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☆ Norfolk takes $387 mln charge due to Ohio derailment, warns on volumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp (NSC.N) took a $387 million charge in the first quarter due to the Ohio freight train derailment and said it expects economic headwinds to weigh on its volume and revenue during the April-June period. Shares of Norfolk, which operates in 22 states and the District of Columbia, slipped 1.1% in afternoon trade on Wednesday. The U.S. Justice Department sued Norfolk last month, seeking to ensure that the railroad operator pays the full cost of cleanup and any long-term impacts of the derailment. Norfolk posted an adjusted profit of $3.32 per share for the first quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of $3.12 per share, according to Refinitiv data. Reporting by Amna Karimi and Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Norfolk Southern expects economic, inventory headwinds to pressure Q2 volume, revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp (NSC.N) said on Wednesday it expected inventory and economic headwinds would pressure its volume and revenue throughout the second quarter, even as demand for freight remained strong. Norfolk came under heavy fire after one of its freight trains carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio in early February. "Looking at the back half of '23, clearly, the economic conditions remain uncertain," Elkins said. However, automotive shipments have boosted freight demand as car makers are ramping up production. Overall quarterly operating revenue rose 7.4% to $3.13 billion, compared with analysts' estimates of $3.11 billion.

☆ Norfolk Southern takes $387 mln charge in Q1 after Eastern Ohio derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp (NSC.N) said on Wednesday it took a $387 million charge in the first quarter after a freight train derailment in Eastern Ohio released over a million gallons of hazardous materials into the environment. Norfolk came under heavy fire after one of its freight trains carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio in early February. The state of Ohio sued the railroad operator in March, seeking compensation for damages to the state's environment, economy and residents. Norfolk, which serves 22 states and the District of Columbia, posted an adjusted quarterly profit of $3.32 per share, compared with analysts' average estimate of $3.12 per share, according to Refinitiv data. Reporting by Amna Karimi and Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

April 20 (Reuters) - Union Pacific Corp's (UNP.N) chief executive officer said on Thursday the railroad operator was considering slowing down the pace of hiring in the second half of the year amid a cloudy economic outlook, becoming the latest U.S. company to evaluate its staffing plans. CEO Lance Fritz told Reuters in an interview the outlook was turning a "little cloudier" for consumer-facing companies, which is making railroad volume difficult to predict. A possible slowdown in hiring comes at a time when railroads are struggling to move cargo on time, which has invited severe criticisms from regulators and customers. Shares of Union Pacific, which connects West Coast ports to key terminals such as Chicago, lost its gains in the day to trade flat in the afternoon session. Operating revenue for the quarter ended March 31 rose 3% to $6.06 billion, in line with analysts' estimates.

☆ US Army awards Lockheed up to $4.5 bln missiles contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 3 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) said on Monday the U.S. Army has awarded a multi-year production contract for Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) and HELLFIRE missiles, in a deal that could go up to $4.5 billion including follow-on awards. The contract, which will have a total value of $439 million in its first year, is among the first multi-year awards for precision munitions, as the Pentagon looks to build stocks in the hopes of deterring China. Lockheed added the contract also offers three additional follow-on awards which will start in late 2023, allowing for a total contract value of up to $4.5 billion over the next four years. The JAGM program anticipates a "significant increase" in international demand for the weapon system, Lockheed said. Reporting by Amna Karimi in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A wave of suspected mass poisonings of schoolgirls in Iran remains shrouded in mystery
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Up to 900 Iranian school girls have been victims of suspected mass poisoning in recent months. Iran's president blamed the unexplained bouts of respiratory distress on the Islamic state's "enemies." Dozens more girls have been admitted to hospital with respiratory distress in the last few days, according to The Guardian. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed the unexplained suspected school poisonings, which have happened in multiple locations, on the Islamic state's "enemies" but did not clarify who that was. The health minister has previously said that the culprits could be religious groups opposed to girls receiving an education, according to Reuters.

