DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ UK new car sales rise 17% in March; best ever month for EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 5 (Reuters) - New car registrations in the United Kingdom rose for the eighth consecutive month in March, recording a more than 17% rise from a year earlier, according to preliminary industry data released on Wednesday. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said it was the biggest month ever for battery electric car registrations. The SMMT will provide the final figures for the month at 0900 GMT. Reporting by Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy probes Meta over abuse of position in music rights case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, April 5 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Wednesday it would investigate Meta Platform (META.O) over the possible abuse of its position in talks over the rights to music posted on Meta's platforms and potentially hurting competition in the sector. According to the antitrust regulator, Mark Zuckerberg's company may have "unduly interrupted the negotiations for the stipulation of the licence for the use on its platforms" of SIAE's music rights, it said in a statement. Last month, Meta, which owns Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, failed to reach a deal with SIAE to renew the copyright license. Protecting the copyrights of songwriters and artists is an important priority for us," a spokesperson for Meta said on Wednesday. The investigation involves Meta Platforms Inc, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Meta Platforms Technologies UK Limited and Facebook Italy S.r.l.

☆ Fact Check-Document mentioning cryogenic-electron microscopy does not prove Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contains graphene oxide
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Graphene oxide is not an ingredient in the vaccine,” she said. When contacted by Reuters, a Pfizer spokesperson sent a link with the full list of ingredients of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (here, see page six). No graphene oxide is listed. “We confirm that graphene oxide is not used in the manufacture of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine,” the spokesperson said. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine does not contain graphene oxide.

☆ Employees would rather return to the office for a four-day workweek than have five days of hybrid work, a survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two-thirds of staffers prefer RTO for a four-day work week than work hybrid for five days, per a survey. One-third of employers would be more likely to consider a four-day work week if staff RTO every day. The UK trialed a four-day work week from June to December last year with 3,300 workers at 70 firms. And employers seem to agree — about one-third would be more likely to consider offering a four-day workweek if employees came to the office daily. On top of that, just under 90% of survey respondents said a four-day workweek could improve employee mental health and well-being.

☆ 'Avoided Emissions' are key to helping society reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Panasonic With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Its CO2 emissions, including its value chain, are estimated to be as much as 110 megatons. To address this, Panasonic unveiled its "Panasonic GREEN IMPACT" initiative in January 2022. This aims for a reduction impact of "around 1% (approximately 300 million tons)" of current total global CO2 emissions by 2050. Panasonic has clearly defined them in Panasonic GREEN IMPACT," said Shimono. ***Avoided Emissions refers to CO2 emissions cut using a company's products or technologies.

☆ London's FTSE 100 up for fourth day, Petrofac leads smallcaps higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.5%, while the FTSE 250 (.FTMC) added 1.1% by 0841 GMT. With a day left for the end of the first quarter of the year, the FTSE 100 is on track for gains of 2%, while the mid-cap index is likely to have a muted end. Top performing sectors this quarter include the FTSE 350 aerospace and defence (.FTNMX502010), construction and materials (.FTNMX501010) and retailers (.FTNMX404010). The FTSE 350 Automobiles and Parts sector (.FTNMX401010) added 2.5% and is among top-performing sectors this quarter. Moonpig Group PLC (MOONM.L) added 17.9% after the online card retailer said it expects revenue to expand across 2024.

☆ It's not easy being a bicyclist in the US. Better infrastructure could help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Advocates are asking for more funding for bike safety measures, in addition to e-bike tax credits. The best way to address biking safety concerns, advocates say, is to build better bike infrastructure, including a robust system of bike lanes. If passed, the law wouldn't directly address the most pressing safety and infrastructure concerns facing bicyclists, but advocates say it could help. At the same time, this growing community of new bicyclists would likely demand better bike lanes and other infrastructure. Ultimately, advocates say it's about return on investment: More bikes, and better bike infrastructure, could lead to big savings for commuters and a rethinking of how everyone navigates their landscape.

☆ 'It's honestly changed my life': Employees from one of the biggest 4-day-workweek trials say working less improved their lives but was a big adjustment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Employees working four-day weeks told Insider having the extra day off was an adjustment at first. "It's hard to overstate how good it's been," Jo Sims, a senior case manager at AKA Case Management, told Insider, adding: "It's honestly changed my life." Sims said the extra day off had improved her mental health, eased her stress levels, and left her with a new perspective. The study was led by academics from Boston College, the University of Cambridge, and the research organization Autonomy in partnership with the campaign groups 4 Day Week Global and 4 Day Week Campaign. A representative for the 4 Day Week Campaign put Insider in contact with the four employees that are referenced in this article.

☆ ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Review: Keanu Reeves Keeps Killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

According to one obsessive website, assassin extraordinaire John Wick has killed 299 people in his first three screen outings. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers are slackers by comparison. Continuing on with “John Wick: Chapter 4,” the hit-man action franchise continues to excel at its job as well. We go to these movies to see hyperviolence choreographed with an intricacy that would shame a Broadway musical, and we are not disappointed. As the receipts generated by the films have grown, so has their scale, which was once somewhat modest but has now reached “Mission: Impossible” levels.

