DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China has not provided extensive assistance to Russia as part of its war against Ukraine even as the two countries forge closer ties, senior Treasury officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

One senior Treasury official said that China is, as of now, unwilling to provide material support to Russia at scale and in a significant way, pointing instead to Russian efforts to source material from North Korea and Iran. The US and its allies have also taken more direct action, sanctioning a Chinese satellite company providing intelligence to Russian forces in January and putting some Chinese companies on the US export control list. But in recent months officials have also begun to see some results from their public and private efforts. Turkish officials told the US last month that their government has been taking further action to block the transit of sanctioned goods directly to Russia, according to a source familiar with the discussion. In a speech earlier this year on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo publicly warned Russian intelligence services that the US is monitoring their efforts and is cracking down.

☆ With travel nurses making $150 an hour, hospital systems are forced to innovate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Bertha Coombs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

She set her sights on a job at St. Peter's Health Partners hospital in Albany, New York, and landed a position in the same maternity ward where she was born. Staff shortagesThe pandemic has exacerbated nursing staff shortages and resulted in contract nursing rates surging during successive waves of Covid infections. That amounted to three times the national average for full-time staff nurses. As hospitals have become increasingly reliant on contract nurses, travel nurse expenditures have risen more than 250% since the start of the pandemic. With more than 30,000 registered nurses in its system, nearly 1 in 10 of Trinity's nurses currently work through First Choice.

☆ Why connectedness is the future of great customer experiences
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Adobe With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For generations before digital, customer interactions were highly personal: Merchants talked directly with each person and learned pretty quickly why they were or were not completing transactions and deepening relationships. Connected customer experiencesEvery business wants to grow. But in order to connect a customer's experiences, brands first must connect with them, and do so with their privacy and preferences in mind. The same platform that enables connected customer experiences should be able to connect with and facilitate all of these business needs, leveraging properly gathered and governed customer data. Find out how Adobe can help you form a connected customer experience.

As debt obligations mount, some local governments are pushing banks to extend maturities and cut interest rates, sources said. Reuters Graphics"BLACK HOLES""The LGFVs have become the black hole of the Chinese financial system. Chinese banks and other financial institutions have been cautious on new lending to LGFVs over the past years. In recent months, some state-owned banks, asset managers, and insurers have been looking into their portfolios to screen LGFV borrowers with weaker creditworthiness and dispose them, separate financial sector sources told Reuters. Offshore branches of Chinese financial institutions have been major buyers of the bonds, industry sources said.

☆ Psychologist shares the nightly routine she uses to make new habits stick: ‘It really helps me keep going’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

When Rachel Turow gets ready for bed, she flosses differently than most other people: She talks to herself while doing it. The overly excited mental pep talk is intentional, Turow tells CNBC Make It: A "wild amount of encouragement" gives her the "burst of reinforcement" she needs to accomplish a task she otherwise hates. Of course, that's easier said than done — which is why starting with something as small as flossing can help kick you into action. "I'm not going to be super conceited about flossing," Turow says. So far, it's been effective: "It really helps me keep going," she says.

☆ I asked ChatGPT to help me plan a vacation. Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

So the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research travel destinations and create itineraries is intriguing. I went to the developer's website, clicked on the word "ChatGPT," registered for an account — and started chatting. "All of the places I recommended have great online reviews," ChatGPT replied, providing ratings from Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Google for each hotel. But ChatGPT couldn't show photographs of the hotels or help book them — although it did provide ample instructions on how to do both. Every city I asked ChatGPT about resulted in the bot praising the local food scene.

☆ Seen Big Ben already? Here's a Londoner's guide to visiting other parts of the city
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Central London's City of Westminster is its political heart, while the City of London is where the capital's financial decisions happen. But be warned: Several paths across Hyde Park are pedestrian-only, and police often fine people who cycle on them. The City of London is a blend of old and new, with St Paul's Cathedral close to skyscrapers as well as Roman ruins. While north London has Hampstead Heath, south of the river is Richmond Park, which dwarfs its northern counterpart in size. There's also a branch in central London's Covent Garden — the flower-filled restaurant The Petersham — that has an sit-down deli and bar.

You feel like he's on a solo mission," Tania Daou-Alam, who lost her husband in the blast, told Reuters. Bitar went on to file his own charges against several top politicians, including former ministers allied to Hezbollah. Bitar, a devout Catholic from Akkar region of the north, has charged officials from across the sectarian spectrum including Shi'ites, Sunnis and Christians. "I said from the start 'the right person is in the right place'," he added, describing Bitar as just with no political affiliations. William Noun, who lost his brother in the blast, said of Bitar's move: "This is very much a judicial uprising".

