DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ PSG boss Galtier says not his decision to suspend Messi, condemns fan protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 5 (Reuters) - Paris St Germain manager Christophe Galtier said he had nothing to do with the club's decision to suspend Lionel Messi while he also condemned the Ligue 1 side's fans for staging protests outside Neymar's house. "I was informed by the board at the start of the week of the decision to suspend Messi. When I was informed, I had the responsibility of not commenting on it," Galtier told a press conference ahead of Sunday's game at Troyes. PSG condemned the fans' actions while Galtier said it was unacceptable for supporters to protest outside a player's house. You may protest at the training ground or at the PSG office or after a match at the Parc des Princes.

☆ Spain gives Vivendi approval to raise stake in media group Prisa
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Spanish government has given authorisation for Vivendi to exchange the Prisa convertible bonds it acquired in February into equity, Prisa said in a statement. Heavily-indebted Prisa had sold 130 million euros ($143 million) worth of convertible bonds in a move to reduce its debt. Prisa said if Vivendi were the only bondholder to convert its bonds into equity, its stake would rise to 15%. Vivendi had built its stake in Prisa by first acquiring a 7.89% stake from HSBC for 52 million euros ($57.25 million). Prisa's largest single shareholder is activist fund Amber Capital, led by French investor Joseph Oughourlian, with a 29.57% stake, Refinitiv Eikon information shows.

☆ Messi apologises to PSG for Saudi trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi apologised to Paris St Germain and his team mates on Friday after being suspended for making a trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this week and missing a training session as a result. French media reported that Messi was suspended for two weeks after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia when he was supposed to train with the squad the day after the Ligue 1 leaders' 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient on Sunday. I had this trip organised and I couldn't cancel it, I had already cancelled it before," Messi said in a video on Instagram. "I apologise to my team mates and I'm waiting for what the club wants to do with me," added the Argentina forward. He returned in January to play a friendly match with PSG against a team of Saudi League stars, when he faced great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

☆ Italy's TIM seeks final offer for grid by June 9
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Elvira Pollina Jubabu | Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TIM directors gathered on Thursday to draw a response to rival non binding approaches for its landline grid by KKR (KKR.N) and a consortium comprising state lender CDP and fund Macquarie (MQG.AX), worth 21 billion euros ($23 billion) and 19.3 billion euros, respectively. In a statement after the board meeting, TIM said it deemed the bids "not yet adequate", adding at least one of the bidders had expressed its readiness to improve its non-binding offer. Three sources with knowledge of the matter said KKR was willing to work further on its bid's terms. Italian last month said her right-wing administration would not intervene at this stage in the network sale process, although it is on alert to avoid any risk to the national interest. ($1 = 0.9081 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina and Juby Babu, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Newsletter publisher TheSkimm has laid off 13%, its second layoff this year as cuts ripple across media
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Newsletter publisher TheSkimm laid off 13%, or about 22 people. It's the second layoff this year for the once-buzzy millennial media outlet. Layoffs hit newsletter publisher TheSkimm for the second time this year as it continues to face a punishing advertising market. The cuts came amid a tough economic environment in which a wide range of media, entertainment, and tech companies have laid off staff. The company faced tough times in the pandemic when advertisers were spending less and reassessing which media outlets were truly essential, and TheSkimm's lighthearted tone felt out of step with the times.

☆ Prince Harry claims Murdoch newspapers paid ‘large sum’ to settle William hacking claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Lindsay Isaac | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Buckingham Palace and Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers reached a secret agreement over historical phone hacking claims, court documents filed on behalf of Prince Harry allege. Officials at Kensington Palace, which represents Prince William, told CNN it does not comment on legal proceedings. Prince Harry states that his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was aware of settlement talks. NGN said it has no comment regarding the suggestion that it made a confidential settlement with Prince William. The company also claims that Prince Harry ought to have brought his lawsuit sooner.

