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☆ Ukraine: Germany to halve military aid despite possible Trump White House
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters —Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year, despite concerns that US support for Kyiv could potentially diminish if Republican candidate Donald Trump returns to the White House. German aid to Ukraine will be cut to €4 billion ($4.35 billion) in 2025 from around €8 billion in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters. Germany has faced criticism for repeatedly missing a NATO target of spending 2% of its economic output on defense. Days after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a “Zeitenwende” – German for historic turning point - with a €100 billion special fund to bring the military up to speed. The defense budget is set to receive a meagre €1.3 billion more than in 2024, far below the €6.7 billion requested by Pistorius.

Persons: Donald Trump, Christian Lindner, Trump, JD Vance, Olaf Scholz, Kay Nietfeld, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Pistorius . Scholz, Zelensky, John MacDougall, “, ”, Ingo Gaedechens Organizations: Reuters, House, Group, German, Washington, Ukraine, Trump, NATO, Social Democrats, Greens, Defense, Getty, CDU Locations: Germany, Ukraine, €, Europe, United States, Russia, Irpin, Kyiv, Berlin

☆ EU Commission head von der Leyen elected for second term
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ursula von der Leyen reacts after being chosen President of the European Commission for a second term, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 18, 2024. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was elected for a second term on Thursday after pledging to create a continental "defence union" and stay the course on Europe's green transition while cushioning its burden on industry. It will decide whether we shape our own future or let it be shaped by events or by others," von der Leyen said ahead of a secret ballot on her candidacy. Von der Leyen, a centre-right former German defence minister, pledged to create "a true European Defence Union", with flagship projects on air and cyber defence. Von der Leyen also promised a raft of climate policies including a legally-binding EU target to cut emissions 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der, von der Leyen, Von der, Von der Leyen, Viktor Orban's, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump Organizations: European Commission, Green, Russia, European Defence Union, Hungarian, Defence, NATO, U.S Locations: Strasbourg, France, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, United States

☆ Trump ready to be ‘peace broker’ on Ukraine, Orban tells skeptical European leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told European leaders leaders that Donald Trump is “ready to act as a peace broker” between Russia and Ukraine if elected president, according to a letter seen by Reuters, amid concerns across the continent that Trump would attempt to force Kyiv into ceding territory to Moscow. Orban’s letter, addressed to European Council President Charles Michel and sent to all European Union leaders, was written in the wake of his controversial meetings with former President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I can […] surely state that shortly after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, [Trump] will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. But his visits with Putin, Xi and Trump have gone down poorly with EU lawmakers, who have accused Orban of vitally “misrepresenting” and “undermining” the EU’s stance on foreign policy. A letter signed by 63 European lawmakers, addressed to the three EU chiefs, said Orban had “caused significant damage” through his meetings.

Persons: CNN —, Viktor Orban, Donald Trump, Trump, Charles Michel, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, “, ” Orban, Orban, pare, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Russia –, Orban –, ”, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump’s, Xi, Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola Organizations: CNN, CNN — Hungary’s, Reuters, European, European Union, Ukraine “, EU, Ukrainian, ”, European Council Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Hungarian, Beijing, Florida, Kyiv, Hungary

☆ Europe caught between 'a rock and a hard place' in U.S.-China relations, CIO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEurope caught between 'a rock and a hard place' in U.S.-China relations, CIO saysFabiana Fedeli, equities, multi-asset and sustainability CIO for at M&G Investments, discusses potential U.S. and EU tariffs on China and how a Trump presidency might affect investments.

Persons: Fabiana, Trump Organizations: G Investments Locations: U.S, China

☆ With odds of a Trump win rising, here's what it could mean for Europe's economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former US President Donald Trump during a campaign event at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, Florida, US, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. "Trump's re-election would thus pose a significant downside risk to our otherwise constructive growth forecast for the Euro area." Trade policy uncertainty, added defense and security pressures and spillover effects from U.S. domestic policies on, for example, taxes could impact Europe, they explained. Trade tensionsTrump's trade policy, and the uncertainty around it, could be one factor that impacts Europe's economy, just as it did during his last presidency, analysts Stehn and Moberly said. In 2018 and 2019, uncertainty about trade policy reduced industrial production in the euro area by around 2%, they estimated.

