DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Japan-backed fund to buy critical semiconductor firm JSR for $6.3 billion as chip tensions rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Japanese Investment Corporation (JIC) proposed a $6.3 billion buyout of JSR, one of Japan's most critical chip firms. The Japanese Investment Corporation proposed an offer of 4,350 Japanese yen ($30.3) per share to buy JSR, marking a 35% premium to Friday's closing price. A fund backed by the Japanese government on Monday proposed a $6.3 billion acquisition of semiconductor material giant JSR , underscoring the strategic emphasis governments around the world are putting on the critical technology of chips. Countries such as the Netherlands, home to a critical chip firm called ASML, as well as Japan, followed suit with similar restrictions. "JIC's investment in JSR means that the government might have a higher say over its decisions," Kotasthane said.

Persons: JIC, Kotasthane Organizations: Japanese Investment Corporation, JSR, Takshashila, CNBC, U.S Locations: Japan, China, Netherlands

☆ Mark Zuckerberg's comeback is in full swing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | Shona Ghosh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mark Zuckerberg is revamping his image, showing off his martial arts skills on Instagram. Beating Elon Musk in a cage fight would strengthen his comeback. That also plays well to a certain kind of tech crowd — the kind that loves both Joe Rogan and Lex Fridman. No wonder he's accepted a cage-fight challenge from Elon Musk. In another vindication, Apple has fueled hype for Mark Zuckerberg's pet project, the metaverse, by launching the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Elon, —, Grace Kay, Zuckerberg, Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, he's, Elon Musk, Zuck couldn't, Zuckerberg's Augustus, Meta, Apple, Mark Zuckerberg's, Musk, hasn't, Zuck, that's Organizations: Morning, Twitter, Apple Vision Locations: Instagram

☆ How Modi went from being banned to embraced by the United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was once shunned by the United States. But in the nine years since that ban was lifted, Modi has been progressively embraced by the White House – now more than ever. Modi will also lead celebrations for the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday, illustrating the influence of India’s soft power. US President Joe Biden meets with Modi during the Quad leaders summit at Kantei Palace in Tokyo, on May 24, 2022. Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for photographs at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on December 6, 2021.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Joe Biden, Evan Vucci, Biden, Delhi’s, Modi’s, Daniel S, Markey, ” Markey, ”, “, Anthony Albanese, James Marape, Volodymyr Zelensky, aren’t, Saeed Khan, “ Modi, –, John Sifton, Sushant Singh, ’, Tanvi Madan, Vladimir Putin, Narayan, Madan, Vinay Kwatra, ” Madan Organizations: CNN, Indian, White, International, United Nations, Biden, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, United States Institute of Peace, Washington, Australian, Australia's, Admiralty House, Getty, Rights Watch, Amnesty International, BBC, Policy Research, Brookings Institution, Kremlin, Russia, Bloomberg, Indian Air Force, India’s Locations: United States, Washington, New York, Tokyo, India, South Asia, China, Sydney, Papua New Guinea, Japan, AFP, Asia, Gujarat, New Delhi, Delhi, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Hyderabad

☆ A TikToker from South Carolina says she flies to work in New Jersey instead of renting, and saves thousands of dollars doing that
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A South Carolina woman has a life hack for saving on rent: She flies to her workplace in New Jersey. Sophia Celentano is an intern at Ogilvy Health, where she goes into the office once a week. Celentano said on Linkedin that her flights are cheaper than "paying $3400+ a month for rent." A TikToker from South Carolina went viral after she revealed that she saves on rent by catching flights to her workplace in New Jersey. Celentano elaborated on her commute in a Thursday LinkedIn post, breaking down the comparative cost of flying versus renting in New Jersey.

