DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Bank of Canada set to hike rates, may signal it is near end of tightening cycle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It's a close call but we're expecting a 50-basis-point rate hike from the Bank of Canada," Benjamin Reitzes, Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a note. In October, the Bank of Canada forecast that economic growth would stall from the fourth quarter this year through the middle of next year. "Whether or not the Bank of Canada raises rates 25 or 50 basis points, there's a separate question about whether the Bank of Canada can or should really be committing to raise rates further in 2023," said Royce Mendes, head of macro strategy at Desjardins Group. The bank has been providing forward guidance that it "expects that the policy interest rate will need to rise further" since it began this tightening cycle. "At some point, the Bank of Canada is going to be in a position where it's appropriate to just let rates be for a while," Mendes said.

☆ Lizzo is TikTok’s top music artist for 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok users also pushed “Jiggle Jiggle” and the “It’s corn!” kid to the top viral trends on the app in the U.S.Lizzo, who has 26 million TikTok followers, was the No. 1 music artist on TikTok this year, based on total video views. 1 trending song in the U.S. was “Sunroof” by Nicky Youre and Dazy, with TikTok users making some 8.9 million videos featuring the track. “Jiggle Jiggle,” the rap created more than two decades ago by documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux, gained a new life after it was remixed by DJ duo Duke & Jones (No. TikTok Top Artists 2022, U.S.@lizzo @bellapoarch @badbunny @charlieputh @dojacat @selenagomez @nessaabarrett @yunggravy @billieeilish @meghantrainorTikTok Top Trending Videos 2022, U.S.@amauryguichon: Constructing a very large chocolate giraffe @chipmunksoftiktok: Squishy’s back after hibernation!

Organizations: @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

☆ Near full-strength Portugal primed for Switzerland test
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AL-SHEHANIYA, Qatar, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Portugal coach Fernando Santos has been boosted by news that key midfielder Otavio should be fully fit and ready to play in their World Cup last-16 match against Switzerland on Tuesday. Santos was forced into a change at left back after Nuno Mendes was ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury suffered in the first half against Uruguay. Captain Cristiano Ronaldo will bid again to equal the record of World Cup goals scored for Portugal held by Eusebio, who racked up nine in 1966 in England. He is one goal away from matching the most World Cup goals scored by a Switzerland player - six, by Sepp Huegi all in 1954. The Swiss quietly finished second in their group behind Brazil, victories over Cameroon and Serbia earning their place in the last 16.

Canada added 10,100 jobs in November, broadly in line with the forecast gain of 5,000, while the jobless rate fell to 5.1%, Statistics Canada said. Analysts had forecast the jobless rate would tick up to 5.3%. The November report follows a monster gain of 108,300 jobs in October and comes just days ahead of a Bank of Canada policy-setting meeting on Wednesday. The central bank has raised rates by 350 basis points since March, one of its steepest tightening cycles ever. The small jobs gain was entirely for full-time work and mostly in the services sector, while the participation rate edged down to 64.8% from 64.9% in October.

"Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" is written by Will Davies ("Flushed Away") and directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon ("Blades of Glory"). After you purchase "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile," you'll be able to stream it whenever you like with no restrictions. Is 'Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile' worth watching? "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" received generally positive reviews. "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" is based on the classic children's book of the same name by author Bernard Waber.

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo is 50-50 to play v S.Korea, says coach Santos
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Portugal coach Fernando Santos said that Cristiano Ronaldo's availability is still in question for their closing Group H match against South Korea on Friday. "I think it is 50-50 if he plays or not, we'll see," Santos told a news conference on Thursday. After wins against Ghana and Uruguay, Portugal are first in the group standings on six points and can secure top spot with a draw or a win. South Korea still have a slim chance of qualifying. "I have complete confidence in all my players, I'm already missing three players, let's see about others," he said.

