Media startup Dailyhunt is in advanced stages of talks to acquire Bengaluru-based social media network Koo, two sources familiar with the matter told me. The sources, who requested anonymity because the matter is private, added that the potential deal under discussion includes a stock swap agreement and could be finalized within weeks. These deliberations come on the heels of Koo, who has sought to become a competitor to Twitter, as it has been aggressively searching for new capital throughout the past year. The social network, which is available in India and Brazil, is betting on the idea that its approach…
Author: ricardofrancois
The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), operated by Japan Exchange Group Inc. (JPX), in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, February 16, 2024. Kosuke Okahara/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMost stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region fell on Wednesday as New Zealand's central bank kept interest rates steady, while investors awaited key US and Chinese inflation data later this week.China's manufacturing PMI and US PCE price index – the Fed's preferred measure of inflation – are scheduled for release on Thursday.The Reserve Bank of New Zealand held the official interest rate at 5.50%, keeping it at a 15-year high, while…
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN – As President Biden and former President Trump march steadily toward their parties' presidential nominations, Tuesday's Michigan primary could reveal significant political stakes for both.Trump, despite dominating the early Republican contests, faces a bloc of stubborn GOP voters who favor his only remaining rival, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and who are skeptical at best about the former president's prospects in a rematch against Biden.As for the incumbent, Biden may face his biggest electoral hurdle yet: a vibrant movement of disillusioned voters upset with his handling of the war in Gaza, and a relationship with Israeli Prime Minister…
Illegal immigrants could have a new path to achieving the American dream of owning a home. Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) introduced Assembly Bill 1840 last month to expand eligibility requirements for the state loan program to make clear that loans for first-time buyers are available to undocumented immigrants. The California Dream Loan for All program, launched by the California Housing Finance Agency last March, provided eligible first-time homebuyers with a loan of up to 20% of the purchase price of a home or condominium. Loans do not accrue interest or require monthly payments. Instead, when the mortgage is refinanced or…
Authorities have seized nearly 62,000 pounds of fentanyl smuggled into California in 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced Tuesday that the total amount of powerful synthetic opioids seized last year was “enough to kill the world's population nearly twice as much.”In 2023, the California National Guard supported other law enforcement agencies in counter-narcotics operations across the state, seizing a record 62,000 pounds of fentanyl at ports of entry, according to a news release from Newsom's office. It is unclear what means are used to smuggle opioids and what fentanyl looks like when shipped.Compared to just a few years ago, the…
Starbucks and the union organizing its American workers said on Tuesday that they had agreed to begin talks with the aim of reaching labor agreements.The announcement was a breakthrough for the two sides, which have been at odds since Workers United first organized baristas at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, in late 2021.“Starbucks and United Workers have a shared commitment to creating a positive relationship for the benefit of Starbucks partners,” Starbucks said in a statement. The labor union echoed those comments in a similar statement.Workers have voted to unionize at more than 370 Starbucks-owned stores in the…
Shares of Beyond Meat more than doubled in extended trade after the meat-free burger maker promised “sharp” cuts in operating costs in 2024 and slapped more duties on its plant-based products.The company's shares, which were heavily shorted, briefly doubled in after-hours trading on Tuesday to a six-month high, before cooling to a gain of about 80 percent.Beyond Meat reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue of $73.7 million, but its net loss of $155 million was nearly three times larger than expected, partly due to non-cash charges.The company warned that this year's results could be hurt by the difficult macroeconomic environment, which includes…
Look out, Ives, there's a new stand-up showrunner in town.Baylor University's $2 billion endowment — a fraction of the Ivy League's — returned 6.4 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30, besting the entire conference. Harvard University's endowment, the largest at $50.7 billion, achieved returns of 2.9%.What's more, Baylor University's 10.9% annual return over the past five years outperformed all Ivy League colleges except Brown University, which posted a 13.3% return over the same period, according to the Wall Street Journal. Brown's endowment in fiscal year 2023 was three times higher than Baylor's $6.6 billion.The key to the…
Office politics are not something we choose to do, but rather an inevitable part of working life. Workplace rituals and the friendships and alliances we form play a huge role in how successful our careers are; So how can we make sure we're doing it right? Can we move forward without our colleagues hating us? Why does it matter if we're late for meetings? Isabel Berwick is joined by John Curran, CEO and founder of organizational development consultancy JC & Associates, and Financial Times deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, to find out.do you want more? Free links:Office politics are not…
An Electron rocket launches the Baby Come Back mission from New Zealand on July 17, 2023.Rocket laboratoryRocket laboratory Neutron is making steady progress in the development of its Neutron vehicle, with the company reporting fourth-quarter results that saw its contract backlog rise by more than $1 billion.The aerospace company reported a net loss of $50.5 million, or 10 cents per share, during the quarter. On an annual basis, Rocket Lab's net loss in the fourth quarter widened by about 36% as the company continues to spend heavily to create its neutron rocket. Full-year losses widened by a similar amount, to…