Company News in Brief

Spotify to launch new high-end Music Pro tier in 2025Spotify is considering charging up to US$5.99/month on top of existing subscriptions for a new music streaming service that will include higher-quality audio, remixing tools and access to concert tickets, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.The company might roll out the “Music Pro” tier this year, the report said, citing sources it did not name.Spotify is still working through the details, and prices for the new service will vary by geography, with the cost lower in less-developed marketsA Spotify spokesman said by e-mail that the company cannot confirm speculation around the potential details or feature set.The new service, which would use artificial intelligence for some features, would allow subscribers to mix together songs from different artists, the report said, adding that the company has held preliminary talks with major promoters and ticket sellers.-TECHCENTRAL South Africa is said to halt Starlink talks as US tensions escalateTalks over licensing SpaceX’s Starlink service in South Africa have stalled over the country’s tensions with the Donald Trump administration in the US.This is according to a recent report in Bloomberg News (paywall), which said that “negotiators plan to wait until the dispute between the US and South Africa calms down, with the intention to return to a possible deal at a later stage”, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter”.SpaceX, which is controlled by US billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, has for some time been seeking a licence to operate in South Africa. However, the process has been delayed over a request by SpaceX for “equity equivalents”, in terms of which it would not be required to sell a 30% stake in its South African operation but rather to make investments in other ways that advance South Africa’s programme of black economic empowerment.Last year, communications minister Solly Malatsi asked Icasa, the communications regulator which is ultimately responsible for licensing Starlink in South Africa, to consider revising the regulations so that equity equivalents are permitted in the licensing process, particularly to ensure foreign investors are not chased away before they even commit to invest in the country.-TECHCENTRAL DR Congo calls on NBA to drop sponsorship deals with RwandaThe Democratic Republic of Congo has asked the NBA to end the sponsorship deals of its Basketball Africa League with Rwandan entities, citing the occupation of Rwandan troops in country's eastern region, according to a memo sent to Reuters.The memo comes after similar appeals to Formula One, which is in talks with Rwanda to host a race, and soccer clubs including Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain that have sponsorship deals with Rwanda."By maintaining ties with a government engaged in violent expansionism, the NBA risks undermining its own credibility and moral standing," foreign minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said in a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.The memo cited two sponsorship deals in particular, with "Visit Rwanda" and "RwandAir."When contacted by Reuters, an NBA spokesperson said: "We will continue to follow U.S. government guidance everywhere we operate."Fighting between the army and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo has killed thousands since early 2022 and displaced more than 1 million people.-REUTERS

Company News in Brief

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