Persons: Sophia Celentano, Celentano Organizations: Ogilvy Health, Linkedin, University of Virginia, Newark Airport, LinkedIn Locations: Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Charleston, New York, Newark, Manhattan, Jersey City

☆ EU to propose greater transparency for default swaps on eight banks - EU document
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose greater transparency in the trading of credit default swaps of eight top banks to mirror rules in U.S. markets, a European Union document seen by Reuters showed on Wednesday. So-called single name credit default swaps have come under regulatory scrutiny after the fall and state-backed rescue of Credit Suisse triggered high volatility on the CDS market for some systemic banks, Deutsche Bank in particular, on March 24. "One of the conclusions on the events of Friday, 24 March, was that single name CDS contracts are opaque and illiquid," the EU executive body said in a document for a meeting of EU states on Thursday. The Commission said it proposes to re-insert CDS on Santander, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Societe Generale and DZ Bank into the scope of derivatives transactions subject to post trade transparency. Incomplete and asymmetrical reporting of CDS contracts linked to systemically important banks causes insecurity in markets during shocks, the paper said.

Persons: Intesa, Huw Jones, Jon Boyle, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: European, Reuters, Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Santander, BNP, Credit Agricole, ING Bank, Societe Generale, DZ Bank, Thomson Locations: EU

☆ There's no chance the student-loan payment pause will be extended again this year if McCarthy and Biden's debt-ceiling deal is signed into law
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It codifies the end of the student-loan payment pause while protecting Biden's broad debt relief. The agreement included strengthened work requirements on federal programs like SNAP, and it also codified the end of the ongoing student-loan payment pause. "The deal also protects our ability to pause student loan payments should that be necessary in future emergencies." It would "end the student loan payment pause, which provides a vital economic stimulus to millions of students. Black women bear the highest comparative levels of student debt relief because they invest in education at a significant cost.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen previously warned lawmakers that a default in early June is "highly likely." Prices rose 1.2% month on month, above a forecast of 0.8%. "April 2022 saw energy prices increase by 47.5%. Thanks to the government's energy price guarantee, this energy surge has now dropped out of the year-on-year equation, leading the comparative inflation rate to naturally fall." The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday joined the Bank of England in saying that it no longer expects a U.K. recession this year.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Jeremy Batstone, Carr Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Raymond James Investment Services, of England, Capital Economics, Monetary Fund, Tuesday, Bank of England Locations: European

☆ Opinion: The banned Russian landmine with a deceptively poetic name
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Opinion Sasha Dovzhyk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A great deal of eeriness is due to the highly explosive Russian “petals.” “Petal” — or, “lepestok,” in Russian — is the poetic name of an internationally banned Russian-made anti-personnel landmine. The Russian wish for Ukraine appears to be death: to render Ukrainian land uninhabitable, to maim and kill those who live on it. But as one learns from Kataev’s tale, the Russian petals travel far and know no borders. In November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 200,000 hectares (almost 50,000 acres) of Ukrainian land were contaminated with unexploded mines and shells. The rusted remains of a tank in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, pictured during a PEN Ukraine trip in April 2023.

☆ American jailed for spying by China rubbed shoulders with senior Chinese officials, CNN reporting shows, CNN reporting shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“He’s a very famous person, known by many overseas Chinese in the southern US,” Tang said. Reports published by Chinese-language media in Texas and China’s state media show Leung’s long-running access to senior Chinese officials. In 2014, he met with the director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office during a visit to Nanjing, the provincial capital. This photo shows John Leung with Wang Hua, the former director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. It also comes as American and Chinese officials are resuming high-level engagements since a dispute over a suspected Chinese spy balloon shattered efforts to mend ties earlier this year.

Our experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here's how). As a child, my grandmother used to give my sister and me a quarter when she came to visit. That rebuke unconsciously taught me I shouldn't ask for money, and it held me back for years. My mother, utterly mortified, sent me to my room with the stern admonishment that asking for money was not polite. I found it was as difficult to accept money as it was to ask for it, especially if it happened to be a gift.

☆ Bank of England hikes rates by 25 basis points, no longer sees recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A passageway near the Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, U.K., on Thursday, March 18, 2021. LONDON — The Bank of England on Thursday hiked interest rates by 25 basis points and revised its economic projections to now exclude the possibility of a U.K. recession this year. The Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 in favor of the quarter-point increase to take the main bank rate from 4.25% to 4.5%, as the bank reiterated its commitment to taming stubbornly high inflation. "In the context of resilient economic activity, we think there is a good chance of the Bank Rate peaking at 5% by the August meeting. "As rates moves deeper into restrictive territory and credit conditions tighten, a policy-induced recession becomes almost inevitable."

