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☆ Corporate agitators slow down in Q2 but ready to pounce in H2 -Barclays data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors, bankers and lawyers expect a busy second half where activists may become more involved in trying to jumpstart mergers and acquisitions (M&A). "Volatile markets and depressed M&A markets are not deterring activists from launching campaigns in 2023," said Jim Rossman, global head of shareholder advisory at Barclays. In the second half, Barclays' Rossman expects to see a market with pent-up demand for M&A and $1.4 trillion parked in private equity firms' war chests that needs to be put to work. "The proof is in the pudding in the 2023 proxy season," Rossman said. "Activists won seats at 80% of proxy contests that went to a final vote, compared to 33% in 2022."

Persons: Jim Rossman, ValueAct, Carl Icahn, Francis deSouza, Elliott, Rossman, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Jamie Freed Organizations: YORK, Elliott Investment Management, Capital, Legion Partners, Barclays, Holdings, Inclusive, Partners, Bayer, Reuters, Capital Management, Svea, Thomson Locations: Europe, Asia, United States

☆ European shares climb on China stimulus hopes; inflation data in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 30 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Friday as lacklustre data on China's factory activity spurred hopes of more policy stimulus, while investors awaited key inflation readings for more clues on the direction of global interest rates. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) was up 0.3% by 0703 GMT. Miners (.SXPP) gained 0.7%, tracking metal prices higher as a decline in China's factory activity boosted expectations of more economic stimulus from the country. Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) data for May as well as preliminary figures on euro zone inflation later in the day. Among individual stocks, shares of sportswear makers Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and Puma (PUMG.DE) were down 1.7% and 0.3% respectively, after Nike's (NKE.N) gloomy forecast.

Persons: Amruta Khandekar, Varun Organizations: Miners, Energy, Adidas, Puma, Thomson

NEW YORK, June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has urged an appeals court to uphold Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction and 20-year prison sentence for helping the disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, federal prosecutors said none of Maxwell's legal arguments about the fairness of her trial held merit. Epstein committed suicide at age 66 in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell, where he was awaiting trial for sex trafficking. Maxwell's accusers have said she and Epstein at first made them feel welcome in their orbit, before Epstein began demanding sexualized massages. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Jack Queen in New York; edting Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ghislaine, Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell, Arthur Aidala, Epstein, Robert Maxwell, massages, Britain's Prince Andrew, JPMorgan Chase, Jes Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Jack Queen, edting Robert Birsel Organizations: YORK, U.S, Circuit, JPMorgan, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, US, Islands, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Tallahassee , Florida, Beach , Florida, New York

JECFA, the WHO committee on additives, is also reviewing aspartame use this year. The first group includes substances from processed meat to asbestos, which all have convincing evidence showing they cause cancer, IARC says. Like aspartame, this means there is either limited evidence they can cause cancer in humans, sufficient evidence in animals, or strong evidence about the characteristics. Pepsico removed aspartame from sodas in 2015, bringing it back a year later, only to remove it again in 2020. Listing aspartame as a possible carcinogen is intended to motivate more research, said the sources close to the IARC, which will help agencies, consumers and manufacturers draw firmer conclusions.

Persons: Coke, Shannon Stapleton, Health Organization's, JECFA, Nozomi Tomita, Zsuzsanna, Germany’s Bayer, IARC, Frances Hunt, Wood, Mars Wrigley, Kate Loatman, –, Jennifer Rigby, Richa Naidu, Michele Gershberg, Mark Potter, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, International Agency for Research, Cancer, Health, Reuters, Joint WHO, Food, Agriculture Organization's, WHO, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, Welfare, Food Safety Authority, U.S, International, Association, Cargill, International Council of Beverages Associations, Ramazzini Institute, EFSA, Pepsico, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, United States, Europe, Geneva, France, Italy, sodas

☆ Brands focus on stories in refining China livestreaming to boost profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Livestreaming sessions by Chinese livestreamers Li Jiaqi and Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, (L) are seen on Alibaba's e-commerce app Taobao displayed on mobile phones in this illustration picture taken December 14, 2021. Stellar growth boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic saw the industry employ more than 1.23 million livestream hosts by 2020, says researcher iResearch, along with numerous accompanying livestream-related training academies and agencies. While Tmall and Li Jiaqi remain powerful, brands moving away from that strategy are cutting reliance on massive discounts and even his famous exhortation, "Oh my god! Liu once thought her brand's price point of about 2,000 yuan ($277) for its dresses made it incompatible with bargain-heavy livestreaming. The dominance of pureplay sales platforms such as Alibaba's Tmall and Taobao, along with JD.com (9618.HK), is increasingly challenged by entertainment and information-led platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