☆ China says it respects ex-Soviet nations after envoy’s 'unacceptable' comments on sovereignty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China said Monday it respects the independency of former Soviet nations after remarks by its ambassador in France were deemed "unacceptable" in Europe. It comes as the 27 members of the European Union reassess their diplomatic and economic relationship with Beijing. That sentiment was echoed by Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna, "We are an independent country, member of the EU, of NATO. Speaking also in Luxembourg, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said the comments of the Chinese ambassador were "totally unacceptable." This is just the latest episode in a series of controversial events between China and the European Union.

☆ Exclusive: Vivendi set to win EU green light for Lagardere deal, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of French media giant Vivendi is seen in Paris, France, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Violeta Santos MouraBRUSSELS, April 19 (Reuters) - French media conglomerate Vivendi (VIV.PA) is set to win EU antitrust approval to buy Lagardere (LAGA.PA) after its offer to sell Editis and celebrity magazine Gala managed to address competition concerns, people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday. The European Commission, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by June 14, declined to comment. Vivendi, controlled by billionaire Vincent Bollore, announced the deal last year which would give it control of Lagardere's flagship weekly publications Journal du Dimanche (JDD) and Paris Match. Vivendi is now in talks to sell its publishing division Editis to billionaire Daniel Kretinsky after EU competition enforcers voiced concerns about Lagardere unit Hachette, the world's third-biggest publishing group.

PARIS, April 18 (Reuters) - French shipping group CMA CGM (CMACG.UL) is offering 5 billion euros ($5.48 billion) for the logistics unit of Bollore, the family-run conglomerate said on Tuesday. For Bollore a deal would mean cutting ties with its biggest business while offering cash-rich CMA CGM a chance to bolster its bid to offer end-to-end transportation services and supply chain management. Bollore said in a statement that it had agreed to enter into exclusive talks with CMA CGM until May 8. CMA CGM, privately controlled by the founding Saade family, has seen its earnings surge in the past two years on high freight rates and saturated supply chains. Bollore, run by the family of billionaire Vincent Bollore, sold its Bollore Africa Logistics business last year to shipping company MSC Group for 5.7 billion euros.

☆ Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch survived the phone-hacking scandal. Dominion's $1.6 billion lawsuit will test whether he can do it again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Now, two voting-technology companies, Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, want to make another Murdoch media property pay even more for Fox News's role in spreading election denial. But the phone-hacking scandal showed how Murdoch has weathered challenges to his power before. Another key difference from the phone-hacking scandal is the presence of written records that show Fox execs knew exactly what was going on. In the last quarter of 2022, Fox Corp. netted $321 million on $4.6 billion in revenue. And during the phone-hacking scandal, Murdoch showed fierce loyalty.

☆ Fox News is about to enter the true No Spin Zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Good progress was made and the presiding judge noted that there were “more than enough jurors” to start the trial as scheduled on Monday. I’ve watched thousands and thousands of hours of the right-wing channel’s programming. Fox News is about to enter the true No Spin Zone, where deception is strictly prohibited. The case hasn’t even started and the presiding judge has already lost his patience with Fox’s legal team and put them on notice. But if they play out like the last few weeks of court have, Fox News is in for a brutal ride.

☆ Opinion: I’m betting on Cousin Greg. But I’m not a serious person
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Gene Seymour | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

By now, we should be used to HBO’s series pulling the rug out from beneath our expectations. Still, as more than one pundit observed of Logan’s death, this one shocked more than merely surprised. Not me, though I do miss Brian Cox already because few actors anywhere are as adroit at playing dyspeptic sociopaths. It would be at the very least ironic if “Greg the Egg,” the minion’s minion, stumbled into power as if he tripped on a sidewalk. I’ll say no more on this except to suggest that you all try to remember who in the end won that “Game of Thrones.” It’s not inevitable.

