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The conglomerate led by Asia's richest man, the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, said last week's Hindenburg report was intended to enable the U.S.-based short seller to book gains, without citing evidence. This has been overshadowed by the Hindenburg report, which flagged concerns about high debt levels and the use of tax havens. Hindenburg did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Adani response on Sunday. The report also said five of seven key listed Adani companies have reported current ratios - a measure of liquid assets minus near-term liabilities - of below 1. It also said key listed Adani companies had "substantial debt" which has put the entire group on a "precarious financial footing" and that shares in seven Adani listed companies have an 85% downside on a fundamental basis due to what it called "sky-high valuations".

☆ Morgan Stanley hit bankers with up to $1 mln in penalties for messaging breaches - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 26 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) has hit financial penalties on employees using messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and others for official business, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside business hours. The move comes after the lender had agreed to pay $200 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2021 to resolve probes into employee communications on messaging platforms that had not been approved by the company. In 2020, Morgan Stanley had fired two top executives due to the unauthorized use of WhatsApp to discuss work matters. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) has imposed financial penalties on employees who used messaging platforms such as WhatsApp for company business, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The amounts were determined by factors such as the number of messages sent, seniority and whether the employees had already received warnings, according to one source familiar with the matter. The SEC has been looking into whether lenders have been keeping a track of employees' digital communications. Financial firms are also scouring employees' phones and personal computers in a widespread effort to demonstrate to regulators that they are punishing breaches of communications policies, the source said. In 2020, two senior Morgan Stanley executives left the bank after unauthorized use of WhatsApp to discuss work matters.

☆ UK's Sunak preparing to block Scottish gender reform bill -The Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves after his visit to Port of Cromarty Firth at Invergordon, Scotland January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/PoolJan 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is poised to block Scottish laws that make it easier for people to change their gender, The Times reported on Friday. British Prime Minister's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Scotland has always been clear the bill does not impact the Equality Act, a Scottish Government spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The British National government had further said that it would examine the bill and could look at blocking it if necessary.

☆ U.S. Trustee files objection to FTX's planned asset sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Trustee filed an objection on Saturday to plans by bankrupt crypto exchange FTX to sell its digital currency futures and clearinghouse LedgerX, as well as units in Japan and Europe, according to a court filing. FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in November and said last month it planned to sell its LedgerX, Embed, FTX Japan and FTX Europe businesses. Trustee Andrew Vara called for an independent investigation before the sale of the units, arguing that the companies may have information related to FTX's bankruptcy. FTX said in a court filing last month that the companies it planned to sell are relatively independent from the broader FTX group, and that each has its own segregated customer accounts and separate management teams. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twitter further cuts staff overseeing global content moderation, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 7 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc made further staff cuts in the trust and safety team handling global content moderation and in the unit related to hate speech and harassment, Bloomberg news reported on Saturday. Workers on teams handling policy on misinformation, global appeals and state media on the platform were also eliminated, the report added. Twitter's vice president of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, confirmed to Reuters that Twitter made some cuts in the trust and safety team on Friday night but did not give details. "We have thousands of people within Trust and Safety who work content moderation and have not made cuts to the teams that do that work daily," she said via email. The company was also was hit with a lawsuit last month that claimed the social media company disproportionately targeted female employees in layoffs.

☆ Magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes northern California
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 1 (Reuters) - A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck 15 km (9.3 miles) southeast of California's Rio Dell region, an area still recovering from a powerful earthquake last month. The latest earthquake was at a depth of 27.8 km, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Sunday. The California Department of Transportation said in a Twitter post that State Route 211 at Fernbridge was closed while it conducted safety inspections on the bridge following the tremor. That same region of California, located in Humboldt County, was jolted by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Dec. 20, which crumpled homes and roads, ruptured utility lines and left thousands of residents without running water and electricity. In the previous quake, at least a dozen people were injured, and two others died from medical emergencies that occurred during or just after the quake, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.

☆ UK to require COVID negative tests for arrivals from China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Passengers walk through the International arrivals area of Terminal 5 in London's Heathrow Airport, Britain, August 2, 2021. REUTERS/Peter NichollsDec 30 (Reuters) - The UK said on Friday that passengers arriving to England from China from Jan. 5 will need to show a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test, taken no more than two days prior to departure, according to a statement. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China launches suit at WTO against U.S. chip export curbs - Global Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 13 (Reuters) - China on Monday launched a suit at the World Trade Organization over against the United States over its chip export control measures, the state-backed Global Times said in a tweet on Tuesday, citing China's commerce ministry. The Chinese mission to the WTO in Geneva and the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The United States has blocked appointments to the WTO's top ruling body on trade disputes, meaning some rows never get settled. The alleged complaint by China on U.S. chip export curbs comes days after a WTO ruling against Washington in a separate suit about metal tariffs that had been brought by China among others. The United States, a regular critic of the WTO's arbitration proceedings, rejected the WTO's findings.

