DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Around 10 people buried in Austrian avalanche - APA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 25 (Reuters) - Around 10 people were buried in an avalanche in the Lech/Zuers free skiing area in western Austria on Sunday, the Austrian Press Agency (APA) reported, adding that one person had been rescued. The avalanche occurred at about 3 p.m. (1400 GMT), APA said, adding that several helicopters and search teams deployed soon afterwards. "We are doing everything we can to rescue the winter sports enthusiasts," APA quoted the municipality of Lech as saying. Some 100 people were involved in the search, with rescuers requesting headlamps so that they can continue the search in the dark, APA added. Lech/Zuers markets itself as "one of the best ski areas in the world" and part of the cradle of Alpine skiing.

☆ From Europe to the Caribbean, there are 11 countries where you can buy citizenship with a 'golden passport'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Austria: estimated $9.5 million investment requiredVienna, Austria. Sylvain Sonnet/Getty ImagesEven if you can afford the multi-million dollar price tag, Austria's citizenship by investment program is incredibly selective. Under Article 10, Section 6 of the Austrian Citizenship Act, the Austrian government is able to award citizenship to foreigners who show "extraordinary merit" and contribute significantly to the state's interests — either scientifically, culturally, or economically. This can include setting up a business, creating jobs, or introducing new technologies, according to Austrian law experts. The exact investment amount required for the award is not clear, but is estimated to be around $9.5 million, Forbes reports.

☆ These photos show the many ways Christmas is celebrated around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Natalie Tham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In a yearly series, CNBC Travel highlights diverse Christmas celebrations around the world. The Gavle goat is moving to a new location this year for the first time in 56 years, according to Visit Gavle, the city's visitor's guide. "He means a lot for us in Gavle, and he's a big part of the Christmas spirit," she said. Teachers, students and parents hold Christmas lanterns made from recycled materials during a campaign for sustainable Christmas celebrations at an elementary school in Quezon City, Philippines. "If I'm in Brazil during Christmas, I take my nephew and niece to a Christmas parade, and we have a blast!

Police arrested the suspect, a German citizen identified as Carsten L., on Wednesday in Berlin, the federal prosecutors office said. "The accused is suspected of state treason," federal prosecutors said in a statement. "In 2022, he shared information that he came by in the course of his work with a Russian intelligence agency. As such, the BND would not be giving out any further details on the case until federal prosecutors had concluded their investigation, Kahl added. The last time a German intelligence employee was arrested for treason was in 2014 - although then it was for betraying secrets to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

☆ These are 10 most popular fighter planes in service around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Miguel Ortiz | We Are The Mighty | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Using data from Cirium, FlightGlobal published their 2023 World Air Forces directory detailing military aircraft fleets around the world, including the most popular fighter planes. These are the 10 most popular fighter planes in service around the world:Northrop F-5An F-5 Tiger II takes off at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. Despite its age, the J-7 remains extremely popular with 444 in active service. 522 Typhoons are in active service, including with all of the original collaborating countries except France. 545 F-35s are in active service, with more on the way as existing orders are filled and additional orders are placed.

☆ B2C startup HelloBello delivers healthy dog food to your door. See the 16-slide pitch deck it used to raise $1.8 million.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Maybrit Martschin | Nathan Rennolds | Business Insider Deutschland | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

HelloBello is an Austrian startup that aims to deliver healthy dog food to your door. The startup offers a subscription model for clients to receive customized recipes for their dogs. Insider has a copy of the pitch deck it used to raise $1.8 million. In November 2022, HelloBello raised a seed round of 1.7 million euros, or around $1.8 million. The founders want to use the new capital to build up their team, launch more food recipes, and continue their expansion into Germany.

☆ European countries switch off Christmas lights this winter to cut energy usage as Russia keeps tight hold on gas supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

European countries have turned off or reduced Christmas lights this year to cut down on energy use. Russia's crackdown on gas supplies to Europe has led to energy-saving measures on the continent. United KingdomThe infamous Christmas lights in London are running for fewer hours this year, according to the organizer the New West End Company. Smaller towns across the UK have also decided to switch off their Christmas lights in order to save money, per reports. GermanyAccording to the German non-profit environmental organization, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Christmas lights in houses, apartments, and cities should be unplugged this year.

