The European Commission’s preliminary findings follow a two-year investigation under the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act

International News via Reuters:

The EU charged Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook on Friday with breaching its tech rules, with regulators targeting features they say are designed to keep users hooked and demanding changes to autoplay and infinite scroll or risk fines.

The European Commission’s preliminary findings follow a two-year investigation under the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content.

Social media companies face growing scrutiny around the world over concerns that their platforms are contributing to a mental health crisis among children, prompting some governments to impose or consider bans for underage users.

The Commission, the EU’s tech regulator, said Meta had failed to adequately assess the addictive risks posed by highly personalised recommendations, autoplay and infinite scroll, which continuously feed users new content and encourage prolonged engagement.

It said reels and stories on Facebook and Instagram could contribute to excessive or compulsive use.

The regulator criticised Meta’s measures to mitigate these risks, saying time management tools can be easily dismissed, while parental controls require significant time, effort and technical knowledge to use effectively.

Meta should disable features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introduce effective screen-time breaks and make its recommendation system less focused on driving engagement, the Commission said.

META DISAGREES WITH THE CHARGES

“We disagree with these preliminary findings, which don’t accurately take into account the significant steps we’ve taken to protect teens,” Meta spokesperson Ben Walters said.

“Since this investigation began, we rolled out Teen Accounts that automatically protect teens and put parents in control – allowing them to block access to Instagram at night and cap daily screen time at just 15 minutes.”

Meta added it would continue to engage constructively with EU regulators.

“Our starting point is that, based on our findings, this design is too addictive and changes need to be made,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Reuters.

“The next step is either that Meta changes its design or a non compliance decision will follow.”

Meta, which risks a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover, can respond to the charges before the Commission issues a final decision in the coming months.

The company last month failed in its bid to dismiss claims by 29 U.S. state attorneys general’s that Facebook and Instagram are addictive to children.

The EU charges against Meta mirror those brought against TikTok in February, when regulators demanded similar changes to its app.

The Commission is separately investigating so-called rabbit hole effects caused by Facebook and Instagram recommendation systems, where users can be drawn into prolonged viewing by algorithmic recommendations that push them towards similar content. In another case announced in April, it told Meta to do more to prevent children under 13 from accessing its social networks or risk fines.

The Commission is due to receive findings from experts on Monday that could help pave the way for a Europe-wide social media ban for teenagers that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce in her September state of the union address.

Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, additional reporting by Essi Lehto in Helsinki; Editing by Mark Potter

Von der Leyen said in May that, following a meeting with Hungary’s new prime minister, Peter Magyar, the EU would unlock €16.4 billion ($18.7 billion) of money for Budapest that had been previously withheld over concerns of corruption

International News via Reuters:

Hungary, which is on track to get vital EU funds by showing it is fighting corruption, will join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the president of the European Commission said on Friday.

“This is a welcome step in the fight against fraud and corruption. The people of Hungary will now have a safeguard in place to ensure EU funds work in their interest,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

Von der Leyen said in May that, following a meeting with Hungary’s new prime minister, Peter Magyar, the EU would unlock €16.4 billion ($18.7 billion) of money for Budapest that had been previously withheld over concerns of corruption.

($1 = 0.8750 euros)

Reporting by Sudip Kar-GuptaEditing by Gareth Jones

One Spaniard was among the victims and the rest appeared to be foreign nationals who ignored instructions to shelter in place

International News via Reuters:

At least 12 people have died attempting to flee a wildfire in southern Spain, and 23 were missing, officials said on Friday, as firefighters battled to bring one of the country’s deadliest blazes on record under control.

One Spaniard was among the victims and the rest appeared to be foreign nationals who ignored instructions to shelter in place, trying instead to flee by car as flames spread rapidly through a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province, said Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies in the Andalusia region.

The area is a popular holiday destination and home to many foreigners, especially the French, Britons and Belgians.

Four people, who appeared to be British because the steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, he said. Seven others were found dead after apparently abandoning their cars and attempting to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan.

“The consequences have been terrible. Everything seems to indicate that, in the case of the dead, the majority – or all of them – are foreign nationals,” Sanz said.

Juan Manuel Moreno, head of Andalusia’s regional government, said 23 people were missing, some probably hikers. Rescue workers found several walking sticks at the scene.

“I think they’ve been caught off-guard in the woods. When there’s a sudden fire … you don’t know how to get out,” Moreno said.