☆ Why Blackouts, Power Outages Are Becoming More Common
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Power outages have increased 64% from the early 2000s, and weather-related outages — many driven by the worsening climate crisis — have increased 78%. A record-breaking blizzard in Buffalo, New York, this winter caused power outages throughout the city, resulting in the deaths of 47 residents. In 2021, a heat wave led to power outages and the deaths of hundreds in the Pacific Northwest. While regional organizations might use fees to penalize companies for power outages, it's now much harder to pinpoint and hold a person or entity responsible. In the meantime, the climate crisis will continue to wreak havoc on an aging grid system that puts profits over reliability.

"Indian firms that do not increase their prices and (don't) focus hard on profitability do so at their own peril. The move, while long-sought by overseas law firms, appears to have been somewhat unexpected in its timing. Foreign law firms have yet to announce plans for new offices in India but international firms like Allen & Overy and Herbert Smith Freehills told Reuters they are examining the new rules. Lalit Bhasin, who heads the Society of Indian Law Firms, said there were concerns that a foreign law firm might de facto operate as a full-service firm by hiring local law firms to advise on areas concerning Indian law. "Who is going to monitor whether that foreign law firm is not engaged in practice of Indian laws?"

☆ Fox News is unlikely to face pushback from professional journalism groups after court documents revealed it lied to viewers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The White House Correspondents' Association doesn't police member conduct, a former board member said. A number of professional organizations told Insider that Fox News fell well short of the standards expected in the profession. "Journalism receives significant protections from the First Amendment and with those protections come profound responsibilities," McCarran told Insider. Evidence made public in Dominion's lawsuit shows how Fox employees — beyond just hosts of opinion shows — had priorities other than telling their viewers the truth. "There are left-wing publications, right-wing publications, there are government-owned publications — there's Voice of America, foreign news organizations," the former board member said. "

☆ Price hikes are double whammy for pet owners who are crushed by inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Minneapolis CNN —As head of PAWS Atlanta, Joe Labriola can get a good sense of the region’s economic well-being from the day-to-day activity of the city’s oldest no-kill animal shelter. And the shelves at PAWS Atlanta’s Pet Food Pantry quickly go bare. She said her pet food costs for Lola, her Australian Shepherd mix, and for Phoebe, her Golden Retriever, have doubled to $250 per month. Josh Fiala, Animal Rescue League of Iowa's Pet Support Services Manager, helps load pet food into a vehicle during a Pet Food Pantry in January 2022. Courtesy Animal Rescue League of IowaARL gave out about 40,000 pounds of pet food in both 2020 and 2021.

☆ Gulf cartel apologizes after Americans are kidnapped and killed in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Ken Dilanian | Minyvonne Burke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Gulf cartel apologized Thursday after two American citizens were killed during an armed abduction last week in Mexico. A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that U.S. authorities believe the letter is legitimate. Four Americans were shot at and kidnapped after driving into Matamoros, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas, for a medical procedure. Video showed a gunman dragging people into a white pickup, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the matter previously said. A law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter said a woman in the group had been seeking a cosmetic medical procedure.

☆ No, artificial vanilla flavoring doesn't come from beaver butts. Flavor scientists explain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Rebecca Strong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It's a myth that artificial vanilla flavoring comes from castoreum extracted from beaver castor sacs. Flavor chemists explain that artificial vanilla flavor is made from synthetic vanillin. He said, many food companies use artificial flavors because extracting natural flavors from fruits and other plants is labor-intensive and expensive. For example, a chemical appropriately named "raspberry ketone" — which also occurs naturally in raspberries — is an essential component of artificial raspberry flavor. Scientists are still working out how to replicate these flavor volatiles, which is why artificial vanilla flavors tend to lack complexity.

[1/3] Sales representatives stand outside their kiosks inside a luxury residential project by Indian property developer DLF in Gurugram, India, February 28, 2023. Many people want to upgrade their homes after the COVID-19 pandemic confined them indoors, industry executives say. "I haven't seen such a mad rush in a decade," said Prashant Thakur, head of research at real estate consultant Anarock. Mercedes sold a record number of high-end cars in India last year and luxury goods are in high demand too. So far, around 160 people were invited for a viewing and 17 of 46 flats sold in the eight-storey project.

☆ Biden's student loan forgiveness plan spurred these heated Supreme Court exchanges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Justices on the bench hearing arguments about the student loan forgiveness program. Source: Bill HennessyThere were many tense moments Tuesday as the nine Supreme Court justices grilled the plaintiffs challenging the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan and the government attorney defending the policy. Six Republican-led states brought one lawsuit against the forgiveness plan, and conservative advocacy organization, the Job Creators Network Foundation, backed the second. Response to a 'once-in-a-century pandemic'The Heroes Act of 2003, which the Biden administration is using as its legal justification to carry out its student loan forgiveness program, authorizes the education secretary to "waive or modify" student loan programs during national emergencies to avoid borrower distress. Whether student loan forgiveness is 'fair'Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito became frustrated with Prelogar at one point, accusing her of not answering his question on the fairness of the forgiveness plan.

