DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Two ways Israel-Hamas war could lead to much higher oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas threatens to push oil prices higher by straining relations between major oil-producing countries in the Middle East, according to Wall Street experts. Oil prices rose Monday after the weekend attacks, though they remain below recent highs from two weeks ago. Saudi Arabia One key player on the sidelines of the war is Saudi Arabia. Iran The other major oil producer tied into the conflict is Iran, the chief backer of Hamas. Bank of America's Doug Leggate said in a note to clients that the United States could release oil from its strategic petroleum reserve if prices spike.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Daan Struyven, Struyven, Helima Croft, Antony Blinken, Goldman's Struyven, Ed Morse, East . Bank of America's Doug Leggate, Leggate, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Texas, Wall Street, Israel, Saudi, RBC Capital Markets, Hamas, East . Bank of America's Locations: Israel, Gaza, East, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Iran, U.S, Lebanon, United States

CNN —The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out strikes on what it called Hamas targets in Gaza on Friday, after militants in the enclave launched incendiary balloons towards Israel for the first time in over a year. The hostilities came after more than a week of sometimes violent Palestinian demonstrations along the fence that separates Gaza from Israel. The balloons were launched by a group calling itself Ahfad Al-Nasser, or the Descendants of al-Nasser, who specialize in attacks using explosives strapped to balloons. No IDF injuries were reported, the Israeli military said. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or injured in the Israeli strikes, which the IDF said were carried out by a drone and a tank.

Persons: Ahfad Al, Nasser Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Palestinian Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Israel

“You have to prepare for the worst-case scenario,” Ms. Spanberger said. Speaker Kevin McCarthy sent members of Congress home Thursday afternoon after efforts to break a spending impasse with far-right members of his party failed. By the end of the week, lawmakers were in full prep mode and government agencies were dusting off their well-worn instructions for how to function amid the dysfunction. “We had lots of notes from the last time,” Mr. Beyer said in an interview. “Pretty much we’re not going to be able to do anything, because the agencies that we’d be talking to to help us solve it won’t be coming to work,” Mr. Beyer said.

Persons: Ms, Spanberger, Kevin McCarthy, Donald S, Beyer Jr, “, ” Mr, Beyer, “ We’re Locations: Virginia

London CNN —YouTube is temporarily preventing comedian Russell Brand from making money from his videos following multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault against him. YouTube, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), added that it had taken the action “following serious allegations” made against the comedian over the weekend. One of the women said she was 16 and Brand 31 at the time of the alleged assault in London. In recent years, Brand has focused his attention on his YouTube channel, which has been accused of promoting conspiracy theories, including some related to the coronavirus pandemic. A woman reported the assault, alleged to have taken place in 2003, to the Met Sunday, after the the joint media report was released, the police force noted.

Persons: Russell Brand, Russell, ”, Brand, emptively, ” Brand, Allyson Stewart, Allen Organizations: London CNN, YouTube, CNN, Google, Sunday Times, The Times, International Marketing Partners, London’s Metropolitan Police, BBC Locations: British, London

☆ Here are 11 top moments from Trump's 'Meet the Press' interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Allan Smith | Jonathan Allen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Former President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker, Sept. 14, 2023. NBC News has also extended an invitation to President Joe Biden to sit down with Welker for an interview. "I said, 'Other than certain parts of the country, you can't — you're not going to win on this issue. "And both sides are going to come together and both sides — both sides, and this is a big statement — both sides will come together. But when Welker asked if he might grant himself a reprieve if he wins this election, Trump declined to rule it out.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kristen Welker, Donald Trump sparred, Joe Biden, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Welker, Trump, Roe, Wade, he's, —, it's, pardoning, I'm, Jan, Biden Trump, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Ukraine Trump, Putin, Vladimir Putin, I'd, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Franklin Roosevelt Organizations: NBC News, Press, NBC, GOP, Trump, U.S ., Republican, White House, Capitol, Florida Gov Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Ukraine, Alabama, Pennsylvania, U.S, Russia, Florida, Taiwan

☆ China online platforms scrap lucky draw features amid gambling crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Analysts say online content platforms pulled the plug on features such as virtual lucky draws after the government in June started cracking down on live streaming, as part of a wider clampdown on online gambling. While the platforms say they ban gambling, analysts say the extremely popular lucky draws are often manipulated by live streamers colluding with viewers to share the prize. None of these companies mentioned the gambling crackdown when they reported their earnings, and they did not respond to request for further comment. However, the co-founder of a popular live streaming platform in Guangzhou, who declined to be named citing the sensitivity of the topic, told Reuters that several popular live streaming and live chat apps had to suspend services after police probes. Online gambling remains a concern, with the authorities saying in 2020 that the cross-border flow of funds for gambling posed a national security risk.

