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AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Britain's technology minister Michelle Donelan said "the right people with the right expertise" would be around the table to discuss how to mitigate the risks of AI. China will be a key participant, given the country's role in developing AI technology, although questions have been raised by some lawmakers in Britain about its presence. The U.S. ambassador to Britain, Jane Hartley, said the AI conversation should be global, but added that the invitation to China had come from London. Reporting by Paul Sandle and Martin Coulter Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rishi Sunak, Sam Altman, Sceptics, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Guterres, Michelle Donelan, Jane Hartley, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Paul Sandle, Martin Coulter, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Safety, European Union, Elon, Bletchley, European, U.S, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain, United States, China, European Union, U.S, London

☆ King Charles to attend COP28 climate talks in Dubai and deliver address
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —King Charles III will attend the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai this year and deliver an address at the opening ceremony, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday. CNN understood at the time that, following consultations with the government, it was jointly agreed that the climate summit wasn’t the right occasion for the King’s first trip overseas as sovereign. Few world leaders have confirmed their attendance at the talks. The 74-year-old King will give his address on December 1, and also meet with regional leaders, the palace said. King Charles III has been a passionate advocate of environmental and climate causes for at least five decades.

Persons: London CNN — King Charles III, Buckingham, Liz Truss, Joe Biden, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Charles, Charles ’, Prince, Wales, King Charles III, Prince of Wales, King, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN’s Royal, London CNN, CNN, United Arab Emirates, COP28 UAE, Government, Business, UN, Charles ’ Sustainable Markets Initiative, Buckingham, Accord Locations: London, Dubai, British, Egypt, Israel, Gaza, UAE, Glasgow, Scotland, Germany, France, Paris

☆ Elon Musk says AI Safety Summit aims to establish 'third-party referee'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Tesla, X (formerly known as Twitter) and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk speaks with members of the media during the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Bletchley, Britain on November 1, 2023. The UK Government are hosting the AI Safety Summit bringing together international governments, leading AI... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreBLETCHLEY PARK, England, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Wednesday an inaugural AI Safety Summit in Britain wanted to establish a "third-party referee" that could oversee companies developing artificial intelligence and sound the alarm if they have concerns. "I don't know what necessarily the fair rules are, but you've got to start with insight before you do oversight," Musk said. "I think there's a lot of concern among people in the AI field that the government will sort of jump the gun on rules, before knowing what to do," Musk said. Reporting by William James; editing by Kate Holton and Sachin RavikumarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elon Musk, you've, Musk, Musk's, William James, Kate Holton, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: SpaceX's, Bletchley, Government, Safety Summit, European Union, Thomson Locations: Bletchley, Britain, BLETCHLEY, England

☆ Everything you're hearing right now about AI wiping out humans is a big con
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Many are shrugging off the supposed existential risks of AI, labeling them a distraction. They argue big tech companies are using the fears to protect their own interests. The timing of the pushback, ahead of the UK's AI safety summit and following Biden's recent executive order on AI, is also significant. More experts are warning that governments' preoccupation with the existential risks of AI is taking priority over the more immediate threats. Merve Hickok, the president of the Center for AI and Digital Policy, raised similar concerns about the UK AI safety summit's emphasis on existential risk.

Persons: —, You've, there's, Yann LeCun, Altman, Hassabis, LeCun, LeCun's, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Andrew Ng, hasn't, Anthropic, Aidan Gomez, Merve Hickok, Hickok, Rishi Sunak, Michelle Donelan Organizations: Service, Google, CNBC, Stanford University, Australian Financial, Guardian, Center, AI

☆ China willing to enhance communication with all sides on AI regulation - vice minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China's Vice Minister of Science and Technology Wu Zhaohui speaks on Day 1 of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Bletchley, Britain on November 1, 2023. The UK Government are hosting the AI Safety Summit bringing together international governments, leading AI companies, civil society groups and experts in research to... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - China is willing to enhance communication with all sides on AI regulation, its vice minister of science and technology on Wednesday told a global AI summit in Britain. "China is willing to enhance our dialogue and communication in AI safety will all sides, contributing to an international mechanism with global participation in governance framework," Wu Zhaohui said, according to an official translation of his remarks. All nations have the right to develop and use artificial intelligence technology, Wu said. "We call for global cooperation to share AI knowledge and make AI technologies available to the public on open source terms."

