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☆ Biles pulls off Yurchenko's double pike to be named after her at Worlds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Gymnastics - 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships - Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium - October 1, 2023 Simone Biles of the U.S. in action during the women's qualification REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsOct 1 (Reuters) - American gymnastic Simone Biles became the first woman to do the Yurchenko double pike at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships on Sunday with the vault now to be named after her. The Yurchenko double pike is the most difficult jump in the women's scoring code and was rated at 6.4 points by the technical committee in anticipation of it being performed. The 26-year-old athlete scored 15.266 with a 58.865 total in the all-around, securing the vault to be named Biles II after a different original jump was named after her in 2018. The U.S. women's team finished their qualifying subdivision at the top of the table and will go for team gold on Wednesday in Antwerp. Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Simone Biles, Yves Herman Acquire, Biles, Angelica Medina, Christian Radnedge Organizations: women's, Thomson Locations: Antwerp, Belgium, American, U.S, Mexico

☆ Aid agency urges Johnson & Johnson to improve access to tuberculosis drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO:The logo of Johnson & Johnson is seen on a Brussels' office of the company in Diegem, Belgium September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Global health aid agency Unitaid has written to Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) CEO, Joaquin Duato, urging "immediate action" to expand access to the company's tuberculosis drug bedaquiline, which is protected by patents hindering generic alternatives. The agency is urging J&J to remove all secondary patents and ensure that lower prices are available to all countries with high TB cases. TB, a bacterial disease that mostly affects the lungs, is preventable and treatable, but 10 million people catch it annually. Around 1.6 million people died from TB in 2021, almost entirely in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Persons: Johnson, Yves Herman, Unitaid, Joaquin Duato, Philippe Duneton, J, Emma Farge, Jennifer Rigby, Devika Nair, Susan Fenton, Elaine Hardcastle, Leslie Adler Organizations: Johnson, REUTERS, Rights, UN, Assembly, World Health Organization, WHO, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Diegem, Belgium, South Africa, Belarus, Ukraine

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Meta Platforms Inc FollowOSLO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Norway's data regulator will refer the fine it has imposed on Meta Platforms (META.O) to the European data authority, it said on Thursday, a move that could make the fine permanent and widen it to the European Union. The Norwegian regulator, Datatilsynet, is now referring its decision to the European Data Protection Board, which could make the decision permanent if it agrees with the Norwegian regulator's decision. "Datatilsynet has asked the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for a binding decision in the Meta case," the regulator said in a statement. "In the request, we ask that the Norwegian temporary ban on behaviour-based marketing on Facebook and Instagram be made permanent and extended to the entire EU/EEA."

Persons: Yves Herman, Instagram, Datatilsynet, Meta, Gwladys, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, European Union, Facebook, Big Tech, European Data Protection, Data Protection, EEA, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Norwegian, Norway

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 27 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) was ordered on Wednesday to face a private antitrust lawsuit by payment card issuers accusing the company of thwarting competition for its Apple Pay mobile wallet. The proposed class action is led by Illinois' Consumers Co-op Credit Union, and Iowa's Affinity Credit Union and GreenState Credit Union. According to the complaint, Apple's conduct forces more than 4,000 banks and credit unions that use Apple Pay to pay at least $1 billion of excess fees, and harms consumers by minimizing the incentive to make Apple Pay safer and easier to use. White said the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that Apple allow alternatives to Apple Pay, and that more competition would spur innovation and reduce prices. The case is Affinity Credit Union et al v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Yves Herman, Jeffrey White, Steve Berman, White, Apple, Jonathan Stempel, Mike Scarcella, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Illinois, Consumers, Credit Union, Iowa's Affinity Credit Union, GreenState Credit Union, Google, Samsung, Apple Pay, Affinity Credit, Apple Inc, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Oakland , California, Cupertino , California, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

☆ Swedish furniture maker IKEA to open first Colombia store
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The IKEA logo is seen outside an IKEA furniture store in Brussels, Belgium June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Swedish furniture maker IKEA will this week open its biggest South American store in Colombia, as part of an international expansion plan which includes growth in Peru and Chile with an investment worth $600 million, an executive said on Wednesday. The Colombia store, to be opened on Thursday in the capital Bogota, will be the first in the country and will span three floors with 40 exhibition rooms. "The opening of our first store in Colombia is part of the brand's plan to establish nine stores in Chile, Colombia and Peru over the next 10 years," Hasbleidy Castaneda, IKEA's manager in Colombia, said in an interview. The investment plan includes opening two more stores in Colombia next year, to be located in Medellin and Cali, the country's second and third-largest cities respectively.

