DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Britain’s Royal Mail has been bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský for $4.5 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The owner of Royal Mail has accepted a £3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) takeover bid from Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, paving the way for the sale of one of Britain’s oldest and most iconic institutions to a foreign owner for the first time. The deal follows a torrid few years for Royal Mail, which was privatized in 2013. “Royal Mail is as British as it gets, and Labour will take the necessary steps to safeguard its undeniable identity and place in public life,” he wrote in the letter, which he posted on X. A low-profile Czech national, Křetínský made his fortune through a sprawling empire of European energy companies, retailers and football clubs. He is worth an estimated $7.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and owns a 27% stake in West Ham United Football Club.

Persons: Daniel Křetínský, Křetínský’s, Jonathan Reynolds, ”, Křetínský Organizations: London CNN, Royal Mail, Distribution Services, Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Royal, Bloomberg, West Ham United Football Club Locations: Czech, United Kingdom, West

☆ Paul McCartney roasted Bruce Springsteen telling him Taylor Swift is more deserving of his lifetime achievement award
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Paul McCartney roasted Bruce Springsteen at the Ivor Novello Awards on Thursday. The Beatle joked that other singers were more deserving of his lifetime achievement award. McCartney joked Bob Dylan, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift would be more fitting recipients. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSir Paul McCartney roasted Bruce Springsteen when he presented him with a lifetime achievement award at the Ivor Novello Awards on Thursday, and joked that stars including Taylor Swift were more deserving.

Persons: Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Ivor Novello, McCartney, Bob Dylan, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, —, Sir Paul McCartney, Springsteen Organizations: Ivor, Service, Ivors Academy, Business Locations: British

☆ Royal Mail: Meet Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský who wants to buy Britain’s postal service
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It has been operating a postal service in England since the reign of Henry VIII. EP Group has until May 29 to convert its £3.5 billion ($4.4 billion) non-biding offer into a formal bid for IDS. The likely sale would come after a difficult few years for Royal Mail, which was privatized in 2013. ‘As British as it gets’The potential buyout of Royal Mail has stirred anxieties about the consequences of the iconic British institution coming under foreign ownership. “Royal Mail is an important national asset that would benefit from being able to take a longer-term view,” the firm said.

Persons: Henry VIII, Daniel Křetínský, Křetínský, Patrik Tkáč, Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, Dave Ward, ”, ” Ward, Jonathan Reynolds, ” Ivana Kottasová Organizations: London CNN — Royal Mail, Distribution Services, IDS, Royal Mail, UK Department for Business, Trade, CNN, Bloomberg, Equity Investment, Newsweek, West Ham United Football Club, Reuters, Communication Workers Union, Labour Party, Royal, Labour Locations: England, Czech, British, United States, FNAC, France, United Kingdom, West

☆ Opinion | The Cruel Spectacle of British Asylum Policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Daniel Trilling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Rwanda, the court said, might send them back to countries where their lives could be at risk. The law that passed last week aims to override that court ruling by declaring that Rwanda is safe. Legality aside, it has never been clear that the policy is even capable of working. So what is the point of the Rwanda policy? But Mr. Sunak — under pressure from his party’s right to accede to their demands on immigration — needs an emphatic win, or at least something that looks like one.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel, ” It’s, Sunak’s, Sunak, Liz Truss, Mr, He’s Organizations: United Nations ’, Rwanda —, Conservative Party, Labour, Mr, Conservative Locations: Rwanda, Kigali

☆ From Gen Alpha to boomers, we asked 6 therapists what each generation is talking about in therapy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Millennials are anxious avocado-eaters who'll never own property, while Gen Zers are depressed snowflakes who take liberties at work. So in the spirit of finding some common ground amid all the mud-slinging, BI asked six therapists what their clients from different generations commonly talk about in therapy. Gen Alpha are also forming friendships outside their family and independent of their parents or carers, and that's reflected in what kids worry about. Diana Garcia, a therapist in Florida, works mainly with older Gen Zers between 18 and 26. MillennialsLike Gen Zers, millennials, who are in their late 20s to early 40s, also feel insecure because they compare the "perfect lives" they see on social media with their own, Owen said.