☆ Abu Dhabi's ADNOC to acquire 24.9% stake in Austria's OMV from Mubadala - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has agreed to acquire a 24.9% shareholding in Austrian oil and gas group OMV from Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Company, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public. ADNOC and Mubadala did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by Reuters on Wednesday. The transaction comes after Mubadala Petroleum rebranded to Mubadala Energy in September to pursue new energy sectors including blue hydrogen and carbon capture, and as Abu Dhabi's ADNOC looks to increase its presence internationally through mergers and acquisitions. ADNOC in April this year agreed to acquire a 25% stake from Mubadala in European petrochemical maker Borealis, which is 75% owned by OMV.

☆ EU opens antitrust probe into Broadcom's $61 bln VMware bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - European antitrust regulators have opened an in-depth investigation into U.S. chipmaker Broadcom's (AVGO.O) proposed $61 billion bid for cloud computing company VMware (VMW.N), the European Commission said on Tuesday. Reuters reported on Dec. 9 that the Commission was set to open a full-scale investigation into the deal, the second biggest globally so far this year. Broadcom on Tuesday reiterated that it continued to expect the transaction would close in its fiscal year 2023, adding it would continuing to work with the European Commission. The proposed acquisition underlines Broadcom's ambition to diversify into enterprise software, but comes as regulators worldwide ramp up scrutiny of deals by Big Tech. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, Editing by GV De Clercq and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The EU agreed to limit gas prices, but some analysts are skeptical
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Pipes run along a technical facility for compressing natural gas on the site of astora GmbH's Rehden natural gas storage facility, the largest in Western Europe. He flagged that it could disrupt the European energy market, risk security of supply and have wider financial implications. Analysts told CNBC that these conditions called into question the ability of the mechanism to limit energy price rises. Around 70% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is tied up in long-term contracts, leaving 30% available on a spot basis. "As it stands, about 20% of Europe's electricity comes from natural gas, 10% comes from coal.

The aim is to shield European households and businesses from the kind of gas price spikes experienced since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. WHY CAP GAS PRICES? Gas prices have eased in recent months as the EU agreed some emergency measures, including obligations to fill gas storage, but they remain high. The EU price cap would not drop below 180 eur/MWh, even if the LNG price fell to far lower levels. The EU price cap is designed to be a temporary fix that would apply for one year.

☆ EU countries make final push for gas price cap deal this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - European Union countries' energy ministers meet in Brussels on Monday to attempt to agree a cap on gas prices - their latest idea to tame Europe's energy crisis but one that countries are still split over. With a few countries' positions still unclear, some EU diplomats said both sides may have enough votes to block a deal. Under the latest proposal, once triggered, the EU gas price cap would prevent trades being done on the front-month to front-year TTF contracts at a price more than 35 eur/MWh above a reference level comprised of liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessments. The EU price cap would not drop below 188 eur/MWh, even if the LNG price fell to far lower levels. The fate of other EU energy policies also hinges on the gas price cap.

☆ Medical device makers drop products as EU law sows chaos
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Nicola Osypka's German company has been selling medical devices used in surgery on newborn babies in Europe for decades, but new European Union rules have forced her to make tough decisions. While some companies say the products they have cut have no impact on patients or profits, others say some of withdrawn devices are essential, and doctors agree. Under the EU's Medical Devices Regulation (MDR), which came into effect in May 2021, all medical devices, from implants and prosthetics to blood glucose meters and catheters, must meet stricter safety criteria, sometimes with new clinical trials. Under the old system, it took about 15,000 euros and a few months to get a similar device approved, he said. Tom Melvin, an associate professor of medical device regulatory affairs at Trinity College Dublin, said there were nearly 100 such agencies a decade ago under the old system.

