DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Southwest Airlines gave away as many as 50 billion airline miles after its holiday travel meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Southwest Airlines offered 25,000 Rapid Rewards points to people affected by its holiday meltdown. The carrier sent points to an estimated 2 million people, putting the value at about $750 million. The low-cost carrier started sending out 25,000 Rapid Rewards points to qualifying customers in early January. Southwest sent the points to around two million customers, company CEO Bob Jordan told CNBC. The decision to offer free frequent flier points was an effort by Southwest to repair the damage created by its poor December performance.

Pressure has been building on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government to send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine and let other countries send the ones they own. Ukraine says heavily armoured Western battle tanks would give its ground troops more mobility and protection ahead of a new Russian offensive that Kyiv expects in the near future. Germany has previously said that no country had formally asked for permission to send their Leopard tanks. A German defence source told Reuters that Poland had submitted a request to let it supply up to 14 Leopard 2 A4 tanks to Ukraine. He expressed confidence that a decision on sending battle tanks would come soon.

☆ Analysis: Iraqi PM walks diplomatic tightrope in crackdown on dollars smuggled to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The New York Federal Reserve introduced tighter controls on international dollar transactions by commercial Iraqi banks in November. "Americans are using the dollar transfer rigid restrictions as warning messages to Prime Minister Sudani to stay tuned with the American interests. The new system has slowed down dollar transactions, said Nabil al-Marsoumi, economics professor at Basra University. Meanwhile the price of consumer goods has increased and the Iraqi currency has taken a beating. The Iraqi prime minister replaced the central bank governor after the slide in the dinar, the state news agency said on Monday.

Western forces on Friday agreed increases to their military support for Ukraine, but Germany wavered on further EU tank deliveries despite mounting calls from Kyiv and fellow allies. He stressed that he intends for Berlin to be prepared if and when a decision is taken on Leopard 2 tanks. Ukraine has repeatedly asked for battle tanks from its Western allies, with Germany's Leopard 2 units being of particular interest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that receiving supplies of Western tanks must outpace another Russian attack. In the hours before the meeting, the Kremlin said that Western tanks for Ukraine would "change nothing" and would not stop Russia from achieving its goals, Reuters reported.

☆ Russians lay flowers at improvised memorials to commemorate Dnipro dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 20 (Reuters) - Russians in St Petersburg and Moscow have been laying flowers at improvised memorials to the victims of a Russian missile attack on a nine-storey apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. On Friday evening, dozens of bunches of flowers and several cuddly toys were arranged around the base of a monument to Ukrainian national poet Taras Shevchenko in central St Petersburg. A young man said that "one way or another, even in times like these, this shouldn't become normal". Ukraine says the building in Dnipro was hit by a Russian Kh-22 missile. Among those who paid their respects in St Petersburg were a middle-aged couple.

☆ Wall Street succession plans: The case for why all 6 big banks could consider a leadership change this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman confirmed what everyone already presumed: There are three executives in the running for his job. It turns out you could make the case for every top US bank making a change in leadership, either with or without the consent of their CEO. At 64 years old, he's the second-oldest CEO among the big six US banks. When discussing succession plans with Bloomberg on Thursday, Gorman acknowledged he doesn't want this job forever. And at 63 years old, he's not exactly a spring chicken.

☆ Telia warns of $2 bln impairment in Q4 as interest rates rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Swedish telecom operator Telia Company (TELIA.ST) warned on Friday its fourth-quarter results would be hit by non-cash impairment charges due mainly to increased cost of capital. It said the bulk of costs related to goodwill writedowns at its Finland and Norway units, with charges of 9.5 billion crowns and 8.5 billion, respectively, reflecting slowing economies and higher market rates. Shares in Telia, which is in the midst of a years-long cost cutting programme, were down 1.4% in mid-day trade. Analysts before the news of the charge had on average expected Telia to report a fourth-quarter pretax profit of 1.7 billion crowns, according to Refinitiv SmartEstimate. ($1 = 10.2836 Swedish crowns)Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Supantha Mukherjee Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Davos 2023: Idris Elba calls for investment to help world's poor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Kathryn Lurie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British actor Idris Elba delivers a speech as he and his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba, United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Goodwill Ambassador, receive the 2023 Crystal Award during the Crystal Awards Ceremony 2023, ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannDAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba called on Monday for business and political leaders to provide more support to the world's poorest countries in the form of investment rather than aid. "The poor of this world are not just looking for aid and handouts, they’re looking for investment," Idris Elba said. (For daily Davos updates in your inbox sign up for the Reuters Daily Briefing here.) Reporting by Kathryn Lurie in Davos; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'We're privileged to be able to speak up:' Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre-Elba
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We're privileged to be able to speak up:' Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre-ElbaUN IFAD Goodwill Ambassadors Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre-Elba discuss how their respective upbringings have impacted their charitable work.