Persons: —, Millennials, who'll, Gen Zers, X, It's, Gen, Gallup, we're, Israa Nasir, Generation Alpha, There's, Georgina Sturmer, Elena Popova, Amanda Macdonald, Gen Alpha, Alonso, Gen Alphas, Jill Owen, Z, Owen, Diana Garcia, Nasir, Sturmer, Gen Xers, that's, boomers, we've Organizations: Service, Alpha, Business, Gallup, Generation, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, British Association for Counselling, Psychotherapy, Therapists Locations: New York, New Jersey, Florida

☆ 7 times a total solar eclipse revolutionized science
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In the middle of the afternoon, day will shift to night, as a total solar eclipse touches 15 states. We know now what causes a total solar eclipse. Here are seven times a total solar eclipse has helped advance human science. Culture Club/Bridgeman via Getty ImagesOn March 14, 189 BCE, a total solar eclipse swept over what is now northern Turkey. Corbis via Getty ImagesGemini 12 astronauts Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to see a total eclipse from space.

Persons: —, China's emporer, Edmond Halley, De, Anaxagoras, Hipparchus, Nicaea, Edmond, Halley, Isaac Newton's, Norman Lockyer, Pierre Jules César Janssen, Janssen, Lockyer, James Craig Watson, Vulcan, Albert Einstein, Einstein, Corbis, Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Alexandria . Culture Club, Bridgeman, Science, Society Picture Library, Sun, Mercury, Wallops, Smithsonian Magazine, NASA Locations: Ireland, China, Alexandria, Turkey, Egypt, England, India, French, Guntur, Brazil, Principe, Africa, Virginia, Peru

☆ Russian assault piles pressure on fragile Ukrainian defensive line in the east
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The UK statement, which was shared on X, said: “Russian forces have maintained a gradual advance West of Avdiivka. Their apparent fall in just over a month after a prolonged and brutal Russian assault is indicative not only of Russian momentum, but also the fragility of Ukraine’s defensive lines. Ukraine’s military declined to comment on who is currently in control of Tonenke in response to a question from CNN. Troops CNN spoke to in frontline areas expressed concerns about the lack of Ukrainian defensive positions, personnel and munitions. The ISW said the Ukrainian forces appeared to have repelled the Russian mechanized assault, an apparent reference to the Umanske attack.

Persons: Kostiantyn, Donald Trump, Zelensky, ”, Yuriy Butusov, Butusov, Vlada, ISW, Chasiv Yar, Victoria Butenko, Svitlana Vlasova, Yulia Kesaieva Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, GOP, Washington, European Union, Ukraine’s, Staff, Russian, Troops CNN Locations: Russian, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, Kyiv, Umanske, Tonenke, Berdychi, US, Bakhmut

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Sticky inflation muddies water for Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nearly half of the world's total dividend growth came from the banking sector, which delivered record payouts as rising borrowing costs lifted lenders' margins, the report found. Boeing crisis hurt airlinesCEOs from several airlines say Boeing's delivery delays have forced the carriers to change their growth plans. Citadel on rate cutsInflation headwinds remain and the Fed shouldn't cut rates too quickly, says Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin.

Persons: Dow, Janus Henderson, Ken Griffin Organizations: CNBC, Nasdaq, Boeing, Alaska Airlines Max, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United, Citadel Locations: British

☆ Shareholder payouts hit a record $1.7 trillion last year as bank profits surged
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 5, 2024. LONDON — Global dividend payouts to shareholders hit a record $1.66 trillion in 2023, according to a new report by British asset manager Janus Henderson. The Global Dividend Index report, published Wednesday, said payouts rose by 5% year-on-year on an underlying basis, with the fourth quarter showing a 7.2% rise from the previous three months. The banking sector contributed almost half of the world's total dividend growth, delivering record payouts as high interest rates boosted lenders' margins, the report found. "In addition, lingering post-pandemic catch-up effects meant payouts were fully restored, most notably at HSBC ," Janus Henderson's report added.