☆ Twinkle, twinkle fading stars: Hiding in our brighter skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Every year, the night sky grows brighter, and the stars look dimmer. A new study that analyzes data from more than 50,000 amateur stargazers finds that artificial lighting is making the night sky about 10% brighter each year. “This is real pollution, affecting people and wildlife,” said Kyba, who said he hoped that policymakers would do more to curb light pollution. The study data from amateur stargazers in the nonprofit Globe at Night project was collected in a similar fashion. “The night sky has been, for all the generations before ours, a source of inspiration for art, science, literature,” he said.

☆ An ultra-luxury Orient Express superyacht featuring a 15,000-square-foot presidential suite will set sail in 2026. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Orient Express brand is taking to the high seas with a 720-foot superyacht. The Orient Express Silenseas will have 54 suites as well as a huge presidential suite. The Accor Group, the hotel giant that also owns Sofitel, Mercure and Novotel, said the Orient Express Silenseas will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests. A rendering of the Orient Express Silenseas. Martin DarzacqThe superyacht, set to sail in 2026, is a partnership between Accor and Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a French shipbuilder.

☆ Saudi Arabia's $500 billion bet to build a futuristic city in the desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Anuz Thapa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia is building a futuristic city in the middle of a vast desert— from scratch. A vital element of the country's Vision 2030 plan, the project is the brainchild of Saudi's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS. "Neom is a mega project seen in Saudi Arabia and the young Saudi population as part of this liberalization process." The Neom project is far from without controversy, though. It also is being seen by some as a way to distract attention from Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

☆ I make fake snow for films like 'Fantastic Beasts.' It's fun to make but painstaking to clean up — now I never look at winter movies the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jem Bartholomew | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jon Llewellyn works at Snow Business International, a company that produces fake snow. I work at Snow Business International, where we make fake snow for all kinds of movie sets and more. There's a lot of secrecy around Christmas TV ads in the UKPeople talk, so we use code names to muddy the water. Jon LlewellynRecently, we cleaned up this entire area of fake snow on a shoot in Ireland. But it's funny because I thought it looked a bit unrealistic on the cars, even though it was real snow.

☆ Chinese billionaire Jack Ma to relinquish control of Ant Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Ant Group's founder Jack Ma will no longer control the Chinese fintech giant after the firm's shareholders agreed to implement a series of adjustments that will see him give up most of his voting rights, the group said on Saturday. This trend will continue the erosion of the most productive parts of the Chinese economy. DUNCAN CLARK, CHAIRMAN OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRM BDA, BEIJING:"Yes, it's obviously significant if he is no longer the controlling shareholder. This in theory should pave the way for an IPO assuming the other key issue - oversight/ownership of data - is also resolved. At least Ant investors can (now) have some timetable for an exit after a long period of uncertainty."

☆ China's economic situation could 'level out' only in the second half of 2023, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina's economic situation could 'level out' only in the second half of 2023, analyst saysAndrew Collier of Orient Capital Research discusses how China's property market and reopening might affect its economic outlook for 2023.

Employers may go through 'culture shift'Prioritizing quality of life for employees is one of the biggest career trends of 2022, said management consultant Christine Spadafor. Workers continue to demand flexibilityChandra Sahu's job gives her the flexibility to work remotely. Sahu's job changes may reflect another trend some workplace management experts call a "career correction." "The right skills, and getting those, top getting that talent into the right positions within organizations." Remote work is here to stayRecognizing employees' need for flexibility will be essential to filling roles.

A Culture in theCross Hairs Russia’s invasion has systematically destroyed Ukrainian cultural sites. It has also dealt a grievous blow to Ukrainian culture: to its museums and monuments, its grand universities and rural libraries, its historic churches and contemporary mosaics. This is how empires always work.” The war in Ukraine is a culture war, and the extent of the destruction is becoming clearer. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion.

In 2019, Cambodia supplied 8,571 of the 33,818 research monkeys imported to the U.S., or 25%. In 2021, the number of monkeys from Cambodia more than doubled to 18,870, making up nearly 60% of the 31,844 research monkeys brought to America. Earlier this year, long-tailed macaques and pig-tailed macaques were listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The decades long effort by animal rights groups to derail the monkey trade has made some impact. The incident shined a rare spotlight on the monkey trade, which largely goes on outside the view of the public.

