DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Netherlands sticks to plan to close Groningen gas field by October - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 22 (Reuters) - The Netherlands remains convinced of the need to close production at Groningen, once one of Europe's largest gas fields, by October following earthquake risks which made it dangerous to keep operating, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sunday citing a government official. Mining Deputy Minister Hans Vijlbrief said he would stick to the previously announced timetable and aimed to shut the earthquake-prone gas field by Oct. 1, with the option of keeping it operational one more year if there was a shortage of gas in Europe after the winter. I’m quite convinced it’s wise to close it down," Vijlbrief said to the FT.Netherlands on Friday said that it will stop the search for new onshore oil and gas fields in a drive to reach its climate goals and limit seismic risks. The Netherlands for decades was one of Europe's main gas suppliers through the Groningen field in the north of the country, until production there was cut to a minimum to limit the seismic risks. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru and Bart Meijer in Amsterdam; Editing by William Mallard and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Elon Musk says Twitter has a headcount of about 2,300
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 21 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc has about 2,300 active employees, Elon Musk said in a Tweet on Saturday. CNBC on Friday reported that Twitter's full-time headcount has reduced to about 1,300 active, working employees, including fewer than 550 full-time engineers by title. There are about 2300 active, working employees at Twitter," billionaire Musk tweeted in a response to a tweet quoting CNBC. "There are still hundreds of employees working on trust & safety, along with several thousand contractors," Musk added. Musk took over Twitter in October and swiftly moved through a number of product and organizational changes.

☆ Western Digital, Kioxia in advanced talks for merger - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Western Digital office building is shown in Irvine, California, U.S., January 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mike BlakeJan 20 (Reuters) - Memory chip maker Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) and Japan's Kioxia Holdings Corp are in advanced talks for a possible merger which will involve a dual-listing, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. A combined Kioxia-Western Digital would control a third of the NAND flash market, putting it on par with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) . Western Digital and Kioxia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Kioxia, one of the biggest producers globally of flash memory and solid-state storage, is a key supplier to Western Digital.

☆ Spotify down for thousands of users -Downdetector
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 13 (Reuters) - Audio streaming platform Spotify (SPOT.N) was down for thousands of users on Friday, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com. Downdetector, which tracks outages through a range of sources including user reports, showed more than 38,000 affected users from the United States at the peak of the disruption. Thanks for your reports!" Spotify Status, an account that provides updates about the audio platforms's current status, said on Twitter. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twitter's laid-off workers asked to drop lawsuit over severance, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 14 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc has secured a ruling allowing the social media company to force several laid-off workers suing over their termination to pursue their claims via individual arbitration than a class-action lawsuit. Donato granted Twitter's request to force the five ex-employees to pursue their claims individually, citing agreements they signed with the company. The judge said that before asking workers to sign severance agreements waiving their ability to sue the company, Twitter must give them "a succinct and plainly worded notice". Twitter laid off roughly 3,700 employees in early November in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, and hundreds more subsequently resigned. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru and Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China moving to take 'golden shares' in Alibaba, Tencent units - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Tencent is seen at Tencent office in Shanghai, China December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoJan 13 (Reuters) - China is moving to take minority stakes with special rights in the local units of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK), the Financial Times reported on Friday. Seeking influence, Beijing began taking these stakes, called "golden shares," in private online media companies - usually about 1% of a firm - more than five years ago. These golden stakes are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain a board seat and/or veto rights for key business decisions. However, the specifics of the government's plan to take golden shares in Tencent remain under discussion, but they will involve a stake in one of the group's main China operating subsidiaries, the report added.

☆ China acquires 'golden shares' in two Alibaba units
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at its office in Beijing, China Jan. 5, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, China, Jan 13 (Reuters) - China has acquired minority stakes with special rights in two domestic units of tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK), business registration records showed, as Beijing extends a campaign to strengthen control over online content. Beijing has been taking 'golden shares' in private online media and content companies for more than five years, and in recent years expanding such arrangements to companies with vast troves of data. These golden shares, typically equal to about 1% of a firm, are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain board representation and/or veto rights for key business decisions. Having such golden shares can be helpful to firms when they try to secure licences to disseminate online news and to show online visual and audio programmes, sources have told Reuters.

☆ Winklevoss says crypto broker Genesis negotiating in bad faith
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gemini has a crypto lending product called Earn in partnership with DCG's crypto firm Genesis. Genesis halted customer withdrawals in November, following the collapse of major crypto exchange FTX. Winklevoss said Genesis owed more than $900 million to some 340,000 Earn investors, and that he had been trying to reach a "consensual resolution" with Silbert for the past six weeks. "However, it is now becoming clear that you have been engaging in bad faith stall tactics," Winklevoss wrote in an open letter to Silbert that was posted on Twitter. Winklevoss wrote that DCG owed Genesis $1.675 billion, which was money that Genesis in turn owed to Earn users and other creditors, adding "this mess is entirely of your own making."

