DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Raonic gives champions Canada fast start v Finland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - Davis Cup - Finals - Canada v Finland - Palacio de deportes Martin Carpena, Malaga, Spain - November 21, 2023 Canada's Milos Raonic in action during his quarter final match against Finland's Patrick Kaukovalta REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura Acquire Licensing RightsMALAGA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Canada's Milos Raonic returned to Davis Cup action for the first time in five years to give the reigning champions a fast start in their Final Eight clash against Finland on Tuesday. The big-serving Raonic banged down 18 aces in a 6-3 7-5 defeat of lowly-ranked Finn Patrick Kaukovalta to put Canada 1-0 ahead in the best of three tie. Raonic began the match with a game of aces and ended it with another one after little more than an hour. Gabriel Diallo will send Canada into the semi-finals if he beats Otto Virtanen in the second singles rubber. Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: deportes Martin, Milos Raonic, Finland's Patrick Kaukovalta, Violeta Santos Moura, Finn Patrick Kaukovalta, Raonic, Felix Auger, Emil Ruusuvuori, Kaukovalta, Davis, Gabriel Diallo, Otto Virtanen, Billie Jean King, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Palacio, deportes, deportes Martin Carpena, Rights, Davis, Finland, banged, Canada's, Wimbledon, Australia, Billie Jean King Cup, Thomson Locations: Finland, Malaga, Spain, Canada

☆ Billie Jean King Cup: Leylah Fernandez guides Canada to first ever title
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Leylah Fernandez led Canada to a first ever Billie Jean King Cup triumph on Sunday, securing the title with a 6-2 6-3 win over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Canada won the Billie Jean King Cup, formerly known as the Fed Cup, for the first time. It’s a dream come true.”Canada’s victory comes just a year after the men clinched the country’s first Davis Cup title. Fernandez was undefeated over the week as she guided Canada to victory. After Fernandez’s victory, the Canadian team was presented with the trophy by Billie Jean King, as well as blue jackets like those regularly worn by the legendary tennis star.

Persons: CNN — Leylah Fernandez, Billie Jean King, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, Fernandez, ” Fernandez, CNN Sport’s Patrick Snell, “ Billie Jean King, “ We’re, Marina Stakusic, Martina Trevisan, Matt McNulty, Heidi El Tabakh, Magdalena Fręch, “, ” Stakusic, hasn’t, El Tabakh, ” El Tabakh, Marcelo Del Pozo Organizations: CNN, Canada, Czech, Billie Jean King Cup, Fed, Reuters, Canadian Locations: Canada, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy

☆ Doubles powerhouse Krejcikova, Siniakova part ways
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - November 11, 2023 Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski and Leylah Fernandez celebrate after winning their doubles match against Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 12 (Reuters) - Dynamic Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova will not play doubles together during the 2024 season, the WTA said on its website on Sunday, pausing their hugely successful partnership after collecting seven Grand Slam titles together. The pair won in San Diego in September but lost to Canadians Gabriela Dabrowski and Leylah Fernandez at the Billie Jean King Cup this weekend. Siniakova initiated the split after an injury-marred 2023, according to media reports, but did not rule out a potential reunion. The Olympic doubles champions picked up their seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open this year. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski, Leylah Fernandez, Krejcikova, Katerina Siniakova REUTERS, Marcelo Del Pozo, Barbora Krejcikova, Katerina Siniakova, Gabriela Dabrowski, Siniakova, Amy Tennery, Ken Ferris Organizations: La, Czech, WTA, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, San Diego, New York

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Leylah Fernandez and Marina Stakusic won their singles matches as Canada beat Italy 2-0 to claim its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup on Sunday. Stakusic, ranked 258th in the world, put Canada ahead by defeating No. Canada had beaten 11-time champion Czech Republic in the semifinals, while four-time champion Italy advanced past Slovenia for its first final appearance since 2013. Political Cartoons View All 1240 ImagesCanada, captained by Heidi El Tabakh, is the 13th nation to win the Billie Jean King Cup, and the second new champion after Switzerland’s triumph in Glasgow a year ago. The Canada men's team is the current Davis Cup champion.

