DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Kazakh leader stages snap vote to emerge from predecessor's shadow
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Kazakh army service members cast their votes at a polling station during presidential elections in Almaty, Kazakhstan, November 20, 2022. REUTERS/Pavel MikheyevALMATY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev holds a snap election on Sunday that he is certain to win, solidifying his grip on power less than a year after he sidelined his long-ruling predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nazarbayev, who had held on to important posts after stepping down, gave them up during the uprising in which 238 people died. Tokayev has since forced Nazarbayev allies to relinquish other positions, and changed the name of the capital - renamed "Nur-Sultan" in Nazarbayev's honour - back to Astana. "Among those who are running for president, I only know Tokayev, firstly," said Timerlan Sadykov, a resident of Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty.

DOHA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Taking selfies from the stands and sitting on the grassy pitch, thousands of migrant workers gathered in a Doha stadium to watch the opening match of the first World Cup in the Middle East. It sat adjacent to several worker camps where many of Qatar's hundreds of thousands of low-income labourers live. "We are here to enjoy our sweat now," said Ronald Ssenyondo, a 25-year old Ugandan who was rooting for Qatar on Sunday. The wealthy gas-producing country is home to 2.9 million people, the vast majority of whom are foreign workers ranging from low-income construction workers to high-powered executives. But on Sunday, he was grateful to be with fellow workers watching on a screen - even though Qatar's loss was a disappointment.

☆ New UK PM Sunak visits Kyiv, pledges support
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a press conference after meeting with US President Joe Biden and a phone call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on November 16, 2022 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERSKYIV, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first visit to Kyiv on Saturday, pledging to continue the firm support for Ukraine that was a focus of policy under his predecessors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a video on Saturday of the two meeting in Kyiv. Sunak, a former finance minister, took office last month following the shortlived premiership of Liz Truss. She and her predecessor Boris Johnson had both made public support for Ukraine an important part of their agenda, and Sunak has said he will continue this.

☆ Al Qaeda urges Muslims to shun World Cup, stops short of threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's regional branch urged Muslims around the world to shun the soccer World Cup in Qatar, though it stopped short of threatening attacks or promoting violence in connection with the event, according to a statement reported by a monitoring group. "We warn our Muslim brothers from following this event or attending it," said the statement, reported by the SITE Intelligence group on Saturday, a day before the tournament opens in a predominantly Muslim country for the first time. World Cup organisers, in response to criticism over Qatar's human rights record including LGBT rights as well as social restrictions, have said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the event. Qatar, a small country of some 3 million, mostly foreign workers, has said that it trained more than 50,000 people to provide security during the World Cup, with foreign forces helping out under Qatari command. Reporting by Moaz Abd-Alaziz Writing by Ghaida Ghantous Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Russia had said last week its troops would occupy positions that were easier to defend on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. Russia had artillery still capable of striking Kherson from those new positions, but "we also have something to answer with", she said. [1/10] Local residents gather near their residential building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine November 15, 2022. There were no confirmed reports that Ukrainian troops had crossed the river to pursue the Russians. Russia is a member and Ukraine is not, but Russian President Vladimir Putin stayed home.

☆ Village near Kherson rejoices at Russian rout, recalls life under occupation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Reuters could not independently verify those accounts and Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the allegations. In surrounding towns and villages, residents told of life under occupation following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. LOOTING, DEATH, DISAPPEARANCESVillagers estimated that about 100 Russian troops had held Blahodatne. Villagers said that throughout the occupation, Russians broke into vacant homes and looted them, removing furniture and appliances such as televisions, stoves and refrigerators. At the entrance of Blahodatne, Ukrainian troops inspected a large stockpile of 120 mm mortar shells, some with their fuses screwed into their noses, abandoned by Russians in a dilapidated warehouse.

☆ Zelenskiy says he will not take part in G20 summit if Putin does
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday he would not take part in a summit in Indonesia of the Group of 20 major economies if Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin attends. Zelenskiy told reporters after talks in Kyiv with Greece's president that he had been invited to participate in the Nov. 15-16 summit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. "My personal position and the position of Ukraine was that if the leader of the Russian Federation takes part, then Ukraine will not take part. The Ukrainian president said earlier on Thursday that he had spoken to Widodo by telephone and discussed preparations for the G20 Summit as well as the Black Sea grain deal. Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Dan Peleschuk Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Time to finalise Sweden's and Finland's entry to NATO, Stoltenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland have delivered on the demands Turkey has set for their accession to NATO and time has come to welcome them to the alliance, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. "It's time to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members of NATO," Stoltenberg said at a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul. "In these dangerous times it is even more important to finalise their accession, to prevent any misunderstanding or miscalculation in Moscow." Reporting by Bart Meijer Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Is the era of flexible working over? LinkedIn data shows it might be
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Those who have gotten used to flexible working might soon have a rude awakening. The amount of remote job postings on LinkedIn are falling, according to new data released by the platform. In the U.S. for example, the share of postings with remote roles has declined by 5 percentage points since April, when they peaked at 20% of postings. Despite the drop in remote working jobs in the U.S., these postings are still receiving over half of the total applications as of September, LinkedIn's data shows. The research shows that countries around the world follow a similar pattern — in the U.K., remote jobs make up 14.6% of opportunities, but get 20.2% of total applications and in India, the 11.3% of available remote roles are being sent 20.3% of resumes.

