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☆ Exclusive: EU to ask YouTube, TikTok for details on measures protecting minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Google’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube and TikTok will be asked by EU industry chief Thierry Breton to provide information on how they comply with new EU online content rules regarding the protection of children, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Breton will send his request to the companies on Friday, the source added. The new EU rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) requires Big Tech to do more to fight harmful and illegal online content, especially content that targets minors. The DSA also forces the companies to be more transparent on their algorithmic processes, bots and targeted advertisements that amplify content and do more to tackle illegal, unsafe or counterfeit products sold on their platforms. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton, Foo Yun Chee, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: YouTube, Reuters, EU, Digital Services, Big Tech, DSA, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

We are actually going to be looking at this in the very early days of generative AI. casey newtonYeah, this feels like one of the big questions in AI right now. rebecca tushnetSo I see why you say that’s strange, but in fact, it’s exactly how you would make a general-purpose tool. But now, finally, along come these new technologies to take them down a peg, and they’re actually going to have to work for a living. So maybe they’re slapping, like, AI sort of things around the stories that they’re aggregating.

Persons: kevin roose Casey, casey newton What’s, kevin roose, casey newton Dots, casey newton, they’re, kevin roose —, casey newton Dot, CASEY, Biden, Mr, kevin roose I’m Kevin Russo, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, Rebecca Tushnet, casey newton Kevin, I’d, Rachel, kevin roose Aw, Harry Potter, kevin roose Wow, SpongeBob, Chuck Schumer, let’s, it’s, Claude, kevin roose Totally, casey newton Yes, Yann LeCun, It’s, you’re, you’ve, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, kevin roose I’ve, Arati Prabhakar, arati prabhakar, Ben Buchanan, ben buchanan, casey newton Well, Dodd, Frank, I’m, kevin roose Will, You’ve, kevin roose God, kevin roose Hey, Casey, we’ve, Sarah Anderson, who’s, Emad Mostaque, Anderson, weren’t, Kevin, — casey newton, ” rebecca tushnet, rebecca tushnet, that’s, there’s, casey newton Right, I’ve, “ Barbie, “ Barbie ”, Sarah Anderson’s, rebecca tushnet It’s, Barbie, casey newton I’m, Rebecca, Westlaw, we’re, Cory Doctorow, what’s, casey newton Um, Pattie, it’s minty, Patties, Let’s, casey newton No, it’ll, casey newton That’s, KEVIN, “ Joe Biden, ’, Bruce Reed, Joe Biden, ” ‘, Reed, Camp David, Biden’s, —, kevin roose Jack, Jack, ”, Lily James, kevin roose Oh, kevin roose Ugh, kevin roose Horrible, kevin roose “ Cruise, ” “ Cruise, They’re, haven’t, casey newton Close, kevin roose It’s, Guy, casey newton I’ve, Newton Organizations: Target, Opera, The New York Times, White, White House, casey newton People, Google, casey, Science, Technology, Defense Department, Biden White House, Communications, Department of Commerce, European Union, Harvard Law, Midjourney, Copyright, Stability, Harvard Law School, Associated Press, Adobe, Starbucks, Disney, YouTube, Stetson, Media, Biden, NVIDIA, Variety, Staff, Associated, Microsoft, Guardian, General Motors, Cruise, House Locations: Washington, Bikini, Valley, OpenAI, Anthropic, Silicon Valley, Europe, America, York, They’re, Camp, Sydney, United States, California, Austin , Texas, Phoenix, Dallas , Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Franciscans

☆ Hamas militants were high on 'poor man's cocaine' during the October 7 terrorist attacks, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hamas militants were high on Captagon pills during the October 7 terrorist attacks, reports say. AdvertisementAdvertisementCaptagon pills fueled Hamas militants during the October 7 terrorist attacks, Israel's Channel 12 News reported. The drug, which is also known as "poor man's cocaine," is a highly addictive, synthetic stimulant that is widely consumed across the Middle East. On board, authorities discovered more than $100 million worth of cannabis and Captagon pills that had been hidden among sawdust, coffee, and spices. In 2021, data on seizures in the region valued the Captagon trade at $5.7 billion, per the FDD.

