DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Russian rouble weakens ahead of Putin address to parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At 0732 GMT the rouble was 0.7% weaker against the dollar at 75.05 , edging closer to an almost 10-month low of 75.30 hit on Friday. The Russian currency had lost 0.5% to 80.04 versus the euro and was down 0.2% against the yuan at 10.89. The rouble is usually in greater demand before month-end taxes are due on Feb. 28, when exporters typically convert their foreign currency revenue. Nevertheless, oil prices remain high and the rouble should be supported by exporters in the final third of February, Kochetkov added. Banks, have also proved resilient, with lenders now jostling for business from the state and the country's big corporate players.

The SWIFT global payments system block and the freezing of more than $300 billion worth of central bank reserves abroad took Russia by surprise. The top executive at the top-20 Russian bank said Moscow was unprepared in particular for liquid assets being blocked and euro and dollar swaps becoming unavailable. "No one expected that the central bank would come under sanctions, and that it would be unable to help with foreign currency liquidity at that difficult moment," they said. 'BEST FRIEND'For banks, central bank support was crucial to weathering the initial hit to their business. The central bank's forecast is more restrained, at around 1 trillion roubles.

☆ NHL Roundup: Canes rout Caps in Stadium Series
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Josh Brown and Travis Boyd each had a goal and an assist, and Christian Fischer also scored. Arizona has earned points in eight straight games (4-0-4) for the first time in 11 years. Corey Perry and Vladislav Namestnikov each had a goal and an assist, and Steven Stamkos and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare also scored goals for Tampa Bay. Columbus' Mathieu Olivier collected a goal and two assists, Eric Robinson had one of each and Liam Foudy scored his first career NHL regular-season goal. Joonas Korpisalo turned aside 28 shots for the Blue Jackets, while forward Johnny Gaudreau sat out because of a lower-body injury, ending his streak of playing in 349 straight games.

☆ NHL roundup: Auston Matthews' return boosts Leafs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] Feb 15, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) battles for the puck with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Caleb Jones (82) in front of Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 16 - Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in his return after missing five games with a sprained knee, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs earn a 5-2 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs went 2-3-0 while Matthews was out. Conor Timmins added a goal, and the Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov made 27 saves. Lazar and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left due to lower-body injuries, and goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots in his NHL debut.

☆ Iranian chess player in exile has no regrets about removing hijab
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Elena Rodriguez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Iranian chess player Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, 25, better known as Sara Khadem gestures during an interview with Reuters in southern Spain February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Jon NazcaSOUTHERN SPAIN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - An Iranian chess player, who moved to Spain after she competed without a hijab and had an arrest warrant issued against her back home, has no regrets over her bold gesture in support of the protest movement against her country's clerical leadership. But 25-year-old Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, better known as Sara Khadem, also told Reuters that the warrant, which made her return to Iran impossible, was "the most horrible thing" that happened to her. Ranked 774th in the world and 9th in Iran, Khadem plans to keep playing under the Iranian flag, but has received proposals from other countries. "I know that many of the athletes are not responsible for what is happening in their countries," she added.

☆ 32-year-old's lucrative side hustle: Earning up to $14,000 a month renting his sports cars to strangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Andrei Echeverria brings in up to $14,000 per month letting strangers drive his six cars on rental platform Turo. Echeverria, 32, brings in up to $14,000 per month renting his six vehicles out to strangers in Boston on the rental platform Turo, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Echeverria lives mere miles from Boston Logan International Airport, and capitalizes by undercutting the prices of nearby car rental companies. With three cars on Turo, Echeverria says he brought in about $3,500 per month. Even with the additional cars, Echeverria found himself overbooked.

☆ Moscow's decades-old gas ties with Europe lie in ruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Vladimir Soldatkin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Washington has long criticised Germany's policy of reliance on Russian energy, which until last year, Berlin had said was a means to improve relations. In October, he mooted an idea of a gas hub in Turkey to divert the Russian gas flows from the Baltic Sea and North-West Europe. The 20-year supply deal is worth about $30 billion in current gas prices. In Europe, gas prices hit record levels and international oil prices shortly after the special military operation began spiked close to their all-time high. Domestic gas prices are regulated by the government and there have been discussions about liberalising the gas market, a sensitive issue for Russian households.