Persons: Yves Herman, Hasbleidy Castaneda, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, IKEA, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BOGOTA, Swedish, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Mexico, Dominican Republic

The logo of accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is seen on the top of a Brussels' office of the company, in Diegem, Belgium September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - PwC Australia will appoint outsiders to its board and publish audited financial statements as part of a governance overhaul to bring the partnership closer to public company standards following a scandal over the leak of confidential tax documents. PwC Australia will announce plans on Wednesday to apply some Australian Stock Exchange governance principles including appointing two non-executive directors and a non-executive chair to its board, according to excerpts of plans provided by PwC. The changes form part of PwC Australia's response to a months-long independent review into its governance and culture, which will be published in full on Wednesday. Australia said last month it would drastically toughen penalties against those who promote dodgy tax schemes and strengthen regulators in response to the scandal.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Kevin Burrowes, Ziggy Switkowski, Lewis Jackson, Kim Coghill Organizations: PricewaterhouseCoopers, REUTERS, Rights, Facebook, Australian Stock Exchange, PwC, “, Telstra, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Diegem, Belgium, Australia

☆ EU antitrust regulators set Oct. 23 deadline for Arcelik, Whirlpool deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

European flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Arcelik AS FollowWhirlpool Corp FollowBRUSSELS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators will decide by Oct. 23 whether to clear Turkish domestic appliances maker Arcelik's (ARCLK.IS) proposed purchase of Whirlpool's (WHR.N) European domestic appliances business, an European Commission filing showed on Thursday. Under the deal announced in January, the companies will set up a new entity made up of Arcelik's European units such as major domestic appliances, small domestic appliances and consumer electronics and Whirlpool's European business. The EU competition watchdog can either clear the deal with or without seeking remedies after its preliminary review or it can open a four-month investigation if it has serious concerns. The UK competition agency is also assessing the deal, with a decision due by Sept. 28.

Persons: Yves Herman, Arcelik, Blomberg, Foo Yun, Mark Potter Organizations: European Commission, REUTERS, Whirlpool, Commission, EU, Zenith, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Arctic, Altus, Grundig

☆ UK urges Meta not to roll out end-to-end encryption on Messenger and Instagram
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. Meta, which already encrypts messages on WhatsApp, plans to implement end-to-end encryption across Messenger and Instagram direct messages, saying the technology re-enforced safety and security. "They must develop appropriate safeguards to sit alongside their plans for end-to-end encryption." End-to-end encryption is a bone of contention between companies and the government in the new law. Tech companies have said scanning messages and end-to-end encryption are fundamentally incompatible.

Persons: Yves Herman, Bill, Suella Braverman, Meta, WhatsApp, Paul Sandle, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, Social, Tech, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Britain

Banners displaying the NATO logo are placed at the entrance of new NATO headquarters during the move to the new building, in Brussels, Belgium April 19, 2018. "That means that we cannot make sure that the increased defence spending actually leads to more security." In February, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Kyiv was burning through shells much faster than the West could produce them. Bauer pushed for more private investment in the defence sector to ramp up production capacity, urging pension funds and banks to stop labelling defence investments as unethical. As we have seen in Ukraine, war is a whole of society event," he said, adding such investment was in the private sector's strategic interest as well.

Persons: Yves Herman, Rob Bauer, Jens Stoltenberg, Bauer, Gwladys Fouche, Sabine Siebold, Jason Neely, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights OSLO, Oslo, Ukraine, Kyiv, Germany, Poland, Baltic, Berlin

☆ Thousands march in Brussels on anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] People hold a placard with pictures of, as Iranian call them, martyrs, during a rally of Iranian diaspora in Europe, on the eve of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, which prompted protests across their country, in Brussels, Belgium September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Iranian emigres marched in Brussels on Friday, the eve of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman whose death in the custody of Iran's morality police sparked months of anti-government protests. Thousands of demonstrators, holding up pictures of Amini and many others killed in the protests, called for the overthrow of Iran's theocracy and the establishment of a democratic republic. Organisers said they had also demanded a unified European Union policy to hold Iran's Shi'ite clerical rulers accountable for abuses. Over 500 people including 71 minors were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, rights groups say, in unrest that was eventually crushed by security forces.

