DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ It's 'really the Google web': Microsoft CEO testifies about how hard it is to break into search
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Drew Angerer | Getty ImagesWhen it comes to online search, it's Google's web and everyone else is playing in it, according to rival Microsoft. "Everybody talks about the open web, but there is really the Google web," Nadella said from the stand in Washington, D.C., District Court. Perhaps the most famous of those deals is the multibillion-dollar agreement between Google and Apple to make Google search the default on Apple products like the iPhone. He said the integration issues with Google's Search Ads 360 "keeps coming up in escalations" to him. Microsoft has begun integrating ChatGPT into its Bing search results through its partnership with OpenAI and is a leading player in the space, alongside Google.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Nadella, Drew Angerer, Satya Nadella's, Microsoft's Bing, Bing, Bernstein, they've, it's, Connolly's John Schmidtlein, Schmidtlein, there's, Google's, roundtables, he's Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Washington , D.C, Department of Justice, Apple, Apple Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft Windows, Washington Post, Verizon, Bing, AGs, OpenAI, YouTube, CNBC Locations: Washington ,, Washington, Silicon Valley

In 2021, the year before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, defence spending totalled 3.57 trillion roubles, 14.4% of total spending. In 2022, the share of defence spending rose to 17.7%, data on Russia's electronic budget page showed earlier this year. That may mean that defence spending will also be significantly higher than first envisaged. Moscow doubled its target for defence spending in 2023 to 9.7 trillion roubles, Reuters reported exclusively in August, citing a government document. EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE FREEZEAs defence spending in 2024 triples from pre-invasion levels, the share of spending on "national security", which covers funding for law enforcement agencies, is also rising, set to reach 9.2% in 2024, the documents showed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Donets, Dmitry Peskov, Darya, Alexander Marrow, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Defence, Reuters, CIS, Renaissance, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Russian

RIYADH, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is expected to tap the international debt markets to finance a projected budget deficit in 2023-2024, the finance ministry said, against a backdrop of lower oil prices and the country's extended oil production cuts. Both deficits are estimated at 161 billion riyals ($43 billion). Saudi Arabia is working to prepare an annual borrowing plan in accordance with a medium-term debt strategy and "access global debt markets to enhance the kingdom's position in international markets", the finance ministry said. This has pushed total revenue estimates for 2023 up to 1,180 billion riyals from an earlier projection of 1,130 billion riyals, the finance ministry said. Meanwhile, total expenditure is seen rising to 1,262 billion riyals in 2023, from an earlier estimate of 1,114 billion riyals, before slowing down marginally to 1,251 billion riyals in 2024.

Persons: Aziz El Yaakoubi, Jane Merriman Organizations: Saudi Aramco, Al, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi, Al Rajhi

Law enforcement investigations and criminal prosecutions will continue “without interruption,” the plan says, and prisons will remain staffed. Special counsels are instead funded by “the permanent, indefinite appropriation for independent counsels,” according to their expenditure reports. Civil litigation in lower federal courts will be “curtailed or postponed,” according to the Justice Department contingency plan. A shutdown also could affect state and local efforts to address violent crime, Monaco said. During a hearing on Capitol Hill last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that a shutdown would “certainly disrupt” programs like “our grant programs to state and local law enforcement.”

Persons: Hunter, – Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Robert Hur, Joe Biden’s, David Weiss, Hunter Biden, ”, Lisa Monaco, Monaco, General Merrick Garland Organizations: Department, CNN, Justice Department, Administrative, Capitol Locations: Delaware

☆ 10-year Treasury yield falls after notching 15-year high in previous session
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond also dipped about 3 basis points to 4.7%. At the shorter end of the curve, yields were slightly lower. One basis point equals 0.01%. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note slipped by more than 3 basis points to trade at 4.563%, extending losses after hitting 4.688% on Thursday — its highest level since Oct. 15, 2007 when it yielded as much as 4.719%. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was trading lower on Friday, moving away from a fresh 15-year high notched in the previous session.