[1/5] A cross at the top of a church is seen on the day Portugal's commission investigating allegations of historical child sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic church will unveil its report, in Lisbon, Portugal, February 13, 2023. Strecht said the 4,815 cases were the "absolute minimum" number of victims of sexual abuse by clergy members in Portugal since 1950. The Portuguese Catholic Church was rocked last year by cases of alleged cover-up of sexual abuse including by bishops who remain active in church roles. The Portuguese commission started its work in January 2022 after a report in France revealed around 3,000 priests and religious officials sexually abused over 200,000 children. The commission, which says it is independent, was financed by the Catholic Church.

☆ NHL roundup: Lightning win Cup Final rematch vs. Avs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In the first meeting between the clubs since last June's Stanley Cup Final, Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots to extend his franchise-record shutout total to 29. Hagel had two goals and an assist to lead the Lightning offensive output as they broke a two-game skid (0-1-1). Boeser, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nils Aman added goals for the Canucks. Nicolas Roy, Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Cotter also scored for the Golden Knights while Jonathan Marchessault added two assists. Red Wings 2, Flames 1Filip Zadina scored his first goal of the season after missing over three months as host Detroit edged Calgary.

☆ Spain offers freed Nicaraguans citizenship after move to make them stateless
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueMADRID/MANAGUA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The Spanish government offered citizenship to more than 200 Nicaraguan political prisoners who were freed and flown to the United States on Thursday, Spain's top diplomat said on Friday. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares made the announcement to Servimedia news agency, following the surprise release of 222 Nicaraguan prisoners later expelled to the United States. After their release, lawmakers loyal to authoritarian President Daniel Ortega voted to strip them of their Nicaraguan citizenship, which could thwart plans to return home someday. He added that Spain stood ready to receive others, noting that Madrid's decision had been made "after news reports that proceedings had begun to declare them stateless." Spanish authorities will reach out to the prisoners, who were allowed into the United States under a temporary humanitarian visa, so they can formally apply for citizenship.

Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Russia is looking at introducing a one-off, voluntary windfall tax on big business, an official said on Wednesday, as the country's monthly revenues from oil and gas drop to their lowest levels since 2020. Three sources familiar with the discussions later told Reuters that authorities were considering a one-off budget contribution from businesses of about 200-250 billion roubles ($2.8-$3.5 billion). The price of Russian oil has fallen around 20% since early December, when Western countries set a $60 price cap on Russian oil exports. "A voluntary contribution from business... is being discussed, a one-off contribution," First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov said, in comments published by Russian news agencies. It is a windfall tax, a concept in tax practice known as a one-time tax collection," Belousov said, adding that the measure would be voluntary in nature.

The West blocked several major Russian banks' access to the international SWIFT payments system soon after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, with dominant lenders Sberbank (SBER.MM) and VTB (VTBR.MM) - Russia's No. 2 bank - forced to shutter operations across much of Europe. Kostin, in an interview with state television channel Rossiya 24, said the bank had managed to grow its retail and corporate loan portfolios, but that sanctions accounted for all the lender's losses. VTB was forced to buy FX on the open market when the rouble had weakened sharply to more than 100 against the dollar, Kostin said. VTB was profitable in January and hopes to post profits in 2023 with a similar number of zeroes as the 320-billion-rouble figure achieved in 2021, Kostin said.

☆ NHL roundup: Devils blow lead, top Canucks in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Bratt, stationed in the right faceoff circle, took a no-look pass from Jack Hughes and fired a shot well beyond the glove of Canucks goalie Collin Delia. Hughes and Ondrej Palat had two goals apiece for the Devils, who scored three goals in a 50-second span midway through the second period. The Ducks scored their goals 1:26 apart in the third period to tie the score. Silfverberg tipped in a point shot from Kevin Shattenkirk to cut the lead to 2-1 at 11:04. Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots for the win as Arizona improved to 3-1-1 in its past five games.