Persons: Mahsa, Yves Herman Acquire, Amini, Yves Herman, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, GV, Thomson Locations: Europe, Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, European, Tehran, United States, Israel, Iran

☆ Mercedes-Benz threatened with recalls of Euro 6 cars over defeat devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Mercedes-Benz is seen outside a Mercedes-Benz car dealer in Brussels, Belgium June 1, 2023. In the letter published on DUH's website, the KBA referred to three devices found in cars produced under the Euro 6 standard, the most recent and stringent limits for harmful tailpipe emissions from petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. Mercedes-Benz was obliged to take remedial measures or face an order to remove the cars from the road, it said, based on a ruling by the European Court of Justice that deemed such devices illegal in certain driving conditions. In a statement, Mercedes-Benz said it was co-operating fully with the KBA and that it believed it had already developed the technology required to tackle the issue via software updates. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Rachel More and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman, Benz, carmaker, Victoria Waldersee, Rachel More, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, REUTERS, Companies Mercedes Benz Group, Deutsche, European Court of Justice, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy welcomes EU lifting grain export ban, warns neighbours
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy walks following a bilateral meeting with EU leaders during the European leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the EU's decision not to further extend the ban on Kyiv's grain exports, but said his government would react "in civilised fashion" if EU member states broke EU rules. "This is an example of true unity and trust between Ukraine and the EU," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. But immediately after the EU ruling was announced, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary said they would implement their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports. "We appeal to individual EU member-states to refrain from unlawful, unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural goods, he wrote on Telegram.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yves Herman, Zelenskiy, Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Yuliia Dysa, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis, Sandra Maler Organizations: EU, REUTERS, World Trade Organisation, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, Europe, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia

☆ EU to assess whether to hit Chinese electric cars with tariffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The European Commission started an investigation on Wednesday to assess whether the European Union needs to impose tariffs to protect itself against Chinese electric vehicle producers benefiting from state subsidies. And their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual address to the bloc's parliament. Von der Leyen stressed the importance of electric vehicles to the EU's ambitious environmental objectives. "So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, Von der Leyen, Foo Yun Chee, Philip Blenkinsop, Gabriela Baczynska Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Rights BRUSSELS, China, Europe

☆ EU's von der Leyen pledges more support for wind industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. We will focus on skills, access to finance and stable supply chains," von der Leyen said in a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday. But Europe's offshore wind power industry has warned governments it is not big enough to deliver green power goals and requires a jump in policy support to get on track - particularly if new wind farms are to be manufactured in Europe. "The future of our clean tech industry has to be made in Europe," von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen vowed to "stay the course" on Europe's green agenda, promising talks with industries - including agriculture - concerned about their role in the green transition.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, von der Leyen, Eurelectric, von der, Von der Leyen, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Louise Heavens Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, Renewables, Energy, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, BRUSSELS, EU

☆ Meta to expand WhatsApp Channels to more than 150 countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. The wider rollout is happening months after WhatsApp Channels was launched in Colombia and Singapore, in June. On WhatsApp, channels are separate from chats and followers are not visible to each other. Meta said users will be able to see recommended WhatsApp Channels based on region and popularity. WhatsApp Channels will be available globally in the coming weeks and months.

