Jan 28 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- UPS UPS.N said it expected to cut as many as 30,000 jobs this year as part of a continuing effort to reduce costs and shore up profits.

- Southwest Airlines LUV.N said on Tuesday that it has officially retired its decades-old practice of open seating.

- Governor Greg Abbott of Texas abruptly blocked state agencies and public universities from using skilled foreign worker visas in hiring.

- Microsoft MSFT.O is internally projecting that water use at its data centers will more than double by 2030 from 2020, including in places that face shortages.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))