Cloud-based software company Salesforce.com is in talks to acquire workplace messaging app Slack Technologies as it seeks to expand its offerings to businesses, people familiar with the matter have said. | Salesforce's bid comes as Slack struggles to fully capitalise on the switch to remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic in the face of fierce competition from Microsoft's Teams and other workplace apps. Salesforce sees the potential acquisition as a logical extension of its enterprise offerings, the sources said. | US Foreign Direct Investment has remained committed to Ireland during 2020, a positive sentiment to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. 94% of respondents to an American Chamber of Commerce Ireland survey say their corporate headquarters in the US are positive about Ireland as an investment location. | Walt Disney said it would lay off 32,000 workers, mainly at its theme parks, an increase from the 28,000 it announced in September, as the company struggles with limited customers due to the coronavirus pandemic. | The layoffs will be in the first half of 2021, the company said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier this month, Disney said it was laying off additional workers from its theme park in Southern California due to uncertainty over when the state would allow parks to reopen. | Subprime lender Amigo has reported a 36.5% fall in first half revenues and flagged "material uncertainty" about its future operations. It cited worries over the pandemic, complaint volumes and the outcome of an ongoing regulatory investigation for the uncertainty. The company, which saw revenues drop to £92.3m over the six months to the end of September, also posted a pretax loss of £62.6m.    |||