☆ Spanish court rules Amazon 'Flex' couriers were falsely self-employed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Feb 3 (Reuters) - A Spanish court has ruled that Amazon (AMZN.O) must compensate self-employed couriers who used their own vehicles for deliveries, a move welcomed by a labour union that has criticised worker conditions in the "gig economy". Amazon scrapped the Flex programme in Spain last year, after a 2020 Supreme Court ruling forced companies to hire freelance couriers as staff and the government introduced a pioneering law to the same effect in 2021. "Amazon is a company that is not only a logistics and transport operator, but also a courier and messenger service provider," the judge said. According to the court, Amazon made all decisions related to the service - including schedules, geographic distribution and remuneration - and used an app to direct and coordinate the couriers, who "lacked their own and autonomous business organisation". "We're happy with the result and especially happy that this Amazon Flex model no longer exists," Ranz added.

[1/3] Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group poses for a picture during an interview in Oslo, Norway February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Janis LaizansOSLO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Norwegian police said on Friday they intend to continue to interrogate former Wagner mercenary group commander Andrei Medvedev, who fled from Russia to Norway last month after fighting in the war in Ukraine. "Medvedev gives the impression that he wants to continue to say more" about his time with Wagner, police said. Wagner forces have been locked in a bloody battle of attrition against Ukrainian forces in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Wagner has said Medvedev had worked in a "Norwegian unit" of Wagner and had "mistreated prisoners".

[1/3] Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group poses for a picture during an interview in Oslo, Norway February 1, 2023. Andrei Medvedev, who fled by crossing the Russian-Norwegian border on Jan. 13, says he witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners taken to Ukraine to fight for Wagner. Medvedev said he wanted to speak out about his experiences in the war so "the perpetrators are punished" for their crimes in Ukraine. A special report published by Reuters last week found a graveyard in southern Russia buried with men who were convicts who had been recruited by Wagner to fight in Ukraine. Kripos, Norway's national criminal police service, which has responsibility for investigating war crimes, has begun questioning Medvedev about his experiences in Ukraine.

☆ Russia advances in eastern Ukraine, strike on apartments kills civilians
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Fierce fighting was unabated in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops are trying to gain ground near the strategic logistics hub of Lyman, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said on Wednesday evening. The Russian forces were trying to make gains that they could show on the anniversary of their Feb 24, 2022 invasion, Zelenskiy said. At least 44 people were killed in January when a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the city of Dnipro. In April 2022, Ukraine said 57 people died when a Russian missile hit the train station in Kramatorsk. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russian forces of war crimes and targeting civilians, charges Russia rejects.

☆ Ex-Wagner mercenary who fled the war in Ukraine says commanders rounded up those who didn't want to fight and shot them in front of new recruits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An ex-Wagner mercenary said the group's leaders shot soldiers who did not want to fight in Ukraine. "They brought two prisoners who refused to go fight and they shot them in front of everyone," he told CNN. "They would round up those who did not want to fight and shoot them in front of newcomers," Andrei Medvedev told CNN's Anderson Cooper while discussing the "ruthless" tactics. Medvedev told CNN he evaded arrest "at least ten times" during his defection journey and that he had to dodge bullets from Russian forces. The Wagner Group, a notorious Russian paramilitary organization with close links to the Kremlin, has appeared to be the main fighting force in Russia's war in Ukraine.

☆ Delivery Hero's Glovo to lay off 250 employees worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BARCELONA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Spain's Glovo, part of Germany's Delivery Hero (DHER.DE), said on Monday it planned to lay off 250 workers globally, citing a drop in orders and inefficiencies after the COVID-19 pandemic drove a hiring surge. The layoffs, which will mainly affect Glovo's Barcelona offices, represent a 6.5% reduction in the company's global workforce. "The layoff decision largely impacts the company’s headquarters in Barcelona in areas such as business support functions, recruitment and data," Chief Executive Oscar Pierre said in a statement. Pierre said Glovo's rapid growth since its launch in 2015 had created operational inefficiencies and that a slump in demand in the fourth quarter showed external factors were affecting the delivery industry's performance. Reporting by Joan Faus Writing by David Latona Editing by Andrei Khalip and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Panthers rally late, nip Bruins in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Barkov also assisted on Brandon Montour's goal, and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers. Anders Lee also scored for New York, which won its second straight game and prevailed for just the third time in 13 games (3-7-3). Carrier scored the only goal for Vegas, which lost its fourth straight game (0-2-2) and fell for the seventh time in eight games (1-5-2). Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Phillip Danault scored goals for the Kings, whose three-game winning streak ended. Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin sat out for the second straight game with an upper-body injury.

