DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A supportive and educational online community exists for people with chronic illnesses. They call themselves "spoonies."
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Laura Wallis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The online spoonie community offers social connection, support, and education. From there, spoon theory was born, and today, the idea has grown in popularity, sparking a supportive online community around those living with chronic illnesses or who are disabled. The online community is made up of spoonies who self-identify and may have a range of diagnoses, such as Crohn's disease or endometriosis. The online community also represents neurological identities and divergences including autism and ADHD. Those who are disabled or have chronic illnesses may find that doctors and those around them don't take any pains or symptoms they experience seriously.

☆ 'No Straight Lines' unearths the hidden history of queer comic books
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Avery | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Independent Lens“No Straight Lines” also profiles Mary Wings, who is credited with publishing the first known queer comic book, “Come Out Comics,” in 1973. San Francisco, where Wings now lives, was home to many of the earliest LGBTQ comic books and strips — most of which were made by queer women. “Stuck Rubber Baby” was one of the first queer comics to get mainstream critical acclaim. His generosity of spirit and intellect brought this community together.”Cruse died of cancer in 2019, while “No Straight Lines” was still in development. “It’s very exciting.”“No Straight Lines” premieres on PBS’ “Independent Lens” Monday at 10 p.m.

☆ A bored hacktivist browsing an unsecured airline server stumbled upon national security secrets including the FBI's 'no fly' list. She says what she found reveals a 'perverse outgrowth of the surveill
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Easily accessible secretsCrimew told Insider it took just minutes for her to access the server and find credentials that allowed her to see the database. When looking at the list, Crimew told Insider, "you start to notice just how young some of the people are." crimew told Insider. The outcome of the 2021 case is still pending, crimew told Insider. And that really just shows like where the priorities lie," crimew told Insider: "I just hope they maybe learned their lesson the second time."

☆ A bored hacktivist browsing an unsecured airline server stumbled upon national security secrets including the FBI's 'no-fly' list. She says what she found reveals a 'perverse outgrowth of the surveill
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

A Swiss hacker says she found a copy of the FBI's "no-fly" list on an unsecured server. "The ever-expanding scope of these lists are due to the revelations of people in the course of investigations," Gray told Insider. When looking at the list, crimew told Insider, "you start to notice just how young some of the people are." crimew told Insider. "I just hope they maybe learned their lesson the second time," crimew told Insider.

☆ South Korea's Q4 GDP likely shrank, hints at possible recession - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Veronica Dudei Maia Khongwir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asia's fourth-largest economy is expected to have shrunk by a seasonally-adjusted 0.3% in the October-December quarter after growing 0.3% in the preceding period. All but one of 13 economists in the Jan. 16-19 Reuters poll forecast a contraction, with the other expecting growth to flatline. If realized, it would be the sharpest contraction since mid-2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was cementing its grip on the world. On a year-on-year basis, gross domestic product (GDP) likely grew 1.5% in the fourth quarter, the median forecast of 21 economists showed, half the 3.1% growth in the third quarter. According to a separate Reuters poll, growth was forecast at 2.5% in 2022, slowing to 1.9% this year.

WELLINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The shock resignation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who altered the face of global politics when she was elected the world's youngest female head of state, throws a spotlight on the demands faced by women in power. "We need people like Jacinda Ardern in politics. [1/2] New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during the Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, July 8, 2022. "Certainly she really challenges the male stereotype of being a prime minister." Former Prime Minister Helen Clark said Ardern had done an "extraordinary job" in leading New Zealand through major crises.

☆ Moldova says requests air defence systems, stems Russia destabilising efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Moldova has requested air defence systems from its allies as it looks to strengthen its capabilities as the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues, but Russian efforts to destabilise the country have so far failed, its president said on Thursday. "We have requested air surveillance and defence systems," Maia Sandu told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. "We understand that Ukraine is a priority and should receive that but we (also) hope to receive some." Sandu added that the country would need at least the same amount - 600 million euros (around $650 million) - of budget support in 2023 as last year, to help shield its population from inflation. ($1 = 0.9257 euros)Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Dakota weighs ban of 'sexually explicit' library books
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Books containing “sexually explicit” content — including depictions of sexual or gender identity — would be banned from North Dakota public libraries under legislation that state lawmakers began considering Tuesday. Though supporters of North Dakota’s bill repeatedly called the sexual content “obscene,” opponents said the material in question is not actually considered legally obscene. Library Director Christine Kujawa at Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library said the library has a book with two little hamsters on the cover. Bills to restrict mature content in school libraries became laws last year in Tennessee, Utah, Missouri, Florida and Oklahoma. The investigation followed a complaint by the ACLU and appeared to be the first based on a nationwide movement to ban school library books dealing with sexuality and gender.