☆ After the tears, South Korea turn eyes to Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korea must beat the 2016 European champions - as they did at the 2002 World Cup on home soil - and hope that the result of the other final Group H match between Ghana and Uruguay goes their way too. Assistant coach Sergio Costa said South Korea would bounce back from their disappointment. South Korea have only one point after drawing their opening game against Uruguay and must beat Portugal to have any chance of progressing. At the World Cup 20 years ago, South Korea beat a 10-man Portugal - whose team included Bento - in their final group game. Portugal opened their campaign in Qatar with a 3-2 victory against Ghana before enjoying a more controlled 2-0 win over Uruguay on Monday.

CNN —Netherlands and Senegal both qualified for the World Cup knockout stages from Group A on Tuesday at Qatar 2022. For the Netherlands, a comfortable 2-0 win against host nation Qatar ensured its progression to the last 16, while Senegal earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Ecuador. Ecuador pushed for an equalizer, which would have seen El Tri qualify ahead of Senegal, late on, but Koulibaly’s strike proved decisive, ensuring his side reach the World Cup knockout stages for the first time since 2002. Buda Mendes/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesThe result means the Netherlands and Senegal join Brazil, France and Portugal as the first five teams to qualify from the group stages. Qatar, meanwhile, ends its campaign winless – the only side ever to host a World Cup and fail to get a single point from the group stage.

☆ Bank of Canada focus on more timely inflation data lowers overshoot risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Inflation tends to be reported on a year-over-year basis to smooth out fluctuations that occur in shorter-term measures. Some forecasters expect Canada's economy to dip into recession next year along with a downturn in global activity. Twelve-month rates include price growth that occurred much earlier in the year, economists explain. Inflation is likely to be more persistent after it spread from goods prices into slower-moving items, such as wages and services. Still, the BoC has opened the door to slowing the pace of tightening to more normal steps of 25 basis points.

☆ Canadian dollar forecasts cut as BoC trails Fed on peak-rate bets - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The currency has weakened over 7% against the U.S. dollar since the start of 2022. It was then expected to rally to 1.31 in a year, versus 1.30 expected in last month's poll. "That implied spread between terminal rates in Canada and the United States will probably have to widen out further and that could take the U.S. dollar higher across the board including against the Canadian dollar." Investors are betting on a terminal rate, or peak level for interest rates, from the BoC in the coming months of 4.25%. "We see less interest in investing money back into the ground in the oil patch when oil prices are high and so there's less room (for the currency) to fall when oil prices are low."

☆ Elon Musk asked Twitter followers if he should bring back Vine, the cult TikTok forerunner that popularized short-form video
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk polled his Twitter followers over whether he should bring back defunct video platform Vine. Vine was owned by Twitter but shut down in 2016 after many of its biggest stars left the platform. Musk completed his deal to buy Twitter Friday, and is already looking to make sweeping changes. Twitter discontinued Vine in 2016, keeping an archive service until it fully shut down three years later. Musical.ly then became the most popular short-form video app, with an emphasis on lip-syncing videos, before being bought by ByteDance, the parent of TikTok, in 2017.

☆ Canada recession may be ‘necessary evil’ as central bank queues big hike
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Julie Gordon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThat may be just what the central bank is looking for, said analysts. Inflation in Canada edged down to 6.9% in September, below June's peak of 8.1%, though still well above the Bank of Canada's 2% target. A majority of Canadian firms, meanwhile, think a recession is now likely in the next 12 months, a Bank of Canada survey showed this week. This means the central bank will not start cutting rates until inflation is "within shouting distance" of the 1-3% control range, he said. "I don't think they necessarily are aiming for a recession," said Andrew Kelvin, chief Canada strategist at TD Securities.

OTTAWA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Business sentiment has softened in Canada and most firms now think a recession is likely, a Bank of Canada survey showed on Monday, but inflation expectations remain high, leaving the central bank little choice but to continue raising rates. The bank's Business Outlook Survey showed 77% of firms see price growth staying above 3% for the next two years. A separate survey showed near-term consumer inflation expectations at record highs, though longer term expectations have eased, providing some relief. "Still-high expectations for inflation will keep the Bank of Canada in rate hike mode," said Andrew Grantham, senior economist at CIBC Capital Markets, in a note. That is cause for concern for the central bank as it seeks to avoid a wage-price spiral, analysts said.