☆ Actors Idris and Sabrina Dhowre Elba on how their parents inspired their activism
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Actors Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba say their parents were driving forces behind their own activism today, which focuses on food security. For Sabrina Dhowre Elba it was her mother that shaped her drive to give back, she said. "For me, my mother is everything," Dhowre Elba told CNBC. A trip to Sierra Leone also inspired her due to the stories she heard from locals, Dhowre Elba explained. "Why I go on field visits so often with the organization is because you really remember that small things can make such huge changes."

☆ Morgan Stanley's Q4 results show the Club holding is firing on all cylinders, as the stock soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Those deals — valued at roughly $13 billion and $7 billion, respectively — pushed Morgan Stanley further into the money management world. Expense efficiency ratio is a measure of efficiency that is calculated as total non-interest expenses divided by net revenue. Segment results Institutional securities net revenue of $4.8 billion for the fourth quarter missed analysts' forecasts of nearly $5.09 billion. Wealth management net revenue of $6.63 billion for the quarter exceeded Wall Street's expectations of $6.29 billion. Investment management net revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter outpaced the $1.29 billion consensus estimate.

☆ Gina Lollobrigida, post WWII Italian film diva, dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ROME, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, a sultry Mediterranean diva who came to represent Italy's vibrant rebirth after World War Two, has died aged 95, her former lawyer said on Monday. "Farewell to a diva of the big screen, protagonist of more than half a century of the Italian film history. Ciao Lollo," Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano wrote on Twitter. One of her last appearances was a cameo in an Italian film in 2011. In an interview with Reuters in the Rome villa in 2006, she complained about intrusive photographers, saying they were still trying to invade her privacy.

☆ Southwest CEO says all options 'on the table' after carrier's meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Southwest Airlines is looking at all options to ensure the operational meltdown it suffered last month is not repeated, Chief Executive Bob Jordan said on Thursday. The Dallas-based carrier has been dealing with customer outrage and regulatory scrutiny after a systems meltdown last month left thousands of passengers stranded. Southwest has hired consultancy Oliver Wyman to investigate the disruption, Jordan told Reuters in an interview. Jordan said New York-based Oliver Wyman is interviewing company staff and union members to reconstruct the recent debacle in order to identify gaps in the carrier’s operations. He said last month’s disruption was not due to the structure, but said the airline could set up more crew bases if Oliver Wyman recommends that.

☆ Exclusive: Southwest eyes operational changes after airline's meltdown -CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHICAGO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) Chief Executive Bob Jordan said on Thursday the company is looking at all options to ensure the operational meltdown it suffered last month is not repeated. The Dallas-based carrier has been dealing with customer outrage and regulatory scrutiny after a systems meltdown last month left thousands of passengers stranded. Southwest has hired consultancy Oliver Wyman to investigate the disruption, Jordan told Reuters in an interview. Southwest's board has set up a new Operations Review Committee to oversee management following last month's systems collapse, Jordan said. With the exception of 1% of bags, the airline has delivered all the luggage which went missing back to customers.

☆ Wells Fargo's solid 4Q and planned share buybacks support our thesis for the stock, as shares climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Sequentially, the biggest driver was higher interest rates, as well as a benefit from higher loan balances and lower mortgage-backed securities premium amortization. Key company metrics Net interest income: $13.43 billion, up 11% quarter-over-quarter and 45% year-over-year, outpacing analysts' forecasts of $12.99 billion. Net interest margin: 3.14%, compared with 2.11% during the same period a year prior, and above the consensus estimate of 3.02%. Within consumer lending, home lending was down 57% from last year, while credit card revenue increased 6% over last year. Noninterest expenses increased 4% year-over-year but were down 3% sequentially, with the annual increase resulting from higher operating costs and salary expenses.

"It’s a direct hit to the Mexican population of Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights," Villalobos added. L.A. City Councilman Arthur Snyder during opening day ceremonies at Parque de Mexico in Los Angeles in 1978. A bust of Venustiano Carranza is among the missing sculptures at Parque de Mexico in Los Angeles. But only a few pieces remain today at the park, which is an extension of Lincoln Park in Lincoln Heights, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods and predominantly Latino. "Everyone goes and spends time ... at Lincoln Park, but Parque Mexico is kind of left alone especially as it’s gone into worse shape.

Proptech customers, employees, and investors said they went from delighted to disillusioned. Proptech investors eager to capture these trends pumped $32 billion into the industry in 2021. As markets deteriorated, disillusionment set in among proptech customers, investors, and employees. Some customers say they were disappointed buying homes via proptech startupsReal-estate startups like Divvy Homes and Better launched under the auspices of helping customers afford quality homes. Investors in proptech firms are taking financial hitsYou don't need to ask proptech investors whether they're disappointed in the sector's performance — just look at share prices.

