DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Fact check: Biden tells three false personal anecdotes in economic speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden made three false claims about his own past in a Tuesday speech in Milwaukee. But he also peppered in three false personal anecdotes, including two that have previously been debunked, continuing his habit of inaccurate ad-libbing about his biography. In addition, Biden repeated one false and previously debunked political boast. Nonetheless, Biden has been telling a false story about his late friend for more than two years. “And, by the way, my Grandpop Biden, who died very young – he was – died in the hospital I was born in six days before I was there, I mean before I was born,” Biden said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Angelo Negri, Negri, “ Ang, “, ‘ Joey, ” Biden, ‘, ’, Ang, Negri’s, Olga Betz, Negri “, Karine Jean, Pierre, ”, –, Joseph Harry Biden, Ambrose Joseph Finnegan, Biden “, Donald Trump’s Organizations: Washington CNN, Amtrak, CNN, Air Force, White House, Pittsburgh –, Biden, ” Locations: Milwaukee, Washington, Delaware, Newark, ’, Baltimore , Maryland, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Scranton, Pittsburgh, ‘, Bridges, America

☆ Inside the secret Google DeepMind mafia of founders working on new stealth AI startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

There is an influx of cash and interest into artificial intelligence startups right now. Insider spoke to ex-Google DeepMind staffers who have founded AI startups in stealth. He isn't the only DeepMind alum working on practical applications of artificial intelligence. Last month, Mistral, an AI startup founded by DeepMind alum, secured $113 million in seed funding from Lightspeed just four weeks after it launched. He has since been working on his second AI startup in stealth mode since June 2023, adding that working under the radar was inspired by DeepMind's "own model of working in stealth."

Persons: Mustafa Suleyman, Suleyman, Devang Agrawal, Jonathan Godwin, DeepMind, Godwin, Simon Kohl, Ang Li, isn't, Li, Simon Menashy, Adam Liska, Demis Hassabis, GlyphicAI's Agrawal, Mehdi Ghissassi, OpenAI's, Agrawal, Karl Moritz Hermann, DeepMind's Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Labs, MMC Ventures, DeepMind, Lightspeed Locations: DeepMind, London, California

☆ CoCo Lee: Funeral held for singer and actress in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Family and fans bade farewell to singer and actress CoCo Lee at her funeral in Hong Kong on Monday, celebrating a decades-long career that included dozens of successful albums, movies and television shows across the globe. The hearse carrying the casket of singer and songwriter CoCo Lee departs from a funeral home in Hong Kong. Tyrone Siu/Reuters‘Always sunny’Born in Hong Kong and raised in the United States, Lee launched her music career in her birthplace after winning a singing contest. Marvis Lu, 35, was among many fans from mainland China who traveled to Hong Kong for the memorial. Fans leave the funeral of singer and songwriter CoCo Lee, in Hong Kong.

Persons: CoCo Lee, Nancy, “, ’ ” Nancy Lee, Lee, Tyrone Siu, Fa Mulan, Mulan ”, Ang Lee, David Tao, Wang Leehom, Vanness Wu, Jin, MC Jin, “ Singer, ”, Marvis Lu, “ CoCo, Catherine Yang, “ CoCo Lee, Jonathan Serbin Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Reuters, Getty, Weibo, Warner Music Asia Locations: Hong Kong, United States, Asia, Taiwan, Shanghai, China

Its group chief investment officer Jeffrey Jaensubhakij told Reuters GIC was keen to invest in Chinese companies that do business within China and do not export to the United States. "There are some 'China for China' type of investments that still make sense," he said. GIC said exposure to China was important for a diversified portfolio. GIC is the world's seventh-biggest sovereign investor with $690 billion in total assets, according to research firm Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. The share of emerging market equities in GIC's portfolio rose to 17% by end of March from 16% a year earlier.

Persons: Jeffrey Jaensubhakij, Reuters GIC, GIC's, GIC, Lim Chow Kiat, Beijing scrambles, Ang Eng Seng, Jaensubhakij, GIC's Lim, Yantoultra Ngui, Xinghui, Xie Yu, Julie Zhu, Kane Wu, Christina Fincher Organizations: SINGAPORE, Reuters, HK, Ant Group, Temasek, Infrastructure, Sovereign Wealth Fund, Thomson Locations: China, Singapore, United States, Beijing, U.S, Asia, Japan, Xinghui Kok

☆ Singapore's 'squeaky clean' image takes a beating as scandals rock the government
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

watch nowOn Monday, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he decided the incumbent speaker of the Singapore's Parliament Tan Chuan Jin "had to go." Lee Hsien Loong Singapore prime ministerSingaporeans, who are not used to political scandals, have taken to memes to express themselves. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (L) shaking hands with a PAP supporter during a May election rally. SIMIN WANG | AFP | Getty ImagesThe prime minister sought to quickly control the damage, emphasizing the government's zero-tolerance on corruption to allay public concerns. The prime minister is seeking to hand over power to the next generation of leaders in the near future.

