Polish abortion restrictions violate women's rights: UN

Poland's laws are among the strictest in Europe

AFP file photo of a demonstrator holding up a clothes hanger, a symbol of underground abortion, during a demonstration of women and pro choice activists in front of the Polish parliament in Warsaw on July 23.

Poland's restrictive laws on abortion are violating women's rights, a United Nations committee said Monday, saying the rules had contributed to "several preventable deaths".

Poland's laws, among the strictest in Europe, permit abortion only if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest, or if it poses a direct threat to the life or health of the mother.

In 2021, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) opened an inquiry into the laws.

RELATED STORIES  Decriminalise abortion, EU parliament urges Malta

Its report concluded that Polish women "are facing severe human rights violations due to restrictive abortion laws".

Many were "forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, seek unsafe clandestine procedures, or travel abroad for legal abortions", it said.

"The situation in Poland constitutes gender-based violence against women and may rise to the level of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment," the committee’s vice-chair Genoveva Tisheva said.

The CEDAW also denounced a law that makes aiding abortion punishable by up to three years' imprisonment, as "doctors frequently hesitate to perform abortions, even when legal, due to fears of criminal liability".

Other doctors decline to perform abortions for moral or religious reasons, the committee added, while complex bureaucracy and a powerful anti-abortion lobby likewise complicate access to safe termination.

"Together, these factors create a complex, hostile and chilling environment in which access to safe abortion is stigmatised and practically impossible," Tisheva said.

Poland's governing coalition has pledged to liberalise its abortion laws.

But its last attempt to relax the legislation failed in July, when lawmakers narrowly rejected a bill to remove the provision banning abortion assistance by 218 votes to 215.

Rights Experts Reveal Impact Of Poland’s Restrictive Abortion Laws On Women

Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Press Release: UN News

The rights of women in Poland are currently being violated due to restrictive abortion laws that have contributed to “several preventable deaths,” according to independent rights experts on Monday.

These restrictive laws have forced many women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, travel abroad to have legal abortions or seek private unsafe procedures, based on information from the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

The report from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) published on Monday, found that most abortions in Poland are being carried out illegally and in unsafe conditions as it is illegal to assist women in getting abortions, with minimal legal exceptions, and services are often inaccessible.

CEDAW members are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Committee Vice-Chair Genoveva Tisheva said: “The situation in Poland constitutes gender-based violence against women and may rise to the level of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.”

Restricted rights

Two years ago, Ms. Tisheva visited Poland to conduct a confidential investigation about women’s rights being violated following allegations from civil society organizations.

The CEDAW committee found that Poland’s “already restrictive legal framework” had some “serious implementation flaws” including doctors hesitating to perform abortions due to fear of criminal liability or on moral or religious grounds, making it challenging for women to access safe abortion services.

The committee emphasised significant challenges women face in accessing abortion services, especially when pregnancies result from criminal activity, due to a “complex and victim-unfriendly bureaucratic process.” These challenges are further exacerbated by strong anti-abortion lobbying groups, threats, and the stigmatisation of those who provide assistance.

“Together, these factors create a complex, hostile and chilling environment in which access to safe abortion is stigmatised and practically impossible,” Ms. Tisheva said.

Conclusion and recommendations

The CEDAW committee concluded that Poland’s restrictive abortion laws endanger the health and lives of women and cause mental and physical suffering, which is a gender-based violation against women.

These restrictive laws can also be considered “torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.”

Vice-Chair Tisheva said, “Women’s mental anguish was exacerbated when forced to carry a non-viable foetus to term, a situation that has worsened since a 2020 Constitutional Court ruling banned abortion even in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.”

This ruling reportedly made abortion illegal except in cases where a pregnant woman’s life may be in danger or cases of sexual assault.

Some of CEDAW’s recommendations to Poland include recognising abortion as a fundamental human right and the adoption of a human rights based approach to sexual and reproductive health overall – notably through legal reforms “towards total decriminalisation and legalisation of abortion”, according the press release issued by UN human rights office OHCHR.

