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☆ Europe stocks look set to extend gains after BOE rate hold, Swiss cut; UK retail sales beat forecast
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jack Taylor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — European stocks are heading for a cautiously higher open Friday as investors monitor a slew of central bank decisions and data releases. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index is on course for a weekly gain of more than 1.5%, its best performance since early May. Attention this week turned to central bank action, as the Swiss National Bank announced it would cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 1.25%. The SNB became the first major central bank to cut rates during this cycle back in March. The Bank of England meanwhile kept interest rates unchanged at a 16-year high of 5.25%.

Persons: Jack Taylor Organizations: Getty, Equity, European Union Parliament, Reuters, Swiss National Bank, Bank of England Locations: Godalming, United Kingdom, France

European Union Parliament Election 2024: Live ResultsThe first countries are now reporting national estimates. The first overall estimate of parliament seat counts are expected after 2:15 p.m. Eastern. No results EPP S&D Renew ECR Greens ID Left Other No results Greens EPP ID S&D Renew Left Other ECR EPP S&D Renew ECR Greens ID Left Other No results Note: Country-level seat counts are estimates based on available exit polls and other non-official data from member states. Projection of overall seats by group The first overall seat count projection will be available after 2:15 p.m. Eastern. Group Seats Seats 0 0 0 0 + Show more * Newly elected members not allied to any of the political groups in the outgoing parliamentElection results are announced country by country, and voting is organized according to national rules.

Organizations: Union, EPP, Greens, Left, The New York Times

☆ Opinion: Trump and Biden as housemates for a weekend? A TV program in Europe shows it could be a hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Hugely popular US television shows like “Shark Tank,” “Survivor” and even “American Idol” are based on hit programs from foreign countries. What better way to shake things up — and spark public interest — than having Biden and Trump spend a weekend together with TV cameras capturing almost every move? That means there’s a possibility that Trump could be sentenced to prison or home confinement for an extended period of time. If that were to happen, the show would be a no-go — unless Biden were to agree to spend the weekend filming in Mar-A-Lago, if Trump should get sentenced to house arrest. If the former president were to get hard time, Biden would have to be game to spend a weekend in Trump’s prison block.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, —, Tom Van Grieken, ” Dean, Vlaams, Bart De Wever, Van Grieken’s, “, Van, De, ”, Trump, Biden Organizations: CNN, Dean Obeidallah CNN, New York Times, European Union Parliament, NBC, Biden, Trump, Republican, New Locations: America, Belgium, Dutch, Europe, Flemish, Wallonia, November’s, cologne, New York, Mar

☆ Amazon-backed Anthropic launches its Claude AI chatbot across Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup backed by Amazon , said Monday it's launching its generative AI assistant Claude in Europe on Tuesday. A paid subscription-based version of Anthropic's Claude assistant, called Claude Pro, will be available to users who want access to all its models, including Claude 3 Opus, Anthropic's most advanced offering. Anthropic is also launching its business-focused Claude Team subscription-based plans, which cost 28 euros ($30) a month before value-added tax (VAT). The AI Act seeks to, among other things, identify and apply rules in accordance with the levels of risk AI poses, dividing categories of risk into low, medium, high and unacceptable. Anthropic said its Claude assistant is highly fluent in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and other European languages.

Persons: Claude, Anthropic's Claude, Claude Pro, We've, Dario Amodei, Anthropic Organizations: Amazon, Claude Team, European Union Parliament Locations: Europe, Anthropic

With 23% of the vote, Wilders stands a good chance of leading any future governing coalition. In the Netherlands, forming a majority coalition with Wilders' party was considered unthinkable not long ago. "And Wilders took off in the polls.”In December, a member of Wilders' party became president of parliament, marking a breakthrough in political acceptance. There is now a real prospect of his far-right party joining, or even leading, a majority governing coalition. Rather than far-right parties being pulled to the center, the center may veer to the right.

