DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Stampede at Madagascar's national stadium kills 12, injures around 80, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lova Rabary | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANTANANARIVO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A stampede of sports fans trying to enter Madagascar's national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games has killed 12 and injured around 80, the prime minister said on Friday. Videos shared on social media showed Red Cross workers caring for dozens of injured people next to the athletics track. Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said 11 of the injured were in a critical condition. It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede, but at least 15 people were killed in a similar incident at the Mahamasina stadium in 2019. The Indian Ocean Island Games were created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977, and include athletes from Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion and the Maldives.

Persons: Christian Ntsay, Andry Rajoelina, Lova, Hereward Holland, Chris Reese, Alistair Bell, Sandra Maler Organizations: Madagascar's, Games, Red Cross, International Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: ANTANANARIVO, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion, Maldives, Antananarivo

☆ Gabon Joins Blue Bond Wave With $500 Million Debt Refinancing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Will Horner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Gabon completed mainland Africa’s first-ever “debt-for-nature swap” Tuesday, refinancing $500 million of its debt and earmarking $163 million in savings for marine conservation, the latest in a burgeoning list of “blue bond” deals. In their place, Gabon issued a $500 million blue bond which matures in 2038. The coupon on the new blue bond was priced at 6.097%, lower than the coupons on the repaid bonds which were between 6.625%-7%. TNC says its blue bond deals have provided $400 million toward conservation efforts. Bank of America, which served as sole initial purchaser, structuring agent and bookrunner on the Gabon deal, declined to reveal its transaction fees.

Persons: Gabon’s, Bond, ”, Ali Bongo Ondimba, TNC wasn’t, Scott Nathan, TNC, Will Horner Organizations: —, Sustainable Business, Moody’s Investors Service, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, Conservancy, Greenpeace, Bank of America Locations: Gabon, Africa, U.S, Belize, Seychelles, Barbados, Ecuador, Galápagos, william.horner

☆ I became a superyacht chef without any formal training. Here's how I turned my hobby into cooking for celebrities like Pharrell Williams while traveling the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Since then, I've worked on 20 different superyachts in Asia, in the Caribbean, and in the Mediterranean. The yachts I've worked on have personal submarines, helipads, and spas. Dinner reservations can fall through, or once they get to the restaurant, the yacht owners may decide the vibes are off and that they no longer want to eat there. But I don't just cook for the owners, the guests, and the crew — sometimes, I cook for the owner's pets. I get my jobs through word of mouth, but to help people who are starting out to connect with other yacht chefs, I launched thesuperyachtchef.com in 2019.

Persons: Rachel Cunningham, Niki Lauda, Pharrell Williams, she'd, I've, I'd, wouldn't, must've, documentarian, Barts, Jeong Kwan, I'm Organizations: Service, Michelin, Netflix, Rachel Cunningham Chefs Locations: Asia, Caribbean, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Australia, Palma, Mallorca, Spain, France, London, Bluewater, Florida, Monaco, Seychelles, Bali, Malta, LordHenriVoton, Miami, Alaska, St, Devon, South Korea, Japan, Antigua

☆ This man is traveling the world on non-motorized transport
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Not even an elevator,” Pukonen says of his epic adventure, which has seen him travel around 80,000 kilometers without using motorized transport. Ambitious questAdventurer Markus Pukonen has spent over seven years traveling the world using non-motorized transport. Before beginning the trip, Pukonen founded nonprofit organization Routes of Change, with the aim of raising funds and awareness for small social and environmental organizations throughout his journey. “So the fact that what I’m doing is such a crazy, astonishing thing [to some people] is really, really bizarre to me. Although Pukonen has used almost every form of non-motorized transport possible during the journey, he says there’s nothing quite like traveling on water.

Persons: Markus Pukonen, Pukonen, he’d, “, it’s, ”, he’s, ” Pukonen, Randy Mitson, ’, “ I’ve, ” He’s, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Children’s, Swift, Toronto Locations: Toronto, rafted, Mississippi, Canada, Lake Ontario, Columbia, Washington, Hawaii, Macau, Vietnam, kayaked, Indonesia, Canadian, Winnipeg, Tofino, Vancouver Island, India, Seychelles, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Brazil, Florida, Savannah , Georgia, North America's, Superior, Georgia, Maine, Hudson, New York, Caribbean, Tobago, Asia, Pukonen, British Columbia

☆ Natural evolution: Record Galapagos deal sparks clamour for eco-friendly debt swaps
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The growing appetite comes as record numbers of developing world governments face debt pressures due to higher global interest rates. There have been around 140 over the past 35 years, but even including last month's super-sized Galapagos deal they have only involved around $5 billion of debt altogether. The top-level attendees will be urged to do more, not only debt swaps, but also by providing foreign exchange guarantees and automatic debt-payment breaks for countries hit by climate-related disasters. "Seeing something that has a group of countries involved would be amazing," Issa said. Ecuador says it is eyeing another transaction to capitalise on the halo effect from the Galapagos deal.