Persons: —, Bashar Assad's, Natalie Ecanow, Assad, Ecanow, captagon, David Adesnik, Bashar Assad, SANA, Maher Al Organizations: Militant, Service, IDF, West Bank, The, United, Hezbollah, Islamic State, American Chemical Society, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Arab, Research, Fourth Division Locations: Gaza, Israel, West Germany, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Jordan, Latakia, Libya, Crete, Salerno, Naples, Italy, Syria's

☆ British health agency warns of fake Ozempic pens linked to hospitalizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Britain’s health agency is warning the public not to buy pre-filled pens claiming to contain the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Saxenda without a prescription, after a small number of people were hospitalized. Ozempic is used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes, and is used off-label for weight loss. More than 350 potentially fake Ozempic pens have been seized since January of this year, according to the MHRA. The agency has also received reports that patients have obtained fake Saxenda pens in the UK through “through non-legitimate routes.”No fake weight-loss pens were seized before January 2023, the agency says. The maker of both drugs, Novo Nordisk, told CNN Thursday that it is aware that counterfeit pens are being circulated.

Persons: Ozempic, ” Allison Schneider, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Alison Cave, ” Ozempic, “, Meg Tirrell Organizations: CNN, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Novo Nordisk, “, “ Novo Nordisk, General Pharmaceutical Council, Get CNN, CNN Health, European Medicines Agency, European Union Locations: Ozempic, “ Novo, Novo, Germany, Europe

☆ Listen now: Death, displacement and diplomacy in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Listen to senior correspondent Nidal al-Mughrabi in Khan Younis where mass displacements have followed mass destruction, despite attempts by diplomats around the world to push Israel to pause its bombing of Gaza to let in aid. Trump and Cohen face to face in New York as Jenna Ellis pleads guilty in Georgia. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. Further ReadingIsrael's military tells UN in Gaza: ask Hamas for fuelTo cease fire or pause? US, Russia poised for UN showdown on IsraelHezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders discuss how to achieve 'victory'Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nidal, Khan Younis, Israel, Cohen, Jenna Ellis Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Trump, Thomson, UN, Israel Hezbollah, Islamic Locations: Khan, Gaza, New York, Georgia, Russia, Israel

REUTERS/George Frey Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Several people were hospitalised in Austria after using suspected fake versions of the diabetes drug Ozempic, the country's health safety body said, the first report of harm to users in a widening European hunt for counterfeiters. Regional regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), last week warned about pre-filled injection pens falsely labelled as Ozempic, which has seen surging demand for its weight-loss benefits. The maker of the drug, Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), has flagged a surge in online offers of fake versions of Ozempic as well as its weight-loss drug Wegovy, both based on semaglutide. The BASG did not provide an exact number of people harmed by the fake Ozempic, or say how long-lasting the adverse effects would be on their health. That person likely did not procure the fakes from an official pharmacy, it said, warning that fake injection pens may still be in circulation.

Persons: George Frey, Ozempic, BASG, Wegovy, Miranda Murray, Ludwig Burger, Alexandra Schwarz, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Rights, European Medicines Agency, EMA, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Austria, Danish, Germany, Britain, British, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna

☆ Several People Hospitalized in Austria After Taking Suspected Fake Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Several people in Austria were treated in a hospital after using what government officials believe to be counterfeit Ozempic, underscoring worries across parts of Europe that fake versions of the diabetes drug may be circulating. Ozempic began trending this year as celebrities, TikTok influencers and others described using it to quickly lose weight. It was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 to treat diabetes. A similar drug called Wegovy, which contains a higher dose of Ozempic’s active ingredient, semaglutide, was approved in 2021. The patients treated in Austria reported serious side effects like hypoglycemia and seizures, indications that the product most likely contained insulin instead of semaglutide, officials said.

