
As the investigation unfolds, stakeholders, including advertisers, publishers, and consumers, will be closely watching to see how the EU's findings could impact the competitive landscape of the online advertising market. The outcome of this inquiry could have far-reaching implications for the tech industry and shape future regulatory initiatives to promote fair competition and safeguard consumer interests in the digital era.One key indicator that reflects the growth of online consumption in China is the E-commerce Logistics Index. This index measures the efficiency and effectiveness of logistics systems in supporting e-commerce activities. A higher index score indicates a better logistics infrastructure, which can facilitate the smooth and timely delivery of goods purchased online.
North Carolina vote challenge relies on theory election deniers call extremeIt was a casual conversation between Messi and Mbappe, two of the most talented and successful footballers of our time. As they prepared for a friendly match, Messi turned to Mbappe and said, "You've already won the World Cup, this time let me win." These simple words spoke volumes about Messi's understanding of not just the game of football, but also of his own emotions and those of his teammate.
The FTC's enforcement action against Epic centered around accusations of engaging in deceptive marketing tactics to lure children into making in-app purchases without their parents' consent. The settlement, which was announced last year, required Epic to set up a refund program to compensate affected consumers.
The Dunhuang Caves, located in Gansu province, China, are a treasure trove of Buddhist art and manuscripts dating back over a thousand years. The exquisite murals, sculptures, and scriptures found within these caves are not only a testament to the artistic achievements of ancient China but also serve as a link to the spiritual traditions of the past. By featuring Dunhuang motifs on their Huabei skins, young people are embracing a sense of heritage and connection to their cultural roots.In response to the earthquake, emergency services have been mobilized to assess the situation and ensure the safety of residents. Residents are urged to check their homes for any structural damage and to have emergency supplies on hand in case of further tremors.
For hunters brave enough to take on the challenge of facing the Crimson Wyvern, the rewards are well worth the risk. Its crimson scales are highly sought after for their durability and flame-resistant properties, making them prized materials for crafting powerful armor and weapons that can turn the tide of battle against even the most formidable foes.Dec 4 (Reuters) - Yelp (YELP.N) , opens new tab on Wednesday urged a federal appeals court to block a lawsuit by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accusing the company of posting misleading notices on its online review site about crisis pregnancy centers, which provide services to pregnant women with the goal of preventing abortions. James Sigel, a lawyer for Yelp, told the three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the case was an exception to the usual rule that federal courts should not intervene in state court disputes because Paxton had brought the case in bad faith. He called it "a particularly egregious example of an attorney general retaliating against a company." U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson in Oakland, California, rejected that argument in February, finding that Yelp had not provided enough "concrete evidence" of Paxton's bad faith. Sigel said that Thompson should have allowed discovery on that issue. Lanora Pettit, a lawyer for Paxton, told the panel it was Yelp's burden to prove bad faith and that it could not do so "by speculating as to the subjective motivations" behind the lawsuit. Yelp sued Paxton in Oakland federal court in September 2023 after hearing Paxton intended to sue the company, which he did the next day in Texas. Paxton said that notices Yelp posted on the review pages for crisis pregnancy centers violated a Texas law against unfair business practices and sought unspecified money damages. A Texas state court judge dismissed Paxton's lawsuit not long after Thompson's ruling, but Paxton is appealing. The 9th Circuit judges, all appointed by Republican President-elect Donald Trump during his first term, appeared skeptical of Yelp's argument on Wednesday. "If you win on this, we're going to have cases filed every week in federal court saying, I do not like what that state attorney general is doing to me," Circuit Judge Daniel Bress said. He added that Texas' justice system appeared to be working for Yelp, since it was "doing well there so far." Circuit Judge Mark Bennett asked Pettit whether a federal court could ever intervene to stop a politically motivated action by a state prosecutor. As an example, he asked whether such intervention would be called for if there was strong evidence that a state attorney general sued a company because its CEO opposed gun rights. Pettit said that it might, but that there was no strong evidence that Paxton was singling out Yelp for political reasons. Crisis pregnancy centers offer pregnant women counseling, but usually do not clearly advertise their anti-abortion stance. In August 2022, Yelp began posting a notice on crisis pregnancy centers' pages stating: "This is a Crisis Pregnancy Center. Crisis Pregnancy Centers typically provide limited medical services and may not have licensed medical professionals onsite." In February 2023, Paxton and other Republican state attorneys general told Yelp the notice was misleading because it was posted on pages of centers that did have licensed medical professionals. The company, without conceding that the language was misleading, changed the notices to state that crisis pregnancy centers "do not offer abortions or referrals to abortion providers." Paxton said at the time that the new language was accurate. The case is Yelp v. Paxton, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-581. For Yelp: James Sigel of Davis Wright Tremaine For Paxton: Lanora Pettit of the Office of the Texas Attorney General Read more: US judge won't shield Yelp from Texas lawsuit over crisis pregnancy center notices Sign up here. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Brendan Pierson reports on product liability litigation and on all areas of health care law. He can be reached at brendan.pierson@thomsonreuters.com.Venezuela’s oil exports jumped last month on higher sales to its mainstay Asia customers, and approached 1 million barrels per day (bpd), a level not seen since early 2020, according to ship monitoring data. Under U.S. sanctions since 2019, Venezuela’s exports of crude and refined products have been highly volatile. Lack of investment and frequent fires and outages at the South American country’s aging oil infrastructure put a ceiling on production and sales. State oil company PDVSA PDVSA.UL, its joint ventures and other state companies last month shipped an average of 974,033 bpd of crude and fuel, mostly to China. It was the second consecutive month of increase, according to Reuters analysis of tanker movements. November’s total represented a 10% increase from a revised average of almost 885,000 bpd in October, and stood 57% above the same month a year ago, the data showed. Sales to Asia, home to the country’s largest buyers, jumped to some 613,000 bpd from 526,000 in October. Shipments to the United States by producer Chevron CVX.N under a license granted by Washington fell to 238,000 bpd from 280,000 bpd the previous month, while exports to Europe increased to 85,000 bpd from 31,000 bpd. The incoming government of President-elect Donald Trump is expected to revise U.S. policies towards Venezuela, which could lead to license amendments or renegotiations with the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The export increase happened despite a large explosion and fire at one of PDVSA’s main natural gas centers, which hit output of products, including methanol. Venezuela’s exports of oil byproducts and petrochemicals, including methanol and petroleum coke, declined to 330,500 metric tons in November, from 362,000 tons in October, according to the data. The OPEC country also increased exports to its political ally Cuba to 38,000 bpd from 28,000 bpd the previous month. Venezuela imported 87,000 bpd of heavy naphtha and gasoline blend stock last month through U.S.-authorized swap agreements with U.S. and European partners, slightly above the 81,000 bpd of October. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston and Caracas newsroom, editing by Ed Osmond)
An award Justin Baldoni recently received for "advocating on behalf of women and girls" was rescinded, in the midst of Blake Lively's sexual harassment lawsuit against him . The actor was initially honored with the Voices of Solidarity Award on December 9 by Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women leaders. On Monday, December 23, the organization released a statement on their website that they were taking back the award. "The Voices of Solidarity Award honors remarkable men who have shown courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls. On Dec. 9, 2024, we recognized Justin Baldoni with this award. On Saturday, Dec. 21, we learned through news reports about a lawsuit brought by Blake Lively against Mr. Baldoni, his publicists, and others that is disturbing and alleges abhorrent conduct ," Vital Voices said. Justin Baldoni's PR and legal team claim texts in Blake Lively's lawsuit lack 'critical context' Justin Baldoni allegedly shared intimate details of his wife on set of It Ends With Us "The communications among Mr. Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit — and the PR effort they indicate — are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award. We have notified Mr. Baldoni that we have rescinded this award," they added. This comes as Blake filed a complaint against Justin accusing him of sexual harassment as well as a toxic work environment on the set of It Ends With Us and a targeted smear campaign against her on social media after the film's release to damage her reputation. Blake alleged that Justin's actions caused her and her family "severe emotional harm." Justin has denied the allegations and his lawyer Bryan Freedman said Blake's lawsuit was "shameful" and full of "categorically false accusations." Before the lawsuit, there had been rumors during the promo tour of the film that Justin and Blake did not get along on set. The rumors increased when Blake and Justin were not publicly seen doing press together and stayed away from each other at the New York City premiere. The two starred as leads and romantic love interests in the film adaption of Colleen Hoover's book of the same name. Justin was also the director. Following the news of Blake's lawsuit, Justin's talent agency, WME, dropped him. The Gossip Girl alum has also been met with support from Colleen, Amber Heard, Amy Schumer, Paul Feig, Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Ricci and her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars (America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn). DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.The latest update promises to enhance the overall gaming experience with new features, missions, and optimizations that aim to further immerse players in the fantastical realm of "Black Myth: Wukong." From enhanced combat mechanics to improved graphics and sound effects, the update offers a fresh and exciting gameplay experience that keeps players engaged and eager to explore more.The champions had descended into crisis after a run of seven games without a win – six of which were defeats and the other an embarrassing 3-3 draw after leading 3-0. Four of those losses had come in the Premier League, heavily damaging their chances of claiming a fifth successive title, but they appeared to turn the corner by sweeping Forest aside at the Etihad Stadium. “We needed it,” said City manager Guardiola. “The club, the players, everyone needed to win. “But it is just one game and in three days we are at Selhurst Park, where it has always been difficult. “We played good. We still conceded some transitions and missed some easy things and lost some passes that you have to avoid, but in general, the most important thing was to break this routine of not winning games and we won it.” Kevin De Bruyne, making his first start since September after overcoming a pelvic injury, made a huge difference to a side that appeared rejuvenated. His powerful header was turned in by Bernardo Silva for the opening goal and the Belgian followed up with a powerful strike to make it 2-0. The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season but it was a strong riposte to recent suggestions of a rift with Guardiola. A sweet strike 💥 ⚡️ #HighSpeedMoments | @eAndGroup pic.twitter.com/WJOkfKo2zr — Manchester City (@ManCity) December 4, 2024 “I’m so happy for him,” said Guardiola of De Bruyne’s telling contribution. “Last season he was many months injured and this season as well. “I’m so happy he’s back. He fought a lot, he’s worked and he’s back with his physicality. The minutes he played in Anfield were really good and today he played 75 fantastic minutes.” Jeremy Doku wrapped up a pleasing win when he finished a rapid counter-attack just before the hour but there was still a downside for City with injuries to defenders Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji. Guardiola said: “For Nathan it doesn’t look good and Manu has struggled a lot over the last two months. We will see. “Phil (Foden) has bronchitis but when he doesn’t have fever he will be ready.” Despite City’s dominance, Forest did have some bright moments and manager Nuno Espirito Santo was not downbeat. He said: “When you lose 3-0 and you say it was a good performance maybe people don’t understand, but I will not say that was a bad performance. “There are positive things for us in the game. Of course there are a lot of bad things, mistakes, but we had chances. “We didn’t achieve but I think we come out proud of ourselves because we tried. For sure, this game will allow us to grow.”As the dust begins to settle on this complex and multifaceted saga, one thing remains clear: the power of individuals to make a difference, even in the face of adversity and opposition. The courage displayed by the female director in standing up for what she believes in, and the ripple effects of her actions on the online community, serve as a powerful reminder of the impact that each of us can have in shaping the digital landscape we inhabit.