☆ Iran president blames foreign enemies for wave of schoolgirl poisonings
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 3 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday blamed a wave of poisonings of hundreds of schoolgirls around the country on Tehran's enemies. Raisi, speaking to a crowd in southern Iran on Friday in a speech carried live on state television, blamed the poisoning on Iran's enemies. He did not say who those enemies were although Iranian leaders habitually accuse the United States and Israel, among others, of acting against it. He is the first government official to report an arrest in connection with the wave of poisonings. "Guards at a parking lot where the fuel tanker was parked also suffered from poisoning," Saleh said, referring to the Pardis site.

☆ EU regulator recommends against approval for Merck's COVID pill for adults
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Merck & Co Inc FollowFeb 24 (Reuters) - The European Union's drug regulator said on Friday its Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has advised against market authorisation of the COVID-19 pill from Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) for treatment in adults. Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said they will appeal the decision and request a re-examination of the committee's opinion. "The CHMP's recommendation does not reflect the compelling data" from one of the company's late-stage trial and real-world studies, Dean Li, head of Merck's research division, said. In December, a large study had shown that the drug sped up recovery but did not reduce hospitalisation or death rate in higher-risk vaccinated adults. The regulator's recommendation against Merck's COVID-19 pill comes days after the company said Lagevrio was not effective at cutting the risk of coronavirus infections in people living with someone infected with the virus.

☆ UK says norovirus cases sharply rise in England
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Norovirus cases in England are 66% higher than the average at this time of year, official data showed on Thursday, with the biggest rise in confirmed infections seen in those aged 65 years and over. Outbreaks caused by the vomiting and diarrhoea-causing norovirus have surged in hospitals, schools and care homes, with majority of cases in care home settings, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. The UKHSA added that while elevated levels were expected in those aged 65 years and over, the number has not been seen in over a decade. "The number of people in hospitals with norovirus has risen significantly in line with what we are seeing in the community and in care homes," NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said. Reporting by Amna Karimi in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Afghan women prosecutors once seen as symbols of democracy find asylum in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Afghan prosecutor S.M., who left her 4 years old daughter with her grandmother in Afghanistan while escaping to Peshawar, looks down in Islamabad, Pakistan, September 22, 2022. "Most Afghan women and girls that remain in Afghanistan don't have the right to study, to have a social life or even go to a beauty salon," Sharar said. due to fears over her safety and who specialised in gender violence and violence against children said, "I was the only female prosecutor in the province... The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was not in a position to comment on specific cases. "The Government of Pakistan has not agreed to recognise newly arriving Afghans as refugees," UNHCR said in a statement.

☆ Iran, Russia link banking systems amid Western sanction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Iran and Russia have connected their interbank communication and transfer systems to help boost trade and financial transactions, a senior Iranian official said on Monday, as both Tehran and Moscow are chafing under Western sanctions. Similar limitations have been slapped on some Russian banks since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year. "Iranian banks no longer need to use SWIFT ... with Russian banks, which can be for the opening of Letters of Credit and transfers or warranties," Deputy Governor of Iran's Central Bank, Mohsen Karimi, told the semi-official Fars news agency. Iran's Central Bank chief Mohammad Farzin welcomed the move. "The financial channel between Iran and the world is being repaired," he tweeted.

☆ How 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova ended up as the only woman on the FBI's most-wanted list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Ruja Ignatova is one of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives -- the only woman currently on that list. FBIShe is now one of the FBI’s 10 most-wanted fugitives, alongside accused gang leaders and murderers, and is the only woman currently on that list. The bureau declined to provide additional details to CNN beyond court documents from the US Department of Justice, which did not list an attorney for Ignatova. “The cryptocurrency OneCoin was established for the sole purpose of defrauding investors,” IRS Special Agent John R. Tafur said in a statement. Less than two weeks later, on October 25, 2017, she boarded a commercial flight from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, court documents said.

☆ Popeyes meme kid: A decade later, Dieunerst Collin is a college football player who just signed an NIL deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —College freshman Dieunerst Collin’s road to internet meme fame started with a confused side-eye at a Popeyes in New Jersey. Collin, holding a Popeyes lemonade cup, gave the man a sideways glance, wondering why he had a camera in his face. Popeyes announced the deal this month after a social media campaign by Collin and his fans. “From memes to dreams, Dieunerst and Popeyes will grace social media feeds once again.”The partnership started with a call on social mediaThe new partnership is the result of yet another social media moment. A few days later, Popeyes announced the partnership on social media.

