Bloomberg Google is releasing an app in Africa that will help internet users overcome obstacles such as the lack of high-speed connectivity and the cost of data on the continent. The release of Google Go is the US technology giant’s latest attempt to extend its reach into emerging markets such as sub-Saharan Africa, where Facebook Inc. is also making inroads. ...
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Spotify plans new version of free music service
Bloomberg Spotify Technology SA is developing a new version of its free music service, the first big product change since the streaming company went public last week, according to people familiar with the matter. The company is tweaking the free service to make it easier to use, especially for customers on mobile phones, said the people, who asked not to ...
Read More »Instagram to allow users download their data
Reuters Facebook Inc’s Instagram will soon allow its users to download a copy of all the content they have uploaded on the photo-sharing platform, a spokesman said. The disclosure comes amid global concerns about the privacy of users’ information on social media platforms and the amount of user data that companies keep. While Facebook has allowed its users to download ...
Read More »OPEC near ‘mission accomplished’ as global oil glut vanishes, says IEA
Bloomberg OPEC is on the verge of “mission accomplished†in its quest to clear the global oil glut that caused the worst industry downturn in a generation, the International Energy Agency said. Less than 10 percent of the surplus in oil inventories remains, as OPEC and its partners have cut production by even more than they intended while world demand ...
Read More »Italy’s Eni defies sceptics, plans raising stake in nuclear fusion project
MILAN / Reuters Italian energy group Eni is considering stepping up its investment in nuclear fusion, potentially doubling down on a technology considered so uncertain that Eni remains the only global oil company prepared to place a bet on it. Eni and bigger rivals such as Shell and BP have been looking at moving into renewable energy as climate change, ...
Read More »Iraq delays oil auction after late contract tweaks
Bloomberg Iraq delayed an international auction of rights to 11 of its oil and natural gas deposits, pushing back the bidding date after introducing changes to the contract, according to people familiar with the matter. The oil ministry re-scheduled the auction for April 25, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. ...
Read More »China’s March crude imports 2nd highest on record
BEIJING / Reuters China’s March crude oil imports climbed from a month earlier to the second highest on record, calculated on a daily basis, as refiners replenished stocks on generous government quotas and ahead of peak maintenance season. March shipments came in at 39.17 million tonnes, or 9.22 million barrels per day (bpd), the General Administration of Customs said. That ...
Read More »Indian business tycoons offer to invest $192 million in Fortis chain
Bloomberg Fortis Healthcare Ltd. said it has received a joint investment proposal from two Indian business families, intensifying a race to gain control of the country’s second-largest private hospital chain. Hero Enterprise Investment Office and the Burman Family Office have made a binding offer to invest a total of 12.5 billion rupees ($192 million) through a preferential share allotment at ...
Read More »Ambani’s Jio set to roil broadband after jolting rivals
Bloomberg Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s plan to roll out broadband internet services to Indian households this year under Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. has the potential to alter the segment’s competitive landscape, credit rating company S&P Global Ratings says. The new service may add $5 billion to parent company Reliance Industries’ valuation, according to CLSA India. The brokerage firm anticipates a $611 ...
Read More »Ex-Googler’s Chinese e-comm site valued at $15bn
Bloomberg A Chinese e-commerce site called Pinduoduo, or PDD, has raised more than $1 billion at a valuation of about $15 billion, roughly 10 times the level just a year ago, according to people familiar with the matter. The Shanghai-based company, founded by ex-Google engineer Colin Huang, is getting the money from existing investors including Sequoia Capital China and Tencent ...
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