☆ Vivendi to sell celebrity magazine Gala to win EU approval for Lagardere bid -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, April 11 (Reuters) - French media giant Vivendi (VIV.PA) is set to commit to selling celebrity magazine Gala in a bid to win the European Commission's approval for the acquisition of Lagardere (LAGA.PA), a source close to the matter said on Tuesday. The commitment to the European Commission's antitrust services will be made on Wednesday, the source added. The pledged sale of Gala would be the latest remedy offered by Vivendi, controlled by billionaire Vincent Bollore, as it seeks to secure the takeover of Lagardere's flagship weekly publications Journal du Dimanche (JDD) and Paris Match. Last month Vivendi said it was in talks to sell its publishing division Editis to billionaire Daniel Kretinsky to allay EU antitrust worries, as Lagardere is home to Hachette, the world's third-biggest publishing group. Reporting by Kate Entringer; writing by Mathieu Rosemain; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowNEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Tuesday filed criminal charges accusing Charlie Javice, the founder of the now-shuttered college financial planning company Frank, of defrauding JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) into buying the startup for $175 million in 2021. Prosecutors said that when JPMorgan asked for a list of names, Javice paid an unnamed data science professor $18,000 to concoct a sham list of names. JPMorgan shut down Frank in January, and Chief Executive Jamie Dimon branded the acquisition a "huge mistake" in a Jan. 13 conference call with analysts. In December, JPMorgan sued Javice and Olivier Amar, who was Frank's chief growth officer, in Delaware federal court. Javice filed counterclaims in February, accusing JPMorgan of having "compromised her reputation" and wrongfully withheld $28 million of retention payments and equity.

☆ French feminist politician under fire for Playboy front cover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - French junior social affairs minister Marlene Schiappa is facing criticism from her own party for posing in a white dress for the cover of Playboy, with French media reporting Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called Schiappa to express her displeasure. The furor comes at a time of social unrest in the country as the government is facing a big backlash over pension reforms. The Playboy cover will be accompanied by a 12-page interview in which Schiappa, who brought in legislation outlawing catcalling and street harassment, talks about women's and LGBT rights. In France, women are free. The Playboy issue is available to buy from April 8th, according to Le Parisien.

☆ TikTok CEO set for grilling in House hearing. But U.S. lawmakers also face questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

U.S. tech platforms including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Google's YouTube , Twitter and Snap's Snapchat have raised similar fears for lawmakers and users. Evaluating a potential banThere's little appetite in Washington to accept the potential risks that TikTok's ownership by Chinese company ByteDance poses to U.S. national security. The interagency panel tasked with reviewing national security risks stemming from ByteDance's ownership has threatened a ban if the company won't sell its stake in the app. Trahan said members should ask about national security risks of the app, but those questions should be substantive. Bowman noted lawmakers haven't received a bipartisan congressional briefing from the administration on national security risks stemming from TikTok.

Protests against the bill have drawn huge crowds in rallies organised by unions since January. Most have been peaceful, but anger has mounted since the government pushed the bill through parliament without a vote last week. The ongoing protests could impact a planned state visit next week of Britain's King Charles, a Buckingham Palace source said. While the opposition has called for Macron to fire his prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, who has been at the forefront of the pension reform, Macron backed her and said that he had tasked her to work on new reforms. "Tomorrow we will be on the streets again to demonstrate against the pension reform and demand its withdrawal," said one of them, CFDT union member Sophie Trastour.

[1/6] People walk in a street where garbage cans are overflowing, as garbage has not been collected, in Paris, France March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit TessierPARIS, March 10 (Reuters) - Garbage piled up in Paris streets and fuel deliveries were blocked from refineries as workers continued rolling strikes against pension reform but President Emmanuel Macron refused to meet with unions and said the reform must go ahead. But the hardline CGT union at TotalEnergies' Donges refinery said the strike would continue at least until Thursday and garbage collector unions had set no date for a resumption of services. According to an interior ministry note cited by French TV BFM, police expect that 800,000 to one million people will demonstrate. Fuel deliveries were also disrupted at the Fos refinery, operated by ExxonMobil (XOM.N) subsidiary Esso, a CGT spokesperson said.

