Russia has blocked the U.S.-based messaging app WhatsApp, the Kremlin announced Thursday, claiming the Meta-owned company failed to comply with local laws.

The move follows six months of pressure on WhatsApp and comes after Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram were banned in Russia in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed taken and implemented,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

RUSSIAN FORCES LOSE KEY BATTLEFIELD ADVANTAGE AFTER STARLINK TERMINALS ABRUPTLY SHUT DOWN

Peskov instead urged Russians to use MAX, the country’s state-owned messaging app.

“MAX is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative,” he said.

WhatsApp, Russia’s most popular messenger app, said in a statement that the Russian government “attempted to fully block” the app “in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app.”

“Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” WhatsApp posted on X. “We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected.”

ELON MUSK SLAMS ANTHROPIC AI MODELS AS ‘MISANTHROPIC AND EVIL’ IN SCATHING SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Critics have claimed that MAX is a surveillance tool, which Russian authorities have denied.

Russian authorities have pushed for a communications infrastructure in which foreign-owned tech companies comply with local laws or face bans.

Other platforms, including Snapchat and YouTube, have also been blocked or restricted by Russian authorities. Meta was previously designated as an extremist organization in Russia.

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, began restricting WhatsApp and other messenger services last August, according to Reuters, making it impossible to complete phone calls on them.

In December, Roskomnadzor accused WhatsApp of violating Russian law and of being a platform used “to organize and carry out terrorist acts on the territory of the country, to recruit their perpetrators and to commit fraud and other crimes.”

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WhatsApp has also been fined in Russian courts for failing to delete banned content.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The system was developed by Devon fisheries conservation experts Fishtek Marine

A ‘fish disco’ to deter marine life being sucked into pipes belonging to Hinkley Point C nuclear plant is “highly effective”, according to research carried out by scientists.

Sea trials by Swansea University have shown the ultrasound technology – developed by a Devon company – is able to keep target species away from the power station’s underwater tunnels.

The system is a network of speakers that play sounds under water to deter fish in the Severn Estuary from swimming close to cooling pipes.

It was developed by Totnes-based fisheries conservation firm Fishtek Marine and can be deployed and maintained without using divers. It is also more compact compared to earlier proposed systems that used more than 250 underwater loudspeakers, according to the Bridgwater plant.

The ‘fish disco’ is one of three separate protection systems being used by Hinkley Point C and is set to cost developer EDF, which commissioned the research, £700m.

The Somerset nuclear plant says it is already able to slow the speed of water entering the cooling tunnels, allowing fish to escape from as close as two metres in a 20-kilometre-wide channel, with a return system transferring fish back to the sea.

According to Dr David Clarke, fisheries scientist and marine ecologist at Swansea University, the early results are “very encouraging”. He added: “The system [is] clearly working.”

According to EDF, testing of tagged fish showed that after the acoustic deterrent was turned on, only one tagged twait shad came within 30 metres of the intake heads, compared to 14 when the system was off.

Successful completion of the testing, which will continue this year, would mean the power station can meet all its planning obligations on fish protection and the project believes further compensation measures should not be required.

Chris Fayers, head of environment at Hinkley Point C, said: “The successful testing of the acoustic fish deterrent is good news for the environment and for communities and farmers up and down the Severn.

“Because the system works even better than we had hoped, it means we can meet all of our planning obligations and should not need to create 900 acres of saltmarsh as environmental compensation. And it’s good news for a power station that will generate the reliable, low carbon electricity that the country needs.”

The results of the research, as part of an application for system deployment, will be submitted for regulatory consideration and approval later in the year.

Pete Kibel, managing director of Fishtek Marine, added: “We have now developed a highly effective system that will protect fish in the Severn Estuary and potentially be an option for many more power stations throughout the world.”

Hinkley Point C is Britain’s newest nuclear power station and is due to be open by 2031. It is set to provide six million UK homes with zero-carbon electricity when finished, but has been plagued by cost overruns and delays since it received government approval in 2016.