Persons: Yves Herman, Instagram, Meta, Zaheer Kachwala, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Colombia, Singapore, Bengaluru

[1/4] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. Von der Leyen, who has been at the head of the bloc's executive Commission since the end of 2019, also said she would appoint an envoy to help small and medium-sized enterprises tackle red tape to make it easier to do business. Lawmakers gave a standing ovation after von der Leyen recounted the fate of Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer and activist who was killed in a Russian attack on Ukraine. An upcoming package to support Europe's wind industry would be aimed at helping the sector as renewable energy companies struggle with steep inflation, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen also said the wealthy bloc must engage more with African countries and accused Russia of stirring chaos in the Sahel region of the continent.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Victoria Amelina, Héctor Abad, Yves Herman, Jan Strupczewski, Marine Strauss, Foo Yun Chee, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Julia Payne, Philip Blenkinsop, Ingrid Melander, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, EU, STRASBOURG, EU Commission, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lawmakers, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Colombian, China, Russia, Sahel, Africa, Brussels

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacts on the day of the annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. European Commission President von der Leyen told the European Parliament that Ukraine had already made "great strides" since being designated a membership candidate last year, even as it fights to repel Russia's invasion. But candidate countries have to meet a string of political and economic criteria to begin membership talks - and must fulfil more stringent conditions on democracy, the rule of law and economic standards - before they can actually join the EU. "For Ukraine, the biggest obstacle is Hungary and the discussion around national minorities," a senior EU diplomat said on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, von der Leyen outlined a vision of a European Union that would include not only Ukraine, but also Moldova and countries of the Western Balkans.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Peter Szijjarto, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, Nick Macfie Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Rights, ., EU, European Commission, Kyiv, OTP Bank, West, European, Thomson Locations: State, Strasbourg, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, European Union, Ukraine, Hungary, Germany, Kyiv, Hungarian, Moscow, Budapest, Moldova, Western Balkans

☆ Meta is developing a new, more powerful AI system, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 10 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) is working on a new artificial-intelligence system intended to be as powerful as the most advanced model offered by OpenAI, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Facebook parent is aiming for its new AI model to be ready next year, the Journal said, adding it will be several times more powerful than its commercial version dubbed Llama 2. Llama 2 is Meta's open source AI language model launched in July, and distributed by Microsoft's (MSFT.O) cloud Azure services to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's (GOOGL.O) Bard. Meta expects to start training the new AI system, known as a large language model, in early 2024, the report added. Businesses and enterprises have flocked to the nascent generative AI market for newer capabilities and refining business processes since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT late last year.

Persons: Yves Herman, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Bard, Meta, Google's Bard, Ajax, Nilutpal, Leslie Adler, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, OpenAI, Wall Street, Meta, Bloomberg News, Apple, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Bengaluru

☆ Apple endorses California bill to oblige companies to report carbon footprint
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Isla Binnie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Apple Inc logo is seen at the entrance to the Apple store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. loadingWiener's bill would require public and private companies with annual revenue in excess of $1 billion who do business in traditionally climate-conscious California to disclose independently verified data on their planet-warming emissions. "Thank you, Apple, for making clear that this is doable (and) a critically important piece of climate action," Wiener wrote. A separate bill under discussion would require companies operating in California, with $500 million in revenue, to report on climate-related financial risks such as whether they have budgeted for increased compliance and insurance costs. In its letter to Wiener, Apple commends his bill's attempt to require companies to measure and report indirect emissions linked to their supply chains and end-users, known as Scope 3.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, we've, Michael Foulkes, Scott Wiener, Wiener, Apple, Isla Binnie, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, California Senate, Adobe, Ikea, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, California

A lawyer representing the boy's family accused police of ramming a patrol car into his motocross bike during a high-speed chase on Wednesday. Prosecutors said that they were treating the incident as "unintentional" and were looking for videos to ascertain the facts. The crash happened just over two months after police shot and killed a 17-year-old of North African descent at a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. The tournament, one of the major events on this year's international sporting calendar, kicks off on Friday when France play New Zealand at the Stade de France near Paris. Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Alain Acco, Layli Foroudi; Editing by John Stonestreet and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman, France's, Olivier Veran, Dominique Vidalon, Alain Acco, Layli, John Stonestreet, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Police, Prosecutors, France Inter, Rugby, New Zealand, Stade de France, Thomson Locations: Nanterre, Paris suburb, France, PARIS, Paris, Elancourt, Yvelines

