DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Uruguay's free-trade deal ambitions rattle South American trade bloc
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Fabian Werner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At the meeting in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo, the leaders sought to pressure their host over plans for go-it-alone trade deals with China and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). "The solution is not for each one of us just to do our own thing," said Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, chiding Uruguay. One of the smallest economies in South America, Uruguay has been trying for years to conclude unilateral trade agreements that it considers more beneficial than Mercosur. Of course, if we go in a group it is much better," said Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou. Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez said Mercosur integration was "fundamental and strategic" but indicated flexibility on a demand Uruguay not move forward on trade deals without informing the others.

☆ World Cup quarter-finals 2022: which teams have qualified?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Captain Lionel Messi, who has said he intends to retire from the national team after the tournament, scored his first goal in a World Cup knockout round in his 1,000th match to beat Diego Maradona's tally of eight World Cup goals. The Selecao have lifted the World Cup five times and are the pre-tournament favourites to win a record-extending sixth title. This is the sixth World Cup for Croatia, who reached the final in 2018 when they lost to France. England have won the World Cup only once in 1966, and finished fourth in 2018. France won the World Cup in 1998 and 2018.

☆ Argentina court hands VP Cristina Kirchner 6-year jail term in graft case
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nicolás Misculin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The powerful vice president will not face immediate prison time and is also expected to appeal the sentence, with the case likely to spend years winding through higher courts. Fernandez de Kirchner served as president for two terms between 2007 and 2015 and commands rock-star crowds of supporters. She faced charges of alleged corruption in the awarding of public works during her presidency. Defenders of the vice president maintain she was a victim of judicial persecution. Lawyers said that Fernandez de Kirchner would not go to jail any time soon because she has immunity while serving as vice president.

☆ Croatia beats Japan on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

CNN —Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković made himself a national hero as Croatia beat Japan on penalties 1-1 (3-1) to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Marko Djurica/ReutersJapan’s heartbreakDespite its defeat, Japan can look back at an impressive World Cup campaign. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago. He also became just the third goalkeeper to save three penalties in a single World Cup shootout.

☆ Japan vs. Croatia: Samurai Blue aiming to reach World Cup quarterfinals for first time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

CNN —In a World Cup of surprises, Japan has played a leading role in headline-making shock results. Croatia is a team undefeated in nine of its last 10 World Cup matches. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament.

☆ USMNT’s youth and talent at Qatar 2022 bodes well for 2026 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

The Netherlands knocked the USMNT out of the Qatar World Cup on Saturday. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Qatar is the first Islamic country to host a World Cup.

☆ France reaches World Cup quarterfinals with 3-1 victory over Poland as Kylian Mbappé breaks Pelé’s record
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +30 min

CNN —France was made to work hard for its place in the World Cup quarterfinals, overcoming an improved Poland side 3-1 thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappé. That is Mbappé’s fifth goal of Qatar 2022 and already his ninth World Cup goal overall, breaking Pelé’s record of seven World Cup goals scored before the age of 24. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Issei Kato/Reuters Kylian Mbappé scores his second goal on November 26, leading France to a 2-1 victory over Denmark. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago.

☆ Airbus 2022 target under review after estimated 563 deliveries in Jan-Nov - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) delivered an estimated 66 jets in November, leaving itself a near-record challenge of 137 in December to meet its 2022 goal, though it has not excluded the possibility of trimming the target, industry sources said. A late surge pushed November higher than initially expected but failed to lift doubts over the 2022 target of “around 700” with weeks to go before the end of the year, the sources said. One industry source said the company had all but given up hope of reaching its key revenue-driving target. Missing parts forced Airbus to cut the target for deliveries to 700 from 720 in July. Reuters reported on Monday that preliminary external November data and industry sources pointed to increasing challenges in reaching the revised target.

Small-scale copper miners are now challenging Big Copper for territorial control of rich deposits of the red metal. In Peru, artisanal mining permits have doubled to 80,000 since 2020, government records show. Peru's leftist administration presented a new framework for artisanal mining last week that declared artisanal mining is "as important" as big mining. "Where we have concessions we can't have (artisanal mining permits)," Rojas said. The number of valid artisanal mining permits in Tapairihua has fallen from 100 to 32 since May, according to government records.

☆ Colombia wants Biden admin. to grant temporary legal status to its citizens in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia wants the Biden administration to grant temporary legal status to its citizens now living in the United States, noting its own efforts to address regional migration by hosting 2 million Venezuelans who fled their homes. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, he asks President Joe Biden to grant Colombians already in the U.S. a form of temporary status called Deferred Enforced Departure. It is unclear how many Colombians are living in the United States without legal status. Murillo Urritia said there are nearly 2 million Colombians living in the United States, without elaborating on their immigration status. The Biden administration has extended temporary status for some countries and added Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Cameroon and Venezuela, reversing a Trump-era trend to cut back on protections for those already in the United States.

