DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

SummarySummary Companies Silver, platinum, palladium set for monthly gainDollar eyes monthly fallApril 28 (Reuters) - Gold prices eased on Friday as the dollar firmed in the run up to U.S. inflation data, but economic jitters kept safe-haven bullion on course for a second consecutive monthly rise. Spot gold edged 0.2% lower to $1,983.01 per ounce by 0915 GMT, but was up 0.8% for the month. But "a sudden deterioration in the bank sector crisis could trigger a rush to safe-havens likely to see gold prices soar above previous records," Evangelista added. A weaker dollar makes bullion more affordable for overseas buyers. Silver fell 0.5% to $24.82, platinum shed 1% to $1,066.57, while palladium was flat at $1,495.13 -- all headed for monthly gain.

Exxon has held eight exploration and production contracts in Colombia, including the fracking pilot. All either have been or are being ended, suspended or liquidated, Colombia's National Hydrocarbon Agency (ANH) told Reuters. The proposed bill would ban development of non-conventional energy projects including fracking. "We will continue to have constructive dialogue with the Colombian government on a comprehensive assessment of our unconventional investments," Exxon spokesperson Michelle Gray told Reuters. Exxon said it continuously evaluates and prioritize investments, including those in Colombia.

☆ Bolivia takes control of Banco Fassil, executives arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LA PAZ, April 26 (Reuters) - Bolivia's government took control of one of the country's largest banks, Banco Fassil, a senior government financial official said on Wednesday, and police arrested several executives for alleged mismanagement. "Mismanagement, unhealthy practices have caused a crisis," the executive director of Bolivia's Financial System Supervision Authority (ASFI), Reynaldo Yujra, told reporters in the city of Santa Cruz. Dozens of police were stationed at Banco Fassil's 185 branches across Bolivia on Wednesday, authorities said. Banco Fassil President Ricardo Mertens, General Manager Jorge Arturo Chávez and another executive, Hernan Suarez, were arrested late Tuesday, while a fourth, Hermes Saucedo, turned himself in early Wednesday morning, according to the Santa Cruz attorney general's office. "The financial system in general is in good health.

Solis, 64, lives on the banks of Mexico's Villa Victoria reservoir, which supplies water to the bustling capital hours away but does not reach her own faucets. Villa Victoria is part of the Cutzamala System, the source of water for about six million people in Mexico City and the surrounding state of Mexico. Climate change, chaotic urban growth and inefficient infrastructure have strained Mexico's water supplies, pushing the Cutzamala System's stores to their lowest level in 27 years. Mexico City is also tapping alternative sources of water outside the Cutzamala System, including by replacing wells in the Zumpango area in the state of Mexico. But for people like Israel, who lives just a few minutes' drive from the Cutzamala System's water treatment plant and asked not to use his last name, the constitution's promise is increasingly distant.

[1/3] Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as security forces operate, outside Brazil’s National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, April 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's Congress on Wednesday prepared to open an inquiry into the Jan. 8 storming of key government buildings in the capital by violent demonstrators who denied the electoral victory of the recently inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The right-wing opposition has pushed for an inquiry as a way to blame his new government for security failures in Brasilia that day. Once the congressional inquiry is formally opened, there will be a fierce battle over the committee's composition. Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito Editing by Brad Haynes and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chile, US miner Albemarle hold talks on lithium nationalization plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Lithium evaporation ponds are seen at Albemarle Lithium production facility in Silver Peak, Nevada, U.S. October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos BarriaSANTIAGO, April 25 (Reuters) - Chile's state development office Corfo said on Tuesday it met with U.S.-based miner Albemarle (ALB.N) to discuss the South American country's plan to nationalize the lithium industry. Chile's leftist President Gabriel Boric last week announced that control of the country's vast lithium operations would over time be transferred from Albemarle and SQM (SQMA.SN) to a separate state-owned company. Chile has the world's largest lithium reserves. He added that Albemarle, the world's largest producer of lithium, wants to grow in Chile and in the Atacama salt flat with new technologies.