Persons: Li Jiaqi, Huang Wei, Florence Lo, Apple's, William Lau, Clyde, iResearch, Jacob Cooke, Li, Liu, Hugo Boss, superhost Viya, Lexie Moris, Betty, Casey Hall, Miyoung Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Apple Watch, HK, Tmall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Asia, Pacific, Douyin

At least seven analysts trimmed their fiscal 2024 expectations for Nike's earnings per share since the beginning of June and 10 slashed their price targets on the company's stock, ahead of its fourth-quarter results. "Coming into this current calendar year ... wholesale orders are weak at the moment," said Morningstar analyst David Swartz, adding that declines in these orders will have a negative impact on Nike. Reuters GraphicsTHE CONTEXTIn March, Nike warned of earnings pressure amid its attempts to get rid of excess inventory through heavy discounts. In May, retailer Foot Locker, which has touted its 'renewed' relationship with Nike, also flagged declining sales, particularly for fashion-oriented sneakers. Barclays analysts noted Nike could see "moderation, and potentially negative, wholesale channel growth" in the fourth quarter.

Persons: David Swartz, Jane Hali, Jessica Ramirez, Kanye, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Nike, Wall, Associates, Adidas, Jordan Retro, LeBron, Nike Brand, Barclays, Reuters, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Bengaluru

☆ Siemens and UCLA say data compromised in MOVEit data breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The hackers behind the wide-ranging breach, Cl0p, had earlier boasted about stealing data from UCLA and Siemens on their website. Cl0p also claimed to have stolen data from biopharmaceutical company Abbvie Inc (ABBV.N) and French industrial group Schneider Electric (SCHN.PA). Siemens and UCLA provided few additional details about the scope or consequences of the breach. Siemens said none of its critical data had been compromised and its operations remained unaffected. UCLA said its campus systems were unaffected and that "all of those who have been impacted have been notified".

Persons: Cl0p, Christoph Steitz, Raphael Satter, Matthias Williams, Mark Potter Organizations: Siemens Energy, University of California, UCLA, Siemens, Abbvie Inc, Schneider, FBI, Genworth, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Los Angeles, UCLA

The total number of recent victims from the online extortion ring has reached 121 organizations, according to Brett Callow, whose cybersecurity company Emsisoft helps companies respond to digital shakedown attempts. In 2021, Ukrainian authorities announced the arrests of six people tied to cl0p, but it's not clear that they were core members of the group, which continued to hack victims. Plundering file transfer protocols has become increasingly popular as hackers shift from encrypting data to simply stealing files and threatening to release them unless a ransom is paid. Many of the organizations stress that the target of the hack is the file transfer service, not their systems. The FBI said it was "aware of and investigating the recent exploitation of a MOVEit vulnerability by malicious ransomware actors."

Persons: Brett Callow, encrypting, TrendMicro, didn't, Cl0p, Emsisoft, Charles Carmakal, Raphael Satter, Christopher Bing, James Pearson, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: University of California, Siemens Energy, Abbvie Inc, Schneider, Publicly, Sony, Shell PLC, Government, U.S . Energy Department, Alphabet Inc, FBI, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Russia, Washington, London

"This is a really fine settlement," Rakoff said. Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 through 2013, when the bank terminated his accounts. JPMorgan in a statement this month said any association it had with Epstein "was a mistake and we regret it." Rakoff appointed Simone Lelchuk, a lawyer who specializes in administering settlements, to consider individual claims and determine payouts in the JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank cases. JPMorgan is also facing a lawsuit over Epstein by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the financier owned two neighboring islands.

Persons: Morgan Chase, Mike Segar, Jeffrey Epstein, Jed Rakoff, Rakoff, Epstein, Jane Doe, David Boies, Boies, Simone Lelchuk, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Co, New York City, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase's, U.S, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, U.S ., Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Florida, Russia, Eastern Europe, U.S . Virgin Islands

An array of startups offers second-life energy storage using old EV batteries. The second-life energy storage idea is in theory simple. The problem is a lack of old EV batteries that shows no sign of easing. He has just sold the car for $3,000 to pay down credit card debt, but wants another used EV. Commercial vehicles provide the best hope thus far for second-life batteries, industry officials said.

