DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A St Petersburg politician has asked prosecutors to investigate Russian President Vladimir Putin for using the word "war" to describe the conflict in Ukraine, accusing the Kremlin chief of breaking his own law. Yuferev, who asked Reuters not to disclose his location, said Putin critics who publicly called the war a war have suffered harsh punishments. After publishing the open letter about Putin, Yuferev said he had received hundreds of hate messages. "War, in Russian society, is a frightening word. Everyone is brought up by grandparents who lived through World War Two, everyone remembers the saying 'Anything but war'," he said.

Megan Thee Stallion isn’t on trial. But if you consume content from some popular hip-hop bloggers, podcasters and social media accounts, you might be misled. Some question if Megan Thee Stallion was even shot at all. The narratives have become viral social media content. Milagro Gramz, a hip-hop news commentator, has been covering Pete and Peterson since before the trial started.

AOL Instant Messenger, or AIM, is dead — but the away message lives on, thanks to a recent Instagram update. Within hours of the platform unveiling the new features, social media users noticed Instagram notes' similarity to the away messages of the early 2000s. "Was not expecting instagram to reinvent AIM away messages tbh," writer Ella Cerón tweeted. Sports reporter Maddy Hudak wrote: "I’m sorry did Instagram give us AIM away messages lmao." Others pondered the ramifications of the AIM away message on those who grew up with it.

The Special Technology Centre did not respond to a written request for comment. Russia's Ministry of Defence did not respond to questions from Reuters about the impact of sanctions and its relationship to the Special Technology Centre. Reached by phone, Alexey Terentyev, a top scientist and major shareholder at the Special Technology Centre, said the war has forced it to focus on making drones. Those corporate records show iLogic is based at the same St Petersburg office address as the Special Technology Centre. In a brief telephone interview, Roman Agafonnikov, chief executive officer of the Special Technology Centre, said he didn't know anything about iLogic.

☆ Uralsib completes purchase of Citi's Russian consumer loan portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Russian commercial bank Uralsib said on Monday it had completed the acquisition of a portfolio of consumer loans from Citigroup Inc's (C.N) Russian unit, as the major U.S. lender reduces its exposure to Russia on the way to a full exit from the country. "The acquired portfolio includes unsecured consumer loans, which going forward will be serviced by Uralsib Bank from the moment of purchase," Uralsib said in a statement. Privately-owned Uralsib, among Russia's top 30 banks by assets, said the loan portfolio had high credit quality, giving it the opportunity to increase its client base in Moscow and St Petersburg. Citi said in October it would also sell a portfolio of credit card balances, if it secures customers' consent. Citi last year agreed to shed its retail operations in Russia as part of an overhaul led by Chief Executive Jane Fraser.

☆ Russian regional deputies urge Putin to issue decree ending mobilisation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian reservists recruited during the partial mobilisation of troops attend a ceremony before departing to the zone of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the Rostov region, Russia October 31, 2022. The Kremlin said at the time that no formal decree to cancel the mobilisation was needed. Courts were siding with commanders, citing the fact that Putin's September mobilisation decree still had legal force. Reuters saw similar appeals from opposition deputies in the Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov and Veliky Novgorod regions. He said this was because the "legal lacuna" created by the absence of the decree "opens up opportunities for legal mayhem".

☆ Russian McDonald's successor solves franchise problem as more outlets join
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Vkusno & tochka ("Tasty and that's it") restaurants started opening in June. "As of Dec. 1, Razvitie Rost enterprises will continue their work in Russia under the Vkusno & tochka brand," Rosinter said in a statement. Rosinter's restaurants, at train stations and airports in Moscow and St Petersburg, continued operating without McDonald's signs, which were covered up. Reuters found some McDonald's packaging still in use after the closure. Reporting by Olga Popova, Caleb Davis and Alexander Marrow; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russians who fled draft in no hurry to return from Georgia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( David Chkhikvishvili | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Travellers walk after crossing the border with Russia at the frontier checkpoint Verkhny Lars - Zemo Larsi, Georgia September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Irakli GedenidzeTBILISI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A month after Russia said it had ended a recruitment drive for its war in Ukraine, men who fled to neighbouring Georgia to avoid the draft say they are in no rush to return home. Of course I don't want to return to a country where police can arrest me for simply walking past them. Yet the arrival of so many relatively well-off Russians in a comparatively poor country of just 3.7 million has created tension. Samadashvili said she fears Putin could use the pretext of "protecting" Russians in Georgia as grounds for a further invasion, just as he did in Ukraine.

☆ How Russian ally Kazakhstan is taking a stand against the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian ally Kazakhstan has been subtle but firm in its opposition to the Ukraine war. Kazakhstan's official position on the war is to call for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution, Magzhan Ilyassov, Kazakhstan's new ambassador to the UK, said in a press briefing attended by Insider. Following the invasion of Ukraine, fears have also been stoked that Russia could turn its sights to Kazakhstan next. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesAlthough it has not outright criticized Russia for invading Ukraine, Kazakhstan has made its position clear. Ilyassov said that Russian troops were there among others from all member states and left after nearly two weeks without being involved in any action.

