Assange attends a seminar at the Swedish Trade Union Confederation in Stockholm on August 14, 2010. LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images Assange and his bodyguards are seen after a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 2010. Carl Court/Getty Images Assange speaks to the media in May 2017, after Swedish prosecutors had dropped their investigation of rape allegations against Assange. Jack Taylor/Getty Images Assange was seen for the first time in months during a hearing via teleconference in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2018.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Victoria Sharp, Jeremy Johnson —, Stella Assange, ” “ Julian, ”, Kristinn Hrafnsson, Jack Taylor, LEON NEAL, BERTIL ERICSON, FABRICE COFFRINI, Carl Court, Geoff Caddick, Oli Scarff, CARL COURT, Leon Neal, Philip Toscano, Ricardo Patino, Frank Augstein, David Paul Morris, John Stillwell, Mike, Pompeo, Maria Sol Borja, Chelsea Manning, Alastair Grant, Daniel Leal, Elizabeth Cook, Anthony Albanese, “, Albanese’s, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Sunna, it’s, Alan Rusbridger Organizations: London CNN, Foreign Press Association, Court, European, of Human Rights, WikiLeaks, Guardian, Getty, Swedish Trade Union Confederation, St, Paul's, British, Ecuadorian Embassy, Oxford Union Society, Ecuadorian Foreign, Southwest Festival, Bloomberg, United Nations Human Rights, United, United Nations, CIA, CNN, Army, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Southwark Crown, Australian, Parliamentary, of Europe, Prospect Magazine Locations: United States, London, Westminster, Afghanistan, AFP, Stockholm, Iraq, Geneva, Switzerland, Sweden, Ecuador, Austin , Texas, Ecuadorian, United Nations, United Kingdom, Quito, Southwark, London’s, Australia

☆ Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were photographed dining at a private villa in Lake Como. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Samantha Grindell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were photographed dining at a private villa in Italy. The lodging comes with a private chef and butler, as well as views of Lake Como. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, watched her perform in Paris on May 12. Before Swift headed to Sweden for her next set of shows, the couple spent time together in Lake Como, Italy, People reported.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Villa Sola, —, Taylor, Swift Organizations: Service, Department, Business Locations: Italy, Lake Como, Paris, Sweden

☆ After Biden’s monster taxes, China launches its own anti-dumping probe against the US and EU
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, which explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. CNN —China has hinted at possible tit-for-tat action against trade barriers imposed by the United States last week, as relations between the two economic superpowers become increasingly fraught. On Sunday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said it was launching an anti-dumping probe into polyoxymethylene or POM copolymers, a thermoplastic used in various industries ranging from auto parts to electronics, imported from the US, the European Union, Taiwan and Japan. Thermoplastics are malleable when heated but become fixed in a solid shape when cooled, and can partially replace metals such as copper and zinc. The investigation should take a year to complete, but may be extended by another six months, the ministry added.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, United, China’s Ministry of Commerce, European Union, EV Locations: China, United States, Taiwan, Japan

☆ The US is reportedly rethinking plans to ban Russian diamonds amid industry pushback
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is considering reducing efforts to enforce a ban on Russian diamonds, Reuters reported. AdvertisementThe US is rethinking restrictions on Russian diamonds after a wave of pushback from the industry and nations heavily involved in the diamond trade, Reuters reported on Monday. That's a step up from the initial sanctions, which previously allowed the trade of Russian diamonds that were polished in other countries. The government has received pushback from firms and nations heavily involved in the diamond trade. De Beers, one of the world's largest diamond miners, said it supported a ban on Russian diamonds but wants diamonds to be verified at the source of production, rather than in Belgium.