Persons: Technology Wu Zhaohui, Wu Zhaohui, Wu, Martin Coulter, Paul Sandle, William James, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: China's, Science, Technology, AI, Bletchley, Government, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Bletchley, Britain, China

☆ Britain publishes 'Bletchley Declaration' on AI safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ian Hogarth, chair of the UK frontier AI taskforce, speaks on Day 1 of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Bletchley, Britain on November 1, 2023. The UK Government are hosting the AI Safety Summit bringing together international governments, leading AI companies, civil society groups and experts in research to consider the... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday published a "Bletchley Declaration", agreed with countries including the United States and China, aimed at boosting global efforts to cooperate on artificial intelligence (AI) safety. The declaration, by 28 countries and the European Union, was published on the opening day of the AI Safety Summit hosted at Bletchley Park, central England. The declaration encouraged transparency and accountability from actors developing frontier AI technology on their plans to measure, monitor and mitigate potentially harmful capabilities. "This includes, alongside increased transparency by private actors developing frontier AI capabilities, appropriate evaluation metrics, tools for safety testing, and developing relevant public sector capability and scientific research," the declaration said.

Persons: Ian Hogarth, Rishi Sunak, William James, Farouq Suleiman, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: AI, Bletchley, Government, European Union, Thomson Locations: Bletchley, Britain, United States, China, England

☆ U.S. to launch its own AI Safety Institute - Raimondo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo speaks on Day 1 of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Bletchley, Britain on November 1, 2023. The UK Government are hosting the AI Safety Summit bringing together international governments, leading AI companies, civil society groups and experts in... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreBLETCHLEY PARK, England, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The United States will launch a U.S. AI Safety Institute to evaluate known and emerging risks of what is called "frontier" artificial intelligence models, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday. "I will almost certainly be calling on many of you in the audience who are in academia and industry to be part of this consortium," she said in a speech to the AI Safety Summit in Britain. Raimondo added that she would also commit for the U.S. institute to establish a formal partnership with the United Kingdom Safety Institute. Reporting by Paul Sandle; writing by Kate Holton; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton, William James Our Organizations: . Commerce, AI, Bletchley, Government, AI Safety, Summit, U.S, United Kingdom Safety Institute, Thomson Locations: Bletchley, Britain, BLETCHLEY, England, United States, U.S

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The UK government has scrapped guarantees on nearly 1 billion pounds ($1.2 billion) of bank loans handed out to ailing businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving lenders on the hook for some of the borrowings that will not be repaid. The figures could rise further - latest figures show just 17 billion pounds have been fully repaid by borrowers as of June 30. The largest and most controversial, the "Bounce Back Loan" (BBL) scheme, delivered 47 billion pounds and was specially designed to help Britain's smallest firms stay afloat. Following the removal, any financial loss is borne in full by the lender, BBB said. The figures also showed the government had paid out 7.4 billion pounds to lenders under the state guarantees.

Persons: Theodore Agnew, Sinead Cruise, Iain Withers, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters, British Business Bank, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds, HSBC, Bank, Finance, BBL, BBB, Thomson Locations: London

☆ Britain's King Charles visits Kenya with colonialism's scars in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Britain's King Charles inspects the honour guards as he is hosted by Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya October 31, 2023. Accompanied by Queen Camilla on his first visit as monarch to a former colony, Charles arrived in the capital Nairobi overnight. Charles' visit comes at a time when former colonies are demanding that Britain do more to recognise the abuses of its colonial past. Nandi King Koitalel Arap Samoei led a decade-long rebellion until he was assassinated by a British colonel in 1905. Charles also plans to meet entrepreneurs from Kenya's bustling tech scene, tour wildlife facilities and travel to the southeastern port city of Mombasa.