☆ Experts ranked the leading self-driving companies. Tesla didn't even crack the top 10.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Research firm Guidehouse Insights regularly ranks companies developing automated driving tech. Tesla didn't make this year's top 10, and ranked last of 16 companies assessed. That's despite CEO Elon Musk's confidence in his Full Self-Driving tech. Moreover, of the 16 companies recently ranked by research and consulting firm Guidehouse Insights (which ranks some of the biggest names working on automated-driving technology each year), Tesla came in last. Tesla ranked last in similar lists in 2021 and 2020.

☆ Sonia Sotomayor pushes back on conservative SCOTUS justices who questioned the fairness of Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan, saying the US is 'not a society of unlimited resources'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SCOTUS Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned efforts to gut the Biden student-loan forgiveness plan Tuesday. Sotomayor was among a few justices pushing back on common GOP arguments on the "fairness" of the program. Sotomayor was joined by justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Amy Coney Barrett in scrutinizing the cases' standing to sue. Every law has people who encompass it or people outside it," Sotomayor said, adding that "that's not an issue of fairness. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the liberal justices in challenging the standing of both of the cases, but it would require the vote of an additional conservative justice to uphold Biden's debt relief plan.

Egg prices rose 60% in 2022: Consumers paid $4.30 on average in December for a dozen eggs compared to $1.80 a year earlier. "Everyone tries to make money, but ... it's a very low-margin industry," said Angel Rubio, senior analyst at Urner Barry, a market research firm that specializes in the wholesale food industry. But the egg industry is volatile, too, sensitive to market changes and environmental factors. Much of the price increase of eggs over 2022 stemmed from the deadliest outbreak of bird flu in U.S. history, which killed millions of egg-laying hens. The egg industry also has its fair share of controversy.

☆ Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan is in jeopardy. Here are 4 major takeaways from the Supreme Court's oral arguments.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Biden's student-debt relief on Tuesday. The nation's highest court heard more than four hours of oral arguments in two high-profile cases that reviewed Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in debt for federal borrowers, which lower courts temporarily paused in November. "We're talking about half a trillion dollars and 43 million Americans," Chief Justice John Roberts said, referring to the estimated costs of Biden's plan and the number of affected borrowers. Justice Elena Kagan raised a hypothetical national emergency of an earthquake and the education secretary responded by deciding to cancel student loans for those harmed. Still, even if Barrett and the court's three liberals find that the states and borrowers lack standing, they would need another conservative vote to uphold Biden's debt relief.

☆ EVs are billed as the future. But a potential skills gap is sparking concerns about cost and safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Thanks to growing concerns about emissions from road-based transportation, several big economies are gearing up for another huge change: the mass rollout of electric vehicles. There are concerns, however, that a skills gap may emerge in the near future, creating a big headache for both the automotive sector and drivers. "Aligned to Auto Trader Insight predictions, this suggests the skills gap — when there won't be enough technicians to service the electrified vehicle parc — will appear in 2029," it added. "But fundamentally, electric vehicles are totally different to internal combustion engine vehicles," he said. 'Chipping away at the skills gap'

☆ The Barnes & Noble CEO says sales are rising because he trusts his booksellers to 'create good bookshops' and run each store the way they want to
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sales at Barnes & Noble are rising because staff are it's not trying to make stores "homogenous," its CEO said. "Sensible retailing principles" equal "terrible bookstores," Daunt told the Business Studies podcast. He took over as CEO of Barnes & Noble in 2019 with plans to update the chain's 600 stores across the US. By 2022, total sales at Barnes & Noble were 3% higher than pre-pandemic levels, with book sales up by 14%. "If you're in Alabama, you should run a very different bookstore to if you're on the Upper West Side of Manhattan," he told Business Studies.

☆ Three Years Into Covid, We Still Don’t Know How to Talk About It
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jon Mooallem | Photographs Ashley Gilbertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

It will play out and reverberate for years or decades, Hagen told me. “The pathological normal,” Hagen calls it: a patchwork of homespun, bespoke realities, each one invested in a different story about what exactly happened when Covid ruptured the story of our lives. garb.”More than once, life seemed to be attaining “an uncanny resemblance to normal life,” as one man put it. But because we don’t totally understand where that experience has delivered us, we don’t know the right gloss to give it. “The days are strange,” one public-school teacher told Milstein toward the end of his first interview, in May 2020.

Police officers involved in the deaths have become an intense focus of investigation, protest, and media coverage. Despite being at the heart of some of the most defining incidents in modern policing, most of the officers involved continue to live their lives under the radar. Insider's review of 72 cops involved in two dozen of the most notorious police killings of the past 30 years shows the many different paths officers have taken. There's no nationwide view into what happens to officers involved in egregious incidents of violence. In rare cases, cops involved in these killings have tried to publicly rehabilitate their image rather than seek out anonymity.

Search resuls for: "Society of"

25 mentions found