Persons: —, That's, crimp, Virginia Drosos, De Beers Organizations: Reuters, Service, European Union, White House, US, Signet, De Locations: European, Belgium, Russia

☆ Dollar calm as traders await clues on U.S. rate path
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this photo illustration, a person seen holding a 100 US dollar bill in his hand. The dollar was broadly steady on Monday as investors awaited further clues to help chart the U.S. interest rate path in the wake of cautious comments from Federal Reserve officials, even as inflation shows signs of cooling. The Japanese yen was flat at 155.74 per dollar, with traders on alert for any signs of government intervention. That has prompted traders to trim the amount of easing expected this year to about 46 bps, with only a rate cut in November fully priced in. In other currencies, sterling touched a two-month high of $1.2711 ahead of the crucial UK inflation report due on Wednesday.

Persons: Brian Jacobsen, Powell, Jackson, Flash PMIs, Paul Mackel, BoE, Charu Chanana Organizations: Federal Reserve, Annex Wealth Management, ANZ, European Central Bank, Bank of England, HSBC, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Saxo Locations: Tokyo, Germany, U.S, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Britain expands AI safety institute to San Francisco amid scrutiny over regulatory shortcomings
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The government on Monday announced it would open a U.S. counterpart to its AI safety summit, a state-backed body focused on testing advanced AI systems to ensure they're safe, in San Francisco this summer. The U.S. iteration of the AI Safety Institute will aim to recruit a team of technical staff headed up by a research director. In a statement, U.K. Technology Minister Michelle Donelan said the AI Safety Summit's U.S. rollout "represents British leadership in AI in action." The AI Safety Institute was established in November 2023 during the AI Safety Summit, a global event held in England's Bletchley Park, the home of World War II code breakers, that sought to boost cross-border cooperation on AI safety. The government said that, since the AI Safety Institute was established in November, it's made progress in evaluating frontier AI models from some of the industry's leading players.

Persons: Ian Hogarth, Michelle Donelan, it's, Anthropic Organizations: LONDON, Monday, AI, Technology, Safety, U.S, Microsoft, AI Safety, Institute, Seoul, European Union Locations: San Francisco, California, United States, U.S, London, British, Bay, OpenAI, England's Bletchley, South Korea, Bletchley Park, Seoul, Britain, European

☆ Saudi Arabia’s biggest-ever plane order isn’t going to Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Saudi Arabia’s national airline has placed an order for 105 Airbus airplanes in the largest-ever deal in the country’s aviation history — another win for troubled Boeing’s European rival. Saudia Group’s current fleet comprises 93 Airbus and 51 Boeing aircraft, according to its website. Al-Omar did not specify whether it was the number of airplanes ordered or the total value of the order that made it Saudi Arabia’s biggest-ever aviation deal. When asked by CNN about that, as well as the value of the deal, Saudia Group did not respond, while Airbus declined to comment. Despite having a backlog of orders amounting to more 5,600 commercial jets, worth $529 billion, Boeing cannot make planes quickly enough each year to turn a profit as it’s working to address its quality issues.

Persons: Ibrahim Al, Omar, ”, “ Saudia, ” Al Organizations: London CNN, Saudi Arabia’s, Saudia Group, Saudia, Future Aviation, Airbus, Boeing, CNN, Future Aviation Forum, Saudi, National Tourism Strategy, Max Locations: Saudi, Riyadh

☆ Saudi king to be treated for lung inflammation, state news agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo: Oliver Weiken/dpa (Photo by Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images)Saudi King Salman will undergo treatment at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah for a lung inflammation, the state news agency said on Sunday, hours after he underwent medical tests. Citing the royal court, the state news agency said the 88-year-old king would be treated with antibiotics until the inflammation subsides. Earlier on Sunday, King Salman underwent medical tests at the royal clinics at Al Salam Palace due to "high temperature and joint pain", the Saudi state news agency said. King Salman, the custodian of Islam's holiest sites, became ruler of the world's top oil exporter in 2015 after spending more than 2-1/2 years as the crown prince and deputy premier. Saudi Arabia's embassy in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the crown prince's cancelled trip.

