DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How US Navy SEALs train new special-operations units to make the seas into 'our playground'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy SEALs travel around the world to train with other countries' special-operations forces. In 2022, SEALs in Europe trained with Croatia's ZSS, a relatively new special-operations unit. Through these training deployments, US Navy SEALs help new special-operations units to become proficient in new missions and skill sets. When it comes to progression of training, SEALs use the same "crawl, walk, run" approach they employ in their own training. These relationships with foreign special-operations units give US special operators access to almost any region of the world.

☆ Djokovic romps on towards 10th Australian title, Linette stuns Pliskova
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Djokovic is making a mockery of the theory that the second week of Grand Slam tournaments get tougher. Fifth seed Rublev has now lost all seven Grand Slam quarter-finals which he contested. "I'm really excited, man. So I'm really grateful." Linette had no problems serving out her quarter-final against twice Grand Slam finalist Pliskova, whose 36 unforced errors sabotaged yet another bid to win a first major.

☆ Anyone but Djokovic: Rublev targets first Grand Slam semi-final
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a moment of disarming honesty after his five-set win over Holger Rune, Rublev conceded he was not relishing the opportunity to face 21-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic on his favourite court. "No one wants to face Novak," Rublev blurted out with a laugh on Rod Laver Arena, albeit prematurely as Djokovic had yet to play his own fourth-round match. "He's an established top-five, top-10 player already for a few years," Djokovic said of Rublev, who has now reached a Grand Slam quarter-final seven times but never cracked the final four. The other men's match on Wednesday features unseeded Americans Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, with both reaching their first Grand Slam quarter-final to continue the success of the U.S. men this year. Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka has yet to drop a set in 2023 and will aim to reach her first Australian Open semi-final when she faces unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic.

☆ Sabalenka powers past Bencic into last eight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Jan 23, 2023; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Aryna Sabalenka (R) from Belarus during her round four match against Belinda Bencic from Switzerland on day eight of the 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. Sabalenka looks to have as good a chance as anyone of claiming a first Grand Slam title if she can conquer the demons that sometimes take hold when her power game is not working as well as she would like. "I'm super happy with the win today, she's an unbelievable player and she played so good," she said. "I'm super happy with the level today." "Just super happy with the mindset today.

☆ Czech teen Fruhvirtova downs Vondrousova to reach fourth round
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2023 Czech Republic's Linda Fruhvirtova reacts during her second round match against Australia's Kimberly Birrell REUTERS/Sandra SandersMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova marched into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday with a battling 7-5 2-6 6-3 victory over compatriot Marketa Vondrousova. At 17 years and 273 days, Fruhvirtova is the youngest woman remaining in the draw. Playing in only her second Grand Slam main draw, Fruhvirtova showed extraordinary composure to rally from 3-1 down in the decider and beat her more fancied opponent. Vondrousova has struggled to replicate the form that helped her reach the 2019 Roland Garros final but the 23-year-old had looked set for a deep run in Melbourne after beating second seed second seed Ons Jabeur in the last round. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rublev rolls on, Pliskova through to last 16 at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2023 Britain's Dan Evans reacts during his third round match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Hannah MckayMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Fifth seed Andrey Rublev avoided a third round banana skin in the form of Briton Dan Evans at the Australian Open on Saturday after former world number one Karolina Pliskova sailed into the last 16 of the women's tournament. Red-headed Russian Rublev has found Evans a handful in the past but swept aside the 25th seed 6-4 6-2 6-3 with 60 winners on a glorious afternoon at Melbourne Park. A quarter-finalist two years ago, Rublev had unleashed on the chair umpire in his previous match after being warned for an audible obscenity. Unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic joined Bencic in the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 win over Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz. After a lengthy medical time-out, the 19-year-old returned to complete an impressive 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) win over the Frenchman.

☆ American Volynets stuns ninth seed Kudermetova to reach third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2023 Katie Volynets of the U.S. celebrates winning her second round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova REUTERS/Hannah MckayMELBOURNE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Qualifier Katie Volynets stunned ninth seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 2-6 6-2 on Thursday to storm into the Australian Open third round and continue the good start for American players at the year's opening Grand Slam. In only her sixth main draw appearance at a Grand Slam, the world number 113 is the first U.S. qualifier to reach the third round in women's singles at Melbourne Park since three-times major winner Lindsay Davenport in 1993. The 21-year-old she had the "chills" after grinding out the biggest victory of her career in her first match against a top-10 player. "Suddenly, you get match point and it's like 'wow I've got match point against the ninth seed'," Volynets said in her on-court interview. Volynets will next meet either China's Zhang Shuai or Croatian Petra Martic for a place in the fourth round.

☆ ECB must stop quick wage growth from fuelling inflation, Lagarde says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Euro zone wages are growing quicker than earlier thought and the European Central Bank must prevent this from adding to already high inflation, ECB President Christine Lagarde told a Croatian newspaper. "We know wages are increasing, probably at a faster pace than expected," Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list quoted Lagarde as saying on Saturday. "We must not allow inflationary expectations to become de-anchored or wages to have an inflationary effect." Lagarde provided no new policy hint in the interview but said the bank must "take the necessary measures" to lower inflation to 2% from its current rate of near 10%. "We need to be careful that the domestic causes that we are seeing, which are mainly related to fiscal measures and wage dynamics, do not lead to inflation becoming entrenched," Lagarde said.

