The media have learned about plans to lay off more than 10,000 Microsoft employees, and the Central Bank has recorded cases of writing off securities from Russian depositories abroad – these and other important news for Wednesday morning, January 18, in our daily review.

Microsoft plans to cut about 5% of its employees, i.e. about 11,000 people, British broadcaster Sky News reported citing sources. If the decision is made, the redundancy announcement is likely to come before Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella briefs investors on the company’s financial performance on January 24, the broadcaster notes.

The Bank of Russia has identified cases of illegal writing off of foreign securities from the account of the nominee holder, opened by the Russian depositary in a foreign organization that keeps records of securities. This is written by RBC with reference to the regulator’s letter sent to financial market participants.

The U.S. Ministry of Finance published the general license 6C, which replaces the license 6B issued on July 14, 2022. Thus, the agency renewed the authorization for transactions with Russia in the field of agriculture and medicine.

German oil and gas company Wintershall Dea will leave Russia, withdrawing from all projects in the country. “The supervisory board of Wintershall Dea has approved the management board’s decision in principle to withdraw from Russia,” the company said in a statement on its website.

The cost of March futures for Brent crude oil on the London-based ICE Futures exchange rose by 1.25% to $87 per barrel, according to trading data as of 09:01 MSC. The price of Brent reached $87 per barrel for the first time since January 3 this year.