Persons: — Leylah Fernandez, Marina Stakusic, Billie Jean King, Stakusic, Martina Trevisan, Fernandez, Jasmine Paolini, Davis, Heidi El Tabakh, Iga Swiatek, ___ Organizations: Canada, Italy, Billie Jean King Cup, La, Czech, Davis, WTA Locations: SEVILLE, Spain, Canada, Seville, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Glasgow, United States, Switzerland, Cancun , Mexico

☆ Fernandez seals Canada's first BJK Cup title
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After the 21-year-old converted match point the Canadian team celebrated wildly on court in front of their jubilant fans. It was then over to Fernandez who duly claimed her fourth singles win of the week by outclassing Paolini. Canada's team will receive $2.4 million in prize money -- a record for the women's team event formerly known as the Fed Cup. "Congratulations to Canada for capturing their first Billie Jean King Cup title," King said. Canada are the 13th nation to win the Billie Jean King Cup and the second new champions in two years following Switzerland’s triumph in Glasgow 12 months ago.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Marina Stakusic, Italy's Martina Trevisan, Marcelo Del Pozo, Leylah Fernandez, Jasmine Paolini, Heidi El Tabakh, Martina Trevisan, Trevisan, Stakusic, Fernandez, outclassing Paolini, Marketa Vondrousova, Gabriela Dabrowski, Barbora Krejcikova, Katerina Siniakova, American King, King, Martyn Herman, Hugh Lawson, Ken Ferris Organizations: La, U.S ., WTA, Wimbledon, Fed, Billie Jean King Cup, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, SEVILLE, Canada, Italy, Czech Republic, Czech, American, Glasgow

☆ Italy overcome spirited Slovenia to reach BJK Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEVILLE, Spain, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Jasmine Paolini defeated Tamara Zidansek and Martina Trevisan beat Kaja Juvan as Italy secured a 2-0 victory over Slovenia in Seville on Saturday to reach the Billie Jean King Cup final and stay on course for their fifth crown in the team competition. Trevisan earlier put Italy in front in their quest to make the final of the event for a sixth time with a battling 7-6(6) 6-3 victory over Slovenian world number 104 Juvan. "I have to say that today was really tough," Trevisan said as Italy tasted success in their first semi-final appearance in the competition since 2014. Italy's last triumph in the competition came 10 years ago, and they could face stiff competition in Sunday's title clash. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jasmine Paolini, Tamara Zidansek, Martina Trevisan, Kaja Juvan, Billie Jean King, Paolini, Trevisan, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Slovenia, Billie Jean King Cup, Estadio, la, Slovenian, Czech, United States, Thomson Locations: SEVILLE, Spain, Italy, Seville, Czech Republic, Canada, Bengaluru

Google and Character AI did not respond to requests for comment. The demographic is helping the company position itself as the purveyor of more fun personal AI companions, compared to other AI chatbots from OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. Character.AI is also in talks to raise equity funding from venture capital investors, which could value the company at over $5 billion, sources said. The talks with Google are ongoing and terms of the deal could change, said the sources, who requested anonymity as the discussions are private. Anthropic uses Google's cloud services as well as its latest version of TPUs.

Persons: Character.AI, Noam Shazeer, Daniel De Freitas, Billie Eilish, Character.AI's, Google's Bard, Andreessen Horowitz, Lina Khan, Krystal Hu, Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Google, Reuters, Microsoft, . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, ., San Francisco, New York

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Versatile recording artist SZA led this year's Grammy Award nominations with nine, coming in ahead of industry heavyweights Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish, in a year made for women artists and the movie blockbuster "Barbie." Victoria Monét followed closely behind SZA with seven nominations including best new artist and record of the year and best R&B song for "On My Mama." Rodrigo took six nominations, with her hit "vampire" getting nominated for record of the year, song of the year and best pop solo performance. Consistent with the girl power theme of this year's nominations, the motion picture "Barbie," directed by Greta Gerwig, captured four of the five nominations for best song written for visual media category. She is also tied with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, with the most career nominations with 88.

Persons: SZA, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Solána Imani Rowe, snagged, Quentin Tarantino, Swift, Cyrus, Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, Olivia Rodrigo, Victoria Monét, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Rodrigo, Brandy Clark, Eilish, Travis Kelce, Greta Gerwig, Ryan Gosling's, Ken, Beyoncé, Jay, Daniel Trotta, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sunday, Thomson Locations: boygenius, Los Angeles

Aldean and Anthony's dominance wasn't long — and Combs did earn a 2024 Grammy nomination for best country solo performance — but Wallen stands out as an obvious exclusion. While “Last Night” is nominated for best country song, a songwriter's award, Wallen himself isn't despite his successful year. Monét has also picked up record of the year and best R&B song nominations for her glossy, brassy “On My Mama,” best R&B performance and best traditional R&B performance. Her 2023 release, “Jaguar ll,” is up for best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical. IT'S RAINING WOMEN, HALLEJUAHThe best story of the 2024 Grammy nominations, of course, is just how many women are represented in the major categories.