☆ India's Paytm parent One97 considers share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - India's One 97 Communications Ltd (PAYT.NS) said on Thursday it is considering to repurchase its shares. The parent company of digital payments firm Paytm said that its board is set to meet on Dec. 13 to consider the buyback proposal. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Binance to relaunch bid to buy bankrupt Voyager Digital - Coindesk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Crypto exchange Binance's U.S. unit is relaunching its bid to buy bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital, Coindesk reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter. The report comes after Voyager called off FTX's bid to acquire the company following its collapse. In September, the Wall Street Journal had reported that Binance and FTX came up with the leading bids to buy Voyager's assets. FTX had won Voyager's assets in a $1.42-billion bid at an auction thereafter. The collapse of FTX, which reverberated across the crypto world, sending bitcoin and other digital assets plummeting, impacted nearly one million customers and several investors as they faced billions of dollars in losses.

☆ GIC, Dream Industrial JV to buy Canada's Summit for $3.3 bln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - A joint venture between Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC and Canadian industrial real estate company Dream Industrial REIT (DIR_u.TO) will acquire Canada's Summit Industrial Income REIT (SMU_u.TO) for C$4.46 billion ($3.30 billion), the companies said in a joint statement on Monday. The unitholders of Summit, which also manages industrial properties across Canada, will get C$23.50 per unit in cash, representing a 31.1% premium to its last close on Friday. Including debt, the deal is valued at C$5.9 billion, the companies said. The deal value, excluding debt, is based on Summit's 189.85 million outstanding units as of June 30. ($1 = 1.3523 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Singapore's GIC, partner to buy Canadian REIT Summit for $3.3 bln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC and Canada's Dream Industrial REIT (DIR_u.TO) will buy Canada's Summit Industrial Income REIT (SMU_u.TO) for about C$4.46 billion ($3.30 billion), excluding debt, the companies said in separate statements on Monday. GIC and Dream Industrial REIT (DIR) will form a joint venture for the deal, with GIC owning 90% and DIR owning the rest, according to the statements. The deal builds on GIC's recent real estate purchases globally and gives it access to the Canadian industrial space. In September, GIC, along with another private equity firm, bought U.S. commercial REIT Store Capital Corp (STOR.N) for about $14 billion. Including debt, the deal is valued at C$5.9 billion, Summit said.

☆ Eli Lilly says some staff want to leave Indiana because of abortion ban, Financial Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 6 (Reuters) - Some Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) employees have requested transfers from the drugmaker's Indiana operations after the U.S. state's lawmakers approved a bill that would ban most abortions there, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Some staff had asked to relocate outside the state even though an Indiana judge has temporarily halted the ban, the Indiana-based pharmaceutical firm's chief executive David Ricks told the newspaper in an interview. His comments come after the Republican-controlled Indiana Senate passed a law in August banning most abortions. An Indiana judge blocked the state in September from enforcing the new law while Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers challenge it in court. Eli Lilly did not provide details on how many staff have asked to move from Indiana, the FT said.

NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc (HD.N) retail workers voted against forming a union at a location in Pennsylvania, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said late on Saturday. More U.S. companies including Starbucks Corp and Amazon.com and grocer Trader Joe's Inc have seen some workers petition to form unions. Home Depot did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment regarding the outcome of the voting. Home Depot Workers United sought to unionize to address concerns regarding wages, staffing and training, said Vincent Quiles, interim president of Home Depot Workers United and a receiving associate at Home Depot. The independent union in mid-October filed an unfair labor practices charge against the retailer for engaging in unlawful surveillance and interrogating workers at the Philadelphia location, according to Home Depot Workers United.

☆ Eli Lilly says some staff want to leave Indiana because of abortion ban - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 6 (Reuters) - Some Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) employees have requested transfers from the drugmaker's Indiana operations after the U.S. state's lawmakers approved a bill that would ban most abortions there, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Some staff had asked to relocate outside the state even though an Indiana judge has temporarily halted the ban, the Indiana-based pharmaceutical firm's chief executive David Ricks told the newspaper in an interview. An Indiana judge blocked the state in September from enforcing the new law while Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers challenge it in court. Ricks said the new restrictions had created challenges for people to come to work in Indiana and that if Eli Lilly wanted to attract and retain the best staff, it had to grow in other locations, the FT said. Eli Lilly did not provide details on how many staff have asked to move from Indiana, the FT said.