☆ Bootmaker Dr. Martens' margin warning knocks shares down 20%
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Radhika Anilkumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Going into the winter season, we see people buying more of our iconic boots which (are) ... the 1460s and our Jadons," Wilson added. To help employees cope with rising prices and dearer bills, the company has offered a one-off payments of 500 pounds ($605) to employees earning less than 45,000 pounds a year, Wilson said. First-half core profit was flat compared with a strong year ago period, the company said, while revenue rose 13% to 418.6 million pounds, helped by price hikes. The stock was down 21.2% at 225.6 pence by 1137 GMT, having risen the previous session to its highest since February. ($1 = 0.8260 pounds)Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin touts Russia's 'Arctic power' with launch of nuclear icebreakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, Nov 22 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday touted Russia's Arctic power at a flag-raising ceremony and dock launch for two nuclear-powered icebreakers that will ensure year-round navigation in the Western Arctic. Presiding via video link from the Kremlin at the launch ceremony in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg in northern Russia, Putin said such icebreakers were of strategic importance for the country. "Both icebreakers were laid down as part of a large serial project and are part of our large-scale, systematic work to re-equip and replenish the domestic icebreaker fleet, to strengthen Russia's status as a great Arctic power," Putin said. The Arctic is taking on greater strategic significance due to climate change, as a shrinking ice cap opens up new sea lanes. Vast oil and gas resources lie in Russia's Arctic regions, including a liquefied natural gas plant on the Yamal Peninsula.

☆ FTX: Inside the crypto giant's downfall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Crypto contagionThe crypto industry is on edge, waiting for the next dominoes to fall. Soon after FTX went down, crypto firms were inundated requests from customers seeking to claw their money back — the crypto equivalent of a run on the bank. The pain isn’t confined to crypto companies. SBF had become a fixture in Washington, too, where he regularly traveled to lobby lawmakers for greater regulatory clarity for the crypto industry. “It’s about fraud and the power of virtue signaling.”He added: “This scandal, far from destroying crypto, practically ensures that crypto will be around for a long, long time.”

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Russia wants the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow and is discussing a prisoner swap with the United States that could see him exchanged for Americans imprisoned in Russia including basketball star Brittney Griner. Reed was ultimately freed in return for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot jailed in the United States on drug trafficking charges. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. In interviews, Bout has said he attended Moscow's Military Institute of Foreign Languages, which serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ Fox News cut away from Trump's rambling presidential announcement speech after 40 minutes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

During his rambling, hourlong speech, Fox News cut away from his live remarks. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyDuring his rambling, hourlong speech on Tuesday, Fox News cut away from Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign announcement after approximately 40 minutes. Fox News briefly returned to Trump's remarks near the one-hour mark of the former president's approximately 67-minute-long speech, then cut away for more analysis by host Laura Ingraham. CNN also aired Trump's long-anticipated announcement live, cutting away after he formally announced his candidacy. MSNBC, NBC, ABC, and CBS opted for regularly-scheduled programming and skipped airing Trump's speech entirely.

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Donald Trump said he would make a third bid for the U.S. presidency, in an announcement that was carried live on Fox News' “Hannity” show Tuesday. Trump received an upbeat response from host Sean Hannity, a longtime supporter who has interviewed the former president on myriad occasions, and guests including Fox contributor Mike Huckabee and “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth. “He is the preeminent fighter for freedom, for America First, of our generation,” said Hegseth in remarks after Trump’s announcement. The show’s enthusiasm about Trump’s candidacy runs counter to some of the harsher criticism that Fox and other news outlets controlled by Rupert Murdoch have levied against Trump in the days since the midterm elections. On midterm election night, some Fox News analysts singled out Trump for criticism when the "red wave" that was expected to sweep Republican candidates into office amounted to a trickle.

☆ Ballet dancers who fled Russia reunite on California stage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike BlakeCOSTA MESA, Calif., Nov 11 (Reuters) - Xander Parish is a British-born ballet dancer who was a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. Other international dancers based in Russia also fled, leaving behind their lives, jobs and belongings. Now, for one night, the dancers from the Mariinsky, the Bolshoi and other elite Russian companies are reuniting with a performance on Saturday in Costa Mesa, California. Although the corps de ballet will be together only for one night's performance, Parish already has plans for them to do more. "Reunited in Dance" will be performed at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

Dan McCafferty, the longtime lead singer of the Scottish rock band Nazareth whose searing vocals propelled a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts" into a 1970s hit, has died, his longtime bandmate announced. McCafferty was 76, Nazareth bassist Pete Agnew said on the band's official Facebook page. "If it wasn’t for Dan McCafferty and Nazareth I wouldn’t be singing," Rose said in a 1988 interview. "Love Hurts," a ballad first made famous by The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison as well, became an international hit for Nazareth in 1974. The band also scored several hits of their own, including "Hair of the Dog" which is a rock radio staple that continues to get airplay.

