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☆ Amplify rolls out first SOFR-based ETF for income seekers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Suzanne Mcgee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Amplify Samsung SOFR ETF , which debuted Wednesday, is the first ETF to track SOFR, the overnight interbank lending rate that has emerged as the U.S. replacement for the now-defunct Libor gauge of overnight borrowing interest costs. The new fund's launch comes amidst a wave of enthusiasm for ultra-short term fixed income ETFs, as yields on products throughout the fixed income spectrum have risen to multi-year highs following an aggressive rate hiking cycle by the Federal Reserve. "It wasn't until this year that rate-driven products became priorities," said Bill Belden, president of Amplify. Flows into money market and ultra-short term products account for about 36% of all inflows into fixed income ETFs this year, though the category represents only 15% of all fixed income ETF assets, according to Matthew Bartolini, head of product research at State Street Global's SPDR Americas ETF division. Belden said that a large institutional investor has provided seed capital of $50 million for the new ETF.

Persons: Yves Herman, Bill Belden, Matthew Bartolini, SOFR, Belden, Suzanne McGee, Ira Iosebashvili, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Samsung, REUTERS, ETF, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Diegem, Belgium, U.S, Americas

☆ Human Material Loop is making fabric from human hair
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Flo Cornall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Human Material Loop hopes to transform the fashion industry by turning human hair into a textile. According to Human Material Loop, 72 million kilograms of human hair waste end up in European landfills every year, the equivalent in weight of seven Eiffel Towers. Human Material Loop used hair to insulate this jacket. For Kollar, it’s not simply about wearing a jumper made from human hair for the novelty or sustainability aspect; she argues that human hair is an incredibly durable material. Visser says ultimately the implementation of human hair in our products isn’t simple.

Persons: Zsofia Kollar, ”, Kollar, “, ” Kollar, Pablo Betancourt, it’s, Higashi, Sanne Visser, There’s, Visser Organizations: CNN, Eiffel, Southwestern, University of the Arts London, London’s Design Locations: Canada, Aconcagua, Argentina, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Micronesia, Kiribati, Southwestern United States, Japan

☆ EU Drafts Rules to Cut Energy Sector Methane Emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Fabiana Negrin Ochoa | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

European Union (EU) flags next to the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg NewsThe European Union has taken a step toward curbing methane emissions, agreeing on new rules aimed at cutting the amounts of the potent greenhouse gas produced in the energy sector. The EU Council and Parliament reached a provisional deal early Wednesday on regulation to track and reduce emissions of methane, thought to be responsible for a third of current global warming, the council said in a statement.

Persons: Simon Wohlfahrt Organizations: Union, European Commission, Bloomberg, European, EU Council, Parliament Locations: Brussels, Belgium

☆ Woman Killed in Belgium 31 Years Ago Is Identified by Her Flower Tattoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A British woman who was killed in Belgium 31 years ago was identified this week thanks to an international campaign that began earlier this year to identify nearly two dozen women who were found dead across Europe, officials said. The case dates to June 1992, when the body of a woman, given the nickname “the woman with the flower tattoo” by investigators, was found pushed against a grate in a river in Belgium. She appeared to have been killed violently, according to details released this spring by the International Criminal Police Organization, also known as Interpol. The woman’s most identifiable feature was a flower tattoo with “R’Nick” written underneath. At the time, the authorities had hoped her tattoo would jog someone’s memory.

Organizations: International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol Locations: Belgium, Europe

☆ German regulator eyes Ozempic export ban amid shortages across Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Use of Ozempic for weight loss has caused shortages across Europe. Novo Nordisk, which has earmarked $6 billion to boost production in Denmark, said last week the industry was far from being able to produce enough weight-loss drugs to meet global demand. The German association of drug wholesale distributors PHAGRO said in a statement that there was no certainty that exports were causing the shortages. Portugal, Poland, Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Spain, in turn, have rules in place that likely make it impossible to export the drug, Affordable Medicines said. It also urged "all relevant actors" not to export the drugs.