Persons: Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Koh Poh Koon, Ang Mo, Suhaimi Abdullah, Eugene Tan, Tan Ern Ser, Tan Chuan Jin, Tan, Cheng Li Hui, SMU's Tan, CNBC's, Ong Beng Seng, Felix Tan, NTU's Tan, SIMIN WANG, Lee Organizations: Action Party, Getty, Singapore Management University, CNBC, Party, National University of Singapore, Singapore's, Public Service, Nanyang Technological University, NUS, Singapore, AFP Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, Asia, Lee Hsien Loong Singapore

☆ Why Gen Zers aren't going to stop advocating for their mental health at work
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Gen Z employees entered the workforce amid a time of understanding and empathy from managers. As some of these empathetic values fizzle out, Gen Zers are fighting for them to stay. "The response to that was her opening up about her mental health, which I did not expect," Ang said of her boss. Ang is one of many Gen Z employees advocating for themselves on the job — whether it be over flexible schedules, mental-health support, or meaningful work. Many Gen Zers, whose oldest members are now 26, entered the workforce amid COVID-19 lockdowns and a wave of social-justice movements.

Persons: Gen Zers, Alyx Ang, Ang wasn't, she'd, Ang, aren't, Zers, Davina Ramkissoon, Lana Ivory, Ivory, Gen Z, Ramkissoon Organizations: Service, Amazon Locations: Wall, Silicon, Dublin

☆ Some South Koreans Just Became Younger Overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The three systems for counting age have confused and inconvenienced South Koreans in all kinds of situations including health recommendations, labor disputes and social hierarchy. Background: The other counting methods are a deeply rooted custom. The new official age-counting method has been used for most legal and official purposes in South Korea since the 1960s. Suh Chan S., a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, told The New York Times last year that while China and Taiwan used similar age-counting methods, South Korea stood alone in officially recognizing them. It remains to be seen whether the other age-counting methods will be abandoned altogether.

Persons: ”, Suh Chan Organizations: Chung, Ang University, New York Times Locations: South Korea, Seoul, China, Taiwan

☆ Singapore's love affair with air conditioning shows a Catch 22 of climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Thankfully, Chee said, his home has five air conditioners – one in each bedroom and a larger unit in the living room. “I drank plenty of water, took cold showers and kept the air conditioning on for the entire weekend. Indeed, in this city, air conditioning has become almost a way of life. But Singapore’s love affair with air conditioning has an enormous cost. Here are some possible solutions 02:39 - Source: CNNBreaking the loopStill, experts say there are ways to break the air conditioning doom-loop.

Persons: Chee Kuan Chew, ” Chee, “, Mo Kio, Chee, Lee Kuan Yew, Edgar Su, Suhaimi Abdullah, Matthias Roth, Roth, Radhika Khosla, ” Khosla, Heng Chye Kiang, Smart, Heng Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Economic, International Energy Agency, Urban, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National University of Singapore, United Nations, Montreal Protocol, Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise, Environment, Bloomberg, Getty, Singapore’s National Environment Agency, NEA, ”, National University of Singapore’s School of Design Locations: Singapore, New York City, Japan, United States, ”, Kigali, Montreal, Orchard

☆ Almodovar's gay Western draws Cannes crowd - even without Pedro Pascal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Pedro Almodovar and cast members Ethan... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Throngs of people eager to watch Pedro Almodovar's "Strange Way of Life," a 31-minute Western film starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as lovers, at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday afternoon were turned away after waiting more than an hour in the rain. "There is some very robust and old-fashioned storytelling here and 'Strange Way of Life' feels quite old-fashioned in its way," wrote The Guardian newspaper, which gave it four out of five stars. The film will be released later this year and is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, according to the trade paper Variety. Reporting by Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pedro Almodóvar’s Answer to ‘Brokeback Mountain’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Follow our live updates from the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival. “How do you want me to look at you?” replies the gunslinger, flirting. It wouldn’t be a western without a fraught standoff, but when Pedro Almodóvar is behind the camera, the glances are even more loaded than the pistols. In “Strange Way of Life,” a new short film that will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal star as a lawman and a cowboy who reunite 25 years after having a passionate affair. But will their old magic be rekindled, or are both men concealing ulterior motives for the meeting?

