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☆ Google Cloud to support Kuwait's digitisation drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Google Cloud (GOOGL.O) has formed a strategic alliance with the Kuwaiti government to support digitisation efforts across the country's public sector, the company said on Friday. Most Gulf states are investing significantly in digital technologies across the government sector to improve efficiency and make public services easier to access online, and as a way to diversify oil-dependent economies. Google Cloud did not provide a value for the agreement with the Kuwaiti government, but said it would encompass digitising government services, migrating and storing national data securely on the cloud and setting up a national digital skills programme. The company aims to invest in a cloud region in Kuwait, its third announced in the Middle East after Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and said it plans to open an office on the ground without specifying a timeframe. There is increasing competition for developing cloud services in the region among international players, with Chinese firms such as Huawei also vying for lucrative government contracts as part of Gulf national economic transformation plans.

☆ JPMorgan, Citi and BNP invest in risk management provider Acin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Andres Gonzalez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A view of the exterior of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. corporate headquarters in New York City May 20, 2015. REUTERS/Mike SegarLONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A group of five banks including JPMorgan , Citi (C.N) and BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) are among the investors who backed an overall $24 million fundraising for risk control specialist Acin as part of their strategy to step up their risk expertise. "We have been working with Acin for the past three years, during which they have supported our established operational risk management and assessment practices," said Julian Liau, Chief Controls Manager at JPMorgan. Both Notion Capital and Fitch Ventures backed Acin in the last fundraising. Acin helps financial institutions digitise their operational and non-financial risk analysis, using its data analytic capabilities.

☆ 5 key takeaways from Xi’s trip to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are five key takeaways from Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Press Agency//ReutersDuring Xi’s visit, Saudi Arabia and China released a nearly 4,000-word joint statement outlining their alignment on a swathe of political issues, and promising deeper cooperation on scores of others. China is the world’s biggest buyer of oil, with Saudi Arabia being its top supplier. China is also keen to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on security and defense, an important field once reserved for the kingdom’s American ally. Saudi Arabia was, however, keen to reject notions of polarization, deeming it unhelpful.

☆ The world needs more economic alliances than security ones, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Countries should strike up more economic alliances than security and defense ones, as those could make the world "more dangerous," the president of the Center for China and Globalization said on Tuesday. The U.S. for example, could consider joining — or "re-joining" — the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Henry Wang said at the SALT iConnections conference in Singapore. "The U.S. is the vibe of globalization and [has] always taken the lead on globalization," Wang said. Wang added that there should be more economic alliances and fewer security ones such as the AUKUS, Five Eyes and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an informal strategic alliance. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is a multilateral trade deal signed in 2018 that was formed after the United States, under the Trump administration, withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

☆ 'Bulldog' lawyer Thomas Lauria Lauria predicted a crypto 'liquidation boom' well before Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX filed for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Jack Newsham | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Thomas Lauria runs the bankruptcy team at White & Case where clients have included Hertz and Johnson & Johnson. But Lauria told Insider that the ability of crypto companies to reorganize will depend on whether they have any real assets. Notably, when Lauria represented Hertz in its Chapter 11 case during the coronavirus pandemic, even its unsecured creditors were repaid in full. So I'm not sure that what's happening in crypto right now is really going to be a reorganization boom, but really probably more of a liquidation boom. About $10 billion of Hertz debt, when they filed, was related to financing in connection with their US fleet.

☆ Honda and Sony are launching an EV that could connect to the metaverse — and Americans will be the first to get behind the wheel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Honda and Sony will launch their first EV in the US in 2025, under a joint partnership. The EV could have level-3 automation and its entertainment system could connect to the metaverse. Sony Honda Mobility Inc (SHM) — a strategic partnership between the automaker Honda and electronics giant Sony — announced Thursday that it will launch its first EV in the US. On Tuesday, Honda announced plans to invest $4.4 billion in an EV battery production plant in Anna, Ohio, in another joint venture with LG Energy Solution. The Honda Prologue, built in partnership with GM, is set to launch in 2024.

☆ Is Meta a stock to buy or dodge? Two tech investors face off
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

These are tumultuous times for Meta , with investors fleeing the stock and the metaverse having its fair share of struggles and other economic headwinds. The stock in late September plunged to trade at its lowest since January 2019 — and has since dropped even more. Users are jumping ship and advertisers are reducing their spending, leaving Meta poised to report its second straight drop in quarterly revenue. Meta also lost $2.81 billion on $452 million in revenue from its virtual reality division during the quarter ending in June — as it spent heavily to develop virtual reality and augmented reality products. Two tech investors faced off on CNBC's " Street Signs Asia " on Wednesday to make a case for and against buying the stock.