Persons: George Frey REFILE, Spiegel, Lilly, Karl Broich, Eli Lilly's, tirzepatide, BfArM's Broich, Broich, PHAGRO, Germany's BfArM, Ludwig Burger, Miranda Murray, Patricia Weiss, Matthias Williams, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, BfArM, EU, Novo Nordisk's, Spiegel, European Union, Medicines, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, FRANKFURT, United States, Europe, Britain, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Medicines Europe, Austria, France, Greece, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Frankfurt, Berlin

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM/BRUSSELS, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O) on Wednesday appealed against "gatekeeper" designations for its Messenger and Marketplace platforms, the first Big Tech company to challenge new European Union rules setting out dos and don'ts for the online services. Meta's Facebook, Instagram, Marketplace, and WhatsApp qualified as gatekeepers under the DMA, which was designed to level the playing field between Big Tech companies and smaller competitors. "This appeal seeks clarification on specific points of law regarding the designations of Messenger and Marketplace under the DMA," a spokesman said. Microsoft and Google have said they will not challenge DMA designations, while sources expect TikTok to file a challenge.

Persons: Yves Herman, WhatsApp, Microsoft's Bing, Supantha Mukherjee, Yun Chee, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Big Tech, Union, Digital Markets, Facebook, European Commission, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights STOCKHOLM, BRUSSELS, Stockholm

NEW YORK (AP) — A cargo jet headed to Belgium from New York had to turn around mid-flight after a horse escaped its stall and got loose in the hold, according to air traffic control audio. “We don’t have a problem as of flying-wise but we need to return, return back to New York. We cannot get the horse back secured,” the pilot said on air traffic control recordings made by the site LiveATC.net and compiled by the site You Can See ATC. “I do believe we need a vet — veterinarian, I guess you call it, for the horse upon landing,” he said. “Is that something you can speak to New York about?”The controller said he would pass it on.

Persons: John F, “, ”, Kennedy Organizations: Boeing, Air Atlanta Icelandic, ATC, Kennedy International Airport, ABC News, Liege Airport Locations: Belgium, New York, Boston, Martha’s

☆ EU Commission proposes Russian diamond ban, tightening of oil price cap - diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cut diamonds are seen at the diamond exchange in Antwerp, as the G7 weighs a ban on Russian diamond imports to reduce revenues for Moscow's war in Ukraine, Antwerp, Belgium, October 30, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed late on Tuesday to ban imports of diamonds and liquid petroleum gas from Russia and to tighten the implementation of a price cap on Russian oil as part of a new sanctions package against Moscow, EU diplomats said on Wednesday. To tighten the implementation of the oil price cap, set by G7 countries at $60 per barrel of crude, the package calls for shipping companies to detail shipping and insurance costs for the Russian oil cargoes they carry. The price cap is now widely bypassed by Russia's shadow fleet of tankers by falsified documents, according to shipping analysts. "The logic of imposing more transparency is to prevent shipping companies from hiding the real price of the oil carried by the tanker by merging it with shipping and insurance costs," one EU diplomat said.

Persons: Johanna Geron, Jan Strupczewski, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, European Union, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Antwerp, Ukraine, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Russia, Moscow, Europe

The logo of Rapidus Corp. is displayed at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Japanese chip foundry venture Rapidus plans to open a sales office in the United States by the end of the financial year. Rapidus is led by veteran chip executives and hopes to manufacture cutting-edge chips by partnering with IBM (IBM.N) and Belgium-based research organisation Imec. The CEO of Imec said last week that what Rapidus is trying to do is "extremely difficult" adding he was "positive" about the prospects for the venture. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Sam Nussey; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Rapidus, Taiwan's TSMC, Imec, Kaori Kaneko, Sam Nussey, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Rapidus Corp, REUTERS, Rights, IBM, Samsung Electronics, U.S, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Belgium, South, Chitose, China

☆ Spain to provide bodyguards for fugitive Catalan Puigdemont amid amnesty row
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont sits inside a car, on the day a deal was signed with Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) for Spanish government support, which is expected to include an amnesty law for Catalan separatist activists, in Brussels, Belgium November 9, 2023. Tensions are running high in Spain over a controversial amnesty law agreed with Puigdemont's party Junts that will exculpate hundreds of politicians and activists involved in an attempt to separate Catalonia from Spain that peaked in 2017. Puigdemont, who is the subject of an extradition order for leading the failed attempt, is likely to be the most high profile beneficiary of the amnesty law, a draft of which was registered in parliament on Monday. Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, of the centre-right People's Party that is leading protests against the amnesty, said the security agreement was "surprising". The prospect of amnesty has brought thousands of opponents to the streets for 12 days in a row.