Persons: Neel Kashkari, CNBC's, —, Sarah Min, Lisa Kailai Han Organizations: Federal, Minneapolis, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S, Chicago

☆ US stocks end mixed to close out worst month of 2023 as investors brace for a government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US stocks traded mixed on Friday as a government shutdown looked increasingly likely. The session also closed out a dismal September, with the S&P 500 losing 5% to mark its worst month of 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS stocks traded mixed on Friday as investors initially cheered better-than-expected inflation news but grew jittery as a government shutdown appeared more likely. The S&P 500 slid around 5% to mark its worst month of 2023, while the Dow lost about 4%, and the Nasdaq sank 6%. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has historically declined in September 55% of the time, posting an average loss of around 3.8%.

Persons: —, Adam Turnquist Organizations: Service, Dow, Nasdaq, Dow Jones

☆ To fix Britain, Labour will need new debt rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Having fiscal rules – and sticking to them – is crucial for governments. The Bank of England expects anaemic GDP growth of 0.5% next year and 0.25% in 2025, and long-term growth of just 1%. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe Labour leadership is concerned that rewriting debt rules would unsettle bond investors still scarred by Truss’s fiscal follies. What Britain’s next government shouldn’t do is obsess about restrictive fiscal rules at the expense of investments that could get the country out of its current hole. The reports said that Sunak was looking at scrapping the portion of the project linking the northern cities of Manchester and Birmingham because costs have been soaring from the original 55.7 billion pounds to an estimated 106 billion pounds.

Persons: Grant Shapps, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Keir Starmer, Worth ”, Ian Ball, Willem Buiter, John Crompton, Dag Detter, Jacob Soll, Crompton, Breakingviews, PSNW, –, Rachel Reeves, Labour’s, “, Reeves, Britain’s, Sunak, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Sunday, Sky News, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Sunak’s, Worth, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Britain’s, Thomson Locations: Britain, New Zealand, Zealand, Manchester, Birmingham

☆ 10-year Treasury yield touches fresh 15-year high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Earlier in the morning, it climbed higher to hit a fresh 15-year high of 4.643%. The yield on the 2-year Treasury was up by less than 1 basis point at 5.148%. The U.S. 10-year Treasury touched a new high on Thursday, as investors looked to key economic reports and concerns persisted over the outlook for monetary policy, particularly high interest rates. A series of key data is due out before the end of the week. Investors are looking to the data for hints about the state of the economy and the path for interest rates ahead.

Persons: Neel Kashkari, CNBC's Organizations: Treasury, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S, Minneapolis

☆ How surging trade with China is boosting Russia’s war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Mikhail Tereshchenko | Afp | Getty ImagesThe defense ministries of China and Russia did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on the trade flows. Trade of 'dual-use' goods spikesTotal bilateral trade between Russia and China hit a record high of $190 billion in 2022, up 30% from 2021. Semiconductor sales to Russia from China and Hong Kong more than doubled in 2022 as Western sanctions took hold. Meantime, construction equipment has played an "underappreciated" but significant role in China's contribution to Russia's war efforts, having helped bolster its defenses against Ukraine's counteroffensive, Joseph Webster, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said. The findings add to the growing list of Chinese goods and companies reported to be supplying Russia's military, including state-owned enterprises.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Mark Cancian, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Wang Yi, China's, Putin, Li Shangfu, —, Qilai Shen, Antonia Hmaidi, Cancian, they've, Hong Kong Retekess, Legittelecom, It's, Silva, Hmaidi, Joseph Webster, Webster, that's, Ramzan Kadyrov, Russia's Organizations: CNBC, for Strategic, International Studies, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bank of Finland's Institute, Emerging, Semiconductor, CNBC CNBC, Federal, Service, SZ DJI Technology, Robotics, Iflight, SZ, Technology, Bloomberg, Rostov, R Technology, Beijing KRnatural International Trade Co, Mercator Institute for China Studies Defense, Industry, Hong, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Moscow, ImportGenius, Ukraine's, Atlantic Council, Atlantic, U.S, China Taly Aviation Technologies, China Poly Technologies, EU, Beijing, National Security Council Locations: Ukraine, China, Washington, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Beijing, U.S, Kyiv, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, DJI, Liaoning, Shanghai, Berlin, Buryatia, Hubei, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia's, Amur, Chechen Republic, Qianwan, Qingdao Port, Shandong Province, deniability

☆ Copper is critical to energy transition. The world is falling way behind on producing enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

watch nowIn the meantime, copper customers, in anticipation of shortages, are either delaying clean energy projects or reducing their need for copper, an economic principle known as demand destruction. Among other actions, it would dismantle most of the clean energy projects initiated by the Biden Administration. At that point, the consensus was that there would be a major copper supply response. That's presented the industry with a whole new era of copper demand, Adkerson said. China's economy has slowed, while those in the U.S. and Europe are striving to transition to clean energy.

