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☆ Dutch watchdog seeks Apple explanation on French iPhone12 radiation tests, media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The Dutch digital watchdog is looking into a French report saying Apple's (AAPL.O) iPhone 12 model breaches European Union radiation exposure limits and will ask the U.S. company for an explanation, according to an official quoted by the daily Algemeen Dagblad. "The Netherlands attaches as much importance as France to safe use of mobile phones. Mobile phones must comply with Europeans norms." Germany's network regulator BNetzA said it might launch similar proceedings and was in close contact with French authorities, while Spain's OCU consumers' group urged authorities there to halt the sales of the iPhone 12. Reporting by Toby Sterling and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Angeline van Dijk, BNetzA, Apple, Toby Sterling, Benoit Van Overstraeten, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S ., France's Agence Nationale des, Apple, Nederlandse, Mobile, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, U.S, Dagblad, France's, France, Netherlands

☆ Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum during pandemic is recovered
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Singer Laren Museum, where the work of art "Spring Garden" by Vincent Van Gogh was stolen, is seen closed to the public because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Laren, Netherlands March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A painting by Vincent Van Gogh that was stolen from a small Dutch museum in 2020 during a COVID-19 lockdown has been recovered, the institution which owns the artwork, said on Tuesday. The painting, which dates from 1884, was stolen from the Museum Singer Laren, east of Amsterdam, where it was on loan for an exhibition. At the time, Dutch police released security footage showing the moment thieves broke into Singer Laren Museum on March 30, smashing glass doors, to steal the painting. "The painting has suffered but - at first sight - it is in good shape," the Groninger Museum said, adding it was now at theAmsterdam Van Gogh Museum and it would take weeks or months before it would be returned.

Persons: Vincent Van Gogh, Van De, Museum Singer Laren, Van Gogh's, Arthur Brand, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Laren Museum, REUTERS, Rights, Groninger, Museum Singer, Singer Laren Museum, Amsterdam Van Gogh, Police, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Laren , Netherlands, Amsterdam, Nuenen, Amsterdam Van, Dutch

☆ France's Macron: there can be no Russian flag at Paris 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a working meeting 500 days ahead of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games at the Paris and Ile-de-France Prefecture in Paris, France March 14, 2023. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said no Russian flag should fly at next year's Paris Olympics, with Russian athletes' participation an issue for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to decide. "Of course, there can be no Russian flag during the Paris Games, I think there is a consensus on that matter. "The real question, that the Olympic organisation should decide upon, is what place can be given to the Russian athletes (...) an issue that should not be politicized." Some Ukrainian athletes see their nation's current blanket ban on competing against Russians and Belarusians - regardless of the flag athletes from those two countries compete under - as a self-inflicted wound damaging sports stars' careers.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Ludovic Marin, Macron, Julien Pretot, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Paralympic Games, Rights, International Olympic Committee, Russian, Paris Games, L'Equipe, Thomson Locations: Paris, Ile, de, France Prefecture, France, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus

☆ France's Macron: There Can Be No Russian Flag at Paris 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said no Russian flag should fly at next year's Paris Olympics, with Russian athletes' participation an issue for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to decide. Ukraine has threatened a boycott of the Games though it may drop that if athletes from war allies Russia and Belarus compete under a neutral flag rather than national colours. "Of course, there can be no Russian flag during the Paris Games, I think there is a consensus on that matter. "The real question, that the Olympic organisation should decide upon, is what place can be given to the Russian athletes (...) an issue that should not be politicized." Some Ukrainian athletes see their nation's current blanket ban on competing against Russians and Belarusians - regardless of the flag athletes from those two countries compete under - as a self-inflicted wound damaging sports stars' careers.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Julien Pretot, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: PARIS, International Olympic Committee, Russian, Paris Games, L'Equipe Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus

☆ Ukraine is gaining ground in its counter offensive, NATO chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The Ukrainians are gradually gaining ground...They have been able to breach the defensive lines of the Russian forces, and they are moving forward," Stoltenberg told lawmakers in remarks at the European Parliament. Since launching its offensive, Kyiv has struggled to break through entrenched Russian lines and has faced growing criticism in Western media of concentrating forces in the wrong places. "Hardly any time in history we have seen more mines on the battlefield than we are seeing in Ukraine today. Not perhaps as much as we hoped for but they are gaining ground gradually," said the NATO chief. "Some hundred meters per day, meaning that when the Ukrainians are gaining ground, the Russians are losing ground."

