DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Drone attacks that shook Moscow showed Russians they can no longer trust Putin to protect them, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Drones hit residential buildings in Moscow for the first time in its war with Ukraine. An expert said it "brought the war to the streets" for Russians and may shake their faith in Putin. People shelter inside a subway station during an air raid alert, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 29, 2023. Other recent attacks on Russian soil — which Ukraine has also said were not its responsibility — have been closer to Ukrainian territory. Moscow is the capital of Russia, which perceives itself as a great country, rightly or wrongly."

☆ Disney’s fight with DeSantis masks a bigger problem: Its business is struggling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The company’s latest salvo in the back-and-forth with DeSantis came Thursday, when it pulled the plug on its Lake Nona office complex. For Team Disney, the move is just the latest in which the company is relentlessly dunking on a relatively inexperienced politician who picked a fight with the wrong conglomerate. If you’re on Team DeSantis, shutting down Lake Nona reflects the desperation of a company whose stock is tanking and whose core businesses face serious headwinds. But Disney’s financial problems have much more to do with its money-guzzling streaming business and its rapidly dwindling profit from traditional cable TV. Disney’s stock is down more than 5% this year, while the S&P 500 is up 2%.

☆ Putin wants China to think he can defeat Ukraine. But his expensive military gambit is yet to yield results
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Kremlin claimed it had hit one of the United States’ prestigious Patriot missile defense systems. The Kremlin claimed it had hit a US Patriot missile defense system. The White House rebuffed Moscow's claims that the attack hit a Patriot missile defense system. Ankara on the diplomatic fenceXi isn’t the only leader with skin in the Ukraine war that Putin appears to be trying to sway his way right now. There is no guarantee either that Xi cares about Putin’s missile salvo targeting Kyiv’s Patriot missile batteries either, but he will have been paying attention.

☆ Ukraine's Patriots aren't hard to find, and Russia's gunning for them with one of its best weapons — Putin's prized Kinzhals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Ukraine's Patriots aren't hard to find, and Russia appears to be using one of its best weapons to hunt them. Patriot missile defense system at Schwesing military airport in Germany on March 17, 2022. Photo by Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty ImagesUkraine presently has just two Patriot air defense batteries in its arsenal, one from the US and another provided by European partners. A general view of a mobile defence surface-to-air missile system, Patriot, before it is transported to Poland from Gnoien, Germany January 23, 2023. He asserted that "to the extent possible, replenishing Ukraine's air defense capacity should remain a priority for Western military aid for the foreseeable future."

☆ In Battle of Basquiats, Valentino Gets $67 Million for Masterpiece ‘The Nile’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Kelly Crow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fashion designer Valentino Garavani posed in his Fifth Avenue apartment in 2010 with the ‘Nile’ painting in the background. Photo: Jonathan Becker/Art: Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York/ Richard PrinceFashion designer Valentino Garavani sold a nearly 12-foot-wide Jean-Michel Basquiat painting that interrogates the history of slavery for $67 million at Christie’s on Monday. Mr. Garavani paid $5.2 million for 1983’s “El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile)” in 2005, but the triptych came up for bid with a $45 million estimate, according to auction database Artnet . This time around, two dogged bidders chased it higher, with an anonymous telephone bidder winning it.

☆ Video shows explosive Israeli airstrike on an apartment block in Gaza, in 'targeted killing' of an Islamic Jihad commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Israeli airstrike killed a top leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). PIJ targeted the Jerusalem area with rocket attacks on Friday. Recent fighting has seen hundreds of strikes and rocket exchanges between Israel and Gaza militants. Iyad al-Hassani is the sixth PIJ leader to be killed by Israel this week. Since Tuesday, there have been large-scale missile and rocket exchanges between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

☆ Ukraine military says all 35 drones Russia launched overnight destroyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top military command said on Monday that its forces destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia had launched overnight at different targets around the country. It added that in addition, 61 airstrikes and 52 attacks from the heavy rocket salvo fire systems were launched over the past day on the positions of Ukrainian forces and populated areas. "Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded civilians, high-rise buildings, private homes and other civilian infrastructure were damaged," it said. Kyiv's Mayor Klitschko said that at least five people were injured in the capital amidst damage done to buildings and infrastructure. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Florida legislature approves bill allowing board to cancel Disney deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Under the bill, which now goes to DeSantis for signing into law, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, appointed by DeSantis to oversee development in and around Disney's theme parks, can cancel agreements that were signed up to three months before the board's creation. It replaced the Reedy Creek Improvement District as the body overseeing the 25,000 acres surrounding the Walt Disney World resort. Disney, the largest employer in central Florida, and DeSantis, a Republican, have been feuding since last year, when Disney criticized a state measure banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children. DeSantis, who is expected to soon declare his candidacy for U.S. president, has repeatedly attacked "woke Disney" in public remarks. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board responded with its own lawsuit in a state court this week, saying it sought to void "backroom deals" favorable to Disney.