Persons: King Charles, William Ruto, Arthur Edwards, Queen Camilla, Charles, Kenya's Nandi, Buckingham, Kenya's, Nandi King Koitalel Arap Samoei, Samoei's, Kipchoge araap Chomu, Aaron Ross, Hereward, Hereward Holland, Michael Perry, John Stonestreet Organizations: Kenya's, State House, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kenyan, Commonwealth, Kenya Human Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI, Uhuru Gardens, Barbados, Jamaica, British, Mombasa, Hereward Holland

☆ Britain's King Charles begins Kenya visit steeped in 'painful' colonial history
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Britain's King Charles is hosted by Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya October 31, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles begins a four-day state visit to Kenya on Tuesday, his first to a former colony, during which he plans to acknowledge "painful aspects" of a shared history that included almost seven decades of colonial rule. Accompanied by Queen Camilla, Charles arrived in the East African country overnight and will be received by Kenyan President William Ruto in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday morning. Buckingham Palace says the visit is a reflection of the two countries' close cooperation on economic development, climate change and security issues. The most notorious period of British rule came near the end, during the 1952-1960 Mau Mau revolt in central Kenya.

Persons: King Charles, William Ruto, Thomas Mukoya, Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla, Charles, Buckingham, Camilla, Queen Elizabeth, Nandi, Koitalel Arap Samoie, Samoie's, Kipchoge araap Chomu, Aaron Ross, Hereward, Hereward Holland, Michael Perry Organizations: Kenya's, State House, REUTERS, Rights, Kenyan, Kenya Human Rights, Commonwealth, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI, East, Mombassa, Barbados, Jamaica, British, Hereward Holland

☆ Dispossessed Kenyans demand compensation ahead of King Charles' visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Aaron Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Before Elizabeth could make it to Lake Victoria, word came that her father, King George VI, had died. More than 70 years later, Elizabeth's son, King Charles, will visit Kenya this week on a state visit. Buckingham Palace has said Charles' visit, which begins on Tuesday, will acknowledge "painful aspects of the UK and Kenya's shared history". The colonial administration took hundreds of square kilometres of land that communities in western Kenya had lived on for generations and handed it to British settlers. The British government has not been receptive in the past to requests by the Kipsigis and Talai to discuss compensation.

Persons: Britain's King Charles ', Camilla's, King Charles, Princess Elizabeth, Kibore Cheruiyot Ngasura, Elizabeth, King George VI, Elizabeth's, Ngasura, Charles, Kenya's, Joel Kimetto, “, Talai, Aaron Ross, Michael Holden, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Kenyan, British, Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Office, Thomson Locations: Britain's, Kenya, Tugunon, Kericho County, KERICHO, Lake Victoria, Gwassi, London, Buckingham, British, Kericho, Nairobi, Mombasa

☆ Ex-British intelligence worker jailed for attempted murder of U.S. NSA employee
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A former British intelligence worker who tried to kill a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) employee in a "premeditated, targeted and vicious attack" was jailed on Monday for 13 years. Joshua Bowles, 29, repeatedly stabbed the unnamed woman, who was working at British intelligence agency GCHQ, in March near its base at Cheltenham in western England. Bowles had previously worked at GCHQ but was no longer working there when he carried out the attack. Bowles, who lived in Cheltenham, pleaded guilty in August to the attempted murder of the woman, known only as 99230. I believe the intelligence community helps ensure this rigging, this view has been reinforced by my time working at GCHQ."