Persons: Steven Meersman, Nick Carey LONDON, Hans Eric Melin, Melin, EVs, Elmar Zimmerling, Thomas Becker, Antoni Tong, Jonathan Rivera, Rivera, —, Asad Hussain, Zenobe, Nick Carey, Paul Lienert, Daniel Leussink, Ben Klayman, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Global, Nissan, Energy, EV, Mercedes, P Global Mobility, CES, Tesla, BMW, International Energy Agency, Leaf, Mobility Impact Partners, Victoria Waldersee, Thomson Locations: Portsmouth, Britain, recyclers, U.S, Leipzig, 16GWh, Paris, Europe, Coeur d'Alene , Idaho, London, Australia, New Zealand, Detroit, Berlin, Tokyo

The shares have been held in Russia by a different depositary bank. DRs are certificates issued by a bank representing shares in a foreign company traded on a local stock exchange. Swapping DRs for shares in the Russian company is a first step towards an effort to recover their money. Deutsche Bank is now allowing investors to swap DRs for shares as part of its plans to exit all Russia business, one source said. JPMorgan & Chase (JPM.N), Citigroup (C.N) and BNY Mellon (BK.N) act as depositary banks for most other Russian depositary receipt programs, according to Clearstream.

Persons: Mechel, underscoring, Irina Tsukerman, Grigory Marinichev, Morgan Lewis, BNY Mellon, Sinead Cruise, Alexander Marrow, Elisa Martinuzzi, Megan Davies, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Moscow LONDON, Deutsche Bank, Reuters, Deutsche, Aeroflot, LSR, Novolipetsk, The Central Bank of Russia, Depository, JPMorgan, Chase, Citigroup, BNY, Commission, Control, Foreign Investments, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Washington, London, Carolina, New York

Epstein had been a JPMorgan client from 1998 and 2013 when the bank terminated his accounts. Lawyers for the victims plan to seek up to 30% of the settlement amount for legal fees, court records show. The victims' lawyers also represented Epstein victims in a similar $75 million settlement with Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), where Epstein was also a client. JPMorgan also faces a lawsuit over Epstein by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring islands. The case is Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Morgan Chase, Mike Segar, Jeffrey Epstein's, Epstein, Jan, Jed Rakoff, Jane Doe, JPMorgan, Rakoff preliminarily, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Jahnavi, Robert Birsel Organizations: Co, New York City, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase's, U.S, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Reuters, U.S ., JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, Southern District, Southern District of New York, Bengaluru

☆ One Year, 61 Clinics: How Dobbs Changed the Abortion Landscape
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Allison Mccann | Amy Schoenfeld Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