Persons: Donald Trump, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Goldman Sachs, Jari Stehn, James Moberly, Trump's, Trump, Joe Biden, Moberly Organizations: Trump National Doral Golf Club, Bloomberg, Getty, White, Trump, European Union, EU, . Defense, NATO, U.S, Stehn Locations: Miami , Florida, Europe, Pennsylvania, U.S, Germany, Stehn, Moberly, Ukraine

☆ EU Chamber of Commerce in China discusses what a Trump presidency would mean for EU-China ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEU Chamber of Commerce in China discusses what a Trump presidency would mean for EU-China tiesJens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, says a Trump presidency could mean a "broader application of tariffs" not just on China but also on trade partners with whom the United States has a trade deficit, such as Europe.

Persons: Trump, Jens Eskelund Organizations: EU, of Commerce, European Union Chamber of Commerce Locations: China, United States, Europe

☆ Who is Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military chief targeted by Israel?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Israel has targeted Hamas’ military chief Mohammed Deif in a strike on a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza which killed at least 90 Palestinians. He has led the Palestinian militant group’s armed wing for more than two decades. This image taken from video and released by Hamas on August 26, 2005, shows a man identified as Mohammed Deif. He became a founding member of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, in the early 1990s. Deif, a man who lives his life in the shadows, has managed to survive for decades while running Hamas’s armed wing.

Persons: CNN —, Mohammed Deif, Deif, Khan, Mohammad Diab Ibrahim al, Masri, El, –, Graves, Mohammed Salem, Reuters Deif, ”, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: CNN, EU, AP, Hamas, Qassam, Israel, Reuters, Criminal Court Locations: CNN — Israel, Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Palestine, Israeli

☆ China third plenum: Communist Party meets to set direction for troubled economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the meeting, which takes place every five years and is known as China’s third plenum. It has historically been a platform for the party’s leadership to announce key economic reforms and policy directives. China’s gross domestic product expanded by 4.7% in the April to June months, compared to the previous year. But observers of China’s opaque political machine don’t believe there will be fundamental economic reforms this time around. Uncompleted residential buildings at a real estate project on the outskirts of Shenyang in China's Liaoning province earlier this year.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Xi, , Xi’s, Andrea Verdelli, They’ll, ”, Neil Thomas, Jing Qian, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Li Yuchao, Xu Zhongbo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, West, Reuters, party’s Central, US, Congress, Bloomberg, Getty, Observers, ” Asia Society Center, China, Tech, EU, Central Committee, Foreign, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Europe, party’s, Shenyang, China's Liaoning, China's Shandong

☆ Iranian president-elect ready to set relations with Europe ‘on the right path’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Fred Pleitgen | Manveena Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Iran’s President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian said he looks forward to improving ties with Europe, despite accusing the continent of backtracking on commitments to alleviate the impact of US sanctions. “Despite these missteps, I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to set our relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing,” Pezeshkian wrote in the English-language Tehran Times newspaper. European countries made 11 commitments to Iran to “try to salvage the agreement and mitigate the impact of the United States’ unlawful and unilateral sanctions on our economy,” Pezeshikian said. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has the final say on all matters of state. Pezeshkian will ultimately defer to Khamenei, who has condemned those seeking improved relations with the West, on matters of foreign policy.

Persons: CNN —, Masoud Pezeshkian, ” Pezeshkian, Pezeshkian, Donald Trump, “, ” Pezeshikian, ”, Saeed Jalili, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Khamenei Organizations: CNN, CNN — Iran’s, Tehran Times, United, Iran’s Locations: Europe, EU, France, Germany, Iran, United States, Washington, Pezeshkian

☆ China's imports unexpectedly drop in June, but exports beat forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's imports fell in June, missing expectations for slight growth, while exports rose more than expected, customs data released Friday showed. China's imports fell by 2.3% in June from a year ago in U.S. dollar terms. Those figures lifted year-to-date imports by 2%, and exports by 3.6% in the first six months compared with the same period a year earlier. watch nowEU's trade with China fell in the first six months of 2024, with imports and exports both declining. China's trade with the U.S. was down slightly in dollar terms during the first half of the year, as imports from the U.S. fell 4.9%, though exports rose 1.5%.