☆ Croatia beats Morocco 2-1 to take 3rd place at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Luka Modric high-fived and embraced his Croatia teammates after what was likely the midfield great’s last appearance at the World Cup. Croatia ended up taking third place at the World Cup after a 2-1 win over Morocco at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday. We are leaving Qatar as winners.”The World Cup final between defending champion France and Argentina is scheduled for Sunday at Lusail Stadium. It is the second time Croatia has taken third place at the World Cup. “We had 0.01% of winning this World Cup at the outset and we managed to get through to the last four.

☆ Croatia edge Morocco 2-1 to clinch third spot at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Despite defeat, Morocco also leave with heads aloft after becoming the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final. We won a tough game," said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic, who also led the nation of four million people to runners-up in Russia four years ago. But the African side lacked the killer instinct in front of goal, the final pass or touch always found wanting. By the 67th minute, Morocco had made all five of their substitutions. We're still happy, we're among the four best teams in the world," Regragui said.

☆ Factbox: 10 memorable impressions from the Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SAUDI ARABIA STUN ARGENTINAArgentina were cruising in their opening Group C game after Lionel Messi scored a first-half penalty. RONALDO EXITS FINAL WORLD CUP IN TEARSPortugal's talisman became the first male player to score in five World Cups with a penalty against Ghana. FIRST FEMALE REFEREE AT A MEN'S WORLD CUPFrenchwoman Stephanie Frappart was handed control of Germany's final Group E clash against Costa Rica, becoming the first female referee to officiate at a men's World Cup. Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez described it as a big step forward in 'sexist sport' and the 39-year-old Frappart produced a calm and assured display in Germany's victory. Germany needed a win over Costa Rica and for Spain to beat Japan to go through as runners-up, and at halftime that was exactly what was happening.

☆ Morocco playing seven games at one World Cup is priceless, says Regragui
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"But I told my players this is our seventh World Cup game. If you told any Morocco fan we would be playing our seventh game on Dec. 17, they would be proud. "Morocco played six World Cup games in 20-odd years and now we've played six games in a month - this is priceless. After the first game (where Morocco and Croatia drew 0-0 in the group stage) we knew the performance was very good," Regragui said. "I don't know if it's Modric's last game, he's a competitive warrior and will want to finish his World Cup in style.

☆ The World Cup Run That Croatia Built on Quicksand
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Andrew Beaton | Jonathan Clegg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Before Luka Modric was a star midfielder for the Croatian national team, he was a teenager on the youth team for Dinamo Zagreb, whose coaches had to beg him to cut his hair because it got in his eyes every time he made a pass. A couple of decades later, his hair is still long. And his eye for a pass has made him one of the best soccer players on the planet and the key to a style of play that has transformed a tiny Slavic nation into the game’s most improbable powerhouse.

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ From bloody Balkan war to World Cup heavyweight: the making of Croatia as a soccer nation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Croatia’s World Cup pedigree is an altogether different story. Štimac challenges Clarence Seedorf of the Netherlands during the 1998 World Cup third place playoff match, which Croatia won 2-1. The Croatia players celebrate a goal against France in the 1998 World Cup semifinals. Having been appointed after the team’s qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Dalić came with pressure on his shoulders. Antonio Bronic/Reuters“There is no place in the national team dressing room of Croatia for big egos, and everyone knows that.

☆ Croatia stands in the way of Argentina's dream of a World Cup final spot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While their elimination of the five-time world champions was largely unexpected given Brazil's form, it was still a classic Croatian achievement. With a never-say-die attitude, even when the odds were stacked heavily against them, disciplined Croatia are now deservedly in their second straight World Cup semi-final, and underestimating them would come at Argentina's risk. The Argentines, looking for their first World Cup title since Diego Maradona's 1986 team, have their work cut out. The comparison with Maradona for the title of the greatest Argentine player of all time cannot be complete without a world title, which the late Maradona won almost single-handedly 36 years ago. Croatia came through two shootouts and extra-time to reach the 2018 final before losing to France and have gone to penalties in both their knockout stage matches in Qatar to boast a 4-0 perfect record.

☆ Brazil out of World Cup after losing to Croatia on penalties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Brazil, the favorite to win this year’s World Cup, is out of Qatar 2022 after losing to Croatia on penalties 1-1 (4-2) in Friday’s dramatic quarterfinal. Another Croatia shockAt the World Cup in 2018, Zlatko Dalić’s team won three knockout rounds after forcing the game into extra-time and it beat Japan on penalties in the previous round in Qatar. Croatia, the beaten finalists in 2018, will now face either Argentina or the Netherlands for a place in the World Cup final, while Brazil will be left to come to terms with another missed opportunity. Another upsetIt’s already been a World Cup of upsets and this was another to add to the list. Brazil was the top-ranked team at the World Cup and possessed an incredible array of talent, with the likes of Neymar and Vinícius Jr. lighting up the tournament.