One Year, 61 Clinics: How Dobbs Changed the Abortion LandscapeIn the year since Roe fell, 20 states enacted laws banning or restricting abortion, forcing a rapid shift in the country’s patchwork of abortion access. Hawaii A map showing the locations of abortion providers that have closed, stopped offering abortion services or opened a new location. Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times Emily Kask for The New York Times Emily Kask for The New York Times Emily Kask for The New York Times A year ago, the Jackson clinic was the last one standing in Mississippi. Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times Terreisha Rancher, 26, recently sat in an exam room at the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, pregnant and uninsured. No abortions Austin, Texas Closed Houston No abortions Madison, Wis. No abortions Memphis A grid of photos of abortion clinics in nine locations.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Dobbs, he’s, Mary Mathis, Kendrick Brinson, Madeleine Hordinski, Mo ., Gabriela Bhaskar, New York Times Emily Kask, The New York Times Emily Kask, Jackson, “ Hunt ”, David Carpenter, “, ”, Carpenter wasn’t, Kathaleen Pittman, Emily Kask, Ms, Pittman, The New York Times Madeleine Hordinski, The New York Times Diane Derzis, Diane Derzis, Derzis, Louis, Doug Lane, “ It’s, hasn’t, Josefina Montoya, Dr, Darin Weyhrich, Weyhrich, Sarah Anne Miller, The New York Times “, you’re, The New York Times Kendrick Brinson, Leah Torres, Yashica Robinson, Dalton Johnson, Alabama’s, Robinson, Verónica, The New York Times Verónica, Yolanda Chapa, Derlis Garcia, Bekki Vaden, Jessica Tezak, “ I’ve, Vaden Organizations: The New York Times, Walmart, Physicians, Ore, Neb . Ohio Ind, Ill . Utah W.Va, Miss . Ala . Texas La, Alaska Fla, Jackson, Health Organization, New York Times, Milwaukee, Dallas, Fort, Fort Worth ., San Antonio, Indianapolis, Houston, Alabama Women’s, El Paso, OB, West Alabama Women’s, Medicaid, “, ”, McAllen Pregnancy, Okla, Antonio Locations: Milwaukee, CeeJ, Montgomery, Ala, Bristol, Tenn, Va, Mont, N.D, Vt, Minn, N.H . Idaho, Wis, N.Y, Wyo, Pa . Iowa, Neb . Ohio, Del . Md, Ill . Utah, Colo . Calif, Mo, Mo . Kan, Ky, N.C, Ariz, ., Miss . Ala . Texas, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, N.H . Idaho S.D, Mass, Conn, R.I . Mich, Nev . Ohio, Kan, Miss . Ala ., New Mexico . Texas, Fla, In Texas, Alaska Hawaii, Texas La, Alaska Fla, Dobbs, Mississippi, Birmingham, Charleston, W.Va, Savannah, Ga, Antonio, Worth, Dallas ; Savannah , Georgia, Fort Worth, Birmingham , Alabama, Charleston , West Virginia, San Antonio, Shreveport, La, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Oklahoma, Baton Rouge, Juliet, Falls , Idaho, Orleans, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, New Orleans, Juliet , Tennessee, Indianapolis, St, Louis ; Oklahoma, Twin Falls , Idaho, Jackson, ”, Huntsville, Illinois, North Carolina, Flagstaff, McKinney , Texas, Austin, Waco, Bend, Houston, Flagstaff , Arizona, Rock , Arkansas, Austin , Texas, El Paso ; Houston ; Waco , Texas, West Bend , Wisconsin, Boise , Idaho, Tuscaloosa, Louisville, Tulsa, Okla, Meridian, Idaho, Memphis, Little Rock , Arkansas, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Meridian , Idaho, Louisville , Kentucky, Oklahoma City, Nashville, McAllen, Sioux, S.D, Madison, Sioux Falls , South Dakota, Madison , Wisconsin, Knoxville

The continent-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.5% lower, extending declines to the third consecutive session. Real estate stocks (.SX86P) fell 1.6%, leading sectoral losses. Shares of Kojamo (KOJAMO.HE) slid 5.4% after Barclays double-downgraded the Finnish residential real estate company's stock. Shares of European post and logistics companies slid after U.S. rival FedEx (FDX.N) reported lower quarterly profits on Tuesday. The STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) is on track for gains of 1.2% in June, losing some momentum from the first quarter of the year amid a high-interest rate environment, investor preference shifting away from value-oriented stocks and lacklustre China recovery.

Persons: Fed's Powell, BoE, Jerome Powell, Powell, Anna Titareva, Shreyashi Sanyal, Siddarth, Sohini Goswami, Eileen Soreng Organizations: Tech, Federal, Bank of, Bank, UBS, Central Banks ', Barclays, FedEx, Deutsche Post, Thomson Locations: BoE Real, Britain, China, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Analysis: Auto firms race to secure non-Chinese graphite for EVs as shortages loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Auto firms have been slow to plan for graphite shortages, focusing mainly on better-known battery materials lithium and cobalt, even though graphite is the largest battery component by weight. Graphite shortages are expected to rise in coming years, with a global supply deficit of 777,000 tonnes expected by 2030, Project Blue projections showed. China produces 61% of global natural graphite and 98% of the final processed material to make battery anodes, BMI said. Agreeing graphite supply deals is complex, requiring extensive safety testing for material going into each model of EV that can take up to three years. Natural graphite anodes tend to be cheaper and are beneficial for cell capacity and power output, allowing cars to run further distances before charging.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, there's, Mark Thompson, Australia's, Northvolt, Thompson, Talga, Mercedes, Brent Nykoliation, Tesla, George Miller, Reitumetse, Eric Onstad, Veronica Brown, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, Mercedes, Auto, Australia's Talga, BMO Capital Markets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, BMI, Reuters Graphics, Toyota, Ford, Tesla Inc, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor, Benz, Renault, NextSource, Syrah Resources, Magnis Energy Technologies, U.S, European Union, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mozambique, United States, Europe, U.S, Mauritius, CHINA, Western

