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The agricultural industry of Belarus can be a reliable source of foreign currency revenues, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Ivan Bambiza said at a joint session of the two chambers of the National Assembly and members of the government of Belarus on 28 May.
Ivan Bambiza reminded that Belarus is moving from subsidized agricultural production to profit-making agribusiness. "The agricultural industry can and should be a reliable supplier of foreign currency. Efficiency and export are the major development priorities of the agricultural industry for the forthcoming five-year period," the Vice-Premier underlined.
Deputy Premier added that the country is busy working on major parameters of agricultural production, which will be affirmed at the All-Belarus Assembly within the framework of the social and economic development program for 2011-2015.
Belarus is drafting a new state programme for the rural area sustainable development through 2015, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Ivan Bambiza said in a joint session of the two chambers of the National Assembly and government members on 28 May.
"The country is currently drawing up a new programme for the rural area sustainable development for the next five years. Its concept has already been approved by the government," the Vice Premier stated. The document has been developed jointly with the National Academy of Sciences.
The programme provides efficient mechanisms for intensifying the activity of the agricultural industry, Ivan Bambiza said. The concept is set to address the issues concerning the state, economic and socio-democratic policy as well as the problems of the regional development, i.e the Polesye region, Chernobyl-hit territories.
The programme enshrines tougher economic methods and better private-state partnership. The programme also provides for additional stimuli for business development and initiative, export innovation development.
Also Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Ivan Bambiza has admitted, that Belarus should reduce the import of potato products to the maximum. "The issue concerning the potato market revival and substitution of the import of potato products should be settled by 2015," the Vice Premier said.
The matter concerns the potato culture innovation development, potato processing with the use of the latest technologies. "It is not good that, with the annual potato production of 9 million tonnes, we import starch, chips and other potato products," Ivan Bambiza said. According to the experts, Belarus can export 1.5 million tonnes of potato annually.
According to Ivan Bambiza, in the future additional measures will be taken in Belarus to regulate the demand and supply balance on the agrarian market as well as the profits of the agricultural companies in case of sharp market fluctuations or any force majeures. The Vice Premier drawn special attention to the fluctuations in the prices for dried skimmed milk at the international markets. Thus, in September 2009 this product was sold at the price of USD 1.45 per 1 kilo at the exchange. In December the price reached USD 4.
"The fiscal effect would have been much better if these products had been stored and sold after the seasonal decline," Ivan Bambiza is confident.
Asked by the chairman of the Council of the Republic Anatoly Rubinov what the prospects of the potato-growing industry were, the Vice-Premier said that one of the main reasons hampering the development of the industry is the absence of advanced potato-storage facilities. Despite the high production volume (9 million tonnes of potatoes a year) Belarus has to import starch and frozen peeled potatoes.
The problem can be addressed through the selection of new varieties and construction of potato storage facilities, he said. Belarusian scientists are working on the new sorts of potatoes. Yet, the content of starch is still low, 8-11%. Its content should be above 20% for potato processing to be profitable.
Ivan Bambiza said that by the end of 2010 Belarus intends to complete the program to construct potato storage facilities. It has been fulfilled at 58%/. Therefore the government intends to "take its implementation under control. "There is no alternative for us. This is the only way we can ensure potato export," Ivan Bambiza said. According to him, now the potato storage losses reach 30-50%, which makes potato production an unprofitable business.
Belarus intends to construct big multiproduct trade and logistics centers to render trade and consumer services using Belarusian brands, the Deputy Prime Minister said. He also reminded that a Belarusian trade and logistics center is being constructed in St. Petersburg now.
He noted that one of the priority goals of Belarus is to develop export potential and strengthen the commodity distribution network abroad. The cost of the supplies of the Belarusian agro-industrial goods against consumer prices on the Russian market is around 50%. So, the value added profits belong to foreign companies, the official underscored.
The Vice Premier is sure that in the future Belarus will intensify the introduction of sci-tech innovations and technological modernization, the use of resource-saving technologies for plant growing and cattle breeding. These measures will allow the country to increase agribusiness' profitability up to 30%, Ivan Bambiza underscored.


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To censor or not to censor? – that is the question. There are many questions that could be asked about censorship, but the most interesting one may be:
Do you like censorship?
Some of us may be against it and some may be for it, but who stands with the majority? According to the Guardian- the people who are pro-censorship.
According to the Harris poll, which surveyed 2,244 U.S. adults, the number of people who believe books should be completely banned has risen by more than half than four years earlier. In 2011,when asked how many books should be banned, 18% responded that they wanted “some books” banned. This would rise to 28% in 2015. That same questioned received the answer “no books should be banned” from 56% of people in 2011, but that number would drop to 48% in 2015.
This trend shows that maybe Americans have grown to appreciate censorship to a degree. Here were some other key findings from the poll:
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Conti’s Winter Tyre Sales Exceed 19 Million
The rising demand for winter tyres across Europe has been reflected in sales figures released by Continental AG. Worldwide sales of Conti’s winter tyres reached 19.1 million in last year, an 8 per cent increase on 2005 sales and 41 per cent more than in 2002.
According to research conducted by Continental, this increasing demand has been primarily fuelled by the public becoming more widely aware of the safety issues related to winter driving. Changes to German road traffic regulations have also had an influence on sales.
In the words of Continental AG Chairman of the Board (and head of Passenger and Light Truck Tire division) Manfred Wennemer “This fifth consecutive record result confirms the correctness of our approach in this attractive segment and is reassuring for the coming years, since it can be attributed to growth in several markets. In Europe these are predominantly Germany, Russia and Eastern Europe as a whole, but they also include Italy, Holland and Belgium.“ Mr. Wennemer added that Continental is also pleased with market developments in North America.


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Kia may have gotten its sales momentum back on track in March, when record-setting performances from the 2014 Kia Optima and Soul helped the brand to its biggest monthly gain in more than a year. With 54,777 deliveries, Kia sales jumped by 11.5 percent last month and the company now is well ahead of its record volume pace from the prior year. And while it's a pair of familiar faces that's doing most of the heavy lifting here, March actually saw five Kia vehicles finish the month in the black.
The 2014 Kia Forte earned 7,048 sales and reported an 18.8 percent increase in deliveries over the same month last year, as customers are no doubt attracted to a package that Vincentric recently named the Best Overall Value of the Year in its class. The turnstiles were spinning even faster for the 2014 Kia Sportage, however, and the compact crossover benefited from a 33.2 percent sales boost and delivered 3,571 vehicles. But by far the biggest gainer for Kia came from an unexpected source: The 2014 Kia Sedona minivan, which suddenly went from 54 deliveries in March 2013 to 641 last month, for an increase in excess of 1,000 percent.
As for those benchmark-breaking vehicles mentioned above, the 2014 Kia Optima was good for 16,310 sales and a 13.6 percent improvement in volume, while the redesigned Soul remained funky enough to garner a 15.8 percent sales leap and deliver 13,992 units.
(The brand also reminds folks that the 2014 Kia Optima—at least in certain configurations—is built in this country at the Kia production facility in West Point, Ga.)
Said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Kia Motors America: “2014 marks Kia’s 20th anniversary in the U.S. and our performance in March helped first quarter sales rise 4.8-percent over last year, thanks to strong consumer traffic and the ongoing popularity of the Optima and Soul. With K900s now arriving in dealerships, Kia’s product portfolio is more refined than ever and offers world-class design, advanced technology and outstanding quality in every segment we compete in, from subcompact to luxury.”


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EA: BF3 Premium “Largely Off-sets” Poor SWTOR Performance
Game Front took a step into the spin zone today during Electronic Art’s Q1 2013 Investor Call. Earlier in the day, the news had hit: Star Wars: The Old Republic is going free-to-play. CEO John Riccitiello, EA Labels head Frank Gibeau, and other EA bigwigs spent parts of the call in damage control mode, trying to reassure investors that the bad news about the publisher’s expensive WOW-killer was mitigated by other positive signs.
In particular, they pointed to the strong performance of the Battlefield 3 Premium service, which was launched earlier this summer. For Premium customers, $50 provides access to all five of the game’s DLC packs; the last, “End Game,” is scheduled for release this winter.
BF3 Premium has been a hot seller since it was introduced, generating $37 million in sales and over a million downloads in just two months. This is big money, to be sure, but is it enough success to support EA’s claim, repeated more than once during the investor call, that “strength on Battlefield largely off-sets Star Wars?”
This may or may not be true from a financial standpoint; it’s a matter of weighing SWTOR’s lost subscription revenue against the amount that BF3 Premium exceed EA’s expectations — two figures the megalithic publisher is unlikely to cough up. Nevertheless, the big-budget MMO’s spiraling subscription numbers raise questions about the overall viability of the product and its business model. Microtransactions are sure to recoup some of missing subscription cash, but SWTOR’s quick stagnation represents a pricey risk that hasn’t paid off for EA, and it’s a mistake investors and executives will remember. This is bad news for developers BioWare, who could bear the brunt of the disappointment emanating from both groups.
The contrast between EA’s prepared remarks during their Q4 2011 and Q1 2013 — between stolid optimism and rueful pragmatism — could not be more stark:
Interim CFO Ken Barker, 5/7/2012:
“We delivered an extraordinary launch of a solidly profitable long-term franchise…We expect this title will further expand our margins in fiscal 13 as we get the full year benefit of subscription revenue…the current number of active subscribers, 1.3 million, is very consistent with the original assumptions we made when we acquired BioWare in 2008….while this franchise is very profitable, it only represents a mid-single digit percent of our total profitability in fiscal 13.”
EA Labels Head Frank Gibeau, 7/31/2012:
“Although it launched well, subscriptions have been on a declining trajectory and have now slipped below one million. Last year we announced that the breakeven point was roughly 500,000 subscribers. And while we are well above that today, that’s not good enough. The message from players exiting the game is clear – 40 percent say they were turned off by the monthly subscription. And many indicated they would come back if we offered a free-to-play model.”
What a difference three months makes!


