Thursday, March 28

Author: Michael Kitching

Netflix Rival HBO Does Record Strong Growth
Business, News, Tech

Netflix Rival HBO Does Record Strong Growth

While Netflix is struggling to keep its customers, competitor HBO, which broadcasts Game of Thrones, among other things, did record solid growth in the number of subscribers.   However, the American pay channel and streaming service are not yet available in our country. HBO saw its customer base increase by three million in the first quarter to nearly 77 million worldwide. On an annual basis, this is an increase of 12.8 million customers. The influx was mainly due to international expansion. For example, HBO Max also became available in several European countries on March 8. Netflix announced Tuesday that it had lost subscribers in the first quarter, the first in more than a decade. Netflix also expects a further decline for the second quarter. The streaming service is many times...
Bloomberg: Shell Talks to Chinese Buyers About Russian Property
Business, News

Bloomberg: Shell Talks to Chinese Buyers About Russian Property

Shell is talking with major state-owned Chinese energy sector companies to sell its stake in a significant Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. This is reported by the Bloomberg news agency based on insiders.   The British oil and gas group announced its departure from Russia because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but it still has assets in the country. Among other things, Shell wants to get rid of its 27.5 percent interest in Sakhalin-2, a huge complex in the extreme east of Russia for the production of oil and LNG. Instead, the company would now negotiate with the Chinese state oil companies CNOOC, CNPC and Sinopec. The talks are still early, so it is far from certain that a deal will be reached. However, there are scenarios on the table in which the interest goes t...
Half A Trillion Dollars to Public Cloud This Year
News, Tech

Half A Trillion Dollars to Public Cloud This Year

This year, global end-users will spend $494.7 billion on public cloud services, a fifth more year-on-year. SaaS remains the most important branch, but infrastructure and virtual workplaces are rising, Gartner says.   Last year it was $410.9 billion; this year, it will be 20.4 percent and next year, Gartner expects that to rise to more than 600 billion dollars. Cloud spending continues to grow because companies are doing more than just bringing their on-premise infrastructure to an AWS or Azure. "The cloud is the machine that drives digital organizations," said Sid Nag, research vice president at Gartner. "CIOs (...) are thoughtful in their choice of public cloud providers for specifically desired business and technology outcomes in their digital transformation." Gartner breaks pub...
Kremlin: Not Authorized to Talk About Ship Moskva
News, Russia

Kremlin: Not Authorized to Talk About Ship Moskva

The Kremlin is not authorized to discuss the sunken cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said this on Tuesday.   The Kremlin also says it cannot release details about the fate of the crew members, despite calls from family members for information. "All communication goes through the Ministry of Defense. We are not allowed to release anything," said the spokesperson. The Moskva went down last week after an explosion of ammunition on board, according to the Kremlin. Ukraine said it drove the ship to the basement by direct hits from two missiles. Russia has said more than 500 crew members have been rescued after the blast on Wednesday. Ukraine, however, maintained that there were fatalities, including the captain of the...
Another British Soldier (48) Arrested, Family Begs Moscow for Humane Treatment
News, Russia, UK

Another British Soldier (48) Arrested, Family Begs Moscow for Humane Treatment

Another British soldier has fallen into Russian hands in the besieged port city of Mariupol. This is apparent from a video made by the Russian army, about which British media write.   Shaun Pinner, 48, was in the hard-fought city of Marieopol in southern Ukraine. According to the Daily Mail, he previously served in the Royal Anglian infantry regiment of the British Army. Now he fought for Kyiv because his wife is Ukrainian. After a video of Pinner in captivity was published by the Russians this weekend, the man's family is concerned. They are calling on the military and Moscow to abide by the Geneva Convention. "I fought in Mariupol for five to six weeks, and now I'm in the Donetsk People's Republic," Pinner said in an edited propaganda video. He looks tired in the pictures. In a ...
More Than 5 Million People Have Fled Ukraine
News, Ukraine

More Than 5 Million People Have Fled Ukraine

The number of refugees from Ukraine has risen to more than 5 million fifty days after the start of the Russian invasion.   Nearly 4.8 million Ukrainians have fled their country, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. In addition, almost 215,000 people of other nationalities have left Ukraine. On March 30, the 4 million mark was passed. The lion's share has fled to Poland and neighbouring countries such as Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia. The Polish Border Guard has now let more than 2.72 million people through. In the meantime, Ukrainians are also returning. The UN estimates that there are about 30,000 a day.
Russian Warship Sunk According to Ukraine: Heaviest Defeat for Russian Fleet Since World War II
News, Russia, Ukraine

Russian Warship Sunk According to Ukraine: Heaviest Defeat for Russian Fleet Since World War II

The Russian warship Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, sank Thursday morning after shelling by Ukraine. Or so reports Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Zelensky.   However, the Russian authorities are again talking about a fire at an ammunition depot and have not yet confirmed that the ship has sunk. The Moskva is a 186-meter long cruiser and the main warship of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. The ship was hit by two 'Neptune' missiles on Wednesday night, according to Ukrainian authorities, and was badly damaged when ammunition on board then exploded. Russia has said nothing about a possible attack and is still investigating the cause of the fire. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the 510 crew members are said to have left the ship s...
Death Toll in Philippines from Storm Megi Rises to 58
News, Philippines

Death Toll in Philippines from Storm Megi Rises to 58

The death toll from landslides and flooding in the Philippines rose to 58 on Wednesday, official counts show.   The deadly conditions were caused by Tropical Storm Megi, the worst to hit the Southeast Asian archipelago so far this year. Most of the deaths were in central Leyte province, where a series of landslides have devastated communities. Rescuers are still searching for bodies in the villages shattered by rain and avalanches, which are often exhumed with bare hands. The death toll is expected to rise.
More Fines in ‘Party Gate’ Affair for Ignoring Corona Restrictions
News, UK

More Fines in ‘Party Gate’ Affair for Ignoring Corona Restrictions

The police in London have imposed dozens of extra fines in the affair of ignoring corona measures in the highest government circles. As a result, the scandal has been dubbed the 'party gate'.   Last month, police reported that 20 fines had been handed out. More than 50 fines have now been handed out, SkyNews reported. The police will not give the identity of fined people. Drivers and officials who imposed strict restrictions because this would be necessary to fight the coronavirus did not systematically adhere to the measures, according to the police investigation. Images of festive gatherings in Downing Street and other homes and offices of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson caused a lot of outrage in the country.
Surge of Coronavirus in China Causes Oil Prices to Fall
Business, China, News

Surge of Coronavirus in China Causes Oil Prices to Fall

Oil prices continue to fall as the coronavirus continues its comeback in China. The corona measures could weigh on the oil demand. China is the world's largest importer of crude oil.   The price for US West Texas Intermediate oil fell to $96 a barrel after a limited price increase - the first in four days - on Friday. In Shanghai, corona infections continue to increase, and it is unclear when the measures introduced against the virus will be lifted. The flare-up has led to disruptions in ports. More than 26,000 new infections were reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, the oil price is almost back to the level it was before the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. Then, the war prompted the Americans and their allies to release strategic oil reserves to keep prices down.