☆ Croatia's Dalic mixes youth and experience in bid for World Cup success
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Croatia finished top of their Nations League group ahead of world champions France and Denmark, and the 2018 runners-up will be riding a wave of momentum heading into the tournament. "However, there are other national teams that have such ambitions, the most important is the first match with Morocco. "The team from Russia was second in the world, and when you look at where those players played, they were all top clubs. One player was from the Croatian league, and now there are seven or eight of them. Luck is that young players have older players alongside them to mature...

☆ Putin ally Prigozhin says he has interfered in U.S. elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday he had interfered in U.S. elections and would continue doing so in future, the first such admission from a figure who has been formally implicated by Washington in efforts to influence American politics. In comments posted by the press service of his Concord catering firm on Russia’s Facebook equivalent VKontakte, Prigozhin said: “We have interfered (in U.S. elections), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. “During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once,” Prigozhin said. In September he admitted to founding the Kremlin-aligned Wagner Group mercenary group, which is active in Syria, Africa and Ukraine. Last Friday it opened a defense technology center in St Petersburg, a further step by Prigozhin to highlight his military credentials.

☆ Russia's Prigozhin admits interfering in U.S. elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In comments posted by the press service of his Concord catering firm on Russia's Facebook equivalent VKontakte, Prigozhin said: "We have interfered (in U.S. elections), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. The remark was posted on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections in response to a request for comment from a Russian news site. Prigozhin kept a low public profile until recently but has become more outspoken in the course of the Ukraine war, including by criticising the performance of Russia's generals. In September he admitted to founding the Kremlin-aligned Wagner Group mercenary group, which is active in Syria, Africa and Ukraine. Last Friday it opened a defence technology centre in St Petersburg, a further step by Prigozhin to highlight his military credentials.

☆ Putin's rumored god-daughter, who fled Russia, said she could be 'in big trouble' and was cut off from friends and family
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A prominent Russian media star who fled the country posted saying she is in "big trouble." In her Telegram post on Saturday, Sobchak wrote: "My thoughts are with my family, who I have been separated from." Possibly, in big trouble." In her most recent post referring to her situation, Sobchak decried a backlash she had received in Russian media, as Russian newspaper Kommersant reported. Possibly, in big trouble.

☆ Putin's rumored god-daughter, a star of Russian media, fled the country after an order for her arrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian media star with strong ties to Putin fled the country, per multiple reports. Ksenia Sobchak, rumored to be Putin's god-daughter, is in Lithuania, an official there said. Ksenia Sobchak left Russia and entered Lithuania using an Israeli passport late on Tuesday, state-controlled media outlet TASS reported, citing unnamed law-enforcement officials. Putin has since described Sobchak as a mentor, and Ksenia has long been rumored to be Putin's god-daughter. Putin has clamped down hard on Russian media outlets in the last years, an effort that has, as of the invasion of Ukraine, all but silenced independent journalism in the country.

☆ Russian media figure Ksenia Sobchak is in Lithuania after house search - state security
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

VILNIUS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Russian media figure Ksenia Sobchak is in Lithuania after entering the country on her Israeli passport, the head of Lithuania's counter-intelligence service said on Thursday, a day after Russian police searched one of her houses. She is the daughter of the late Anatoly Sobchak, St Petersburg's mayor in the 1990s, who was Putin's boss and friend. Israel's daily Haaretz newspaper reported in April that Sobchak acquired Israeli citizenship after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sobchak said she had genuinely wanted to win the contest and was interested in politics and bringing about change. Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius Editing by Andrew Osborn and William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hyundai Motor is considering sale of its Russia plant - media report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 18 (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) is considering a decision on its Russia operations that could include selling its manufacturing plant there, a local media reported on Tuesday. Hyundai Motor recently submitted to management a report analysing the situation and future prospects in Russia, Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said, citing an unidentified auto industry source. The newspaper said Hyundai's report includes the company's analyses of the scenarios and impact of the sale of the Russia plant, citing the difficult environment to conduct normal financial activities. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHyundai Motor was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters. Many factories in Russia have suspended production and furloughed workers due to shortages of high-tech equipment because of sanctions and an exodus of Western manufacturers since Moscow sent armed forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

☆ A weed gummy theory for the Fed’s high-stakes interest rate gamble
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Here’s the thing: The Fed right now is wearing blinders, and it only cares about bringing down inflation, my colleague Paul R. La Monica writes. The Weed Gummy TheoryThere’s an analogy offered by investment analyst Peter Boockvar last month that I can’t stop thinking about. He compared the Fed to an eager but inexperienced consumer of weed gummies, which, notoriously, take longer than anyone expects to kick in. Bankruptcies: Rate hikes make it more expensive for companies to pay down debt, increasing the risk of corporate bankruptcies and defaults. The so-called PPI, which tracks what suppliers charge other businesses for goods and services, showed prices going up 8.5% from a year ago.

Search resuls for: "St Pete"

25 mentions found