Persons: Carles Puigdemont, Yves Herman, Pedro Sanchez's, Puigdemont, Felix Bolanos, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, He's, Junts, Sanchez, Charlie Devereux, Joan Faus, Emma Pinedo, Aislinn Laing Organizations: Spanish Socialist Workers ' Party, PSOE, Catalan, REUTERS, Rights, Socialist, Reuters, People's, Spanish, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights MADRID, Spain, Catalonia, Catalan, Waterloo, Copenhagen

☆ Belgium bans use of Ozempic for weight loss until summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Boxes of Ozempic, a semaglutide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes made by Novo Nordisk, is seen at a Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. Ozempic is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes but has increasingly been prescribed "off-label" to treat weight loss because it has the same active ingredient as Novo's hugely popular - and scarce - anti-obesity drug Wegovy. In Britain, doctors and prescribers, including private online pharmacies, have been ordered to stop prescribing Ozempic to people who don't have type 2 diabetes as soon as possible. They are also banned from starting new patients with type 2 diabetes on the medicine for as long as the shortage lasts. Last month, Belgium's federal medicine agency recommended doctors and pharmacists only prescribe Ozempic to diabetic patients due to the surge in demand.

Persons: George Frey, Ozempic, Marine Strauss, Mark Potter Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Marine, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Belgium, Britain

☆ Euro zone Q3 GDP shrinks, but employment rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The euro zone economy contracted marginally quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter, a new estimate confirmed on Tuesday underlining expectations of a technical recession if the fourth quarter turns out equally weak, but employment still rose. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat confirmed its estimate from Oct 31 that gross domestic product in the 20 countries sharing the euro fell 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the July-September period for a 0.1% year-on-year rise. European Central Bank vice president Luis de Guindos said last week the euro zone economy was likely to contract slightly or at best stagnate in the fourth quarter after business activity data for October showed further weakening of demand in the dominant services industry. But contrary to the usual trend when the economy weakens, employment in the euro zone rose 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in the same period, for a 1.4% year-on-year increase. The growth slump is caused by strong headwinds from high inflation and record high interest rates as well as the slowly tightening fiscal policy.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Luis de Guindos, De Guindos, Jan Strupczewski Organizations: Shipping, REUTERS, Rights, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Rights BRUSSELS, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania

☆ I traveled around Luxembourg, one of the world's wealthiest and most sustainable countries. I found 2 ways I can make my next visit more eco-friendly.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It is known for its sustainable practices, including free public transport. I was especially looking forward to free travel by train as it's more sustainable than flying or driving. Met a representative from Visit Luxembourg for a walking tour and lunch at a local restaurant. In comparison, my flight from Edinburgh took about five hours, not including travel time to the airport. Meanwhile, the Visit Luxembourg spokesperson suggested seeking accommodation within or close to Benu Village, an ecovillage in Esch-sur-Alzette (about a 20-minute drive to Luxembourg City), which is being built using recycled materials.

Persons: —, Mikhaila Friel, Nina Karnikowski, Chateau d'Urspelt, Chateau, Le Royal, Karnikowski, Sloow Organizations: Service, Visit, Le Royal, Met, Visit Luxembourg, Eurostar, Luxembourg City, Edinburgh, Le, d'Urspelt, Luxembourg's, Tourism Locations: Luxembourg, Vianden, Visit Luxembourg, Australian, Edinburgh, Scotland, London, Chateau, Ettelbruck, Chateau d'Urspelt, Brussels, Belgium, Luxembourg City, Domenico Palace, Sicily, Esch

☆ Pfizer to cut 500 jobs at UK site as part of wider cost cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pfizer company logo is seen at a Pfizer office in Puurs, Belgium, December 2, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - Pfizer (PFE.N) will cut 500 jobs at its Sandwich, Kent site in the U.K. as part of its $3.5 billion cost-cutting plan, the drugmaker said on Tuesday. The U.S. drugmaker announced the cost-cutting program in October after slashing its full-year revenue forecast due to lower-than-expected sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment. Pfizer, which employs roughly 83,000 people globally, has not disclosed how many jobs will be affected by the cost-reduction program. The company said on Tuesday it would share further details on the program as part of the full-year forecast for 2024.