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Marine Strauss, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Moscow

☆ Apple says it remains worried about risks of EU Digital Markets Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Inc. logo is seen in the lobby of New York City's flagship Apple store January 18, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) on Wednesday said it remained concerned about privacy and security risks it sees in the new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), after the European Commission had designated it and five other major tech companies as "gatekeepers" of online services. "Our focus will be on how we mitigate these impacts and continue to deliver the very best products and services to our European customers," Apple said in a statement. Businesses labeled gatekeepers under the DMA will be required to make their messaging apps interoperate with rivals and let users decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, writing by Bart Meijer; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Segar, Apple, Supantha Mukherjee, Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, REUTERS, Rights, EU Digital Markets, European Commission, Microsoft, Bing, Edge, Facebook, Meta, Thomson Locations: New York, Rights STOCKHOLM

☆ French August inflation higher than expected, fuelled by energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 31 (Reuters) - French inflation accelerated more than expected in August as a new fall in food inflation was more than offset by higher energy prices, preliminary EU-harmonised official data showed on Thursday. French consumer prices reached a 12-month inflation rate of 5.7%, up from 5.1% in July, the INSEE stats agency said. A Reuters poll of 18 economists had an average forecast for the 12-month inflation rate of 5.4% with estimates ranging from 4.7% to 5.8%. "This rise in inflation is due to a rebound in energy prices. Food prices were up 11.1% in August, versus +12.7% in July while energy prices, which fell by 3.7% last month, rose 6.8%.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Bruno Le Maire, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Jean, Michel Belot, Silvia Aloisi Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, French Finance, Thomson Locations: Nice, France

☆ Situation in Gabon, West Africa a big issue for Europe - EU's Borrell
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell delivers a speech during a ceremony opening EU's Partnership Mission in Chisinau, Moldova, May 31, 2023. "If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region," said Borrell, speaking at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo. "This is a big issue for Europe," he added. The signs of a coup in Gabon come just weeks after members of the presidential guard in Niger seized power and established a junta. Reporting by Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Vladislav Culiomza, Ali Bongo, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Sudip Kar, Conor Humphries Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Gabonese, Central African, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Rights TOLEDO, Spain, Gabon, Toledo, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, it's, Europe

☆ Niger junta expels French ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Niger's junta supporters take part in a demonstration in front of a French army base in Niamey, Niger, August 11, 2023. In a statement, the junta-appointed foreign ministry said the decision to expel the ambassador was a response to actions taken by the French government that were "contrary to the interests of Niger." It said these included the envoy's refusal to respond to an invitation to meet Niger's new foreign minister. The French foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The deterioration in Niger-France relations echoes post-coup developments in Mali and Burkina Faso, which have booted out French forces and severed long-standing ties.

Persons: Mahamadou, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's, Boureima Balima, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Anait Miridzhanian, Chris Reese, Andrew Heavens, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, West, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, French, Burkina Faso, Mali, France

☆ France's head of Notre-Dame renovation dies in accident while hiking
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] French Army General Jean-Louis Georgelin, in charge of Notre-Dame Cathedral reconstruction, stays at distance to answer journalists questions in Paris, France, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The man heading the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris following a devastating fire three years ago has died in an accident while hiking in the Pyrenees. General Jean-Louis Georgelin's death was reported by French media and confirmed by President Emmanuel Macron. Notre-Dame will be restored to its previous design, including the 96-metre (315-feet) spire designed by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-1800s. Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jean, Louis Georgelin, Benoit Tessier, Notre, Dame de, General Jean, Louis Georgelin's, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Eugene Viollet, Elizabeth Pineau, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Frances Kerry Organizations: French Army, Notre, Dame, REUTERS, Rights, Twitter, Olympic Games, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Pyrenees

☆ ICC ruling opens way to investigation on killings in Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a ruling on July 18, the ICC appeals judges rejected an attempt by the Philippines to block an investigation into the bloody anti-narcotics campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte. A majority of judges rejected all four points of Manila's appeal, including that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines and that authorities there were conducting their own investigation. "The ICC appeals judges' ruling marks the next step toward justice for victims of 'drug war' killings and their families," Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement. The decision left some of the families of drug war victims in tears after they watched the court proceeding online. But appeals judges ruled prosecutors still had jurisdiction over the alleged crimes because they occurred when the Philippines was still an ICC member.