☆ US airlines thrown a curveball as consumer habits change post-pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Even as the thirst for travel remains strong, the changing trends are driving up airlines' operating costs and hurting revenue. Travel demand has also softened on days in the middle of the week, but has strengthened on peak days. Frontier Airlines (ULCC.O) decided to slash flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays by about 20%, citing weak demand. Delta Airlines (DAL.N) reported that bookings for trips inside 30 days were declining, while those outside 30 days were stronger. Last year, it denied boarding to more customers than American Airlines (AAL.O) and United, U.S. Transportation Department data shows.

☆ Fact Check- Image does not show ‘last Neanderthal giant’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A fabricated image of a giant man towering above a crowd of people is being shared alongside false claims that it shows the “last Neanderthal giant”, but the image was likely generated using artificial intelligence, experts said. A Facebook post sharing the image states: “This is the last know human Giant Neanderthal!” and adds that Neanderthals “died out” thousands of years ago, so “no Neanderthal's DNA is found in modern times” (here). Contrary to the online claims, Neanderthal DNA has been extracted from these skeletal remains and analysed extensively. The earliest version of the image of a purported “Neanderthal giant” that Reuters could find appears on the official subreddit for Midjourney, an AI-based system that generates images based on text prompts entered by users (bit.ly/423OozQ). The image does not show the last Neanderthal giant, it is likely AI-generated.

☆ How the US Air Force's 2 newest fighter jets stack up
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kris Osborn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The F-35 and F-15EX are different in many respects, including their tech and likely missions. F-15EX vs. F-35A US Air Force F-35A over the Pacific in June 2022. The most advanced and rapidly emerging Russian- and Chinese-built air defenses are now much more likely to operate with an ability to detect even stealth aircraft to some degree. US Air Force/Ethan WagnerConsidering these factors, some are likely to wonder if the F-15EX is an aircraft without a clearly defined mission. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel.

☆ ‘The federal government is not doing their job,’ NTSB chair says about automated driving tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy sharply criticized federal regulators Thursday for not doing enough to monitor and test automatic driving technologies. “The NTSB has called on regulators to set performance minimums for these features, to test vehicles rigorously against those standards and provide the results to consumers. That’s because the IIHS and Consumer Reports worked directly with automakers to get them to add it. “Consumer Reports and IIHS tried to get ahead of this because there was no movement from regulators,” she said. Consumer Reports test drivers will still use an actual interstate highway to test features that only function when the car recognizes that it’s on a divided highway.

☆ A recession could hit single women especially hard, says financial advisor. Here's how they can prepare
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Fotostorm | E+ | Getty ImagesFears of an upcoming recession and high inflation may be weighing most heavily on single women, according to a financial advisor who works with that demographic. "Rising inflation hits women harder with their smaller incomes," she said. If there is a recession later this year, as some economists predict there will be, many single women would enter it in a more financially vulnerable situation, Curtis said. For women who live alone, losing a paycheck can mean a pause in all income for the household, and lower wages relative to men may mean single women also have less savings to turn to. Look for ways to cut back on expensesWomen worried about an economic downturn may want to cut back on their discretionary spending as much as possible, Curtis said.

☆ This $6 million Las Vegas bunker is still looking for a buyer. It's 26 feet underground, decorated like the 1970s, and owned by a foundation that wants to freeze humans for science.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Dan Latu | Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Las Vegas house with a 15,000-square-foot underground bunker is for sale for $5.9 million. Built in 1978, the bunker is outfitted in furniture and decor to match the original time period. A Las Vegas property that fits the bill, initially listed in 2019 for $18 million, is still looking for a buyer — now for just $5.9 million. To build a comparative property, LaForge estimates it could take up to eight times the current asking price. The property is currently owned by the Stasis Foundation, which bought the site in 2015 for $1.15 million as part of a bank auction.

☆ I'm a millennial who left my startup career for a corporate job and my mental health has never been better
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nichole Maffey worked in startups for nearly a decade but got her first corporate job this month. Despite the negative connotation of corporate work, she said it's saving her mental health. Startups drove me to embrace the hustleI began my startup career right out of college and have ranged from the ninth hire to the 30th. My roles gave me opportunities to learn at a much faster rate than a siloed, corporate job would have because I was part of so many projects at once. This is just one example: In eight years of working, I'd never been onboarded before this corporate job.

