DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 'Bridgerton' fans are praising the disability representation in season 3, including an 'autistic-coded' character
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewWarning: Spoilers ahead for "Bridgerton" season three, part one. Fans are lauding season 3 for its representation of people with disabilitiesZak Ford-Williams as Lord Remington on season three of "Bridgerton." — Michelle Birkby (@michelleeb) May 16, 2024Today is Global Accessibility Awareness day and @bridgerton season 3 premier day. Francesca Bridgerton is autistic. Francesca isn't explicitly stated as being on the autism spectrum in Julia Quinn's 'Bridgerton' novels or on the TV seriesHannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton on season three, episode two of "Bridgerton."

Persons: —, Penelope Featherington, Nicola Coughlan, Colin Bridgerton's, Luke Newton, Francesa Bridgerton, Hannah Dodd, Francesca, Dodd, Jess Brownell, Zak Ford, Williams, Lord Remington, Dolores Stowell, Kitty Devlin, Queen Charlotte, Golda Rosheuvel, Dolores, Lady Stowell, Sophie Woolley, Penelope, Colin ., Whistledown —, Michelle Birkby, — Chanel 🏒, emington,, ady, ord, J, ady V, eason, ord J ohn, ong, ohn, tirling, ove, ike Organizations: Service, Business, Netflix, ust Locations: isible

☆ Lord Kilmartin courts Francesca in 'Bridgerton' season 3 — here's what happens to them in the books
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Francesca Bridgerton's story begins in season three of "Bridgerton." AdvertisementWarning: Major spoilers ahead for season three, part one of "Bridgerton," and "When He Was Wicked," the sixth Bridgerton book. This season, "Bridgerton's" romantic subplot is almost as compelling as its main storyline. While Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) get their act together, another character also makes romantic inroads: Francesca (Hannah Dodd), the sixth Bridgerton sibling. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Francesca Bridgerton's, Julia Quinn's, John Stirling —, —, Colin Bridgerton, Luke Newton, Penelope Featherington, Nicola Coughlan, Francesca, Hannah Dodd Organizations: Service, Business

☆ There's been a 'real compression' of valuations in the sports industry, sports investment firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere's been a 'real compression' of valuations in the sports industry, sports investment firm saysStirling Mortlock, co-founder and CIO of XV Capital, says there aren't many "lofty valuations" in the sports industry.

Persons: Stirling Mortlock Organizations: XV

The S&P 500 (.SPX), the Nasdaq (.IXIC) and the Dow (.DJI) registered their third straight week of gains. For the week, the S&P 500 added 2.2% while the Nasdaq composite rose 2.4% and the Dow climbed 1.9%. Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsEnergy, finishing up 2.1%, was the biggest percentage gainer among the 11 major S&P 500 sectors as oil prices settled up more than 4%. The S&P 500 posted 18 new 52-week highs and 1 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 55 new highs and 97 new lows.

Persons: Michael Barr, Mary Daly, Susan Collins, Robert Phipps, Per Stirling's Phipps, Dow, Jack McIntyre, Brendan McDermid, Russell, Rick Wilmer, Sinéad Carew, Shristi, Maju Samuel, Pooja Desai, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Dow, Nasdaq, Federal, San Francisco Fed, Boston Fed, Applied Materials, U.S . Justice, Stirling, Dow Jones, Brandywine Global, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights Energy, Technology, Microsoft, Ross Stores, Old Navy, ChargePoint Holdings, NYSE, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Austin Texas, Philadelphia, New York City, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Chunks of an alien world could be hidden deep within our planet, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This alien planet, Theia, was thought to have completely disappeared in the collision. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs well as shedding new light on the inner workings of our planet, scientists hope they will one day have access to these slabs of alien rock to reveal, once and for all, how our moon formed. The assumption has long been that Theia melded into moon, the Earth's mantle, and its core, in effect disappearing completely. Previous theories have suggested this core-mantle boundary could be made up of bits of ancient ocean floors. The problem is that the core-mantle boundary is very far from the surface — about 1,800 miles.