Persons: Abdel Fattah el, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Jean, Claude Juncker, Oliver Weiken, Saudi King Salman, King, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, King Salman of, Prince Mohammed's, Hayashi, King Salman, Jake Sullivan, Emperor Naruhito, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Arab League, European Union, of Arab, Getty Images, Al Salam, Saudi, Al, U.S . National Locations: Egypt, Sharm El, Saudi King, Sharm, Saudi, Jeddah, Japan, Saudi Arabia, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Washington, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's

☆ This US woman traveled to Paris over 20 years ago and ended up staying for good
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Once she graduated, Regan was offered an internship at a company based in Paris in 2022, providing her with the opportunity to live in the French capital. She says that she initially anticipated living and working in the European city for a year or two. However, when Regan fell for a Frenchman named Julien, who she married in 2007, her fate was seemingly sealed. She credits this, at least partly, to the French healthcare system, which provides universal coverage for all legal residents. Courtesy Melissa Regan“I was really shocked by the price increase in inflation of groceries, for example,” she says.

Persons: Melissa Regan, “, ” Regan, she’d, ” “, ”, Regan, Frenchman, Julien, Theodore, Jefferson, she’s, Melissa Regan “, we’ve, Sejour, I’ve, Emily ’, they're, Melissa Regan Netflix, Emily, ’ ”, “ It’s, Regan can’t, they’re, It’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Paris Locations: California, New York, Vienna, Austria, France, Paris, “, United States, ”, sweats, America

☆ Toxic Political Culture Has Even Some Slovaks Calling Country ‘a Black Hole.’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than a quarter century has passed since the United States called Slovakia a “black hole in the center of Europe” — an island of autocratic malaise surrounded by spry new democracies. The insult, leveled in 1997 by Secretary of State Madeline Albright against a country that has since joined NATO and the European Union, still stings. “We are back in a black hole; I’m not sure we ever got out of it,” said Roman Kvasnica, a prominent Slovak lawyer who denounces a political culture in which threats and personal insults are routine. In his own legal work he has faced numerous threats, including a warning that he would get a “bullet in the head” from a tycoon charged with ordering the 2018 murder of an investigative journalist digging into government corruption. Mr. Havel served as the first president of post-communist Czechoslovakia, the state that in 1993 split amicably into the Czech Republic and the Republic of Slovakia.

Persons: spry, Madeline Albright, Robert Fico, Albright, ”, Roman Kvasnica, Vaclav Havel, Havel Organizations: NATO, European Union, Central, Mr Locations: United States, Slovakia, Europe, Central European, Slovak, Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, Republic of Slovakia

☆ Comet Fragment Explodes in Dark Skies Over Spain and Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Robin George Andrews | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Saturday, revelers across Spain and Portugal ventured into the temperate springtime evening, hoping for a memorable night. At 11:46 p.m. in Portugal, a fireball streaked across the sky, leaving a smoldering trail of incandescent graffiti in its wake. Footage shared on social media shows jaws dropping as the dark night briefly turns into day, blazing in shades of snowy white, otherworldly green and arctic blue. Experts say it had a strange trajectory, not matching the sort normally taken by nearby space rocks. None of the object is likely to have made it to the ground, the European Space Agency said.

Organizations: European Space Agency Locations: Spain, Portugal

☆ Poland to spend around $2.5 billion on securing eastern border
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, speaks during a press conference where Polish PM announces resignation of four ministers and nominees for the future positions in Chancellery of Polish Prime Minister in Warsaw, Poland on MAy 10, 2024. Poland will invest 10 billion zlotys ($2.55 billion) in a program to secure its eastern border, the prime minister said on Saturday, in a bid to bolster its defenses against what it says is a rising threat from Russia and Belarus. "We have decided to invest 10 billion zlotys in our security, and above all in a secure eastern border," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference. "We are starting a major project to build a secure border, including a system of fortifications as well as landscaping and environmental decisions that will make this border impossible to pass for a potential enemy." Tusk had announced plans to strengthen the eastern border earlier in May, but without giving details.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Tusk Organizations: Polish, European Union, Minsk, European Investment Bank, Sky Locations: Poland, Warsaw, Russia, Belarus, Poland's, Minsk, Russian, Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarusian, Germany