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque, Roque, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Bryony Lau, Kristina Conti, HRW's Lau, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Anthony Deutsch, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Neil Jerome Morales, Eloisa Lopez, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Emma Rumney, Alex Richardson Organizations: Criminal Court, ICC, Philippine, Human Rights Watch, Duterte, Police, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Asia, Amsterdam

☆ Amazon's iRobot deal in EU antitrust crosshairs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, July 6 (Reuters) - Amazon's (AMZN.O) $1.7 billion acquisition of robot vacuum cleaner maker iRobot (IRBT.O) may reduce competition and strengthen Amazon's position as online marketplace provider, EU antitrust regulators warned on Thursday. The European Commission opened a full-scale investigation and will decide by November 15 whether to clear or block the deal. The acquisition announced in August last year would add iRobot's Roomba robot vacuum to Amazon's portfolio of smart devices, which include the Alexa voice assistant, smart thermostats, security devices and wall-mounted smart displays. IRobot made its first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002. The EU competition enforcer's decision confirmed a Reuters story last month and came a month after the UK antitrust agency cleared the deal unconditionally after a preliminary review.

Persons: IRobot, Dow Jones, Foo Yun Chee, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: European Commission, Amazon, Reuters, Antitrust, Big Tech, Dow, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

The interior ministry said 719 people were arrested on Saturday night, fewer than the 1,311 the previous night and 875 on Thursday night. Their action ... made for a quieter night," the ministry said on Twitter. The biggest flashpoint overnight was Marseille, where police fired teargas and fought street battles with youths around the city centre late into the night. MAYOR'S HOME ATTACKEDIn Paris, police increased security overnight at the city's famous Champs Elysees avenue after a call on social media to gather there. Paris police said six public buildings were damaged and five officers wounded overnight.

Persons: Nahel, Emmanuel Macron, Laurent Nunez, teargas, Juan Medina, MAYOR'S, Elisabeth Borne, Bruno Le Maire, Yann Wernert, Jacques Delors, Elizabeth Pineau, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alison Williams, Alex Richardson Organizations: Authorities, Twitter, France, REUTERS, China's Consular, MAYOR'S HOME, Finance, Thomson Locations: Paris, North, PARIS, France, Moroccan, Nanterre, Germany, Marseille, China, L'Hay, Nice, Strasbourg, tobacconists, tatters, Berlin

As Jeanbrun's wife and children, aged 5 and 7, took flight through the back yard, they were targeted with fireworks. Jeanbrun told Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne his wife had had surgery to a broken leg and faced a three-month rehabilitation. "While attempting to shield them and fleeing the attackers, my wife and one of my children were hurt," the mayor said. Jeanbrun's town hall has been the target of attack for several nights since Tuesday's shooting and has been protected with barbed wire and barricades. "I didn’t think we'd ever live through something like this," the mayor told another bystander who wished his wife well.

Persons: Vincent Jeanbrun, Melanie, Jeanbrun, Elisabeth Borne, Yves Herman The, Elizabeth Pineau, Benoit van Overstraeten, Richard Lough, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Paris, L'Hay, France, Jeanbrun's

☆ Home of French mayor ram-raided and torched by rioters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the southern suburb of L'Hay-les-Roses, said his wife and one of their two children, aged five and seven, were injured as they fled the building in the early hours. Jeanbrun, from the conservative Les Republicains party, was not at home but at the town hall during the incident. The town hall has been the target of attack for several nights since the shooting and has been protected with barbed wire and barricades. "While attempting to shield them and fleeing the attackers, my wife and one of my children got hurt." Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vincent Jeanbrun, Jeanbrun, Elizabeth Pineau, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alison Williams Organizations: Thomson Locations: Paris, L'Hay

☆ Macron convenes new crisis meeting after worst night of rioting
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who had deployed 40,000 officers on Thursday night in a bid to quell a third night of unrest, said on Twitter that police made 667 arrests. Macron will meet with his cabinet at 1100 GMT in Paris, likely cutting short his attendance at a European Union summit in Brussels, his office said. Twelve buses were set on fire and destroyed overnight in a depot in Aubervilliers, in northern Paris. They said they had made 307 arrests in and around the city and that nine police and fire officers had been injured. In Roubaix, in northern France, a fire destroyed the office of the TESSI company and several cars were set on fire.