Persons: underscoring, Ozempic, TikTok influencers, semaglutide Organizations: Food and Drug Administration Locations: Austria, Europe

☆ Who's funding Hamas?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementFor Iran, Levitt said, funding Hamas ultimately offers a financially and politically inexpensive way to undermine Israel's stability and increase the pressure against their adversaries while maintaining an air of deniability regarding its involvement. Both Asal and Levitt told Insider the funds from that transaction had little to do with the latest escalation in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. As with many terrorist organizations that control swaths of land or trade routes, Hamas gets funding through taxation, extortion, smuggling, kidnapping, and robbery, Asal told Insider. Money laundering and cryptoTo move all its money around, Levitt said, Hamas relies largely on cryptocurrency transactions and trade-based money laundering to avoid being easily tracked. "And that also allows Hamas to divert money from providing for its people to support its war machine."

Persons: —, Victor Asal, France —, Matthew Levitt, they're, Levitt, Biden, Asal, Reinhard, it's, Alex Zerden Organizations: Hamas, International, Service, European Union, Israel, Center for Policy Research, University of Albany, State University of New, US Treasury, Department, Land Foundation for Relief, Development, Federal Bureau of, Washington Institute for Near East, State Department, US, Street Locations: Gaza, United States, State University of New York, Switzerland, Austria, Lebanon, France, Iran, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, East, North Africa

Homeland Security, as well as companies that help identify counterfeit products such as Israel’s BrandShield. Fake weight-loss drugs will be a key focus in the agency’s annual counterfeit medicines report, due next year, the official said. “We have counterfeit products and stolen products,” the official said. "We will look online and if we find something that infringes (obesity drug trademarks) we'll get it taken down,” said Yoav Keren, BrandShield CEO. When a consumer buys those fakes, “what you get are expired drugs, counterfeit drugs, or nothing,” he added.

Persons: George Frey, Eli Lilly, BrandShield, Novo’s Ozempic, ”, Jim Mancuso, Mancuso, Europol, Novo, Lilly, “, Ozempic, Yoav Keren, MHRA, Eli, Mounjaro, Patrick Wingrove, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk’s, Pharmaceutical Security Institute, drugmakers Novo Nordisk, Europol, Interpol, U.S . Homeland Security, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S . Department of Homeland, Coordination Center, PSI, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Health Organization, Ireland’s, Products Regulatory Authority, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, America, Europe, Germany, Egypt, Russia, North America

☆ European regulators warn of fake Ozempic pens found at wholesalers in EU, UK amid shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

There’s no evidence fake Ozempic pens have been dispensed to patients from legal pharmacies and no indication any patients have been harmed, the EMA said in a statement. The fake pens were caught because they were packaged with real serial numbers that were flagged as inactive when the packs were scanned. “Check the patient information leaflet for Ozempic to see what the genuine Ozempic pens should look like,” the EMA said in its warning for patients. The fake pens were detected as Ozempic and similar medicines used for both diabetes and weight loss are in shortage in both the US and Europe. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have filed lawsuits against medical spas, wellness centers and compounding pharmacies to stop them from selling what they call “unlawful” copycats.

Persons: ”, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, “, Eli Lilly, it’s Organizations: CNN, European Union, European Medicines Agency, EMA, CNN Health, Novo Nordisk, ”, Nordisk Locations: United Kingdom, Germany, Europe

☆ Fashion brands want you to be able to identify fake designer merchandise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

‘It’s almost seen as a hack’These tactics are all part of the industry’s hope to neutralize the booming counterfeit market, with some estimates asserting that fake fashion and luxury items account for 60% or more of the multi-trillion-dollar trade in fake goods. Sympathy for brands “can be hard for consumers in general, particularly those who are deeply steeped in TikTok culture,” Scafidi said. According to Business of Fashion, the average price for a women’s designer handbag in the US spiked 27% from 2019 to 2022. Last year saw record-breaking profits for the luxury sector, with around 95% of brands seeing growth, according to an estimate by consulting firm Bain & Company. “Right now, vintage is on trend, and we actually see new replicas of vintage items — items that were made in the ’80s or ’90s,” Thompson said.