Persons: Johanna Geron, drugmaker, Christy Santhosh, Shailesh Kuber Organizations: Pfizer, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Puurs, Belgium, Sandwich, Kent, U.S

☆ A horse broke loose in a cargo plane, forcing the pilots to dump fuel and return to JFK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A horse managed to escape its stall shortly after a cargo plane took off from JFK on November 9. AdvertisementA cargo plane had to return to JFK after a horse broke loose and the crew couldn't get it back in its stall. Air Atlanta Icelandic flight 4592 took off at 2.30 p.m on November 9 on its way to Liege, Belgium. AdvertisementIt's unclear how the horse managed to escape, but it remained unrestrained until the plane landed at JFK. The flight path of Atlanta Airlines Icelandic flight.

Persons: — Organizations: YouTube, ATC, Service, JFK, Air Atlanta Icelandic, Boeing, Atlanta Airlines Icelandic, Air Atlanta, Business Locations: JFK, Liege, Belgium, New York, Canada

☆ BMW North America expands EV charging service across the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of German automaker BMW is seen in Brussels, Belgium June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - BMW North America (BMWG.DE) on Tuesday said it would expand its electric vehicle (EV) charging service, ChargeForward, to 48 states in the U.S., increasing its footprint in the electric mobility sector. All BMW electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles models manufactured after 2018 will be eligible to enrol in the service, the New Jersey-headquartered company said. It currently partners with utilities PG&E in California and Duke Energy in North Carolina, among others, for the service. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim ZahidOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, ChargeForward, Priyamvada, Tasim Zahid Organizations: BMW, REUTERS, BMW North America, Duke Energy, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, U.S, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, Canada, Bengaluru

☆ Not clear Big Tech need pay for 5G, broadband rollout, Belgian regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An advertising board shows a 5G logo at the International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBrussels, Nov 13 - There is no clear need to make technological giants help to pay for 5G and broadband rollout, Belgium's telecoms regulator IBPT-BIPT said on Monday. Telecom operators, including Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), have called for what they describe as "fair share funding," which the Big Tech companies have said would amount to an internet tax. "IBPT-BIPT considers that the need to oblige internet platforms to pay network operators is not sufficiently demonstrated," Belgian industry regulator IBPT-BIPT said in a report on Monday. "IBPT-BIPT considers that the need to introduce a fee based on the volume of Internet traffic for the Belgian market has not been demonstrated," it added.

Persons: Yves Herman, BIPT, Thierry Breton, Marine Strauss, Barbara Lewis Organizations: International, REUTERS, Rights, 5G, Microsoft, European Commission, Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Big Tech, Belgian, EU, Thomson Locations: Zaventem, Belgium, Rights Brussels, Belgian

☆ The top Christmas markets for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Basel Christmas Market, SwitzerlandBasel Christmas Market is made up of decorated stalls selling Christmas spices, decorations and candles. Strasbourg Christmas Market, FranceOne of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets, Strasbourg began back in 1570, but it’s evolved considerably since then. Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square Christmas markets, Prague, Czech RepublicTo say the city of Prague goes all out at Christmas is something of an understatement. Skansen’s Christmas Market, StockholmStockholm isn’t exactly lacking when it comes to Christmas markets, but none are more traditional than Skansen. St. Stephen’s Basilica and Vörösmarty Square markets, Budapest, HungaryBudapest has two main festive markets: St. Stephen’s Basilica Christmas market, or Advent Bazilika, and Vörösmarty Square Christmas market.