Persons: Janus Henderson, Wells, Morgan Stanley, Janus Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, LONDON, JPMorgan Chase, Federal, HSBC, BHP, Petrobras, Rio Tinto, Intel Locations: New York City, U.S, British, Wells Fargo, China, Rio

☆ West Stands to Lose at Least $288 Billion in Assets if Russian Assets Seized -RIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia's state RIA news agency said on Sunday it had calculated that the West stood to lose assets and investments worth at least $288 billion if it confiscated frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine and Moscow then retaliated. After President Vladimir Putin sent forces into Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's central bank and finance ministry, blocking around $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West. It said EU nations held $223.3 billion of the assets, of which $98.3 billion was formally held by Cyprus, $50.1 billion by the Netherlands and $17.3 billion by Germany. It said the top five European investors in the Russian economy also included France with assets and investments worth $16.6 billion and Italy with $12.9 billion. It said the United States had $9.6 billion worth of Russian assets at the end of 2022, Japan $4.6 billion and Canada $2.9 billion.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, RIA, Andrew Osborn, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Seven, Kremlin, European Union, RIA Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, U.S, West ., Belgium, Russia, Europe, Australia, Switzerland, Russian, Cyprus, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, United States, Japan, Canada, Norway

The SEALs found cruise and ballistic missile components, including propulsion and guidance devices, as well as warheads, Central Command said. Iran has an anti-ship missile called the Ghadir. The U.S. Navy ultimately sank the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the Houthis' attacks. Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas.

Persons: Houthis, Jake Sullivan, Yahya Saree, Zografia, Yemen’s, USS Lewis B, Puller, Fabian Hinz, Hinz, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Elena Becatoros, Tara Copp, Aamer, Baldor Organizations: JERUSALEM, U.S, Greek Shipping, Ministry, U.S . Central Command, U.S . Navy, House, SEAL, USS, U.S . military's, Command, Central Command, International Institute for Strategic Studies, United Nations, Iran's, United, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Yemen, Malta, Red, Suez, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Iranian, Gulf of Aden, Gaza, United Nations, Tehran, Gibraltar, Gulf, Aden, Athens, Greece, Washington

☆ Tim Peake on his latest book, 'Space: The Human Story'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Tania Bryer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTim Peake on his latest book, 'Space: The Human Story'British astronaut and best-selling author Tim Peake explains to CNBC’s Tania Bryer the research that went into his latest book, “Space: The Human Story” and what he hopes readers will take away from it.

Persons: Tim Peake, CNBC’s Tania Bryer

Its cost was estimated at 33 billion pounds in 2011, but has soared to more than 100 billion pounds ($122 billion) by some estimates. Sunak said Conservative lawmakers would be given a free vote in Parliament on the smoking ban. He used the speech to give party members and voters a glimpse of the man behind his technocratic exterior. Home Secretary Suella Braverman used her conference speech to appeal to the party’s authoritarian, law-and-order wing, advocating tougher curbs on migration and a war on human rights protections and “woke” social values. “I am confident we can win,” said Balwinder Dhillon, deputy mayor of the town of Slough, west of London.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, he's, ”, ” Sunak, Andy Burnham, ” “, Rain Newton, Smith, “, Margaret Thatcher —, Liz Truss, Akshata Murty, Suella Braverman, Balwinder Dhillon Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Leeds, Conservative, Manchester, of British Industry, Health, New, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, London Stock Exchange, Treasury, United, British Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Manchester, London, “, Birmingham, Midlands, North, Britain, Britain’s, New Zealand, Rwanda, United Kingdom, Slough

☆ Ukraine's air force has gotten good at fighting on the run, and Russia's military can't catch up, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's air force has been able to keep operating by spreading out its jets among different bases. Russia has struggled to catch up to that dispersal, the top US Air Force general in Europe says. That success underscores the US Air Force's need to be able to distribute its jets and crews. Russia began the war with a larger and more advanced air force, including better radars and longer-range missiles. US Air Force crew chiefs perform a "communications out" launch of an F-16 during an exercise in Lithuania in August.