Persons: Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Birkin, Miu Miu, Chanel, ”, Simon Lock, LVMH, Maison, OTB, ‘ It’s, dupes, Counterfeiters, Sarah Davis, “ it’s, what’s, Susan Scafidi, “, Leah Abucayan, ” Scafidi, Fashionphile, Davis, Hunter Thompson, “ It’s, ” Thompson, ” Davis, Scafidi, Romain Carrere, “ We’re, ” Carrere, it’s Organizations: CNN, luxe, Ordre Group, Burberry, Prada Group, Dior, Prada, YouTube, Social, Fashion Law, Business of Fashion, Bain & Company, Technology, Blockchain Locations: Fashionphile, Europe, —

[1/2] A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) warned on Thursday of a surge in counterfeit versions of its weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic offered online, as German authorities gave more details of complex European trades in a fake drug case. "Novo Nordisk has seen a significant increase in illegal online sales," the company said in a statement, referring to products that contain the active ingredient semaglutide. The warning came after Germany's federal drug regulator on Wednesday urged pharmacies and drug distributors to be vigilant following the discovery of wholesale batches of fake Ozempic. The FDA has warned patients to refrain from using a compounded drug if an approved drug is available.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Ozempic, Novo, Danish drugmaker, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Maggie Fick, Ludwig Burger, Jan Harvey, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Nordisk, Prosecutors, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S, FDA, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, Loerrach, Swiss, Basel, British, Austria, Germany, Europe, Danish, U.S, United States, Britain

Many of the GOP presidential candidates say they would carry out potential acts of war against Mexico in response to the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador repeatedly denies his country is producing the synthetic opioid despite enormous evidence to the contrary. Border agents seized nearly 13 tons (12,000 kilograms) of fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border between September 2022 and August, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "As commander in chief, I’m going to use the U.S. military to go after the Mexican drug cartels,” said DeSantis, the Florida governor. Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018 campaigning with a motto of “hugs, not bullets,” and for four years has shredded his predecessors’ prosecution of the drug war.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Donald Trump, You’ve, you’ve, ”, Arturo Sarukhan, “, Andrea Thomas ’, Thomas, Joe Biden's, Andres Manuel López Obrador, I’m, DeSantis, James Mandryck, Lopez Obrador, Xóchitl Gálvez, James K, Polk, Woodrow Wilson, Pancho Villa, Trump, Tony Payan, Elliot Spagat, Mark Stevenson Organizations: MIAMI, Republican, GOP, U.S . Customs, U.S . Commission, Univision, Drug Enforcement Administration, Trump, Biden, U.S ., Center, Rice, Baker Institute for Public, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Mexico, United States, Washington, Junction , Colorado, Mexican, Florida, China, Sinaloa, Latin America, Texas, California , Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma , Kansas, Wyoming, Veracruz, Columbus , New Mexico, San Diego, Mexico City

☆ Woman pleads guilty in $1.6 million counterfeit Series I savings bond scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — A woman pled guilty to helping process more than $1.6 million in counterfeit Treasury Department Series I savings bonds through financial institutions around the country, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday. Summer Marie Creech, 45, of Fontana, California, entered a guilty plea Wednesday for conspiracy to make, pass and transfer counterfeit U.S. securities and passing counterfeit U.S. securities. Creech forged counterfeit bonds using authentic bond numbers and sent them to co-conspirators who used stolen identification to negotiate the forgeries at financial institutions in the Southern District of Texas and other locations, according to the DOJ. Lewis pled guilty May 1 to passing counterfeit bonds through banks in the Houston and Brownsville areas of Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced. Series I bonds rose in popularity as the country experienced a period of high inflation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Summer Marie Creech, Creech, Creech's, Daniel Alan Lewis, Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Southern District of, DOJ, Immigration, Customs Enforcement Locations: Fontana , California, Southern District, Southern District of Texas, Houston, Brownsville, Texas, U.S

Mexico and China are the primary sources for fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked directly into the U.S., according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is tasked with combating illicit drug trafficking. And last year a group of Republican attorneys general asked the president to declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. The U.S. has taken a slew of actions to stem the tide of fentanyl coming into the country. And state lawmakers nationwide are responding to the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history by pushing harsher penalties for possessing fentanyl. It would also impose reporting requirements and enable the president to confiscate sanctioned property of fentanyl traffickers to use for law enforcement efforts.