Persons: Wood Mackenzie, Nick Pickens, we've, we're, Tesla, eyeing, Rishi Sunak, Richard Adkerson, he's, Adkerson, That's, Clayton Walker, Matt Murphy, Murphy, Walker Organizations: Polska Miedz SA, Bloomberg, Getty, EV, P, International Energy Agency, Heritage Foundation, Republican, Biden Administration, Phoenix, Resources, Freeport, Afp, Rio, Barclays, Rio Tinto, Caterpillar Locations: Glogow, Poland, Wood, EVs, McMoRan, Freeport, China, U.S, Europe, Papua, Freeport's Indonesia, Rio Tinto, Mongolia, Salt Lake City , Utah, Indonesia, Rio

☆ BOJ may hold off on ending negative rates until April - ex-board member
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

With inflation exceeding 2% for more than a year, markets are rife with speculation the BOJ will raise short-term interest rates from the current -0.1% as early as the end of this year. Ending negative interest rates likely won't hurt the economy much as inflation-adjusted real borrowing costs will remain low, said Sakurai, a former BOJ board member who retains close ties with incumbent policymakers. "Ending negative rates will be largely a symbolic move, but the BOJ probably wants to time it very carefully," Sakurai said. Even if the central bank were to end negative rates, it will likely describe the move as a modest adjustment to the degree of monetary stimulus, he said. In July, it raised a hard cap for the 10-year yield to 1.0% from 0.5% to allow long-term interest rates to rise more freely reflecting higher inflation.

Persons: Issei Kato, BOJ Sakurai, Sakurai, Sakurai TOKYO, Makoto Sakurai, Leika, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 25, 2023. The union representing roughly 11,500 film and television writers and the group that represents the studios and streaming companies announced the preliminary agreement on Sunday. The three-year deal, whose details were not disclosed, needs to be approved by the leadership of the Writers Guild of America and union members to officially end the strike. But even after the approval, it will take longer for productions to resume as Hollywood actors are still on strike. Its shares have dropped nearly 14% since the writers' strike started on May 2, while Paramount, Disney and Netflix have lost between 20% and 45%.

Persons: Mike Blake, Walt Disney, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, WBD, David Zaslav, Craig Huber, Yuvraj Malik, Zaheer Kachwala, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Disney Studios, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, Netflix, SAG, Hargreaves, Paramount, Disney, Media, Huber Research Partners, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Spotify tests voice translation feature for podcasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Spotify logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - Spotify Technology (SPOT.N) is testing an AI-powered feature that will translate podcasts from the likes of Dax Shepard and Lex Fridman to other languages, the audio-streaming company said on Monday. The translated versions, powered by Microsoft-backed OpenAI's newly released voice generation technology, would mimic the original speaker's style and will be more natural than traditional dubbing, Spotify said. The company had also worked with other podcasters including Monica Padman, Bill Simmons and Steven Bartlett for the feature. The voice translations would be available in languages including Spanish, French and German for a select number of catalog episodes and future episode releases, said Spotify, which could expand the audience of the shows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Dax Shepard, Lex Fridman, Monica Padman, Bill Simmons, Steven Bartlett, Jaspreet Singh, Shinjini Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Spotify Technology, Microsoft, Spotify, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Swedish, Bengaluru

[1/2] A general view of Polish shoe retailer CCC shop is pictured, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Warsaw, Poland, September 8, 2020. "Let me tell you, there was a time when I couldn't even afford to buy salmon, for example. Buczek has benefited from the fact that PiS has raised her pension as part of hefty welfare spending moves which, opinion surveys show, are easing Poles' concerns over high inflation. The Polish minimum wage, already the highest in central Europe, will rise by nearly a fifth next year. With many houseowners on variable loan rates, Warsaw recently extended a scheme for mortgage repayment holidays into next year.