Persons: James Hecker, they've, Hecker, Danil, " Hecker, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Stephanie Longoria Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Washington DC, Getty, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Ukraine, Carnegie Endowment, International, Russian BDA, Air Force, Tech Locations: Russia, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Lviv, AFP, Moscow, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland

☆ UK sanctions more Iranian officials to mark anniversary of Mahsa Amini death
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in London, Britain October 29, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on four Iranian officials to mark the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's morality police. The sanctions target senior decision makers enforcing Iran's mandatory hijab law and were coordinated with similar moves by the United States, Canada and Australia, Britain's foreign ministry said in a statement. Those sanctioned include Iran's minister for culture and Islamic guidance, his deputy, the mayor of Tehran and an Iranian police spokesman, it added. The sanctions impose a British travel ban on those named, block any of their British assets and prevent UK entities from doing business with them.

Persons: Mahsa, Henry Nicholls, James, Farouq Suleiman, Sachin Ravikumar, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Mahsa Amini, Iran, London, Britain, United States, Canada, Australia, Tehran

☆ Former Prudential boss leading contender for CEO role at St James's Place - Sky news
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Former interim CEO of insurer Prudential (PRU.L) is the leading contender to take the top job at British asset manager St James's Place (SJP.L), succeeding current chief Andrew Croft, Sky news reported on Thursday. Mark FitzPatrick, interim CEO at the Asia-focused insurer for a period last year, has emerged as the SJP board's preferred successor to company veteran Croft, according to the report. Sky news had in May reported Croft's plan to step down from the role he took over in 2018. St James's Place in July reported a fall in its half-year profit but attracted 3.4 billion pounds ($4.31 billion) of net inflows in what the company called a "challenging period" for UK investors. As of June 30, SJP held 157.5 billion pounds worth of funds under management.

Persons: St James's, Andrew Croft, Mark FitzPatrick, board's, Croft, SJP, Prerna Bedi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Prudential, St, Sky, Thomson Locations: Asia, James's, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsZURICH, Aug 24 (Reuters) - GAM (GAMH.S) has entered into discussions with French billionaire Xavier Niel's NewGAMe shareholder group after a takeover offer from Britain's Liontrust failed to gain the required level of support. "The GAM Board acknowledges that the majority of our shareholders have not found the Liontrust Offer compelling. GAM shares fell 5.08% shortly after market open, whereas Liontrust recorded a 10.37% gain. Liontrust had made its offer conditional on winning the backing of two-thirds of GAM's shareholders in a prospectus it published in June. The investor group, led by Niel's NewGAMe and asset manager Bruellan, have vehemently opposed the all-share offer, saying in July that it "grossly undervalues GAM".

Persons: Arnd, Xavier Niel's, Britain's Liontrust, Liontrust, GAM's, David Jacob, Niel's NewGAMe, Bruellan, Brenna Hughes, Friederike Heine, Jason Neely, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, GAM, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, British, Liontrust

☆ UK says a supersonic Russian bomber likely to have been destroyed in drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Host Photo Agency/RIA Novosti/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - British military intelligence said on Tuesday that a weekend drone attack on an airfield deep inside Russia which Moscow blamed on Ukraine is highly likely to have destroyed a TU-22M3 supersonic long-range bomber. Kyiv, which on Monday claimed to have attacked another Russian military airfield, says Russia has used the TU-22M3 to bomb targets across Ukraine. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that a military airfield in the Novgorod region where such planes are stationed had been attacked by a Ukrainian drone and one plane had been damaged. 'SUCCESSFUL ATTACK'In one of its regular updates on Ukraine, British military intelligence said that "a Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE medium bomber of Russia's Long Range Aviation (LRA) was highly likely destroyed at Soltsy-2 Air base in Novgorod Oblast, 650 km (403 miles) away from Ukraine’s border". Russia has often used supersonic TU-22M3 planes to bomb Ukraine, it added, criticising what it called the "notoriously inaccurate" heavy anti-ship missiles which the plane fires.