Organizations: Getty, BEIJING, U.S ., Association of Southeast Asian Nations, European Union, U.S Locations: Qingdao, Shangdong, China, U.S, Brazil

☆ EU accuses Elon Musk’s X of misleading users
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Elon Musk braces for another fight after X gets named and shamed
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

European regulators said Elon Musk's X deceives users and breaches EU rules. The European Commission cited issues with data access, advertising transparency, and "dark patterns." download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementElon Musk's X deceives its users and breaches online content rules, the European Commission said on Friday. The body said X's blue checkmark system for "verified accounts" deceives users as anyone can pay to obtain verified status.

Persons: Elon Musk's, —, Elon Organizations: Service, European Commission

☆ Elon Musk's X deceives users and breaches online content rules, EU says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk's X is in breach of EU online content rules as the social media platform uses "dark patterns" to deceive users, the European Commission said Friday. The body's preliminary view, published Friday, is that the platform has broken rules regarding dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers. X's use of the blue checkmark for "verified accounts" does not correspond to industry practices as anyone can subscribe and obtain a verified status, the commission said. It added that there was evidence of "motivated malicious actors" abusing the verified status to deceive users. If the commission's views are confirmed, X could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.

Persons: Elon Musk, Elon Musk's, Thierry Breton Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, European Commission, Digital Services Locations: Beverly Hills , California

☆ Finland passes law to block migrants crossing from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Finland has accused neighboring Russia of weaponizing migration by encouraging scores of migrants from countries such as Syria and Somalia to cross the border, an assertion the Kremlin denies. Helsinki believes Moscow is promoting the crossings in retaliation for Finland joining NATO, which backs Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. Finnish border guards and migrants with bicycles are pictured at the international border crossing at Salla, Finnish Lapland on November 21, 2023. Orpo urged migrants who were considering coming to Europe through Russia not to embark on the journey. The access to the borders orchestrated by Russia will not lead to access to Finland or Europe.”Moscow has denied such an intention.

Persons: Reuters —, Petteri Orpo, ” Orpo, Jussi Nukari, Mari Rantanen, Finland’s, Orpo, “ Don’t, ”, ” Moscow Organizations: Reuters, Helsinki, NATO, Russia’s, Getty, Finnish Border Guard, ” Locations: Russia, Helsinki, Finland, Syria, Somalia, Moscow, Ukraine, EU, Salla, Finnish Lapland, AFP, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Europe, Russian

☆ Apple reaches deal with EU regulators to open up mobile payments system to rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

EU antitrust regulators on Thursday accepted commitments from Apple to allow access to its tap and go payments technology to rivals, bringing an end to a four-year investigation. "From now on, Apple can no longer use its control over the iPhone ecosystem to keep other mobile wallets out of the market. The iPhone maker now has until July 25 to implement the commitments, Vestager said. All developers will then be able to offer mobile wallets for iPhones with the tap and go technology, she explained. It added that there would be no changes to Apple Pay or the Apple Wallet following the probe.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, Apple, Vestager Organizations: European Union, Apple, EU, European Commission, Economic Locations: Europe

☆ iPhone users in Europe will no longer have to use Apple Pay for mobile payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Apple has yielded to pressure by European regulators to give rivals access to the contactless payments technology on iPhones, meaning that their users will no longer be limited to the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Under the agreement, third-party mobile wallet developers will gain free access to the standard technology used for contactless payments with iPhones, known as near-field communication (NFC) technology. Apple will also allow iPhone users to choose which mobile wallet to make the default wallet on their phones. “Apple Pay and Apple Wallet will continue to be available in the European Economic Area for users and developers.”The European Commission first raised objections against Apple’s tap-to-pay practices in 2022, having opened a formal antitrust investigation into Apple Pay two years earlier. That means rivals wanting to create apps or wallets using the tap-to-pay features on iPhones have been unable to do so and users have been forced to use Apple Pay for mobile payments.