☆ At least 10 people wounded in shooting at Philadelphia - CBS
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 5 (Reuters) - At least 10 people have been shot in the area of Kensington and Allegheny in Philadelphia on Saturday night, a CBS affiliate news channel reported. Gunshot victims were being rushed to a number of hospitals based on the severity of their injuries, the report said citing police sources. Details about the victims were not known immediately. Philadelphia Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ HSBC top shareholder Ping An urges aggressive cost cuts, renews spin-off push
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HSBC should be "more aggressive in radically reducing costs" and consider layoffs, Ping An Asset Management (Ping An AM), the bank's largest shareholder and a wholly-owned unit of Ping An Insurance (601318.SS), said in a statement on Friday. The statement on Friday marks Ping An AM's first public comments on the subject. Ping An AM said cost reduction was "urgent and absolutely needed" for the bank to improve performance, suggesting HSBC should consider layoffs and cuts in expenses at headquarters. HSBC said in a statement it had kept a tight grip on costs by driving greater efficiencies across the organisation. "We will support any initiatives including a spin-off that are conducive to improve HSBC's performance and value; we will consider any suggestions that will help HSBC improve its development and operation strategy," Ping An AM said.

☆ Biden administration seeks to cut U.S. home energy bills with $4.5 bln savings package
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - The Biden administration will offer Americans nearly $4.5 billion in assistance to help lower home energy costs, the White House said on Wednesday. The package, announced by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration for Children and Families, will also help families make cost-effective home energy repairs and cover unpaid utility bills, the statement said. Separately, the Department of Energy announced a near $9 billion package for new home efficiency programs administered by tribes and states, the statement added. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Qatar Investment Authority plans to raise stake in Credit Suisse - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannNov 2 (Reuters) - The Qatar Investment Authority plans to raise its stake in Swiss lender Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) by investing in a share sale alongside the Saudi National Bank (1180.SE), the Financial Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the talks. Credit Suisse declined to comment on the report, while Qatar Investment Authority did not immediately respond to a Reuters request. read moreLast week, Saudi Arabia-controlled SNB said it would invest up to 1.5 billion francs in Credit Suisse to take a stake of up to 9.9% and may invest in the investment bank. ($1 = 0.9980 Swiss francs)Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least 14 injured in shooting in Chicago on Halloween
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - At least 14 people, including two children and a teenager, were shot in a drive-by shooting in western Chicago on Halloween night on Monday, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities, police said. The injured were in various condition, with several in critical and others non-life threatening, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said in a press briefing. One more person was injured after being struck by a vehicle at the site of the shooting. Citing preliminary information, Brown said one vehicle was involved in the shooting, but there were possibly two shooters. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Blinken discusses Russia-Ukraine, Sino-U.S. relations with China's Wang Yi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a call on Sunday and discussed Russia's war against Ukraine and the threats it poses to global security and economic stability, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. Blinken also discussed with his Chinese counterpart on the need to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage U.S.-China relations, the statement said. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK's Sunak reconsiders tax rises -The Telegraph
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 26 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering tax rises and major public spending cuts, according to The Telegraph. Sunak on Wednesday delayed the announcement of a keenly awaited plan for repairing the country's public finances until Nov. 17, two-and-a-half weeks later than previously planned. The report noted a rapid fall in the interest rate paid on government gilts and a reduction in the international gas price. Soon after Sunak became Britain's Prime Minister on Tuesday, he said difficult decisions lay ahead as he looks to cut public spending. Last week, The Telegraph reported that Hunt was considering up to 20 billion pounds of tax rises in a budget that was previously scheduled for Oct. 31.

☆ UK PM Rishi Sunak may delay fiscal statement - The Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 25 (Reuters) - New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering delaying next week's planned fiscal statement in order to fill a hole of 40 billion pounds ($46 billion) in the UK's finances, The Times reported. Sunak is expected to meet finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Wednesday to discuss his proposals to increase taxes and squeeze public spending, the report said. This comes after former PM Liz Truss's spokeswoman said last week that her successor would decide whether to proceed with a fiscal plan scheduled for Oct. 31. Hunt reversed Truss's economic growth plan on Oct. 17 after several weeks of turmoil in UK politics and markets and Truss resigned a few days later. Sunak, who became Britain's third prime minister in two months, quickly re-appointed Hunt as his finance minister in a move designed to calm markets.

☆ China's YMTC asks core U.S. employees to leave due to chip export restrictions, Financial Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Chinese chip maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) Ltd has asked its U.S. employees in core tech positions to leave, as the company rushes to comply with the new U.S export restrictions, Financial Times reported on Monday. It was unclear how many U.S. citizens and green card holders would be forced to leave YMTC, Financial Times reported, quoting four people close to the company. The paper said several employees in China had already left the company. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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