Persons: Ramzi Issa, Charles Darwin's, Issa, Ilan Goldfajn, Scott Nathan, Nathan, Emmanuel Macron, Mia Mottley, Suisse's Issa, Simon Jessop, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Ecuador, Credit Suisse, Inter, American Development Bank, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Ecuador, Belize, Barbados, Gabon, Paris, Sri Lanka, Indian, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles

In its 13 charges, the SEC alleged that Binance and Zhao used Merit Peak and Sigma Chain, another trading firm controlled by Zhao, to commingle corporate funds with client assets and use the monies "as they please." This put customers' assets at risk while Binance sought to "maximize" its profits, the SEC wrote in its civil complaint on Monday. "All user assets on Binance and Binance affiliate platforms, including Binance.US, are safe and secure," it said in a statement on Monday. The funds received by British Virgin Islands-based Merit Peak between 2019 and 2021 flowed from Key Vision Development Ltd, also controlled by Zhao, the SEC filing on Tuesday showed. Reuters reported last month that Key Vision and Merit Peak, along with Binance's Cayman Islands holding company, formed the core of the global crypto exchange's financial network.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, Guangying Chen, Chen, Tom Wilson, Jane Merriman Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Sigma, British, Vision Development, Key Vision, U.S, Reuters, Vision, Binance's, Sigma Chain's, BAM, Thomson Locations: Seychelles, British Virgin Islands, Islands, Binance, United States, U.S, Singapore

☆ Binance Moved Billions Through Two U.S. Banks, Regulators Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Emily Flitter | Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

accountant, Sachin Verma, detailed a tangle of transactions that companies associated with the giant cryptocurrency exchange had made through two banks: Silvergate Bank and Signature Bank, both of which failed this year. separately said it estimated unpaid taxes by Binance over the past four years carried an interest penalty of more than $13 million. Though it estimated that Binance earned almost $225 million from 2019 to 2023, the regulator didn’t say how much the company paid in taxes over the period, or how much it should have paid. sued Binance in federal court in Washington, D.C., accusing the company of mishandling customer funds, lying to regulators and investors about its operations and engaging in manipulative trading. U.S. regulators have asked a federal judge to temporarily freeze assets tied to Binance’s subsidiary in the United States, and Wednesday’s filing was in support of that request.

Persons: Sachin Verma, Changpeng Zhao, Binance Organizations: Securities and Exchange, Silvergate, Signature Bank, Washington , D.C Locations: Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Seychelles, Washington ,, U.S, United States

☆ Ports in China's oil hub Shandong scrutinizing old tankers -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qingdao and Lanshan are two of the top five biggest Chinese oil importing ports, according to data from Kpler. Shandong is home to numerous independent refineries known as teapots that account for up to one-fifth of China's processing capacity. Port authorities could detain ships for days to rectify any issues, prompting shippers to divert cargoes to other Chinese ports, the sources said. Almost all tankers hauling crude to Qingdao for independent refiners are more than 10 years old, said Vortexa analyst Emma Li. In April, tankers calling at Shandong ports experienced delays after customs authorities stepped up checks on diluted bitumen cargoes.

Persons: Seapalm, Emma Li, Eikon, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan Organizations: Kpler, Shandong Maritime Safety Administration, Reuters, Seapalm Shipping, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China's Shandong, Qingdao, Rizhao, Lanshan, Shandong, Tokyo, Cameroon, Seychelles, Jiangsu, Hebei, Liaoning, Beijing

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Ecuador sealed the world's largest "debt-for-nature" swap on record on Tuesday, selling a new "blue bond" that will funnel at least $12 million a year into conservation of the Galapagos Islands, one of the world's most precious ecosystems. Tuesday's $656 million "Galapagos Bond," as it has been dubbed, will run until 2041 and gave investors that bought it a 5.645% "coupon" or interest rate, its bankers said. Ecuador sovereign bonds currently yield from 17% to 26%, but the new bond has an $85 million 'credit guarantee' from the Inter-American Development Bank and $656 million of political risk insurance from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp (DFC), effectively making it less risky. The driver has been the remote Galapagos Islands, some 600 miles (970 km) off Ecuador's mainland coast, that inspired Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Scott Nathan, the chief executive of DFC, said people needed to "stay tuned" for similar deals in other countries and the Galapagos deal had been a long time coming.