☆ Factbox: World Cup 2022 knockout stage: which teams will qualify?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - The World Cup in Qatar is nearing its knockout phase. The Selecao have claimed the World Cup five times and are pre-tournament favourites to win a record-extending sixth title. Brazil have played in every World Cup since 1930 but have not reached the final since they last won the title in 2002. England's only World Cup win dates back to 1966. This is the third appearance at the World Cup for Senegal, who reached the quarter-finals in 2002.

☆ Trolls, propaganda & fear stoke Bukele's media machine in El Salvador
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

In examining Bukele’s media operation, Reuters interviewed more than 70 people, including former media operatives and social media researchers. It showed Bukele with an 86% approval rating in El Salvador, making him the most popular leader in the region. “The threat in El Salvador used to be from the gangs, now it's from the state,” said Angelica Carcamo, the organization's president. “I found a lot more manipulation in El Salvador than in Mexico,” Escorcia said. A native of Guatemala, Torres has been critical of the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for creating conditions that spur migration.

☆ This startup helps Fortune 500 companies build computer vision AI models. Check out the 44-slide animated pitch deck V7 used to raise a $33 million Series A.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The startup allows machine learning teams to build computer vision AI models. Computer vision models extract information from visual data sources, such as images and videos, to help computers and machines to better interpret these visual inputs. Many computer vision models are powered by machine learning technology, but this process can be time-consuming to engineer. This helps companies to develop AI models much faster and cuts down on the time needed to manage machine learning data, according to V7. V7 labels data automatically, so that teams do not have to annotate the data from scratch.

Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLC Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLCMore than 70 variations have been reported across the Southwest states and the majority are owned by people who originate from the same region in Mexico that the Robledos are from. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLC"At first, that’s all they sold," said Reynaldo Robledo, 57, the 12th of the Robledo children. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLCThe restaurant initially had six combination plates and four burrito types. Outside a Roberto's Taco Shop in Nevada in 2014, when the family was in town for the gala celebration of Roberto’s 50th anniversary. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLCThe senior Robledo died in 1999 and Dolores died in 2020.

☆ Goalless draws at World Cup come from cautious approach
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Nov 26 (Reuters) - A cautious approach from many teams in the opening round of the World Cup was behind a record-approaching number of goalless draws at the tournament in Qatar, FIFAs technical study group said on Saturday. At the last World Cup in Russia, there was a single goalless draw, when Denmark and France failed to produce goals in a group phase clash. "Clearly many teams are relying on a cautious approach," added colleague Alberto Zaccheroni, who won Serie A with AC Milan and the Asian Cup when he was coach of Japan. There have been 14 goals at the tournament in Qatar from crosses in comparison to three at the same stage at the last World Cup four years ago. "This is a very different World Cup in that players get to sleep in the same bed every night and each team has its own base.

☆ In South America's Andes, farmers pray for rain to end drought
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Monica Machicao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] An indigenous woman raises her hands in prayer asking for rain in the Lloko Lloko community, in Tihuanacu, Bolivia November 23, 2022. REUTERS/Claudia MoralesTIHUANACU, Bolivia, Nov 25 (Reuters) - High in the mountains of the Bolivian Andes, farmer Alberto Quispe has one thing on his mind: rain. The drought has hit crops in Bolivia as well as in Argentina, Paraguay and Peru. In the Andean regions, drought in recent years has caused falling water reservoir levels in places like Chile and led to important glaciers retreating. Drought has hit crops like wheat and soy, including this year in major grains producer Argentina.

☆ Vatican court hears cardinal's secretly taped phone call with pope
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoVATICAN CITY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A court at a Vatican corruption trial on Thursday heard a secretly recorded telephone call between the main defendant, embattled Cardinal Angelo Becciu, and Pope Francis. The money was sent to a company she had set up in Slovenia and she received some in cash, the court has been told. He told the court how he was ordered to make payments he considered unusual. The trial revolves around the purchase of a building in London by the Secretariat of State. The 10 defendants include former Vatican employees and Italian middle men who the prosecution says extorted the Vatican.

☆ Argentina government to send LNG bill to Congress in coming months
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Argentina's Economy minister Sergio Massa said on Thursday that the government was readying a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bill to send to Congress in the coming months, amid a push to create a major gas export sector in the country. The bill aims to spur the multi-billion-dollar investments needed to exploit Argentina's massive LNG reserves, as the war in Ukraine spikes global demand. Companies like state-owned YPF (YPFD.BA) have shown interest in building plants to liquify gas from Argentina's vast Vaca Muerta shale basin, the world's second largest unconventional gas reserve and the fourth largest shale oil reserve. Massa told business leaders that he hoped Congress would discuss the LNG bill in coming extended or extraordinary sessions, and that the government would also announce a series of decrees to accompany the bill. Amid a prolonged financial crisis and a series of market regulations imposed by the center-left government, companies have asked the government to provide certainty that LNG export commitments will be honored once the expensive LNG plants are built.

