The rise of privacy-oriented financial blockchain projects are going to be crucial if “DeFi” (decentralized finance) is to have any kind of future. We have come to expect privacy in our “normal” financial lives, so we will expect it in the blockchain and Crypto world, whatever some might claim. We saw murmurs of that starting […]
Tennis-Murray makes online plea to help find stolen wedding ring
October 7, 2021 (Reuters) – Airing his sweaty tennis shoes outside a California hotel room has landed Andy Murray in trouble at home after the shoes were stolen – along with his wedding ring tied to one of the laces. Murray, who married Kim Sears in 2015, has played with his wedding ring attached to […]
Athletics-Banned Nigerian sprinter Okagbare facing three anti-doping charges
October 7, 2021 (Reuters) – Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare, who was provisionally banned after testing positive for human growth hormone before the Tokyo Olympics, has been hit with three separate anti-doping charges, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Thursday. Okagbare, who won silver in the long jump at Beijing 2008, had competed in the […]
Ireland told it can keep 12.5% corporate tax rate for smaller firms
October 7, 2021 DUBLIN (Reuters) -Ireland has received assurances that if it agrees to a new global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% it can maintain its 12.5% rate for firms with annual turnover below 750 million euros ($867 million), Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said. Irish ministers are due to meet on Thursday to […]
One month on, El Salvador’s bitcoin use grows but headaches persist
October 7, 2021 By Wilfredo Pineda and Nelson Renteria EL ZONTE, El Salvador (Reuters) – A growing number of El Salvadorans have experimented with bitcoin since the country became the first to adopt it as legal tender last month, with a couple of million dollars sent daily by migrants using the cryptocurrency. But only a […]
ZF invests in Oxbotica to develop autonomous urban shuttles
October 7, 2021 By Nick Carey LONDON (Reuters) – German automotive industry supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG will invest in British autonomous vehicle software startup Oxbotica to jointly develop driving systems for pod-like shuttles which will be able to transport people and goods. ZF is taking a 5% stake in Oxford-based Oxbotica and will take a […]
Dollar near 14-month high to euro, focus on inflation
October 7, 2021 By Ritvik Carvalho LONDON (Reuters) – The dollar held close to a 14-month high against the euro on Thursday, as a surge in energy prices raised the risk for the U.S. Federal Reserve to act sooner to normalise policy. The U.S. currency was slightly lower at $1.1563 per euro after strengthening to […]
UK scraps action against Ryanair, British Airways over refunds
October 7, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s competition regulator has scrapped its action against Ryanair and British Airways over their failure to offer refunds to passengers prevented from flying by COVID-19 restrictions, saying the legal position was unclear. During pandemic lockdowns, instead of offering refunds to those legally unable to fly, IAG-owned British Airways offered vouchers […]
Cord gets $17.5M to get more devs plugged into its API for real-time collaboration
Cord, a startup that offers a single API to add Slack-like collaboration features to any app, has bagged $17.5 million in Series A funding. The round — which is pegged to fund product development, including by hiring engineers, designers and product managers — was led by European VC Index. Other investors participating include NFX and […]
PideDirecto bags $5.25M; aims to be ‘Shopify with 30-minute deliveries’
PideDirecto, a Mexico-based company, is developing a platform that enables local businesses in Latin America to sell directly to their consumers and deliver orders in less than 30 minutes. Hussein Fawzi and Ronni Samir launched the company with Anders Steiner and Antonio Nacoud in September 2020. Fawzi, Samir and Nacoud knew each other from Iraq […]
The Main Tab revamps luxury goods marketplace after picking up $1M in pre-seed funding
Luxury wholesale marketplace The Main Tab is redesigning its platform following a $1 million pre-seed raise earlier this year from serial entrepreneur Jason Bright, who is now the company’s CTO. The New York-based company is poised to launch the new website and app this fall with about 200 retailers, but has a waiting list of […]
Fiverr is acquiring online learning company CreativeLive
Freelance marketplace Fiverr announced this morning that it’s acquiring Seattle-based online learning company CreativeLive for an undisclosed amount. CreativeLive is an entrepreneurial learning platform where users can attend courses on video, photography, design, business, marketing and more. Fiverr, which is an online marketplace that connects businesses with on-demand freelancers, says that the ability to gain […]
Plant-based egg and shrimp on Nestle’s menu as it taps into vegan growth
October 7, 2021 (In OCT 6 story, clarifies 200 million Swiss francs refers to sales of plant-based meat-substitute products (not sales of all plant-based products), paragraph 6) By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) -Nestle is launching plant-based substitutes for egg and shrimp that closely mirror the taste, nutrition and performance of the originals, the food group […]
United Airlines plans over 3,500 domestic flights to tap holiday demand
October 7, 2021 (Reuters) – United Airlines said on Thursday it plans to operate more than 3,500 domestic flights in December, its largest domestic schedule since the start of the pandemic, seeking to capitalize on pent-up holiday season demand from travelers who did not see friends and family last year. The U.S carrier said holiday […]
Boeing’s Chicago HQ a ‘ghost town’ as priorities shift
October 7, 2021 By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) – Twenty years ago, just days before the 9/11 attacks on the United States crippled the aerospace industry, Boeing Co moved its headquarters from its historic Seattle manufacturing hub to a stylish downtown Chicago skyscraper. The move was central to Boeing’s plan to forge a new […]
Kosovo rebel veterans’ leaders deny charges over leaked witness data
October 7, 2021 By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) -Leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans’ association pleaded not guilty at a war crimes tribunal on Thursday to charges of obstruction and intimidation for allegedly revealing names of protected witnesses. Prosecutors allege Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj, who run the association, gave […]
Conagra Brands raises sales forecast after price increases drive results beat
October 7, 2021 (Reuters) -Conagra Brands Inc raised its annual forecast for organic net sales and topped quarterly result expectations on Thursday, as the Slim Jim beef jerky maker’s move to increase prices for its frozen meals and snacks cushioned the blow of rising raw material costs. Conagra, like its peers Campbell Soup Co, Kraft […]
City of London backs ‘retain and explain’ for two slavery linked statues
October 7, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) – Representatives of the City of London municipal authority on Thursday voted in favour of retaining in their Guildhall ceremonial home two statues linked to the transatlantic slave trade. Councillors agreed to add plaques to statues of former Lord Mayor William Beckford and merchant John Cass to explain how they […]
Student transportation startup Zūm to add 10,000 EVs to its platform
Zūm, a startup that provides optimized transportation services for school-age children, has announced the close of a $130 million Series D raise, bringing its total funding to more than $200 million. The company intends to use the funds to add 10,000 new electric vehicles to its platform with the end goal of achieving 100% EVs […]
Germany’s Merkel pays farewell visit to Pope Francis at Vatican
October 7, 2021 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with Pope Francis on Thursday as part of a farewell visit to Italy that will also include meetings with Prime Minister Mario Draghi and her participation at a peace event at the Colosseum. Merkel and Francis, who have met several times […]