Persons: Kacper, Jadwiga Buczek, Buczek, PiS, Steffen Dyck, Adam Glapinski, Fitch, Federico Barriga Salazar, Andrzej Kuzniak, Moody's Dyck, Kacper Pempel, Jan Strupczewski, Gergely, Mark John, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Justice, European Union, European Commission, National Bank of, Sovereign Risk, Moody's, International Monetary Fund, Civic Coalition, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, WARSAW, Poland's, Europe, NBP, Brussels

The 2-year Treasury yield was lower by more than 1 basis point at 5.108%. U.S. Treasury yields were higher Monday as investors considered what could be next for interest rates and awaited fresh economic data due this week. Investors considered what lies ahead for the economy and interest rates after the Federal Reserve released its expectations for a wide range of economic indicators and monetary policy last week. The central bank is expecting to hike rates once more this year, and to implement just two rate cuts in 2024, fewer than previously expected. Various Fed speakers are also due to give remarks and could provide fresh hints about the monetary policy outlook.

Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Investors, Federal Reserve, .

☆ US debt interest payments are unsustainable and flash 'huge warning signs' as they take over federal spending, budget expert warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The trajectory of US debt interest payments is not sustainable, Maya MacGuineas told Insider. Interest will eclipse defense spending in four years, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president said. By that measure, US debt interest payments will become the single biggest federal expenditure by 2051, when it eclipses Social Security. AdvertisementAdvertisement"So clearly not sustainable," Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementAt today's level, interest payments already outpace federal spending on youth education, and in four years, it will top defense spending.

Persons: MacGuineas, Janet Yellen, it's Organizations: Federal, Social, Service, CNBC, Congressional, Federal Budget, Treasury Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Despite all the gloom, we're buyers going into next week. These 3 things are on our radar
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It was another downer of a week on Wall Street with all three major averages posting steep losses despite a bounce back on Friday. The S & P 500 and the technology-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.3% and 2.9% this week, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.5%. Federal Reserve: The central bank signaled this week that it was planning to keep rates higher for longer to beat down inflation. ET: Personal consumption expenditure Before the bell: Carnival (CCL) (See here for a full list of the stocks Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: downer, Jim Cramer, carmakers, hasn't, Jim, " Cramer, Stanley Black, Decker, Jim Cramer's, Ferguson, SYNNEX, HB Fuller, Jabil, Cramer's, Emily Elconin Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial, Federal Reserve, Republican, Democratic, UAW, Big, United Auto Workers union, General Motors, Club, Ford, Fed, Stanley, Jim Cramer's Charitable, Costco, Citi, Meta, Industries, Cintas, Natural Foods, Micron Tech, Concentrix Corp, Worthington, Gross, Accenture, BlackBerry, Vail Resorts, MTN, CNBC, United Auto Workers, Stellantis NV, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: SWK, Stellantis NV Toledo, Toldeo , Ohio

☆ Stock market weakness could continue in week ahead as looming government shutdown adds to fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Headwinds are piling up for the market heading into the final week of the month, as September lives up to its reputation as a horrible month for Wall Street. Wolfe Research's Rob Ginsberg pointed out in a note this week that the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) doesn't suggest much fear in markets. "We have a potential shutdown in Washington, as well as the UAW strike, which could potentially create some volatility in jobs data in particular." But investors heading into the final trading week of September will likely see a continuation of those losses, if history is any indication. "We could see the market experience additional weakness over the next several weeks," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

Persons: Wolfe, Rob Ginsberg, VIX, Amy Wu Silverman, Aditya Bhave, Shannon Saccocia, Saccocia, there's, RBC's Wu Silverman, what's, Goldman Sachs, Scott Rubner, Sam Stovall, Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox Organizations: Wall, Dow Jones, Reserve, Bank of America U.S, UAW, CFRA, Costco Wholesale, Nike, Chicago, Dallas Fed, New, Richmond Fed, Costco, Micron, . Kansas City Fed Manufacturing, BEA, Auto, PCE Deflator, Chicago PMI Locations: Washington, Detroit, . Kansas, Chicago, Michigan

Meanwhile, failed uprisings in Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia were followed by years-long crackdowns and a continuing civil war in Syria. “What we’re beginning to see in Saudi Arabia right now is the emergence of a new social contract. Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest exporter of crude oil, and nearly two-thirds of its income still comes from selling fossil fuels. If Saudi Arabia can become a hub for major sporting events, then that’s a way of attracting interest to the country,” said Maguire. In response to previous criticism about Saudi Arabia’s purported “sportswashing,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said: “People that don’t know Saudi Arabia, have never been to Saudi Arabia, go out and talk about it as if they’ve lived there for 30 years, 40 years.