☆ Kamala Harris says U.S. will defend Philippines in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines — Vice President Kamala Harris called on countries Tuesday to stand up for territorial integrity and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which has been challenged by China, and said Washington would press an international campaign against “irresponsible behavior” in the disputed waters. Haiyun Jiang / APCiting the profound stakes for America and the international community in the region, particularly in the busy South China Sea, Harris called for a broad effort to fight for unimpeded commerce and freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed waters. Haiyun Jiang / AFP - Getty ImagesIn Palawan’s main city of Puerto Princesa, Harris visited a small fishing community and discussed with impoverished villagers the impact of illegal fishing on their livelihood. China has warned Washington not to meddle in what it calls an Asian dispute and has said that U.S. Navy and Air Force patrols and combat exercises in the disputed waters are militarizing the South China Sea. In July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to comply with a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s vast territorial claims on historical grounds in the South China Sea.

☆ Chinese coast guard seizes rocket debris from Philippine navy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese coast guard forcibly seized floating debris the Philippine navy was towing to its island in another confrontation in the disputed South China Sea, a Philippine military commander said Monday. The debris appeared to be from a Chinese rocket launch. The Chinese coast guard vessel then deployed an inflatable boat with personnel who “forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line attached to the” Filipino sailors’ rubber boat. Maj. Cherryl Tindog, spokesperson of the military’s Western Command, said the floating metal object appeared similar to a number of other pieces of Chinese rocket debris recently found in Philippine waters. She added the Filipino sailors did not fight the seizure.

☆ Philippine military says China 'forcefully retrieved' floating object in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - A Chinese coast guard ship on Sunday "forcefully retrieved" a floating object being towed by a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea by cutting a line attaching it to the boat, a Philippine military commander said. The team tied the object to their boat and started towing it before the Chinese coast guard vessel approached and blocked their course twice before deploying an inflatable boat that cut the tow line, then took the object back to the coast guard ship, the statement said. The statement did not say what the object was or whether the Chinese coast guard vessel indicated why it took the object. Harris, whose three-day trip includes a stop on Palawan, an island on the edge of the South China Sea, will also reaffirm Washington's support for a 2016 international tribunal ruling that invalidated China's expansive claim in the disputed waterway, a senior U.S. official said..China claims most of the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which billions of dollars of goods passes each year. Thitu, one of nine features the Philippines occupies in the Spratly archipelago, is the Southeast Asian country's strategically most important outpost in the South China Sea.

☆ Hebe de Bonafini, the mother who defied Argentina's dictatorship, dies at 93
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Hernan Nessi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Hebe de Bonafini, the iconic co-founder of Argentina's Mothers of Plaza de Mayo and a staunch fighter against the human rights violations committed during the country's military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Sunday at the age of 93. Bonafini became one of Argentina's most famous human rights activists when she and 13 other women began searching for their children who were kidnapped by security forces during the dictatorship. Argentina's Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner lamented Bonafini's passing on Twitter and the government called for three days of national mourning. "Dearest Hebe, Mother of Plaza de Mayo, you are a world symbol of the fight for Human Rights, and a pride of Argentina," Fernandez de Kirchner wrote. "As founder of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, she shed light in the middle of the dark night of the military dictatorship."

That would surpass the October 2020 peak of 89% in the central bank series dating back to 2006. "It reduces the degree of freedom for the central bank to manage monetary policy," said Ramos. Brazil's central bank has held interest rates at 13.75% since August, after 12 straight hikes that lifted rates from a 2% record low in March 2021. Lula campaigned openly against the constitutional spending cap that limits spending growth to inflation. The proposal also removes some public investments from the cap, opening space for another 23 billion reais in public spending next year.

☆ China's BYD expands electric vehicle operation in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Alberto Alerigi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Executive Vice President of BYD and the President of BYD Americas, Stella Li poses for a picture during an interview with Reuters in Sao Paulo, Brazil November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Alberto Alerigi Jr.SAO PAULO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) will start selling two new electric vehicle models in Brazil this month, betting on favorable political and environmental developments in Latin America's largest vehicle market, the company said. They will be imported until new factories to make them in the northeastern state of Bahia start operations. BYD expects that 10% of all vehicle sales in Brazil will be electric and hybrid models by 2025, compared to the current 2.4%, and the EV market share could jump to 30% by 2030. Li pointed to the tax burden as one of the main factors behind the high prices of electric and hybrid vehicles in Brazil compared to other markets.

It was a rare, candid glimpse of the Chinese leader and a reminder of Beijing's testy relations with the West. Besides Biden, Trudeau and Australia's Anthony Albanese, Xi also met the leaders of South Korea, Italy, Argentina, Holland and France for bilateral talks in Bali. Xi was ferried around Bali in his own Hongqi (Red Flag) limousine - Mao Zedong used an earlier model - China's version of the U.S. presidential "Beast" limo. Returning to in-person diplomacy also gives Xi a platform to push Chinese initiatives that further cement its stature as leader of the emerging world. "I think in the coming years you'll see China indeed making a serious effort to implement its major power diplomacy," he said.

Search resuls for: "Alberto"

25 mentions found