Persons: SINT, ”, Geert Wilders, Wilders, ’ ”, Rem Korteweg, “, Walter de Jong, De Jong, Mark Rutte, Tom Theuns, ” Wilders, Theuns, ” Theuns, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Le Pen’s, —, North Africa —, Mark Rutte's, Frans Timmermans Organizations: Party, Freedom, European Union, EU, Party for Freedom, Rabobank, “, Leiden University, National, Frontex, ”, Pulitzer Center, Crisis Locations: SINT WILLEBRORD, Netherlands, Willebrord, Europe, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Austria, The Hague, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Rucphen, Sint Willebrord, Ukraine, Soviet, Syria, Turkey, Belgium, Dutch, North Africa, EU

☆ Mahsa Amini, Iran women's movement win Sakharov freedom prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The European Union parliament awarded its annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died in police custody last year and the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran, it said on Thursday. "On 16 September we marked one year since the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini in Iran. The European Parliament proudly stands with the brave and defiant who continue to fight for equality, dignity and freedom in Iran," EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in a statement. People take part in a protest against the Islamic regime of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Berlin, Germany, December 10, 2022. Under the banner "Woman, Life, Freedom", Iranian citizens have been protesting against laws obliging women to cover their hair and wear loose fitting clothing.

Persons: Sakharov, Mahsa Amini, Jina, Roberta Metsola, Mahsa, Michele Tantussi, Amini's, Julia Payne Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Iran, Amini, Iran's, Kurdistan, Berlin, Germany

[1/2] "Junts x Catalunya" members raise up an "Estelada" flag (Catalan separatist flag) as they celebrate the results of the European Parliament elections in Barcelona, Spain, May 27, 2019. REUTERS/Albert Gea/File PhotoBARCELONA/MADRID, July 26 (Reuters) - Spain may be heading for a repeat of Sunday's inconclusive election unless Catalan separatist parties compromise on their demands for an independence referendum in exchange for their support. After neither the right nor left bloc won enough seats to form a majority, Catalan separatist parties Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and Junts have emerged as kingmakers. However, Sanchez, who rejects Catalan independence, has long said he opposes a referendum or an amnesty. INDEPENDENCE SUPPORT DECLININGEven if Sanchez were willing to concede, a referendum could prove difficult to implement.

Persons: Albert Gea, Esquerra, Pedro Sanchez, Sanchez, Junts, Carles Puigdemont, Ramon Tremosa, mignon, Tremosa, Josep Rius, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Feijoo, Mariano Rajoy, Joan Esculies, Isabel Rodriguez, Yolanda Diaz, Diaz, Jaume Asens, Puigdemont, Wayne Griffiths, Rius, Pedro Sanchez's, Joan Faus, Belen Carreno, Charlie Devereux, Aislinn Laing, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, ERC, Junts, Sanchez's Socialists, Socialists, European Union, People's Party, Socialist, Monday, Volkswagen's, SEAT, Catalans, Vox, Thomson Locations: Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, BARCELONA, MADRID, Catalan, Catalonia, Belgium, Socialist, Madrid, Volkswagen's Barcelona, Spanish

☆ EU nature law on knife-edge after losing first vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill to revive ailing environments - which aims to restore nature on 20% of EU land and sea - is facing a political backlash from the European People's Party group in the EU Parliament, which has called for its rejection. In a tight vote, 44 lawmakers voted for the law and 44 against, meaning it failed to win majority support. The bill now heads to a full EU Parliament vote on July 11, where failure to win majority support would kill off the proposal. Supporters from other parliament groups said they would try to club together to find a compromise deal ahead of the full parliament vote. Despite that, EU countries agreed a position on the nature bill last week - weakening some targets and asking for more EU money to support farmers in restoring nature, but backing its overall aims.

Persons: Anne Sander, Cesar Luena, parliament's, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Frank Jack Daniel, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Union, European People's Party, European Commission, EPP, Thomson Locations: Hymettus, Athens, Greece, BRUSSELS, Brussels, Ireland, Belgium

☆ Uganda’s President Museveni slams ‘Western double standards’ over Germany coal mine plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has slammed Western countries over what he calls a “reprehensible double standard” in their response to the energy crisis brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In September, Russia which had come under a raft of Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, halted gas supplies to Europe, leaving the region that was dependent on Russian oil and gas imports scampering for alternatives. But Europe’s largest economy has now been forced to prioritize energy security over clean energy as gas supplies from Russia froze. Just like Germany, many other European countries are reviving coal projects as alternatives to Russian energy. Making ‘a mockery’ of climate targetsMuseveni, 78, says Europe’s switch to coal-based power generation “makes a mockery” of the West’s climate targets.

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