☆ A Would-be Assassin Stirs Europe’s Violent Ghosts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Roger Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dmitri A. Medvedev, the former Russian president and regular forecaster of a third World War, had no hesitation in comparing the would-be assassin of Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia to the young man who ignited World War I. Europe, he suggested, was once more on the brink. It was on many levels a wild association to make. The Europe of empires that unraveled between 1914 and 1918 is long gone, as is the Europe that replaced it and produced Auschwitz. In their place the painstakingly constructed European Union of 27 members, including Slovakia, has been put in place with the overriding goal of making war impossible on a long-ravaged continent. Yet, with elections to the European Parliament just three weeks way, ominous indications of brewing violence go well beyond the shooting of Mr. Fico, whose condition remains serious.

Persons: Dmitri A, Medvedev, Robert Fico, Fico, Mr, Princip, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Churchill Organizations: Bosnian Serb, of Locations: Russian, Slovakia, Europe, Russia, Bosnian, Sarajevo

☆ Georgian president vetoes ‘foreign agents’ bill after widespread opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Michael Rios | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has vetoed a controversial “foreign agents” bill that sparked weeks of widespread protests across the country. The divisive legislation would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face a fine. Opponents say the bill was modeled after similar laws in Russia that the Kremlin has used to snuff out opposition and civil society. “This law, in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian, contradicting our constitution and all European standards,” President Zourabichvili said after vetoing the bill on Saturday. Demonstrators protest against the foreign agents bill in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 13, 2024.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, Zurab Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU Locations: Russia, Tbilisi , Georgia, Georgia, Soviet, Russia . Georgia, Soviet Union, Moscow, Europe, –, Ukraine

☆ Vietnam reportedly forfeits billions of dollars in foreign aid amid anti-graft freeze
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vietnam forfeited at least $2.5 billion in foreign aid over the last three years and may lose another $1 billion because of administrative paralysis, the United Nations, the World Bank and Western donors told the government in a letter seen by Reuters. Vietnam forfeited at least $2.5 billion in foreign aid over the last three years and may lose another $1 billion because of administrative paralysis, the United Nations, the World Bank and Western donors told the government in a letter seen by Reuters. Two senior foreign officials interviewed by Reuters directly linked the administrative hurdles to the "blazing furnace" anti-graft drive, echoing similar comments from other diplomats and officials in recent months. The anti-graft drive has created a sort of paralysis, in which bureaucrats are slow to approve or advance initiatives because they fear accidentally violating complex regulations. The U.N. and the World Bank said they kept working closely with the government on projects, with the U.N. acknowledging in a statement to Reuters that there were "challenges" for the use of funding.

Persons: Pham Minh Chinh Organizations: United Nations, World Bank, Reuters, European Union, Japan, Asian Development Bank Locations: Vietnam, Communist, United States

☆ ECB board member reportedly cautions against back-to-back rate cuts, cites 'risk of easing prematurely'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European Central Bank board member Isabel Schnabel warned against back-to-back rate cuts amid lingering inflation risks, Nikkei reported Friday, as the central bank gears for its June meeting amid expectations of a rate cut. While a rate cut in June could be warranted depending on incoming data and projections, things are less certain beyond that, Schnabel told Nikkei. "After so many years of very high inflation and with inflation risks still being tilted to the upside, a front-loading of the easing process would come with a risk of easing prematurely," the ECB board member added. Geopolitical tensions and policy uncertainty amid a slew of elections worldwide this year also pose risks to euro area financial stability, the ECB said in a recent financial stability review. The review, however, highlighted that financial stability conditions have improved.