Persons: Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, Germain, Neymar Jr, Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Patricia de Melo Moreira, it’s, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman –, Leon Neal, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Al Hilal, spender, –, Carlo Nohra, Jordan Henderson, Henderson, “, ’ ” Simon Chadwick, “ We’ve, ” Chadwick, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Al Nassr, Stringer, you’re, Kieran Maguire, they’re, Everybody’s, ” Maguire, Chadwick, Ronaldo, Maguire, … Mohammed bin Salman, ” James Dorsey, ”, Chadwick –, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al, Faisal, don’t, they’ve, LIV Golf, Jimmy Dunne, LIV, Dunne, Aleksander Ceferin, Erling, Haaland, Jurgen Klopp, Michael Emenalo, Steven Gerrard, Nohra, ” “ They’ve Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Al, Paris Saint, PSG, Saudi Pro League, Ligue, Liga, Serie, Bundesliga, English Premier League, Deloitte, Investment Fund, AFP, Getty, SPL, Saudi Crown, Spanish, Arsenal, CNN Sport, English, Newcastle United, Liverpool, The Athletic, SKEMA Business School, Argentina, Zamalek, King Fahd Sports City, Anadolu Agency, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Football, AFC Asian, FIFA, Greece, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Spanish Super, ”, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Middle East Soccer, Saudi Ministry, Sport, PGA Tour, European, UEFA, Premier League, Ettifaq Media, Reuters New Saudi Pro League, Major League Soccer, La Liga, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Investigations, PGA Locations: Saudi Arabian, Brazil, Saudi, Ittihad, Al, Ahli, Real Madrid, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Liverpool, China, Qatar, Taif, Egypt, Spanish, East, North Africa, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, “, ”, Europe, ” Liverpool

☆ We left Florida because our homeowners insurance ballooned to $12,000. We walked away from everything we knew so our kids could have a future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They fled to Wisconsin after their homeowners insurance premium doubled, seeing no end in sight. Natalia: In 2016 my husband and I purchased the home I grew up in in Plantation, Florida, from my parents. After the roof, we got a quote from the statewide insurance, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt was just kind of like you're walking, you're walking, you're walking with your head down, and then when you finally look up, you realize you're lost. John: We haven't paid insurance yet, but all our neighbors tell us that insurance is about $1,200 a year.

Persons: Natalia, John, It's, we're, FPL Organizations: Service, Property Insurance Corporation, Florida Power, Wisconsin Dells, . Wisconsin, Olive Photography Locations: Florida, Wisconsin, Wall, Silicon, Plantation , Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Dell Prairie , Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Miami, That's, Dell, Plantation, South Florida, ., . Wisconsin Dells , Wisconsin, Disney

☆ Opinion: It’s not just about its colonial past. Here’s what India’s possible name change is all about
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Opinion Akanksha Singh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The idea, we Indians were told each time, was to allow the nation to make a clean break once and for all with its colonial past. The question on the minds of many people who follow events in India, is why any name change would be needed. It’s an opportunity to double down on India’s Hindu identity, even in the name by which it is called. The debate is a live one, however: Some disagree, saying that no amendment to the constitution would be needed to change India’s name. Do the country’s Indian Institutes of Technology become BITs?

