DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Meta may allow Facebook, Instagram users in EU to pay to avoid ads - NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 1 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) is considering paid versions of Facebook and Instagram with no advertisements for users residing in the European Union (EU) as a response to scrutiny from regulators, the New York Times reported on Friday. Those who pay for the subscriptions would not see ads while Meta would also continue to offer free versions of the apps with ads in the EU, the report said, citing three people with knowledge of the plans. It is unclear how much the paid versions of the app would cost, the NYT report said. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman, Zaheer Kachwala, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, European Union, New York Times, Meta, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, EU, German, Bengaluru

☆ Dutch government presses ahead with Schiphol flight cap as airlines protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Flights will be capped at 452,500 per year, Harbers said, 9.5% below 2019 levels and lower than a previous proposal of 460,000. Airlines that use Schiphol including Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) have sued to try to prevent the cap at one of Europe's busiest airports. The decision is "arbitrary, ill-thought out and undercuts procedures normally used," said Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of industry group Airlines For Europe (A4E). Airlines opposed to the ban are appealing to the Dutch Supreme Court after losing an appeal in July. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which supports the airlines' case, on Thursday told the Dutch caretaker government not to proceed ahead of a national election in November.

Persons: Yves Herman, Mark Harbers, Harbers, Ourania Georgoutsakou, Mark Rutte, Toby Sterling, Mark Potter Organizations: KLM, REUTERS, Rights, Aviation, European Commission, Airlines, Air France, Europe, Dutch, International Air Transport Association, U.S . Department of Transport, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Schiphol

☆ Apple to host fall event on Sept 12, analysts expect new iPhones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Inc logo is seen at the entrance to the Apple store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsAug 29 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) said on Tuesday it would host its fall event on Sept. 12, setting the stage for what analysts believe will be the unveiling of a new line of iPhones and smartwatches. The event will be hosted at the Steve Jobs Theater at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, according to invites from the world's most valuable company. Apple posted a 2.4% decline in iPhone sales for its fiscal third quarter - a rare drop for the product that has for years powered the company's growth. Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Steve Jobs, TF International Securities analyst Ming, Chi Kuo, Chavi Mehta, Sriraj Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Steve, Wall Street, TF International Securities analyst, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Cupertino , California, Bengaluru

A general view of the drug product manufacturing laboratory in biologics and sterile injectables, Catalent, in Brussels, Belgium June 27, 2023. Catalent named three pharma industry executives and a senior Elliott executive to its board and said John Greisch, who has served on the board since 2018, will become executive chairman. Elliott, whose stake in Catalent became public last month, has been engaging with the company behind the scenes for months. Two of the directors were picked by Elliott, while two were mutually agreed by Elliott and Catalent. Catalent is also forming a new strategic and operational review committee which Greisch will chair.

Persons: Yves Herman, Elliott, Catalent, Alessandro Maselli, John Greisch, Max, William Blair, Maselli, Steven Barg, Goldman Sachs, Frank D'Amelio, Stephanie Okey, Michelle Ryan, Greisch, Merck KGaA, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Maggie Fick, Sriparna Roy, Shinjini Ganguli, Catherine Evans, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Catalent Inc, Elliott Investment Management, Reuters, Novo, pharma, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Johnson, Catalent, Svea, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, ., Danish, Novo, United States, Catalent, GLP, Boston, London, Bengaluru

☆ Meta pins pro-China influence campaign on Chinese law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Katie Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Facebook parent company Meta said on Tuesday it had uncovered links between people associated with Chinese law enforcement and a long-running but largely ineffectual operation to positively influence people on social media about China. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. China’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of the findings, but added that individuals and institutions have often launched campaigns against China on social media platforms. Truly identify what lies and rumours are, what is the truth, and effectively eliminate false information related to China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said when asked about the matter at a news briefing on Wednesday. The “Spamouflage” network first started out posting on large platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, now called X.