☆ Sanctions Against Russia Could Be Better, These Harvard Economists Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Paul Hannon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ricardo Hausmann, a former Venezuelan official, leads a group of Harvard economists proposing ways to further degrade Russia’s economy. Photo: Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg NewsIn response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western nations have targeted Moscow with the biggest coordinated package of economic restrictions ever levied against a major economy, including sanctions, export controls, asset freezes and energy price caps. Many of those measures, though, have proven less costly so far to Russia than some economists had expected and many officials in Washington and Brussels had hoped. Some Russian officials, meanwhile, had braced for more economic damage from the sanctions barrage by now.

☆ Chile’s plan for state control in lithium dismays business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chile on October 25, 2022. Under the plan, all companies wanting to work in Chile's lithium sector will have to take on the yet-to-be created National Lithium Company as a partner and the "state will have control," Boric said Thursday. But Chile's business sector expressed concern. Mewes said business leaders had expected there would be a "great private sector participation" in the lithium sector and now the "state will be the one that will control" the industry. She worries about what message this sends to others in the region that are trying to build up nascent industries, considering Mexico already nationalized its lithium sector.

The prospective class action complaint, filed in 2021 by two members of the annual paid subscription service Amazon Prime, alleged Amazon was unlawfully "tying" the online sale of third-party products to the use of the company's "Fulfillment by Amazon" program. The lawsuit said Amazon's alleged anticompetitive fulfillment practices had harmed "hundreds of millions of its loyal customers." Amazon's attorneys argued that fulfillment services are sold not to consumers who buy products but to third-party businesses that are selling goods on the company's platform. The antitrust case against Amazon was among private and state actions alleging violations of competition law. The case is Angela Hogan et al v. Amazon.com Inc, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No.

☆ Juventus draw with Sporting to book semi-final spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Soccer Football - Europa League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Sporting CP v Juventus - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - April 20, 2023 Juventus' Wojciech Szczesny and Angel Di Maria celebrate after the match REUTERS/Rodrigo AntunesLISBON, April 20 (Reuters) - Juventus drew 1-1 with Sporting in an entertaining Europa League clash on Thursday to win their quarter-final 2-1 on aggregate and set up a semi-final clash with Sevilla. Juventus took an early lead through midfielder Adrien Rabiot who netted from close range after nine minutes following a corner. A lively clash continued after the break as Sporting pressed with confidence for possession but defenders Ricardo Esgaio and Sebastian Coates squandered three late chances to level the tie. Juventus will meet Sevilla in the semi-finals on May 11 and 18 after the Spanish side knocked out Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate. Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Juventus draw with Sporting to book Europa semi-final spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

They will meet Sevilla in the semi-finals on May 11 and 18 after the Spanish side knocked out Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate. Juventus took an early lead through Rabiot who netted from close range after nine minutes following a corner. Just before halftime, Sporting winger Nuno Santos tried to square the ball inside the box coming from the left but Juve defender Gleison Bremer blocked the threat right in front of the diving Szczesny. After the break Sporting pressed with confidence for possession but they squandered three more opportunities to level the match. Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Dado RuvicLONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Crypto firms have been left scrambling to find banking partners after the collapse of three crypto-friendly lenders in the U.S. last month, creating a risk their business will become concentrated in smaller financial institutions. Mainstream banks have become increasingly wary of crypto clients following a series of high-profile collapses, including the bankruptcy of major exchange FTX in November last year, and a lack of regulation. "Crypto and Web3 start-ups are telling us they simply cannot get a business bank account," said Marcus Foster, head of crypto policy at Coadec, a body representing UK start-ups. A spokesperson for ING said the bank does not "target or focus actively on crypto firms" so its exposure is "very limited." But for smaller crypto start-ups, securing a banking partner could be more difficult, said Ricardo Mico, the U.S. CEO of Banxa (BNXA.V), a payment and compliance infrastructure provider for crypto.

