DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China’s demographic decline can be boon, not doom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet China’s demographic doom is not certain. It is hard to boost birth rates, but France and Scandinavia show it can be done. If last year’s population plunge inspires Beijing to smarten up policy, demographic stress need not augur economic decline. The birth rate was 6.77 per 1,000 people, down from 7.52 in 2021 and marking the lowest such reading on record. United Nations analysts project China's population will shrink by 109 million by 2050, more than triple the rate of their previous forecast in 2019.

☆ A 2,000-year-old rune stone found in Norway could be the oldest ever, and give a glimpse into ancient writing systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scandinavians likely developed Runic writing after first meeting ancient Romans, but it's not clear how old it is. It is covered in primitive runic writing, and archaeologists believe it dates back to between AD 1 and AD 250. However, one word, that can be made out clearly on the stone, could give the stone another meaning. That's when, inspired by Latin writing, early Scandinavians might have started developing their own alphabet, archaeologists say in the press release. By analyzing the stone, Zilmer thinks archeologists can learn more about the early development of runic writing and how they have evolved over time.

☆ Norway archaeologists find ‘world’s oldest runestone’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Archaeologists in Norway said Tuesday that have found a runestone which they claim is the world’s oldest, saying the inscriptions are up to 2,000 years old and date back to the earliest days of the enigmatic history of runic writing. It said it was “among the oldest runic inscriptions ever found” and “the oldest datable runestone in the world.”“This find will give us a lot of knowledge about the use of runes in the early Iron Age. This may be one of the first attempts to use runes in Norway and Scandinavia on stone,” Kristel Zilmer, a professor at University of Oslo, of which the museum is part, told The Associated Press. The earliest runic find is on a bone comb found in Denmark. Zilmer said that maybe the tip of knife or a needle was used to carve the runes.

☆ Is This the ‘It’ Chair of 2023? Interior Designers Think So
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Antonia Van Der Meer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

AN UNFUSSY and downright brutish, midcentury vintage chair design has been muscling its way into even the most traditional of homes lately. Some look like little more than two pieces of wood attached to legs, but keyhole details or sculpted backs can make them sweeter. Designers and dealers are calling the increasingly in-demand seats, which hail primarily from Scandinavia and Europe, brutalist. At online marketplace 1stDibs , searches for “brutalist chair” are up 115% year over year. “I used it as a decorative accent, as though it were a piece of art,” she said.

☆ I plan parties for the ultrawealthy. We get multimillion-dollar budgets to source real reindeer, fire-breathing dragons, and gift bags filled with Dior jewelry.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But we're also asked to organize their holiday parties. We take our holiday parties to the next levelIt's not unusual for us to be given a multimillion-dollar budget to arrange a festive party. Our holiday parties take place all year roundAs we have offices across the globe, we organize holiday parties all year round. A private client event around Chinese New Year featuring a smoke-breathing dragon. Party guests could board the train and walk through the carriages.

☆ Corporate travel propels boom in sustainable aviation fuel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SAF accounted for only 0.5% of aviation fuel in 2021, but many airlines have a target of 10% by 2030 and the industry's goal of "net zero" emissions by 2050 relies on SAF accounting for 65% of fuel. The corporate sector interest could build momentum for the SAF industry to scale up given businesses account for around 20% of air travel globally and 30% in Europe, said Denise Auclair, corporate travel campaign manager at European non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment. 'GREEN PREMIUM'Buying SAF is more costly than purchasing emissions offsets but experts say it can play a key role in reducing travel emissions alongside switches to video-conferencing and cleaner alternatives like rail. "They contract with us, they pay for the cost premium of sustainable aviation fuel over the conventional jet fuel, and then enable us to deliver sustainable aviation fuel for our partner airlines to consume," he said. Companies are able to contract directly with airlines, travel agencies like American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) (GBTG.N) and fuel providers like Neste as they look to claim SAF credits and avoid pitfalls like double claiming.

