Oct 3 (Reuters) – Barclays PLC: * HERALD INV TRUST PLC BARCLAYS PLC – HOLDING(S) IN COMPANY Source text: Further company coverage:
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By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Apple said on Thursday that it had removed ICEBlock, the most popular ICE-tracking app, and other similar apps from its App Store after it was contacted by President Donald Trump's administration, in a rare instance of apps being taken down due to a U.S. federal government demand. The app alerts users to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area, which the U.S. Justice Department says could increase the risk of assault on U.S. agents. ICE has been a central part of Trump's hardline immigration agenda and its agents have regularly raided and arrested migrants, and rights advocates say free speech and due process are often being infringed in the government's deportation drive. "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store," Apple said in an emailed statement. Civilian surveillance of federal immigration agents has become more assertive since Trump returned to office, as activists say they are trying to protect their communities from aggressive enforcement by ICE agents. Legal experts have told Reuters that surveillance of ICE is largely protected under the U.S. Constitution, as long as they do not try to obstruct law enforcement. Apple removed more than 1,700 apps from its App Store in 2024 in response to government demands, but the vast majority – more than 1,300 – came from China, followed by Russia with 171 and South Korea with 79. Over the last three years, the United States does not appear as one of the countries where apps were removed due to government demands, according to company application transparency reports. The company's actions may also lead to further scrutiny over the ties that tech firms have built with the Trump administration during his second term. Since Trump took office, ICE has raided multiple facilities with immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, and has ramped up enforcement with $75 billion in new funding through 2029 for ICE. The agency has also arrested visa holders and permanent U.S. residents targeted by the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian advocacy. Fox Business first reported the app's removal on Thursday, citing a statement by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the Justice Department contacted Apple to pull the app on Thursday, and that the company complied. "ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed," Bondi said in her statement to Fox Business. Bondi has previously argued that Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based creator of ICEBlock, is "not protected" under the Constitution and that they are looking at prosecuting him, warning him to "watch out." Aaron, in an interview with the BBC, said he was "incredibly disappointed" with Apple's decision, saying it would not affect the security of law enforcement. Aaron did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Apple removes thousands of apps from its app store every year, including more than 82,500 in 2024, for other reasons, including design-related issues, fraud or intellectual property infringement. Shares were down fractionally on Friday. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Anil D'Silva)
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By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -While the lead vocalists in animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" are largely inspired by the work of other K-Pop artists, EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna said they also admire Black American hip-hop stars like Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott and Doechii. “I think I discovered West Coast rap in high school, and I learned a lot about storytelling, lyricism and rhythm,” Korean American rapper and singer Rei Ami said. All three vocalists told Reuters that rapper and record producer Lamar’s music had particularly impacted their musical styles. “His (Lamar’s) flow is insane, cadence, his way of writing, his way of vocal producing, I learned a lot from that,” Korean American singer and songwriter EJAE said. "KPop Demon Hunters," directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and available on Netflix, is trending around the world. Its soundtrack has dominated the charts this summer, boasting more than 3 billion global streams to date, and breakout hit “Golden” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Netflix reported in August. The streaming platform reported on Tuesday that the movie was currently its most popular English-language film. A sing-along version of "KPop Demon Hunters" topped the domestic box office during its opening weekend on August 23 and 24, in what appeared to be a historic first for Netflix. The action-packed movie received 2.1 billion on-demand audio and video streams in the U.S. across all platforms and earned a total of 5.4 billion minutes watched on Netflix in the U.S. by late September, according to Luminate. Luminate added it was the most-consumed soundtrack in the U.S. so far this year when looking at album sales and streaming equivalents. FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE WILL BE ON 'THE TONIGHT SHOW' On October 7, the singers will perform "Golden" on "The Tonight Show," marking their first-ever live performance together. "It's official," the singers said in unison, confirming their upcoming live performance debut. "These girls, it's an honor being on stage with them," Rei Ami said, noting that for her, this history-making moment is "overdue." The movie, which came out on June 20, follows a K-pop girl group called HUNTR/X, comprised of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who are also a trio of demon hunters that perform K-pop music to impress fans and combat demons. EJAE, provides the singing voice for the lead singer Rumi and cowrote "Golden,” which she performs with Rei Ami, who sings as Zoey, and Audrey Nuna, who’s the vocalist for Mira. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation. With the musical movie continuing to trend, directors Kang and Appelhans said they are considering what the future may hold. Both said they are thinking about a potential sequel, but right now, they are just trying to take their busy schedules day by day. They are also appreciative of the Oscar and Grammy awards buzz they have received. “It’s an honor to be even recognized, to be potential nominees,” Kang said. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Jane Ross; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jamie Freed)