☆ 'Death zone' queues feared on Everest as Nepal grants record climbing permits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A general view of the Everest base camp taken from a drone, in Nepal April 24, 2023. So far, Nepal has handed out a record 463 permits to climb Everest between March and May, beating 2021's 409. Climbing is a key earner for the poor country, where about 500,000 people are employed in tourism, including climbing, and the number of permits has been rising steadily. So far this year, Nepal has granted permits to 1,046 climbers for 24 peaks, earning the government $5.6 million, of which $5 million came from Everest alone. He said the government was considering introducing a requirement for climbers to scale at least one 6,000-metre peak in Nepal before attempting Everest.

CNN —Chinese police have detained 12 people over a hospital fire that killed 29 people, mostly elderly in-patients, in Beijing Tuesday, one of the deadliest fires in the Chinese capital in recent years. The blaze that engulfed an inpatient building of the Changfeng Hospital was caused by renovation work of its interior, where sparks from the construction ignited flammable paint, said Zhao Yang, an official at Beijing’s fire department, on Wednesday. The hospital director and construction workers were among 12 suspects held on suspicion of major negligence, said Sun Haitao, an official with the Beijing Public Security Bureau. As of Wednesday, 39 injured remain in hospital, with three in critical condition, said Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Heath Commission. One person was seen jumping from one level of the building to the lower terrace.

Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Group | Getty ImagesAn embarrassing leak of highly classified Pentagon documents has endangered intelligence methods, exposed American strategy and undermined trust among U.S. allies, former defense department officials and intelligence experts tell CNBC. America's control over its most valuable secrets has been thrust into question amid the fallout from the most damaging intelligence leak since Edward Snowden's breach more than a decade ago. 'Devastating' for American alliesThe major security breach also contained intelligence gathering on American allies, including South Korea and Israel. "Our allies can't trust us … That's why the Middle East, they're talking to the Chinese. one American defense industry executive told CNBC, speaking anonymously due to professional restrictions.

☆ ‘Life of Pi’ Review: Bringing the Sea to Broadway
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Charles Isherwood | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New YorkYann Martel ’s much-cherished novel “Life of Pi” might appear impossible to bring to the stage, or at least to present herculean challenges. With its fantastical tale of a teenage boy adrift at sea for more than 200 days, his only company an injured zebra, an orangutan and, more dangerously, a hyena and a tiger, the novel would seem to elude the embrace of stagecraft. Film, with its arsenal of special effects, makes a more natural medium for such a book’s translation, and Ang Lee has already made a popular movie version of it.

☆ Alibaba tells investors its overhaul will make the business more 'agile' with market changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"We believe this will allow all of our businesses to become more agile, enhance their business decision-making, and respond faster to market changes," CEO Daniel Zhang told investors. "Alibaba Group will be in the nature of a holding company that is the controlling shareholder of the business group companies," Zhang said. When asked about the timeline of Alibaba's restructuring, Zhang said the "strategy and business planning for the business groups will commence immediately." CFO Tony Xu said separating Alibaba's entities would allow it to determine the performance of each business. "We believe that the market is the best litmus test so each business group company can pursue independent fundraising and IPOs as and when they are ready after going public," he said.

☆ Gen Z shares 5 red flags that could mean an employer doesn't care about work-life balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some Gen Zers fear that asking about work-life balance in interviews could harm their job prospects. Gen Zers shared their warning signs when job hunting, including unclear goals and a "bonus day." Preston Jacobson, a 24-year-old working in retail management, said he left his job in February because it lacked a proper work-life balance. "Instead of just asking folks about the work-life balance, I would ask employees what they do outside of work," he said. Do you have something to share about navigating a work-life balance as a member of Gen Z, as a millennial, or as a part of another generation?

☆ Michelle Yeoh wins best actress Oscar for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

By Nichola GroomLOS ANGELES, March 12 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Michelle Yeoh won the Academy Award on Sunday for best lead actress for her role as a Chinese American laundromat owner dealing with family turmoil in "Everything Everywhere All at Once", becoming the first Asian woman to win in the category. Yeoh, 60, was widely regarded as the front-runner for the award after claiming a Screen Actors Guild honor and a Golden Globe award for the role. In "Everything Everywhere," Yeoh's character, Evelyn Wang, is struggling to finish her taxes when she is swept into alternate universes. The science-fiction film was a critical and commercial success and is vying for the best picture Oscar. (Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)((nichola.groom@thomsonreuters.com))Keywords: AWARDS OSCARS/ACTRESSOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cambodian opposition figure Kem Sokha sentenced to 27 years of house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Prak Chan Thul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Cindy LiuPHNOM PENH, March 3 (Reuters) - Prominent Cambodian opposition figure Kem Sokha was sentenced on Friday to 27 years of house arrest after being found guilty of treason, in a case condemned by the United States as politically motivated. Judge Koy Sao also told the court in the capital, Phnom Penh, that Kem Sokha would be barred from running for political office or voting in elections. Kem Sokha, who headed the now-disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), had denied the charges and Washington dismissed the allegations as "fabricated conspiracy theories". Many media outlets critical of Hun Sen have also been shuttered and civil dissent crushed in recent years. Human Rights Watch said the case against Kem Sokha was a "politically motivated ploy" by Hun Sen to sideline the opposition and stamp out democracy.