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Militant attacks in Pak's Balochistan: Death toll over 70, CM issues strong warning to terrorists

WION Web Team
Balochistan, Pakistan

Edited By: Harshit Sabarwal

Updated: Aug 26, 2024

Balochistan militant attacks: A look at the latest updates. Photograph:(Reuters)

Story highlights

Separatist militants attacked police stations, railway lines, and highways in the province.

The most widespread assault by ethnic insurgents in years forms part of a decades-long effort to win the secession of Balochistan.

The death toll due to militant attacks in Pakistan's Balochistan has climbed to over 70, the news agency Reuters reported on Monday (Aug 26) citing officials. Separatist militants attacked police stations, railway lines and highways in the province.

The most widespread assault by ethnic insurgents in years forms part of a decades-long effort to win the secession of Balochistan, which is home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine.

Officials told Reuters the largest of the attacks targeted vehicles from buses to goods trucks on a major highway, killing at least 23 people, with 35 vehicles being set ablaze.


"These attacks are a well thought out plan to create anarchy in Pakistan," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement, adding that security forces had killed 12 militants in operations after the attacks on Sunday and Monday.

Here's a look at the latest updates:


> Rail traffic with Quetta was suspended following blasts on a rail bridge linking the provincial capital to the rest of Pakistan, as well as on a rail link to neighbouring Iran, a railways official told Reuters.


> Police said they had found six as yet unidentified bodies near the site of the attack on the railway bridge.


> Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti also strongly condemned the incident and expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the cowardly act of terrorists.


> In a strong warning to the terrorists, Chief Minister Bugti said, "The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end."


> Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed that security forces would retaliate and bring those responsible to justice.


> Meanwhile, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, "The terrorists showed brutality by targeting innocent passengers near Musakhail. The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end."


> The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took responsibility in a statement to journalists that claimed many more attacks, including one on a major paramilitary base, though Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm these.


> The BLA is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the central government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's gas and mineral resources. It seeks the expulsion of China and independence for the province.


(With inputs from agencies)

Sicily yacht captain facing investigation - local media

Updated / Monday, 26 Aug 2024 

Rescue teams at the site of the shipwreck last week

Italian prosecutors have placed Captain James Cutfield under investigation over the deaths of Mike Lynch and six others after the British tech magnate's superyacht sank off Sicily last week, a judicial source has said.

The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed earlier reports in Italian media that the New Zealander was being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck.

Being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will necessarily follow.

Mr Cutfield, 51, is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, the dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera said.

Magistrates spoke to Mr Cutfield yesterday for the second time in a week, La Repubblica reported, questioning him for more than two hours.

It said prosecutors may also investigate a crew member who was on duty when the storm hit and survived the incident.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long superyacht, was carrying 22 people when it capsized and sank last Monday within minutes of being hit by a pre-dawn storm while anchored off northern Sicily.

Fifteen people survived, including Mr Lynch's wife, whose company owned the Bayesian. Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was among those who died.

Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah died in the shipwreck

While the yacht had been hit by a sudden meteorological event, it was plausible that crimes of multiple manslaughter and causing a shipwreck through negligence had been committed, the head of the public prosecutor's office of Termini Imerese, Ambrogio Cartosio, said on Saturday.

Maritime law gives a captain full responsibility for the ship, crew, and all on board.

Mr Cutfield and his eight surviving crew members have made no public comment yet on the disaster.

"The Bayesian was built to go to sea in any weather," Franco Romani, a nautical architect that was part of the team that designed it, told daily La Stampa in an interview.

He said it was likely the yacht had taken on water from a side hatch that was left open.

Mr Romani said the crew underestimated the bad weather and that they should have made sure that all openings had been shut and the anchor removed before the storm hit the boat.

Boeing Whistleblower Points to Electrical Issues With Ethiopian 737 MAX Crash Aircraft

By Len Varley
August 26, 2024

A former Boeing employee has provided documents which point to electrical issues discovered during the assembly of the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX which crashed in 2019.

LLBG Spotter, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A former Boeing employee-turned-whistleblower, has released documents through the Foundation for Aviation Safety that suggest an electrical malfunction may have potentially contributed to the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash.

These documents outline a series of electrical issues that were discovered during the assembly of the aircraft. This had notably resulted in “uncommanded rolls” and other potentially dangerous flight behaviors.