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(Updates paragraph 14 to show all group members perform "Golden") * 'KPop Demon Hunters' vocalists draw musical inspiration from Black American hip-hop artists * Movie is currently sitting as Netflix’s most popular English-language film * The film spawned the most-consumed soundtrack in the US so far this year By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, Oct 2 (Reuters) – While the lead vocalists in animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" are largely inspired by the work of other K-Pop artists, EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna said they also admire Black American hip-hop stars like Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott and Doechii. “I think I discovered West Coast rap in high school, and I learned a lot about storytelling, lyricism and rhythm,” Korean American rapper and singer Rei Ami said. All three vocalists told Reuters that rapper and record producer Lamar’s music had particularly impacted their musical styles. “His (Lamar’s) flow is insane, cadence, his way of writing, his way of vocal producing, I learned a lot from that,” Korean American singer and songwriter EJAE said. "KPop Demon Hunters," directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and available on Netflix, is trending around the world. Its soundtrack has dominated the charts this summer, boasting more than 3 billion global streams to date, and breakout hit “Golden” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Netflix reported in August. The streaming platform reported on Tuesday that the movie was currently its most popular English-language film. A sing-along version of "KPop Demon Hunters" topped the domestic box office during its opening weekend on August 23 and 24, in what appeared to be a historic first for Netflix. The action-packed movie received 2.1 billion on-demand audio and video streams in the U.S. across all platforms and earned a total of 5.4 billion minutes watched on Netflix in the U.S. by late September, according to Luminate. Luminate added it was the most-consumed soundtrack in the U.S. so far this year when looking at album sales and streaming equivalents. FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE WILL BE ON 'THE TONIGHT SHOW' On October 7, the singers will perform "Golden" on "The Tonight Show," marking their first-ever live performance together. "It's official," the singers said in unison, confirming their upcoming live performance debut. "These girls, it's an honor being on stage with them," Rei Ami said, noting that for her, this history-making moment is "overdue." The movie, which came out on June 20, follows a K-pop girl group called HUNTR/X, comprised of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who are also a trio of demon hunters that perform K-pop music to impress fans and combat demons. EJAE, provides the singing voice for the lead singer Rumi and cowrote "Golden,” which she performs with Rei Ami, who sings as Zoey, and Audrey Nuna, who’s the vocalist for Mira. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation. With the musical movie continuing to trend, directors Kang and Appelhans said they are considering what the future may hold. Both said they are thinking about a potential sequel, but right now, they are just trying to take their busy schedules day by day. They are also appreciative of the Oscar and Grammy awards buzz they have received. “It’s an honor to be even recognized, to be potential nominees,” Kang said. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Jane Ross; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jamie Freed)
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VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BEIJING OPEN SEMI-FINALS BETWEEN JESSICA PEGULA AND EMMA NAVARRO AND SONAY KARTAL AND LINDA NOSKOVA FULL SCRIPT TO FOLLOW SHOWS: BEIJING, CHINA (OCTOBER 3, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) JESSICA PEGULA V EMMA NAVARRO (WHITE SHIRT) 1. NAVARRO WINS FIRST SET 2. PEGULA WINS SECOND SET 3. PEGULA FOREHAND WINNER IN SECOND SET 4. PEGULA WINS MATCH 5. PLAYERS AT NET 6. PEGULA WAVES TO CROWD SONAY KARTAL V LINDA NOSKOVA (WHITE SHIRT) 7. WINNER AT NET BY NOSKOVA IN FIRST SET 8. KARTAL REACHES DROPSHOT AND HITS WINNER 9. DROP VOLLEY BY NOSKOVA TO WIN FIRST SET 10. BACKHAND WINNER BY NOSKOVA IN SECOND SET 11. FOREHAND BY NOSKOVA TO WIN MATCH 12. PLAYERS AT NET 13. NOSKOVA WAVES TO CROWD STORY: TO FOLLOW