Persons: Nahel, Emmanuel Macron, Gerald Darmanin, Macron, Elisabeth Borne, Clement Beaune, Laurent, Franck Lienard, didn't, Lienard, Jacques Chirac, Dominique Vidalon, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Pascal Rossignol, Elizabeth Pineau, Marc Leras, John Stonestreet Organizations: Firefighters, Twitter, Nationwide, Transport, RMC, Les, Nike, Police, Thomson Locations: Nanterre, Alma, Roubaix, France, Brussels, PARIS, Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, Lille, Paris, Algerian, Aubervilliers, NANTERRE, Paris's, Rue, Rivoli, France's, Le Vieux, Clichy

PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - French minerals group Imerys (IMTP.PA) on Thursday announced plans to mine lithium in the UK and said the site could supply two-thirds of batteries for Britain's electric vehicles by 2030. Imerys aims to produce around 20,0000 tonnes a year of lithium carbonate equivalent by the end of the decade at its mining site in Cornwall, southwest England, in partnership with British Lithium. Imerys' UK development, and its previously announced plan to mine the metal in central France, would reduce Europe's current reliance on imported lithium for batteries, CEO Alessandro Dazza said. In its UK partnership, Imerys has taken an 80% stake and will draw on British Lithium's processing technology and existing pilot for battery-grade lithium, the French group said. In the search for battery minerals, traditional energy companies, including Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), are also looking at emerging technologies to boost lithium supply.

Persons: Imerys, Alessandro Dazza, Kemi Badenoch, Dazza, Gus Trompiz, Clara Denina, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Jason Neely, Sonali Paul, Susan Fenton Organizations: Global, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: Cornwall, England, British, France, Europe, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Britain, Imerys, Paris, London

☆ France unrest: Riots spread, police officer charged with shooting teenager dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Benoit Van Overstraeten | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The shooting of the 17-year-old, identified as Nahel, took place in Nanterre, on the western outskirts of Paris. The teenager, who was too young to hold a full license in France, was driving illegally, a source familiar with the investigation said. The Nanterre prosecutor said he was known to police for previously failing to comply with a traffic stop order. The unrest has revived memories of riots in 2005 that convulsed France for three weeks and forced then-president Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency. Tuesday's killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France so far in 2023, down from a record 13 last year, a spokesperson for the national police said.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Gerald Darmanin, Macron, Darmanin, Elisabeth Borne, Pascal Prache, Nahel, Stephanie Lecocq, Jacques Chirac, Benoit Van Overstraeten, dominique Vidalon, John Stonestreet, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Government, . Police, REUTERS, Reuters, Prosecutors, Police, Thomson Locations: Paris, PARIS, France, North, Nanterre, Paris suburb, Republic, Lille, Toulouse, Amiens, Dijon, Clichy

National police said on Thursday night that officers faced new incidents in Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse and Lille, including fires and fireworks. The local prosecutor said the officer involved had been put under formal investigation over voluntary homicide and would be held in prison in preventive detention. Under France's legal system, being placed under formal investigation is akin to being charged in Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions. He said the officer had aimed down towards the driver's leg but was bumped, causing him to shoot towards his chest. The unrest has revived memories of riots in 2005 that convulsed France for three weeks and forced then-president Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Pascal Prache, Mercedes, Nahel, Gonzalo Fuentes, Laurent, Franck Lienard, didn't, Lienard, Prache, Macron, Jacques Chirac, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Layli, Noemie Olive, Leigh Thomas, Michel Rose, Richard Lough, John Stonestreet, Frank Jack Daniel, Alexandra Hudson, Daniel Wallis, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Nike, National, Lille, Le Vieux Port, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Paris suburb NANTERRE, Algerian, Nanterre, Paris, Rivoli, Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, France's, Le Vieux, Provence, Paris suburb, Clichy, Blanc Mesnil

☆ Kering snaps up fragrance label Creed for new beauty division
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, June 26 (Reuters) - Gucci-owner Kering (PRTP.PA) said on Monday it had struck a deal to buy high-end French fragrance label Creed, its first acquisition since flagging intentions earlier this year to create an in-house cosmetics business. "The acquisition clearly marks a major step for Kering Beaute, allowing it to reach critical mass in this category," said Raffaella Cornaggia, CEO of Kering's beauty division. The former Estee Lauder executive was appointed in February to lead the French group's push into the segment. The all-cash deal to acquire 100% of the high-end fragrance house from funds controlled by BlackRock and by the company's current chairman Javier Ferran is expected to close in the second half this year. Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kering, Raffaella Cornaggia, Lauder, Javier Ferran, Mimosa Spencer, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Mark Potter Organizations: BlackRock, Thomson Locations: French