Persons: Isabel Schnabel, Schnabel, Luis de Guindos Organizations: European Central Bank, Nikkei, ECB Locations: disinflation

☆ Dover Castle: Soldier graffiti found on tower door in ‘astonishing discovery’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —More than 50 etchings from soldiers have been discovered on an English castle door in an “astonishing discovery,” including graffiti of what could depict the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte being hanged. The door was only recently discovered in Dover Castle, in southeast England, charity English Heritage said in a press statement Wednesday. The graffiti on the door is thought to have been created by soldiers living inside the castle between 1789 and 1855. English Heritage suggests that, with hours to kill and “questionable artistic talents,” the soldiers may have whittled into the door to simultaneously whittle away the time. Three significant dates are also inscribed onto the door, English Heritage said: 1789, the year of the French Revolution; 1798, a period of rebuilding in Dover Castle; and 1855, when changes were planned to St. John’s Tower.

Persons: Napoleon Bonaparte, St, whittle, Jim Holden, Napoleon, Helena, Hopper, Hooper, ’ Paul Pattison, ” Pattison, ” Organizations: CNN, Heritage, Dover Castle Locations: Dover Castle, England, Napoleon, France, John’s, British, Waterloo, St, Dover

☆ Meta’s Facebook and Instagram probed over fears they may be too addictive for children
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The European Union is worried that Meta is failing to protect children on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, and has launched a formal investigation that could result in a hefty fine. The probe is the latest evidence that regulators are increasingly focussing on the harmful impact of Meta’s platforms — and other social media — on young users, including by encouraging addictive behavior. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will consider whether Meta (META) has complied with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc’s sweeping new law for online platforms. The legislation requires online platforms to put in place measures to protect children, including by preventing them from accessing inappropriate content and ensuring a high level of privacy and safety. The European Commission is concerned that Facebook’s and Instagram’s online interfaces “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior,” it said in a statement Thursday.

Persons: Meta, Thierry Breton, ” Meta Organizations: London CNN, Facebook, European Commission, Digital Services, European, Meta, CNN, New Locations: New Mexico, Gaza

☆ Meta slapped with child safety probe under sweeping EU tech law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. Facebook parent company Meta on Thursday was hit with a major investigation from the European Union into alleged breaches of the bloc's strict online content law over child safety risks. The Commission added that it is concerned about age verifications on Meta's platforms, as well as privacy risks linked to the company's recommendation algorithms. "This is a challenge the whole industry is facing, and we look forward to sharing details of our work with the European Commission." The EU said it will carry out an in-depth investigation into Meta's child protection measures "as a matter of priority."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Thierry Breton Organizations: Dirksen, Facebook, Meta, European Union, European Commission, CNBC Locations: Washington ,

☆ Slovakia's prime minister no longer in life-threatening condition after assassination attempt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico walks during the European Council summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels, on April 18, 2024. Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is expected to survive a multiple-shot assassination attempt following surgery, according to the country's deputy prime minister. The Slovakian premier's condition has stabilized but remains serious, Reuters cited a hospital official as saying on Thursday. "The shooting of the prime minister is first and foremost an attack against an attack on a human being – but it's also an attack on democracy," she said in an officially translated video. Fico has served as prime minister of Slovakia for around 10 years across three mandates, heading the Smer (Direction) party.

Persons: Robert Fico, Tomas Taraba, Šutaj Eštok, Zuzana Caputova, it's, Fico Organizations: Slovakia's, EU, BBC, Reuters, CNBC, Slovakian Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovakian, Sky News, Russia, RTVS Locations: Brussels, Slovakian, Slovak, Handlova, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, Ukraine

☆ American medics trapped in Gaza call on US government to help bring them home
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Muhammad Darwish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

FAJR Scientific, the United States-based nonprofit organization that brought Kattan and 16 other physicians to Gaza, is now calling on the US government to help coordinate the team’s safe exit from Gaza. ‘This is what clean looks like in Gaza’The FAJR Scientific team recorded video diaries of their experiences and the conditions they face inside the European Hospital exclusively for CNN. Picking up a single vial of Propofol, she describes how the medics were able bring it in with them from the US. FAJR ScientificNo way outFAJR Scientific operates under the umbrella of WHO which, according to FAJR Scientific, has been attempting to coordinate an evacuation. Of the 19 members on the PAMA medical team, 10 are US citizens.