Persons: Florence Lo, HONG KONG, Analysys, Ivan Su, Huya, Charlie Chai, Tencent, Chai, Josh Ye, Farah, Brenda Goh Organizations: Entertainment, QQ, REUTERS, Tencent, HK, Morningstar, Cloud, NetEase, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG, Guangzhou, Beijing

Xinhua/Shutterstock‘Absolutely safe’As heavy rains moved toward the region in late July, China’s top flood control officials met to hash out their response plan. The flood was caused by flood water discharge, not by heavy rainfall.”CNN has reached out to the Zhuozhou and Bazhou governments for comment. Rescuers use rubber boats to transfer Zhuozhou residents trapped by flood waters after days of downpours brought by Typhoon Doksuri on August 2. In the recent rains, at least three upstream reservoirs released flood waters into rivers flowing into Baiyingdian from the west and the south, according to state media. Many countries have systems that involve discharging pent up flood waters into otherwise dry land after major storms.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi’s, ”, It’s, Xiong’an, Jade Gao, Ni Yuefeng, downpours, Typhoon Doksuri, Zhai Jujia, Li Guoying, Hongzhang Xu, Xiao, Li Na, Zhu Xudong, it’s, Xiong’an –, Xu, Baiyangdian Lake, Kevin Frayer, “, Meili Feng, Simon Song, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Xu Kuangdi, Yi Haifei, Andrew Stokols Organizations: CNN, Xinhua, Getty, Censors, China News Service, China’s, Water, Australian National University, Authorities, China’s Ministry of Water Resources, Hebei Provincial Department of Water Resources, Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Shanghai’s Pudong New, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urban Computing Center Locations: Beijing, China, Hebei, Xiong’an’s, Xiong'an, Zhuozhou, AFP, Bazhou, Xiong’an, Tianjin, ”, Xinhua, Baiyingdian, Baiyangdian, Mississippi, University of Nottingham Ningbo, “, Hebei province, Shenzhen, Shanghai’s Pudong, Shanghai

☆ UK markets watchdog ready to pounce as new consumer power comes into force
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new duty is particularly significant for being more granular, requiring "good outcomes" and no "forseeable harm" for customers across products and services, price and value. The duty will help the FCA tackle harms pre-emptively to stop a mis-selling scandal in the first place, she added. Firms will have to demonstrate to the FCA how they are providing good outcomes, a step the watchdog hopes will improve on the low trust in financial services. It says it will help ensure that banks pass on higher interest rates to savers, and provide help to those struggling to pay a mortgage. ($1 = 0.7770 pounds)Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nisha Arora, Arora, Philip Deeks, James's, Jonathan Herbst, Herbst, KPMG's Deeks, Deeks, Huw Jones, Conor Humphries Organizations: Financial, Authority, FCA, Reuters, Norton Rose, Thomson

☆ After surprise tweak, what now for BOJ's yield curve control?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Since 2016, the BOJ has guided short-term interest rates at minus 0.1% and the 10-year government bond yield at around 0% in action known as yield curve control (YCC). It has also set an allowance band of 0.5% above and below the 10-year yield target. The BOJ was criticised by investors last year for distorting market pricing by defending the 0.5% yield cap with unlimited bond buying. The bank has forestalled the risk by deciding to intervene only when the 10-year yield could breach 1.0%. It may wait until the findings become available around May before raising interest rates.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Leika Kihara, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Bank of Japan, U.S ., Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ BOJ Governor Ueda's comments at news conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Following are excerpts from BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's comments at his post-meeting news conference, which was conducted in Japanese, as translated by Reuters:BOND YIELD"We will not tolerate an increase in the 10-year bond yield above 1% and will step in if it does. ON WHY THE BOJ DECIDED TO MOVE NOW"The inflation forecast for this fiscal year has been revised up quite significantly. The bond market is pretty stable now and we saw uncertainty over the outlook very high. Given uncertainty over the outlook, we decided to pre-empt risks by setting 1% as a loose framework along with the 0% target and the 0.5% yield band." ON WHETHER THE MARKET'S SIDE-EFFECTS OF YCC INCLUDE VOLATILE CURRENCY MARKET MOVES"The BOJ does not target currency rates in guiding monetary policy.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda's, haven't, That's, we're, Leika Kihara, Subhranshu Sahu Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reuters, THE, Thomson Locations: Japan

☆ This startup helps software-as-a-service firms drive sales through word-of-mouth. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck Cello used to raise $3.5 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cello, a Munich-based startup incentivizing software-as-a-service referrals, has raised $3.5 million. We got an exclusive look at the 15-slide pitch deck it used to raise the fresh funds. A startup that aims to incentivize peer recommendations to drive growth in sales of software-as-a-service products has raised $3.5 million in fresh funds. Munich-based Cello, founded in 2022, has closed a pre-emp ted seed funding round that was led by German investor HV Capital. "Cello had strong signs of early traction soon after launching our product," Bader said.