☆ Sam Mendes' 'Empire of Light' a love letter to movies and his mother
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Director Sam Mendes attends the premiere of 'Empire of Light' during the BFI London Film Festival in London, Britain, October 12, 2022. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes celebrates cinema and the families we choose and that choose us with his new film "Empire of Light", a star-studded drama he wrote, directed and produced. A love story set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, "Empire of Light" stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Toby Jones as workers in a local movie theatre, the 'Empire'. So it is a love letter to her and to the courage of people struggling with mental illness," the director, 57, told Reuters at the movie's London Film Festival premiere on Wednesday. "Empire of Light" is released in U.S. cinemas on Dec. 9 and globally in early 2023.

☆ UK mortgage rates are soaring: Here's what you need to know as a first-time buyer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Uncertainty around the U.K. housing and mortgage market has spread among first-time buyers. Unfortunately, a number of other factors are simultaneously making their lives harder: namely, inflation, interest rates and mortgage market disruption," he told CNBC Make It. However, what they have saved on SDLT [stamp duty] will likely be eaten up on higher mortgage rates pretty quickly," he said. So, what about mortgage rates? This could go up even further, Nicholas Mendes, a technical mortgage manager at mortgage broker and advisor John Charcol, believes.

☆ Eva Mendes says she ‘never quit acting’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Eva Mendes may have been off the scene for awhile, but she’s disputing the fact that she’s out of the game. The “Hitch” star recently posted a video on her verified Instagram account that was a compilation of some headlines about her supposedly quitting acting. “I never quit acting,” Mendes wrote in the caption. “That’s a tough act to follow.”“Lost River” is a 2014 film written and directed by Gosling in which Mendes costarred. She ended her Instagram post writing, “Whats the point of this post?

☆ Musical 'Matilda' opens London Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A musical version of childhood classic "Matilda" opened the London Film Festival on Wednesday, with actors Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch the first of many stars expected to walk the event's red carpets over the next 12 days. "No Time to Die" actress Lynch swaps her 007 action stunts for a softer role as Matilda's kind teacher Miss Honey. It moves me every single time and I'm just grateful that this 'Matilda' is a musical." 1/5 Cast member Lashana Lynch attends the premiere of Matilda the Musical during the opening night gala at the BFI London Film Festival, in London, Britain October 5, 2022. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska Read MoreOscar winner Thompson plays Miss Trunchbull in the film, directed by Matthew Warchus, who also developed and directed the theatre show.

☆ Canada's economy unexpectedly grows in July, though momentum slows
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Julie Gordon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Canadian economy grew 0.1% in July, compared with analysts' forecast for a 0.1% decline, Statistics Canada data showed. Growth in goods-producing industries more than offset the first decrease in services-producing industries since January. "After a solid first half of the year, momentum appears to be slowing as multi-decade-high inflation and rapidly rising interest rates weigh on the economy," Benjamin Reitzes, Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO Economics, said in a note. Hot inflation means the Bank of Canada will likely hike interest rates at its next decision in late October, but then the game may change, economists said. "The deceleration in economic momentum is why we see the Bank of Canada only hiking rates once more in October," Mendes said.

☆ Analysis: Loonie bulls reel as Bank of Canada trails Fed on terminal rate bets
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A Canadian dollar coin, commonly called a "loonie," and an American dollar bill are seen in this staged photo in Toronto, March 17, 2010. ,A lower terminal rate for the BoC than the Fed is not uncommon, but it threatens to pour cold water on Canadian dollar bulls' expectations that interest rate differentials would help underpin the currency over the coming year. The Canadian dollar has weakened 7.5% against the greenback since the start of the year. Canada's housing market has slowed rapidly in recent months, while its share of the economy, at 9%, is nearly twice that of the U.S. housing market. "Canada's economy is simply more interest rate sensitive than the U.S. economy," said Royce Mendes, managing director and head of macro strategy at Desjardins.