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By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) -World stocks were on course for a solid weekly gain and more record highs as the seemingly unstoppable rally in tech shares and expectations of lower U.S. interest rates helped offset U.S. government shutdown uncertainty. Investors have mostly shrugged off the shutdown, the 15th since 1981, but on Friday it meant traders weren't getting probably the single most-watched piece of market-moving economic data – monthly U.S. payrolls figures. MSCI's main 47-country index of world shares didn't seem bothered, with record-high Wall Street opening higher yet again and Europe cruising towards its best week since April. [.N][.EU] Euro zone services sector PMIs had helped the euro tick up too as they accelerated to an eight-month high thanks to moderate growth in Germany, Italy and Spain, although France's political turmoil continued to weigh there. Christopher Hodge, U.S. economist at Natixis, said the lack of payrolls data in some ways bolstered the current view among forecasters that U.S. interest rates will be cut again this month. "The baseline (of a rate cut) is the default in the absence of new information," Hodge said, adding that the markets also had plenty of practice now in dealing with U.S. shutdowns. "The only thing that could be different this time is that we are in an economic and policy cycle that is a lot more ambiguous." Benchmark government bond yields – the main driver of global borrowing costs – nudged higher in both the U.S. and the euro zone, although they dropped in the UK after poor PMI data there, and all were down for the week. Markets are almost fully pricing in a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut this month and at least four cuts by the end of 2026. GOING FOR GOLD The overnight rise in MSCI's main Asian share index meant it closed with a 2.7% weekly gain and has now risen about 23% this year. China and some other parts of Asia had been closed for a holiday, meaning trading was thinner than usual although Taiwan hit a record high and Japan's Nikkei jumped 1.5% ahead of the crucial weekend vote that will determine that country's next prime minister. [.T] Wall Street futures were pointing higher again as well. All three major U.S. indexes had closed at fresh peaks on Thursday, buoyed as insatiable investor enthusiasm for all things AI continued. [.N] Weiheng Chen, global investment strategist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, said investors appear willing to give Washington time to resolve its disagreements, though a prolonged government shutdown might start to move markets. "For now, investors remain more focused on the potential impacts of the Fed's rate-cutting cycle, trade and immigration policy, economic data and corporate earnings," Chen said. With no government reports on the labour market to take cues from, investors have turned to alternative data from public and private sources and so far they point to a sluggish U.S. labour market. Friday does offer the Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing PMI data for September as well as the final readings of S&P Global's services and composite PMIs for September. It has left the dollar under pressure and Friday's moves saw sag again when measured against a basket of other top currencies. It was also on course for its biggest weekly drop since August. [/FRX] The Japanese yen has been the biggest beneficiary of that dip although it weakened to 147.74 per dollar on Friday after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda left markets guessing on when it will next hike interest rates. In commodities, oil prices recovered slightly on the day but were on course for their steepest weekly drop in over three months. Brent crude futures were at $64.39 a barrel as U.S. trading gathered pace while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $60.75 a barrel. Precious metal gold, meanwhile, was up again and on course for its seventh straight week of gains at $3,877, after hitting a new record of $3,896 an ounce on Thursday. It is viewed as a safe-haven asset during times of uncertainty and thrives on low interest rates. It has now surged 47% this year. [GOL/] "As the U.S. dollar’s status as the global reserve currency is tested, gold is emerging as the pre-eminent safe haven, and we continue to view it as the ultimate diversifier," said Greg Hirt, global CIO for multi-asset at AllianzGI. (Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Singapore; editing by Susan Fenton and Mark HeinriCh)
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* ICE at the center of Trump's hardline immigration agenda * Rights advocates concerned that ICE's actions can flout due process * Tech firms have sought warmer ties with Trump during his second term (Changes dateline, adds share price, adds additional context in paragraphs 4-5, 11-12) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Apple said on Thursday that it had removed ICEBlock, the most popular ICE-tracking app, and other similar apps from its App Store after it was contacted by President Donald Trump's administration, in a rare instance of an app being taken down due to a U.S. federal government demand. The app alerts users to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area, which the U.S. Justice Department says could increase the risk of assault on U.S. agents. ICE has been a central part of Trump's hardline immigration agenda and its agents have regularly raided and arrested migrants, and rights advocates say free speech and due process are often being infringed in the government's deportation drive. "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store," Apple said in an emailed statement. Civilian surveillance of federal immigration agents has become more assertive since Trump returned to office, as activists say they are trying to protect their communities from aggressive enforcement by ICE agents. Legal experts have told Reuters that surveillance of ICE is largely protected under the U.S. Constitution, as long as they do not try to obstruct law enforcement. Apple removed more than 1,700 apps from its App Store in 2024 in response to government demands, but the vast majority – more than 1,300 – came from China, followed by Russia with 171 and South Korea with 79. Over the last three years, the United States does not appear as one of the countries where apps were removed due to government demands, according to company application transparency reports. The company's actions may also lead to further scrutiny over