Persons: “ Barbie, Reneé Rapp, Rapp's, ”, Rapp, PinkPantheress, Eslabon, Ella Baila Sola, Bunny, Natanael Cano, Karol G's, Jason Aldean's “, Morgan Wallen's “, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman's, Oliver Anthony Music's, Combs, Wallen, isn't, he's, NewJeans, Barbie, PRINCE HARRY, Michelle Williams, Britney Spears, Prince Harry, Meryl Streep, William Shatner, Rick Rubin, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, WHO'S, There's, Travis Scott's, Scott, Cole’s, Uzi Vert’s “, Victoria Monét's, Monét, Ariana Grande’s, Chloe x Halle, she’s, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste Organizations: ANGELES, música Mexicana, Grupo Frontera, Fuerza, North Locations: Será Bonito, ”, Richmond

“Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice will compete for best rap song. Tracks from the soundtrack also hog up four of the five available slots in best song written for visual media. Peso Pluma’s 2023 album, “Génesis,” is just tucked among the nominees for música mexicana. But música urbana — encompassing reggaeton, Latin hip-hop, dembow, Latin trap and more — is a crowded, competitive, hugely popular format. His 2023 album, “Seven Psalms,” plays as a thoughtful, complex, tuneful farewell, anticipating his death.

Persons: Greta Gerwig, ”, Billie Eilish’s, “, Nicki Minaj, Edgar Barrera, Eslabon, Natanael Cano —, Tainy, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G, JON PARELES Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Rodrigo’s “, Rodrigo, Daniel Nigro, Mick Jagger, CARYN GANZ, Paul Simon, it’s Paul Simon, It’s, Simon, Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, PARELES Organizations: Spice, Pluma, música, Grupo Frontera, Grupo Firme, Foo Fighters, Queens Locations: Mexican American, Americas, Mexican, música mexicana, urbana, Colombian, Será, Spanish, Newport

☆ Grammy nominations 2024: See the full list of nominees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards were revealed on Friday morning and SZA slayed. The “Kill Bill” singer and songwriter leads in total nominations with nine nods. Other top nominees among a list that highlighted the contributions of young women in music include Phoebe Bridgers, R&B star Victoria Monét, indie group boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo. The nominees in several top categories can be found below, with the full list of 94 categories here. The Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 4 in Los Angeles.

Persons: SZA, Bill ”, Phoebe Bridgers, Victoria Monét, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, ”, Barbra Streisand, “, ” Swift, Janelle Monáe, Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey, Eilish, Bill ” Taylor Swift, Victoria, Coco Jones Gracie Abrams Fred, Noah Kahan Victoria Monét, ” Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlile, Miles ” SZA, Karma, Jack Antonoff Dernst, ” Emile II, Daniel Nigro, Mike, “ Michael, ” Nas, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, ” Drake, Rich, Eryn Allen Kane, Osborne, “ Brothers Osborne ” Kelsea, ” Lainey Wilson, Tyler Childers, “ Rustin ’, Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan ”, Brandy Clark, Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Greta Van, Queens, Coco Jones, Emily King, Walker, Chris Brown, Robert Glasper, Alex Isley, Bill ” Victoria, ” PJ Harvey Organizations: CNN, Victoria, Hit Boy Metro, Drake, Metro, “ Scientists, Engineers, Pumas Locations: Los Angeles, Dua Lipa

☆ The founders of The Gist and Just Women's Sports describe what it's like to run a women-focused media company in a male-dominated industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ellen Hyslop cofounded in 2017 The Gist, a sports media company geared toward female fans. Three years later, Haley Rosen founded Just Women's Sports, making Instagram content about, well, just women's sports. In the male-dominated sports media industry, these female founders have built sustainable and successful businesses around women in sports. In 2022, women's sports received 15% of all sports media coverage, a study by Wasserman's The Collective found. "Every single person at Just Women's Sports adds so much value and is so influential and impactful in the company," Rosen said.