☆ One woman described how she almost drowned snorkeling in a full-face mask. Here's why they could be dangerous.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Full-face snorkel masks have been a subject of debate amongst the scientific community. The fit, healthy 59-year-old had snorkeled before, but this was the first time she'd used a full-face mask. While it may sound like a freak accident, Standley's narrow escape may indicate a more serious issue involving full-face snorkel masks. British woman Angela Kearn, 63, died while snorkeling in the Red Sea in Egypt after she used a full-face mask from a Decathlon sporting goods store. But Caroline Topping, the coroner, also wrote: "The use of a full face snorkel mask contributed to the death in two ways."

☆ Ecuador launches debt buyback plan aimed at Galapagos protection
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A pelican is seen on Santa Cruz Island, part of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. REUTERS/Santiago ArcosLONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Ecuador has launched a long-awaited debt buyback plan that will free up money to protect its Galapagos Islands, one of the world's most precious ecosystems and the inspiration for Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. "The Offeror is making the Offer... as part of a broader refinancing operation to channel savings and promote certain conservation and sustainability efforts," the buyback plan said. The operation is private, the country's finance ministry said in a message to journalists, and cannot be discussed. Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Ethereum co-founder says ether not a security, compares it to oil after regulator claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The co-founder of Ethereum, Joseph Lubin, hit out at regulators likening the ether cryptocurrency to a security Wednesday, saying it was more akin to a commodity like oil. In an interview with CNBC's Arjun Kharpal at the Paris Blockchain Week Thursday, Lubin said he was "very confident" ether was not a security. If it were treated as such, ether would need to be registered with regulators and subjected to much stricter requirements around pre-clearance and reporting. "It's unfortunate that that sort of side swipe was made, but I don't think it's all that relevant," James said. Ether is different from bitcoin in that it fuels an ecosystem of applications where users can make trades, loans, or buy nonfungible tokens.

☆ Factbox: Legal hurdles faced by LGBT+ people in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Africa accounts for nearly half of the countries worldwide where homosexuality is outlawed, according to the review, which was last updated in December 2020. - Life imprisonment is the maximum penalty for same-sex relations in Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, while jail terms of up to 14 years are possible in Gambia, Kenya and Malawi. - Broad protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation exists in three countries: Angola, Mauritius and South Africa. - South Africa is the only African country where gay marriage is legal and where the constitution protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, South Africa has high rates of rape and homophobic crime.

In 2020, while working as a staff nurse at a hospital in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Aspen Tucker came across a job posting for a travel nurse. In 2020, Aspen Tucker left his staff nursing job to become a travel nurse, a move that came with a significant bump in pay. "I'm able to have a high salary as a travel nurse, but also come back to where the cost of living is low," he says. That month he split an Airbnb with his girlfriend (also a travel nurse who occasionally takes jobs at the same hospitals) in addition to paying his mortgage and utilities back home. When he's traveling work, Tucker pays friends and family to take care of his dog, Skye.

In papers filed with a state court in Manhattan, James is seeking a permanent injunction to stop KuCoin from operating in New York until it complies with the law. KuCoin trails Binance, Coinbase and Kraken in trading volume among cryptocurrency spot exchanges, according to the data company CoinMarketCap. Last month, James sued the CoinEx cryptocurrency platform for failing to register with the state. In January, 10 states including New York secured up to $24 million from the cryptocurrency company Nexo Inc, which they also accused of operating illegally. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Diane Craft and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian oligarchs' superyachts have avoided the US west coast and the Mediterranean since Russia invaded Ukraine, heat maps show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian oligarchs' superyachts were detected in different regions after the Ukraine war began. Heat maps show oligarchs' yachts have avoided America's west coast and the Mediterranean. The MediterraneanSpire MaritimeSpire's data found that the Mediterranean was a hotspot for Russian oligarchs' superyachts before Russia invaded Ukraine. Turkey still offers a safe haven for Russian oligarchs' assets because it's yet to sanction Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. Arabian SeaSpire MaritimeSpire's data also honed in on the movements of Russian oligarchs' yachts around the Arabian Sea.