Persons: London CNN —, Margrethe Vestager, Apple, “, ” Vestager, ” Organizations: London CNN, London CNN — Apple, Apple, European Union, Digital Markets, European Commission, Economic, CNN, “ Apple, Economic Area, NFC

☆ Consultancy discusses potential impact of EU tariffs on China EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEU tariffs on China EVs to accelerate manufacturers' shift to Europe, consultancy saysStephen Dyer, co-leader of the Greater China business at AlixPartners, says the tariffs "will affect a lot of Chinese automakers and their plans for Europe, but in the long term, I think it will simply accelerate their already in-place plans to set up local manufacturing there."

Persons: Stephen Dyer Locations: China, Europe, Greater China, AlixPartners

☆ NATO allies call China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia in Ukraine war as bloc eyes Asia security threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, NATO leaders said Wednesday, as the defense alliance hardens its stance on Beijing and the “systemic challenges” they say it poses to their countries’ security. For the third consecutive year, leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea attended the NATO leaders’ summit in another sign of closer ties between the bloc and those countries, as well as Australia. NATO’s increasing focus on AsiaThe NATO leaders’ declaration is the latest step in what has been the bloc’s gradual hardening of tone on China in recent years. NATO leaders first mentioned the need to jointly address “opportunities and challenges” posed by China in a 2019 declaration, before moving to refer to “systemic challenges” the country poses in 2021. “The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region directly affect Euro-Atlantic security,” the leaders said in their declaration.

Persons: ”, Joe Biden, China’s, “, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylov, –, Putin, Kim Jong Un Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, NATO, US, ’, Getty Images China, Union, European Union, EU, Wednesday, North Locations: China, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Moscow, North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Russian, ”, North Korea, Iran, Pyongyang, Tehran, North, Pacific

☆ Volkswagen shares slip as it considers Brussels plant closure on weak EV demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Volkswagen logo is seen at the New York International Auto Show Press Preview, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 27, 2024. Volkswagen shares dipped Wednesday after the company issued an overnight profit warning and announced it was considering the potential closure of an Audi plant in Brussels. It noted that is also considering the restructuring or potential shutdown of its Audi plant in Brussels, where it employs 3,000 people, on the back of weak demand for the Audi Q8 e-tron line — a fully electric offering from the brand, launched in 2019. Automakers have contended with waning EV demand, with European brands facing the compounded challenge of a wave of discounted, state-subsidized rival vehicles produced in China. If it presses ahead, this would mark Volkswagen's first factory shutdown in nearly four decades, since the 1988 closure of its plant in the Westmoreland site in Alabama.

Organizations: New York, Auto, Volkswagen, Audi, EU Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Brussels, China, Westmoreland, Alabama

Microsoft reportedly said that it would give up its observer seat on the OpenAI board amid regulatory scrutiny into generative artificial intelligence in Europe and the U.S.Microsoft's Deputy General Counsel Keith Dolliver wrote a letter to OpenAI late Tuesday, according to multiple media reports, saying that the position had provided insights into the board's activities without compromising its independence. But the letter added that the seat was no longer needed Microsoft had "witnessed significant progress from the newly formed board," according to the Financial Times. CNBC has reached out to Microsoft and OpenAI for comment. The European Commission previously said Microsoft could face an antitrust investigation, as it looked at the markets for virtual worlds and generative artificial intelligence. The Commission, which is the executive arm of the EU, said in January that it is "looking into some of the agreements that have been concluded between large digital market players and generative AI developers and providers" and singled out the Microsoft-OpenAI tie-up as a particular deal that it will be studying.

Persons: Keith Dolliver, OpenAI Organizations: Microsoft, U.S, Microsoft's, Financial Times, CNBC, European Commission Locations: Europe

☆ Russia's brutal missile strike on a Ukrainian children's hospital just before the big NATO summit appears to be backfiring
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementEmergency officials and civilians conduct search and rescue operations among the rubble of Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital on Monday. The deadly Russian missile attack saw child cancer patients evacuated and moved with medical tubes still in their bodies. Women hold patients at Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital that was damaged during Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday. He said that "when you hit not just a hospital or a children's hospital —and not just a children's hospital, but a children's hospital in which there are children were being treated for cancer — it doesn't get much worse than that in terms of brutality." A UN investigation found the children's hospital likely took a direct hit from a Russian missile, likely a Kh-101.