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Federal regulators said nearly 23,000 pounds of raw ground beef are being recalled over potential E. coli contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Class1 recall Wednesday, warning that the product poses a high risk of causing “serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

The affected packages were produced on Jan. 14 by Idaho-based CS Beef Packers and were shipped to distributors in California, Idaho and Oregon.

Officials said the products were intended for further distribution to foodservice locations, such as restaurants and cafeterias, rather than for direct retail sale at grocery stores. 

THOUSANDS OF POPULAR PRODUCTS, INCLUDING DIET COKE, PRINGLES, RECALLED OVER RODENT CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

As of Wednesday, there have been no confirmed reports of illness associated with the recalled product, USDA said. 

The recalled items include 10-pound cylindrical packages, or chubs, of “Beef, Course Ground, 73L,” 10-pound chubs of “Fire River Farms Classic Beef Fine Ground 73L” and 10-pound chubs of “Fire River Farms Classic Beef Fine Ground 81L, with case codes 18601, 19583 and 19563, respectively.

All products have a “Use/Freeze By” date of Feb. 4, 2026, with time stamps between 07:03 and 08:32, printed on two stickers on the outside of the cardboard cases.

All products have a “Use/Freeze By” date of Feb. 4, 2026, with time stamps between 07:03 and 08:32. The date and time stamps appear on the clear packaging of the meat products and on two stickers on the outside of the cardboard cases.

RECALL OF CHEESE PRODUCTS UPGRADED TO HIGHEST DANGER LEVEL OVER LISTERIA-CAUSING BACTERIA: FDA

The issue was identified during testing by the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) at a downstream customer, with results showing the presence of E. coli O145.

Foodservice locations should check their freezers and not serve any of the suspicious products, regulators said, adding that customers should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

E. coli O145 infection typically causes diarrhea, often bloody, and vomiting two to eight days after exposure, with an average of three to four days.

Doctors usually diagnose the infection with a stool test. Treatment typically involves vigorous rehydration and other supportive care, and most people recover within a week.

POPULAR SALAD DRESSINGS, SOLD AT COSTCO AND REPORTEDLY PUBLIX, RECALLED OVER ‘FOREIGN OBJECTS’

In rare but serious cases, older adults, children under 5 and people with weakened immune systems can develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). It is marked by easy bruising, paleness and decreased urine output.

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Officials also stressed that consumers should always cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 °F to kill harmful bacteria.

Q4: 2026-02-12 Earnings Summary

EPS of $0.61 beats by $0.02

 | Revenue of $1.84B (16.56% Y/Y) beats by $39.87M

This article was written by

ET Intelligence Group: HUL‘s year-on-year sales volume growth recovered to a multi-quarter high of 4% in the December quarter after staying flat in the prior quarter, reflecting traction across major business segments.

However, it reported 70 basis point contraction in operating margin before depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda margin) at 23.3% driven by labour code related charges; the margin still remained above the company’s guidance band of 22-23% indicating lack of any stress from operating costs such as raw material prices and inventory management.

The FMCG major expects second half of the current fiscal year ending in March 2026 to be better than the first half and to report even better numbers next year. Its optimism is driven by progress in portfolio and channel transformation, and better macroeconomic scenario including improved consumer sentiments and better consumption demand in rural regions and improving urban traction.

The company’s shares fell 2% on Thursday after it reported a 30% YoY decline in net profit for the December quarter, largely on account of a one-off impact from labour code provisions. Excluding this and one-time gain from sales of the ice cream division, net profit grew by a modest 1%.
HUL’s inorganic growth strategy to expand in new consumer segments is paying off. The acquisition of Minimalist in January last year has helped the company to gain traction in the premium skincare space. The brand has grown faster under HUL. Its sales are not disclosed separately but is included in the beauty & wellbeing division. This division’s revenue grew fastest among all categories, rising 11% year-on-year and 5.3% sequentially. This segment’s share in total revenue has gradually increased to 24.2% in the December 2025 quarter from 20.8% in March 2025.

HUL’s decision to buy the remaining 49% stake in Zywie Ventures (Oziva), appears to be a part of the same strategy to drive long-term growth.