☆ Taliban criticize Prince Harry's claim he killed 25 fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Henry Austin | Henry Austin Is A London-Based Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes,” he said. Several British news outlets, including the broadcaster Sky News, have reported that Harry has written that he did not “think of those 25 as people." A poster advertising the launch of Prince Harry's memoir in a store window in London on Friday. His elder brother, Prince William, is the next in line to their father, King Charles III. Among the most serious of Harry's accusations is that his brother physically attacked him during an argument over his marriage to Meghan.

☆ Argo Blockchain to sell its mining facility Helios for $65 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Crypto miner Argo Blockchain Plc (ARB.L) said on Wednesday it will sell its mining facility Helios for $65 million and refinanced a new asset-backed loan agreement, in an attempt to avoid filing for bankruptcy. Argo will sell its Helios facility to Canada-listed investment management company Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY.TO). The transactions include refinancing loans with a new $35 million credit with Galaxy, which will help reduce its total indebtedness by $41 million, the company said in a press release. Digital currency miners such as Argo Blockchain use computers to solve cryptographic problems and receive a reward in the form of cryptocurrency. Reporting by Amna Karimi and Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SummarySummary Companies Crystal Amber proposes removal of chairman, CEO and CFOProposes appointment of two new directorsShares up 5%Dec 23 (Reuters) - Hurricane Energy's (HUR.L) largest shareholder Crystal Amber Fund (CRSL.L) is calling for the removal of top management at the British company and the appointment of two directors from another firm that the fund says could invest in Hurricane. Activist investor Crystal Amber, which holds 28.9% in the North Sea oil and gas producer, said on Friday it had issued a requisition notice for a shareholder meeting, seeking to remove Hurricane Chairman Philip Wolfe, CEO Antony Maris, and finance chief Richard Chaffe. If the two are appointed, Crystal Amber said it would be supportive of bringing on Albion as an investor in Hurricane to raise funds for the company to spend on drilling programmes. Hurricane said it was reviewing the requisition notice from Crystal Amber and that all participants in its sale process had been requested to submit their bids by Jan. 7. "The Fund has concluded that in the continuing absence of a firm offer that reflects the value of Hurricane, it would be better served under new management," Crystal Amber said in a statement.

☆ Exclusive: Afghan government officials helped smugglers sneak almost $1 billion in cash and gold out of Afghanistan as the US-backed government neared collapse, documents show
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Edris Lutfi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The office of Ashraf Ghani, the US-backed Afghan president, had been informed about the problem, insiders say. The smuggling flouted Afghan laws requiring travelers to declare cash or gold worth $10,000 or more and a strict ban on exporting $20,000 or more. The documents identify the two men as being part of the 2021 smuggling ring; they do not allege who was behind the $824 million smuggled in 2019 and 2020. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani meets with President Joe Biden in June 2021. The UAE is also the home of Ghani and Noor, the former provincial governor with alleged ties to the Hairatan smuggling ring.

☆ EU regulator backs gene therapy to treat rare bleeding disorder
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies CSL Ltd FollowUniqure NV FollowDec 16 (Reuters) - The European Union's health regulator on Friday said it had recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for a gene therapy by Australian drugmaker CSL Ltd (CSL.AX) and partner uniQure N.V. , to treat haemophilia B, a rare bleeding disorder which is caused by genetic anomalies. About one in 40,000 people are affected by the inherited disorder, caused by a gene mutation that hampers the body's ability to make clotting protein factor IX. If approved, the treatment, branded Hemgenix, will be the first gene therapy in the European Union for the condition that is usually treated by regular injections of factor IX, the European Medicines Agency said. CSL had acquired exclusive global rights to Hemgenix in May last year from uniQure N.V. Reporting by Amna Karimi in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mike Ashley's Frasers buys JD Sports' premium fashion brands for $58 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - British retailer Frasers Group (FRAS.L) said on Friday it has bought shares in premium fashion brands of JD Sports (JD.L) for about 47.5 million pounds ($57.7 million), as the Mike Ashley-owned company continues its drive into a more premium market. Frasers, formerly called Sports Direct, also acquired and transferred shares of more than 10 of the premium fashion brands, including Pretty Green, Cricket and Topgrade Sportswear, which the sports retailer held. JD Sports, in a separate statement, said it has divested 15 of its UK-based businesses to Frasers. JD Sports said these divestments will allow the company to focus on the international and digital expansion of the core premium sports fashion platforms. Frasers, which is on an acquisition spree, recently boosted its maximum exposure to German fashion house Hugo Boss (BOSSn.DE) and snapped up a more than 5% stake in struggling British online fashion retailer ASOS (ASOS.L).