Persons: Theia, Vincent Eke, Jacob A, haven't, Edward Garnero, Li, Hongping Deng, Everest, Deng, Christian Schroeder Organizations: Service, Arizona State University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Durham University, University of Stirling Locations: Theia, Iceland, Samoa

Bottles of Ricard's aniseed-flavoured beverage are pictured at the Ricard manufacturing unit in Lormont, near Bordeaux, France February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS/LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - French spirits maker Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA) said on Thursday it expected to grow sales over the coming year, despite a difficult first quarter marred by big drops in sales in the United States and China. Pernod struggled as a tough economy in China dampened demand and amid inventory adjustments in the United States, where sales are also normalising after a post-COVID surge. "I am confident that we can deliver broad-based and diversified sales growth in FY24," Ricard said in a statement. But, he continued, it's not clear to what degree there will have been improvement in the economic environment hurting Pernod's performance right now.

Persons: Regis, Pernod Ricard, PERP.PA, Pernod, Alexandre Ricard, Ricard, Martell, Mumm, Pernod's, Bernstein, Trevor Stirling, it's, Helene de Tissot, Dominique Vidalon, Emma Rumney, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Mark Potter Organizations: Ricard, REUTERS, Diageo, Thomson Locations: Lormont, Bordeaux, France, LONDON, United States, China, India, Americas, Paris, London

☆ Remembering Namibia’s record-breaking 142-0 Rugby World Cup defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Namibia has always been an underdog at the Rugby World Cup. Facing host Australia in Adelaide, Namibia was beaten 142-0, the largest winning margin in Rugby World Cup history. “But what an occasion just to be at a World Cup, no matter what the score was. David Davies/PA Images/Getty Images‘What chance did we have?’Expectations were realistic amongst the Namibian squad heading into the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty ImagesIn the end, the margin of the defeat of 142 points was a record for a Rugby World Cup match.

Persons: Eben Izaacs, England –, Chris Latham, Tuqiri, Matt Giteau, Mat Rogers, ” Izaacs, David Davies, Jurgens van Lill –, –, “, ”, team –, Webb Ellis, ” van Lill, Latham, Stirling Mortlock, Rogers, van Lill, Izaacs, Mat Rogers –, Christophe Simon, – Izaacs, Nathan Sharpe, Kees, hasn’t, Deon Mouton, Cliff Loubser, Gerswin, we’ve, Allister Coetzee, ” Van Lill’s Organizations: CNN, Rugby, CNN Sport, Australia –, England, Namibia, Adelaide Oval, Namibian, Australia, rugby, team, Argentina, Getty, Springboks Locations: Namibia, Qatar, Botswana, Gabon, South Africa, Australia, Adelaide, Argentina, Ireland, AFP, France, Italy, New Zealand, America, England, Uruguay

☆ Giant pandas living in zoos could be suffering from ‘jet lag,’ study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Giant pandas living in captivity could be suffering from “jet lag” if their body clocks don’t match their environments, scientists say. “This is definitely a concept that could apply to all captive animals,” Gandia told CNN. Giant pandas were chosen as the focus for the study partly because they live highly seasonal lives. Gandia explained to CNN that the latitudinal range for giant pandas is between 26 and 42 degrees north. A team of 13 observers, led by Gandia, monitored 11 giant pandas at six different zoos, all of which were born in captivity.

Persons: ”, Kristine Gandia, ” Gandia, Gandia, “, zookeepers Organizations: CNN, University of Stirling, Gandia Locations: Scotland, China

☆ A rental car company is now demanding $10,000 from a Texas influencer who has been detained in Dubai for 3 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The case against Tierra Allen, 29, claims she slandered a car rental company and screamed publicly. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have prohibited the 29-year-old Texas resident from leaving the country since April, when an employee of a rental car company accused her of screaming during an argument. After widespread international media attention to her case, Dubai police have now amended that complaint. The rental car was towed back to the rental car office with Allen's belongings still inside, including her wallet, phone, and passport. Allen's mother, Tina Baxter, told Insider that her daughter expects to finally retrieve her personal items from the rental car agency this week.