☆ Iran denies it poses a threat to Saudi Arabia, after report Saudis raised concern
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Iran denied on Wednesday it posed a threat to Saudi Arabia, after the Wall Street Journal reported that Riyadh had shared intelligence with the United States warning of an imminent attack from Iran on targets in the kingdom. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani did not identify the Wall Street Journal but said reports had appeared in Western media of an Iranian threat against Saudi Arabia that were "baseless accusations". Reporting by Dubai Newsroom Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kremlin says it will not issue a decree ending Russian mobilisation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Igor RussakLONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Russia does not need a presidential decree to formalise the completion of a partial mobilisation of reservists to fight in Ukraine, and none will be issued, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. Russia had already said it had recruited the 300,000 reservists it needed in just over a month, and that no more were required. But the Kremlin's refusal to issue a formal decree ending recruitment may increase concern among Russians that the mobilisations could still be restarted. "The Presidential Administration's legal department has reached its conclusion ... partial mobilisation has been completed. The part of Putin's mobilisation decree outlining how many would be called up was classified and never made public, adding to fears that the enlistment campaign could resume.

☆ Grain ships sail from Ukraine ports as Russian missiles knock out power across country
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, the ministry did not say what Russia would do if ships continued to sail the route. Meanwhile on the 250th day of a war that has ground on since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russian missiles rained down across the country. International officials had feared that Moscow would reimpose a blockade on Ukrainian grain. MISSILE STRIKES[1/4] Smoke rises on the outskirts of the city during a Russian missile attack, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 31, 2022. After Russia suspended its participation in the grain shipping programme, the United States accused Russia of using food as a weapon.

☆ ‘Armageddon Time’ Review: A Tale of Two Boys
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

“Armageddon Time” is a curiously excitable title for a slice-of-life tale about an ordinary boy growing up in 1980 New York, but then again, 12-year-olds are curiously excitable people. Everything is a discovery; adulthood beckons while childhood limits. The internal push-and-pull provides for ample dramatic possibilities. Writer-director James Gray thoughtfully explores some of them in an autobiographically inspired picture in which he barely alters his name in creating a screen counterpart, Paul Graff (Banks Repeta). In the weeks leading to the 1980 presidential election, Paul, a boy from a smart, striving middle-class Jewish family in Queens, N.Y., is something of a misfit in school, where he has a tendency to act up in mischievous but basically harmless ways.

☆ Israel election polls predict Netanyahu just shy of victory
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Netanyahu arrives at election day in good shape, but the battle has not been decided," wrote Haaretz newspaper's political analyst Yossi Verter. A deadlocked election could mean Israel would go to the polls again within months, with Prime Minister Yair Lapid remaining in office as caretaker. read moreThe campaign has largely centred around Netanyahu with security and diplomacy issues, including conflicts with the Palestinians and Iran, taking a back seat. The polls predicted the anti-Netanyahu bloc winning 56 seats and the Arab-led Hadash-Ta'al list, which has said it will not join a coalition, getting four seats. Reporting by Henriette Chacar; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Poland demolishes four Red Army monuments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Poland tore down four monuments on Thursday to Red Army soldiers who died during World War Two, as historically strained relations between Warsaw and Moscow hit new lows due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia argues that it liberated Poland when its forces drove out German Nazis at the end of the war. Most Poles believe that the Soviet Union replaced Nazi occupation with another form of repression. Monuments in Byczyna and Staszow in southern Poland and Bobolice in the north were also demolished. "This is a lie, a monstrous lie, because so many citizens of the Soviet Union died liberating Poland," he told reporters when asked about Nawrocki's comments.

☆ 'Survival kits' in lifts: Kyiv residents get creative amid power cuts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Oct 27 (Reuters) - When near-daily rolling blackouts began in his Kyiv apartment block, Taras Logginov knew anyone getting stuck in the lifts of the 17-storey building would appreciate some basic supplies to help them through the ordeal. With Russian strikes on Ukraine's power infrastructure now wreaking havoc on the hundreds of high rises in the capital Logginov and other thoughtful residents regularly leave so-called "survival kits" in lifts across the city. A typical pack contains water, energy bars and sweets, a torch and a container for going to the toilet. Logginov also includes extra items such as bubble solution to keep children entertained, or a square of foam to sit on. "I'm not scared of getting stuck because I know there's water and energy bars there," said 27-year-old Vladyslav Derbyshev, entering the apartment block with his dog.

☆ Explainer: What is a dirty bomb and why is Russia talking about one now?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Peter Graff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - In Russia's latest advocacy campaign over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has focused on accusations that Kyiv might be planning to use a so-called "dirty bomb" - a conventional explosive device laced with toxic nuclear material. They say Moscow could be making the allegation to justify an escalation of its own. Following is a look at dirty bombs and how they might be used in Ukraine, either as a real threat or as the basis of propaganda:HOW MUCH DAMAGE CAN THEY DO? Dirty bombs do not create city-flattening atomic explosion but are designed to spread toxic waste. A bomb using radioactive caesium from a misplaced or stolen medical device might require the evacuation of an area of several city blocks, making it unsafe for decades.

