>>> US President Obama declares Ukraine situation poses a threat to the US,


US President Obama declares Ukraine situation poses a threat to the US, prepared to consider additional steps and sanctions against Russia
- Authorizes sanctions on individuals regarding the Ukraine
- Imposes visa restrictions on Crimean and Russian leaders responsible for actions that may undermine democratic process or Ukraine institutions. Restrictions also apply to individuals who have been deemed to threaten sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine

>>> US Early premarket gappers

Early premarket gappers

Gapping up: BORN +31.9%, SGMO +22.4%, ERII +18.9%, PXLW +12.5%, DDXS +10.6%, TKMR +9.6%, RNET +8.2%, ORAN +7.4%, BIOD +7%, LOGI +6.1%, LOGI +6.1%, PSTI +5.9%, ZGNX +4.7%, SODA +4.4%, QUNR +4.3%, VVTV +4.3%, FCEL +3.5%, SPTN +3.1%, PCOM +3.1%, PPHM +2.8%, DRIV +2.8%, VRNS +2.7%, XGTI +2.4%, CSTM +1.8%, DRI +1.8%, SMTC +1.6%, ARR +1.4%, PHG +1.4%, LBTYA +1.2%, GEVA +1.2%, BITA +1.2%, DB +1.1%, NVS +1.1%, TSLA +0.9%, ESPR +0.7%

Gapping down: AMCN -15.1%, BIOL -10.8%, SYNC -7.8%, DANG -7.6%, SPLS -6.7%, LOV -6.1%, WX -4.5%, CCRN -4.4%, BYD -4%, SUI -3.3%, INTT -2.5%, MPW -2.3%, KGC -2.2%, TI -1.9%, LRE -1.8%, CCL -1.5%, TMUS -1.4%, CUZ -1.4%

(BFW) Orange Isn’t Planning a Capital Increase for M&A, CEO Says

Orange Isn’t Planning a Capital Increase for M&A, CEO Says
2014-03-06 11:36:06.242 GMT


By Marie Mawad
     March 6 (Bloomberg) -- The co. doesn’t rule out an IPO for
EE in the medium term, CEO Stephane Richard says at a press
conference in Paris today.
  * Orange is weighing “creative alternatives” for non-cash
    mergers and acquisitions: Richard
  * Orange remains vigilant on the impact of French mergers to
    ensure they don’t lead to “competitive imbalances”:
    Richard
  * Orange aims to remain the leader in fixed and mobile in
    France: Richard
  * NOTE: Orange Gains Most in More Than Five Years on Profit
    Outlook {NSN N20GZC6KLVSN <go>}


Link to Company News:{ORA FP <Equity> CN <GO>}

For Related News and Information:
First Word scrolling panel: {FIRST<GO>}
First Word newswire: {NH BFW<GO>}

To contact the reporter on this story:
Marie Mawad in Paris at +33-1-5530-6290 or
mmawad1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Steve Rhinds at +33-1-5365-5072 or
srhinds@bloomberg.net

RTR- DirecTV in talks with Disney on deal for Internet rights

DirecTV is in talks with Walt Disney Co to license the rights to offer Disney's broadcast and cable channels as part of an Internet-based product, mirroring a first-of-its kind agreement that Disney and satellite rival Dish Network announced earlier this week.

"The deal and terms are not unexpected as the Dish contract was the most recent in the Disney timeline to expire," DirecTV spokesman Darris Gringeri said on Wednesday. "The DirecTV contract is up next and we're in the process of working with Disney on a similar long-term agreement of our own."

A Disney spokesman declined to comment.

An agreement could give both Disney and DirecTV a new revenue source as consumers gravitate toward online video services such as Netflix and watch more television online.

Timing of the deal could be not be learned. DirecTV's contract with Disney expires in late December.

The agreement between Dish and Disney marked the first time that a U.S. pay TV operator was given the flexibility to offer its content over the Web through smartphones, tablets and computers outside of a pay TV subscription.

In that agreement, Disney allows for Dish to stream linear and on-demand content from ABC broadcast stations as well as cable channels, ABC Family, Disney Channel, ESPN and ESPN2.

DirecTV has 20.3 million subscribers, while Dish has 14.1 million subscribers.

DirecTV Chief Executive Officer Mike White has previously said the No. 1 satellite operator is working on an "over-the-top" video package to suit niche audiences featuring Hispanic or kids programming, but has not yet given details on that offering.

(Digitimes) iPhone 5c inventories estimated at over 3 million units, says upstre

iPhone 5c inventories estimated at over 3 million units, says upstream supply chain

Due to below-expectations sales performance, recent market rumors have indicated that iPhone 5c shipments drastically deceased at the end of 2013 and inventory volumes have built up to more than three million units, consisting of about two million units at ODM Pegatron Technology and over one million units in total with telecom carriers and distributors, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers. Apple did not confirm the reports.

Apple previously announced its quarterly smartphone sales had reached a new high at 51 million units, but the mix of iPhone 5s and 5c did not provide much of a benefit to sales as demand for the iPhone 5c has always been weak compared to its predecessors or higher-end counterpart, the sources said.

The sources pointed out that the iPhone 5c's main problems are its higher-than-expected price point and 4-inch display, which is rather small by the latest standards. Apple already stopped placing orders for the iPhone 5c at the end of 2013, but inventories are still a big issue for the US-based vendor and its partners.