☆ What to Watch: The 19 Best New Movies and TV Shows From November
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Here’s a roundup of the month’s most noteworthy movies and TV shows, as covered by The Wall Street Journal’s critics. After the remake of “Murder on the Orient Express” revived the murder mystery in 2017, two years later “Knives Out” revived the subgenre of the comic whodunit best exemplified by such ’70s Peter Falk movies as “The Cheap Detective” and “Murder by Death.” When it comes to comedy, Daniel Craig is no Peter Falk, and in the second “Knives Out” movie, the biggest mystery remains, “Why is Daniel Craig’s Southern accent so terrible?” I half-expected the explanation to be that Mr. Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc is actually a suave English spy in disguise. Still, the nattily attired Blanc is not only a detective dandy, he’s a dandy detective, and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is breezy holiday entertainment.

☆ ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Review: Daniel Craig Solves a Puzzle on a Greek Isle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Still, the nattily attired Blanc is not only a detective dandy, he’s a dandy detective, and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is breezy holiday entertainment. All of them accept the offer to be guests at the lavish Greek island property of a jovial billionaire, Miles Bron ( Edward Norton ). We learn that he used to hang out with all of them at a tavern called the Glass Onion before he launched the tech business that made his fortune. Now he’s doing well enough to have built himself an enormous mansion topped by a palatial structure shaped like a glass onion. He boasts to his old friends that, unknown to his insurers, he has installed an override button that removes the protective glass housing around the masterpiece.

☆ 77-year-old celebrity fashion designer Norma Kamali’s 2 simple secrets for long-term career success
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Even if you don't know who Norma Kamali is, chances are, you've seen her work. "I had my heart set on being a painter growing up," the New York native tells CNBC Make It. The attire in London made Kamali feel free, and she wanted to share that joy with her friends in Manhattan. She began filling her suitcase with clothes from abroad, including vintage pieces from the 1930s and 1940s. Here, Kamali shares her best advice for building a long, successful career that you love.

☆ Two companies have luxury trains called the 'Orient Express.' Here are the differences
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The "Orient Express" has been called the "king of trains" and the "train of kings." By the 1970s, the original Orient Express trains had made their last journeys, and the carriages fell into disrepair. The Orient Express 'La Dolce Vita'Accor has more plans to use the Orient Express name. A rendering of the "Orient Express La Dolce Vita," which will connect Rome to cities like Paris, Istanbul and Split. A rendering of a bedroom suite on the "Orient Express La Dolce Vita," showing the train's 1960s-style decor.

☆ Chimpanzees could share another behavior trait with humans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The closest cousin of humans, this species of great ape has effective ways of communicating what it needs. Show-and-tellFiona had been engaged in what researchers call “leaf grooming,” a common behavior in which a chimpanzee will stroke and manipulate a leaf. Slocombe and her team always maintain a 23-foot (7-meter) distance when observing the chimpanzees in the wild, so as to not disturb them. This standard practice rules out the possibility that the behavior was learned from humans. She hopes it will encourage those who work with chimpanzees, in the wild or in captivity, to look out for more examples.

☆ Insurance is poised to perform well even amid economic weakness. Here are expert's top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Why insurance stocks have outperformed There are a few things that have led to the sector's outperformance this year and that are expected to give it a lift in 2023. Within the group, he's focused on property and casualty insurance and life insurance. Other analysts also see value in so-called multi-line companies, which bundle different kinds of insurance together, and reinsurance, which is insurance for insurance companies. Which stocks insurance analysts like Dwelle's top pick is AIG , which has property and casualty and life insurance. He also recommends the insurance group for investors who want to orient themselves more conservatively and stay away from buying beaten up growth stocks, such as tech names.

☆ New York continues streak as nation's No. 1 port as LA cargo volume hits level not seen since 2009
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Earlier this week, the Port of Los Angeles posted its lowest level of October since 2009. "Firstly, shippers are still avoiding the West Coast to mitigate the risk of labor strikes at LA and Long Beach. According to Project44 data, total vessel TEU capacity deployed from Europe to the East Coast is up 15.5% compared to Oct 2021. CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map providers warned in the summer and fall of a decrease in manufacturing orders which has impacted the volume of shipping. The lesser container volumes are now being seen off the ports across the East Coast, including New York and New Jersey.

☆ Canceled sailings from China and 'radical' vessel cuts hit U.S. ability to reach export market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"As shipping lines reduce their vessel calls in the form of blank sailings, this reduces the capacity for outbound volumes. Sea-Intelligence wrote in its recent blank sailings report that it has detected some unannounced cancellations for the calendar-year period of weeks 42-52 in the past two weeks. "Blank sailings have been ramped up drastically on the Transpacific, but not so much on Asia-Europe," said Alan Murphy, CEO at Sea-Intelligence. On Asia-North Europe routes, Sea-Intelligence is only seeing an additional six blank sailings, and on Asia-Mediterranean routes an increase of four blank sailings. The weekly average of vessels waiting this week is 14, waiting for an average of 6.3 days.

Search resuls for: "orient"

25 mentions found