☆ For first time, Brazil's census counts Black communities founded by enslaved people
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

SALVADOR, Brazil — For the first time in its 132-year history, the Brazilian census now underway includes a question counting members of the “quilombo” communities founded by runaway enslaved people. “One of our objectives is to escape an intentional invisibility.”Her friend Eliete Paraguassu, 42, is mounting another front in the strategy. Quilombos were formed over centuries by enslaved people who escaped forced labor to create isolated, self-subsistence communities in remote forests and mountain ranges or on islands like Ilha de Mare. Quilombo residents now hope that a proper count of their numbers and more elected voices will open the door to improved social services and guarantees of rights for people and places long left off official maps. On Ilha de Mare, quilombo residents have for generations survived on the hard work of artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen.

OTTAWA, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Inflation in Canada remains "too high" but is headed in the right direction, a Bank of Canada official said on Tuesday, adding that the central bank will do whatever is needed to bring price increases back to target. While we're headed in the right direction, that's still too high," Beaudry said in prepared remarks provided ahead of the speech. While some have argued policymakers need to engineer a recession to avoid this, Beaudry said the bank is working to convince Canadians the current period of high inflation is temporary and it will tame surging prices. Still, economists said if consumer and business surveys due out next month show inflation has become more entrenched, the Bank of Canada may have to change its tune. The Bank of Canada has boosted its policy rate by 300-basis points in six months and earlier this month signaled it was not yet done.

Paraguassu is one of the record number of Black candidates running for state and federal office in October 2022 elections. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliSALVADOR, Brazil, Sept 20 (Reuters) - For the first time in its 132-year history, the Brazilian census now underway includes a question counting members of the "quilombo" communities founded by runaway slaves. Quilombo residents now hope that a proper count of their numbers and more elected voices will open the door to improved social services and guarantees of rights for people and places long left off official maps. Bolsonaro was fined 50,000 reais ($10,000) in 2017 for insulting quilombo residents, saying that "they do nothing" and are "not even good for procreating." On Ilha de Mare, quilombo residents have for generations survived on the hard work of artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen.

☆ 'Do Revenge' links teen strangers on a train that runs out of steam
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

(CNN) "Do Revenge" has all the makings of an attention-generating machine, combining a "Mean Girls" vibe with the stars of two popular teen franchises in Camila Mendes ("Riverdale") and Maya Hawke ("Stranger Things"). It's too bad the Netflix movie doesn't match those qualities, offering a mishmash of homages that's mildly diverting but can't ace the final. Yet the plot (based on a script by Robinson and Celeste Ballard) doesn't pursue that enticing prospect with much conviction, which might explain why it runs out of steam down the stretch. The movie also owes debts to a lot of other teen fare, such as "Cruel Intentions," itself an adaptation of the French novel that became "Dangerous Liaisons." Mostly, it's a story of unlikely friendship, set against the backdrop of another private school where the parties make Roman bacchanals seem restrained and pale by comparison.

☆ Paris Hilton wants to be the ‘Queen of the Metaverse’
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-27 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Paris Hilton has arrived. On New Year’s Eve, she DJed a live set in the same virtual world, playing as her avatar. It also includes her production company Slivington Manor Entertainment – which is behind TV projects including “Cooking with Paris” and “Paris Hilton in Love” – and her podcast company London Audio. Paris Hilton attends the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in her "Queen of the Metaverse" dress Frazer Harrison/The Recording Academy/Getty ImagesOther celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Lindsay Lohan and Shawn Mendes have launched their own NFTs. Earlier this month, Hilton visited the White House to discuss new legislation aimed protecting children in such programs.

LISBON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Heavy tug boats on Tuesday sprayed water on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azore Islands which went on fire nearly a week ago carrying thousands of Porsches and Bentleys, an incident insurance experts said could result in $155 million in losses. The 22 crew members on board the ship, called the Felicity Ace, were evacuated the same day the fire broke out. Two large tug boats equipped with firefighting gear arrived from Gibraltar on Monday, and were working with another patrol boat to spray water at the Felicity Ace and cool it down, MOL said. "When conditions are safe the salvage team will board the Felicity Ace for an initial assessment," MOL added. Two other tug boats with more firefighting equipment were scheduled to arrive Feb. 23 and Feb. 26.

Search resuls for: "Mendes"

25 mentions found