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☆ Chad says it has nationalized all assets owned by Exxon Mobil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

N'DJAMENA, March 23 (Reuters) - Chad has nationalized all the assets and rights including hydrocarbon permits and exploration and production authorisations that belonged to a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), the Central African nation's energy and hydrocarbons ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Exxon Mobil said in December that it had closed the sale of its operations Chad and Cameroon to London-listed Savannah Energy (SAVES.L) in a $407 million deal, but the Chadian government contested the agreement, saying the final terms were different from what Exxon Mobil had presented. It warned that it may ask courts to block Savannah's purchase of Exxon's assets in the country and take further steps to protect its interests. Exxon's assets included a 40% stake in Chad's Doba oil project, which comprises seven producing oilfields with combined output of 28,000 barrels per day (bpd). Exxon Mobil and Savannah Energy were not immediately available for comment.

☆ Y Combinator-backed headless commerce startup Vue Storefront just raised $20 million with this 14-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Y Combinator-backed Vue Storefront has developed a frontend system for e-commerce sites. Vue Storefront, a Y Combinator-backed startup that aims to improve customers' experiences with e-commerce sites, just raised $20 million in fresh funds. The Polish company, founded in 2020, has built a plug-and-play frontend system for marketplace sites. This is what customers see and interact with, rather than the behind-the-scenes backend system, and is known as "headless commerce". Vue Storefront is rooted in open-source development, having spun out from a design agency.

☆ Spain's PM Sanchez to go on state visit to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, March 23 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit China next week following a formal invitation by President Xi Jinping, as the Asian country seeks to position itself as a mediator in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The weight that Spain and Pedro Sanchez have in the world is unquestionable," Bolaños said, adding that "China has a key role to play in mediating the war". Bolaños said the visit would also be important from a trade and economic perspective, as Sanchez plans to meet with the Asia Pacific Forum and Spanish businesses operating in China. Xi has just concluded a three-day trip to Moscow, where he described China's position on the conflict as "impartial". The latest bilateral talks between the two leaders took place in November 2022 during the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

☆ Lawmakers say TikTok is a national security threat, but evidence remains unclear
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

If there’s a risk, it’s primarily concentrated in the relationship between TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, and Beijing. TikTok has been erecting technical and organizational barriers that it says will keep US user data safe from unauthorized access. “Regarding privacy, we also did not see the TikTok app exhibiting any behaviors similar to malware.”Are there other security concerns? TikTok later confirmed the incident and ByteDance fired several employees who had improperly accessed the TikTok data of two journalists. “And governments around the world are ignoring their duty to protect citizens’ private information, allowing big tech companies to exploit user information for gain.

The Credit Suisse rescue has shaken the European banking sector and fears of wider fallout remain. Under the Credit Suisse rescue deal, 16 billion Swiss francs worth of Credit Suisse Additional Tier 1 debt will be written down to zero on the orders of the Swiss regulator. Overall, bank debt remained under pressure, with the cost of insuring exposure to the debt rising in the credit default swaps (CDS) market. CONTAGION RISKThe wipeout of AT1 bonds in the Credit Suisse rescue has alerted fixed income investors to the risks of investing in these instruments. At Credit Suisse, the bank's AT1 bonds were bid as low as 1 cent on the dollar on Monday as investors braced for the wipeout.

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - European bank bonds slumped on Monday following the state-backed rescue of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) by UBS (UBSG.S) as a wipeout of some bondholders raised concerns around broader bank capital and also hammered bank shares. "The takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS was done fast and should have provided reassurance to the market that we haven’t had another bank collapse. However, what it has done is exposed the issues around AT1 bonds,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. In the bond market, Credit Suisse's Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds were bid as low as 1 cent on the dollar on Monday as investors braced for the wipeout. Shares in Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) fell as much as 64.5% while UBS Group (UBSG.S) shares dropped as much as 16%.