But other potential Chinese investors were less sure. Most investors had decided to head home ahead of Chinese New Year, said Yu. GUNFIRE, PANICNews of the hotel attack spread fast to the investors running China Town - a cluster of 10-storey blocks about 20 minutes drive away, overlooked by snow-topped mountains. After security forces secured the hotel, Yu got through to some of the guests by phone. In all, about 35 Chinese investors were in the hotel, he said - about a third of the number he estimated were in Afghanistan at the time.

☆ This former tech worker is helping change laws for people who get laid off
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Ifeoma Ozoma’s path as an advocate for tech workers started with a series of tweets one morning in June 2020. She emerged as a passionate advocate for tech workers by seeking legal protections for whistleblowers. “So many people reached out when I told my story, and most of them were tech workers or workers within the tech industry,” she said. The 30-year-old mentors activists and other people fighting all over the world against workplace discrimination. After leaving Pinterest, Ozoma moved to a farm near Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she grows her own vegetables and raises a flock of chickens nicknamed the Golden Girls.

☆ Ifeoma Ozoma is a passionate advocate for tech whistleblowers. It all started with tweets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

On Tuesday, those criticizing the team made their voices heard: This was the Islamic Republic's loss, not Iran's. Meanwhile, there were thousands of tweets in Persian, or in English from prominent Iranians, saying how happy they were their own team had fallen at the first hurdle of the competition. Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images"For 43 years the regime brainwashed Iranians to hate America," Masih Alinejad, a New York-based Iranian journalist and activist, tweeted . "But see how people across Iran are celebrating the victory of the U.S. soccer team against the Islamic Republic." Reuters TVWhere the Iranian soccer team fits into all this has been a subject of debate among Iranians and those watching from abroad.

☆ Ali Karimi: Iranian soccer great alleges death threats made against him by the Iran government after supporting protesters
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Iranian soccer great Ali Karimi has alleged that death threats have been made against him, while his family and close friends have been intimidated and harassed by the Iranian government following his support of ongoing protests in the country. Kai-Uwe Knoth/APDuring the frequent government induced internet blackouts in Iran, Karimi informed protesters on his social media accounts on how they could bypass internet restrictions using VPN and other workarounds. Increased threatsUntil nearly four months ago Karimi and his family resided in Iran but then left for Dubai. Karimi notes that the threats made against him, his family and friends are incomparable to the dangers that protesters in Iran are facing. “Reading those comments and posts gave me the courage to become active [on social media] again.”The Iranian government has not responded to the claims made in Karimi’s interview.

☆ U.N. condemns Iran's crackdown on protests, establishes probe into alleged abuses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The U.N. Human Rights Council voted Thursday to condemn the bloody crackdown on peaceful protests in Iran and create an independent fact-finding mission to investigate alleged abuses, particularly those committed against women and children. Thursday’s session in Geneva is the latest international effort to put pressure on Iran over its crackdown, which has already drawn international sanctions and other measures. “The only answer we received was more violence, more death.”Protesters wave Iranian pre-Islamic revolution flags in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on Thursday. The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Türk, expressed concerns that Iran’s government has not been listening to the world community. The council will now set up a “fact-finding mission” to investigate rights violations “especially with respect to women and children” linked to the protests that erupted on Sept. 16.

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