Persons: Joshua Bowles, Bowles, Duncan Penny, London's Old Bailey, Penny, Tim Forte, Forte, Bobbie Cheema, Grubb, Sam Tobin, Angus MacSwan Organizations: U.S . National Security Agency, NSA, Cheltenham, GCHQ, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, England, GCHQ, Cheltenham

☆ Ex-British Intelligence Worker Jailed for Attempted Murder of U.S. NSA Employee
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sam TobinLONDON (Reuters) - A former British intelligence worker who tried to kill a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) employee in a "premeditated, targeted and vicious attack" was jailed on Monday for 13 years. Joshua Bowles, 29, repeatedly stabbed the unnamed woman, who was working at British intelligence agency GCHQ, in March near its base at Cheltenham in western England. Bowles had previously worked at GCHQ but was no longer working there when he carried out the attack. Bowles, who lived in Cheltenham, pleaded guilty in August to the attempted murder of the woman, known only as 99230. I believe the intelligence community helps ensure this rigging, this view has been reinforced by my time working at GCHQ."

Persons: Sam Tobin LONDON, Joshua Bowles, Bowles, Duncan Penny, London's Old Bailey, Penny, Tim Forte, Forte, Bobbie Cheema, Grubb, Sam Tobin, Angus MacSwan Organizations: U.S . National Security Agency, NSA, Cheltenham, GCHQ Locations: British, U.S, England, GCHQ, Cheltenham

☆ 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

☆ EU's von der Leyen to attend Britain's AI summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Vera Jourova, a vice president, will attend the summit, according to an update to their official calendars published on Friday. While Sunak hopes to secure Britain's role as a world leader in AI regulation, some have questioned what the summit will achieve in practice. Last week, Bloomberg reported a number of world leaders - including Germany's Olaf Scholz and Canada's Justin Trudeau - would not be attending. While several world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, are expected to attend the summit, the full guest list has not been made public. Matt Clifford, a tech investor and one of two chief organisers of the event, recently told Reuters the aim of the summit was to kickstart international dialogue on AI regulation.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Vera Jourova, Rishi Sunak, Alan Turing, Sunak, Germany's Olaf Scholz, Canada's Justin Trudeau, Kamala Harris, Matt Clifford, Clifford, We're, Martin Coulter, Christina Fincher, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, European Commission, British, Bletchley, Bloomberg, Reuters, Thomson Locations: England

☆ UK's Sunak says AI risks must be addressed, ahead of key safety summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, October 18, 2023. Sunak wants Britain to be a global leader in AI safety, carving out a role after Brexit between the competing economic blocs of the United States, China and the European Union in the rapidly growing technology. The UK government will also publish a report on "frontier" AI, the cutting-edge general-purpose models that the summit will focus on. The report will inform discussions about risks such as societal harms, misuse and loss of control, the government said. China is expected to attend, according to a Financial Times report, while European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova has received an invitation.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Clodagh, Sunak, Kamala Harris, Demis Hassabis, Vera Jourova, Paul Sandle, Mike Harrison Organizations: British, REUTERS, Safety, European Union, Google, Financial Times, European, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bletchley, United States, China, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Hiroshima

☆ Bonus cap axed for UK bankers means unlimited payouts again
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The UK has abandoned a cap on bankers’ bonuses, in its latest push to boost the competitiveness of London’s financial industry following Brexit. “A bonus cap is not routinely imposed in other leading international financial centers outside the EU,” the regulator added, noting that the cap had been identified as “a factor in limiting labor mobility.”The UK government has long been opposed to the cap and believes that lifting it will help shore up London’s position as an international financial hub. Brexit made access to Europe’s vast market for financial services more difficult and costly for UK-based banks, and London has lost some business to cities such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Britain’s financial regulators have since echoed these concerns and the PRA said Tuesday that scrapping the cap would better align pay with performance. The UK government has come under increasing pressure to deliver post-Brexit benefits for London, the center of Britain’s hugely important financial services sector.