Persons: —, Kyiv's, Joe Biden, Biden, Gleb Garanich, Rajan Menon, Columbia University's, Russia's, Menon, Mykhailo Podolyak, Beata Zawrzel, Keir Starmer, Aleksandr Gusev, Getty Images Biden, Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken, ORI AVIRAM, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jake Epstein Organizations: Service, NATO, Ukraine, Business, Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Getty, NATO's, Ohmatdyt, Russian, Monday, REUTERS, Columbia, Columbia University's Saltzman Institute of War, Peace Studies, NATO Summit, UN, Children's Clinic, Getty Images, Ukrainian Foreign, MOD, Moscow Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Okhmatdyt, Anadolu, Washington ,, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian

The NATO official said they had observed “an unprecedented escalation and spread of Russia’s hybrid warfare” over the past six months, which included “physical sabotage” on the supply line of NATO weapons intended for Ukraine. “It is everything from point of production and origin, to storage, to those who are making decisions, to the actual delivery,” the senior NATO official said. Recent high-profile arrests have revealed the ad-hoc, clumsy nature of how the Kremlin’s intelligence operations have evolved since the start of the war in Ukraine. Russia is big enough to have resources to fight a war against Ukraine and also maintain its security operations against European countries… against us. There are people who take part in the war against Ukraine, and then they are rotated to some other region or area.

Persons: Blunt, ”, Donald Tusk, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Maxim, Andrzej, Jaroslaw, “, Don’t, ” Andrzej, I’d, Wagner, Volodymyr Zelensky, Sean Gallup, Paris Charles de, Vladimir Putin’s, Harrys Organizations: CNN, NATO, Polish, Reuters, Ukraine, Getty, London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Kremlin, EU, Estonian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, “, Reuters Russia, Washington , DC, Moscow, Poland, Russian, Lublin, Medyka, Ukrainian, Biala Podlaska, Warsaw, Polish, surveilling Rzeszow Jasionka, Kyiv, Berlin, Germany, Russian Ukrainian, Paris Charles, Paris Charles de Gaulle, East London, Estonia, Russia’s

CNN —For years, Airbnb has known some of its hosts have used hidden cameras to secretly spy on guests, invading their most private and intimate moments. A CNN investigation found the use of hidden cameras is a persistent problem in the industry. The Airbnb representative testified that the company generated 35,000 customer support tickets about surveillance devices in the preceding decade. An Airbnb spokesperson told CNN that a single report could create multiple tickets. Airbnb makes “every effort” to support police investigations of hidden cameras, the company told CNN in a written statement.

Persons: Airbnb, ” Airbnb, “ I’ve, ”, Kim van Sparrentak, “ Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU Locations: United States

☆ China examining if EU is putting up ‘trade barriers’ as tensions intensify
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Earlier this year, the EU launched investigations into China’s state support for its wind turbine and solar panel suppliers. Now, China will investigate if the bloc’s probes violate the two sides’ economic treaty and if they have hurt the country’s trade with the 27 EU member states. The announcement comes just days after the provisional additional duties on imports of Chinese-made EVs into the EU came into effect. Beijing has spoken out strongly against the EU tariffs, saying it will make “all necessary moves” to safeguard China’s interests. According to Wednesday’s announcement, MOFCOM is launching its latest investigation in response to a June request by an industry group in China.

Persons: MOFCOM Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Ministry of Commerce, EU Locations: Hong Kong, EU, China, Beijing

☆ Microsoft ditches OpenAI board observer seat amid regulatory scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Microsoft has ditched the board observer seat at OpenAI that has drawn regulatory scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic, saying it was not necessary after the AI start-up’s governance had improved significantly in the past eight months. Microsoft took a non-voting, observer position on OpenAI’s board in November last year after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took back the reins of the company, which operates the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT. The seat meant it could attend OpenAI’s board meetings and access confidential information but had no voting rights on matters including electing or choosing directors. The observer seat and Microsoft’s more than $10 billion investment in OpenAI have triggered unease among antitrust watchdogs in Europe, Britain and the US over how much control it exerts over OpenAI. Microsoft cited OpenAI’s new partnerships, innovation and growing customer base since Altman’s return to the startup for giving up its observer seat.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, British Locations: OpenAI, Europe, Britain

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