Whistleblower Revelations

In a covering email to the NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, former Boeing staffer Ed Pierson addressed the information supplied. He stated that the documents should have been shared with the NTSB by Boeing and the FAA over five years ago.

Aircraft records were supplied by Pierson relating to the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with tail number ET-AVJ. This is the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft which conducted the fatal flight ET302 on 10 March 2019.




The report describes an inflight incident on 7 December 2018. This saw the aircraft carry out an uncommanded roll to the right at 1,000 feet AGL. The aircraft was on autopilot and conducting an approach to Addis Ababa when the incident occurred.

The report goes on to show that Boeing had reviewed the incident report and had suspected an intermittent electrical fault.

While the official investigations into the crash have primarily focused on the MCAS software system, whistleblower Ed Pierson’s allegations now raise a set of new questions about the safety of the aircraft. It has called into question the potential role of other manufacturing defects in the 737 MAX tragedy.

Photo Credit: Boeing

The Question of Further 737 MAX Problems

Pierson’s revelations come at a time when both the US plane manufacturer and the Boeing 737 MAX program have faced increased regulatory scrutiny. The MCAS system has undergone significant modifications to prevent future accidents. However, the whistleblower’s claims potentially suggest that there may be additional safety concerns that need to be addressed.

The documents released by Pierson further serve to highlight the importance of thorough testing and quality control in the manufacturing process.

If the allegations are proven to be true, it could lead to a deeper investigation into the root causes of the 737 MAX crashes. It raises fresh questions about the adequacy of Boeing’s safety culture and procedures.

The whistleblower’s allegations have sparked intense debate among aviation experts and the public. Some now question whether the electrical issues raised by Pierson may perhaps have played a contributing role leading to the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

The release of Pierson’s documents also reignites concerns about the transparency of Boeing’s investigations and the company’s commitment to safety. Boeing has maintained that the 737 MAX is now safe to fly. However, the whistleblower’s allegations question whether there still may be underlying issues that the company has not fully addressed.

As the investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX crashes continues, the whistleblower’s allegations provide a new perspective on the tragedy. If the claims are substantiated, it could have further implications for the aircraft.

Poland commits $1.2bn for maiden nuclear power plant

The plant, expected to be located near the Baltic Sea, is set to start operations in about ten years.

August 26, 2024

Poland is set to designate $1.2bn in its 2025 budget to initiate the planning and development of its first nuclear power plant. Credit: Stefan_Sutka / Shutterstock.

Poland has announced an investment of 4.6bn zloty ($1.2bn) from its 2025 budget to initiate the development of the nation’s inaugural nuclear power plant (NPP), Bloomberg reported.

This move is a strategic effort to diversify the country’s energy mix and reduce electricity costs, Poland finance minister Andrzej Domanski said in Olsztyn, northeast Poland.

He emphasised on the necessity of combining renewable energy sources with nuclear generation to achieve more affordable electricity prices.


Domanski disclosed the preliminary funding details for the project, which is poised to be the largest investment in the country’s history, just days ahead of a cabinet meeting to discuss the upcoming year’s budget proposal.

The government had earlier projected that around 60bn zloty would be needed for the 2025-2030 phase of the nuclear project, before additional funding from the US, which is providing the technology, becomes available.

The plant, which is expected to be situated near the Baltic Sea, is anticipated to commence operations in roughly ten years.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a review mission in April, which praised Poland’s progress in establishing the necessary infrastructure for nuclear power.

The Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review, which occurred from 15 to 25 April, was requested by the Polish Government. It aimed to assess the country’s preparedness to either invite bids or negotiate a contract for its first nuclear power plant.

The review team “identified good practices that would benefit other countries developing nuclear power in the areas of contracting approach, strategic approach to funding, early authorisation of technical support organisations to support the nuclear regulator, engagement with the electrical grid operator, stakeholder involvement and industrial involvement.”

Earlier this month, the Polish Government revealed plans to introduce a loan programme for offshore wind energy worth approximately €5bn ($5.46bn), supported by the EU’s recovery funds.

State-owned bank BKG announced that the loan agreements will support projects with a minimum installed capacity of 300 MW.