☆ Why 10,000 pounds of rubber are stripped from runways
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Melissa Estrada | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rubber builds up on airport runways and runway lights every time a plane's wheels touch down. Narrator: Every time a plane lands, each tire leaves around 1½ pounds of rubber on the runway. That temperature makes the tread rubber melt and bond to the runway and lights that guide pilots. That's over 30 pounds of rubber lost per landing – equivalent to the amount of rubber in two of your car's tires. And runway lights, used to guide takeoff, landing, and taxiing, especially at night and in low-visibility conditions, are dimmed by the melted rubber bonding to them.

☆ London, Paris, Frankfurt and beyond: CNBC names Europe's best hotels for business travel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Monica Buchanan Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

CNBC Travel and the market data firm Statista today release a ranking of the "Best Hotels for Business Travelers" in Europe. FrankfurtSofitel Frankfurt Opera JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt Best Western Premier IB Hotel Friedberger Warte Le Meridien Frankfurt Steigenberger Airport Hotel FrankfurtSofitel Frankfurt Opera Source: Sofitel Frankfurt OperaThe Sofitel Frankfurt Opera is on Opera Square, or the Opernplatz, near the city's famed opera house. ParisLe Bristol Paris Les Jardins du Faubourg Kimpton - St Honore Paris Pullman Paris Center-Bercy Le MeuriceLe Bristol Paris Source: Le Bristol Paris | Claire CocanoGuests of Le Bristol Paris can count President Emmanuel Macron as a neighbor — Elysee Palace, the official residence of France's president — is just steps away. StockholmGrand Hotel Stockholm Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel Stockholm Hotel At Six Bank Hotel Lydmar HotelGrand Hotel Stockholm Source: Grand Hotel StockholmTying for No. ViennaPalais Coburg Hotel Residenz Hotel Sans Souci Wien The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna The Harmonie Vienna Grand Hotel Wien This grand hotel built in 1845 is the former home of Austrian royalty.

☆ Meet 11 people leading the aviation industry's push to slash emissions and ditch fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-31 | by ( Maia Anderson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Experts have estimated that aviation is responsible for nearly 2% of global greenhouse-gas emissions and 2.5% of carbon-dioxide emissions. Some aviation giants, like United, are signing purchase agreements to buy electric aircraft. Today he serves as CEO and chairman of the company, which aims to be a pioneer in electric aircraft. In 2000 he founded Aviation Technology Group, which developed the ATG Javelin very light jet before ceasing operations in 2007. He is also a founding member of the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation.

☆ 24 of the world’s best sandwiches
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-11 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Fanfo/Adobe Stock Montreal smoked meat sandwich, Canada:Smoked meat sandwiches sit on the counter at Schwartz's Deli in Montreal. This starchy wonderland features buttered white bread and stuffed with fries (aka chips in its native Britain). Montreal smoked meat sandwich, CanadaSmoked meat sandwiches, seen here at Schwartz's deli in Montreal, are piled high with smoked beef brisket. Cucumber sandwich, United KingdomOn the dainty side of the sandwich spectrum, cucumber sandwiches are a traditional English afternoon tea staple, often spotted on the same tiered platters with scones and mini-pastries. But if you’re whipping one up at home, any thick white bread is sure to be satisfying.