[1/2] Security forces operate as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoBRASILIA, April 14 (Reuters) - A judge on Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to testify before federal police within 10 days about his role in the Jan. 8 storming of government buildings by his supporters. Bolsonaro has denied any responsibility for the riots - which recalled the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. His critics say he instigated the riots by inflaming his supporters with attacks on Lula and by repeatedly criticizing Brazil's voting system, which he claimed was open to fraud, though he never provided proof. Bolsonaro returned to Brazil in March but faces legal investigations into his attacks on the voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm Brasilia on Jan. 8.

☆ Brazil paves way for semiconductor cooperation with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures near First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva during a visit to Huawei's Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, China, April 13, 2023. Ricardo Stuckert/Handout via REUTERSBEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China and Brazil agreed on Friday to set up a working group to pursue cooperation on semiconductors as the South American nation strengthens ties with Beijing in areas of sensitive technology. In an interview with Reuters, Lula's foreign policy advisor Celso Amorim said Brazil will not veto the installation of a Chinese semiconductor factory in Brazil, and is interested in developing the technology in cooperation with China. In the slew of MoUs China and Brazil agreed to "explore mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological research and industrial innovation." That would involve joint research and development activities between public, private and academic institutions, and the exchange of scientists and scientific papers.

☆ Lula courts Chinese tech for Brazil, brushes off "prejudices"
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday defended his country's pursuit of Chinese communication and semiconductor technology, brushing off security concerns from Western nations led by the United States. [1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures near First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva during a visit to Huawei's Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, China, April 13, 2023. Brazil, however, is interested in attracting Chinese investment in these areas, despite recent U.S. pressure discouraging the use of 5G mobile equipment from Huawei. Among their accords, China and Brazil agreed to "explore mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological research and industrial innovation." That would involve joint research and development activities between public, private and academic institutions, and the exchange of scientists and scientific papers.

☆ World leaders are lining up to meet Xi Jinping. Should the US be worried?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —Xi Jinping has had a busy couple of weeks. “(Chinese leaders) believe it’s time now for China to make its strategic plans,” said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor of international relations at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Beijing has watched uneasily as the war in Ukraine has driven the US and its European allies closer. When French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing last week, Xi drew comparisons between China and France: both “major countries with a tradition of independence,” Xi said, and “firm advocates for a multi-polar world” – or a world without a dominant superpower. But how Beijing navigates these initiatives, observers say, comes down to a bottom line that’s integrally related to Xi’s global ambitions and world view.

☆ Brazil could suspend social media sites over school violence content
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - Brazil could fine or suspend social media companies that do not effectively regulate content related to school violence, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said on Wednesday. The new measures, set to be published through an ordinance on Wednesday, seek to curb threats of school violence in the country, which have soared after two separate attacks left five dead in recent weeks. The Supreme Court is currently discussing this law's scope and validity. In March, Meta Platforms (META.O) and Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) appeared before Brazil's Supreme Court to defend the law, while the government looks to expand regulation over social networks. Dino said Brazil's consumer secretariat will immediately start determining each company's responsibility in proactively regulating harmful content to students.

☆ Dozens of dead stingrays found on Brazil beach
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A fisherman holds a dead stingray at Ilha do Fundao, on the banks of the Guanabara Bay, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 11, 2023. REUTERS/Pilar OlivaresApril 11 (Reuters) - Dozens of dead stingrays appeared on a beach in Rio de Janeiro this week, sparking confusion and concern in the local community. A woman who lives in the fishing village said she noticed the incident shortly after dawn, prompting the arrival of vultures. We've never seen the death of stingrays like this here," said fisherman Renato dos Reis Oliveira. "This makes the hypothesis of trawling more evident in the cases of these stingrays," he said.

Bolsonaro's electoral outlook contrasts sharply with former U.S. President Donald Trump, another right-wing populist who challenged the results of his failed re-election campaign. Bolsonaro never conceded his narrow defeat in the October election and continues to question the reliability of Brazil's voting system. RISING CONSERVATIVE STARSStill, conservative powerbrokers allied with Bolsonaro are ready to reshuffle the deck for the next election cycle. He said a TSE decision to bar Bolsonaro from running would only boost the ex-president's political appeal. Any right-wing substitute could win with his endorsement, he added, while side-stepping the high rejection rates Bolsonaro faced as a candidate last year.