When it comes to queer books, the loudest headlines may be about bans and censorship, but a quieter truth about the state of LGBTQ books reveals the resilience of their authors and commitment of their readers. The queer titles debuting in 2023 are as full of joy as they are examples of resistance, and those in the industry say LGBTQ writers are only getting more ambitious. And while queer young adult books are often the target of book-banning efforts, these titles drove the highest gains in the category, the report found. When it comes to considering a queer future, and what’s next for queer books, that’s something that’s been on the mind of Suzi F. Garcia, the editor of Lambda Literary, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ books and authors. She described the book as having a “queer core” and a sense of hope while discussing issues critical to LGBTQ and Black communities.

☆ Moldova says missile debris found in north of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The president of Moldova, Ukraine's western neighbour, denounced a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets on Saturday after missile debris was found just inside the small former Soviet state's border. Moldovan border police found rocket fragments near Larga village in northern Moldova," President Maia Sandu tweeted. At least 12 people died when a missile hit an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Moldova's interior ministry earlier said missile debris had been found in the north of the country. Similar incidents in Moldova, which borders Ukraine, have occurred twice before, including in December when police found fragments of a missile that came down in a region of northern Moldova near the border with Ukraine.

[1/16] Emergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and Kyiv's other allies condemned Saturday's Russian attacks. "More security assistance is coming to help Ukraine defend itself," Brink said on Twitter, calling the strike on Dnipro "horrifying." In Soledar, where Russian forces have refocused attacks after failing to take the larger nearby centre of Bakhmut, Ukraine insisted that its forces were battling to hold the town. But officials acknowledged the situation was difficult, that street fighting was raging and Russian forces were advancing from various directions.

☆ The latest news on Russia's war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Emergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023. Russia's defence ministry said its forces had launched a wave of missile strikes against Ukrainian military and infrastructure sites on Saturday. * Russian President Vladimir Putin said the special military operation - Russia's term for the war - was showing a positive trend and that he hoped Russian soldiers would deliver further gains after Soledar. MOLDOVA* Moldovan President Maia Sandu, denouncing "Russia's brutal war", said on Saturday that missile debris was found in her country near Ukraine's western border after the latest wave of Russian attacks. * Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Kishida of shameful subservience to the United States, suggesting on Saturday that he should ritually disembowel himself.

☆ WTA roundup: Belinda Bencic, Danielle Collins cruise in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

January 9 - Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Danielle Collins were among those to win their first-round matches at the Adelaide International on Monday in Australia. 8 seed, beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-3, 6-4 in 79 minutes. Collins, the American 10th seed, handled Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic in 76 minutes. Hobart InternationalFourth seed Sloane Stephens lost her first-round match to fellow American Lauren Davis 6-2, 6-2 in Hobart, Australia. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova of Czech Republic beat Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open on Saturday just over a week until the tournament begins. "It’s an honor to be able to play at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in front of the amazing fans here in Japan," Osaka said. Formerly ranked No.1 by the WTA, Osaka has won both the Australian and U.S. opens twice between 2018 to 2021. Osaka made headlines in May 2021 when she announced she would not compete at the French Open, citing anxiety over post-match press conferences. “I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly,” Osaka said at the time.

☆ Former champion Osaka withdraws from Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 8 (Reuters) - Two-times champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Australian Open, organisers of the year's first Grand Slam which begins on Jan. 16 said on Sunday without elaborating on the reason, as a cloud hung over one of the sport's brightest stars. The Japanese former world number one's name was on the entry list for the Australian Open, but Osaka was not scheduled to play in warm-up tournaments in Adelaide and Hobart, raising doubts about her participation in the hardcourt major. "Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023," the Australian Open tweeted. Her withdrawal marks a double blow for Australian Open organisers a day after American seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams was ruled out due to injury.

☆ Russia denounces Moldova's ban of TV channels as 'political censorship'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Russia on Saturday denounced a decision by neighbouring Moldova to temporarily ban six television channels as "political censorship". The small ex-Soviet state of Moldova accused the channels of airing "incorrect information" about the country and Russia's military operation in Ukraine. Shor, in exile in Israel, has backed protests in Chisinau demanding that Sandu's government resign. The ban will start on Monday and last for the duration of a state of emergency that Moldova declared after Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 on what Moscow calls a "special military operation" to "denazify" the country. Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Moldova's PM nominates new economy minister as problems mount
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Moldova's prime minister proposed senior parliamentarian Dumitru Alaiba as economy minister on Wednesday as the country tries to deal with the impact of the war in Ukraine and rising food and energy prices. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita told a government meeting that Alaiba, who chairs parliament's economy, budget and finance committee, would replace Sergiu Gaibu and would help promote government policy better. "The personnel changes are aimed at better managing the economy and better trade, which will allow the government programme to be carried out," she said. Moldova's pro-Western government has resisted calls to resign by protesters who have staged demonstrations over steep price increases, particularly for gas bought from Russia. Problems have been compounded by the war in Ukraine, and thousands of Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the country since Russia invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24.