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones, Giles Elgood Organizations: Tupolev, REUTERS, Agency, RIA, Moscow, Russia's Defence, Aviation, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Novgorod, Ukrainian, British, Soltsy, Novgorod Oblast, Ukraine’s

For investors looking to weed out climate laggards from portfolios, these are vital questions but existing guidelines on emissions reporting and new rules due to come in for the United States and Europe are unlikely to provide hard answers. The United States is on track to announce similar rules this year and the corporate standard, first launched in 2001 and revised in 2004, is also embedded in other international emissions reporting standards. Nonetheless, many investors scrutinise carbon emissions data to gauge how polluting a company is, how it compares with rivals and how this might affect its bottom line and share price. Another area of investor concern is how companies account for their own energy use, or Scope 2 emissions. The GHGP allows companies to buy green energy to offset their emissions, using contractual instruments such as renewable energy certificates, and reflect this in their reporting.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, Vanessa Bingle, David Lubin, Subaru, SCA's Lubin, Laura Kane, Kane, Jimmy Jia, Jia, abrdn, Pedro Faria, Faria, Pankaj Bhatia, Douglas Gillison, Sumanta Sen, Dan Flynn, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Toyota, Shell, Greenhouse, World Business, Sustainable Development, World Resources Institute, Reuters, Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, Analytics, Subaru, North, Voya Investment Management, Voya, EU, Sustainability, IFRS, Oxford Smith School of Enterprise, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, United States, Europe, Japan, North America, U.S, Britain, British, EU

☆ Ukraine has 14 kinds of howitzers to batter Russian forces, but each gun brings a new problem for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has 14," Patrick Hinton, a British Army captain, wrote in a recent article on Ukrainian artillery for the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank. Ukraine's arsenal of towed 155 mm howitzers includes the US M777, British AS-90, France's TRF1, and the British-German-Italian FH-70. For armored self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, Ukraine has received three variants of the American-made M109, plus Germany's PzH 2000, Poland's Krab, and Slovakia's Zuzana 2. To add to the mix, there is France's truck-mounted 155 mm Caesar gun and Lithuania has sent old US-made M101 towed 105 mm howitzers that were designed in 1941. Crash coursesA Ukrainian serviceman in a PzH 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzer near Bakhmut in June.

Persons: Patrick Hinton, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, France's TRF1, Poland's Krab, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Cannon, Mykhaylo Palinchak, Hinton, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Artillery, Russia, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Anadolu Agency, Getty, British AS, NATO, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, British, US, Bakhmut, Italian, Lithuania, Czech, AFP, Soviet, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Europe, Forbes

☆ British asset manager St James's Place attracts $4.4 billion in first-half net inflows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - British asset manager St James's Place (SJP.L) reported a fall in half-yearly profit after tax on Thursday but attracted 3.4 billion pounds ($4.40 billion) of net inflows in what the company called a "challenging period" for UK investors. Funds under management hit a record 157.5 billion pounds, up from 148.4 billion in December 2022. Profit after tax fell to 161.7 million, down from 208.2 million in the same period last year, and the interim dividend was 15.83 pence per share, representing 30% of the previous full-year dividend, the company said. "As we look ahead, there continue to be challenges for UK consumers," he said. ($1 = 0.7722 pounds)($1 = 0.7719 pounds)Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft, editing by Sinead CruiseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: St James's, Andrew Croft, Croft, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sinead Cruise Organizations: St, Funds, UK savers, Thomson Locations: British, U.S

☆ A Millennium Falcon-shaped comet heading toward Earth is so bright you'll able to see it with your naked eye, say astronomers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Ellie Zolfagharifard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Astronomers have spotted a "once-in-a-lifetime" comet shaped like the Millennium Falcon. The comet will make its closest approach to the sun next year, just weeks after a solar eclipse. The comet, known as Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, abruptly brightened 100-fold on July 20 as plumes of debris and ice were blasted off it into space. While it may be possible to see the comet with the naked eye, Miles advised using binoculars. A decades-old mysteryAstronomers aren't sure exactly why Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which orbits the sun every 71 years, has brightened so drastically in recent weeks.