☆ NHL roundup: Hot at home, Lightning stop Bruins' road run
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Blackhawks 5, Flames 1Boris Katchouk, Jason Dickinson and Sam Lafferty scored in the second period as visiting Chicago collected four unanswered goals and beat Calgary. Jaxson Stauber made 34 saves, 18 in the third period, in his second NHL start. Travis Boyd and Barrett Hayton also scored for the Coyotes, who won for just the third time in 15 games. St. Louis' Robert Thomas was knocked out of the game midway through the second period when he absorbed a slap shot in his midsection. Noah Cates and Tony DeAngelo each scored one goal for the Flyers, who dropped their third game in a row (0-1-2).

REUTERS/David MdzinarishviliSummary US, Germany promise to send dozens of tanks to UkraineKremlin: this shows West's 'direct involvement' in conflictWar bloggers say Leopard tanks pose challenge for RussiaJan 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it saw the promised delivery of Western tanks to Ukraine as evidence of direct and growing U.S. and European involvement in the conflict. "We categorically disagree with this, and in Moscow, everything that the alliance and the capitals I mentioned are doing is seen as direct involvement in the conflict. Until now, both Ukraine and Russia have been relying primarily on Soviet-era T-72 tanks. CONFRONTATIONRussia, which launched the war by invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, has increasingly portrayed it as a confrontation with NATO. Another war blogger, Yuri Kotenok, said Western tanks were no "wonder weapon" but would require a change of Russian tactics.

☆ Ex-Wagner commander witnessed comrades shot for fleeing, says his Norwegian lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ilze Filks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OSLO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway has spoken about how he witnessed some of his comrades being shot as they were trying to flee from the frontline in Ukraine, his Norwegian lawyer told Reuters. His lawyer Brynjulf Risnes told Reuters that Medvedev had seen some "incredibly horrible" situations while he was fighting with Wagner last autumn. He had witnessed "the shooting of his comrades while he was watching because they tried to flee," Risnes said in an interview, citing Medvedev. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed, millions uprooted and cities reduced to rubble since Russian forces invaded Ukraine 11 months ago. Other groups like the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Clooney Foundation were also interested in talking to Medvedev, his lawyer said.

☆ NHL roundup: Pens' Kris Letang plays hero in return vs. Panthers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Letang, who was activated from long-term injured reserve earlier in the day, finished with two goals and two assists. Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk a goal and an assist apiece and Colin White one goal. Fiala also had an assist, while Anze Kopitar scored two goals and Samuel Fagemo contributed one goal for the Kings. Avalanche 3, Capitals 2Artturi Lehkonen, Alex Newhook and Andrew Cogliano scored goals, Alexandar Georgiev had 37 saves and Colorado beat Washington in Denver. Logan O'Connor had two assists for Colorado, which has won six straight despite Cale Makar missing his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

☆ Spanish police arrest man suspected in 2022 parcel-bomb case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Vincent West | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Spanish police officers guard outside a building after the arrest of a man suspected of being the sender of letter-bombs in November and December to the Ukrainian and U.S. embassies and several institutions in Spain, in Miranda de Ebro, Spain January 25, 2023. The man was detained in the northern town of Miranda de Ebro, and police searched his home. The suspect is a retired Spanish citizen with the initials P.G.P. The man used to work for the town hall of the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz before retiring in 2013, a city spokesperson said. Spanish officials have declined to comment on the report, while a senior judicial source denied having knowledge of such a line of investigation.

Search resuls for: "andrei"

25 mentions found