Persons: Ellen Hyslop, Gist, Haley Rosen, They're, Rosen, Billie Jean King, Hyslop, The Gist, That's, King, Kevin Durant, Allyson Felix, Abby Wambach, Sam Kerr, Kelley O'Hara, Elena Delle Donne, Haley, Michele Kang, Wasserman's, We're Organizations: Sports, Nike, Media, Comcast, Labs, King's Enterprises, Elysian Park Ventures, State, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington

☆ Grammy Awards 2024: The Full List of Nominees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

SZA is the top nominee for the 66th annual Grammy Awards with nine nods, all for her album “SOS,” which topped the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks. She leads a group of contenders that also includes Victoria Monét (with seven), as well as Jon Batiste, boygenius, Brandy Clark, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift (all with six apiece). Songs from the movie “Barbie” received 11 nods in seven categories. The producer Jack Antonoff and the engineer Serban Ghenea are also top nominees. The ceremony, which will take place on Feb. 4, 2024 at the Crypo.com Arena in Los Angeles, will recognize recordings released from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 15, 2023.

Persons: SZA, Victoria Monét, Jon Batiste, Brandy Clark, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Barbie ”, Jack Antonoff, Serban Ghenea Organizations: Victoria Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Leading nominations for 2024 Grammy Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

60th Annual Grammy Awards – Show – New York, U.S., 28/01/2018 – Grammy Awards trophies are displayed backstage during the pre-telecast. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 10 (Reuters) - Nominations for the music industry's Grammy Awards were announced Friday. Here are a few selected categories. RECORD OF THE YEAR"Worship" - Jon Batiste"Not Strong Enough" - boygenius"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus"What Was I Made For?" Editing by Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Jon Batiste, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, Olivia Rodrigo Midnights, Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew, Taylor Swift, Dan Wilson, Caroline Ailin, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Gregory Aldae Hein, Michael Pollack, Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Daniel Nigro, Oliva Rodrigo, Billie Eilish O'Connell, Finneas O'Connell, Gracie Abrams Fred, Coco Jones Noah Kahan Victoria Monét, Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran Midnights, Dlamini, Ari Starace, Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr, Onika Maraj, Nicki Minaj, Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods, Javier Mercado, Uzi, Rich, Brytavious Chambers, Isaac, Zac, De Boni, Aubrey Graham, J, Gwin, Anderson Hernandez, Michael, Finatik, Shéyaa Bin Abraham, Joseph, Drake, Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Tim Moore, Dion Wilson, Eryn Allen Kane, Greta Van, Ballerini Brothers Osborne, Brothers Osborne Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan Rustin, Tyler Childers, Lainey Wilson, Daniel Trotta, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Dua, Thomson Locations: York, U.S, Dua Lipa

☆ Italy reach BJK Cup semis, Australia stay alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paolini, who like Trevisan also won her singles against France, then dispatched Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-3 6-2. It is the first time Italy have reached the semi-finals of the competition since 2014. Captain Alicia Molik changed her line-up and world number 155 Storm Hunter rewarded her faith by posting a 7-6(2) 6-4 victory against Anna Danilina, ranked a lowly 802nd. Later on Thursday, reigning champions Switzerland face the United States in Group A needing to win to stay in the hunt. Canada can secure their place in the semi-finals if they beat a Poland side without world number one Iga Swiatek.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Jasmine Paolini, Germany's Anna, Lena Friedsam REUTERS, Marcelo Del Pozo, Martina Trevisan, Eva Lys, Trevisan, Anna, Lena Friedsam, Alicia Molik, Storm Hunter, Anna Danilina, Yulia Putintseva, Kim Birrell, Hunter, Ellen Perez, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: La, Germany, France, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, United States, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, France, Germany, Australia, Slovenia, United, Canada, Poland

☆ ATP roundup: Jack Draper pulls off massive upset at Sofia Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNovember 9 - Great Britain's Jack Draper pulled off a 7-5, 6-2 upset of No. 1 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy on Wednesday in the second round of the Sofia Open in Sofia, Bulgaria. Fognini, a wild card, rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5) victory against fifth-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, while No. 6 Sonego swept Jordanian qualifier Abdullah Shelbayh 6-3, 7-5. Other winners included Frenchmen Luca Van Assche and wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Russia's Alexander Shevchenko.