Persons: Tierra, Allen, slandered, Radha Stirling, Stirling, Dubai . Stirling, expediting, Tina Baxter, Baxter Organizations: Tierra Allen, Service, Authorities, United Arab, Dubai police, Stirling Locations: Texas, Dubai, Wall, Silicon, United Arab Emirates, Dubai ., UAE

☆ How AI’s astonishing productivity gains could help curb inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Experts say the technology will help address a steep and prolonged slowdown in productivity growth in many Western economies, which has kept businesses’ costs higher than they would otherwise be and made inflation harder to tame. “AI has huge potential to increase productivity,” BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said at the company’s Investor Day last month. Productivity gains in Europe could be similar, albeit slightly smaller, Brynjolfsson told CNN. In some cases, productivity gains could be achieved sooner. That’s because most generative AI tools live on the internet — “the technology we already have on our desks” — making them widely accessible, Brynjolfsson said.

Persons: chatbot, —, Smart, Hannes P Albert, Bill Gates, Larry Fink, Erik Brynjolfsson, ” David McMillan, ” McMillan, Hollie Adams, Neil Shearing, Martin Neil Baily, Anton Korinek, Brynjolfsson, Goldman Sachs, ” Organizations: London CNN, Microsoft, BlackRock, CNN, Stanford University, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, University of Stirling, Bloomberg, Getty, “, National Statistics, IBM, Capital, Brookings Institute, University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, America, Productivity, Google, SAP, Goldman Locations: East, Scotland, London, United Kingdom, United States, Europe, Wimbledon

☆ Sibling around-the-world aviators set another youth record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - Siblings and solo around-the-world aviators Mack and Zara Rutherford set more records on Tuesday as they collected a trophy whose previous winners include Lewis Hamilton and Richard Branson. The British-Belgian duo are the youngest winners of the Royal Automobile Club's Segrave Trophy, first awarded in 1930 and featuring a roll call of aviation pioneers and motorsport greats. Only four women have previously won the Segrave trophy - awarded to British adventurers who show outstanding skill, courage and initiative in travel on land, sea or air - and none as young as Zara. Mack, who beat the record set by 18-year-old Briton Travis Ludlow in 2021, had to land on an uninhabited island after crossing the Pacific Ocean on a trip whose itinerary had to be changed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Previous winners of the Segrave Trophy include Formula One racing drivers Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill as well as Hamilton.

Persons: Mack, Zara Rutherford, Lewis Hamilton, Richard Branson, Zara, Briton Travis Ludlow, Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Donald Campbell, Amy Johnson, Alan Baldwin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Royal Automobile, Stanford University, Reuters, Renault, Thomson Locations: The British, Belgian, Sofia, Russia, Alaska, Zara, New York, Iceland, Singapore, Siberia, Ukraine, Hamilton, London, Australia

☆ Bernstein says Anheuser-Busch InBev selloff is overdone even as Bud Light sales volumes are expected to drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bernstein said Bud Light volumes have further to fall, but is still optimistic on AB InBev's stock going forward. Analyst Trevor Stirling noted that the massive selloff in the stock stemming from customer backlash over the company's social media partnership with a transgender influencer was largely "overdone." Still, he said Bud Light volumes could continue to take a hit after already falling by roughly 30% in the U.S. in the second quarter. "We also assume that Bud Light volumes will take a permanent -15% haircut with an associated drag on operating leverage," the analyst said. Last month, HSBC downgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev stock over what the firm labeled a " Bud Light crisis ," and noted that the company could be contending with larger problems than it wants to admit.