☆ Twitter back online after global outage hits thousands
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Reports of Twitter outages fell sharply by Wednesday evening, according to the website, with some users later commenting service had returned to normal. loadingDuring the outage, some users said they were unable to log in to their Twitter account via desktops or laptops. Hundreds of Twitter employees quit the social media company in November, by some estimates, including engineers responsible for fixing bugs and preventing service outages. Thousands of Twitter users were also hit by a global outages in February and July, before Musk's takeover. In July, a near 19-hour service outage at Canada's biggest telecom operator Rogers Telecommunications shut banking, transport and government access for millions.

☆ Getir buys grocery app rival Gorillas in $1.2 bln deal - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Turkish fast delivery company Getir has closed its acquisition of German rival Gorillas in a deal that values the combined group at $10 billion, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The deal values Gorillas at around $1.2 billion, down from the $3 billion mooted in September last year, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter. Gorillas said in June it expected to be profitable at a group level within 12 months. Getir is also hoping to raise more funding early next year, the report said, adding the Turkish company was also cutting its own valuation by around a quarter. Earlier this year, Getir closed a $768 million funding round led by Abu Dhabi state investor Mubadala that valued the company at around $12 billion.

☆ Russia considers setting oil price floor in response to G7 - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Russia is considering setting a price floor for its international oil sales as a response to a cap imposed by G7 nations, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. Moscow is considering either imposing a fixed price for the nation's barrels, or stipulating maximum discounts to international benchmarks at which they can be sold, the report added, citing two officials familiar with the plan. The G7 price cap on Russian seaborne oil came into force on Monday as the West tries to limit Moscow's ability to finance its war in Ukraine, but Russia has said it will not abide by the measure even if it has to cut production. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ J&J unit says does not intend to bid for Horizon Therapeutics
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) unit Janssen Global Services said on Saturday that it does not intend to make an offer for biotech company Horizon Therapeutics Plc (HZNP.O). Last month, Horizon Therapeutics - which has a market capitalization of about $18 billion - said it was in talks with Amgen Inc (AMGN.O), Sanofi (SASY.PA) and Janssen Global Services, all three of which have been active in deal-making this year. It expects over $4 billion in global annual peak sales for its biggest drug Tepezza, which is used to treat thyroid eye disease. French drugmaker Sanofi (SASY.PA) said on Friday that if it decides to bid for Horizon, it would do so in cash. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Disney buys MLB's stake in streaming firm BAMTech for $900 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) disclosed on Tuesday that it has taken full control of BAMTech, a video-streaming firm spun off from Major League Baseball's digital media company MLB Advanced Media. Disney earlier this month purchased the remaining stake in BAMTech from Major League Baseball for $900 million, the company said in a SEC filing. Previous to the transaction, streaming technology services provider BAMTech was owned 85% by Disney and 15% by Major League Baseball (MLB). BAMTech provides the streaming platform for such entities as Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment and Warner Bros Discovery Inc's HBO. Streaming service provider Hulu is owned 67% by Disney and 33% by NBC Universal (NBCU).

☆ FTX remains focus of 'active' investigation, Bahamas attorney general says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX remains the subject of "an active and ongoing investigation" by Bahamian authorities, Bahamian Attorney General Ryan Pinder said on Sunday, as he praised the Bahamas' regulatory regime and swiftness with which it responded to the crisis. FTX, which had been among the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is headquartered in the Bahamas. In mid-November, the Royal Bahamas Police said that government investigators in the Bahamas were looking at whether any "criminal misconduct occurred." read more"We are in the early stages of an active and ongoing investigation," Pinder said on Sunday, according to prepared remarks for the speech. Bahamas securities regulators had revoked FTX Digital's license and began involuntary liquidation proceedings the day before the U.S. bankruptcy case kicked off.

☆ Black Friday online sales to hit record despite high inflation -Adobe Analytics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 25 (Reuters) - U.S. online spending is expected to set a record for Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics, as steep discounts lured consumers against the backdrop of high inflation, kicking off the year's biggest shopping event on a strong note. Initial numbers from Adobe Analytics, the data and insights arm of software company Adobe Inc (ADBE.O), showed shoppers are expected to spend between $9 billion and $9.2 billion online on Friday, topping its forecast for a modest 1% rise to $9 billion. As of 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) on Friday, Adobe data showed shoppers spent an estimated $7.28 billion online. More Americans placed orders through their smartphones over the holiday, with mobile shopping expected to drive 53% of Black Friday online sales. "As Black Friday discounts transition to being pre-Cyber Monday discounts, we expect online spending momentum to continue through the weekend."