[1/5] Locals in the Chiradzulu district look at the damage on a road after mudslides and rockfalls in the area caused by the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, Malawi, March 15, 2023. Most people heeded the warnings, knowing from bitter experience the damage such storms could inflict: 600 people had died in Cyclone Idai in 2019. The storm was far more deadly in neighbouring Malawi, where at least 447 were killed as Freddy tore through the country's southern tip and inundated the main commercial hub of Blantyre. Mozambique and Malawi are among the poorest 8% of countries in the world, according to United Nations data. In the case of Freddy, this extra energy allowed the storm to pick up strength again and circle back to strike again.

☆ French and US hostages released in West Africa after years of captivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dubois was kidnapped in Mali in 2021, while Woodke was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger in 2016. "After several months of efforts, Nigerien authorities obtained the liberation of the two hostages from the hands of (JNIM), an active terrorist group in West Africa and the Sahel," Niger's interior minister Hamadou Adamou Souley told journalists at the airport, flanked by the two men. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Niger for its help in securing the Dubois's release. "I’m gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity," Sullivan said on Twitter. Those groups have repeatedly declared French citizens in West Africa to be targets since a 2013 military intervention by France drove them back a year earlier.

☆ Tech leaders remain oblivious to the true lessons of Silicon Valley Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Matt Turner | Dave Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On the agenda today:But first: Insider's Madeline Renbarger shares what happened at the SXSW Festival in Texas as tech founders and entrepreneurs learned about the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank. The festival began just as the FDIC announced it was taking control of Silicon Valley Bank to stop the catastrophic, social media-instigated bank run that was in full swing. Silicon Valley's blame gameiStock; Rebecca Zisser/InsiderIn the wake of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, there's been plenty of finger-pointing but little self-reflection on the part of Silicon Valley, writes Insider's Linette Lopez. But in recent weeks, as companies like Meta and Twitter braced for tougher times ahead, the assault on middle managers has picked up new steam. But middle managers move the needle on a company's overall performance far more than senior executives do — and make a bigger difference to the bottom line.

☆ Tottenham squander points in top-four race, Leeds out of bottom three
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Fourth-placed Tottenham have 49 points from 28 games with Newcastle United, who benefitted from a stoppage-time penalty to beat Nottingham Forest on Friday, have 47 points having played two games less. Bournemouth on 24 from 27 along with West Ham United who dropped into the relegation zone courtesy of Leeds United's impressive win at Wolves. Leicester have 25 points with Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leeds all on 26 and Wolves and Crystal Palace on 27. Tottenham substitute Pape Sarr was then adjudged in the 90th minute to have fouled Ainsley Maitland-Niles as he attempted to hack clear a bouncing ball and Ward-Prowse made no mistake to earn his side a point. Leeds will head into the international break above the relegation zone thanks to a superb display at Wolves.

☆ Artificial intelligence will replace work jerks. People skills will become more important.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

She turned into a hologram to see what the future of work might look like. When dealing with a difficult manager, it's important to identify what they hold true or what speaks to their values. That coworker who's brilliant — but a horrible person — better watch out. Employees will find out within the next 30 days whether they need to return to the office, per a leaked email. A leaked email shows Amazon has been working behind the scenes on AI.

[1/7] Security forces clash with supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko ahead of their leader's court appearance for a libel case against him in Dakar, Senegal March 16, 2023. Thursday's clashes began when supporters of presidential hopeful Ousmane Sonko were blocked from accompanying his motorcade to a courthouse where he faces trial for libel. Protests have taken place for three days ahead of Sonko's court appearance. Sonko supporters accuse Sall of seeking to eliminate him from the competition with a guilty verdict. The libel case was brought by Senegal's tourism minister who said Sonko had accused him of embezzlement.

☆ I work in a naked spa. It's exhausting and so much fun – but every now and then we have to stop people from getting intimate.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Andy Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Felix Kühn manages the sauna at a "textile-free" spa in Berlin, Germany. "It's a very physical and exhausting job, but I have so much fun with it," says Kühn. I started at Vabali Spa Berlin in December 2014. I was working in a pizza shop and on the first day of my university geography studies in Berlin, I met a guy who told me they were looking for people to work at the sauna at Vabali Spa Berlin. It's a very physical and exhausting job, but I have so much fun with itI still do sauna infusions.