Persons: Akanksha Singh, Singh, Droupadi Murmu, Bharat, Narendra Modi’s, Bharat ”, Modi, It’s, Akbar, Deen Dayal, Modi’s, Rahul Gandhi, Reserve Bank of India –, I’ve, ” Encouragingly Organizations: BBC, Independent, South China Morning Post, CNN, Mumbai CNN, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Bharat, Reserve Bank of India, Institutes of Technology, India, United Nations Locations: Mumbai, South China, India, Calcutta, Kolkata, Bombay, Madras, Chennai, Allahabad, Manipur

☆ Indonesia parliament committee approves higher 2024 budget of $216 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Joko Widodo's budget for 2024, his final year in office, targets expenditure at 3,325.1 trillion rupiah ($216.27 billion), up 6.45% from 2023's outlook to account for higher energy subsidies amid rising global oil prices. The fiscal budget proposal was approved by the budget committee chaired by Said Abdullah. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati highlighted the risk of rising global crude oil prices to the budget next year. The committee approved a revision to the total energy subsidies by about 2% higher to 189.1 trillion rupiah versus 185.9 trillion rupiah in the initial proposal. For 2024, the budget assumes a lower inflation at 2.8% versus 3.1% in 2023'outlook and a slightly higher economic growth at 5.2% compared to 5.1% in the 2023's outlook.

Persons: Joko, Said Abdullah, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Sri Mulyani, Josua Pardede, Josua, Stefanno Sulaiman, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty Organizations: El, Finance, Bank Permata, El Nino, Thomson Locations: El Nino, JAKARTA, Indonesia's

☆ U.S. stocks close lower as investors take cover ahead of Fed decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

All three indexes ended the session lower in a broad sell-off ahead of the Fed's interest rate announcement on Wednesday, which is expected to culminate in a decision to leave key interest rates unchanged. The Fed is also due to release its Summary Economic Projections, including its dot plot, which should provide a glimpse into the Federal Open Markets Committee's forecast trajectory of interest rates, inflation and economic growth. On the economic front, a jump in Canada's annual inflation rate due to rising gasoline prices, and a bigger-than-expected plunge in U.S. housing starts helped feed investor uncertainty. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 29, 2023. Starbucks (SBUX.O) lost ground following TD Cowen's decision to downgrade the coffee chain's shares to "underperform."

Persons: Bill Northey, Helena Montana, Northey, Michael Green, Brendan McDermid, Walt Disney, Stephen Culp, Ankika Biswas, Shristi, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Disney, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S . Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Federal, Management, Fed, Maplebear Inc, chipmaker, Holdings, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Arm Holdings, Dow Jones, Starbucks, General Motors, Ford Motor, United Auto Workers, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Helena, Philadelphia, New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Disney to nearly double parks spending to $60 billion over 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sept 19 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) said on Tuesday it would nearly double its capital expenditure for its parks business to about $60 billion over the next 10 years. Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh D'Amaro, the company's parks chief, announced the accelerated pace of investment at a gathering of Wall Street analysts and investors at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, focused on the company's parks business. Parks have become a reliable profit engine for Disney and has helped cushion losses in the Disney+ streaming business, which is expected to become profitable only next year. The announcement of the planned investment followed a slowdown at Walt Disney World in Orlando, as attendance surges at its parks around the world, particularly Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney also plans to nearly double the capacity of its cruise line, adding two ships in fiscal 2025 and another in 2026.

Persons: Walt Disney, Bob Iger, Josh D'Amaro, Parks, Iger, Disney, Ron DeSantis, Mario Anzuoni, Paul Verna, Thomas Hayes, Samrhitha, Dawn Chmielewski, Shailesh Kuber, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Disney, Wall Street, Walt Disney World, Disney California, Hollywood Studios, Republican, REUTERS, Insider Intelligence, Walt Disney, Shanghai Disney Resort, Great, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, California, Orlando, Florida, Anaheim , California, U.S, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Great Hill, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles

☆ Lonza’s CEO churn adds to company’s ailments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Lonza’s (LONN.S) new broom will face even more challenges than its old one. Since he was appointed CEO in 2020, the Swiss group has increased capital expenditure as a percentage of revenue from 20% to 30% last year. Even before Monday’s fall, the stock was trading at 32 times its forward earnings, around the same level as before its pandemic surge. The disruption of another CEO exit, without a clear explanation, means that the hoped-for growth will take even longer to arrive. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Pierre, Alain Ruffieux, Albert Baehny, Aimee Donnellan, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Swiss, X, Thomson Locations: Lonza, Visp, Switzerland, Swiss

Search resuls for: "Expenditure"

25 mentions found