Persons: Stefan Bader, Bader, Cello's, ByFounders Organizations: Capital, Software Locations: Munich

☆ S.Korea market watchdog urges preemptive risk management by foreign firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 12 (Reuters) - The head of South Korea's financial supervisory agency asked foreign financial firms on Wednesday for preemptive risk management in the face of various uncertainties. "Especially, I request that you do your best to maintain financial soundness and proactive risk management by pre-emptively responding to recent external and internal uncertainties," Lee Bok-hyun, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), told firms. Representatives from 11 foreign institutions including JPMorgan Chase Bank, HSBC Bank, MUFG Bank, Yuanta Securities, Goldman Sachs Securities, insurers, and investment companies attended. Lee also told the meeting, which is held once or twice a year, about progress in regulatory changes and authorities' efforts to improve foreign access to financial markets, the FSS said in a statement. Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lee Bok, hyun, Lee, Jihoon Lee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Financial Supervisory Service, JPMorgan Chase Bank, HSBC Bank, MUFG Bank, Yuanta Securities, Goldman, Goldman Sachs Securities, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Goldman Sachs

☆ Joy, Loneliness, ‘Rejuvenation:’ Becoming a Mother After 40
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Still, Ms. McQueen longed for a baby. Terry Ratzlaff for The New York TimesEach year, she and her girls celebrate the anniversaries of their embryo transfers, Ms. McQueen said. Together, they look at the balls of cells on the girls’ ultrasound images and talk about the lengths Ms. McQueen went to in order to have them. Then, in 2016, Ms. Allen was diagnosed with a seizure disorder, which forced her to stop working and focus on her health. Caring for Ezra, who is now 5, has come with “overwhelming guilt” over the things she can’t do, Ms. Allen says.

Cromwell’s rule plays an important formal role in Bayesian statistics but it is important for any exercise in prediction and analysis. SOFT LANDING CONDITIONSI have written elsewhere the global economy is on course for a significant mid-cycle slowdown if not a cycle-ending recession. Multiple conditions would need to be satisfied, and none violated, for a soft landing to occur. The soft landing scenario is so tricky to pull off and therefore so improbable it has been called “immaculate disinflation” by some forecasters. Nevertheless, the probability of a soft landing is far from zero.

☆ What the Steep Decline of the SAT Means for the Modern Meritocracy // Will the Decline of the SAT Sink the Meritocracy? // SAT and the College Meritocracy//tk - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The rapid abandonment of the SAT and ACT as requirements for college admissions, to the point where more than 80 percent of four-year colleges didn’t require a standardized test for admission in the coming fall, is a milestone in the history of the modern meritocracy. What remains to be seen is whether it’s a marker on the road to the meritocracy’s demise. From the beginning meritocratic culture and standardized testing have been inextricably intertwined. For a long time meritocracy’s skeptics, left and right, have noted that the new system created an upper class that seems as privileged and insular as the old one. There are reasons to be doubtful of this account.

☆ Earnings at the half point of the season: no sign yet of any collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

At the halfway point for earnings, bulls are delighted earnings are coming in stronger than expected and expectations for the second half of the year remain high. With 260 companies in the S & P 500 reporting, 79% are beating expectations, according to Earnings Scout. That is an earnings recession, but the declines — all in the low single digits — are not causing a lot of consternation. Now, on the heels of positive earnings reports, many tech stocks are seeing second quarter earnings estimates rising in the past few weeks, including Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet. The second half of 2023: Record earnings, really?

ALBANY, N.Y. — It was just four years ago that New York’s Democratic lawmakers celebrated a new law that eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and, at the time, seemingly added a measure of new justice to a system long faulted for pre-emptively punishing the poor. On Thursday night, however, after months of grueling negotiations, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state would scale back those changes — for the third time — after a sharp rebuke from New York’s voters and residents over a rise in crime. “It was very clear that changes need to be made,” the governor said. While judges will remain unable to set bail for a vast majority of misdemeanor and nonviolent charges, such a change could nonetheless have a dramatic impact, giving judges greater discretion to hold defendants — particularly repeat or serious offenders — before their trials.