☆ Offbeat multiverse movie 'Everything Everywhere' dominates the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The movie claimed seven awards overall, including three of the four acting Oscars for stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis, who built a career in horror films such as "Halloween," won best supporting actress for playing a frumpy tax agent named Deirdre Beaubeirdre. "The Whale" star Brendan Fraser, known for 1990s roles such as "The Mummy" and "Encino Man," won best actor for playing a severely obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter. "Naatu Naatu," a song from the Indian movie "RRR" that created a viral dance sensation, was honored as best original song. The 95th Academy Awards ceremony was broadcast live on Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC network.

☆ Georgian ruling party withdraws 'foreign agents' bill after two nights of protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Georgian ruling party pulls foreign agent billMove follows two nights of protests in GeorgiaEU praises withdrawal of foreign agent billProtests to continue, says Droa partyTBILISI, March 9 (Reuters) - Georgia's ruling party said on Thursday it was dropping a bill on "foreign agents" after two nights of violent protests against what opponents said was a Russian-inspired authoritarian shift that imperilled hopes of the country joining the European Union. The Georgian Dream ruling party said in a statement it would "unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations". The bill would have required Georgian organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents" or face fines. Georgian Dream had previously said the law was necessary to unmask critics of the Georgian Orthodox Church, one of the country's most powerful institutions. The European Union's delegation to Georgia praised the decision to withdraw the bill, writing on Twitter: "We welcome announcement by the ruling party to withdraw draft legislation on 'foreign influence'.

"I was quite angry honestly because the court crew wouldn't let us warm up before the match," Ruud said. "I don't know if it was good or not but Netflix was there catching it all. Canada's Auger Aliassime feels the impact of the show most acutely in the U.S., where Netflix has its biggest market. "I thought the episode was really great but there were a couple things that were missed," the American said. "But it's been fun to be part of something Netflix has made together with (the Formula One) "Drive to Survive" and the golf series ("Full Swing").

☆ How best to invest in AI: What leading Wall Street firms and analysts are saying as the rally continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Experts at BofA and UBS recently wrote about their approaches for investing in the theme. Tech analyst Dan Ives doubled his price target on AI pure play C3.AI, which has soared almost 150%. One of the market's splashiest artificial intelligence newcomers is here to stay, says Wedbush tech stock analyst Dan Ives. On Friday Ives boosted his price target on AI software company C3.AI from $13 per share all the way to $24. "The company continues to experience increased demand for its AI solutions that are designed to increase a range of applications across industries fueling tailwinds in the market," Ives wrote.

☆ Defending champions Fritz, Swiatek headline Indian Wells main draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Facing a depleted men's field, Fritz could run into Denmark's Holger Rune in the quarter-final. Seventh-seed Rune also won his first masters title last year when he outlasted 22-times major winner Novak Djokovic in Paris. On the women's side, Swiatek looks as though she could have little trouble collecting a second straight title in the southern California desert after cruising to victory a year ago amid a blockbuster unbeaten streak. She has the chance to exact a little bit of revenge against potential fourth-round foe Barbora Krejcikova, after the 2021 French Open winner ended her 13-match winning streak in Dubai last month. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Georgian police use tear gas on protesters after parliament backs 'foreign agents' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] A protester sits on his haunches in front of police officers, who block the way during a rally against the "foreign agents" law in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli GedenidzeTBILISI, March 7 (Reuters) - Georgian police used tear gas to disperse protesters on Tuesday in central Tbilisi after parliament gave its initial backing to a draft law on "foreign agents" which critics say represents an authoritarian shift in the South Caucasus country. The law, backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, would require any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents", or face substantial fines. Georgian television showed protesters angrily remonstrating with police armed with riot shields who then used tear gas. "The future of our country doesn't belong to, and will not belong to, foreign agents and servants of foreign countries," he said.