☆ Bolloré Jr. readies Vivendi for asset purge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But the markdown gives Yannick more latitude to end his father’s ill-fated Italian foray while continuing to play hardball to raise the price tag. Here again, the move will give Bolloré junior more freedom to consider offers from potential buyers, which the European Commission will have to approve. At 70, the elder Bolloré, who remains in charge of the family holding that owns a 30% stake in Vivendi, is gradually implementing his succession plan. At 9.8 euros, Vivendi’s stock fails to capture the value of its various investments and trades below an analysts’ target of between 12 to 15 euros. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ The celebrities that are still defending Putin — and those that have turned their backs on him
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Another former showbiz pal, French actor Gérard Depardieu, has since criticized Putin for his "crazy excesses" and was critical of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets French actor Gérard Depardieu (L) in Sochi, Russia, on January 5, 2013. Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Pool via ReutersIn 2013, Putin signed an executive order making Depardieu a Russian citizen. The actor wanted to become a Russian citizen to save taxes in France, The New York Times reported. In a letter to Russian state television at the time, he said: "I love your president, Vladimir Putin, very much and it's mutual," according to The Times.

☆ A freelance SEO expert explains 5 steps to drive search traffic on a limited budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Ryan Darani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

X is typically a brand with 20 years of organic SEO growth that dominates a particular industry. Here are five simple steps to start generating organic traffic to your website immediately, with a limited but well-placed budget. Search traffic is driven by billions of searches happening every day. The more you can do this, the better it'll be for your rankings and organic traffic. The more mentions and links you receive from other relevant websites, the more potential you have to generate organic traffic.

☆ Prototypes for Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset feature in-air typing tech that uses hand and eye movements, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's mixed-reality headset is expected to start shipping late 2023 priced around $3,000, per Bloomberg. Prototypes of the Reality Pro feature "in-air" typing based on hand and eye movements, Bloomberg said. The launch of the Reality Pro would mark Apple's first big step into metaverse technology. Both The Information and Bloomberg have reported that Apple's Reality Pro will retail at around $3,000 upon launch, which is expected later in 2023. In August 2022, companies tied to Apple filed trademarks for devices named "Reality One," "Reality Pro," and "Reality Processor."

☆ Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, is not renewing its overall deal with Amazon Studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Plan B, the production company cofounded by Brad Pitt, is not renewing its overall deal with Amazon Studios. In late 2022, French company Mediawan acquired a majority stake in Plan B. Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B Entertainment, is not renewing its overall deal with Amazon Studios, Insider has learned. Prime Video's "Paper Girls," produced by Plan B and Legendary Television, was canceled after one season. The move comes in the wake of a December announcement that French media company Mediawan had taken a majority stake in Plan B, with Plan B intending to operate as an independent content creator going forward.

Several of this year's Grammy nominees, including "abcdefu" singer Gayle and R&B artist Muni Long, rose in popularity after influencers and everyday users posted TikTok videos with their music. Even as the music industry gathers in Los Angeles to celebrate artists and their songs at Sunday's Grammy awards, the relationship between hitmaker TikTok and music labels is showing signs of strain. As deals with the major music companies expire, the labels are looking to receive some of TikTok's ad revenue, according to Tatiana Cirisano, music industry analyst for Midia Research. One music industry insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "it’s open to interpretation" why this is happening now. "TikTok has become really integral to the way that younger people relate to music, discover music and consume it,” Cirisano said.

☆ Belarusian Sabalenka crowned first 'neutral' Grand Slam champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The big-hitting Belarusian overhauled Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the final at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday while barred from representing the eastern European nation. Had Rybakina not switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018, the Russia-born player would also have competed as a neutral. "I think everyone still knows that I'm Belarusian player. Asked whether missing Wimbledon made her Australian Open win sweeter, Sabalenka was non-committal. The Belarus tennis federation was quick to extend congratulations to the country's second tennis player to win a Grand Slam, following on from twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who was knocked out in the semi-finals.

Search resuls for: "CH Media"

25 mentions found