So how did India’s population get so big, and how long will it last? The rise in population despite a drop in the fertility rate can be explained by “demographic momentum.”“When the fertility rate drops, the population continues to grow for several decades. So, even with a replacement or sub-replacement fertility rate, India’s population will continue to grow slowly because of the considerable number of women entering their reproductive years. India’s population growth is slowing downIndia may have overtaken China in total population, but UN data also shows that its growth rate has slowed. Uttar Pradesh, for instance, is home to 17% of India’s population but has only 9% of its industrial jobs.

☆ Here are the 4 issues that will determine the future of the global economy, according to Mohamed El-Erian
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mohamed El-Erian says there are four issues that will shape the future of the global economy. El-Erian say the Fed's efforts to reduce inflation and the US debt ceiling are key factors looking ahead. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyIt is an uncertain time for the global economy. As narratives continue to shift, Wall Street's views range from predictions of a full on stock market crash to a soft landing of the economy.

☆ Ambitious genome project shows how humans fit with other mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified parts of the genome functionally important in people and other mammals and showed how certain mutations can cause disease. The project revealed the genetics of uncommon mammalian traits like hibernation and showed how the sense of smell varies widely. The researchers said the findings on hibernation genetics could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight. The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age. In terms of human differences from other mammals, the study pointed to regions associated with developmental and neurological genes.

☆ Russia's VTB reports profitable Q1, on track for sharp recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, April 27 (Reuters) - Russia's No. 2 lender VTB (VTBR.MM) on Thursday posted first quarter net profit of 146.7 billion roubles ($1.8 billion) and kept its forecast for record profits this year as the bank recovers from a $7.7 billion sanctions-induced loss in 2022. Pyanov said the final price of VTB's second additional share issue will be determined in May. He said the 2022 loss excluded the bank from participating under the current version of the draft law. ($1 = 81.8500 roubles)Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Balto: A good dog with great genes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cleveland Museum of Natural History/Handout via REUTERS. Balto was feted as a hero, the subject of books and movies, and the dog's taxidermy mount still stands on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Balto, belonging to a population of working sled dogs in Alaska, also was found to have possessed greater genetic diversity and genetic health than modern canine breeds. Balto was found to share ancestry with modern Siberian huskies and Alaskan sled dogs as well as Greenland sled dogs, Vietnamese village dogs and Tibetan mastiffs, with no discernible wolf ancestry. Balto had a body built for strength and not speed, disappointing the breeder, who had the dog neutered.

☆ A good dog with great genes - 1920s Alaska sled-relay hero Balto
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cleveland Museum of Natural History/Handout via REUTERS. Balto was feted as a hero, the subject of books and movies, and the dog's taxidermy mount still stands on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Balto, belonging to a population of working sled dogs in Alaska, also was found to have possessed greater genetic diversity and genetic health than modern canine breeds. Sled dogs were the only viable option. Balto was found to share ancestry with modern Siberian huskies and Alaskan sled dogs as well as Greenland sled dogs, Vietnamese village dogs and Tibetan mastiffs, with no discernible wolf ancestry.

☆ Analysis: China's small steps on offshore use of yuan are starting to add up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SINGAPORE, April 27 (Reuters) - China's yuan currency is slowly but surely being adopted for more international payments, which analysts say could lay foundations for a trade system running parallel to the dominant U.S. dollar. True global yuan adoption is unlikely, given expectations that Beijing will want to keep a tight grip on the currency. "Their cooperation could draw other countries to renminbi payments over time and cumulatively, this group could lift the renminbi at the expense of the dollar," he said. "This kind of renminbi internationalisation may achieve Beijing's goals, including reducing China’s exposure to exchange rate fluctuations and mitigating China’s vulnerabilities to U.S. financial sanctions." "Therefore, if exporters want to use yuan to settle trades, they must persuade foreign importers to pay in yuan, which often takes a long time."

Search resuls for: "Comparative"

25 mentions found