Persons: Ahlia Kattan, ” Kattan, “, ”, Mosab Nasser, Kattan, anesthesiologists, Laura Swoboda, ” Swoboda, We’re, Sameer Khan, “ It’s, they’re, I’ve Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Gaza’s, CNN, WHO, World Health, FAJR, Hospital, “, FAJR Scientific, European Hospital, Palestine American Medical Association Locations: Jerusalem, California, Rafah, Kattan, Gaza, Egypt, FAJR, United States, Gaza ’, Wisconsin

☆ Calls to Pause Slovakia’s E.U. Election Campaigning Raise Questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | More About Matina Stevis-Gridneff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Calls are growing in Slovakia for political parties to suspend campaigning for the European Union elections, just three weeks away, in the wake of the assassination attempt on the prime minister in the sharply polarized country. The president-elect of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, and others say the step is necessary to avoid further inflammatory political discourse, which has escalated further since the shooting that left Prime Minister Robert Fico badly wounded. At least one party, the opposition Progress Slovakia party, said it would immediately suspend its campaign, to help “end the spiral of attacks and blame.”The local news media reported that another party, the Christian Democratic Movement, had also paused campaigning. It is not clear how long such suspensions would last or what that would mean for Slovakia’s participation in the E.U. Voters across the European Union will elect 720 European Parliament representatives, with polling scheduled to take place in all 27 of the bloc’s members from June 6 to 9.

Persons: Peter Pellegrini, Robert Fico Organizations: European Union, Slovakia, Christian Democratic Movement Locations: Slovakia

☆ The impact of Instagram and Facebook on kids is under scrutiny once more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The EU is investigating Meta over concerns its platforms are fueling addiction among minors. It comes as Meta faces growing legal pressure in the US over the impact of its platforms on kids. AdvertisementMeta is facing more questions over whether it's doing enough to protect kids on Facebook and Instagram. The European Commission, the bloc's regulatory body, said it would also investigate whether Meta's age-verification tools are stopping minors from accessing inappropriate content. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Regulators, Service, Meta, Facebook, EU, European Commission, Business

☆ Opinion: Putin’s lightning assault jolts Europe awake
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

View more opinion on CNNCNN —It was a carefully choreographed show of force in Beijing Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for yet another meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Frida Ghitis CNNOn Wednesday, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded in an assassination attempt. Russia’s lightning assault, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cancelled all his foreign travel, aims to force Ukraine to stretch its defenses. Security officers move Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a car after the assassination attempt in Handlova, Slovakia, on Wednesday May 15. Every day, the stark reality that what began in Ukraine will change Europe for years to come becomes more inescapable.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Robert Fico, Fico, Putin, —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, David Cameron, “, Fico —, Radovan Stoklasa, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, laughably, Rishi Sunak, Mark Rutte, Russia's, Alexander Ryumin, Emmanuel Macron, ”, Mikko Heiskanen, Xi Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, CNN CNN, Frida Ghitis CNN, Wednesday, Slovakian, Kyiv, British, Putin, Kremlin, Moscow, European Union, Reuters, Europe, Russia, Republicans, Russian, West, NATO, Institute for, ” Locations: Beijing, Europe, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Georgia, Soviet Republic, Moscow, Moldova, Slovak, Slovakia, “, Handlova, Iran, North Korea, China, Norway, London, British, Netherlands, ”, Germany, Berlin, Finland

☆ E.U. Investigates Meta Over Addictive Social Media Effects on Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

regulators could ultimately fine Meta up to 6 percent of its global revenue, which was $135 billion last year, as well force other product changes. The investigations are part of a growing effort by governments around the world to rein in services like Instagram and TikTok to protect minors. Meta has for years faced criticism that its products and recommendation algorithms are fine-tuned to hook children. In October, three dozen states in the United States sued Meta for using “psychologically manipulative product features” to lure children, in violation of consumer protection laws. People younger than 13 are not supposed to able to sign up for an account, but E.U.

Persons: Meta Organizations: Facebook, European Commission, United, Meta, Digital Services Locations: United States

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