☆ Belgium toasts its beer riches with new visitor centre
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] An inside view of the Belgian Beer World, the world's largest interactive experience center about beer, that opened in the renovated stock exchange building "La Bourse/De Beurs", in Brussels, Belgium September 7, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Belgium is promoting its centuries of beer-making and 430 breweries with a new visitor centre in Brussels that recounts the history of Belgian production and aims to show what is unique about the country's beer and beer culture. Belgian Beer World will open on Saturday in the neoclassical former Brussels Stock Exchange, renovated at a cost of 90 million euros ($96.25 million). Visitors will learn about "Belgitude" - Belgian identity - and what distinguishes Belgian beer from others - such as the four different fermentation methods and the culture of each beer having its own branded glass. Belgium produces some 1,600 beers and its beer culture secured a place on the UNESCO global list of traditions worthy of preservation in 2016.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Krishan Maudgal, Mayor Philippe Close, Philip Blenkinsop, Frances Kerry Organizations: Belgian Beer, REUTERS, Rights, Brussels Stock Exchange, Belgian Brewers, UNESCO, Mayor, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Belgian, Dublin, Amsterdam

☆ Europe has dodged Putin’s gas bullet. But it’s still thirsty for cheap energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For Europe, energy security has always been a trade-off: Cheap, imported energy comes with the risk of dependency on the countries from which it originates. Europe had an especially mild winter while governments and citizens made a concerted effort to use less gas. Despite these efforts, officials and analysts are fearful that however impressive these advancements have been, Europe’s energy is far from secure in the long term. And when it comes to energy security, dependency ultimately brings us back to that classic trade-off: economics versus risk. China is not the only threat when it comes to energy security in Europe.

Persons: guzzled, Vladimir Putin, –, Sean Gallup, Koen van Weel, ”, Milan Elkerbout, Kevin Frayer, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Adam Bell, it’s, Ursula von der, Yves Herman, Velina Tchakarova, ” Tchakarova Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, European Union, EU, Getty, Center for European Policy Studies, China . Workers, China Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Moscow, European, Lubmin, Germany, Port, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Qatar, Nigeria, China, Huainan, Anhui province, Brussels, Beijing, Belgium, Taiwan, cyberattacks . China, Saudi Arabia, Khazakstan, Libya

☆ Meta to drop 'Facebook News' tab in some European countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 5 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) said on Tuesday it will discontinue the "Facebook News" feature on its social media app in the UK, France and Germany, later this year. Users will still be able to view links to news articles and European news publishers will continue to have access to their Facebook accounts and pages after the change is implemented in December, Meta said. However, Facebook will not form new commercial deals for news content on "Facebook News", nor offer product innovations for news publishers in these countries. "Facebook News", which curates a feed of news articles, is a dedicated tab in the bookmarks section of the Facebook app.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Yuvraj Malik, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Volvo Cars August sales up 18%, lifted by US, Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

An employee at a Volvo car dealer, wearing a protective mask is seen in the showroom, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Brussels, Belgium May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHELSINKI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Sweden's Volvo Cars (VOLCARb.ST) on Monday reported an 18% rise in monthly car sales for August compared to last year, propelled by European and U.S. demand. The carmaker sold 51,636 cars in August, out of which 33% were fully electric or plug-in hybrid, Volvo Cars added. European sales rose 46% from the same month last year to 16,051 cars, while U.S sales rose 31% to 10,644 cars, Volvo said in a statement. Volvo Cars is majority owned by China's Geely (0175.HK).

Persons: Yves Herman, China's Geely, Essi Lehto, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Volvo, REUTERS, Rights, European, HK, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, U.S, China

☆ UK finance minister Hunt says inflation is on track to come down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Saturday inflation was on track to halve by the end of 2023, vowing to focus on the goal as he laid out his priorities ahead of the reopening of parliament after the summer break. Britain's inflation rate is forecast to fall to about 5% by the end of the year - half January's level - and meeting the target would mean one of the five key pledges Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made to voters for 2023 would be met. Hunt said in a statement issued on Saturday that pressure on household budgets would start to ease as inflation cools. "We are on track to halve inflation this year and by sticking to our plan we will ease the pressure on families and businesses alike," Hunt said, ahead of lawmakers returning to parliament on Monday. For July, Britain's annual consumer price inflation rate cooled to 6.8% - still the highest rate among the Group of Seven economies.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Mairead McGuinness, Yves Herman, Rishi Sunak, Hunt, Sunak, Sarah Young, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Financial Stability, Financial Services, Capital Markets, REUTERS, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, British

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