These loans can be arranged until 31 August 2026, with repayment periods extending up to 2053.

Eni receives approval for Geng North and Gehem gas projects in Indonesia

These approvals pave the way for the establishment of a new production hub, known as the Northern Hub, in the Kutei Basin

Staff Writer 26th Aug 2024

Indonesian authorities approve Eni’s POD for Geng North and Gehem gas projects. (Credit: QR9iudjz0 on Freeimages.com)

Eni has received approval from Indonesian authorities for the plan of development (POD) for its Geng North (North Ganal PSC) and Gehem (Rapak PSC) fields, as well as the Gendalo and Gandang fields (Ganal PSC).

These approvals pave the way for the establishment of a new production hub, known as the Northern Hub, in the Kutei Basin. Additionally, Eni has been granted a 20-year extension for the Indonesia deepwater development (IDD) licences covering the Ganal and Rapak blocks.

With these approvals, Eni is set to significantly enhance its production capabilities in the East Kalimantan region, targeting approximately two billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of gas and 80,000 barrels per day (bopd) of condensates.

This production will supply both domestic and international markets, leveraging existing infrastructure in the region, including the Bontang LNG plant and the Jangkrik floating production unit (FPU).

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said: “The approval of the Northern Hub and Gendalo & Gandang Plans of Development by the Indonesian authorities marks a crucial milestone towards the final investment decision (FID) for both gas projects, aligning with our decarbonisation and energy security strategy.

“The establishment of a new production hub in the Kutei Basin represents a significant shift for Eni in Indonesia. This outcome is the result of a consistent strategy that combines our exploration expertise with the acquisition of IDD and Neptune assets, providing us with a strong leadership position in a world-class basin, close to existing facilities and major markets.”

The Northern Hub POD includes the development of five trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas and 400 million barrels of condensates from the Geng North discovery, which Eni announced in October 2023.

The project also involves the development of the 1.6 TCF Gehem discovery through subsea wells, flowlines, and a newly constructed floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit.

This FPSO will have the capacity to process approximately one billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of gas and 80,000 barrels of condensates per day, with storage for one million barrels. Gas processed on the FPSO will be transported via pipelines to onshore facilities at Santan terminal and integrated into the East Kalimantan pipeline network.

Part of the gas will be liquefied at the Bontang LNG facility, with the remainder supplied to the domestic market. The FPSO will also stabilise and store condensates for evacuation via shuttle tankers.

In addition, the approved Gendalo and Gandang POD will develop two TCF of gas reserves in the Ganal PSC using subsea wells connected to the Jangkrik FPU. This development is expected to extend the Jangkrik gas production plateau, currently at approximately 750 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d), by at least 15 years.

These developments result from Eni’s partnership with SKK Migas and are anticipated to have a substantial impact on local content. They will also increase the utilisation of the Bontang LNG plant’s capacity, ensuring a consistent supply of gas for domestic consumption.

Eni plans to undertake a drilling campaign over the next four to five years to explore the near-field potential within its operated blocks in the Kutei Basin. The area is estimated to hold over 30TCF of gas, with risks significantly mitigated following the Geng North discovery.

The Italian oil and gas firm operates the North Ganal Block – Geng North field with an 83.3% participating interest, while Agra Energi holds the remaining 16.7%. In the Ganal and Rapak blocks, Eni holds an 82% participating interest, with Tip Top as a partner holding the remaining 18%.

Last week, Eni closed the previously announced $783m sale of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to Oando, a Nigeria-based energy solutions provider.

 

What Went Wrong For Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider?

August 26, 2024 By Reuters

Mark Schneider, Nestlé's recently ousted CEO, steered the world's biggest food maker through the COVID-19 pandemic, grew margins despite a subsequent supply chain crunch, and pulled off a historic reorganisation.

So when did he lose the board's faith?

While Nestlé declined to comment on the nature of his departure when announcing it on Thursday, and Schneider did not respond to a request to do so, three sources told Reuters on Friday that the executive had been axed.

One source said the decision was reached after Nestlé's board became increasingly concerned about weak sales growth. They also cited worries about slowing product development, with new and revamped products taking longer to be devised and rolled out.