Persons: “ Eva Longoria, Joshua Resnick, Ulises Lima, Anastasia Nurullina, NOLA, Brent HofackerAdobe, Marlon, It's, Graham Hughes, AP Po, Stacy Zarin Goldberg, butty, PimboroughAdobe, Reuben, Masahiro Makino, Matt Rourke, Broodje haring, broodje haring, Brent Hofacker, Juan Mabromata, Patrick Donovan, Eva Longoria, ” Tramezzino, shawarma, mì, chả lụa, cilantro, Pan, Bon appétit, smørrebrød, Andy Huse, Chip butty, Said, sando, Reuben –, monsieur, madame, madame et monsieur, Philly cheesesteak, Falafel, –, You’ll, It’s Organizations: CNN, Adobe, Swiss, Adobe Stock Montreal, Canadian Press, AP, The Washington Post, Getty, truffle, New Orleans ’ Lower, la Miami, New, Philly, futbol Locations: Mexico, Italy, Middle, Mexican, Vietnam, United States, New Orleans, Genoa, Uruguay, bagnat, France, Denmark, Copenhagen, South Africa, Canada, Montreal, Tunisia, Cuba, Kingdom, United Kingdom, Britain, Japan, Philadelphia, Netherlands, Africa, Argentina, AFP, New England, Guadalajara, Mexico’s Jalisco, Turin, Venice, tramezzini, Europe, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Pambazo, Veracruz, Puebla, It’s, Ho Chi Minh City, , New Orleans, Orleans, Chivito, Uruguayan, Pan bagnat, Nice, South, Bon, Smørrebrød, Scandinavia, Gauteng, Johannesburg, bologna, Quebec, Fricassé, Florida, Miami, Tampa, la Tampa, la, Lancashire, England, Nebraska, New York, City, Eastern, Beirut, Amman, Choripán, Buenos Aires, South America, Maine, Connecticut

☆ The world's fastest trains -- from China to France
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-10 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Chogo/Xinhua/Getty ImagesAs well as boasting the longest network of high-speed lines in the world, China now has the fastest scheduled trains on the planet. A statement of intent by China’s booming railway technology industry, the Fuxing trains have been developed from previous generations of high-speed trains, which were based on technology imported from Europe and Japan. The design also forms the basis of the Siemens “Velaro” family of high-speed trains, which has been sold to Spain, Russia, Turkey, China and to Eurostar for its second generation international trains. Europe’s first dedicated high-speed network is still its best known and most successful, reaching out well beyond France’s borders. Frecciarossa services operate across Italy’s T-shaped high-speed network, linking Turin, Milan and Venice in the north with Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples.

Persons: Germany's, Philipp von Ditfurth, Thomas Coex, Europe’s, Kiyoshi Ota, Al Boraq, Morocco's Al Boraq, ‘ Al, Boraq, Oriol, Iryo, Frecciarossa, Ed Jones, Alessandro Rota, sandstorms don’t, HHR Organizations: CNN, Japan’s, Vitesse, Getty, Germany's Inter, City Express, Express, Siemens, Eurostar, Bloomberg, JR, Japan Railways, Tohoku, TGV Euroduplex, Alstom, Flickr, Images Spain, Alta Velocidad, Ouigo Espana, Italian State Railways, Alitalia, Arrows, Spanish National Railways, Railway, Haramain, Speed Railway Locations: Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, France, China, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, England, Africa, Morocco, Egypt, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Russia, United States, Shanghai, Shanghai’s Pudong, Hangzhou, Chogo, Xinhua, Japan, Beijing, Hong Kong, Harbin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Turkey, AFP, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg, Lille, London, Switzerland, Tokyo, Shin, Aomori, Hokkaido, Honshu, Tsugaru Strait, Tangier, Casablanca, Kenitra, Rabat, Oriol Paris, Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Galicia, Barcelona, Alta Velocidad Espana, Korea, South, Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Mokpo, Pyeongchang, Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Saudi, Bandar Aldandani, Mecca, Medina

☆ Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? The cultural origins of an enduring superstition
▼ + stars: | 2021-08-13 | by ( Christobel Hastings | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

There’s even a name to describe the irrational dread of the date: paraskevidekatriaphobia — a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13. What we do know, though, is that both Friday and the number 13 have been regarded as unlucky in certain cultures throughout history. Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" popularized the erroneous theory this is the original of the Friday the 13th superstition. If we dig deeper, though, we also find evidence that both Fridays and the number 13 have long been regarded as a harbinger of good fortune. “Every time I’ve won an award I’ve been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter.