Persons: Wiener, Wiener Christkindlmarkt, it’s, Kleber, Laia Ros, Wenceslas, Santa Llucia, Mercati Natale, Piazza Santa, there’s, you’ll, Walt Disney, Lucia’s, Tuomaan, Emperor Alexander II, Santa Claus, Bazilika, Germany Gendarmenmarkt, Massimo Borchi, Dom, Deutscher Dom, Bavaria’s, Gendarmenmarkt, Jeff J Mitchell, Scott, Dominika, Glowny, Adam Mickiewicz, Steve Russell, Colin Miller, Manhattan’s, Josephine Shaw Lowell Fountain Organizations: CNN, City Hall, Basel, Switzerland Basel Christmas, Getty, Belgium’s, Bourse, Monnaie, Sainte, Marche aux Poissons, Fira, Barcelona Cathedral, Santa, Cisco Pelay, Piazza Santa Croce, Santa Croce, Tivoli Gardens, Estonia Estonia's, Markkinat, Vörösmarty, Nuremberg, Hyde, London Hyde, Food, Edinburgh, Scotland Scottish, Street Gardens, Scottish, Street, Edinburgh Castle, Andrew, George, East, Poland Krakow Christmas, Bratislava, Slovakian, Distillery, Toronto Star, Toronto, Distillery District, , New York Skaters, Bank of America, The Bank of America, Christkindlmarket Chicago, Daley, RiverEdge, Christkindlmarket Locations: Vienna, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, New York, Austria, Barfüsserplatz, St, Basel, Strasbourg, France, Belgium, Brussels, Sainte Catherine, Marche, Belgian, Place, Prague, Czech Republic, Czech, Old, Santa Llucia, Barcelona, Santa, Florence, Italy, Heidelberg, Piazza del, Zagreb, Croatia, Advent, Tivoli , Copenhagen, Denmark, Danish, Tivoli, Tallinn, Estonia, Estonia Estonia's Tallinn, Estonian, Stockholm Stockholm, Djurgarden, Skansen’s, Tuomaan Markkinat, Helsinki, Ryhor, Helsinki’s, Stephen’s, Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Gendarmenmarkt, Capital, Berlin, Nuremberg, London, United Kingdom, Christmas, Edinburgh, Krakow, Poland Krakow, Polish, Europe, Mary’s, Slovakia, Bratislava, Bay, Toronto, Distillery, Bryant, , New, Manhattan’s Bryant, Chicago, Windy City, Aurora

☆ More than 20,000 people join pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] People take part in a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Brussels, Belgium, November 11, 2023. "What is happening right now in Gaza is beyond devastating," one demonstrator said, carrying a poster that read "Ceasefire now!" But the Israeli military response has also prompted anger, with protests in cities around the world demanding a ceasefire. In London, more than 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets on Saturday. In Paris, several thousand demonstrators, including some left-wing lawmakers, marched with Palestinian flags and banners to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bart Biesemans, Lucien Libert, Claudia Greco, Sabine Siebold, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Saturday, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Western, London, Paris

Key to the agreement signed Thursday is a massively controversial amnesty that could benefit Puigdemont and thousands of other secessionists. Puigdemont is one of several Catalan leaders who fled justice after an illegal independence referendum was held in 2017. 1 for many Spaniards, and Catalan independence a politically toxic issue, some wonder why Sánchez, who has long opposed any amnesty, is now pushing for it. Those include the two pro-secession Catalan parties who led the unsuccessful 2017 breakaway attempt. A LEGAL QUAGMIREAny amnesty approved by Spain's Parliament is likely to be contested by the opposition parties and several courts in Spain.