Persons: Meta, Yves Herman, ”, Wang Wenbin, Ben Nimmo, Nimmo Organizations: YORK, Facebook, REUTERS, Meta, YouTube, Twitter, Global, Intelligence Locations: China, Brussels, Belgium, United States, Beijing, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan

☆ Meta pins 'Spamouflage' influence campaign on Chinese law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Katie Paul | ) 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. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Facebook parent company Meta (META.O) said on Tuesday it had uncovered links between people associated with Chinese law enforcement and the long-running but largely ineffectual pro-China "Spamouflage" influence operation. The "Spamouflage" network has engaged in spurts of activity over the last several years pushing positive narratives about China and negative commentary about the United States, Western foreign policies and critics of the Chinese government. With the latest activity detected, Meta executives said they believed that "Spamouflage" had become the largest known cross-platform influence operation to date, with a presence on at least 50 services. The "Spamouflage" network first started out posting on large platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, now called X.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Ben Nimmo, Nimmo, Katie Paul, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Meta, YouTube, Twitter, Global, Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, United States, Beijing, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan

A general view of the drug product manufacturing laboratory in biologics and sterile injectables, Catalent, in Brussels, Belgium June 27, 2023. The sources declined to be identified because the information is confidential and cautioned a deal could still collapse at the last minute. Spokespeople for Catalent and Elliott declined to comment. In the past when Elliott has pushed for sales of pieces or the entire target company, including at eBay and Switch Inc., and then won board representation, significant ownership changes have followed. Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is filled by Catalent’s Brussels factory and last week Reuters reported that Catalent’s plant in Bloomington, Indiana will begin filling Wegovy injection pens for Novo.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Elliott, Catalent, Elliott isn't, Keith Meister's, Scott Ferguson's, Mauricio Gutierrez, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Maggie Fick, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Catalent, Elliott Investment Management, AstraZeneca, Johnson, Moderna, eBay, Inc, Deutsche Bank, Management, Capital Management, Reuters, NRG, Svea, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, U.S, Bloomington , Indiana, Novo, Boston, London

A general view of the drug product manufacturing laboratory in biologics and sterile injectables, Catalent, in Brussels, Belgium June 27, 2023. Spokespeople for Catalent and Elliott declined to comment. The U.S.-based contract drugmaker is also Danish company Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) main manufacturing partner for its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy. The volatility at Catalent could increase scrutiny on the relationship between Novo and its partner. Reuters reported last week that a second Catalent factory will begin filling Wegovy injection pens for Novo as part of an expanded supply agreement.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Elliott, drugmaker, Markus Manns, Catalent, Elliott isn't, Keith Meister's, Scott Ferguson's, Mauricio Gutierrez, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Maggie Fick, Amanda Cooper, Shri Navaratnam, Bernadette Baum, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Elliott Investment Management, Catalent, Novo, Reuters, Union Investment, AstraZeneca, Johnson, Moderna, eBay, Inc, Deutsche Bank, Management, Capital Management, NRG, Svea, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, U.S, Danish, Novo, United States, Germany, Boston, London

☆ Mercedes lick wounds after worst result yet in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The eight points scored marked the first time this season that Mercedes had failed to take at least double figures from a weekend. "I think we stayed out catastrophically too long (in the first stint)," Wolff told Sky Sports television. "I'd rather have a fast race car and a mediocre result even if it hurts," said Wolff. The situation is never one person or one department... that was absolutely subpar from all of us and that includes me. Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Yves Herman Acquire, Toto Wolff, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Russell, Wolff, Lando Norris, George, Max, Lewis, Ferrari's Carlos, Sainz, It's, Alan Baldwin, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Prix, Hamilton, Sky Sports, Briton, McLaren, Thomson Locations: Zandvoort, Netherlands, ZANDVOORT, London

☆ Novo Nordisk CEO 'confident' Catalent will resolve Wegovy output problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A general view of the drug product manufacturing laboratory in biologics and sterile injectables, Catalent, in Brussels, Belgium June 27, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 25 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk Chief Executive Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen said on Friday he was confident Catalent (CTLT.N) would resolves its problems making Novo's hugely-popular weight-loss drug Wegovy as the company scrambles to boost output to meet soaring demand. "I am confident in that," Jorgensen said at a Reuters Newsmaker event, when asked about the issues Catalent has had. Novo hopes to have a third external facility filling and finishing the injection pens by 2024, Jorgensen said. Even so, it will be "quite some years" before the company can satisfy the whole market for Wegovy, Jorgensen said.