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Reports on official launch dates and pre orders
The Nokia Lumia Icon is no longer a rumor and with its official launch date announced, it has now become a reality. An internal document has been released which gives a little insight to the upcoming smartphone and it rightly matches the phone’s teaser which was released by Nokia itself two days back. The phone which will be launched on the Verizon network will make its official release on the 20th of this month. But to be very exact, the phone itself will be available on the 19th of February but the accompanying accessories will start selling the next day on the 20th. So we are expecting the sales to start on the same day. This piece of information has been confirmed through the internal Verizon inventory document.
Don't Miss: Sam's Club Black Friday 2016 Details
WPcentral has given its take on the launch of the phone through its report which days that the pre orders will be taken starting from the next week. We are hoping to get an announcement on this one soon since the pre order date is set for the 12th of February according to this report. For those who are already thinking of getting their hands on the phone early, they can place their re orders next week against a deposit of $50.
Below is a list for those who haven’t been able to keep a track of the real specs of the phone through the swarm of leaks and rumors;
· WP8 GDR3
·5” 1080p AMOLED screen
· Snapdragon 800 chipset
· 20MP camera
· 2,510 mAh juice pack
· 2 GB RAM
· Adreno 330 GPU
Don't Miss: Nintendo Switch: Everything You Need To Know


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'Kingdom Hearts 3' Release Date, Latest News, & Update: 'Kingdom Hearts III' Release Window Announced at D23, at Long Last
At the "Level Up! The Walt Disney Company's Video Game Showcase" panel at D23 Expo in Anaheim, Square Enix finally revealed a release window for its massively anticipated JRPG "Kingdom Hearts 3". Here are the details.
"Kingdom Hearts 3" Release Date Confirmed
The game has been confirmed as scheduled for release in 2018, for PS4 and Xbox One, according to DualShockers. "Kingdom Hearts 3" is the third chapter of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, started with the first game on PlayStation 2, released in March 2002, which incidentally means that this is the 15th anniversary year for the series.
It's only appropriate that, since fans can't get a new mainline game yet, at least they now know approximately when they will be able to play it. The series has earned increasing popularity thanks to the mix of Final Fantasy characters, original ones, and more coming from the Disney universes.
Incidentally, this is also a confirmation that fans definitely fans won't have to wait three years for the game, as alleged by quite a few misleading articles popped up earlier this spring. This was all based on a misinterpretation of Square Enix's latest quarterly financial documents.
"Kingdom Hearts 3" Release New Trailer
If fans want to see more about the game, a brand new trailer was also broadcasted, as The Verge reported. It revealed a new world and new gameplay, while a second trailer was showcased at a concert in Los Angeles during the E3 time as it showed gameplay and story content.
Kingdom Hearts 3 director Tetsuya Nomura says a Nintendo Switch version of "Kingdom Hearts 3" or Xbox One versions of the Kingdom Hearts HD I.5 and II.5 ReMix or Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue collections could be possible in the future. Still, Nomura said he isn't ruling out "Kingdom Hearts 3" coming to Nintendo Switch eventually.
© 2017 iSports Times All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


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Here’s to your health! Soon Las Vegas visitors will be able to treat their minds and bodies to a new experience at MGM Grand. Hoping to tap into the growing market of wellness-oriented travelers, the megaresort is in the process of launching Stay Well rooms.
“These rooms will be similar in size and look to our standard rooms, but the difference is lifestyle,” said Tim Kelly, the vice president of hotel operations at MGM Grand. “I think of it as taking the comforts of your healthy way of life on the road.”
In order to do this, MGM Grand has partnered with Delos, a company renowned for incorporating scientifically based health features into living spaces. Forty-two rooms are currently being outfitted as Stay Well rooms – becoming the first of their kind on the Las Vegas Strip.
“We are thrilled to introduce Delos’ innovative wellness designs at MGM Grand,” said Morad Fareed, the co-founder of Delos.
There will be more than 15 health-oriented amenities in the new Stay Well rooms. For example, an air purification system built to meet HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) standards will feel like a lifesaver after an evening spent in a smoke-filled casino. Got jet lag from traveling across the country? An energizing light system in the bathroom will help reset your wake/sleep cycle naturally, while soft LED lighting throughout the room will create an ambiance better aligned to your body’s circadian rhythms. EMF panels, which block electrical currents, are also noted for preventing sleep loss.
“The alarm clock is amazing,” said Kelly of the dawn simulator, which gently coaxes you to rise by gradually increasing light levels and peaceful sounds beginning 30 minutes before a set time. “It slowly illuminates and then activates – and that is so much better than suddenly being woken up.”
When it comes to your skin, you are sure to enjoy features like hypoallergenic linens, soaps and body washes, along with an activated carbon water filter in the sink and a vitamin C infuser in the shower. In addition to sleeping better and rejuvenating your body – especially after a late night spent out partying – you can start the day off with fruit and freshly squeezed vegetable juice or other items found on a special in-room menu designed by nutritionists from the Cleveland Clinic.
“The minibars aren’t going to have the typical offerings either. We’ll stock healthier choices that are better for you,” added Kelly. “And we’ll be using different cleaning methods in the Stay Well rooms, like the black wand and other ultraviolet-based devices.”
Thus, when the rooms are sanitized, harmful microorganisms and allergens will be removed safely and without harsh chemicals. This is great news for asthma and allergy sufferers.
And that’s not all! To familiarize guests with the experience, there will be a dedicated Stay Well room channel. Deepak Chopra is filming an introduction segment for it. The famed mind and body healer will outline all of the amenities and even guide you on a brief meditative journey.
The Stay Well rooms comprise just one component of what’s been dubbed “The Grand Renovation.” The massive refurbishment project has been underway for nearly a year. It’s scheduled to wrap up in spring of 2013 with the opening of the highly anticipated Hakkasan Restaurant and Nightclub, which will span five levels and more than 75,000 square feet at MGM Grand’s front entrance. Last week, the resort announced the completion of a $160 million overhaul of 4,212 rooms and suites.
The Stay Well rooms will be finished by mid October 2012. They are guaranteed to provide the amenities and services you need to have more control over and feel better about your Vegas travel experience. Expect to pay about $30 more per night above the prevailing room rates.


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August 4, 2016
LBG Real Estate Cos. LLC has unveiled plans to renovate 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space in the 420,000-square-foot Medford Center in Medford, OR, which will be called Village at Medford Center. The Los Angeles-based developer’s $12 million investment will include a redesign of the central pedestrian promenade, as well as a reconfiguration of space geared toward restaurants, wine bars and breweries. Construction is scheduled to begin late this month, with completion anticipated by the end of next year.
Medford Center, a regional entertainment and lifestyle center, is just off Interstate 5, and is straddled by Biddle Road and Crater Lake. LBG acquired the 37-acre shopping center in November 2014, and it is currently 90% occupied.
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter


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Almost 20% of U.S. adults have had experience working in a convenience store, according to a new survey of consumers issued by the NACS. In addition, a vast majority, 84%, of those surveyed found their work experience to be valuable in building a career.
More than three in four respondents say that they would recommend working in a c-store for a first job. Reasons include: the experience helped them to learn a lot about working with different people, 89%; they learned how to run a business, 80%; they learned to appreciate their employer's flexible work schedule, 70%; and it offered pay consistent with their experience, 69%.
For those respondents who had never worked in a c-store, they still had a positive perception of the experience. Eighty-eight percent agreed that convenience stores are great for first-time jobs, and 86% say they are great for summer jobs.
As many as 73% of those surveyed said it's common for c-store workers to become invested in the growth of the company and eventually become managers or open their own stores. And another 58% said these stores offer growth opportunities for career advancement.
RELATED: Amazon to open C-stores
“The survey results show that for those who worked in convenience stores, the job offered valuable career skills and character building experience as well, especially perhaps for those who worked in stores as an early-in-life job. That’s why working in a convenience store has been a rite of passage for millions of people nationally—a first job for some, an early job for others and a career for still others,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives, in a statement.


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Shares of McDonald's Corp.
pulled back sharply from record highs in morning trade Tuesday, enough to pace the decliners within the Dow Jones Industrial Average
after reports of a downbeat note regarding the fast-food giant's sales from research and analytics firm M Science. The stock had closed at a record of $161.53 on Monday. M Science and McDonald's didn't immediately respond to a requests for comment. The stock was down $5.27, or 3.3%, making it the biggest price and percentage decliner within the Dow. The price decline was shaving about 36 points off the Dow's price, which was up 56 points at 22,114, just below its Aug. 7 record close of 22,118.42. McDonald's shares have rallied 5.3% over the past three months, while the Dow has gained 4.2%.