☆ ‘Heartstopper’ star Kit Connor says he has been forced to come out as bisexual
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

"Heartstopper" star Kit Connor came out as bisexual on Monday, saying he felt forced to share his sexual orientation after the actor was accused of queerbaiting by viewers of the popular Netflix show. In a rare Twitter post, the British actor wrote: “Back for a minute. bit bored of it now, deleting twitter :),” Connor had said in the September post. “I love u kit im sorry this has been so disgustingly rough on you,” actor Kizzy Edgell, who plays Darcy Olsson on "Heartstopper" said in a separate tweet. We love you Kit, sorry you had to do this."

☆ Swiatek confused, disappointed by Halep's failed drugs test
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Aug 14, 2022; Toronto, ON, Canada; Simona Halep (ROU) reacts to winning a point against Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) (not pictured) in the women's final of the National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium. Two-times major winner Halep was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency this month after she tested positive for the banned blood-booster roxadustat. Halep had described the ban as the "biggest shock of her life" and denied knowingly taking any banned substance. Hopefully it's going to be more clear for fans and for us," Swiatek added. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thousands in new Moldova anti-government protest
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

About 7,000 demonstrators decried steep price increases, particularly for gas bought from Russia. Demonstrators converged on Chisinau's central square in four columns but police kept them well away from the parliament and the president's residence. Three smaller parties, including Moldova's Communists, joined in the protest for the first time. Gazprom has already cut October supplies by 30% and insists Moldova settle outstanding debts totalling $709 million. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Ron Popeski and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Moldovan president calls for tougher policing to tackle pro-Russia protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Thousands of people have taken to the streets and set up tents outside parliament and Sandu's residence in recent weeks, demanding the resignation of Sandu's pro-Western government and voicing their anger over rising prices. Sandu asked government to amend legislation to give more powers to law enforcement agencies but did not specify what those powers would be. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Betrayal of the motherland will be severely punished. Those who sow panic and want war will be punished according to the law," Sandu said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by Matthias Williams, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Moldova considers sanctions for citizens who fight for Russia in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Moldova's President Maia Sandu attends a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continue, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 27, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERSCHISINAU, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Moldova may revoke the citizenship of its nationals who go to fight for Russia in Ukraine after being called up because they also hold Russian passports, pro-Western President Maia Sandu said on Monday. Sandu said there was a risk that some of those people could be called up by Russia to fight. "We are also looking at the possibility of making punishment harsher for Moldovan citizens (without Russian passports)... who are in the ranks of the aggressor's armed forces," she said. She said Moldova was holding consultations with Moscow to prevent cases of its citizens being called up.

☆ Moldova can't rely only on neutral status, security aide says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterMoldova's national flags are seen in central Chisinau, Moldova June 10, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoCHISINAU, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Moldova can no longer rely only on its neutral status and must ramp up its defensive military power, a security aide to pro-Western President Maia Sandu said on Monday. The ex-Soviet nation, one of Europe's poorest countries, allocated just over 1 billion leu - or 0.45% of GDP - for defence spending this year. "Moldova can no longer rely exclusively on foreign policy instruments, one of which is its neutral status, to ensure state stability," said Dorin Recean, the security aide. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Alexander Tanas, Writing by Tom Balmforth, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In Moldova's capital, thousands call for government's resignation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterCHISINAU, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Several thousand people protested in Moldova's capital on Sunday to demand the resignation of the country's pro-Western government amid mounting anger over spiralling natural gas prices and inflation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSandu has repeatedly condemned Moscow's actions in Ukraine and is pushing for membership of the European Union. On Friday, Moldova's gas regulator raised prices by 27% for households. Around 10 tents had been set up by protesters outside the residence by the afternoon, following an attempt to create a protest camp outside Moldova's parliament last week. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Alexander Tanas Writing by Max Hunder Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Osaka pulls out in Tokyo with abdominal pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"I am really sorry that I am not able to compete today," said the four-time Grand Slam champion, who won the tournament when it was last held in 2019 in her hometown of Osaka. "It's an honour to be able to play at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in front of the amazing fans here in Japan. This has and always will be a special tournament for me and I wish I could have stepped on court today, but my body won't let me." Brazil's Haddad Maia will face either fourth seed Veronika Kudermetova or Mexican qualifier Fernanda Contreras Gomez in the quarter-finals. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "MAIA"

25 mentions found