☆ FTC likely to file lawsuit to block Microsoft bid for Activision -Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNov 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion takeover bid for video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), Politico reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The acquisition could damage the industry if Microsoft refused to give rivals access to Activision's best-selling games, Britain's antitrust regulator has said. The deal has drawn criticism from Sony, maker of the Playstation console, citing Microsoft's control of games like "Call of Duty." A spokesperson for Microsoft said: "We are prepared to address the concerns of regulators, including the FTC, and Sony to ensure the deal closes with confidence.

☆ French Caterer Elior weighs a tie-up with biggest shareholder Derichebourg -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Elior (ELIOR.PA) is discussing a possible tie-up with its biggest shareholder Derichebourg (DBG.PA) as the French caterer looks to shore up its balance sheet amid ongoing high-inflation environment, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. An Elior spokesperson declined to comment on the Bloomberg News report while officials at Derichebourg could not immediately be reached for comment. "The board of directors is finalizing examining various scenarios with the aim to retain the one that will optimize the Group's strategic orientations and improve its financial position," Gault said in a statement. Earlier this year, French metal scrap recycler Derichebourg increased its stake in Elior, to 19.6%, making it the catering group's largest shareholder. Elior's biggest investor, Derichebourg, has no plans to make an offer for the entire company if the tie-up plan proceeds, according to the report.

☆ A Failed Test Led AC/DC Frontman Brian Johnson to Discover the Power in His Voice
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Marc Myers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Brian Johnson, 75, has been the lead singer of the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He is the author of “The Lives of Brian: A Memoir” (Dey Street). My first public appearance as a singer was a command performance. Our church choirmaster named me head choir boy and had me sing “Silent Night” solo at a candlelit midnight Mass on Christmas in 1960. When I finished, I heard sighs and ahhhs.

☆ UK council tax caps to be eased amid local authority funding crisis -FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt is set to give local authorities the right to raise council tax by a maximum of 4.99% from 2.99% before having to put the increase to a local referendum, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday citing people familiar with the matter. Hunt will make the announcement in the upcoming Autumn Statement on Thursday, the newspaper reported. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

KATHMANDU, Nov 9 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck Nepal early Wednesday, killing at least six people, destroying multiple houses in the western district of Doti and shaking the Indian capital New Delhi, officials said. "Expressing my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died in the earthquake," Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba wrote on Twitter. Nepal's seismological centre set the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.6. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) had pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.6. Media reports after the quake showed tremors were also felt in New Delhi and surrounding areas, some 350km (220 miles) from Doti.

☆ Six dead after earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck Nepal early Wednesday, killing at least six people and destroying multiple houses in the district of Doti, officials said. Nepal's seismological centre set the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.6. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) had pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.6. India's National Center for Seismology marked the quake at a magnitude of 6.3. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK poised to announce gas deal with U.S. after climate change summit -Telegraph
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is poised to announce a major gas deal with the U.S. after the COP27 climate change summit, The Telegraph reported on Monday. Talks about the "energy security partnership" are in their final stages, with the U.S. planning to sell billions of cubic metres of liquefied natural gas to Britain over the coming year, the report added. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Musk lays out Twitter mission, sparks debate on content accuracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some advertises have pulled spending since the deal was announced, with Musk blaming activist groups for pressuring advertisers amid concerns about its content moderation. "Twitter needs to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That’s our mission," Musk said on Sunday. Musk also said on Sunday Twitter users engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying it as a "parody" account will be permanently suspended without a warning. Benefits of the verification service would include "half the ads", the ability to post longer videos to Twitter and priority ranking for quality content, Twitter said.

☆ Twitter impersonators will be suspended permanently, Musk says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 6 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Sunday Twitter users engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying it as a "parody" account will be permanently suspended without a warning. loadingIn a separate tweet, Musk said Twitter previously issued a warning before suspension, but as Twitter is rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning as well as "no exceptions." loading"This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue," Musk said, adding any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark. Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) boss Musk, who also will serve as chief executive of Twitter, last month said Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with "widely diverse viewpoints". On the topic of banned accounts, Musk last week said they will not be allowed back onto Twitter until the social media platform has "a clear process for doing so."

☆ UK to announce U.S. gas deal after climate change summit -Telegraph
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is poised to announce a major gas deal with the U.S. after the COP27 climate change summit, The Telegraph reported on Monday. Earlier this year, the United States agreed to supply 15 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas to the European Union to help it wean off Russian energy supplies. Sunak on Monday at the COP27 climate change summit said the war should accelerate efforts to wean the world off fossil fuels. Wholesale gas prices have soared in recent months as economies reopen from COVID-19 lockdowns and high demand for liquefied natural gas in Asia pushed down supplies to Europe. Around 12 British energy suppliers have already collapsed this year, affecting more than 2 million customers.

Search resuls for: "dey"

25 mentions found