Persons: Yves Herman, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Jorgensen, Catalent, Novo, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Reuters, Wegovy, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Danish

☆ This Dutchman moved to San Francisco a year ago to help tech giants prepare for new EU rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

De Graaf, a 30-year veteran of the European Commission, was tasked with resurrecting the EU office in the Bay Area. The generative AI boomGenerative AI was a virtually foreign concept when de Graaf arrived in San Francisco last September. In June, the European Parliament cleared a major step in passing the EU AI Act, which would represent the EU's package of AI regulations. Tech companies that have for years criticized the EU for overly aggressive regulations are now asking, "Why is it taking you so long?" The rapidly changing landscape of generative AI makes it tricky for the EU to quickly formulate regulations.

Persons: Yves Herman, Gerard de Graaf, De Graaf, de Graaf, Union hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Mandel Ngan, Thierry Breton, Elon Musk, Breton, we've, We've, who's, they've, Aneesh Chopra Organizations: EU, European Commission, Digital Services, Nasdaq, Meta, Google, Apple, DSA, EC, Valley Bank, Irish Consulate, The, Union, U.S, Facebook, Financial, Financial Services, AFP, Getty, Twitter, Digital Markets, Washington , D.C, European, Tech, Stanford, Nvidia, White Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Europe, San Francisco, Bay, U.S, Silicon Valley, Silicon, Rayburn, Washington , DC, Poland, Graaf, Washington ,, United States

☆ Meta to launch AI model for writing computer codes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | 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 RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) on Thursday said it would release an artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to assist in writing computer code, furthering its push into the new technology. Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has released a flurry of AI models, mostly free, this year, including an open-source language model, called Llama, that poses a serious challenge to proprietary models sold by Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O) OpenAI and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google. The new AI model is built on top of Meta's latest Llama 2 language model and will be available in different configurations, the company said, as it gears up to compete with Microsoft's code-writing tool GitHub Copilot. Code Llama supports the popular coding languages like Python, Java and C++ and is not recommended for general text tasks, Meta said.

Persons: Yves Herman, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Meta, Zaheer Kachwala, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Bengaluru

☆ Formula One statistics for the Dutch Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Formula One F1 - Dutch Grand Prix - Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands - September 4, 2022 Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action during the race REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Formula One statistics for Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the 13th race of the 22-round season. Total distance: 306.587km (72 laps)2022 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull one minute 10.342 seconds. Verstappen won in 2021 and 2022, both times from pole position, making him the only current driver on the grid to have won the Dutch Grand Prix. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has 32 wins, most recently in his home Spanish Grand Prix in 2013 with Ferrari, from a record 367 starts. PODIUMSix teams and eight drivers have made a podium appearance this season: Red Bull, Alpine, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Yves Herman, Red Bull, Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Perez, Abu Dhabi, Hamilton, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Bull, Charles Leclerc, Aston Martin, McLaren, Michael Schumacher, Romeo's, Zhou, George Russell, Alan Baldwin, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Prix, Zandvoort, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Monaco, Verstappen, Spanish, Ferrari, Aston, Thomson Locations: Zandvoort, Netherlands, Britain, NETHERLANDS, Amsterdam, Abu, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Hamilton

☆ Facebook owner Meta Platforms seeks to stop privacy breach fine in Norway
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

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, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) will ask a court in Norway on Tuesday to stop a fine the country's data regulator has imposed on the owner of Facebook and Instagram for breaching users' privacy, in a case that could have wider European implications. Since Aug. 14, Meta Platforms has been fined 1 million crowns ($94,313) per day for harvesting users' data and using it to target advertising at them, called behavioural advertising, a business model common to Big Tech. Meta Platforms is asking for a temporary injunction against the order, which imposes a daily fine through to Nov. 3. Datatilsynet could make the fine permanent by referring its decision to the European Data Protection Board, which has the power to do so, if it agrees with the Norwegian regulator's decision.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Tobias Judin, Datatilsynet, Gwladys Fouche, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Big Tech, European Union, European Economic, EEA, Reuters . Regulator, Meta, Reuters, European Data Protection, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Norway, Norwegian, Europe, Oslo

☆ UK’s improving finances will bear no fiscal gifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Higher tax receipts helped Britain to borrow less than expected in July. The UK’s poor economic health leaves him with little room for fiscal giveaways ahead of a prospective 2024 election. Public sector net borrowing stood at 4.3 billion pounds in July, less than the 5 billion pounds expected by economists polled by Reuters. In the first four months of the fiscal year, borrowing was 11.3 billion pounds below the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast. The recent rise in bond yields will add around 18 billion pounds to debt interest spending by 2027/28, says Capital Economics.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Mairead McGuinness, Yves Herman, Hunt, Francesco Guerrera, EY’s loveless, Lisa Jucca, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Financial Stability, Financial Services, Capital Markets, REUTERS, Reuters, Budget, Economics, Twitter, TPG, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium

☆ Germany walks back plan to meet NATO spending target on annual basis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Holger Hansen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

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. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The German government has retreated from a plan to legally commit itself to meeting NATO's 2% military spending target on an annual basis, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday. The change means that Germany will be able to stick to its current pledge of meeting the 2% target on average over a five-year period. NATO allies have criticised Berlin strongly in the past for not spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defence annually. It is unclear whether Berlin will keep military spending over this threshold once a 100 billion euro ($101 billion) special fund to bring the Bundeswehr back up to standard is used up.

Persons: Yves Herman, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, " Scholz, Holger Hansen, Miranda Murray, Sabine Siebold, Friederike Heine, Rachel More Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Bundeswehr, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Germany, Ukraine, Berlin

☆ Catalent, facing pressure from Elliott, had other activists in stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of the drug product manufacturing laboratory in biologics and sterile injectables, Catalent, in Brussels, Belgium June 27, 2023. Keith Meister's Corvex Management and Scott Ferguson's Sachem Head Capital Management each disclosed buying Catalent stock in the second quarter and owning it on June 30. Corvex initiated a new position in Catalent, buying 5.7 million shares during the second quarter, while Sachem Head purchased 662,000 shares during the quarter, also a new position for the fund. While Elliott is among the world's most prominent and busiest activist investors, both Corvex and Sachem Head have in the past targeted other companies and successfully lobbied for board seats. Representatives for Corvex and Sachem Head declined to comment beyond the filings.

Persons: Yves Herman, Keith Meister's, Scott Ferguson's, Corvex, Elliott, Catalent, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Elliott Investment Management, Management, Capital Management, Sachem, Corvex, AstraZeneca, Johnson, Moderna, Svea, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Catalent, Europe, United States

France has used an anti-terrorism unit to question some climate activists, the police confirmed to Reuters. Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment and its interior ministry did not comment. Germany does not have a national policy targeting climate activists, who the government considers mainly non-extremist, a spokesperson for the country’s interior ministry said. "Climate protesters can perhaps be locked away, but the climate catastrophe will come anyway," Lachner said after being convicted in Berlin in July for glueing incidents last year and fined 2,700 euros. In the January newspaper interview, the local office of the interior ministry confirmed both devices had been installed.

Persons: Yves Herman, Simon Lachner, he'd, “ radicalisation ”, Lachner’s, Lachner, Regensberg, Lafarge Holcim, SLT, Julien Le Guet, Le Guet, Pascale Leglise, Riham Alkousaa, Juliette Jabkhiro, Andrew MacAskill, William James, Katy Daigle, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, GPS, Bavaria, Reuters, Britain’s National Police Chiefs ’, Los, Prosecutors, Bavarian, Berlin, Military, National Commission, Control, Thomson Locations: France, Sainte, Soline, BERLIN, Lachner, Britain, Germany, Berlin, Europe, Los Angeles, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Bavarian, Regensberg, French, Deux, Sevres, Nouvelle Aquitaine, SLT, Paris, London

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo/File PhotoOSLO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms (META.O) will be fined 1 million Norwegian crowns ($98,500) per day over privacy breaches from Aug. 14, Norway's data protection authority told Reuters on Monday. The regulator, Datatilsynet, had said on July 17 that the company would be fined if it did not address privacy breaches the regulator had identified. Meta Platforms did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Norway is not a member of the European Union but is part of the European single market.

Persons: Yves Herman, Datatilsynet, Tobias Judin, Meta, Meta's, Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, Reuters, Big Tech, European Data Protection, European Union, Facebook, Ireland's Data, European, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, OSLO, Norway, Norwegian, Europe, Oslo

☆ Volvo Cars sales up 21% year-on-year in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | 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 PhotoOSLO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Sweden's Volvo Cars (VOLCARb.ST) on Thursday reported a 21% rise in car sales in July from a year earlier, selling 54,165 vehicles, the company's 11th consecutive month of year-over-year growth. In the first seven months of 2023, Volvo sold 395,856 cars globally, a rise of 18% compared with the same period of 2022, led by soaring demand for fully-electric or plug-in-hybrid models. The manufacturer, which is majority-owned by China's Geely (0175.HK), said it sold 64,764 fully-electric cars year-to-date, up from 23,803 in the year-ago period. Shares in the company were up 0.4% at 0714 GMT, outperforming a 0.5% drop in Stockholm's benchmark index (.OMXS30).