Persons: “, ”, Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, General Merrick Garland, Lindsay Whitehurst Organizations: WASHINGTON, United States, Treasury, Justice, Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S . Postal, Justice Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Republican, Disease Control, Banking, Armed Services, Associated Locations: U.S, China, Canada, United, Mexico, Sinaloa, Mexican, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ TikTok Shop is offering hemp-derived THC syrup, sex toys, and other banned goods to users as the platform struggles with enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Dan Whateley | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok is in an all-out blitz to make its e-commerce marketplace Shop take off. But as it races to drive up sales, it's letting prohibited products slip through the cracks. TikTok Shop has over 200,000 sellers, according to the company, which has been a challenge as it tries to keep out banned goods at scale. TikTok isn't alone in failing to keep its e-commerce marketplace cleanTikTok isn't the only e-commerce player to struggle with marketplace quality. It's early days for TikTok Shop in the US, and the company is still finding its footing.

Persons: TikTok, TikTok isn't, Etsy, it's, Madeline Stone, Dan Whateley Organizations: TikTok Locations: mstone@insider.com, dwhateley@insider.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Target will close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers. Political Cartoons View All 1182 ImagesWhile the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant. For example, the Target store in East Harlem is located in a heavily Hispanic area, and residents have few choices to buy good quality healthy foods. “Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.

Persons: Target, ”, Brian Cornell, Cornell, ” Cornell, Anne Organizations: Target, University of Washington, Month, Pride Month, Dick's Sporting Goods, National Retail Federation, ACT, U.S . Department of Homeland, Security Investigations Locations: East Harlem , New York, San Francisco, Portland , Oregon, Seattle, East Harlem, Folsom

Target said Tuesday that it will close nine stores in major cities across the country, citing violence, theft and organized retail crime. Target, which has nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S., has been outspoken about organized retail crime at its stores. When the company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings in mid-May, CEO Brian Cornell said organized retail crime had shot up at its stores. When asked if the company plans to close stores because of rising shrink, Cornell stressed Target's reluctance to shutter locations. Since 2022, at least nine states — six so far this year — have passed similar laws to impose harsher penalties for organized retail crime offenses.

Persons: Brian Cornell, Cornell, We'll, we'll Organizations: Coordination, CNBC Locations: New York, Harlem, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland , Oregon, U.S

☆ Pakistan probes distributors of Roche cancer drug after patients go blind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLAHORE, Pakistan, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Monday it was investigating two local distributors of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche's (ROG.S) Avastin cancer drug after 12 diabetic patients injected with the drug went blind. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) said the health authorities in Punjab, the most populous province, had launched the investigation into local use of the drug Avastin, which is licensed for use in Pakistan. On its website, Roche said Avastin was approved in more than 130 countries, including the United States, to treat several types of cancer. Cancer drug Avastin, when used at much lower doses, is similar to eye drug Lucentis and is used in many countries as a low-cost option to treat certain blindness-causing conditions. In its statement, Roche said: "Avastin is not approved for any use in the eye.

Persons: drugmaker Roche, Arnd, Javed Akram, Akram, Roche, Avastin, Alam, Mubasher Bukhari, Ariba Shahid, Ludwig Burger, Miral Fahmy, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, Rights LAHORE, Pakistan, Swiss, Punjab, United States, counterfeits, Avastin, Lahore, Karachi, Frankfurt

☆ Kosovo so awash with fake euro coins they are accepted as payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"At the beginning everyone was worried and was checking if the 2-euro coins were fake or not," said waiter Endrit. "Now we don't check anymore... we may be taking fake money or may be giving out fake money. The number of fake 2-euro coins in circulation has seen a massive increase this year, according to law enforcement agencies. In April they arrested a man and a woman trying to bring 10,600 fake 2-euro coins into Kosovo from North Macedonia. "We always complained in Kosovo that we don't have our own currency, well it looks we have now - fake 2-euro coins."

Persons: Endrit, Vjollca Mavriqi, Sokol Havolli, Fatos, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Police, Sokol, Kosovo's Central Bank, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: PRISTINA, Kosovo's, Pristina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia

☆ Disney's top-selling merchandise line in Asia is this under-the-radar fluffy bear
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Duffy and Friends is Disney's top-selling franchise in Asia, having generated $500 million in revenue this year. Duffy, a fluffy bear, was introduced in 2002 with a back story linked to Mickey and Minnie. The revenues include sales from Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe back story for the fluffy bear involves Minnie Mouse hand-sewing the stuffed bear to accompany Mickey on a long sea voyage from Cape Cod. Both Duffy and LinaBell can be seen in a Disney video from September 2021, which shows the fluffy bear meeting his new fox friend.