The U.S. company is facing a series of antitrust cases and the tightening of existing tech-sector regulations in India. The competition watchdog is separately looking in to Google's business conduct in the smart TV market and its in-app payments system. The Android-related probe, started in 2019, was sparked by a complaint from two junior Indian antitrust research associates and a law school student. Google was ordered by India on Thursday not to restrict smartphone users from uninstalling its pre-installed apps like Google Maps and Gmail. Google's Android operating system powers 97% of India's 600 million smartphones, according to Counterpoint Research.

☆ India competition regulator fines Google $161.95 mln for anti-competitive practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Oct 20 (Reuters) - India's competition regulator said on Thursday it has fined Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google 13.38 billion Indian rupees ($161.95 million) for anti-competitive practices related to Android mobile devices. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) also ordered Google not to offer any incentives to smartphone makers for exclusively carrying its search services. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterGoogle is facing a series of antitrust cases in India and stricter tech-sector regulations. India's competition watchdog is also looking into Google's business conduct in the smart TVs market and its in-app payments system. Google's Android operating system powers 97% of India's 600 million smartphones, according to Counterpoint Research.

☆ Explainer: Why drones pose a different challenge for Ukraine than missiles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Peter Graff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Both are types of aircraft that fly to a target and explode when they get there, but they pose different threats. Missiles, each costing hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, fly fast, are hard to shoot down and carry a huge explosive payload. Germany sent the first of four IRIS-T air defence systems to Ukraine last week. DRONESUnmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can be used for surveillance or as a platform to fire munitions at the ground. Russia has already used hundreds of them against Ukraine in just the past few weeks, and is believed to have acquired as many as 2,000 from Iran.

☆ Venezuela's largest refining complex halted after blackout -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MARACAY, Venezuela, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A small fire at a vacuum tower and a power blackout halted Venezuela's 955,000-barrel-per-day Paraguana Refining Center early on Thursday, according to six sources close to operations. The blackout affected the entire complex, which ties together the Amuay and Cardon oil refineries, essential for supplying fuel for domestic use. "Everything is stopped, there's not even electricity in the offices," said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe fire, which began in a vacuum tower at Amuay, was controlled hours later, one of the sources said. State oil company PDVSA, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, was attempting to restore power in the refineries, which remained halted later in the morning.

BERLIN/PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The French and German governments have postponed a meeting planned for next week until January, officials said on Wednesday, after what sources told Reuters were divisions including over energy policy and defence. French officials have expressed frustration with what they say has been a series of unilateral decisions by Germany, including a 200 billion euro energy package unveiled by Berlin without advanced warning to Paris. A French presidency official echoed Berlin's comments saying the two sides needed "more time" to reach agreements on issues including energy policy and defence cooperation. But others say they feel Germany is throwing its weight around and taking decisions that are sometimes against French interests. But French officials say they worry that the 200 billion euro German plan could distort the European market because other countries do not have the same means to protect their citizens.

☆ Madrid exhibition shines a light on the scars of breast cancer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Oct 19 (Reuters) - An art exhibition in Madrid seeks to shine a spotlight on breast cancer and the physical and psychological scars left by mastectomies. 1/5 A woman stands in front of a replica of Peter Paul Rubens' "Venus and Cupid" showing a mastectomized breast, as part of a project between the Cultura en Vena Foundation and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum on International Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Madrid, Spain, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Susana Vera Read More"With this intervention we're calling attention to the process of the illness," said Juan Alberto Garcia de Cubas, president of the Fundacion Cultura en Vena (Culture in Your Veins Foundation), which organised the exhibition. Gema Salas, a 44-year-old architect who underwent a mastectomy to treat breast cancer, said the exhibition had a profound effect on her. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Charlie Devereux Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morning Bid: Earnings vs Rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. Market tension is building between surprising positivity still coming from the unfolding corporate earnings season and the anxiety in interest rate markets and macro gloom. But earnings may be just a rearview mirror of the economy and the inflation and interest rate backdrop showed little sign of improvement across the western economies. U.S. 10- and 30-year bond yields were now both above 4% this week for the first time in 12 years. Oil prices steadied after Tuesday's slide amid reports U.S. President Joe Biden plans to release more of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Global freight volumes have begun to fall as overall consumer and business spending slows and the composition rotates from merchandise back to services after the pandemic. Chartbook: Global freight and manufacturing activityMANUFACTURING STALLSThe slowdown will gradually unblock supply chains and ease some of the intense upward pressure on merchandise prices that has occurred since mid-2020. The World Trade Organization forecasts merchandise trade will increase by just 1.0% in 2023 after rising 3.5% in 2022 (“Trade growth to slow sharply in 2023”, WTO, Oct. 5). The forecast growth in world merchandise trade volumes next year would be among the slowest rates in the last 40 years. The slowdown in industrial output and freight has already been underway for at least the last 3-6 months in most countries.

Search resuls for: "Graff"

25 mentions found