Persons: Jack Draper of, Andrey Rublev, USTA Billie Jean King, Danielle Parhizkaran, Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, Draper, Russian Pavel Kotov, Cem Ilkel, Kotov, Sebastian Baez, Ilkel, Max Purcell, Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, Spain's Albert Ramos, Lennard Struff, Billy Harris, Austria's Sebastian Ofner, Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Sonego, Alexander Bublik, Sonego, Abdullah Shelbayh, Fognini, Luca Van Assche, Pierre, Hugues Herbert, Russia's Alexander Shevchenko Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Sofia, Turkish, Argentine, British, Bublik, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Jack Draper of Great Britain, Italy, Sofia, Bulgaria, Russian, Hungarian, Moselle, Metz, France, Kazakhstan

☆ Italy beat France in BJK Cup Finals after two singles wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - November 8, 2023 Italy's Martina Trevisan celebrates during her match against France's Alize Cornet REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo Acquire Licensing RightsSEVILLE, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Singles wins for Martina Trevisan and Jasmine Paolini gave Italy victory over France in their opening Group D clash at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville on Wednesday. Trevisan recovered from a slow start to beat the experienced Alize Cornet 2-6 6-2 6-2 in the opening rubber. France will seek to at least get a point on the board in the later doubles. Italy have now beaten France five times in their last seven meetings in the flagship women's team competition. Later on Wednesday hosts Spain face Canada in the first action in Group C.Reporting by Martyn HermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Martina Trevisan, France's Alize Cornet, Marcelo Del Pozo, Jasmine Paolini, Trevisan, Alize Cornet, Paolini, Caroline Garcia, Martyn Herman Our Organizations: La, Italy, France, Billie Jean King Cup, Wednesday, Spain, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, France, Italy, Canada

☆ Storm Hunter defies the odds to win first BJK Cup match
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Australian tennis star Storm Hunter won her first match at this year’s BJK Cup in Seville, Spain, on Tuesday, despite landing in the country just hours before it started… without her luggage. The 29-year-old had been playing in the WTA Finals doubles competition in Cancún, Mexico, last week, eventually losing with partner Elise Mertens in the semifinals on Sunday. It’s definitely been a whirlwind few days.”Hunter (left) had played in the doubles semifinals at the WTA Finals on Sunday. Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesThe Billie Jean King Cup is akin to the women’s World Cup of tennis, pitting countries from around the world against one another. 1 Iga Świątek, opted not to play at this year’s BJK Cup, with the event starting just a day after the rain-delayed WTA Finals.

Persons: Storm Hunter, Elise Mertens, Hunter, Kimberly Birrell, Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec, Ela Milić –, “ It’s, ” Hunter, “, It’s, Clive Brunskill, Billie Jean King, Coco Gauff, Świątek Organizations: CNN, WTA, Australia, Slovenia, Team Australia Locations: Australian, Seville, Spain, Cancún, Mexico, Kazakhstan

☆ Slovenia beat Australia in BJK Finals opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kaja Juvan got outsiders Slovenia off to a flyer with a 6-4 6-1 defeat of a rusty Ajla Tomljanovic. Former French Open semi-finalist Tamara Zidansek then overcame Daria Saville 6-1 6-4 to give Slovenia an unassailable lead, although a doubles rubber was still to be played. A strong-looking Kazakhstan team are the other country in Group B. The 12 qualifying nations are split into four sections of three with the group winners progressing to the semi-finals. Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Tamara Zidansek, Australia's Daria Saville, Marcelo Del Pozo, Kaja Juvan, Daria Saville, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: La, Billie Jean King Cup, Australia, French, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Thomson Locations: Seville, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic

☆ Ending the 40-hour workweek is possible, but it'll require sacrifices from all of us
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In today's big story, we're looking at the internet calling for changes to the "soul-crushing" and "depressing" 9-to-5 workday. The 40-hour workweek is facing a reckoning after a recent grad's viral TikTok emotionally questioning how people have time for a personal life while working a full-time job. AdvertisementAdvertisementSo yes, upending the 9-to-5 is possible — and worth considering — but only with a bit of sacrifice from all of us. Earnings today: Uber, eBay, H&R Block, Nintendo, and other companies.

Persons: —, Dolly Parton, Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic, Dolly, Gen, Insider's, Gen Z, Tim Paradis, I've, we'd, Rebecca Zisser, Ray Dalio, That's, Rob Copeland's, Dalio, Warren Buffett's, Sam Altman Justin Sullivan, OpenAI's, Sam Altman, Slack, Lidiane Jones, Bumble, Tesla, Samantha Lee, WeWork, they're, Billie Jean King, Bryan Johnson, Dustin Giallanza, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Bridgewater Associates, Bank of America, EV, Microsoft, Billie Jean King Cup, eBay, Nintendo Locations: Taylor, Berkshire, Kentucky, Mississippi, Sevilla, Spain, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ BJK Cup: Billie Jean King on the career moment she’ll ‘never forget’ and the growth of the tournament named in her honor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Billing itself as the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, the Billie Jean King Cup is akin to the World Cup of tennis, pitting countries from around the world against one another. Tennis great Billie Jean King lent her name to the tournament – which celebrates its 60th anniversary this month – in 2020 and she has fond memories of playing in it herself. It fits my personality and fits how I think about the sport,” King said. Improving women’s tennis is something King has done throughout her career in the sport. More than anything, though, King wants this competition, and women’s sport in general, to get more media coverage.