the ties that tech firms have built with the Trump administration during his second term. Since Trump took office, ICE has raided multiple facilities with immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. The agency has also arrested visa holders and permanent U.S. residents targeted by the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian advocacy. Fox Business first reported the app's removal on Thursday, citing a statement by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the Justice Department contacted Apple to pull the app on Thursday, and that the company complied. "ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed," Bondi said in her statement to Fox Business. Bondi has previously argued that Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based creator of ICEBlock, is "not protected" under the Constitution and that they are looking at prosecuting him, warning him to "watch out." Aaron, in an interview with the BBC, said he was "incredibly disappointed" with Apple's decision, saying it would not affect the security of law enforcement. Aaron did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Apple removes thousands of apps from its app store every year, including more than 82,500 in 2024, for other reasons, including design-related issues, fraud or intellectual property infringement. Shares were down fractionally on Friday. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Anil D'Silva)
(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Apple said on Thursday that it had removed ICEBlock, the most popular ICE-tracking app, and other similar apps from its App Store after it was contacted by President Donald Trump's administration, in a rare instance of an app being taken down due to a U.S. federal government demand. The app alerts users to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area, which the U.S. Justice Department says could increase the risk of assault on U.S. agents. ICE has been a central part of Trump's hardline immigration agenda and its agents have regularly raided and arrested migrants, and rights advocates say free speech and due process are often being infringed in the government's deportation drive. "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store," Apple said in an emailed statement. Civilian surveillance of federal immigration agents has become more assertive since Trump returned to office, as activists say they are trying to protect their communities from aggressive enforcement by ICE agents. Legal experts have told Reuters that surveillance of ICE is largely protected under the U.S. Constitution, as long as they do not try to obstruct law enforcement. Apple removed more than 1,700 apps from its App Store in 2024 in response to government demands, but the vast majority – more than 1,300 – came from China, followed by Russia with 171 and South Korea with 79. Over the last three years, the United States does not appear as one of the countries where apps were removed due to government demands, according to company application transparency reports. The company's actions may also lead to further scrutiny over the ties that tech firms have built with the Trump administration during his second term. Since Trump took office, ICE has raided multiple facilities with immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. The agency has also arrested visa holders and permanent U.S. residents targeted by the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian advocacy. Fox Business first reported the app's removal on Thursday, citing a statement by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the Justice Department contacted Apple to pull the app on Thursday, and that the company complied. "ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed," Bondi said in her statement to Fox Business. Bondi has previously argued that Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based creator of ICEBlock, is "not protected" under the Constitution and that they are looking at prosecuting him, warning him to "watch out." Aaron, in an interview with the BBC, said he was "incredibly disappointed" with Apple's decision, saying it would not affect the security of law enforcement. Aaron did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Apple removes thousands of apps from its app store every year, including more than 82,500 in 2024, for other reasons, including design-related issues, fraud or intellectual property infringement. Shares were down fractionally on Friday. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Anil D'Silva)
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Oct 3 (Reuters) – Indian wireless carrier Vodafone Idea said on Friday it has appointed Tejas Mehta as its chief financial officer, effective October 6. Mehta, who was previously the finance chief at Mondelez India, replaces Murthy Gvas who ends his tenure on October 5. In August, insider Abhijit Kishore replaced CEO Akshaya Moondra as his term ended. (Reporting by Urvi Dugar; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
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VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BEIJING OPEN SEMI-FINALS BETWEEN JESSICA PEGULA AND EMMA NAVARRO AND SONAY KARTAL AND LINDA NOSKOVA FULL SCRIPT TO FOLLOW SHOWS: BEIJING, CHINA (OCTOBER 3, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) JESSICA PEGULA V EMMA NAVARRO (WHITE SHIRT) 1. NAVARRO WINS FIRST SET 2. PEGULA WINS SECOND SET 3. PEGULA FOREHAND WINNER IN SECOND SET 4. PEGULA WINS MATCH 5. PLAYERS AT NET 6. PEGULA WAVES TO CROWD SONAY KARTAL V LINDA NOSKOVA (WHITE SHIRT) 7. WINNER AT NET BY NOSKOVA IN FIRST SET 8. KARTAL REACHES DROPSHOT AND HITS WINNER 9. DROP VOLLEY BY NOSKOVA TO WIN FIRST SET 10. BACKHAND WINNER BY NOSKOVA IN SECOND SET 11. FOREHAND BY NOSKOVA TO WIN MATCH 12. PLAYERS AT NET 13. NOSKOVA WAVES TO CROWD STORY: TO FOLLOW
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