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For Masayoshi Son the biggest question is not where to list Arm, but when. Son is leaning towards listing Arm in the United States, home of big tech companies like Apple (AAPL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O). One option would be for Arm to list in London while offering American Depositary Receipts to U.S. investors. Take a selection of U.S. and European chip companies which play different roles across the supply chain: Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices , Intel (INTC.O), Rambus (RMBS.O) and ASML (ASML.AS). Son said there were also requests to list Arm in London without elaborating on where they came from.

NEW YORK/TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is cutting around 150 staff globally at its Vision Fund unit and SoftBank Group International, a person familiar with the matter said, as CEO Masayoshi Son retrenches following huge loss on his tech bets. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe cuts will affect staff in the investment teams and back-office staff in departments such as finance and legal, a second source said. The cuts also encompass SoftBank Group International, which was led by Marcelo Claure before he exited the firm and which manages other group investments. Vision Fund has radically scaled back investing activity, with Son saying SoftBank's second Vision Fund would primarily manage its existing portfolio. SoftBank has sold down its stake in key asset Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) and outlined plans to list Arm.

☆ 'India has a big role to play': New Delhi is trying to turn the country into a chip powerhouse
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Foundries are facilities that manufacture chips that other companies design. So there aren't many giant Indian chip firms and certainly no leading-edge manufacturing companies. "I have no doubt that India has a big role to play," Kotasthane said. Semiconductor design requires large numbers of skilled engineers and this is where India's strength lies," he added. So now, the next step is the effort to build an ecosystem where there is some Indian IP (intellectual property) by Indian companies," Kotasthane said.

☆ Samsung, SoftBank Chiefs Set to Discuss Potential Partnership Involving Chip Designer Arm
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Jiyoung Sohn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL— Samsung de facto chief Lee Jae-yong and SoftBank Group Chief Executive Masayoshi Son are set to meet in Seoul next month to discuss a potential partnership involving chip designer Arm Ltd., in what could become a powerhouse union between two of the world’s semiconductor giants. Son said Thursday that he would visit South Korea to meet with Samsung Electronics Co. about a strategic alliance with Arm, which is owned by SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate. That confirmed similar remarks of a visit by Mr. Son from the prior day by Mr. Lee, whose signoff is required for any major move made by the South Korean conglomerate.

☆ SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son seeking 'strategic alliance' between chipmaker Arm and Samsung
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank, has been weighing up various options for chipmaker Arm after Nvidia walked away from buying the company. There were no further details provided by SoftBank on what a strategic alliance would entail, but it could mark a big shift in strategy for Son and his vision for Arm. I'd like to talk with Samsung about a strategic alliance with Arm," Son said in a statement. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said he is seeking a "strategic alliance" between chipmaker Arm, which is owned by the Japanese giant, and South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung . Since then, SoftBank tried to sell arm to chipmaker Nvidia but the deal fell through in February.

☆ SoftBank to discuss Arm 'strategic alliance' with Samsung
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Andrew KellyRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTOKYO, Sept 22 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) founder and CEO Masayoshi Son will discuss a "strategic alliance" between chip designer Arm and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) during the billionaire's first visit to South Korea in three years. I'd like to talk with Samsung about a strategic alliance with Arm," Son said in a statement. The visit comes amid speculation by analysts and media over the potential formation of an industry consortium to buy Arm. SoftBank has outlined plans to list the chip designer in the United States as it looks to raise cash after booking a huge loss at its Vision Fund investment arm. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As Russia raises nuclear specter in Ukraine, China looks the other way
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It was “the most prudent, or most low-key statement in years” issued by Xi on their strategic relationship, Shi said. Under Xi, China has forged ever closer ties with Russia. Six days later, in a desperate escalation of the devastating war, Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of Russian citizens in a televised speech, and even raised the specter of using nuclear weapons. Both leaders share a deep suspicion and hostility toward the United States, which they believe is bent on holding China and Russia down. The main factor driving the strategic alignment between Russia and China is the perception of threats from the United States, said Hart with CSIS.

☆ Programme Specialist/Effective Governance Cluster Lead-UNDP Moldova CO
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-22 | by ( Alte Articole | ) www.civic.md time to read: +16 min

Duties and Responsibilities Summary of Key Functions: Develops programme strategies in the thematic area of Effective Governance and its sub-areas. Ensures effective management and implementation of Effective Governance country programme portfolio and management of the Effective Governance Cluster team. CO business processes mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management, control of the workflows in the Effective Governance Cluster. Ensures effective management and implementation of Effective Governance country programme portfolio and management of the Effective Governance Cluster team, focusing on the following results: Design and formulation of country programme within thematic areas of responsibility, translating UNDP corporate priorities into local interventions. Constant monitoring and analysis of the country programme environment, timely re-adjustment of programme.

Organizations: Senior Management, UNDP, UN, Sustainable, Office, Government, UNPFSD, Management, Organization, Atlas, Financial, UNDP Country Office, Global, Administration, Economics, Law, Political Sciences, Social Sciences Locations: South, UNPFSD, Moldova, Republic of Moldova

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