Persons: Bernstein, Bud, Trevor Stirling, BUD YTD, BUD, Bud APAC, Stirling, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Anheuser, Busch, InBev, HSBC, Busch InBev Locations: Monday's, U.S

☆ The US Navy has its eyes on a new submarine base that will help it keep track of China's growing undersea fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

As part of the AUKUS agreement, US and British subs will operate out of western Australia by 2027. The deal on the base comes as rivals, mainly China, increase their submarine activity in the region. Ray Mabus, then US navy secretary, departs a Chinese Yuan-class submarine in Ningbo in November 2012. The Defense Department report also says China's six operational Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile subs are likely already conducting "near-continuous at-sea deterrence patrols," a sign that China's submarine force continues to improve its operational capabilities. For the US Navy, those developments make the ability to base subs closer to the Western Pacific a greater priority.

☆ I'm a college student from the UK studying abroad in the US. From frat parties to sporting events, my social life is much better here.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Jules Adamska | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm a college student at a university in Scotland who's studying abroad in California right now. I was surprised to learn that frat parties are fun and going to bars is better here in the US. Back in the UK, college sports matches weren't popular among my friends. But I quickly learned frat parties aren't so bad. Moreover, the "mean girls" I expected to meet at frat parties have yet to make an appearance for me.

☆ Party City is planning to close over 30 stores across the country — here's the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Party City says it's closing over 30 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Cartersville: Cartersville Crossing, 451 East Main St.IowaWaterloo: Crossroads Commons Shopping Center, 1415 Flammang Dr.IllinoisBradley: Bradley Commons, 2060 N. State Rte. 20Felch Street Shopping Center, 3050 Beeline Rd., Ste. L12East Hills Shopping Center, 3702 Frederick Ave., Ste. K2Five Points Shopping Center, 4101 Hwy.

☆ Budweiser maker's profit jumps as customers absorb higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Bottles of non-alcoholic beer and dishwasher soap are pictured at Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery in Leuven, Belgium November 25, 2019. The maker of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona repeated its 2023 forecast that core profit (EBITDA) would grow in line with its medium term outlook of between 4% and 8%, with revenue to grow ahead of EBITDA. He said AB InBev would invest more in Bud Light over the summer. First-quarter results of AB InBev's rivals Heineken and Carlsberg also showed consumer willingness to absorb higher prices. AB InBev's core profit rose by 13.6% on a like-for-like basis to $4.76 billion, compared with the 5.6% average increase expected in a company-compiled poll.

☆ Australia's nuclear submarine plan to cost up to $245 billion by 2055 -defence official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CANBERRA, March 14 (Reuters) - Australia's nuclear-powered submarine programme with the United States and Britain will cost up to A$368 billion ($245 billion) over the next three decades, a defence official said on Tuesday, the country's biggest single defence project in history. Albanese said the programme would start with a A$6 billion ($4 billion) investment over the next four years to expand a major submarine base and the country's submarine shipyards, as well as train skilled workers. The total cost of the submarine program is estimated to be A$268 billion to A$368 billion by 2055, or roughly 0.15% of gross domestic product per year, a defence official told Reuters. U.S. nuclear-powered submarines will visit Western Australia more frequently this year, with British submarines making port visits starting in 2026. From 2027 the Perth base, HMAS Stirling, will be host to a rotational presence of British and U.S. nuclear-powered submarines to build Australia's experience.

☆ AB InBev upbeat on 'resilient' beer, China recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AB InBev's sales and earnings declined in China due to a strict zero COVID policy that was suddenly dropped in December. In the United States, AB InBev's largest market, profit and revenue increased, largely because of price increases, although those same increases, along with harsh winter weather in December, cut into beer sales in volume terms. REUTERS/Toby Melville 1 2Brewers have raised beer prices in response to higher energy and raw materials costs, and both Heineken (HEIN.AS) and Carlsberg (CARLb.CO) have warned of reduced beer consumption in Europe because of the increases. For the whole year, core profit growth was 7.2%. AB InBev also increased its full-year dividend to a proposed 0.75 euros from 0.50 euros in each of the past two years.