☆ Factbox: Graphite producers doing deals with automakers and battery groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Tomas Bergman/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Automakers are rushing to lock in graphite supply from outside dominant producer China as mined graphite demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries outpaces other uses. Below are details of some Western companies producing, or planning to produce graphite, and their deals with auto makers and battery producers. It aims to start annual production at a battery anode plant in Mauritius in 2024 at 3,600 metric tons. SYRAH RESOURCES LTD (SYR.AX)Operates Balama mine in Mozambique, which doubled graphite production to 163,000 metric tons in 2022 from the year before. MAGNIS ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES LTD (MNS.AX)Developing Nachu graphite mine in Tanzania, aiming to produce 236,000 metric tons of graphite concentrate.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, steelmaker Thyssenkrupp, Talga, Magnis, Tesla, China's, Eric Onstad, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, REUTERS LONDON, INC, TALGA, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Stellantis, Mercedes, Benz, Renault, LG Energy, Ford Motor Company, SK, MONDE, Panasonic Energy, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mauritius, Lulea, Mozambique, U.S ., Louisiana, Tanzania, United States, New York, South Australia, Macquarie, Canada, India, Alabama, Coosa

☆ Microsoft says new computing service for chemicals can slash R&D time
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 21 - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) on Wednesday introduced a new computing service aimed at helping chemical companies speed up the research and development of new materials. Azure Quantum Elements, as the service is called, relies on computing power to help chemical companies simulate huge numbers of possible combinations of atoms. In a press release, Microsoft said that the system has helped some early customers speed up their development processes by as much as six months. Microsoft said that BASF (BASFn.DE), AkzoNobel (AKZO.AS), AspenTech, Johnson Matthey (JMAT.L), SCGC and 1910 Genetics have been testing the system. Microsoft said it was also publishing a scientific paper on the milestone but gave few other details ahead of its announcement.

Persons: Johnson Matthey, Satya Nadella, Stephen Nellis, Kim Coghill Organizations: Microsoft Corp, Microsoft, BASF, Thomson Locations: San Francisco

NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday granted preliminary approval to Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) $75 million settlement with victims of Jeffrey Epstein who accused the bank of facilitating the late financier's sex trafficking. Lawyers for Epstein's accusers and Deutsche Bank reached the settlement last month. The lawsuit was led by a victim known as Jane Doe 1, who said Epstein sexually abused her from 2003 to 2018 and accused Deutsche Bank of missing red flags of his abuses. Epstein had been a Deutsche Bank client from 2013 to 2018, after being a JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) client for 15 years. The case is Doe 1 v Deutsche Bank AG et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Jed Rakoff, Epstein, Rakoff, Jane Doe, Jonathan Stempel, Leslie Adler, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, Deutsche, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, JPMorgan, Monday, U.S ., U.S, Virgin Islands, Deutsche Bank AG, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

He warned that contaminated medicines could still be found for several years, because adulterated barrels of an essential ingredient may remain in warehouses. Cough syrups and the ingredient, propylene glycol, both have shelf-lives of around two years. Unscrupulous actors sometimes substitute propylene glycol with toxic alternatives, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, because they are cheaper, several pharmaceutical manufacturing experts told Reuters. The WHO said it has also offered help to Liberia and Cameroon – which recently signalled that it too may have contaminated cough syrups for sale. The contaminated syrups in Liberia were made by India's Synercare Mumbai, according to the Nigerian regulator.

Persons: Rutendo Kuwana, Kuwana, –, syrups, Naresh Kumar Goyal, QP Pharmachem, India's Synercare, Synercare, It's, Jennifer Rigby, Krishna N.Das, Edward McAllister, Stanley Widianto, Sumit Khanna, Sophie Yu, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Reuters, Pharmaceutical, Marshall, Indonesian, –, PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries, AFI, Pharmaceuticals, Marion Biotech, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Thomson Locations: LIBERIA, CAMEROON, Liberia, Nigeria, Gambia, Uzbekistan, Micronesia, Indonesian, – Timor Leste, Cambodia, Senegal, Philippines, Cameroon, syrups, Marshall Islands, India's Synercare Mumbai, Nigerian, Liberian, India, Panama, Delhi, Dakar, Jakarta, Ahmedabad, Beijing

☆ Mercedes drivers can soon turn to ChatGPT for voice control
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) on Thursday said U.S. drivers could power some of their luxury vehicles with ChatGPT in a test program starting June 16. Compatible with some 900,000 vehicles that have the automaker's "MBUX" systems, ChatGPT will download over the air after drivers opt in via a Mercedes app or by voice command, the company said. Mercedes said ChatGPT would make its car system's answers sound more natural and would let drivers ask for destination information or address other queries, like what to cook for dinner. The automaker had previously let drivers and passengers issue a range of requests by voice, such as turning on seat heaters. Findings from the test program will inform Mercedes' plans for adding such artificial intelligence to other countries and in other languages, the company said.