Persons: “, “ We’re, — Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Prudential, Authority, EU, UK Finance, London, ARM Locations: London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, ”, New York

☆ British Navy unveils novel 'Proteus' surveillance ship that can detect underwater threats from adversaries like Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Britain has formally dedicated a new surveillance ship capable of detecting underwater threats. The RFA Proteus is the first ship in the UK's "Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance" (MROS) program. The ship, which is a converted commercial vessel, underwent final testing in September. AdvertisementAdvertisementConcerned by threats to underwater pipes and cables that connect it with Europe and the rest of the world, Britain this month formally dedicated a new and unusual surveillance ship called the RFA Proteus. The 6,000-tonne vessel will be crewed by 26 sailors and "augmented by" 60 Royal Navy specialists "responsible for the undersea surveillance, survey and warfare systems," according to the Royal Navy.

Persons: —, Ben Wallace Organizations: Service, Royal, Royal Navy, Britain's Ministry of Defense, Britain's, British Locations: Britain, Europe, London, Ukraine, Nord, Finland, Estonia

☆ Morning Bid: US growth topping China as megacaps report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A street sign for Wall Street hangs in front of the New York Stock Exchange May 8, 2013. The combination of high-pressure growth and U.S. crude oil prices back up to their highest in two weeks has re-ignited inflation concerns. And with a 20-year Treasury bond auction also due later in the day, bond markets are back running scared. Two-year Treasury yields hit their highest since 2006 on Tuesday at 5.24% and held most of those gains overnight - while 20-year yields are hovering around 5.2% as well. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Mike Dolan, Joe Biden's, megacaps Tesla, Jerome Powell, China's, Republican Jim Jordan, Morgan Stanley, Kinder Morgan, Elevance, Joe Biden, Christopher Waller, Lisa Cook, Michelle Bowman, John Williams, Patrick Harker, Toby Chopra Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Atlanta, Netflix, Atlanta Fed, Fed, Treasury, Bank of England's, Wall St, Republican, Procter, Gamble, Abbott Laboratories, Northern Trust, Nasdaq, Citizens Financial, US Bancorp, Zions Bancorp, Discover, Lam Research, Alcoa, Steel Dynamics, Federal, New York Fed, Philadelphia Fed, Graphics Retail, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Gaza, Israel, trepidation, United States, Britain, Wall, Stocks, Asia, Europe, Northern, POPG, Equifax

☆ Britain aims for global leadership role with AI safety summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Britain will host the world's first global artificial intelligence (AI) safety summit next month, aiming to carve out a role following Brexit as an arbiter between the United States, China, and the European Union in a key tech sector. The Nov. 1-2 summit will focus heavily on the existential threat some lawmakers, including Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, fear AI poses. Sunak, who wants the UK to become a hub for AI safety, has warned the technology could be used by criminals and terrorists to create weapons of mass destruction. Critics question why Britain has appointed itself the centre of AI safety. "We are now reflecting on potential EU participation," a spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Alan Turing, Kamala Harris, Demis, Matt Clifford, Clifford, we're, Stephanie Hare, Elon Musk, Geoffrey Hinton, Britain, OpenAI, Marc Warner, it's, Vera Jourova, Brando Benifei, Dragos Tudorache, Benifei, Jeremy Hunt, Martin Coulter, Matt Scuffham, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Britain's, EU, Bletchley, Google, San, Reuters, China . Finance, Politico, Thomson Locations: Britain, United States, China, England, British, France, Germany, London, U.S, San Francisco, Beijing, Europe

☆ Twenty arrested in Hong Kong over false document pension withdrawals amid row over UK passport
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Jessie Pang | Thomson Reuters | Jessie Pang Joined Reuters In After An Internship. She Covers Hong Kong With A Focus On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An evening view of the financial central district of Hong Kong, China October 3, 2023. Hong Kong pension funds have been in the spotlight since the emigration of more than 140,000 Hong Kong people to Britain after 2020 when China imposed a national security law on the former British colony, cracking down on dissent. The authority running the pension scheme then said it would not accept the passport as a valid document for the withdrawal of funds. The agent had allegedly accepted bribes of up to tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars per applicant, the ICAC said. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Hong Kongers, Hong Kong, Jessie Pang, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Britain, British National, Overseas, Provident Fund, Hong Kong Watch, Residents, HK, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Britain . Hong Kong, Britain, British, Hong