☆ Short sellers haven't profited a lot from Hindenburg Research's salvo against Carl Icahn's investment firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Short sellers haven't profited significantly from Hindenburg Research's recent report against Icahn Enterprises. That's because Wall Street investors remain hesitant to place bets against the billionaire owner Carl Icahn, Bloomberg reported. Short sellers have made just $9 million in mark-to-market profit, per S3 Partners data. Hindenburg also alleged that the company is "using money taken in from new investors to pay out dividends to old investors." The short seller's report on Gautam Adani's company shaved tens of billions off of its market cap and dealt a huge blow to the billionaire's net worth.

☆ Ron DeSantis’s Oversight Board Moves to Sue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chairman Martin Garcia, third from left, said the board aims to enforce its declaration that development approvals Disney struck with a previous board were null and void. Photo: Zack Wittman for The Wall Street JournalThe board overseeing the district covering Walt Disney Co.’s Orlando-area theme parks authorized its lawyers to sue the entertainment giant in state court, without explaining what the suit would allege. The lawsuit, expected in a central Florida court, would mark the latest salvo in the escalating battle between the company and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis .

☆ Ron DeSantis’s Oversight Board Sues Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WSJ’s Arian Campo-Flores explains what’s behind Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Photo Composition: Rachel RogersThe board overseeing the district covering Walt Disney Co.’s Orlando-area theme parks sued the entertainment giant in state court, accusing the company of striking a “backroom deal” in an effort to preserve its ability to essentially self-govern the district. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court, which includes Orange and Osceola counties, marks the latest salvo in the escalating battle between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis .

☆ Freedom and the American Flag Dominate First Ad for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Biden formally entered the race on Tuesday. The ad purchase is small, a largely symbolic outlay in parts of battleground states and on a liberal news network. said it was the first of two ads in a two-week, seven-figure purchase. But its content signals an attempt to reclaim the mantle of patriotism — and the protection of democratic values, stability and rights — for Democrats, even as Republicans accuse them of pursuing a radical liberal agenda. The ad also portrays Mr. Biden as Americans’ best defender against “an extreme movement that seeks to overturn elections, ban books and eliminate a woman’s right to choose.”

☆ GOP debt ceiling bill faces its first test as analysts warn U.S. faces default risk as early as June
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., walks out with House Republicans to speak about the passage of H.R. Goldman Sachs analysts wrote that their "base case remains for the debt limit deadline to fall in late July," as long as tax receipts only fall by 30%. This is the projected date the Treasury Department will exhaust the emergency measures it is taking to prevent a federal debt default. Instead, it is intended to serve as McCarthy's opening salvo in his looming negotiation with Biden over the debt limit and federal spending. Over the weekend, Emmer said that while the final bill might not be perfect, the alternative for a Republican House member would be worse.

Susan R. Necheles, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, declined to comment. The payment was made by Mr. Trump’s former fixer, Michael D. Cohen, who is expected to become a crucial witness for prosecutors at trial. In her request to the judge, Ms. McCaw cited Mr. Trump’s well-known propensity to use social media and public appearances to attack those investigating him. That pattern of attacks, she wrote, is particularly concerning given that Mr. Trump faces a separate federal investigation into his handling of sensitive documents. Mr. Trump should barred from reviewing that material without his lawyers present, Ms. McCaw said.

☆ Coinbase sues SEC after months of silence from federal regulator
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Crypto exchange Coinbase filed suit against the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, asking that the regulator be forced to publicly share its answer to a months-old petition on whether it would allow the crypto industry to be regulated using existing SEC frameworks. The SEC did not offer a specific public response to Coinbase's petition, but in recent months has aggressively ramped up enforcement actions and warnings against crypto exchanges, including Coinbase. "From the SEC's public statements and enforcement activity in the crypto industry, it seems like the SEC has already made up its mind to deny our petition. So the action Coinbase filed today simply asks the court to ask the SEC to share its decision," Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal said in a blog post. "Yet Coinbase and other crypto companies are facing potential regulatory enforcement actions from the SEC, even though we have not been told how the SEC believes the law applies to our business."

☆ Rampant Newcastle hit Tottenham for six to go third
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEWCASTLE, England, April 23 (Reuters) - Newcastle United obliterated Premier League top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a five-goal salvo in the opening 21 minutes on the way to a 6-1 rout at a rocking St James' Park on Sunday. A game billed as a crucial six-pointer in the race to secure Champions League qualification was effectively all over before the clock had reached 10 minutes as fifth-placed Tottenham collapsed like a pack of cards. It was the second-earliest a team had taken a five-goal lead in Premier League history after Manchester City scored five in the opening 18 minutes against Watford in 2019. The only question left was whether Newcastle would claim their biggest Premier League victory and whether Tottenham could avoid their heaviest top-flight defeat. Newcastle moved above Manchester United into third place with 59 points, six more than fifth-placed Tottenham who have also played a game more and whose hopes of a top-four finish now look to be all but over.