The circumstances resemble those in neighbouring Portugal in June 2017, when a huge wildfire during a heatwave killed more than 60 people, with half of the victims burned to death in their cars.

EARLY START TO SPAIN’S WILDFIRE SEASON

A series of early summer heatwaves has left large parts of Spain parched and vulnerable to any spark, fueling an early start to wildfire season.

So far this year, about 57,000 hectares (140,850 acres) have burned, about half the annual average for the past two decades and making up 40% of all the area burned in the European Union, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

“We usually don’t see these fires until August. They’re starting earlier now because the vegetation dries out sooner,” Roman Garcia, a forest firefighter from Salamanca, said on state broadcaster TVE.

A record heatwave last August provoked the worst wildfire season in three decades, charring 330,000 ha, an area twice the size of London.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez acknowledged at the time that wildfire prevention had been “clearly insufficient” and forestry management inadequate, pledging to do “whatever it takes” to ensure fires on such a scale never happened again.

Sanchez on Friday offered his condolences to the families of the victims and said he felt “enormous sadness and devastation”.

As authorities sought to identify the dead and track down the missing, anxious relatives from around the world posted messages on social media and local forums.

One woman said her daughter, who was driving a red Ford Fiesta and had her dog with her, was missing. Another person from the United States said her brother had been among a group of 10 people who tried to escape through a valley next to a stream.

Pedro Ridao, mayor of the nearby town of Antas, told TVE the fire was believed to have started when a power cable came loose and fell on a patch of dry scrubland on Thursday. However, a spokesperson for utility company Endesa ruled that out after technicians found that the cable carried no voltage.

“It was mainly the wind that was blowing in the afternoon that caused it to spread. As the afternoon wore on, we could see the fire was racing ahead, devouring farmhouses, holiday homes and cars, so we sprang into action,” Ridao said.

The death toll already surpasses that of 2005, when 11 firefighters were killed in a blaze in the central province of Guadalajara that was sparked by a barbecue.

Reporting by Loyola Perez de Villegas Muniz in Los Gallardos, Emma Pinedo, Corina Pons, David Latona in Madrid, Akanksha Khushi in BengaluruWriting by Charlie Devereux Editing by Aislinn Laing, Ros Russell, Andrei Khalip

Brent futures were up 60 cents, or 0.8%, at $76.90 a barrel by 1131 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 46 cents, or 0.6%, to $72.54

International News via Reuters:

Oil prices rose on Friday and were on track for weekly gains as renewed U.S.-Iran fighting disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, stoking concerns over supply disruptions.

Brent futures were up 60 cents, or 0.8%, at $76.90 a barrel by 1131 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 46 cents, or 0.6%, to $72.54. 

For the week, Brent was set for a gain of about 7% and WTI was on track for an increase of about 6%. 

“Prices have backed off the midweek highs, but there is still a substantial risk premium as Hormuz transits are back to a near-standstill with no clear signs of when normal reopening might resume,” said Vandana Hari at oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights.

Iranian armed forces launched attacks on U.S. military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday after U.S. strikes on Iran’s southern coastal and eastern provinces, further straining a creaking ceasefire. 

Separately, Iranian media reported multiple explosions across southern Iran. The area included Bushehr, where one of the country’s nuclear plants is located. 

The recent escalation in hostilities between the U.S. and Iran could upend the International Energy Agency’s forecast of a significant oil market surplus next year, it said on Friday. 

The developments also have delayed a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about 20% of daily global oil and gas supplies before the start of the war on February 28.

The lack of any new U.S. strikes on Iran overnight is probably weighing on oil prices, though a drop in flows through the Strait of Hormuz is limiting the downside, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. 

Liquefied natural gas tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, ship-tracking data showed, but overall daily traffic has slowed.

U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that he did not think the war would restart and that “anything that happens is going to be over very quickly”. 

“Despite the U.S. ramping up attacks on military sites in Iran, the market drew some reassurance from the Trump administration’s decision to avoid targeting Iranian energy infrastructure,” said ANZ commodity strategist Daniel Hynes.

Elsewhere, the IEA downgraded its projections on Russian oil production because of Ukrainian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, the agency said on Friday.

Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in London, Mohi Narayan in New Delhi and Nicole Jao in New YorkEditing by David Goodman

The measures and Kim’s remarks came during an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission on Thursday

International News via Reuters:

North Korea has decided on measures to strengthen its nuclear forces “quantitatively and qualitatively” as leader Kim Jong Un called for modernising its military, state media KCNA reported on Friday.

The measures and Kim’s remarks came during an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission on Thursday, KCNA said.

Kim said North Korea’s security and “true peace” could only be guaranteed by building a powerful military capable of controlling all threats, according to the report.

The meeting set plans to renew the technical infrastructure of combat systems, expand and strengthen nuclear forces, and standardise, specialise and modernise military bases, KCNA said.

It also discussed expanding the role of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s military intelligence agency, to improve its reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering capabilities, the report added.

KCNA said the meeting addressed the construction of modern naval bases and upgrades to shipyard capacity, reflecting what it called a major change in the status and role of the navy.

Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Mark Porter and Jamie Freed

Lagarde was fielding questions about a possible involvement in France’s 2027 presidential campaign after saying last week it was possible that she would leave the ECB early to weigh in on French politics

International News via Reuters:

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Thursday she was not a candidate in the French presidential race but would advocate for pro-European values in her home country “in whichever capacity” she deemed most efficient.

Lagarde was fielding questions about a possible involvement in France’s 2027 presidential campaign after saying last week it was possible that she would leave the ECB early to weigh in on French politics.

“I’m not a candidate for anything, but I’m very keen that Europe is protected, that Europe is the framework within which member states operate, including France,” she told the Euronews TV channel.

Asked if she would do that on the campaign trail or in her current role as ECB chief, Lagarde said she “would explain that in whichever capacity I will be most efficient”.

The French political scene was jolted this week when far-right leader Marine Le Pen was cleared to run for office by a court despite an embezzlement conviction.

Lagarde was also asked about the recent rise in euro zone inflation as a result of the Iran war, which led the ECB to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly three years last month.

She said the ECB’s medium-term orientation meant it only needed inflation to return to its 2% goal in three years.

“We need to see inflation returning to 2% in about three years’ time and that’s what we have with the projections that we produce,” Lagarde told Euronews.

Traders have ramped up their bets on ECB hikes in recent days on signs that an agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the war is in jeopardy.

Reporting by Francesco Canepa; Editing by Mark Porter and Jamie Freed

They escorted the people to police vans where they were taken away, including a woman and a small child from Malawi

International News via Reuters:

Groups of anti-immigration South Africans seized foreigners from their homes in Johannesburg on Thursday and handed them to police in a hardening of protests that have sown fear in communities and strained ties with some countries.

In Johannesburg’s Alexandra township, a Reuters reporter saw protesters breaking down doors and entering houses where they believed undocumented immigrants were hiding.

They escorted the people to police vans where they were taken away, including a woman and a small child from Malawi. Another man who was apprehended by the marchers told Reuters he was in the country legally.

“I am a ZEP holder,” said the Zimbabwean national, Total Mhlanga, referring to the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit which allows tens of thousands of nationals to live and work in South Africa.

In Soweto, anti-immigrant protesters marched through town wielding sticks and flags, with plans to go search for undocumented immigrants. Several of the flyers for Thursday’s protests advertised a “peaceful march” followed by “door to door”. Another march took place in Durban on the east coast.

South Africa, where millions of people are unemployed, has seen a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment in recent months, culminating in nationwide protests on June 30, an informal deadline set for undocumented immigrants to leave the country.

The most prominent leader of the movement, former radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, said on that day that protests would take place every Thursday until demands were met.

Her group, March and March, has painted undocumented immigrants as the source of South Africa’s economic problems and is demanding tighter border controls, mass deportation, and for schools and health centres to serve South Africans first.

“We are walking around doing door to door removing foreigners,” said a community leader, Bongani Msomi, at the march in Alexandra.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against scapegoating immigrants for deep-rooted problems, and his government has repeatedly told citizens that they do not have the right to take immigration enforcement upon themselves.

Police have stepped up arrests of undocumented migrants in response to the protests, and have also deployed officers during recent marches for safety. A spokesperson for Johannesburg police was not immediately available for comment on the actions of the protesters or the officers at the scene.

Malawi’s government said on Thursday that over 38,000 of its citizens had returned from South Africa in recent weeks, as part of a massive repatriation effort due to safety concerns. Over 60,000 have also returned to neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; Additional reporting by Frank Phiri; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Philippa Fletcher