European demand is deepening a shortage of agave, the prickly plant native to Mexico's Jalisco region that's used to make tequila. Tequila prices have leapt. Compounding matters, the flow to Europe of high-quality 100% agave tequila - which has to be bottled in Mexico - has also been constrained by the supply-chain chaos from COVID-19. Michael Merolli, head of Pernod Ricard's tequila business, which includes Olmeca, said there were far fewer tequila brands in Europe than the United States, where the market was more mature and competitive, with new brands emerging every week. U.S. A-listers like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kendall Jenner and Kevin Hart have all launched tequila brands in recent years.

☆ British supermarkets confront their German discounting demons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

And the discounters' supermarket sweep still has a long way to run, industry executives say, with Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley pledging Britain's lowest prices "no matter what". "Over the Christmas period alone shoppers switched 58 million pounds ($70 million)(of purchases) to Lidl from Tesco and Sainsbury's," Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell told Reuters. Tesco and Sainsbury's are now matching Aldi prices on hundreds of key items and using customer loyalty schemes, while they have accepted a profit hit to keep prices down. Sector executives, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the further rise of Aldi and Lidl is inexorable. "Nobody's going to take Tesco out but at some point somebody might take Sainsbury's out," the sector veteran said.

☆ Party City is planning to close 22 stores after filing for bankruptcy — here's the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Party City is closing 22 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January. Cartersville: Cartersville Crossing, 451 E Main St.IowaWaterloo: Crossroads Commons Shopping Center, 1415 Flammang Dr.IllinoisBradley: Bradley Commons, 2060 N State Rte. MichiganHolland: Felch Street Shopping Center, 3050 Beeline Rd., Ste. 20Felch Street Shopping Center, 3050 Beeline Rd., Ste. TexasCorpus Christi: Five Points Shopping Center, 4101 Hwy.

☆ I quit my job and biked around the world to find true happiness. Here are 5 truths I learned.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Christopher Boyce | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He took a bike trip around the world and realized true contentment is more about the journey, not the destination. For those unfamiliar with Bhutan, it's a small Himalayan kingdom, famed for basing all its national policy decisions on happiness. Below are some of the important things I learned on a journey for happiness. Don't be misled by storiesThere are many stories about what a happy life entails, but they're not always backed up by reliable evidence. As an academic, I saw how important relationships were for happiness in the data.

☆ Bernstein upgrades Diageo, says spirits giant can rally nearly 30%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

He also hiked his price target on the company's U.S.-listed shares to $225 from $215. The U.S. spirits market broadly experienced exceptional growth during the Covid lockdown era, from which it has started to come down. Further potential headwinds include a recession in Europe, normalization in the U.S. spirits market after the pandemic boom, and a CEO handoff likely in the later half of the year. However, Stirling remains optimistic about the company's outlook. Diageo's U.S.-listed shares are down slightly year to date.

☆ An ultra-luxury Orient Express superyacht featuring a 15,000-square-foot presidential suite will set sail in 2026. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Orient Express brand is taking to the high seas with a 720-foot superyacht. The Orient Express Silenseas will have 54 suites as well as a huge presidential suite. The Accor Group, the hotel giant that also owns Sofitel, Mercure and Novotel, said the Orient Express Silenseas will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests. A rendering of the Orient Express Silenseas. Martin DarzacqThe superyacht, set to sail in 2026, is a partnership between Accor and Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a French shipbuilder.

☆ Holiday travelers are trapped in an Iceland airport because snow-covered roads prevented them from getting to their hotels — or out of the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Travelers are stuck in an Icelandic airport after a blizzard dumped snow on the country. Keflavík Airport, easyJet, and Icelandair did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Despite multiple warnings from The Icelandic Meteorological Office, Iceland's government, and The Foreign Office, passengers told NBC that the airlines seemed under-prepared and barely communicated through the chaotic weekend of cancelations. Ryan Stevens, a traveler from London who is still stuck in Iceland, told Insider that Icelandair poorly handled the situation. Stevens is out 1,500 euros due to three nights in a hotel and two additional booked flights and said he hasn't heard anything about reimbursements or assistance.

Search resuls for: "Stirling"

25 mentions found