☆ Brawl erupts in Georgia parliament over 'Russian-inspired' foreign agent law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People take part in a protest against the controversial "foreign agents" bill outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia March 6, 2023. Critics have compared it to a 2012 Russian law, which has been steadily expanded since then and used to crack down on Russian civil society and independent media. "The Russian legislation that now is proposed in parliament is against Georgia's national interests, against our European aspirations," said Irakli Pavlenishvili, a civil rights activist and opposition politician. However, Givi Mikanadze, a Georgian Dream lawmaker, told national television: "Georgian society absolutely deserves to know which organisations are being financed, from which sources. Last month, more than 60 civil society organisations and media outlets said they would not comply with the new "foreign agent" legislation if it becomes law.

☆ A lawyer said it is 'plainly ridiculous' to name AI as an inventor amid an ongoing legal battle about a patent, comparing it to giving credit to a cat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dr Stephen Thaler's says his AI machine invented a food container and a flashing light. The IPO's lawyer argued if AI can be an inventor, then pets and "cosmic forces" could be as well. Thaler's appeal has now risen to the top of UK legal system, having previously been dismissed by the High Court and Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court heard the case on Thursday, but Insider understands the IPO doesn't expect a decision until sometime afterwards. In Thaler's previous appeals, judges interpreted the Patents Act 1977 to require an inventor to be a "natural person."

☆ Russian mercenary boss publishes video showing fighters inside Ukraine's Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 (Reuters) - The founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary force on Thursday published a video showing his fighters inside Bakhmut, the small Ukrainian city Wagner has been fighting to capture for months. In a post on Telegram, the press service of Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's founder, cited him as saying: "The lads are mucking about, shooting home video. Reuters geolocated the footage to the east of Bakhmut, around 1.2 miles (around 2 kilometres) from the city centre. In the video, uniformed men are shown lifting a Wagner banner atop a semi-ruined multi-storey building. One of the men is shown dancing and holding a guitar, a reference to Wagner's informal nickname of "the musicians".

He's helped design the apps for a host of successful startups, including Gorillas and Arive. He then helped build Zapp, an app for delivery services in the UK, before designing the layout for Gorillas' app. He has since started his own business, Blossom, a design studio for apps, while he's also a designer-in-residence at the Swedish venture-capital firm Creandum, advising startups in the firm's portfolio on app design and recruitment. The company already had a functioning app, but Haas said the company tasked him with "cleaning up" the design. That's why the team also conducted interviews with the brands that sell their items via Arive's app, Haas said.

☆ Djokovic powers past Griekspoor into Dubai quarter-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] ATP 500 - Dubai Tennis Championships - The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - March 1, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his round of 16 match against Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor REUTERS/Amr AlfikyMarch 1 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic stormed into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday with a 6-2 6-3 thrashing of Tallon Griekspoor, swiftly returning to his best form at a tournament he has won five times. A day after being taken to three sets by Czech qualifier Tomas Machac, Djokovic was back to his ruthless best and blasted past a shell-shocked Griekspoor to take the first set with two breaks of serve. Griekspoor managed to win a game and world number one Djokovic dropped serve with a double fault before sealing victory in style. Yesterday, I really had to work hard to get a win," Djokovic said. I have no words to describe it," Rublev, who has saved match points en route to victory three times this season, said.

☆ Colombia's Viva Air grounds fleet after Avianca merger hold-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Viva Air said it has temporarily suspended operations as the indebted low-cost carrier awaited a ruling by Colombia's civil aviation authority on its proposed merger with Avianca (AVT_p.CN). Viva Air said late on Monday it had halted ticket sales and grounded its entire fleet after the regulator allowed five other airlines including Aerolineas Argentinas and JetSMART to take part in the merger process. Low-cost carrier JetSMART and regional giant LATAM Airlines have both expressed an interest in buying Viva Air. LATAM, Avianca and local airline Satena will offer alternatives to stranded passengers on some routes at no additional cost, the civil aviation authority said. Colombia's superintendency of transportation will open an investigation against Viva Air, which could result in possible sanctions, it said.

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