NewsAFP NewsTurkey, Syria quake could affect up to 23 mn: WHO
Up to 23 million people could be affected by the massive earthquake that has killed thousands in Turkey and Syria, the WHO warned on Tuesday, promising long-term assistance.She spoke as rescuers in Turkey and Syria braved freezing cold, aftershocks and collapsing buildings, as they dug for survivors buried by a string of earthquakes that killed more than 5,000 people.
BusinessReutersEV batteries getting second life on California power grid
Hundreds of used electric vehicle battery packs are enjoying a second life at a California facility connected to the state's power grid, according to a company pioneering technology it says will dramatically lower the cost of storing carbon-free energy. B2U Storage Solutions Inc, a Los Angeles-based startup, said it has 25 megawatt-hours of storage capacity made up of 1,300 former EV batteries tied to a solar energy facility in Lancaster, California. The project is believed to be the first of its kind selling power into a wholesale market and earned $1 million last year, according to Chief Executive Freeman Hall.
NewsAFP NewsFuneral held for Pakistan ex-president Musharraf
Thousands of people attended funeral prayers on Tuesday for Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who became a key US ally during the "war on terror".Prayers were held at the grounds of a military compound in Karachi in a ceremony attended by around 10,000 people, mostly retired and serving military officers, an AFP reporter observed.
BusinessAFP NewsSoftBank Group reports $5.9 bn third-quarter loss on tech slump
Japan's SoftBank Group on Tuesday reported a surprise $5.9 billion net loss in the third quarter, as a slump in the tech sector continued to hit the investment behemoth's bottom line.But it reported a record quarterly net loss for the first quarter, as tech shares tanked on interest rate hikes, a trend analysts said was likely to continue.
NewsReutersION starts to bring clients back online after ransomware attack - source
ION, the financial trading services group hit by a ransomware attack last week, started to bring clients back on to its cleared derivatives platform overnight, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Among the many ION clients whose operations were likely to have been affected by the attack and ensuing disruption were ABN Amro Clearing and Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's biggest bank, according to messages to clients from both banks that were seen by Reuters last week. The hackers who claimed responsibility for the breach at ION said last week a ransom had been paid, declining to say how much it was, or offer any evidence that the money had been handed over.
NewsHuffPostRep. Ted Lieu Bursts New Gingrich's Balloon In High-Flying Fact-Check
Gingrich "has no idea what he's talking about," Lieu said.
BusinessReutersKenya Power to convert its 2,000 vehicles to electric over 4 years
Kenya's sole power distributor Kenya Power aims to convert its 2,000 petrol and diesel-driven vehicles to electric over the next four years, it said on Tuesday. The move is part of a rising trend in the East African economy to take advantage of the abundant electricity supply from renewable sources, and switch vehicle and motorcycle engines to electric from fossil fuels. Kenya Power will phase out its petrol and diesel vehicles by retrofitting electric engines and buying new electric vehicles.
BusinessAFP NewsNintendo cuts profit forecasts as chip shortage hits Switch sales
Nintendo cut its full-year profit forecasts on Tuesday, saying the global chip shortage had dampened Switch sales, with analysts warning of waning momentum for the hit console nearly six years after its release.Switch hardware sales by unit declined 21 percent year-on-year in April-December, "mainly due to a shortage of semiconductors and other component supplies that impacted production until around late summer".
BusinessAFP NewsIndia's Adani Enterprises shares soar 25% after loan payment pledge
Shares in the flagship firm of troubled Indian conglomerate Adani rocketed as much as 25 percent Tuesday, clawing back some of its recent huge losses, after saying it would repay more than $1 billion in loans.Adani Enterprises, the group's flagship firm, soared as much as 25 percent on Tuesday, with trading suspended three times on the way up.
NewsHuffPostTurkey-Syria Quake Death Toll Could Top 20,000, WHO Official Says
The official said injuries and fatalities linked to severe earthquakes often rise “significantly” in the week after the disaster.
PoliticsHuffPostEx-RNC Chair Michael Steele Rips 'Putz' Tucker Carlson After Racist Meltdown
The Fox News host is livid over the number of Black women being appointed to the overwhelmingly white and male federal judiciary.
BusinessAFP NewsAsian markets rebound from Fed sell-off but traders still uneasy
Asian markets squeezed out gains Tuesday, giving investors some relief from a recent sell-off fuelled by worries that US interest rates will go higher than feared following last week's blockbuster jobs report.He said he had seen rates topping out at 5.1 percent but added that the final figure could be even higher.
BusinessAFP NewsSoftBank Group reports surprise third-quarter $5.9 bln loss
Japan's SoftBank Group reported a surprise 783 billion yen ($5.9 billion) net loss in the third quarter, as a slump in the tech sector hits the investment behemoth's bottom line.But its first quarter earnings were also hit by tech stock slumps, a trend analysts said was likely to continue.