☆ Crypto giant Binance moved $400 million from U.S. partner to firm managed by CEO Zhao
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Binance.US account was registered under the name of BAM Trading, the U.S. exchange's operating company, according to the records. Prime Trust made $650 million in wire transfer deposits into the Binance.US account during the quarter, the bank records show. A Binance.US spokesperson, Kimberly Soward, did not address Reuters' questions about the transfers detailed in the bank records. The Binance global exchange, Binance CEO Zhao and Prime Trust did not respond to detailed questions about the transfers. The Binance.US account records reviewed by Reuters detail each transaction between January and the end of March 2021.

Prime Trust made $650 million in wire transfer deposits into the Binance.US account during the quarter, the bank records show. The Binance global exchange, Binance CEO Zhao and Prime Trust did not respond to detailed questions about the transfers. Among the dealers on Binance.US was Merit Peak, according to company messages, the trading firm managed by CEO Zhao. From January to March 2021, the account records show that Merit Peak received 89 transfers from the Binance.US SEN account totalling $404 million. These transfers often immediately followed a deposit into the Binance.US account by Prime Trust, the crypto custodian firm for Binance.US client funds.

Earn 6x Hilton Honors Points on business purchases at U.S. gas stations, shipping providers, and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers. Earn 6x Hilton Honors Points on select travel purchases at U.S. restaurants, flights, and car rentals. Earn 6x Hilton Honors Points on select travel purchases at U.S. restaurants, flights, and car rentals. Details Rewards Earn 12x Hilton Honors Points at Hilton per dollar for purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card.

☆ These heat maps show the dramatic change in the movements of oligarchs' superyachts since Russia invaded Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Self-proclaimed bitcoin inventor's $2.5 bln lawsuit can go to trial - London court
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Industry Insight | Upcoming Sec Climate Disclosure Rules Bring Urgency To Esg Data Strategy Planning | Zach Warren | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Self-proclaimed bitcoin creator Craig Wright's lawsuit against bitcoin network developers to try to recover billions of dollars can continue to trial, a London court said on Friday. Wright’s Seychelles-based company Tulip Trading is taking legal action against the developers of three networks, arguing they are obliged to write software patches to help Tulip recover the bitcoin. Tulip’s case was thrown out last year, but the Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that developers arguably do owe duties to owners, which should be determined at a full trial. Judge Colin Birss said Tulip had a realistic argument that cryptocurrency is “entrusted” to network developers, who could therefore have a duty to, for example, “introduce code so that an owner’s bitcoin can be transferred to safety”. He added that the outcome of any trial will affect “all aspects of (decentralised finance), whether it involves value tokens or NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or the wider blockchain system”.

☆ Where are the safest places to travel in 2023? It depends on how you define 'safe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates Doha, Qatar Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singapore, SingaporeParis topped market research company Euromonitor International's "Top 100 City Destinations" for 2022, but the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, shown here, ranked highest in terms of health and safety. Its Travel Risk Map 2023 shows that much of North America and Western Europe — as well as places like Turkey, Israel, Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates — have "low" medical risks. Medical risks by country. This map does not reflect the Covid-19 outbreak currently occurring in China, said Dr. Irene Lai, medical director at International SOS. Safest places: security risksInternational SOS's Travel Risk Map also assesses security risks, which include crime as well as political violence such as terrorism and war, social unrest and susceptibility to natural disasters, according to the company.

Zambia has become a test case for the G20-led 'Common Framework' restructuring vehicle launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, but differences with some of its main creditors about the debt relief required means progress has been slow. Its vast swathes of national parks are home or migration routes for some of Africa's most impressive wildlife including lions and elephants. "We will be considering all debt restructuring options that are in the framework (G20 Common Framework)which falls within the DSA (debt sustainability analysis) parameters... and that are acceptable to all parties," the ministry's response added. KAZA conservation areaCOMMON FRAMEWORKWWF's Zambia country head, Nachilala Nkombo, told Reuters that the most recent talks with the government took place last month. Sri Lanka, another Common Framework restructuring country, has said that it would like to do a debt-for-nature swap and with Zambia still hoping to wrap up its deal this year it would likely set a precedent.

☆ Crypto exchange Huobi to reportedly lay off 20% of staff as industry reels from FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Digital currency exchange Huobi on Friday reportedly said it plans to reduce its global headcount by about 20%, in the latest round of layoffs to hit the beleaguered cryptocurrency industry. A company spokesperson told news agency Reuters that Huobi had a "planned layoff ratio" of about 20%. Bloomberg and the Financial Times also reported on the layoff plans Friday. "With the current state of the bear market, a very lean team will be maintained going forward," the Huobi spokesperson told Reuters. Huobi had about 1,600 employees worldwide as of October, according to a Financial Times report.

Search resuls for: "Seychelles"

25 mentions found