Changing Perceptions

"Two years ago, Mark Schneider could do nothing wrong; now he seems to get it all wrong," Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said, flagging a drop in Nestlé's stock, which has slid roughly 30% since its pandemic high in early 2022.

But, "is that a good reason to break up with a CEO that was only two years ago feted as the best CEO in the sector?" Monteyne asked.

Schneider, 58, in 2017 became the first company outsider to lead the maker of KitKat bars and Nescafe coffee in nearly a century. Its stock peaked during his tenure, tapping a record of CHF 129.5 (€136.82) at the start of 2022.

That year, he led an overhaul of the Swiss company, changing its executive board to align with a new geographic structure.

Where rivals like PepsiCo and Unilever were not able to sustain operating margin growth in the seven years to 2023, Schneider grew Nestlé's to 17.3% from 16.5%.

This feat was particularly remarkable, given the hit industry margins took during the pandemic.

But the board's concerns about sluggish sales volumes and underinvestment are not unfounded, and have been raised repeatedly in calls with analysts and investors in recent years.

Slow Growth

Nestlé has posted patchy sales growth through Schneider's nearly eight-year tenure in comparison to some of its competitors, losing the momentum it gained during the pandemic by alienating shoppers with too-high prices in 2023.

It and the rest of the consumer goods industry hiked prices dramatically in the face of sky-rocketing supply chain and raw materials costs, fuelling a global cost-of-living crisis.

In response to a question during his final post-results call in July, Schneider acknowledged that supply chain constraints in 2022 had left "less energy" for innovation, which he said may have inadvertently helped private label, or store-brand, goods compete.

This was a new position - Schneider had previously brushed off the threat posed to Nestlé by private label competition, saying that while the company had seen "limited" signs of that, it was likely to be temporary. "I'm not concerned," he said at the time.

Market Share Declines

But in the year to mid-June, according to Nielsen data analysed by Barclays, Nestlé's grocery store market share had fallen dramatically in Europe from the year before and been deeply hurt in the U.S.

Other companies like PepsiCo and Unilever also lost market share and sales volumes due to higher prices. However, these other major players have in recent quarters managed to boost volumes again, garnering praise from analysts for supporting their comebacks with innovation and strong advertising.

Nestlé was initially less able to slow its price hikes and even when it did last year, volumes - or 'real internal growth'- stayed weak.

Marketing Rollback

Schneider's step back on marketing in 2022 has also been criticised repeatedly by investors and analysts, despite his renewed push for advertising since.

He has said himself that marketing was "quite muted" in 2022 due to supply chain and capacity constraints.

His replacement, Laurent Freixe, a 62-year-old Frenchman, started working for Nestlé 40 years ago in marketing roles before moving up the ranks to executive positions.

He is seen as a food industry insider, with a broad network of executives and experts from within and outside the Swiss group. He has immediately pledged to focus Nestlé on organic growth rather than acquisitions.

Canada's LNG Energy Group Creates Oilfield Services Division in Colombia

by Rocky Teodoro
|Rigzone Staff
| Monday, August 26, 2024 

|
'LEC is a one-of-a-kind operator with the equipment, personnel and expertise to offer turnkey drilling and workover solutions'.
Image by Igor Borisenko via iStock

LNG Energy Group Corp. has created a new oilfield services division at its wholly owned subsidiary in Colombia, Lewis Energy Colombia Inc. (LEC).

LEC owns and operates two drilling rigs and one workover rig that are capable of executing a wide range of well services, including new exploration and development wells, LNG Energy Group said in a news release.

“LEC is a one-of-a-kind operator with the equipment, personnel and expertise to offer turnkey drilling and workover solutions,” LNG Energy Group Chairman and CEO Pablo Navarro said. “Through the creation and deployment of the Oilfield Services Division, LEC will not only generate another revenue stream, but further strengthen its position as an integral part of the energy landscape in Colombia”.

The oilfield services division will be led by Matthew O’Neill, head of LEC’s Completion and Well Intervention Services. O’Neill has worked in the oil and gas industry for 27 years and has been with the company since 2015. He has held various roles in the industry, from a wireline field engineer up to senior management, and has worked across Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, North America and Latin America. Prior to LEC, O’Neill worked for the global oilfield services company Schlumberger, according to the release.