Persons: Pons, Brooks, It's, Richard Miles, Miles, Dr Edward Gomez, Elek Tamás, Helen Usher of Cardiff, Carrie Holt, Gomez Organizations: Service, British Astronomical Association, Wales, Harsona, Comet, Open University, University of Maryland Locations: Wall, Silicon, Cardiff, Nyiregyhaza, Hungary

July 27 (Reuters) - British asset manager Schroders (SDR.L) reported a drop in first-half assets under management on Thursday, due to weaker investor sentiment and market volatility. Schroders' assets under management fell to 726.1 billion pounds ($940 billion) in the six months to June 30, from 737.5 billion pounds at December-end. The company generated 5.7 billion pounds in net new business, excluding joint ventures and associates. In contrast, Jupiter Fund Management (JUP.L) jumped 14% to the top of the FTSE mid-cap (.FTMC) after it reported assets under management rose 2% to 51.4 billion pounds. The fund manager saw "small" net inflows of 23 million pounds, helped by institutional client demand.

Persons: Schroders, Calastone, Peter Harrison, Jefferies, James's, Peel Hunt, Eva Mathews, Savio D'Souza, Sinead Cruise, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, JPMorgan, Jupiter Fund, Peel, Thomson Locations: British, Bengaluru

☆ Why Hunter, Britain’s Best Known Wellie, Fell From Grace
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Elizabeth Paton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, one fashion accessory was more synonymous with Britain’s most famous music festival, Glastonbury, than any other: Hunter Wellington boots. To many, Hunter — which held a royal warrant, and was established in Edinburgh as the North British Rubber Company in 1856 — became a brand as quintessentially British as afternoon tea, queuing and talking about the weather. But this week, days before this year’s (uncharacteristically sun-soaked) Glastonbury got underway, Hunter was forced to file for administration, the British equivalent of bankruptcy, owing creditors about $146 million. However the company largely blamed the dry-up in demand to unseasonably warm weather in its largest market: the United States. Namely, that Hunter’s offshoring of production to China had led to stumbles in quality control, resulting in split rubber and sodden toes.

Persons: Hunter Wellington, Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Alexa Chung, Hunter —, —, Hunter Organizations: North British Rubber Company, United States . Locations: Glastonbury, Edinburgh, United States, China

He told reporters on Thursday the debris was consistent with "a catastrophic implosion of the vehicle." British Titanic explorer Dik Barton paid tribute to the work of his friend Nargeolet but noted issues raised with the design and maintenance of the craft. "Everyone's wise after the event, but as we're hearing before, unfortunately there were many red flags flying here," he said. He said sonar buoys used in the water for more than three days had not detected an implosion. The Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on its first voyage, killing more than 1,500 people aboard.

Persons: moviemaker Cameron, John Mauger, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate, Dawood, Shahzada, Suleman Dawood, Dik Barton, Nargeolet, OceanGate's, Guard's Mauger, Moviemaker James Cameron, we've, Cameron, Stefan Williams, Michael Guillen, Joseph Ax, Steve Gorman, Charlotte Greefield, Edmund Blair, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Titan, U.S . Coast Guard, Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, British Asian Trust, University of Strathclyde, U.S . Navy, Navy, Wall Street, British, Reuters, University of Sydney, Thomson Locations: North Atlantic, North, U.S, Scotland, British, Greece, Canada, France, Britain, submersibles, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, St, John's, Newfoundland

Search resuls for: "British AS"

25 mentions found