PoliticsAFP NewsFrench, German ministers to tackle green subsidies with US
The French and German economy ministers, Bruno Le Maire and Robert Habeck, kick off high-stakes talks with US officials Tuesday to underscore European concerns over President Joe Biden's ambitious climate action plan.For now, negotiations are proceeding under the European Commission's leadership, and Habeck believes that he and Le Maire can contribute to finding new solutions.
PoliticsAFP NewsOptimistic Biden to try to lift Americans with State of the Union speech
An optimistic President Joe Biden will seek to lift an often unenthusiastic nation Tuesday with a State of the Union address showcasing his efforts to rebuild the US economy -- and setting the stage for the 80-year-old's bid for re-election in 2024.This inspired Biden to boast: "I'm happy to report that the state of the union and the state of our economy is strong."
NewsAFP NewsFormer Pakistan military ruler Musharraf's funeral to be held
Pakistan's exiled former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who became a key US ally during the "war on terror", was due to be buried on Tuesday, according to officials.The plane carrying his body landed late Monday in Karachi, aviation sources told AFP. While there has been no official announcement about his funeral, military officials who asked not to be named said Musharraf was expected to be buried on Tuesday in the mega port city where his family settled after leaving Old Delhi following the
BusinessAFP NewsJapan's Mitsubishi Heavy scraps troubled passenger jet project
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said Tuesday it had abandoned its struggling project to develop a passenger plane, a decade after the jet was due for commercial rollout.The development of the twin-engine plane for short flights had marked a new chapter for Japan's aviation sector, which last launched a commercial airliner in 1962.
BusinessReutersCryptoverse: Is bitcoin out of the woods? Consider the options
Have bitcoin and ether finally turned a corner? It's looking that way, if crypto options traders are anything to go by. The volume of bitcoin options traded on Deribit, one of the leading exchanges for crypto-focused derivatives products, jumped 82% in January versus December, according to crypto market maker OrBit Markets.
BusinessReutersAlibaba-backed Pakistani e-commerce platform Daraz cuts workforce by 11%
KARACHI, PAKISTAN (Reuters) -Alibaba-owned e-commerce platform Daraz Group is reducing its workforce by 11% to prepare for the 'current market reality', Chief Executive Officer Bjarke Mikkelsen said. In a letter to its employees on Monday and shared on the company's website, Mikkelsen cited a difficult market environment, with a war in Europe, huge supply chain disruptions, soaring inflation, increasing taxes, and removal of essential government subsidies in its markets. The group operates in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
NewsAFP NewsWikipedia back online in Pakistan after 'blasphemy' ban
Wikipedia was back online in Pakistan on Tuesday, after the country's prime minister ordered authorities to lift a block imposed on the online encyclopedia over "blasphemous content."- 'Share knowledge' - According to the order published Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed a committee made up of three government ministers to examine the PTA's decision to block Wikipedia.
NewsAFP NewsNorth Korea pledges 'expanded, intensified' military drills
North Korea's top army officials have said they will expand and intensify military drills to ensure their readiness for war, state media reported Tuesday, ahead of a massive parade.The agenda was topped by "the issue of constantly expanding and intensifying the operation and combat drills of the (Korean People's Army) ... strictly perfecting the preparedness for war", the official Korean Central News Agency said.
BusinessReutersIndian banks' exposure to Adani group "insufficient" to pose credit risk - Fitch
MUMBAI (Reuters) -The exposure of Indian banks to the embattled Adani Group is "insufficient in itself" to present a substantial risk to the credit profiles of these lenders, Fitch Ratings said in a note on Tuesday. Investors have been worried about various banks' exposure to the group ever since late January when U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg Research alleged improper use of offshore tax havens and stock manipulation by the conglomerate. Fitch estimated that loans to all Adani group entities generally account for 0.8%-1.2% of total lending for Indian banks rated by the agency, equivalent to 7%-13% of total equity.
BusinessAFP NewsChina's Baidu says developing AI chatbot
Chinese search engine giant Baidu on Tuesday said it was developing an AI-powered chatbot, as tech giants rush to match the success of ChatGPT, a hugely popular language app that has sparked a gold rush in artificial intelligence technology.The Chinese tech giant has diversified in recent years into artificial intelligence, cloud computing and autonomous driving technologies as advertising revenue has remained sluggish in the face of tighter regulatory scrutiny.
PoliticsHuffPostLauren Boebert Appears To Pray For Joe Biden's Death In Texas Sermon
"Let his days be few and another take his office," the Colorado lawmaker said.
BusinessReutersAdani group stocks surge after $113 billion market wipeout
BENGALURU (Reuters) -Shares in India's Adani Group rallied on Tuesday a day after it prepaid some loans, bringing relief to investors that have seen $113.6 billion wiped off the conglomerate's market value since a U.S. short-seller published a critical report two weeks ago. The group, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, has been roiled by days of market turmoil after Hindenburg Research on Jan. 24 alleged it had engaged in stock manipulation and used tax havens. Adani Group has denied the allegations, saying it complies with all laws and has made necessary disclosures over time.