Persons: Duffy, Mickey, Minnie, Mel, LinaBell, there's Organizations: Service, Disney, Shanghai Disney Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Walt Disney World, Shanghai, Shanghai Daily Locations: Asia, China, Wall, Silicon, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, Orlando , Florida, Cape Cod

☆ Eli Lilly sues clinics allegedly selling knockoff versions of Mounjaro diabetes drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Eli Lilly on Tuesday sued 10 medical spas, wellness clinics and compounding pharmacies across the U.S. for allegedly selling cheaper, unauthorized versions of the company's diabetes drug Mounjaro. Eli Lilly specifically accuses the spas, clinics and compounding pharmacies of marketing and selling "compounded" drug products that claim to contain tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro. Compounded drugs are custom-made versions of a treatment that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has not issued a warning about compounded versions of tirzepatide. However, Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy have all been in short supply in the U.S. since last year, according to the FDA's database.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly grapples, Ozempic Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Florida , Texas , Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina, Utah, Florida

[1/2] A box of Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes and made by Lilly is seen at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. In four separate lawsuits filed in Florida and Texas federal courts, Eli Lilly is seeking orders barring Better Life Pharmacy, ReviveRX, Rx Compound Store and Wells Pharmacy Network from selling tirzepatide, and requesting unspecified damages. Lilly is the only company with U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell tirzepatide drugs. "Defendants use Lilly’s trademark to attract customers and generate revenues and profits, including by passing off as 'Mounjaro' their own unapproved compounded drugs purporting to contain tirzepatide, and doing so for a use for which Mounjaro is not approved, namely weight loss," Eli Lilly said in the lawsuits. However, the agency has said that depending on circumstances, compounded drugs can be made and distributed with fewer restrictions when the original drug appears on its drug shortages list, which Mounjaro currently does.

Persons: Lilly, George Frey, Eli Lilly, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Patrick Wingrove, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Pharmacy, REUTERS, Wells Pharmacy, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Novo Nordisk, U.S, FDA, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Florida, Texas, Indianapolis, Arizona , Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina, Utah

☆ Insider Today: Your knockoff's hidden cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Tech: What could become of VMware employees when Broadcom's acquisition closes. What could become of VMware employees when Broadcom's acquisition closes. AdvertisementAdvertisementSo, instead of visiting the company's website, you head to one of the many e-commerce sites offering knockoffs. 3 things in techRaghu Raghuram VMwareLeaked email: The fate of VMware employees as Broadcom acquisition closes. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: Sen, Mitt Romney, Chelsea Jia Feng, Insider's Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins, Counterfeits, Birkin, Dow Jones, Michael M, Ray Dalio, Raghu, —, chatbot, Brooks Kraft, Vivek, crowdfunding, Joe Raedle, JW Anderson, Molly Goddard, Julia Pugachevsky, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Tech, VMware, Yorkers, Bridgewater Associates, Broadcom, Apple, Brooks Kraft LLC, Burberry, Riot Fest Chicago, Foo Fighters, Postal Service, Cutie, Happy National Hispanic, Costa Rica Blue Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York, Queens, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Spain, New York City, San Diego, London

☆ Dubai police seize over $1 billion of captagon drug smuggled inside furniture
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A surveillance video shared by the interior ministry on Thursday shows the suspects attempting to bring the captagon tablets through Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port. UAE authorities have seized hundreds of thousands of captagon pills since 2019. Captagon was originally the brand name for a medicinal product containing the synthetic stimulant fenethylline. Experts say the vast majority of global captagon production occurs in Syria, with the Gulf region being its primary destination. Last year, the US introduced the 2022 US Captagon Act, which linked the trade to the Syrian regime and called it a “transnational security threat.”

Persons: Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Captagon, ” Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, country’s Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police, ”, Twitter, Customs, European Monitoring Centre, Drugs, Addiction, US Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, UAE, Jebel Ali Port, Abu, Syria

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