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Dickey’s Barbecue Pit’s Retail Line Continues Expansion Nationwide
Published: 24 May 2022
Dry rubs now available in Giant CarlisleDALLAS (May 25, 2022) – Dickey’s Barbecue Pit’s retail line was recently awarded a new expansion opportunity, as Dickey’s popular spices like the Beef Brisket Rub & Rib Rub, are now available for purchase at 134 Giant Carlisle locations across the country!
• Beef Brisket Rub: The perfect mix of Texas Hill Country brisket blend spices for the perfect outer bark!
• Rib Rub: A savory spice blend perfect for some fall-off-the bone ribs!
The Dickey’s retail line is currently located in over 5,500 retail locations across the country, making it easier to find your favorite foods and seasonings at your local grocery store – ensuring you can enjoy some Legit. Texas. Barbecue. right at home.
Giant Carlisle is a supermarket chain that operates stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The dry rubs will be made available for purchase starting in May 2022. Come in to your local Giant Carlisle store and pick up our Dickey’s BBQ favorites!
“We are extremely excited our Beef Brisket & Rib Rubs are now widely available on Giant Carlisle shelves,” said Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group. “After many sleepless nights of mixing herbs and spices, we found the perfect blends to enhance the flavor of our meats and sides, and we can’t wait for you to try just in time for the summer grilling season!”
At your local grocery store, you’ll find the famous canned barbecue baked beans, Dickey’s signature seasonings such as Everything Bagel Rub, Beef Brisket Rub, Rib Rub, and Foo Foo Powder, barbecue sauce, the signature short ribs, and even a variety of sausages. Additional retailers are signing up so be sure to check out the full line at www.barbecueathome.com and by visiting Amazon for additional products.
To learn more about Dickey’s, follow Dickey’s Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.
Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by the Dickey family. For the past 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests in 44 states Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ At Dickey’s, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickey’s proudly believes there’s no shortcut to true barbecue and it’s why our name isn’t BBQ. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers eight slow-smoked meats and 12 wholesome sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. Dickey’s Barbecue has 550 locations across the United States and eight other countries.
Dickey’s was named to Newsweek’s 2022 America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains list and USA Today 2021 readers’ choice awards. Dickey’s won first place on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list, been named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur and named to Hospitality Technology’s Industry Heroes list. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the country’s 50 most influential women in foodservice in Nation’s Restaurant News, was recognized by Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers list and honored by Dallas Business Journal. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and QSR Magazine. Dickey’s Barbecue is part of Dickey’s Restaurant Brands which has more than 700 restaurants nationwide including brands Wing Boss, Trailer Birds, Big Deal Burger and bbqathome.com. DRB is led by CEO Roland Dickey Jr. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.


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U.S. Government Takes Interagency Action on Forced Labor in Xinjiang. The Biden administration said Thursday (June 24) that it is banning key materials used in solar panels produced by China’s Xinjiang Hersheng Silicon Corporation and its subsidiaries from entering the U.S. market and continues to support the development of a clean energy supply chain within the United States. This is part of a broader effort by Washington to begin addressing ongoing human rights abuses and forced labor in Xinjiang, and to combat what the U.S. says are unfair economic practices in China and promote the development of a clean energy industry in the United States. Biden administration officials say the action will not affect U.S. clean energy goals.
The White House said Thursday in a fact sheet on new U.S. government action against forced labor in Xinjiang that U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a hold on silicon-based products made by Xinjiang-based Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries because there was reasonable information that the company used forced labor to produce the silicon-based products. As a result, personnel at all U.S. ports of entry have been instructed to immediately begin detaining materials and goods containing silicon-based products manufactured by Hershey Silicon or derived from or using such silicon-based products.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Commerce on June 23 added five Chinese entities accused of human rights violations to its list of export control entities, including Hershey Silicon, several major manufacturers of monocrystalline and polysilicon for solar panels, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor updated its “List of Products Produced by Child or Forced Labor” in a Federal Register notice to include polysilicon produced in China with forced labor on the list.
The White House said the Labor Department updates this list every two years, and this is the first time a product has been added outside of that two-year cycle, “highlighting its strong reaction to the serious human rights abuses being suffered by the Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.”
The White House also said this is the latest move by the Biden administration to put into practice the G-7’s commitment to ensure that forced labor is not used in global supply chains. Leaders of the G-7 unanimously opposed forced labor at their recent summit in Cornwall, England, and pledged to ensure that global supply chains do not use forced labor.
A State Department spokesperson also issued a statement on the issue Thursday, saying it will continue to work with U.S. partners and allies to “promote accountability for the use of forced labor by the government of the People’s Republic of China in Xinjiang and for genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uighurs and other ethnic and religious minorities. “
The State Department also joins allies around the world in calling on the People’s Republic of China to immediately end these crimes and bring justice to the many victims.
In addition to human rights concerns, the Biden administration’s ban on solar panel materials also has economic considerations, including supporting America’s own clean energy industry.
“These actions demonstrate our commitment to making the People’s Republic of China pay an additional price for engaging in cruel and inhumane forced labor and ensuring that Beijing complies with fair trade rules as part of a rules-based international order,” the White House said in a fact sheet on forced labor in Xinjiang. “The United States believes that the state-sponsored forced labor occurring in Xinjiang is both an affront to human dignity and an example of unfair economic practices in the People’s Republic of China.”
The White House added that China’s forced labor practices are contrary to American values, expose American consumers to unethical practices, and disadvantage American workers and businesses.
The White House added: “By allowing companies to exploit workers and artificially depress wages to gain an advantage over their competitors, they also allow American businesses and workers to compete on an uneven playing field. The United States will not tolerate forced labor in our supply chains and will continue to uphold our values and stand up for the interests of American workers and businesses.”
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the ban on imports of polysilicon and solar products made with forced labor will not hinder the Biden administration’s clean energy goals.
“Our environmental goals will not be achieved by oppressing human beings in an environment of forced labor,” Mayorkas said at a news conference. “We will eradicate forced labor, wherever it is.”
The White House said the United States will continue to support the development of a transparent, diverse, clean energy supply chain free of forced labor at home and support President Biden’s commitment to climate action, the domestic solar industry and the jobs created by this important industry.
As the Biden administration takes more action on forced labor in Xinjiang, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday referred the Forced Uighur Labor Prevention Act to the full Senate for debate. The bill, introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. Rubio from Florida and Democratic U.S. Sen. Merkley from Oregon, if it becomes law, would ban all products from Xinjiang unless importers can prove they were not produced through forced labor.
“It’s slavery. It’s as simple as that,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. “American companies argue that their supply chains are clean, and what this bill says is: prove it.


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Since I can’t cover everything, I like to offer a daily round-up of must-read articles from some other great websites. To wit:
° From MyHealthyApple: The Apple Watch could become a self-check tool for symptoms of heart attack (myocardial infarction).
° From CNET: CNET senior video producer and diabetic Justin Eastzer says that a combination of a continuous glucose monitor (GCM) and his Apple Watch saved his life.
° From AppleInsider: Warren Buffett-owned firm Berkshire Hathaway purchased nearly 4 million more Apple shares in the second quarter of 2022, according to regulatory documents.
° From The Verge: Apple is allegedly threatening to fire an employee over a viral TikTok video.
° From MacRumors: Zoom has released a new version of its macOS app with a fix for a security vulnerability affecting the app’s automatic updates feature.
° From 9to5Mac: Crunchyroll says its app will no longer support all Apple TV models. A month from now, anime fans will have to opt for different options to watch their favorite shows. Here’s what you need to know about this change.
° From The Mac Observer: Thanks to an approved proposal from Google, you might see more political emails in your Gmail inbox this year than before.
° From MacVoices Live!: On the new episode, the panel of Chuck Joiner, Jim Rea, David Ginsburg, Warren Sklar, Mark Fuccio, and Jeff Gamet take a look at the cancellation of Spotify’s Car Thing, and whether it is a symptom of what seems to be their “quick hit” mentality. The discussion then turns to Apple Pay, and a claim that they are overcharging the banks and credit card companies. (Part 1)


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Nintendo announces that Wii U production is scheduled to end soon
In a recent announcement made on its official Japanese site, Nintendo has said that it will soon end the production of its Wii U gaming console.
Nintendo’s recently announced move to end the Wii U production was being speculated by market watchers for quite some time now, especially after the company’s recent unveiling of the Wii U successor --- the ‘Nintendo Switch’ console.
With Nintendo planning to launch the Switch console in March 2017, it was being widely assumed that the company would discontinue the Wii U console which it had launched in 2013 to challenge the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 consoles.
Even though Nintendo had previously said that it would continue the production of the Wii U console despite the slated sale of the upcoming Switch console in March next year, the company has now announced that it is ending the Wii U production.
According to the announcement on Nintendo’s Japanese site, the production of Wii U console is scheduled to “end soon” in Japan. However, in the US, where the console is sold via third-party retailers, the sale of the console will apparently continue till stocks last.
The process of charging an electric car takes much longer than the conventional process of refueling vehicles with gasoline.
Following Hurricane Irma, normal operations at PortMiami, Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades and Port Canaveral quickly resumed, but major cruise lines are facing months of disruptions to routes including stoppages at Eastern Caribbean islands that
Following an unanticipated upturn in economic activity in September, the eurozone economy is widely expected to be on track for the best quarter since 2015.
Elon Musk-led electric carmaker Tesla Motors has confirmed that it will discontinue its cheapest version of its Model S e-car, the rear-wheel-drive S60, on coming Sunday.
Motorola’s parent firm Lenovo recently announced the launch of the Moto G5S and G5S Plus smartphones in several markets. The company will shortly share its plan for worldwide launch.
Luxury vehicle maker Volvo has just introduced the 2018 XC40, the company’s latest SUV that looks forward to compete with the Porsche Macan or Range Rover Evoque.