☆ Thai king's hospitalised daughter stable 'at a certain level' - royal palace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn is in a stable condition "at a certain level", with doctors using medication and equipment to support her lung, heart and kidney functions after she suffered a heart problem, the palace said on Monday. The princess was taken ill and lost consciousness on Wednesday while preparing her dogs for a competition in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, the palace said. Princess Bajrakitiyabha is one of three children of King Vajiralongkorn who have formal titles, making her eligible for the throne under a palace succession law and the country's constitution. In its statement, the palace said her "condition is stable at a certain level" and her heartbeat was being controlled by medicine, but her heart contraction was still weak. The princess was born on Dec. 7, 1978 as the daughter of the king and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.

☆ Berlusconi-backed MFE notifies Austrian watchdog about Prosiebensat.1 holding
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ZURICH, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Italian businessman Silvio Berlusconi family's MediaForEurope NV vehicle has notified the Austrian competition authority about the "acquisition of de facto sole control of ProSiebenSat1 Media DE Deutschland" (PSMGn.DE), the competition watchdog said. MFE had no comment on the notification, which was first reported by German media portal DE24LIVE. The announcement, dated Dec. 13 on the Austrian regulator's website was made because ProSieben also operates in German-speaking Austria. MFE, controlled by the former Italian prime minister's family, has built, partly through derivatives, a 29.9% voting stake in its German rival, cementing its position as single biggest shareholder. "We haven't really seen ProSieben address the big challenges the industry faces: audience decline, digital transformation ... and the need for scale to compete with digital giants," MFE finance chief Marco Giordani told analysts.

☆ EU considers lower gas price cap in hunt for Monday deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its proposal would trigger a cap if prices on the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) gas hub's front-month contract exceed 188 euros per megawatt hour for three days. They have said the cap needs to be below 200 eur if it is to tackle the high gas prices that have pushed up consumer bills. Once triggered, the cap would prevent trades being done on the front-month to front-year TTF contracts at a price more than 35 eur/MWh above a reference price comprised of existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessments. Under the latest proposal, shared with EU countries on Saturday, the EU price cap would not fall below 188 eur/MWh, even if the LNG reference price fell to far lower levels,But if the LNG reference price increased to higher levels, then the EU gas price cap would move with it, while remaining 35 eur/MWh above the LNG price - a system designed to ensure the bloc can bid above market prices if needed to attract scarce fuel. The scepticism of some countries over the gas price cap has been shared by market participants including the Intercontinental Exchange, which hosts TTF trading in Amsterdam.

☆ Far from home, 10-year-old Ukrainian's dream of soccer stardom lives on
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Artem, a compatriot of Danylo plays with a ball during practice with his football team in Vienna, Austria, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa LeutnerVIENNA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Ten-year-old Danylo Astion fled Ukraine with his family soon after Russia invaded but his dream of becoming a soccer star lives on in Vienna, where training for one of Austria's top teams has rekindled his lust for life. Danylo fled Kyiv in March with his family, taking little more than the clothes on his back, his mother said. After a week at Austria's border with Hungary they arrived in Vienna, where friends had invited them to join them. He didn't smile for weeks when we were in Vienna and all of a sudden when he started playing again he started laughing and said 'Hey Mama, look, I'm playing again'," she said.

☆ EU greenlights only half of global tax deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Union has at last found unanimity on the global minimum tax, half of an almost 140-nation pact to clamp down on global tax avoidance. Hungary finally dropped its veto this week, only for Poland to provide last-minute drama before finally allowing the EU to proceed. Whack-a-mole objections have become EU routine on tax matters, which require the unanimity of the 27 member states. The other half of the global deal, struck under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development auspices in 2021, concerned big digital services companies. In the meantime, trade wars over a hodgepodge of national digital services taxes are likely to continue.

[1/4] Chairman Thomas Jordan of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) looks on as he attends a news conference in Bern, Switzerland December 15, 2022. Although Swiss inflation plateaued at 3% in November, it remains elevated by the country's own standards and outside the SNB's price stability goal of annual increases of 0-2%. The European Central Bank is expected to increase its deposit rate by half a percentage point later on Thursday, according to a Reuters poll, while the Bank of England is also forecast to add 50 basis points to its Bank Rate. In its latest forecast on Thursday, the SNB said it expected inflation rates of 2.9% in 2022, 2.4% in 2023 and 1.8% in 2024. Inflation was then expected to rise again, to 2.1% in the third quarter of 2025, the central bank said - above its price stability goal.