☆ North Korea's next nuke test a matter of 'when,' not 'if,' US Army general says, warning its on the way to a key nuclear capability
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A top US Army general warned that North Korea is on its way to developing a key nuclear capability. Gen. Paul LaCamera also said this week that Pyongyang's next nuclear test is only a matter of time. LaCamera also said North Korea is slated to carry out a seventh nuclear test at some point in the future. North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, and each underground test produced explosive yields progressively larger than the one before it. Ju Ae has become a regular figure at North Korea's military-oriented events in recent months after spending years cloaked in mystery.

☆ Oil prices surge, markets narrow odds on Fed hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent oil futures jumped $5.16 to $85.05 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day, while U.S. crude climbed $4.88 to $80.55. The latest reductions could lift oil prices by $10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday. Goldman Sachs lifted its forecast for Brent to $95 a barrel by the end of the year and to $100 for 2024. The rise in oil prices is bad news for Japan's trade balance given it imports most of its energy. The lift in the dollar and yields nudged gold prices down nearly 0.5% to $1,958 an ounce .

☆ Oil prices jump in blow to global inflation hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brent oil futures jumped $4.30 to $84.19 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day, while U.S. crude climbed $4.17 to $79.84. The change comes before a virtual meeting of an OPEC+ ministerial panel, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia. "That means that oil markets may potentially see around 1% of global oil supply or more being curtailed from May." The latest reductions could lift oil prices by $10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday. The rise in oil prices is bad news for Japan's trade balance given it imports most of its energy.

Hong Kong/Atlanta/London CNN —Oil prices spiked Monday after OPEC+ producers unexpectedly announced that they would cut output. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped 5.31% to $84.13 a barrel, while WTI, the US benchmark, rose 5.48% to $79.83. With oil prices now rising, inflation could remain higher for longer, adding pressure to a hot-button issue for consumers around the world. Saudi Arabia now says it will cut oil production by another half a million barrels a day. “We’re focused on prices for American consumers, not barrels.”In October, OPEC+’s decision to cut production had already rankled the White House.

☆ Oil soars more than $5 per barrel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, April 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than $5 a barrel on Monday's open, jolted by a surprise announcement by OPEC+ to cut production further in an effort to support market stability. Brent crude hit the highest in nearly a month at the open, trading at $85.56 a barrel by 2249 GMT, up $5.67, or 7.1%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude touched its highest since late January and was at $81.08 a barrel, up $5.41, or 7.2%. The group known as OPEC+ had been expected to maintain its earlier decision to cut output by 2 million bpd until December. Goldman estimated the output reduction could provide a 7% boost to oil prices, contributing to higher Saudi and OPEC+ oil revenues.

☆ Oil jumps $5 per barrel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, April 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped about $5 a barrel on Monday's open, jolted by a surprise announcement by OPEC+ to cut production further in an effort to support market stability. Brent crude hit the highest in nearly a month at the open, trading at $84.95 a barrel by 0039 GMT, up $5.06, or 6.3%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude touched its highest since late January and was at $80.47 a barrel, up $4.80, or 6.3%. Goldman estimated the output reduction could provide a 7% boost to oil prices, contributing to higher Saudi and OPEC+ oil revenues. Analysts at the National Australia Bank said the OPEC+ production cuts and demand recovery from top crude importer China could drive oil prices above $100 a barrel through third quarter.

☆ Why you don't want to be called 'gate lice' at the airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Gate lice" is the unflattering name used to describe travelers who crowd the gate before boarding. But it's a major flight attendant pet peeve, aviation veteran Rich Henderson told Insider. The "gate lice" are likely passengers who are positioning themselves to be first in line so they can secure overhead bin space for their carry-on bags. Crowds of "gate lice" forming in the airport appeared to become more widespread following the pandemic, as The Points Guy senior aviation reporter David Slotnick wrote in 2021. But at least "gate lice" are waiting for their turn to board — unlike passengers who cut the line before their group is even called.

☆ Flight attendant of 10 years shares top travel tips — from how to switch seats to what happens if you cheat the boarding line
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Bribing flight attendants with candy or gift cards won't get you upgraded to first class, he said. Flight attendants have a word for that, according to Henderson, and it's not something you want to be called: "gate lice." "That's one thing I can say about all flight attendants across the board. Moreso than treats, Henderson said flight attendants really appreciate passengers who take the time to thank them at the end of the flight. "Even just so much saying thanks for keeping us safe, or thanks for all you do," he told Insider.

Search resuls for: "emptively"

25 mentions found