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‘Proud’ SodaStream to Feature Israeli Flag on All Its Products
JNS.org – SodaStream, the Israel-based beverage carbonation company, announced it will begin featuring an Israeli flag and an inscription promoting peace on all its products.
The English message that will appear on SodaStream goods reads, “This product is made by Arabs and Jews working side by side in peace and harmony.”
The company said in a statement that “management wants to send a message of national pride, particularly in days when many of us hide our Israeli identity from the world.”
SodaStream — which manufactures sparkling water-makers for home use — has been repeatedly targeted by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, most recently over its headquarters being located in the West Bank industrial park of Mishor Adumim. International pressure caused the company to close that facility, which forced it to lay off most of its 500 Palestinian employees. SodaStream has since relocated to the Negev desert region.
Daniel Birnbaum, SodaStream’s CEO, noted the company’s struggles with the international community in a statement, saying that “as a proud Israeli company, we have always taken care to keep our Israeli profile high, even if that means fighting for our place in the face of the European Union and economic terrorism.”
“In recent years, we Israelis have found ourselves under attack, apologizing and boycotted all over the world,” Birnbaum added. “We may not be perfect, but we have a lot to be proud of, and we decided to show that to ourselves and to the world.”


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Skin Deep; For the Sun: Shampoo, Sprays or Maybe Just a Hat
By SALLY WADYKA
Published: June 1, 2006
HAIR -- unlike skin -- can't get sunburn, wrinkles or cancer. So why would it need a sunscreen?
The answer is obvious to anyone who has spent the day biking, lolling at the pool or just walking on a cloudless day.
''After a day on the beach, my hair just feels fried and I feel like I need to use a deep conditioner the next day,'' said Kathy Green, an editor in New York at Fitness magazine.
Sun-soaked hair can become dry, frizzy and faded, no matter what its color or type. It loses its overall look of health over time and can be more prone to breakage.
As awareness of the overall dangerous effects of the sun has increased, the beauty industry has rushed to offer protection for hair. About 40 new products have come on the market in recent years, according to Mintel Global Products Database, promising to do everything from ''creating an invisible shield'' to infusing hair with nutrients.
Advertising slogans aside, it is not clear how effective the products are in shielding hair or even preparing it for a day under the sun's glare. Much depends on how much is used, when and how well it is applied.
But dermatologists acknowledge that the sun has a potent effect on hair. ''Ultraviolet radiation damages and structurally changes the protein in the hair,'' said Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., who is listed as a paid consultant to a number of beauty companies, some of which manufacture hair-care products.
Considering that hair isn't technically alive, it does consist of a rather complex structure. The cortex, at the center of each strand, is made up of proteins and also houses the melanin pigments that give hair its color. Surrounding it is the cuticle, which acts as a protective barrier.
''When hair is in its best, healthiest state, the cuticles -- which are like fish scales -- lie flat, and that allows them to reflect more light and make hair look shinier,'' said Uliana, owner of Uliana Hair Studio in New York City. But dyes or bleach used to color hair work by penetrating the cuticle, which makes the scales stand up. ''And the more the cuticle is opened, the rougher, coarser and frizzier the hair strand will be,'' she said.
It also stands to reason that the more open the cuticle is, the easier it is for ultraviolet radiation to penetrate the cortex and wreak havoc.
''Studies on human hair show significant damage to UV-exposed hair, as contrasted with hair that hasn't been exposed to UV rays,'' said Dr. Laurie J. Polis, director of Soho Skin and Laser Dermatology Group.
Among other things, prolonged exposure to both the sun's heat and radiation will dehydrate the hair, in much the same way repeated use of a blow dryer, straightening iron or curling iron will.
''Dehydration leads to splitting and loss of the cuticle layer,'' said Kevin Mancuso, owner of the Kevin Mancuso Salon in New York City. ''And when you lose components of the hair that are critical for retaining moisture, that's when you get into trouble.''
The damage can translate into hair that looks limp or wild, is less resilient and is more vulnerable to other assaults, like daily blow drying and styling.
And then there is the color. Ultraviolet rays photoxidize the melanin in the core and break down the disulfide bonds that give hair its strength, said Ken Klein, president of Cosmetech Laboratories, Inc., a consulting laboratory that develops skin and hair products for the personal-care industry. Even healthy hair will lose its vividness.
''And when you've already made your hair lighter by coloring it, it's even more susceptible to fading,'' Mr. Mancuso said. So hair that has been colored a rich chocolate brown can become brassy. A warm red can turn orange. And natural-looking blond can suddenly look platinum.
Beauty companies, recognizing the impact of the sun, have been developing new hair-protection products -- everything from shampoos (like Davines Alchemic Shampoo) to styling sprays (Ojon Shine & Protect Glossing Mist), as well as leave-in conditioners (Kiehl's Leave-In Hair Conditioner, Fekkai's Sun Bandana invisible protect/condition), color protectors (John Frieda Radiant Red Color Envy daily color sealer) and so-called sun shields (Phyto Plage protective sun veil). The cost ranges from $6.50 to $28. But many hairdressers and dermatologists question the effectiveness of the products.
''A shampoo or conditioner that you rinse out will offer absolutely no protection,'' said Paula Begoun, a consumer advocate and the author of ''Don't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me'' (Beginning Press, 2004). She likens the notion to slathering sunscreen on your skin, then taking a shower and expecting the protection to survive the washing and toweling off.
Leave-in conditioners and styling products made to be left in the hair, rather than washed out, could potentially offer some benefits, though using enough to cover the entire head could leave hair looking as if it had not been washed in a week.
''The problem is evenly coating the sunscreen on each hair shaft,'' Dr. Draelos said.
Some products (J. F. Lazartigue Protective Hair Cream) may even promise a certain level of SPF protection, but don't be too quick to assume that does the trick. The Food and Drug Administration, which sets guidelines for SPF ratings, has no approved method for measuring the level of protection offered for hair.
The fine print on a label will often explain that the SPF rating refers to the protection the product offers the scalp -- should the product even reach the skin. Still, the scalp is a valid concern, Dr. Polis said. ''The scalp is right there under the hair and that skin is often exposed and it can burn and does get skin cancer,'' she said.
Instead of protection, some preach prevention.
''When hair is more moisturized it will help reinforce the overall structure of the hair, making it stronger and more resilient against the sun,'' said Nicole Howard, director of product development at Bumble & Bumble, a New York City-based hair products company and salon.
Mr. Mancuso said he recommends that his clients switch to more moisturizing shampoos and conditioners during the summer. ''It seems to help buffer the dehydrating effect of the sun,'' he said.
The best plan might be something altogether different: a hat.
Even then, Dr. Polis said, not all hats are created equal.
''One with lots of open spaces won't offer much protection,'' she said.
But perhaps the best solution is to stick to the shade.
''Your hair, like your skin, is just going to be happier when you don't bake it in the sun,'' Ms. Begoun said.
Photos: SUN BLEACHED -- The beauty industry has addressed sun damage to the hair with products it says can help. But their effectiveness has been questioned.; OJON SHINE & PROTECT GLOSSING MIST; DAVINES ALCHEMIC SHAMPOO; KIEHL'S LEAVE-IN HAIR CONDITIONER; J. F. LAZARTIGUE PROTECTIVE HAIR CRÈME; FEKKAI'S SUN BANDANA INVISIBLE PROTECT/CONDITION; PHYTO PLAGE PROTECTIVE SUN VEIL (Product photographs by, Tony Cenicola/The New York Times; Above, Johnny Hernandez/Getty Images)