Persons: Judas Iscariot, Jesus, Roberto Serra, ” Charles Panati, Loki, Hodr, Balder, Panati, Jesus Christ, Knights Templar, Dan Brown's, Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Solomon, Steve Roud, “, Thomas W, Jason Voorhees, Alamy, Dan Brown’s, you’d, ”, Frigg, Norse, Frigga, ” Panati, Taylor Swift, Larry Busacca, I’ve, it’s Organizations: CNN, Iguana Press, Knights, Hulton, Fertility, MTV Locations: Greece, Italy, Valhalla, Scandinavia, Europe, Britain, Ireland, “

☆ STUDIU: Topirea calotelor glaciare este asociată cu o creştere a nivelului mării de 10 ori mai rapidă
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-02 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

O topire a calotelor glaciare care s-a produs în trecutul Terrei ar fi putut să determine o creştere a nivelului mării de 10 ori mai rapidă decât cea actuală, potrivit unui studiu britanic publicat joi, care conţine numeroase "indicii esenţiale" despre efectele provocate de încălzirea climei, informează AFP.Nivelul mării ar putea să crească cu un metru sau chiar cu doi metri, potrivit estimărilor, până la sfârşitul secolului al XXI-lea, scrie agerpres.ro Autorii studiului, coordonaţi de cercetătorii de la Universitatea Durham, s-au bazat pe măsurători geologice ale nivelului mării din trecutul planetei noastre pentru a estima că nivelurile au crescut cu 3,6 metri pe secol într-un interval de 500 de ani la sfârşitul ultimei perioade glaciare, în urmă cu circa 14.600 de ani.Autorii au constatat, totodată, că acea creştere a nivelului mării cu 18 metri ar fi putut să provină în principal din topirea calotelor glaciare din emisfera nordică, nu a gheţurilor din Antarctica, aşa cum s-a crezut până acum.Autorii consideră că studiul lor ar putea să ofere "indicii esenţiale" despre impactul pe care ar putea să îl aibă schimbările climatice, fenomen ce provoacă o creştere a nivelului mării. "Am constatat că cea mai mare parte din creşterea rapidă a nivelului mării s-a datorat topirii calotelor glaciare din America de Nord şi din Scandinavia, cu o contribuţie uimitor de slabă a Antarcticii", a explicat o coautoare a studiului, Pippa Whitehouse, profesoară la Facultatea de Geografie din cadrul Universităţii Durham. "Următoarea mare întrebare este de a determina ce anume a declanşat topirea gheţii şi ce impact a avut afluxul masiv de apă asupra curentelor oceanice din Atlanticul de Nord. Aceste aspecte ne preocupă mult astăzi - orice perturbare a Gulf Stream, de exemplu, din cauza topirii calotei glaciare din Groenlanda, va avea consecinţe importante asupra climatului britanic", a subliniat Pippa Whitehouse.Fenomenul de creştere a nivelului mării care a durat cinci secole, comparabil cu topirea unei calote glaciare de două ori mai mare decât Groenlanda, a determinat inundarea unor vaste zone de uscat şi o perturbaţie a circulaţiei oceanice, cu efecte în serie asupra climatului mondial, au explicat autorii studiului.

Persons: - lea Organizations: Universitatea, Universităţii, Gulf Stream Locations: Universitatea Durham, Antarctica, America de Nord, Scandinavia, Universităţii Durham, Atlanticul de Nord, Groenlanda

☆ World’s most beautiful castles
▼ + stars: | 2019-08-07 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

As the UK crowns a new monarch, we’re exploring all things royal, from castles to grand tours. “Castles are places were plots were hatched, marriages were consummated, murders carried out, royal babies born, and so on. With castles, you are never short of fascinating things to talk about.”Read on to find out more about 21 of the world’s most beautiful castles, fortified homes that are both a feast for the eyes and a time trip back to the bygone age during which they were created. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/LightRocket via Getty ImagesThis classic medieval castle towers above the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea. The castle’s vivid red-and-yellow color pattern – and its flashy clock tower – endow Pena with a much more playful air than the somber castles found elsewhere in Europe.

Search resuls for: "Scandinavia"

14 mentions found