Persons: Yves Herman, ChatGPT, Mercedes, Alexa, Jeffrey Dastin, Jamie Freed Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, REUTERS, Microsoft, General, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Palo Alto , California, Bengaluru

☆ Siemens to invest $2.2 bln to ramp up global production
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Siemens CEO Roland Busch announces their plans for a new Singapore plant, at their office in Singapore June 15, 2023. Siemens will also increase its research and development spending by 500 million euros this year, the company said on Thursday. The company, which employs 311,000, is seen as a bellwether for the health of the global industrial economy. Siemens also wants to grow faster than rivals and increase market share, Busch told analysts last month. Still, on Thursday Siemens said it was also investing 140 million euros to expand its digital factory in the Chinese city of Chengdu and building a new R&D centre in Shenzhen.

Persons: Roland Busch, Edgar Su, Busch, Wirtschaftswoche, John Revill, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Siemens, REUTERS, Company, Deal, Thomson Locations: Singapore, ZURICH, United States, Europe, Beijing, Washington, China, Chengdu, Shenzhen

The Google parent has advised employees not to enter its confidential materials into AI chatbots, the people said and the company confirmed, citing long-standing policy on safeguarding information. Alphabet also alerted its engineers to avoid direct use of computer code that chatbots can generate, some of the people said. A growing number of businesses around the world have set up guardrails on AI chatbots, among them Samsung (005930.KS), Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), the companies told Reuters. By February, Google told staff testing Bard before its launch not to give it internal information, Insider reported. A Google privacy notice updated on June 1 also states: "Don’t include confidential or sensitive information in your Bard conversations."

Persons: Bard, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Harry Potter, Yusuf Mehdi, Mehdi, Bing, Matthew Prince, Jeffrey Dastin, Anna Tong, Kenneth Li, Nick Zieminski Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Google, ChatGPT, Microsoft Corp, Samsung, Deutsche Bank, Apple, Data Protection, Politico, EU, cyberattacks, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Bard, San Francisco

☆ Canadian Wildfire Smoke Descends in an Unhealthy Haze Over Minnesota
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Anna Betts | Ernesto Londoño | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As a gray cloud and a pungent smell moved through the Twin Cities on Wednesday, normally bustling bike lanes and running trails were largely deserted. The air quality reached unhealthy levels in Minneapolis, St. Paul and much of Minnesota on Wednesday, as the Upper Midwest became the latest pocket of the country to have its air fouled by smoke drifting south from wildfires that have been burning across Canada for weeks. As in New York and much of the East Coast last week, Minnesotans were looking to the skies and to the Air Quality Index to make sense of what was going on around them. On Wednesday, Minneapolis and St. Paul recorded Air Quality Index readings above 250, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises is “very unhealthy” for most people. The smoke spread across other parts of the Upper Midwest, too.

Persons: Paul Organizations: Twin, Air, . Environmental Protection Agency, N.D Locations: Twin Cities, Minneapolis, St, Minnesota, Upper Midwest, Canada, New York, East, Midwest, Eau Claire, Wis, Fargo

[1/2] Greenpeace activists hang a banner to protest Deutsche Bank and DWS investment policies on Deutsche Bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tom SimsFRANKFURT, June 14 (Reuters) - Climate activists on Wednesday targeted two of the globe's biggest banks - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and JPMorgan (JPM.N) - for their fossil fuel investment policies with separate protests in Germany's financial capital, Frankfurt. Greenpeace activists scaled Deutsche Bank's headquarters shortly after dawn and strung up a large yellow banner to protest against the climate investment policies of the German lender and its asset management company DWS. The protests highlight the ongoing tension between climate activists and financial firms. Mauricio Vargas, a Greenpeace finance expert who was standing outside Deutsche Bank's headquarters, said: "DWS's scandal is Deutsche Bank's scandal."

Persons: Tom Sims FRANKFURT, DWS, Stefan Hoops, Mauricio Vargas, KoalaKollektiv, Chuka Umunna, Tom Sims, Rachel More, Jamie Freed, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Greenpeace, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank's, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Deutsche, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

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