Persons: CNN —, Billie Jean King, King, “, ” King, “ It’s, Davis, Serena Williams, John G, Mabanglo, ”, Bobby Riggs, Lesley Martin, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Iga Świątek Organizations: CNN, Tennis, US, Getty, Federation Cup, Fed, International Tennis Federation, ITF, Women’s Tennis Association, ”, WTA Locations: Seville, Spain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, US, Australia, Switzerland, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Venus, AFP, “, ” Switzerland, Mexico

☆ Chatbots May ‘Hallucinate’ More Often Than Many Realize
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Cade Metz | More About Cade Metz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But most people were slow to realize that this new kind of chatbot often makes things up. When Google introduced a similar chatbot several weeks later, it spewed nonsense about the James Webb telescope. The next day, Microsoft’s new Bing chatbot offered up all sorts of bogus information about the Gap, Mexican nightlife and the singer Billie Eilish. Now a new start-up called Vectara, founded by former Google employees, is trying to figure out how often chatbots veer from the truth. The company’s research estimates that even in situations designed to prevent it from happening, chatbots invent information at least 3 percent of the time — and as high as 27 percent.

Persons: OpenAI, James Webb, Bing chatbot, Billie Eilish, ChatGPT Organizations: Google Locations: San Francisco, Manhattan

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will offer a record total of $9.6 million in prize money, including $2.4 million to the champions, the International Tennis Federation announced Monday. The ITF said this puts the women competing at the BJK Cup Finals on an equivalent prize level as the men at the Davis Cup Finals. The 12-team BJK Cup Finals start Tuesday at Seville’s La Cartuja Stadium and run through Sunday. Defending champion Switzerland is joined by last year’s runner-up, Australia, and 10 other countries: Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the United States. The runner-up team will earn $1.44 million, each losing semifinalist will get $960,000 and teams eliminated in the group stage will receive $480,000.

Persons: Billie Jean King Organizations: International Tennis Federation, ITF, Davis, Seville’s La Locations: SEVILLE, Spain, Seville’s, Seville’s La Cartuja, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, United States

☆ ITF announces record prize money for Billie Jean King Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - November 9, 2022 General view of the trophy during the group stage match between Italy's Jasmine Paolini and Switwerland's Belinda Bencic Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - This year's Billie Jean King Cup champions will receive a record $2.4 million, with prize money for the finals of the women's team event again matching that of the men's Davis Cup. A total Player Prize Money purse of $9.6 million will be shared between the 12 competing nations in Seville, the International Tennis Federation said in a statement. "We are proud to announce this news on the eve of the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup ... Finals," ITF president David Haggerty said. "Achieving gender parity in our sport is a key part of the ITF's Advantage All programme and I am delighted we have been able to offer equivalent prize money with the Davis Cup Finals again this year." The qualifying nations are split into four groups of three teams with the group winners moving into the semi-finals.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Switwerland's Belinda Bencic, Ed Sykes, Davis, David Haggerty, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Emirates, Billie Jean King Cup, International Tennis Federation, ITF, Davis, Estadio la, Thomson Locations: Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, Seville, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Group, Australia, Slovenia

☆ Opinion | ‘Now and Then, I Miss You’: The Love Story at the Heart of the Last Beatles Song
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Ian Leslie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sixty-one years after releasing their first single, “Love Me Do,” the Beatles have released their last. Inside the story of “Love Me Do” to “Now and Then” is the love story of John Lennon and Paul McCartney — which is our story, too. Beatles songs still speak to us so directly because they are vehicles for the transmission of feelings too powerful for normal speech. They gained their emotional education from music, especially the music of Black artists like Smokey Robinson, Arthur Alexander and the Shirelles. Almost everything they felt — and they felt a lot — was poured into music, including their feelings about each other.

Persons: “, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lennon, McCartney, Smokey Robinson, Arthur Alexander Organizations: Beatles

Search resuls for: "billie"

25 mentions found