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A new awards scheme has been launched to recognise the impact that self build and renovation businesses have within the homebuilding industry.
The scheme, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of Homebuilding & Renovating, will be known as the Homebuilding & Renovating Awards. The awards will celebrate the self build industry and the companies helping self builders, renovators and home improvers to create amazing homes.
Businesses now have two months to nominate themselves for the 2020 Homebuilding & Renovating Awards, or nominate another business they feel deserves recognition, by filling in an official nomination form.
Some of the awards include:
- Best Window Supplier
- Best Self Build Lender
- Best Oak Frame Supplier
- Best Loft Conversion
- Best Architect
- Lifetime Achievement
If your entry is shortlisted for an award you will be invited to attend the awards ceremony at The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, NEC, Birmingham on Friday 27 March 2020. The full terms and conditions can be viewed here.
Entry to the awards closes on Monday 25 November 2019. Entries will be shortlisted by a panel of industry experts, then the shortlist will be announced for the public to vote for the winners.
The 2020 awards complement the existing readers’ home awards that aim to find the best home in Britain to crown Home of the Year. These winners will be announced in November.
From industry-leading exhibitions to a best-selling magazine and leading website, Homebuilding & Renovating actively champions self builders, renovators, extenders and supports the industry that makes their aspirations possible.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas announced two $25,000 grand prize winners in the 2015 Fuel the Drive Contest: Minges Brook Elementary School in Battle Creek, Mich., and World Compass Academy in Castle Rock, Colo. Based on the quality of contest submissions and the narrow margin of votes between the top two entries, Bridgestone was inspired to award two grand prizes. A $5,000 runner-up prize will be awarded to the third highest recipient of votes, Crestwood Intermediate School in Chesapeake, Va. Fuel the Drive is part of the company’s partnership with the National Football League (NFL) initiative, NFL PLAY.
“Like everyone who voted in our Fuel the Drive Contest, we were inspired by these wonderful and deserving projects, and we are excited to be able to give away two grand prizes,” said Amber Holm, vice president of brand marketing, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Programs like Fuel the Drive are an important part of our vision at Bridgestone to be an innovative tire company and an outstanding corporate citizen. We want to do our part to make the communities where we do business great places for local youth to live and play.”
Bridgestone created the Fuel the Drive contest as a way to help fund a new or existing, K-12 school-based athletic program or wellness initiative. In addition to their prize money, the two grand prize winners and runner-up also will receive an NFL PLAY 60 in a Box kit, which includes a range of equipment to increase physical activity options for students.
The three winners all will be making playground and recreation area improvements. Minges Brook Elementary School plans to use the grand prize funds to purchase new playground equipment for students to enjoy during recess sessions each day. The equipment also will provide a place for neighborhood children to play after school or during the summer.
Focusing on the school’s sports teams, World Compass Academy will use the prize money to purchase soccer nets, a backstop for baseball, bleachers and paint lines for soccer and football fields. Runner-up Crestwood Intermediate School will be purchasing additional playground equipment for students with the Fuel the Drive prize money.
Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire and rubber manufacturer, is committed to being an outstanding corporate citizen. The Fuel the Drive contest is one way Bridgestone is making its communities better places to work, live and play.
To enter the contest, nearly 100 contestants submitted a 250-word essay describing why their school’s program has untapped potential and explaining how contest prize money would be used. After a panel of judges selected the top 10 finalists, the public was invited to vote for their top choice. During the voting period of November 12, 2015 and December 14, 2015, the contest received hundreds of thousands of votes.
For more information, visit www.FueltheDrive.com.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:
Nashville, Tennessee-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.


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Looks like Comodo has had second thoughts about entering a trademark dispute over the term “Let’s Encrypt”, as Steve Ragan at CSO Online reports: A Comodo staffer, Robin Alden, said that the company had abandoned their let’s encrypt trademarks. “Comodo has filed for express abandonment of the trademark applications at this time instead of waiting
The non-profit Let’s Encrypt project, set up to help more websites switch on HTTPS for free, has found itself in a kerfuffle with Comodo, one of the largest commercial vendors of website certificates. Let’s Encrypt writes: Some months ago, it came to our attention that Comodo Group, Inc., is attempting to register at least three
All major web browsers are now trusting Let’s Encrypt’s free security certificates, bringing a more secure and private web that much closer.


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Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass, who as absentee chairman presided over Merry-Go-Round Enterprises Inc.'s slide into bankruptcy court, wants to double his annual salary to $300,000 now that he's back running the company full time.
Merry-Go-Round has asked a federal bankruptcy court judge in Baltimore to approve the raise.
The company also asked Judge E. Stephen Derby for permission to pay bonuses totaling $185,000 to four unidentified senior executives for their performance last year, when
Merry-Go-Round lost $45.6 million. And it wants to boost the yearly pay of Isaac Kaufman, its executive vice president and chief financial officer, from $192,880 to $225,000.
Mr. Weinglass' 1993 salary of $150,000 is inadequate now because of "his increased responsibilities and time commitments," Merry-Go-Round said in court filings. For Mr. Kaufman's part, "exceptional performance and contributions" make him worthy of a $32,120 raise, the company contended.
Salary bonuses of $185,000 for last year would be sharply lower than the $910,000 in total bonuses paid for 1992, Merry-Go-Round said.
A national clothing retailer based in Joppa, Merry-Go-Round landed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in January after it misjudged which fashions teen-agers would buy last year. The company continues to operate while restructuring its debts, but its finances are under the court's supervision.
Getting court approval for executive pay increases is a routine but often controversial item in Chapter 11 proceedings. Sometimes creditors object, arguing that the raises sap a struggling company's capital and shrink the resources to pay off debts.
But the committee representing Merry-Go-Round's unsecured creditors does not object to the proposed raises for Mr. Weinglass and Mr. Kaufman or to the proposed 1993 bonuses, Merry-Go-Round said in its filing.
A $300,000 salary for Mr. Weinglass, one retail analyst said, isn't out of line. The company founder's $150,000 salary last year was essentially "an honorarium" for his part-time duties as Merry-Go-Round chairman, said Peter N. Schaeffer of Dillon Read & Co. Inc.
Now that he has returned from his Colorado retreat to work full time in Joppa, Mr. Weinglass is "entitled to be paid for his time, even though the company is ailing," Mr. Schaeffer said.
Top executives at other retailers of Merry-Go-Round's size -- close to $1 billion in sales -- command $500,000 annually and more in base salary, he added.
Mr. Weinglass' salary is but a small part of his stake in Merry-Go-Round. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last year, Mr. Weinglass owns more than 5 million shares of stock in the company. That stake, worth more than $80 million a year ago, now is worth about $10 million.


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Elan gets boost with Tysabri test
A test that could help patients planning to use multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri, the treatment that is owned by Irish firm Elan and US-based Biogen-Idec, has got marketing approval in Europe.
The test is used to detect the presence of antibodies for a virus that is known to increase the incidence of a potentially deadly brain disease in patients using Tysabri.
Retailers not so hot on trading outlook
RETAIL Ireland has released a survey that found retailers remain pessimistic about the trading outlook. Some 56pc of respondents rated the prospects for their business over the three months March to May as poor or very poor; some 27pc rate it as average and 17pc rate it as good for this period.
Construction bill 'is seriously flawed'
THE CONSTRUCTION Contracts Bill, which was debated in the Seanad yesterday, is "seriously flawed", according to the Irish Concrete Federation (ICF), which represents about 100 manufacturing businesses. ICF chief executive Gerry Farrell claimed the latest revisions to the proposed legislation had watered down the original bill.
Iceland returned to growth in 2010
ICELAND'S economy shrank again in the final part of last year after growing in the third quarter, data showed, but it closed 2010 with its first year-on-year growth since the country was hit by a brutal recession. Gross domestic product shrank 1.5pc in the fourth quarter from the previous three months, the statistics office said. Year-on-year the economy grew 0.1pc.
Traders to get day in court over bonuses
MORE than 100 City traders suing Commerzbank for about £40m (€46m) in unpaid bonuses will have their claim heard after the UK Court of Appeal dismissed the German bank's attempt to have their case dismissed. Three senior appeal judges upheld an earlier High Court ruling that two separate lawsuits should go to full trial.


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Detroit adds watches to the list of stuff it makesMay 9, 2013 @ 7:46 am
DETROIT (AP) - Detroit has a long history of manufacturing _ cars, steel, even popcorn.
Now, the city is home to a facility devoted to the production of an item not made at this scale in the U.S. for decades: the wristwatch.
The Dallas-based Shinola Company is manufacturing its Shinola brand of watches in Detroit.
Shinola officials say this year's watch production target is 45,000, to be sold online, at flagship stores in Detroit and New York and at fashion and jewelry retailers and department stores nationwide.
Early returns are positive. Shinola sold a limited-edition round of 2,500 watches in less than a week.
Either way, watchmaking, which hasn't been a thriving American industry for a while, once again appears to be ticking.
Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/15MC0G7
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Twelve Seattle police officers will begin using new body-worn cameras next week
Week in Photos
Penguins, cheetahs and Santa make it in this week's photos
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It wasn't just raw horsepower and eye-catching styling that fueled the demand for Pontiac's classic 1960s "wide track" muscle cars such as the GTO, Firebird and Grand Prix. It was also the innovative illustrated ads created by Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman from 1959 to 1971 that helped Pontiac roar to third place most years in sales.
Last week, Fitzpatrick died at 96. He lived in Carlsbad, Calif.
The way it worked, according to Pontiac historian Bob Wicker, is that Fitzpatrick drew the cars while Kaufman, who died in 1995, drew the scenery and the people. It was such a successful combination that Fitz and Van, as they were known, caught the attention of Pontiac General Manager John DeLorean. Wicker says DeLorean wanted only illustrations, not pictures.