☆ Distraught Brazil rue what might have been
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Ossian Shine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

You have to lift your head,” Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. “I'm very proud of the boys and what we've done, but unfortunately, it's part of football. It was in our hands, and it slipped away,” he added, before reflecting philosophically: “Now it's time to keep calm and life must go on.”With two Brazil penalty misses, Neymar never got to take a spot kick, but coach Tite defended the decision to put Neymar fifth. The players know how proud I am of their performance. "Time will tell what my legacy is.”Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Croatia oust favourites Brazil 4-2 on penalties to reach semi-final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In an evening filled with tension and drama, Brazil superstar Neymar thought he had won the game when he rifled in an extra-time goal for the five-time world champions. Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic's left-footed equaliser three minutes from the end of extra time drew his side level, breaking Brazilian hearts in Doha's Education City Stadium. Croatia initially refused to be intimidated by their more illustrious opponents and in the first half successfully stifled most Brazil moves early. Apart from a weak Vinicius Jr. shot, Brazil had little else to offer in terms of attack with Neymar off the pace and shut out by a hard-working backline. But the Croats refused to surrender with Petkovic's equaliser forcing penalties and coming out on top in the shootout with Livakovic saving Rodrygo's spot kick and Marquinos hitting the post.

☆ Croatia Is the World Cup’s Penalty Shootout King
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AL WAKRAH, Qatar—After Croatia had played Japan to a 1-1 tie through extra time, pinning the country’s hopes of advancing in the World Cup to soccer’s version of roulette, Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic was oddly confident. Penalty kicks might seem like a game of random chance to outsiders, but it felt more like poker to him. And Dalic knew he had an ace in the hole.

☆ A $200m superyacht seized from Putin's apparent choice for a Ukrainian puppet leader is being sold at auction, with Ukraine keeping the proceeds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The yacht of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk is being sold by Ukraine. Medvedchuk was said to be Vladimir Putin's top choice for a puppet leader in Ukraine. He was also believed to be Vladimir Putin's top choice for a puppet leader to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the event Russia successfully overthrew the Ukrainian government. While Croatia seized the yacht in March, police only searched it on November 19 after a search warrant from the US justice department was approved, according to the Croatian Jutarnji list. It added that it's also searching for a $540 million yacht, which is owned by an unnamed Russian oligarch.

☆ Japan depart with big wins but quarter-final dream unfulfilled
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Nick Mulvenney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Moriyasu transformed the game with five substitutions and was rewarded with late goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano for what was probably Japan's greatest victory on a football pitch. His confidence in his players was rewarded as lightning struck twice in their final group match against 2010 champions Spain. As group winners, they went through to face a streetwise Croatian team in the last 16 with the golden uplands of the quarter-finals within their grasp. It was difficult to lose but Japanese soccer is without a doubt making progress." Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China operating over 100 police stations across the world with the help of some host nations, report claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Nina Dos Santos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Madrid-based human rights campaigner Safeguard Defenders says it found evidence China was operating 48 additional police stations abroad since the group first revealed the existence of 54 such stations in September. When approached by CNN last month about Safeguard Defenders’ original allegations, China’s foreign affairs ministry said the overseas stations were staffed by volunteers. However, the organization’s latest report claims one police network it examined had hired 135 people for its first 21 stations. The organization also sourced a three-year contract for a worker hired at an overseas station in Stockholm. The NGO determines Italy has hosted 11 Chinese police stations, including in Venice and in Prato, near Florence.

☆ Croatia, heading to enter euro zone, adopts first budget in euros
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Croatia, which will enter the euro zone on Jan. 1, passed its first budget in euros on Tuesday, targeting a general deficit of 2.3% of gross domestic product based on the projection of 0.7% economic growth for 2023. The budget was adopted with 77 votes in favour and 50 against in the 151-seat parliament. "This is Croatia's first budget denominated in the euro," Finance Minister Marko Primorac said as he presented the budgetary plans. The total budget revenue is forecast at 24.9 billion euros ($25.86 billion), up 9% from this year and fuelled primarily by direct and indirect taxes projected at 13.3 billion euros. Expenditures are set at 26.7 billion euros, up 2.1 billion euros from this year, due to an increase in government social and development programmes.

☆ Canada score their first goal in history of men's World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Alphonso Davies became the first Canadian man to score a goal at a World Cup when he beat Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic in the second minute of their second Group F match in Doha on Sunday. Canada, taking part in their second men's World Cup, last qualified for the tournament in 1986, where they crashed out at the group stage both winless and goaless. At this year's World Cup in Qatar, they lost 1-0 to Belgium despite outplaying the Red Devils and will face Morocco in their final group stage match on Thursday. The Canadian women's national team, currently ranked seventh in the world, are reigning Olympic champions and have played in every World Cup since 1995. Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Croatian"

25 mentions found