[1/2] Mosquitoes are seen on stagnant water on the roadside during countrywide dengue infection, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 24, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd FollowLONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Dengue fever will become a major threat in the southern United States, southern Europe and new parts of Africa this decade, the WHO's chief scientist said, as warmer temperatures create the conditions for the mosquitoes carrying the infection to spread. Many cases go unrecorded, but in 2022 4.2 million cases were reported worldwide and public health officials have warned that near-record levels of transmission are expected this year. Qdenga is also approved by the EU regulator, but Takeda withdrew its application in the United States earlier this year, citing data collection issues. Dengue is spread by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which behave differently to the malaria-carrying kind.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, ” Jeremy Farrar, ” Farrar, Farrar, ”, “, Takeda, Jennifer Rigby, Michele Gershberg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Takeda Pharmaceutical, World Health Organization, Reuters, Wellcome, WHO, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Vietnam, Saharan Africa, EU

☆ Dengue Will 'Take Off' in Southern Europe, US, Africa This Decade, WHO Scientist Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Jennifer RigbyLONDON (Reuters) - Dengue fever will become a major threat in the southern United States, southern Europe and new parts of Africa this decade, the WHO's chief scientist said, as warmer temperatures create the conditions for the mosquitoes carrying the infection to spread. Many cases go unrecorded, but in 2022 4.2 million cases were reported worldwide and public health officials have warned that near-record levels of transmission are expected this year. Earlier this week, the WHO recommended Takeda Pharmaceuticals' Qdenga vaccine for children aged 6 to 16 in areas where the infection is a significant public health problem. Qdenga is also approved by the EU regulator, but Takeda withdrew its application in the United States earlier this year, citing data collection issues. Dengue is spread by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which behave differently to the malaria-carrying kind.

Persons: Jennifer Rigby LONDON, ” Jeremy Farrar, ” Farrar, Farrar, ”, “, Takeda, Jennifer Rigby, Michele Gershberg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: World Health Organization, Reuters, Wellcome, WHO, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S . Food, Drug Administration Locations: United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Saharan Africa, EU

Ofcom said it had identified features that made it more difficult for UK businesses to use multiple cloud suppliers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft had a combined 70-80% share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market in 2022, Ofcom said. Microsoft said it was committed to ensuring the UK cloud industry remained innovative and highly competitive. The CMA welcomed the move, saying effective competition in the 7.5 billion pound ($9.1 billion) UK market was essential. Google Vice President Amit Zavery said Ofcom's referral demonstrated the need to create an open cloud market with no vendor lock-in.

Persons: Dan Ridsdale, Edison, Dado Ruvic, Fergal Farragher, Amit Zavery, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Foo Yun Chee, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey, Jacqueline Wong, Jane Merriman Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Ofcom, Amazon Web Services, Google, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Markets, REUTERS, Cloud Infrastructure Services, Amazon, MICROSOFT, Activision Blizzard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain, France, Japan, The Netherlands, South Korea, China, EU, Europe, Bengaluru, London, Brussels

Ofcom said it had identified features that made it more difficult for UK businesses to use multiple cloud suppliers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft had a combined 70-80% share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market in 2022, Ofcom said. Microsoft said it was committed to ensuring the UK cloud industry remained innovative and highly competitive. UK businesses told Ofcom they were concerned it was too difficult to switch or mix and match cloud providers. Google vice president Amit Zavery said Ofcom's referral demonstrated the need to create an open cloud market with no vendor lock-in.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ofcom, Fergal Farragher, Amit Zavery, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Lincoln, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, CMA, Ofcom, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, Markets, AWS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

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