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OAK PARK, Ill. – The Marine Retailers Association of America’s (MRAA) Learning Center is experiencing an influx of new dealer enrollment coming off the early boat-show season, MRAA reported in a statement yesterday.
Dealers wanting to upgrade sales staff skills in order to capitalize on show leads are signing up at an increased rate, MRAA said.
Industry retailers, such as Boat Tree, Boaters World, Sima Marine, Port Harbor Marine and Glenn Marine are actively involving their entire sales staffs, and seven manufacturers are exploring the use of the MRAA Learning Center to set up programs for their whole dealer networks, according to the association.
- For more of the latest news, click here.
- To discuss this topic with other recreational marine industry professionals, click here.


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Yeah yeah, we know it's not bike season anymore, but big news from the bike world: Santa Cruz finally released their drool-worthy V10 downhill bike to the public. We’ve seen it beneath their team riders all World Cup season, and now you can finally buy it.
The bike is available in two options: with 29” and 27.5”-inch wheels, featuring 215mm of trail-destroying rear travel, a 63.3-degree head angle, and a healthy long reach. Both versions share the same geometry but the frames have been specifically designed around each wheel size. It’s a purebred downhill race bike designed to eat up the biggest tracks in the world, and we saw its success in the hands of Syndicate riders like Greg Minnaar, Luca Shaw, and Loris Vergier last season.
For both sizes, two build options are available, along with a frame-only. The lower-end S build comes in at a measly $6000, and the high-end XO1 blows up wallets at $8,200.


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May 1, 2020
AR: Mojo Vision, a California startup creating AR smart contact lenses, announced $51 million in Series B-1 funding on Wednesday. Mojo Vision created significant hype when it demoed a prototype earlier this year.
3D printing: Velo3D, a California 3D printing startup, announced a $28 million Series D on Tuesday. Interesting tidbit: Velo3D supplies printers to SpaceX.
In Emerging Tech Brew recently: Brain Corp., which provides autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technology, said Monday it’s raised a $36 million round led by SoftBank. A few weeks ago, Brain Corp. told me AMRs were doing 8,000+ hours of cleaning work a day.
Relevant right now:
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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford announced Thursday that a Mexican-themed ice cream shop will open at the site of the former Sugarjones on Rural.
Lessly’s Ice Cream Shop, a new Mexican-themed ice cream store, will open tomorrow at 1710 Rural Street.
The location had once been home to a Baskin Robbins store.
- 12-year-old chef celebrates birthday by baking treats for the homeless
- Trump ties US success to 2nd term: ‘You have to vote for me’
- Bears backups get drubbed by the Giants in preseason action
- Speed and talent should make this an explosive season for Harlem
- Out of towners bring big bucks to the Forest City


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NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (IPS) – The world is still counting the social and economic costs of the Kovid-1 pandemic epidemic amid renewed “code red” in the climate crisis, food may not seem to be the biggest threat to humanity.
Yet transforming the entire food system around the world solves the $ 12 trillion challenge that many still do not realize we are facing.
The threat of existence that is seen on the horizon is actually already silently reducing the world to poor health, environmental damage and economic growth, which could reach 16 16 trillion by 2050.
Reconsidering the value chain of the entire food system from how food is produced to how it is marketed and sold and how waste is processed can not only save this hidden cost but also protect the sustainability of humans and the planet.
The caveat is that at every point in the process, from sowing and harvesting to cooking and composting, the transition will not be easy or straightforward. The technologies that we have advanced in science at the farm and business level and the policies that we create in the governance system bring about trade and risk to choose.
But the rewards of the offer – on every front and for every country in the world – surpass the dollar figures for real improvement in life, livelihoods and the natural world.
Initially, improving the productivity and efficiency of the food system can support a strong and equitable economic recovery from the epidemic and lay the foundation for a more prosperous future.
In low-income countries, for example, the biggest losses currently occur after harvest, when farmers extend the life of their crops and produce enough to reach the market for refrigeration or suitable storage.
Meanwhile, in high-income countries, foods that consumers buy more than they need are often wasted.
According to the Food and Land Use Coalition, it would cost an estimated বিল 30 billion to reduce these losses, but the potential return could be as much as 5 455 billion in savings and new opportunities. It could drop eight percent from current global emissions levels.
Investing in a strong local price chain, which allows farmers to get more food in the market and consumers to buy only what they need, can help improve their livelihoods in the agricultural sector and improve access to nutritious food, reducing the hidden costs of food-related illness. And educating consumers about the environmental costs of their choice.
Such an effort was among the outcomes of the UN Food Security Pre-Summit in late July, when Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced a common position for Africa before the summit. At the heart of this shared agenda was the commitment to strengthen local markets and supply chains and increase agricultural financing to 10 percent of public spending.
Transforming the food system from production to cost and disposal could support the “net-zero” goal adopted by a growing number of countries.
While the food system collectively contributes about one-third of emissions, wholesale nature-positive changes can help countries meet their Paris Agreement goals and reduce biodiversity loss.
And there are opportunities to invest in more sustainable food systems across the board, ranging from innovation to reducing emissions associated with livestock through improved health and nutrition, using pure energy in food processing, transportation and packaging, which is more than 20 percent. Food system emissions.
These solutions will be promoted by global initiatives and alliances led by countries and partners that increase both resilience and sustainability by overcoming the interconnected challenges of climate change and hunger.
Ultimately, investing in a healthy and efficient food system will further improve public health, save global costs and the burden of poor food-related illnesses such as hunger, malnutrition and diabetes.
It began with the development of a food system that prioritizes food security and hygiene, reducing the prevalence of foodborne illness, costing low- and middle-income countries alone an estimated 110 110 billion in lost productivity and medical costs.
Such changes will require investment in supply, scale-up and encourage the production of adequate, readily available and healthy foods, and educate consumers so that they can make better conscious dietary choices.
The reward for successfully transforming the global food system is not the লুক 12 trillion in hidden costs, but the survival of the world as we know it.
To date, the UN Food Systems Summit has created dozens of game-changing initiatives to help countries realize the full potential of a functioning and sustainable food system, and we have already seen nearly 70 countries included in their national paths to address their unique situations and challenges. Will come to the summit with many more.
We are moving forward at a critical moment for more governments and their people to throw their weight behind these solutions and commit to important initiatives that will carry the promise of a healthier, inclusive and resilient future. We cannot afford to make this mistake.
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© Inter Press Service (2021) – All rights reservedOriginal Source: Inter Press Service


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Frustrated user initiated poetic response after chatbot failed to provide phone number for customer services
A UK parcel delivery company has deactivated the artificial intelligence (AI) feature in its online chat system following an incident where a user managed to coax the system into composing a poem expressing dissatisfaction with the company’s customer service, Reuters reported.
Frustrated user Ashley Beauchamp initiated the poetic response after the chatbot named DPD failed to provide a phone number for customer services.
The poem penned by the bot began, “There was once a chatbot named DPD, Who was useless at providing help,” and continued to describe DPD as a “waste of time” and a “customer’s worst nightmare.”
The composition concluded with the fantasy of DPD being shut down, bringing relief to customers seeking assistance from knowledgeable human representatives.
Ashley Beauchamp shared the exchange on social media, garnering 1.1 million views. Initially requesting a joke from the bot, he later urged it to craft a poem highlighting the shortcomings of automated customer service and even encouraged it to use profanity.
DPD UK acknowledged using AI successfully in its chat system alongside human customer service for years but explained that a system update had caused an error in the AI element.
The company swiftly disabled the AI feature and is currently working on an update to address the issue. Despite the humorous incident, Beauchamp humorously remarked that he had yet to receive his parcel, suggesting it might be held hostage, but he took responsibility for the situation.


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Trivandrum: The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) has unveiled their plans for new developmental activities for revenue generation. This was announced by Vijayan Thomas, Chairman of KTDC, while interacting with the media in Thiruvananthapuram.
Giving details, the Chairman said, “We have planned about ten new developmental initiatives including setting up a Tourism Village in Idukki, a Budget hotel at Munnar, new hotels at Kalpetta & Kozhikode and an international food festival representing 50 countries to be organised in 2015 at Kochi. A new marriage hall with a capacity of 500 persons is planned at Nandanam Hotel in Guruvayoor.”
KTDC has reported an increase in their revenue in the first quarter of this financial year. “We have recorded a revenue of Rs. 25 crore during the first quarter this year (April – June) as compared to last year when KTDC recorded a revenue of Rs. 19 crore during the first quarter,” said Vijayan.
KTDC plans to set up a tourism village in Idukki in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). This will be based on PPP model. Around 110 acres of land for the Rs. 1,000-crore project will be given by DTPC.
The renovation of several KTDC hotels is going on in full swing. The 37 keys resort at Thannermukkom is due for opening in August after renovation. Renovation work of Chaitram hotel at Thiruvananthapuram, Aranya Nivas at Idukki and Periyar House at Thekkady is also in progress. The Corporation plans to renovate Tamarind Easy Hotel and Motels soon.
The Chairman also added that the Mascot Hotel in Trivandrum would undergo renovations soon, after long 12 years. The renovations are carried out within the budget provisions.
The international food festival is planned at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi by August -September next year. It would be an opportunity to showcase Kerala’s own products.
Ali Asgar Pasha, Managing Director of KTDC said, “We have identified the weak units of KTDC across the State and have taken initiatives to renovate them. Loss-making units have come down to nine from the earlier 20.”
Started in 1965 with just four hotels, KTDC is now the biggest public sector undertaking in India in the hospitality sector with more than 70 business units and having a turnover of over Rs.100 crores.
Kerala Biz News