☆ Cash-strapped Casino to sell participation in Brazil's Assai
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - Heavily indebted French supermarket chain Casino (CASP.PA) on Thursday announced it would sell its residual equity stake in Brazilian retailer Assai, representing around 12% of the company's share capital. The deal helps Casino improve its liquidity, the company said one day after announcing it had also reached an agreement with the French government to defer payment of the group's tax and social security liabilities. Casino has been plagued for years by hefty debt following a string of acquisitions and by declining revenues and loss of market share in a competitive domestic market. Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tassilo Hummel, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: Assai, Thomson

☆ One person still missing after Paris blast - newspaper cites police
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - One person is still believed missing in the rubble after a blast ripped through a street near Paris' historic Latin Quarter, Le Parisien newspaper reported on Thursday, citing the Paris police department. The Paris prosecutor's office has said it is too early to establish the cause of Wednesday afternoon's blast, which destroyed the facade of a building housing the Paris American Academy design school popular with foreign students. At least 37 people were injured in the explosion, four of whom are fighting for their lives in hospital. Paris police and the Paris city council did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. Florence Berthout, mayor of the Paris district where the blast occurred, said the 12 students who should have been in the design school's classrooms when the blast occurred had fortunately gone to visit an exhibition with their teacher.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes PARIS, Le Parisien, Rue Saint Jacques, Sorbonne University . Florence Berthout, Berthout, BFM, Bertrand Boucey, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Tassilo Hummel, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Le Parisien, Paris, Paris American Academy, Paris police, Rue Saint, Notre, Dame de Paris Cathedral, Sorbonne University . Florence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Le

☆ Belgian foreign minister in turmoil over Iran, Russian delegates invitations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 19 (Reuters) - Belgian foreign affairs minister Hadja Lahbib is facing calls for resignation after granting visas to delegations from Iranian and Russian cities to attend a mayors convention in Brussels last week. State secretary for external relations & foreign trade of the Brussels government Pascal Smet resigned on Sunday over the all-expenses paid trip. I am now asking the organizers, Metropolis, to bear these costs," Smet told a press conference on Sunday. Why only three weeks after the release of Olivier Vandecasteele, she accepts that terrorists come to Brussels? And why must the name of Belgium always be sullied by foreign relations which it cannot manage to control?"

Persons: Hadja Lahbib, Lahbib, Olivier Vandecasteele, Pascal Smet, Smet, Darya Safai, Safai, Marine Strauss, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: Belgian, Brussels Urban, European Commission, Sunday, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Belgian, Brussels, Vandecasteele, Iran, Iranian, Belgium, Bogota, Kyiv, Tehran, Kazan

☆ Binance under investigation in France for money-laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 16 (Reuters) - Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, is under preliminary investigation for both illegal canvassing of clients and aggravated money-laundering, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday, confirming media reports. "The investigation is about, on one hand, the unauthorised practice of the profession of virtual assets service provider and, on the other, about aggravated money-laundering (...), " the prosecutor's office said in a statement. "In France, on-site visits by regulators and inspectors are part of regulatory obligations to which all financial institutions must adhere. The investigation follows various setbacks for Binance including a June 5 decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to charge the company with evading securities laws. In May last year, Binance said it had registered with France's market regulator, adding it was seeking to open a regional headquarters in France.

Persons: Binance, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Tom Wilson, Frances Kerry, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Cyprus, French

[1/4] U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley holds a news conference on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2023. Milley was speaking after a meeting of the U.S.-led Contact Group of some 50 countries that give military aid to Ukraine. Austin noted the group had already given Patriot, IRIS-T and NASAMS air defence systems that had protected Ukraine from Russian missile attacks. "I ask that the members of this Contact Group continue to dig deep to provide Ukraine with the air defence assets and munitions that it so urgently needs to protect its citizens," Austin said in opening remarks. Later in the day, NATO defence ministers met separately with Reznikov to discuss their support for Kyiv.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman BRUSSELS, Kyiv's, It's, Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We'll, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, U.S, Ukraine, Russian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO, Group, U.S . Defense, IRIS, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian Defence, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Kyiv

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