Due to their contracts with Apple and high purchasing prices, most telecom carriers and retailers are unlikely to offer significant price cuts in the short term for the iPhone 5c. Currently, iPhone 5c is priced at US$99 (16GB) and US$199 (32GB) with 3G service bundle plans, and US$549 (16GB) and US$649 (32GB) for the smartphone itself, the sources noted.

In the future, the sources believe Apple's miscalculation should help it adjust its smartphone strategy to release products with bigger screen sizes to satisfy user demand.

>>> TeliaSonera has large cash reserves for acquisitions

TeliaSonera has large cash reserves for acquisitions 

TeliaSonera, the Nordic telecom company, has plenty of cash for acquisitions but may have a hard time selecting a target, Taloussanomat reported.

The Finnish-language piece wrote, citing an analyst named Mikko Ervasti from Evli bank who said the group has plenty of cash for acquisitions but the atmosphere in the company’s area of interest in Central Asia has worsened due to previous problems the company had in Uzbekistan.

The item cited a report from Bloomberg which in turn had interviewed the company’s Chief Financial Officer Christian Luiga who said the company could invest in acquisitions.

TeliaSonera had cash reserves of EUR 3.6bn in December – an amount larger than ever before, the report said.


Source Taloussanomat

(BFW) *UKRAINE’S YATSENYUK SAYS RUSSIA IS STILL PROVOKING

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

BFW 03/06 08:39 *UKRAINE’S YATSENYUK SAYS RUSSIA IS STILL PROVOKING BN 03/06 08:38 *UKRAINE'S YATSENYUK SPEAKS TO REPORTERS IN BRUSSELS BN 03/06 08:38 *UKRAINE'S YATSENYUK URGES RUSSIA TO PULL BACK BN 03/06 08:38 *UKRAINE'S YATSENYUK SAYS RUSSIA IS STILL PROVOKING BN 03/06 08:37 *UKRAINE'S YATSENYUK SAYS A LOT OF OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Ukraine’s Yatsenyuk Says Russia Is Still Provoking 2014-03-06 08:42:59.76 GMT

By Jones Hayden March 6 (Bloomberg) -- “This is not just a Ukrainian- Russian crisis; this is the crisis in Europe,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says. * “We are to act in concert,” Yatsenyuk tells reporters in Brussels * “A lot of options are on the table. We stick to the political option,” Yatsenyuk says * “It depends on Russia whether Russia is ready to fix this conflict,” Yatsenyuk says

For Related News and Information: First Word scrolling panel: {FIRST<GO>} First Word newswire: {NH BFW<GO>}

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jones Hayden at +32-2-285-4312 or jhayden1@bloomberg.net

FT : Virtual currency chief found dead in Singapore

Virtual currency chief found dead in Singapore

Singapore police are investigating the “unnatural” death of Autumn Radtke, a US citizen who was chief executive of one of a growing number of virtual currency exchanges based in the Asian city state.
The 28-year old cloud computing expert was found dead last week at an apartment block in Singapore.

Ms Radtke was recruited by Singapore-based entrepreneur Douglas Abrams in 2012 to head First Meta Exchange, which accepts bitcoin to buy and sell other virtual currencies used in online games. Ms Radtke’s Linkedin profile describes the company as “an early pioneer in digital banking and virtual currency”.
Singapore police said that they had discovered a woman’s body lying motionless in at an apartment block after they had “received a call requesting assistance”.
“She was pronounced dead at scene by paramedics. Police are investigating the unnatural death,” a police statement said. A spokesman confirmed that the case involved Ms Radtke.
The final post by her on her Facebook page was a link to an article in Inc., an online publication, entitled “The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship”, chronicling the stress of running a business.
“The First Meta team is shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and CEO Autumn Radtke,” said a statement on First Meta’s website. “Our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends and loved ones. Autumn was an inspiration to all of us and she will be sorely missed.”
First Meta recently moved into digital payments across southeast Asia, a region where “micro-payments” on mobile devices is taking off amid the emergence of a middle class made up of young, tech-savvy consumers.
The relatively relaxed stance of the Singapore authorities to virtual currencies such as the bitcoin has attracted bitcoin operators to the island nation, which is already Asia’s largest foreign exchange trading hub.
Singapore has taken no firm stance against the virtual currency, unlike China and other Asian countries.
Last week’s collapse of Mt Gox, a Tokyo-based exchange that had been among the most popular platforms to trade and store the virtual currency, has prompted some countries to reassess their stance on bitcoin trading.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore last month said it would consider whether it might need to introduce regulations for bitcoin, and last year warned consumers about the risks of trading in virtual currencies.
Asia’s first bitcoin vending machine opened in Singapore last week. Taiwan, by contrast, has banned bitcoin vending machines, or automated teller machines.
Ms Radtke’s Linkedin page describes her as having worked in “enterprise cloud computing” first with Apple in 2007, later declining a job offer there to “stay in the fast paced world of technology start-ups”.
Mr Abrams told the FT: “She was introduced to me as a very promising young entrepreneur. She was young but she was not unusually young for a start-up company CEO.”
In 2008, she joined a founding team of Geodelic, one of the first companies to provide mobile location-based services across the Android operating system. She was responsible for global business development, dealing with telecoms groups such as T-Mobile, Korea Telecom and Verizon Wireless.