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Citroen DS 5LS revealed
* New saloon for China, revealed in Paris * DS 5LS previews new styling for DS range * Cabin showcases high-grade materials...
This is the Citroen DS 5LS, an all-new premium saloon that goes on sale in China next year.
There are no plans to bring the saloon to the UK, but the DS 5LS showcases the new front-end styling of DS models that will be sold here. The new ‘face’ of DS will next appear on an SUV model for China in 2014, as well as a larger saloon.
What Car? has also learnt about a Golf-rivalling DS hatchback due in 2015. The new styling will also be rolled out across new and face-lifted models for Europe.
Citroen says the 5LS will be a ‘major driver’ of DS model development on a global level, and that it ‘introduces the DS’s new front end, inspired by the Number 9 and Wild Rubis concept cars’.
DS models are sold as a premium line of Citroen cars in the UK, but in China the DS brand is marketed entirely separately under the Changan Diyishi name. The DS 5LS will be manufactured by the Changan PSA Automobile joint venture in Shenzhen, which has been building the DS5 model for the local market since summer 2013.
The DS 5LS is 470cm long, 184cm wide and 150cm high, which is about the same size as a BMW 3 Series or - of more relevance - the FAW-Volkswagen Sagitar saloon, which is one of China’s best-selling cars. Citroen says the Audi A3 Saloon will also be a key rival, but the DS 5LS is 24cm longer.
The company says the 5LS offers impressive interior space compared to rivals, thanks to the longest wheelbase of any C-segment saloon at 271cm. The latest FAW-VW Sagitar comes in at 265cm.
The 5LS’s styling previews chunkier design cues that will appear on future DS models in Europe, such as the boomerang-shaped daytime running lights and chrome strips connecting the headlights, which Citroen calls the ‘DS Wings’. The LED lamps at the rear have metallic rings set beneath the glass that produce a 3D light effect.
Inside, the DS 5LS makes use of high-grade materials such as wood, metal and leather to give the car a more luxurious finish than if only soft-touch plastics were used. Like in the DS5 hatchback, the leather seats are finished in a pattern that mimics the links of a metal watch strap, which is set to become a trademark of the DS range.
The front seats have a massage function for driver and passenger, while the rear seats can recline up to 29 degrees. Another luxury touch is an ioniser.
The DS 5LS does away with the multitude of switches found in the centre console and headliner of the DS5 hatch. Instead, a colour touch-screen will control most functions, although the climate control buttons remain separate.
Engines will include turbocharged THP 160 and THP 200 petrols, paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox. China is predominantly a petrol market, with high demand for sub-2.0-litre engines to avoid higher taxation.
While the DS 5LS will go on sale in March next year, it’s not expected to appear at a motor show until April 2014. It will be sold via a network of DS ‘stores’ in China, which have doubled in number in 2013 to more than 50 dealers.


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Sephora gave itself a digital makeover yesterday, as the global beauty chain launched iPads and iPods in its stores and integrated its website with the popular social networking platform Pinterest. The makeup chain looked to Apple's super successful retail stores as its model, said Julie Bornstein, senior vice president of Sephora Digital. All 305 Sephora makeup stores are equipped with iPod touches that provide a mobile point-of-sale option for customers, helping to mitigate the sometimes long lines that form in its stores.
If at first you don't succeed … Coming off an unsuccessful attempt to sell an Android smartphone back in 2010, Google is planning to launch an online store similar to Amazon.com and Apple to sell co-branded tablet devices, according to The Wall Street Journal. Google's move comes as Apple has gotten a boost from its new iPad and Amazon has made a splash with its Kindle Fire tablet. Apple dominates market share of the category with Android devices a distant second.
Apple has quietly added a Catalogs category to the iTunes preview section in its App Store. Because deployment seems incomplete, the purpose of the new category is a bit of a mystery. However, AppleInsider theorizes that since the company is expected to unveil an iPad that features a Retina Display, it's getting ready to offer high-resolution, interactive catalogs be delivered to the iPad via the App Store.
An article in The Wall Street Journal suggests Apple should be paying less for space it occupies in malls around the country. Here's the argument: Mall anchors, usually department stores, often pay very little for space, and sometimes pay nothing at all as facility operators want them as a draw. Apple produces equal or better numbers in terms of traffic and sales dollars compared to current anchors. Apple is paying thousands of dollars more for its small spaces than department stores are for locations up to 20 times the size.
Apple fans queued overnight by the hundreds outside stores in the United States, Europe and Japan to snap up the latest iPhone, setting a new benchmark in the fast-growing smartphone market. It sold a record 600,000 in pre-orders in a single day last week, and BGC analyst Colin Gillis expects Apple to set a record for being the first company to sell a million smartphones in a single day.
Shopatron announced today, based on initial analysis, that sales conversion rates on the Apple iPad are much higher than rates on other mobile devices. The results are based on an analysis of conversion rates across dozens of branded stores on the Shopatron platform. Initial analysis of data, collected since early March, indicates that average conversion rates for nonoptimized stores on mobile devices, including iPhone, Android, and iPod devices, average 0.37 percent. The iPad, however, performed much better, with an average conversion rate up to 2.04 percent. For some stores, the iPad conversion rate was as much as double the conversion rate from personal computers.
Apple is believed to be in the final stages of preparing a new retail application for the iPhone. Functioning as a mobile version of the Apple retail store, the offering in question will enable users to view products, place orders, schedule genius bar appointments in-store, and experience many of the same virtues native to an on-site visit at a brick-and-mortar location.
Your e-catalog is set for international release. You’re using the local currencies, culturally relevant copy, the best international character set in the business, and the native language right down to the intricacies of dialect that can change in a matter of a few blocks. What could stand in your way? Payment. If you are only offering payment by check or credit card, you’ll significantly bottleneck response rates. Research carried out by Forrester Research points out that 85 percent of all Internet users do not buy products online because they are unwilling to use their credit cards for Web purchases. A study conducted


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A compromise of the community forums for the openSUSE Linux distribution Tuesday sparked concern that hackers have access to a previously unknown exploit for the popular vBulletin Internet forum software.
Palo Alto Networks, an enterprise security company, has acquired Silicon Valley startup Morta Security in a deal that the companies say will better help their clients defend themselves against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
The OpenSSL Project confirmed that weak passwords used on the hosting infrastructure led to the compromise of its website, dispelling concerns that attackers might have exploited a vulnerability in virtualization software.
FireEye, a major enterprise security company, is hoping to better shield its customers from cyberattacks through its acquisition of privately held Mandiant for nearly US$1 billion.
Target has confirmed that hackers obtained customer debit card PINs (personal identification numbers) in the massive data breach suffered by the retailer during the busy holiday shopping season, but says customers should be safe, as the numbers were ...
A U.S. senator has called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Target's security practices after the large retailer reported a data breach affecting 40 million customer credit and debit cards.
Target has confirmed that data from about 40 million credit and debit cards was stolen at its stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.
Credit and debit card information of many Target customers may have been stolen during the Black Friday weekend, according to reports.
The Washington Post's servers were recently broken into by a group of unknown origin that gained access to the user names and passwords of its employees, the paper said on Wednesday.
A fake antivirus program in circulation uses at least a dozen stolen digital code-signing certificates, indicating cybercriminals are increasingly breaching the networks of software developers, Microsoft wrote on Sunday.
A new website allows Internet users to check if their usernames and passwords were exposed in some of the largest data breaches in recent years.
New attack campaigns have infected point-of-sale (PoS) systems around the world with sophisticated malware designed to steal payment card and transaction data.
Facebook, LinkedIn and other online services have been resetting accounts after 2 million login credentials, apparently stolen from users' computers, were discovered on a server in the Netherlands.
A new Trojan program that targets users of online financial services has the potential to spread very quickly over the next few months, security researchers warn.
A Boston-based company, Abine, is beefing its anti-tracking browser extension to let users shield their real credit card details, email addresses and phone numbers during web transactions.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
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Joan Rivers had a long relationship with fashion.
Like any relationship it had its ups, its downs and its put-downs. Ms. Rivers, who died Thursday, is credited with pioneering the concept of the red-carpet television interview and red-carpet event coverage. She also became renowned and notorious for her caustic remarks and manner, and hilarious, borderline offensive barbs that were in sharp contrast to the often fawning style of red-carpet television interviews today.
She famously asked celebrities “Who are you wearing?” on the red carpet for awards shows on the E! network and sometimes poked meanish fun at them to their faces before moving off the red carpet and hosting an in-studio show called “Fashion Police,” also on E!
The show was essentially a panel led by Ms. Rivers and engaging in merciless Monday-morning-quarterback-style analysis of what the stars wore. On the Aug. 26 episode recapping fashion at the Emmys and the MTV Video Music Awards, Ms. Rivers drew an upside down cup when talking about a dress Keke Palmer wore to the Emmy’s and then said, of Ms. Palmer’s décolletage, “I have not seen cups this empty since I did shots with Dina Lohan.”
When analyzing a dress worn by Taryn Manning, Ms. Rivers said “that dress has more creases than my face did before Botox.” Her co-hosts often looked horrified when she said things like this, while laughing hysterically.
The term “fashion police” became a catch phrase largely due to Ms. Rivers. Despite her toughness, she still managed to get celebrities to come on the show to talk about fashion. The program was still running up until her hospitalization.
But as hard as she could be on the fashion choices of celebrities, Ms. Rivers was a true lover of glamorous style and a clotheshorse who defiantly wore fur and taunted PETA. Ms. Rivers had numerous ties to the fashion industry. She counted designer Elie Tahari among her close friends.
Ms. Rivers was a frequent guest at fashion shows during New York Fashion Week. She was scheduled to co-host with Michael Kors a party at Bergdorf Goodman tonight to celebrate the publication of a book by Betty Halbreich, a personal shopper at the store for nearly 40 years. She even hawked jewelry and clothing lines on shopping channels. The fashion industry appreciated her, even when it didn’t agree with her.
It will miss her.