Persons: Yves Herman, China's Geely, Terje Solsvik, Gwladys Organizations: Volvo, REUTERS, HK, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, OSLO

☆ Russia fines Apple for not deleting 'inaccurate' content on Ukraine conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Apple logo is seen at the entrance of an Apple Store in downtown Brussels, Belgium March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoSummaryCompanies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A Moscow court fined Apple (AAPL.O) 400,000 roubles ($4,274) on Thursday for not deleting "inaccurate" content about what Russia calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported. The TASS news agency said it was the first time Apple had been fined for that offence. The company paused all product sales in Russia shortly after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and limited its Apple Pay service in Russia. Moscow has clashed with Big Tech for years over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that escalated after Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine.

Persons: Yves Herman, Apple, Alexander Marrow, Gareth Jones Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Russia, TASS, Big Tech, Federal Antimonopoly Service, FAS, Wikimedia Foundation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Meta releases AudioCraft AI tool to create music from text
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoAug 2 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) on Wednesday introduced its open-source AI tool called AudioCraft that will help users to create music and audio based on text prompts. The AI tool is bundled with three models, AudioGen, EnCodec and MusicGen, and works for music, sound, compression and generation, Meta said. Earlier this year, Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) introduced its own experimental audio generating AI tool called MusicLM. Reporting by Tanya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, MusicGen, Tanya Jain, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Artists, Inc, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Bengaluru

☆ Apple's high-yield savings account hits over $10 bln in customer deposits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Inc logo is seen at the entrance to the Apple store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves HermanAug 2 (Reuters) - Apple’s (AAPL.O) high-yield savings account offered by its partner Goldman Sachs (GS.N) has reached over $10 billion in customer deposits, the technology giant said on Wednesday. The deposit account, which was launched in April, lets Apple Card users earn an annual percentage yield of 4.15% on savings accounts. U.S. lenders have had to offer higher rates on customer deposits to prevent clients from moving their funds to other high-yield alternatives, especially after an industry crisis earlier this year shook customers' faith in the financial health of banks. In March, Apple also launched its "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) service in the United States, expanding its footprint in the financial technology space.

Persons: Yves Herman, Goldman Sachs, Manya Saini, Pooja Desai Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Apple Card, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, United States, Bengaluru

☆ EU sees 'no immediate risks' if Niger cuts uranium supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoBRUSSELS, Aug 1 (Reuters) - EU nuclear agency Euratom said on Tuesday it saw no immediate risk to nuclear power production in Europe should Niger cut its deliveries of uranium. It said utilities in the bloc had enough uranium inventories to fuel its nuclear power reactors for three years. "If imports from Niger are being cut, there are no immediate risks to the security of nuclear power production in the short term," said Euratom. Euratom said that in 2022 Niger delivered 2,975 tU of natural uranium, or 25,4% of the EU's supplies. The agency said natural uranium equivalent in inventories owned by EU utilities last year totalled 35,710 tU, compared to average annual consumption of around 12,500 tU.

Persons: Yves Herman, Euratom, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Ed Osmond Organizations: European Commission, REUTERS, EU, Reuters, European Union, European, Canada, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Europe, Niger, African, France, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Namibia

☆ Pentagon chief urges Israeli consensus, action on settler violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for political consensus in Israel on Tuesday in a call with his Israeli counterpart, in the latest sign of strain between the allies over an Israeli judicial overhaul triggering major protests. The protests may be affecting the Israeli military. "Austin underscored the United States' belief that broad consensus through political dialogue, especially in the coming weeks and months, are critical elements of a resilient democracy," a Pentagon readout of the call said. She also declined to elaborate on Austin's comments regarding settler violence in Israel. A Pentagon readout said Austin urged Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant "to address extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians."

Persons: Defence Lloyd Austin, Yves Herman, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sabrina Singh, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, . Defense, Pentagon, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Israel, U.S, Israeli, United States

Search resuls for: "Yves Herman"

25 mentions found