Persons: — Spain's, Pedro Sánchez ’, Carles Puigdemont, Sumar —, Sánchez, Junts, QUAGMIRE, Didier Reynders, Spain’s, ___ Wilson Organizations: MADRID, Socialist, WHO, AMNESTY, Sánchez's Socialists, Forces, Popular Party, Vox, Police, Socialists, Junts, Basque Country, Court, European Union Locations: Catalunya, Catalonia, Spain, Spain's, Puigdemont, CATALONIA, Barcelona, Madrid, Basque, Navarra, Belgium

☆ Meta and Snap must detail child protection measures by Dec. 1, EU says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | 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 Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O) and social media company Snap (SNAP.N) have been given a Dec. 1 deadline by the EU to give more information on how they protect children from illegal and harmful content, the European Commission said on Friday. The request for information on the measures the companies have taken to improve the protection of minors comes a day after a similar message by the European Union to Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube and TikTok. The Commission last month also sent companies including Meta, X and TikTok urgent orders to detail measures taken to counter the spread of content related to terrorism, violent content and hate speech on their platforms. The Commission can open investigations into the companies if it is not satisfied with their responses.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Bart Meijer, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Meta, EU, European Commission, European Union, YouTube, Digital Services, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS

☆ Meta strikes deal with Tencent to sell VR headset in China - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The preliminary deal will make Tencent the exclusive seller of the headset in China and the videogame maker will start its sale in late 2024, the Journal said, citing soucres. It also gives Meta a chance to return to China after 14 years and compete with TikTok-owner Bytedance, which makes the VR headset Pico. Meta sells Quest 2 headset in the United States at a starting price of $300 and Quest Pro headsets at $1,000. For China, Meta is planning to use lenses in the headset that are cheaper than those in the Quest 3, according to Journal report. The headset is priced more than three times Meta's most expensive Quest headset and is aimed at enthusiasts.

Persons: Yves Herman, Bytedance, Tencent, Biden, Shubham Kalia, Yuvraj Malik, Sonia Cheema, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Tencent Holdings, HK, Facebook, Wall Street, TikTok, Pico, Meta, Quest, Twitter, IDC, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, United States, Beijing, Xinjiang, Bengaluru

☆ Best ways to counter the harmful effects of sitting, according to research
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Sitting too much may send you to an early death, likely from chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more, according to research. “The question is, if you have a restorative or recharging sleep, is that better than sitting on the couch eating and watching TV? While the study found swapping sitting for sleep improved health, benefits were not equal, the authors said. More vigorous exercise is best, but standing, walking and even sleeping is better than just sitting, experts say. “Since most songs average at least 3 minutes, you can dance off the negative impact of too much sitting.

Persons: ”, Andrew Freeman, ” Freeman, Mark Hamer, ” Hamer, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Kobus, “, Jo Blodgett, James Leiper, ” Leiper, that’s, Dana Santas, ” Santas, Santas Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, BMI, Jewish Health, Institute of Sport, Health, University College London, University of Sydney, British Heart Foundation Locations: waistlines, Denver, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Hungary's Orban says EU must not start membership talks with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban looks on as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium October 27, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The EU must not start membership talks with Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday, stressing this was Hungary's "clear stance" on the issue. EU countries' leaders are due to decide in mid-December on whether to accept the Commission's recommendation to invite Kyiv to begin membership talks as soon as it meets final conditions. "Membership talks must not be started, this is the clear Hungarian stance," Orban said, adding that Brussels "owed Hungary money." Investors have been eyeing Budapest's talks with Brussels over the EU funds very closely.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Johanna Geron, Nationalist Orban, Orban, Budapest's, Krisztina, Jason Neely, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Rights, EU, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, EU, Ukraine, Hungary, Budapest

☆ Pro-Palestinian protesters block entrances to UK's BAE defence plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susannah Ireland Acquire Licensing RightsROCHESTER, England, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the entrances to a BAE Systems (BAES.L) factory in southeast England on Friday, targeting Britain's biggest military supplier to call for an end to arms sales to Israel. BAE said it does not directly export any equipment to Israel, but the group is a tier-one supplier on the United States-made F-35 fighter jets which are flown by Israel. We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment." Israel has besieged and invaded Gaza vowing to destroy its ruling Hamas group in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that it says killed 1,400 people. Reporting by Susannah Ireland; writing by Sarah Young, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Sarah Young, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: BAE Systems, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Britain's, Israel, BAE, stevedores, Thomson Locations: BAE Systems Rochester, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Rochester , Kent, Britain, Rights ROCHESTER, England, Rochester, Kent, United States, Belgium, Spain, Barcelona, Belgian, Europe, London

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