☆ Why Gen Zers are asking about work-life balance during job interviews
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gen Zers are prioritizing jobs where they can make a difference without burning themselves out. And many Gen Zers — myself included — have prioritized work-life balance. To find the right match, some in Gen Z ask hiring managers in interviews whether the company encourages work-life balance. Five Gen Zers shared how they're broaching work-life balance without risking their candidacy or feeding into the stereotype that they're lazy. "Gen Z is willing to have the difficult but essential conversations before they commit to a job," Kim said.

☆ BofA Promoted 93 New MDs in Global Markets — Here Are the Names
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bank of America announced 93 new managing directors in Global Markets on Thursday. The division in 2022 saw sales and trading revenues climb to its highest mark since 2010.Insider has all the names of the newly promoted MDs. On Thursday the bank announced a new class of 360 managing directors, including 93 from the firm's Global Markets division — up from 86 last year. The bank's Global Corporate and Investment Bank promoted 87 new MDs. BofA made $16.5 billion in 2022 from sales and trading — including a fourth-quarter record of $3.7 billion — the highest tally for the firm since 2010.

☆ As South Korean government proposes flexible overtime rules, some fear workers may suffer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It would supersede a 2018 law that limited the work week to 52 hours - 40 hours of regular work plus 12 hours of overtime. For counting periods of a month or longer, up to 29 hours a week of overtime would be allowed, for a total of 69 work hours in one week. In a statement, the Korean Women's Associations United said "only regulations like the 52-hour workweek and pressure from labour unions can protect workers from long working hours". Extending working hours, even temporarily, affects women more than men, said Lee Min-Ah, Professor of Sociology at Chung-Ang University. Other workers say the new plan ignores a lot of the cultural and social nuances of work in South Korea.

☆ The US Air Force's newest fighter jet just showed off a new way to fire missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Stefano D'Urso | The Aviationist | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In November, F-15EX fighter jets fired missiles from their new weapon stations for the first time. The new outer wing weapon stations increase the F-15EX's payload over that of its predecessor. This Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force mission was the first Air Force test flight to validate the weapons could be fired effectively and safely from those stations. Now, the new pylons are equipped with two LAU-128 missile rails each, adding four missile stations to the payload. An F-15EX takes flight for the first time out of Eglin Air Force Base in April 2021.

☆ Journalists arrested for sharing video of an African president urinating on himself during the national anthem
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Six journalists were arrested after a video of South Sudan's president peeing himself went viral. When President Kiir looked down and saw what was happening, cameras turned away. Tweeting in support of the South Sudanese president, the Nigerian senator Shehu Sani said: "This may be a urinary sickness or an extreme act of patriotism; refusal to excuse himself while the national anthem was being played." For example, Esther Ang'awa, a Kenyan lawyer, said, "I expected President Kiir to have honorably retired on health grounds by now." Kiir has been the president of South Sudan since its independence in 2011.

☆ China set for historic demographic turn, accelerated by COVID traumas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Farah Master | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Ang Ran and her 2-year-old son Tang Ziang look out from their home in Beijing, China November 8, 2022. A glimpse of the scars caused by the pandemic to China's already bleak demographic outlook may come to light when it reports its official 2022 population data on Jan. 17. "In less than 80 years China’s population size could be reduced by 45%. The United Nations predicts China’s population will start to decline this year when India overtakes it as the world's most populous country. U.N. experts see China's population shrinking by 109 million by 2050, more than triple the decline of their previous forecast in 2019.

☆ James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water' looks different from every movie you've ever seen—here's why
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With "Avatar: The Way of Water" hitting theaters this weekend, director James Cameron is gambling that audiences are ready to not only return to Pandora after 13 years, but that they will be open to a film shot in 48 frames per second. For virtually the entire history of film, movies have been shot and displayed at the cinematic standard of 24 frames per second. This means that 24 still images are displayed on the screen every second, creating the illusion of motion. "It came to kind of define the genre of film," Richard Miller, executive vice president of technology at Pixelworks, says of the 24 frames per second look. Newscasts, live sports and even soap operas typically hit your TV screen at 30 frames per second, which gives them their distinct visual feel.

Search resuls for: "ANG"

25 mentions found