The flag of Iran is seen in front of the building of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters on May 24, 2021 in Vienna, Austria. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog will send a delegation to the Iranian capital of Tehran on Dec. 18 to clarify outstanding 'safeguards' issues, linked to nuclear particles discovered at Iranian nuclear sites. Earlier on Dec. 14, Iranian state news agency Irna reported IAEA officials would visit Iran in the coming days. It cited Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as expressing hope that this interaction would remove obstacles and ambiguities. The visit from the IAEA comes as Iran is enriching uranium at the highest levels in its history — one technical step away from weapons-grade, the nuclear watchdog agency has warned.

☆ Eldest daughter of Thai king hospitalised with heart problem - palace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha greets her royalists as she leaves a religious ceremony to commemorate the death of King Chulalongkorn, known as King Rama V, at The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, October 23, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File PhotoBANGKOK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been hospitalised due to a heart problem and her condition has stabilised to a certain level, the royal palace said on Thursday. She was flown by helicopter to Bangkok after her condition stabilised at a certain level, the palace said in a statement, without elaborating. The princess is one of three children of King Vajiralongkorn who have formal titles, making her eligible for the throne under a 1924 Palace Law of Succession and the country's constitution. King Vajiralongkorn has yet to formally designate an heir since becoming king in 2016 and there has been no official discussion on the prospect of the princess taking the throne.

☆ GoStudent, a $3 billion education startup backed by Coatue and SoftBank, has started a fresh wave of layoffs that could hit over 100 jobs, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SoftBank-backed education startup GoStudent is cutting jobs for the second time in three months. The Austrian startup has already cut roles in Italy, Germany, and Vienna, Insider understands. GoStudent has raised $686 million to date and is also backed by Coatue and Prosus. GoStudent, a $3 billion edtech startup backed by some of the world's biggest tech investors, has started laying off staff for the second time in three months, Insider understands. According to public layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi, almost 1,000 tech companies have cut more than 150,000 staff.

☆ Morocco rewrite Africa's World Cup history
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cameroon upset holders Argentina in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup in Italy and went on to the quarter-finals while Senegal did the same to France when they began the defence of their title in 2002. Of the 160 matches played by African sides at the World Cup, only 37 have been won for a success rate below 25%. Most of Africa was still under colonial rule when the World Cup resumed after the Second World War but as countries gained independence, so CAF membership increased and Africa began to flex some muscle. HANDBALLThat achievement held out the promise that Africa would not take long to produce a World Cup winner, but only Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 were able to make the last eight. It got even worse in Russia in 2018 when no African teams made it to the last 16, sparking serious reflection about the direction of the game on the continent.

☆ Bulgaria detains 70 migrants, rushes some to hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SOFIA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has detained 70 suspected illegal migrants in a bus at parking lot on a highway near the southern city of Sliven early on Sunday and rushed some of them to hospital because of exhaustion, the regional police office said. Two Romanian citizens, one of whom was the bus driver, were also detained and prosecutors have opened legal proceedings against them. Bulgaria is situated on a route used by migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan to enter the European Union. Sofia was blocked from entering the EU's passport-free Schengen zone by Austria and the Netherlands over security and rule-of-law concerns on Dec. 8. Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ I called out my aunt, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, after she made a homophobic speech in tears. Since surviving conversion therapy, I want people to know they don't have to accept the hateful rhetoric of thos
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Andrew Hartzler spent years in conversion therapy and attended a religious institution. He called out his aunt, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, after she spoke out against the Respect for Marriage Act. During my second year of college, however, my perspective changed when I came across a HuffPost article that revealed my aunt hosted a conversion therapy group at the US Capitol in 2019. Attending a religious university and experiencing conversion therapy led me to a life of advocating for LGBTQ peopleThe first time I went to conversion therapy, I was 14 going on 15. Conversion therapy makes you feel like you're using 50% of your mind to hide a fundamental part of who you are, and you're told to hate that part of yourself.

Search resuls for: "Austria"

25 mentions found