LNG Energy Group said it looks to mobilize its equipment and personnel in the fourth quarter.

LEC has three rigs on the ground in its Sinú-San Jacinto Norte-1 Block near Barranquilla, Colombia. They include one 1,600-HP top-drive drilling rig, one 1,000-HP top-drive drilling rig and one 550-HP workover rig. These rigs come complete with generators, pumps, blowout preventers (BOPs), mud systems, tanks and other equipment needed to fully execute drilling and workover operations, LNG Energy Group said. Together, the rigs and associated equipment have an estimated value of approximately $10 million.

According to LNG Energy Group, the Colombian natural gas market is facing a supply-demand imbalance, which was further exacerbated in 2024 by the El Niño phenomenon leading to lower rainfall, subsequent reduced hydroelectric power generation, and further reliance on natural gas fired power plants. The country can meet its growing domestic natural gas demand through additional exploration and development of natural gas fields, which should “translate into an increase in demand for efficient and effective drilling services along with experienced service providers,” the company noted.

Since LEC’s entry into Colombia in 2008, it has drilled 70 exploration and production wells and completed numerous workovers using internal equipment. The company has had a wildcat success rate nearly double the industry average, according to the release. The efforts have been led by an expert in-house team that collectively has drilled more than 3,000 wells between the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk Shales in south Texas and in Latin America.

Toronto, Ontario-based LNG Energy Group describes itself as focused on the acquisition and development of oil and gas exploration and production assets in Latin America.

Uber fined in Netherlands for sending drivers' data to the US

Reuters
Updated Mon, 26 Aug 2024

Ride-hailing platform Uber (UBER) has been fined 290 million euros ($324 million) in the Netherlands for sending the personal data of European taxi drivers to the United States in violation of EU rules, Dutch data protection watchdog DPA said on Monday.
Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER)

Uber has stopped the practice, the DPA added.

"This flawed decision and extraordinary fine are completely unjustified," Uber spokesperson Caspar Nixon told Reuters in an email.

"Uber’s cross-border data transfer process was compliant with GDPR during a 3-year period of immense uncertainty between the EU and US," he added, saying the company would appeal and was confident that "common sense will prevail".

The DPA said Uber transferred personal data to the United States and failed to appropriately safeguard the data.

"This constitutes a serious violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)," it said.

Uber can appeal the decision with the DPA and if unsuccessful can then file a case with the Dutch courts. The appeals process is expected to take some four years and any fines are suspended until all legal recourses have been exhausted, according to the DPA.

The investigation was triggered after a French human rights organisation lodged a complaint on behalf of more than 170 taxi drivers in France with the country's data protection authority. However, as Uber has its European headquarters in the Netherlands, it was forwarded to the DPA.

French national data protection regulator CNIL said in a separate statement that it had cooperated with the DPA.

In a related case, the DPA fined Uber 10 million euros ($11 million) in January for infringement of privacy regulations regarding its drivers' personal data.

($1 = 0.8942 euros)

(Reporting by Stephanie Van Den Berg, Tassilo Hummel; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan)

Red Lobster taps former P.F. Chang's head as CEO in bankruptcy exit plan


Red Lobster restaurant in Virginia·

Mon, 26 Aug 2024

(Reuters) - Damola Adamolekun, former CEO of P.F. Chang's, will take the helm at Red Lobster after a court approval of the restaurant chain's bankruptcy plan, investment management firm Fortress said on Monday.

Lenders, including Fortress Investment Group, are seeking approval for RL Investor Holdings, a newly formed entity, to acquire Red Lobster out of bankruptcy.

Adamolekun, who stepped down from his role as the boss of restaurant chain P.F. Chang's in 2023, will become the CEO of RL Investor, Fortress said.

Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in Florida in May with about $300 million in debt and a plan to close some restaurants and sell itself to its lenders or a higher bidder.

Red Lobster would continue to operate as an independent company, with 544 locations across 44 states in the U.S. and four Canadian provinces, Fortress said.

(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)