Latest news with #JoséAdolfoMacias
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Microsoft layoffs: Xbox faces turbulence - up to 2,000 jobs on the line as studio shutdowns loom
It looks like it's going to be a tough week for Xbox employees. There are rumors that Microsoft 's ongoing shake-up could lead to the loss of jobs. Developers are on edge and worried because they've heard rumors that entire studios are closing. Why are Xbox Studios at risk? Microsoft is preparing to lay off employees once more. As part of its organizational restructuring, the tech giant is reportedly planning to lay off employees in the Xbox division next week. Bloomberg reported that managers in its Xbox division are expecting significant layoffs. The Verge quickly supported that, claiming that managers had been notified internally and that the Xbox division might be affected by these cuts as early as next week. ALSO READ: Fito captured: The shocking crimes and net worth of Ecuador's most wanted man, José Adolfo Macias Will Xbox cut up to 2,000 jobs? Internal sources and a gaming industry veteran are warning of even deeper cuts, which is making things even more tense in Microsoft's gaming division. Live Events George Broussard, a seasoned industry veteran and one of the founders of Duke Nukem, wrote on Bluesky earlier today that internal sources anticipate the layoffs to be severe. He stated that up to 2,000 workers could be laid off, which could impact 10% of the Xbox workforce as a whole. The industry veteran has added to the mounting anxiety, and the situation does not appear to be improving. 'News has reported imminent Xbox layoffs , but I'm hearing internal developer stuff where people at most studios are anxious and worried,' Broussard stated. 'Word is that entire studios may be shuttered. Expectation is 1000-2000 people,' as quoted in a report by The Game Post. These cuts are besides those made earlier this year. Microsoft laid off 6,000 workers in May across its gaming division and other businesses. More than three hundred people were laid off earlier this month. Naturally, in early 2024, the company laid off 1,900 employees from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard, and Xbox. But as of yet, no formal announcement has been made. How is this impacting employees? The increasing volume of reports and the specific information coming to light are making matters worse. Uncertain of whether they will still have jobs next week, developers are waiting in limbo. Rumors that entire studios are in jeopardy heighten the sense of urgency. FAQs How many Xbox employees could be laid off? Insiders fear that 1,000-2,000 jobs will be cut soon. Will Xbox close any of its studios? Rumors suggest that entire studios may be closed as part of the cuts. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
Ecuador recaptures gang leader wanted in the United States more than a year after his prison escape
Escorted by soldiers and police officers, Adolfo "Fito" Macias, the leader of the Choneros gang, arrives in Guayaquil, Ecuador, after getting detained, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Joffre Flores) QUITO, Ecuador — A fugitive drug trafficker wanted by authorities in Ecuador and the United States was recaptured more than a year after he escaped from prison in the Andean nation, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced Wednesday. José Adolfo Macías, alias 'Fito,' who led a gang called 'Los Choneros' in Ecuador and has been indicted in New York City on charges he imported thousands of pounds of cocaine into the United States, was captured in the Ecuadorian city of Manta, his hometown, officials in Ecuador said. Interpol had issued an arrest warrant for Macias after his mysterious prison escape in early 2024 from the Guayaquil Regional Prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking. Ecuadorian authorities have yet to explain how he escaped. They only learned of his escape when a military contingent arrived to transfer him to another maximum-security prison but didn't find him in his cell. The Ecuadorian army confirmed Macias' recapture in what appeared to be the basement of a house. A video provided by the army showed the moment of the arrest, with a uniformed officer aiming a gun at the head of the drug trafficker, who gave his full name. The officers had found him hiding in a small hole beneath what appeared to be a kitchen counter. Wednesday's announcement of his arrest comes in the same week that Federico Gómez, alias 'Fede,' the leader of another gang called Las Aguilas, was confirmed to have escaped from an Ecuadorian prison. Last year, U.S. Attorney John Durham said in a news release that Macias led Los Choneros and its 'network of assassins and drug and weapon traffickers' since at least 2020. With an extensive criminal record including charges of murder and organized crime, Macías has cultivated a cult status among fellow gang members and the public in his home country. While behind bars in 2023, he released a video addressed to 'the Ecuadorian people' while flanked by armed men. He also threw parties in prison, where he had access to everything from liquor to roosters for cockfighting matches. The seven-count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn charges Macías and an unidentified co-defendant with international cocaine distribution, conspiracy and weapons counts, including smuggling firearms from the United States. Los Choneros employed people to buy firearms, components and ammunition in the United States and smuggle them into Ecuador, according to the indictment. Cocaine would flow into the United States with the help of Mexican cartels. 'Los Choneros operated a vast network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States and elsewhere,' the indictment says. Last year, the U.S. classified Los Choneros as one of the most violent gangs and affirmed its connection to powerful Mexican drug cartels who threaten Ecuador and the surrounding region. Authorities in Ecuador have classified the gang as a terrorist organization. Earlier this month, the Ecuadorian government announced the reward for the capture of Macías would be increased to US$1 million. Gonzalo Solano And Gabriela Molina, The Associated Press