☆ Mexico's automotive production and exports rise in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 10 (Reuters) - Mexican automotive production and exports rose in March from the same month a year earlier, data from the national statistics agency (INEGI) showed on Monday. Production increased by 13.12% to 346,124 vehicles, while auto exports rose 3.88% to 272,687 vehicles, the data showed. Reporting by Ricardo Figuero; Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

PALM BEACH, Florida, April 4 (Reuters) - A subdued former President Donald Trump lashed out on Tuesday at New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg for bringing criminal charges against him and declared himself the victim of election interference without offering evidence. "I never thought anything like this could happen in America," Trump told supporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump accused Manhattan District Attorney Bragg of being out to get him "before he knew anything about me." "Trump should not be held above the law - if he does something wrong he should be held liable like anybody else. Reporting by Nathan Layne and Rich McKay in Palm Beach; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoPALM BEACH, Florida, April 4 (Reuters) - A subdued former President Donald Trump lashed out on Tuesday at New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg for bringing criminal charges against him and declared himself the victim of election interference without offering evidence. "I never thought anything like this could happen in America," Trump told supporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump accused Manhattan District Attorney Bragg of being out to get him "before he knew anything about me." "Trump should not be held above the law - if he does something wrong he should be held liable like anybody else. Reporting by Nathan Layne and Rich McKay in Palm Beach; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro testifies in scandal over Saudi jewelry gift
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customs employee opens the box containing the jewelry with diamonds gifted to Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro by the Saudi government which was seized by customs officials, at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, in Guarulhos, Brazil, March 14, 2023. One of the jewelry sets given to then First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and valued at 16.5 million reais ($3.26 million) was seized by customs officials in the backpack of a government aide returning from Saudi Arabia. Bolsonaro returned two other gift packages after Brazil's federal audit court ordered him to do so. Several officials from the Bolsonaro administration unsuccessfully tried to recover the main jewelry present from customs at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport, according to local media. Another gift, received from the United Arab Emirates -- a rifle and a pistol -- was handed over to the federal police.

REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoPALM BEACH, Florida, April 4 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump said on Tuesday night, hours after being charged in court, that he was the victim of election interference and he lashed out at New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg for bringing criminal charges against him. "I never thought anything like this could happen in America," Trump told supporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida. In a subdued tone, Trump reviewed all the various legal cases against him, from the handling of classified documents that were taken to Mar-a-Lago when Trump moved out of the White House in early 2021, and the election interference case he is facing in Georgia from the 2020 election. "Now, there's massive election interference at a scale never seen," he said. Reporting by Nathan Layne and Rich McKay in Palm Beach; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BRASILIA, April 5 (Reuters) - A Supreme Court judge backed a government move to crack down on illegal gold mining in Brazil, suspending a legal practice of buyers accepting the origin of the precious metal with paper receipts based on the "good faith" of the seller. The injunction by Justice Gilmar Mendes gave the government 90 days to adopt a new regulatory framework for the gold trade to stop the sale of gold mined illegally from indigenous lands and other environmentally protected areas. The previous government of President Jair Bolsonaro eased environmental protections and encouraged wildcat mining in the Amazon rainforest. A surge in illegal mining on the Yanomami indigenous reservation caused disease and malnutrition that led the Lula government to declare a humanitarian crisis. The Brazilian Institute of Mining (Ibram), which represents gold mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti Ltd (ANGJ.J) and Yamana Gold Inc (YRI.TO), as well as multinational giants such as Vale (VALE3.SA), Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AX) and BHP Group Ltd (BHP.AX), said 20% of Brazilian gold had no declared origin in 2021, citing data from the National Mining Agency.

Search resuls for: "Ricardo"

25 mentions found