☆ Southwest estimates its December meltdown will cost it up to $825 million in lost revenue, passenger reimbursements, and other costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Southwest estimated Friday that its December operational meltdown will cost it up to $825 million. Expected costs include lost revenue of up to $425 million and passenger reimbursements, the airline said. Southwest said Friday it expected a negative pre-tax impact of between $725 million and $825 million for the fourth quarter "as a result of the operation disruptions." It said a "significant proportion" of this would come from an estimated revenue loss of between $400 million and $425 million. The rest would come from passenger reimbursements, premium pay and additional compensation to employees, and other costs, it said.

☆ Analysis: Capture of El Chapo's son gilds Mexican president's patchy record on crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Dave Graham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The arrest of Ovidio Guzman, son of captured kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was a timely reversal of fortune for Lopez Obrador. However, the arrest, one of just a handful of major scalps Lopez Obrador has claimed, is unlikely to herald a major sea change in the battle on organized crime unless the government is more aggressive about going after gangs, analysts said. Lopez Obrador took office in 2018 vowing to get a grip on gang violence. And while Lopez Obrador is popular, his record on combating crime has consistently been viewed critically by voters. GOODWILLLopez Obrador's attitude to the Sinaloa Cartel has stirred up misgivings, particularly when he decided to greet El Chapo's mother on a trip to Sinaloa in 2020.

On Thursday, the House enters its third day of the new Congress without a speaker under the new GOP majority. Until Republicans have enough votes for a candidate, all other House business remains at a standstill. During the six speaker votes this week, 20 conservatives have stuck together to deny GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California the 218 votes needed to win the speaker's gavel. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the House Chamber following a day of votes for the new Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Kevin Dietsch / Getty ImagesAfter the sixth failed vote, McCarthy and his must trusted allies huddled with his most fervent opponents for more than two hours in the first-floor Capitol office of Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.

☆ Southwest has no solutions for recent debacle, faces up to $1 bln revenue hit - union official
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On the call, details of which have not been reported before, Nekouei said the company offered no immediate solutions. Before the recent crisis, Southwest had cultivated a reputation for reliable customer service, humorous flight crews and low-cost flights. Southwest, which has said it is making "solid progress" to return operations to normal, had no immediate comment on Thursday. Nekouei said the union's calculations suggest the latest debacle could result in an up to $1 billion revenue hit for the carrier. The pilots union has called that so-called "deadheading" practice fatiguing and inefficient.

☆ U.S. Senate Commerce chair plans hearings after Southwest Airlines meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell on Wednesday said the panel intended to hold hearings after Southwest Airlines' (LUV.N) recent meltdown that led to nearly 16,000 flight cancellations in the week ending Dec. 29. The FAA's operations must be reauthorized by Sept. 30 and the measure has traditionally been used to advance aviation reforms. The Southwest flight cancellations have been cited by some lawmakers as evidence that Congress needs to strengthen protections for air travelers. Buttigieg has repeatedly vowed to hold Southwest "accountable" if it fails to fulfill commitments to customers for "controllable delays and cancellations." That one would require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers when passengers are unable to fly for certain pandemic-related reasons.

☆ Southwest is giving 25,000 frequent flier points worth $300 to passengers impacted by the airline's holiday travel meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The airline is currently offering affected passengers 25,000 frequent flier points valued at over $300. The offer has caused long wait times for some passengers trying to claim points, reports say. The estimate includes both lost revenue from refunds and reimbursements for expenses like hotels and rental cars, CNBC reported. While Griff reported a 15-minute wait to receive points, another traveler told WSJ he had an estimated wait time of over an hour to redeem the 75,000 points offered to his party of three. In the email, Jordan reminded recipients that Rapid Rewards points don't expire, have no blackout dates, and can be used on Southwest gift cards.

☆ Southwest reports progress on flights, refunds, White House watching
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The White House said Southwest "failed its customers" and added that the government would seek to fine the low-cost Texas-based airline if it does not appropriately reimburse customers for their losses. Southwest said that during the New Year holiday weekend ending Sunday it operated 11,092 flights, or 99.1% of scheduled flights. Southwest had canceled 59, or just 1% of its flights on Tuesday, according to FlightAware. "Southwest Airlines failed its customers -- point blank," Jean-Pierre, adding the Transportation Department "will seek fines from Southwest if it doesn't cover" required costs. Southwest was sued on Dec. 30 by a passenger who said it failed to provide refunds to passengers left stranded.

☆ Pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

Now the main Russian Cossack organisations are loyal to Putin, and they are fighting alongside Russia’s forces in Ukraine. He is regularly pictured on his and other social media pages at Cossack gatherings, often wearing Cossack military uniform. Felk has worked as a security guard and has run a logistics firm, according to posts on Felk’s OK social media account. Photos shared by Kharkovsky on social media show him and other participants standing in front of a Great Don Army flag. Eremenko confirmed to Reuters that he worked for Russian military intelligence, the GRU.

Search resuls for: "Goodwill"

25 mentions found