HSBC should separate its Asia business into a Hong Kong-listed entity, top shareholder Ping An said in an update to proposals it began to push for last November. Glass Lewis said the strategic review proposal, filed by individual shareholder Ken Lui in Hong Kong and backed by Ping An, was "not in shareholders' interest". HSBC also denied a claim by Ping An that the bank had "refused to verbally engage in discussions on the proposals". The lender has had extensive discussions with Ping An on these topics, a spokesperson for HSBC said. London listed shares in HSBC were down 0.5% on Tuesday afternoon, against a broad-based 1.3% rally in the STOXX European banks index (.SX7P).

☆ A huge win in Wisconsin shows Dems how fiercely defending abortion rights can kneecap the GOP in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Expect Democrats to make abortion rights a dominant theme in 2024. The Democratic party chair there says it's "vital" that party members convey their position. Expect Democrats to make sure of that, especially after a recent Wisconsin election further demonstrated the power of abortion rights at the ballot box. Abortion rights advocates protest outside the White House in July 2022. Dems shift to talking openly about abortionThe Democratic Party has rapidly changed its views on abortion.

☆ 35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Francesca Paris | Larry Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +24 min

People are using ChatGPT and other A.I. Here’s how 35 real people are using A.I for work, life, play and procrastination. People are using A.I to …Plan gardens. Chris Norn Researcher at the University of Washington Two years ago researchers cracked the code on using A.I. When you run a Dungeons & Dragons game, Mr. Green says, you have to be creative, but that almost always means pulling from existing fantasy literature.

Meanwhile, Republicans, many from energy-producing states, have raised a growing chorus of challenges on ESG. This can be a problem for fund participants who do not share ESG goals, the Republicans wrote. Asset managers have argued that such memberships align with their fiduciary obligations, and some are giving clients more control over proxy votes. "Asset managers voting for the exclusion of one of their competitors has clear antitrust implications," the letter states. The resolutions were filed by activist shareholder group As You Sow, which the Republicans suggested had targeted Vanguard over its withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Republicans, many from energy-producing states, have raised a growing chorus of challenges on ESG. The latest letter built on concerns many of the same attorneys general brought to BlackRock last August. This can be a problem for fund participants who do not share ESG goals, the Republicans wrote. Another section of the Republicans' letter cites several pending shareholder resolutions that ask corporations to dial back the use of Vanguard Group retirement plan funds because of Vanguard's fossil fuel holdings. "Asset managers voting for the exclusion of one of their competitors has clear antitrust implications," the letter states.

☆ JPMorgan says commercial real estate decline is intensifying. Beware these exposed stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

As commercial real estate comes under even greater pressure, investors should steer clear of these stocks that are overexposed to the sector, JPMorgan said. Commercial real estate is already facing more challenges this year than other parts of real estate, such as retail or lodging. Last year, office real estate dropped 37.6%, also on a total return basis. Given this, JPMorgan screened for a basket of stocks with direct and indirect exposure to U.S. commercial real estate. JPMorgan also identified pharmacy store chains Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health as having direct exposure to any slowdown in commercial real estate.

☆ Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao violated compliance rules to attract U.S. users, CFTC alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Beyond disgorgement and any monetary costs, the CFTC filing asked the court to impose further relief, including trading and registration bans. Just days prior to the CFTC filing, CNBC reported on how Binance employees worked to subvert the exchange's compliance controls in China, using some of the same techniques that the CFTC alleges Binance to solicit U.S. users. "Do not directly tell the user to run," Binance instructed its VIP team, the filing alleged. The CFTC filing alleges that Binance engaged in similar activity for its U.S. users. But, Zhao posted a tweet that said "4" in an apparent response to the CFTC filing.

☆ Trump says Ron DeSantis has 'no personality' and would be working at a cigar store if he hadn't endorsed him in 2018
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump said Ron DeSantis may have ended up working at a cigar store without his backing in 2018. Ron DeSantis. Probably working either at a cigar store or a law firm," Trump added, per the Daily Mail. During the rally, Trump mocked DeSantis, drawing a muted response from a mostly silent audience. Representatives for DeSantis and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Carl Icahn claims Illumina directors got extra insurance to close 'disastrous' $7.1 billion Grail deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Carl Icahn on Friday alleged that Illumina 's directors demanded extra personal liability insurance before the biotech company signed off on a $7.1 billion acquisition of cancer test developer Grail in 2021. Icahn, who owns a 1.4% stake in Illumina, is pushing for board seats at the DNA sequencing company. Illumina prevailed over the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's opposition to the Grail deal in September, but is fighting for European regulatory approval. Last year, the EU's executive body, the European Commission, blocked Illumina's acquisition of Grail over concerns it would hurt consumer choice. The company's market cap has shrunk to roughly $34 billion from about $75 billion in August 2021, the month it closed the Grail deal.

Search resuls for: "Salvo"

25 mentions found