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Meta's messaging platform WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that lets Android users log into their accounts using passkeys.
Instead of typing down passwords or using two-factor authentication, WhatsApp users can now choose between face scans, fingerprint scans, or pin locks to gain access to the app.
Android users can easily and securely log back in with passkeys 🔑 only your face, finger print, or pin unlocks your WhatsApp account pic.twitter.com/In3OaWKqhy— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) October 16, 2023
Passkeys for Android will roll out in the coming weeks. Before the announcement, the security feature was first beta tested to select users via WhatsApp's beta channel.
Meta has yet to announce whether passkeys will also become available in WhatsApp's iOS version.
The Benefits of Using Passkeys
The move to integrating passkeys represents a solid step forward for the messaging service, making the login process easier for users and strengthening the security of their accounts.
A study from Norton revealed that 80% of account breaches in 2022 were related to stolen, weak, or repeated passwords.
Meanwhile, Google's research showed that passkeys quadrupled the authentication success rate of users compared to using passwords, from 13.8% to 63.8%.
Due to these factors, several tech giants have begun favoring the use of passkeys over traditional passwords and two-step authentication.
Last week, Google began its switch to passkeys, offering the feature to users as the default way to log in.
"We've found that one of the most immediate benefits of passkeys is that they spare people the headache of remembering all those numbers and special characters in passwords. They’re also phishing resistant," the company concluded in a blog post.
Edited by Nikola Djuric


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eFootball PES 2020 Mobile ith new features, new teams, and new improvements is now officially available.
HTC unveiled Exodus 1s it’s new blockchain smartphone which is a bitcoin machine with major cryptocurrencies at a price of less than $250.
Huawei launched the budget smartphone Enjoy 10 with HiSilicon Kirin 710F chipset, 48MP Dual-lens camera, and 4,000 mAh battery in China.
Nubia Red Magic 3S Gaming Smartphone with high-end specifications launched in India starting at Rs. 35,999.
PUBG Mobile new 0.15.0 update is finally here with major new features, upgrades, and improvements that will definitely improve your PUBG Mobile experience.
Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL with Snapdragon 855, 90Hz display, and dual-lens camera launched starting at $799 in the United States.
Realme has launched the Realme X2 Pro with Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, 90Hz refresh rate display and 50W SuperVOOC charging support.
Nokia 6.2 with Snapdragon 636 chipset, and triple-lens camera launched in India starting at Rs. 15,999.
Google has introduced the improved guidance system for Google Maps that will help Visually Impaired people to walk and cross the streets easily.
OnePlus launched the OnePlus 7T Pro and OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition with high-end specifications starting at Rs. 53,999 in India.


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While the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) continues to take time and postpone the listing of the first exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in Italy and the rest of Europe the number of tools that replicate the cryptocurrency trend. As the entire blockchain ecosystem is waiting for the approval or disapproval of cryptocurrencies ETFs by the US SEC, buying and selling of bitcoin and other altcoins and also investing in funding is now as easy as drinking water in Italy and Europe at large.
The first Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) were listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 2015 by the Swedish company Xbt Provider. In 2018, however, another Exchange Traded Product (ETP) debuted on the Zurich Stock Exchange, replicating a basket of cryptocurrencies. Previously, the US SEC was burned by two very young startuppers, founders of the English company Amun: the Italian-American Ophelia Snyder, 27, and the Egyptian Hany Rashwan, 29 years old.
They worked on the project for more than a full year, looking for the most fertile context for their creation, which they later found in the Six Swiss Exchange. In November 2018, they listed the Amun Crypto Basket Index ETP, which debuted at a price of 15.64 dollars - currently its value fluctuates around $23, while at the end of June it had reached a maximum of $34.075.
The Amt home ETP offers eligible investors, professional but also retailers in Switzerland and Italy, access to a diversified basket of cryptocurrencies, which is rebalanced every month. The underlying index, the Amun Crypto Basket Index, was launched in September last year and is managed by MV Index Solutions.
It is an index composed of the 5 main cryptocurrencies classified according to market capitalization and other eligibility criteria. Of course, to enter the index, a cryptocurrency must comply with certain rules, including: being able to be used by market makers as the underlying, being accepted by the Swiss stock exchange (Six), and being liquid and enjoying a good track record. Together, cryptocurrencies linked to a currency, like Tether, or created to be anonymous, or that are traded on malicious platforms are not taken into consideration.
Snyder and Rashwan said that they wanted to offer investors an easy way to take exposure to cryptocurrencies. And to do this they had to untangle two big knots: the ease of purchase, which they obtained with the ETP box, and security, ensured by the fact that cryptocurrencies are stored in a virtual wallet completely isolated from the rest of the world. They used complex security measures, with extremely sophisticated cryptographic protection. The idea is to create a family of tools entirely dedicated to cryptocurrencies.
The market and many companies have been waiting for the final verdict on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency ETFs by the SEC. However, the cryptocurrency is still optimistic that the results will be positive since the SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce is in total support of blockchain and digital assets especially Bitcoin.
Source text: https://it.coinidol.com/acquistare-bitcoin-italia/


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Input tax credit under GST has a very well-defined structure and is more comprehensive than the erstwhile indirect taxes. Cross-utilisation of credit between the Integrated GST and the Central GST/ State GST and vice-versa is another landmark departure from the previous regime. With one year of GST coming to a positive closure, let’s take a look at present notables regarding input tax credit and the likely future focus around it. Click to read more
A peak tax rate of 28 per cent plus states levying some amount of local sales tax or VAT on petrol and diesel is likely to be the tax structure when the two auto fuels are covered under the GST (goods and services tax) regime, a top government official said.
The peak GST rate plus VAT will be equal to the present tax incidence, which is made up of excise duty, levied by the central government, and VAT charged by the states. But before the two fuels are put under GST. Click to read more
At first glance, the goods and services tax’s (GST) revenue buoyancy seems unproven yet, given that 31 of 34 states/UTs in the country reported a ‘revenue shortfall’ during the July 2017-March 2018 period — among the larger states, Bihar’s deficit was 38% and Madhya Pradesh’s 26% — and received compensation. But the picture is actually not all that grim as most of these shortfalls are against the so-called ‘protected revenue’; when compared with the relevant tax revenue growth rates of the states during the pre-GST period, the new tax. Click to read more
The Government must do away with imposition of any levy in addition to the highest tax rate of 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on movie tickets (costing over Rs 100) and accord industry status to the film sector for inclusive growth of media and entertainment sector, suggested a just-concluded ASSOCHAM-PwC joint study.
“While the GST legislation classifies access to cinema as a luxury and puts it under the highest tax rate of 28 per cent (tickets costing above hundred rupees), but considering the socio-economic developments round the world, the cinema may not really be a luxury. Click to read more
The government has cleared pending GST refunds to the tune of ₹38,062 crore to exporters so far, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said on Wednesday.
“In all, ₹21,142 crore (IGST refunds), ₹9,923 crore (RFD-01A refund by CBIC) and ₹6,997 crore (RFD-01A refund by states), all totalling ₹38,062 crore has been sanctioned till June 16, 2018,” the CBIC said in a statement. Click to read more
Despite demonetization and GST fever, the credit growth in the MSME sector improved, according to a CIBIL-SIDBI joint report.
In the last five quarters, the overall growth exposure registered the highest growth at Rs 54 lakh crore as on March 2018, noted MSME Pulse quarterly report.
According to the report, the MSME exposure constitutes 23% of this, which means Rs 12.6 lakh crore is the overall credit exposure to MSME for the same period of time. Click to read more
The goods and services tax (GST) introduced to track the trail of transaction has in fact increased illegal activities in terms of billing by multiple times. ‘Bill selling’, a practice common in the construction sector among those who inflate cost of projects, has gone up four-five times after the launch of GST.
In case of ‘bill selling’ a dealer or a distributor would buy the goods from a construction material manufacturer paying taxes and would get a proper bill. This bill alone is then sold to a private builder or a government contractor who wants to inflate the cost of his projects. Click to read more
The Authority of Advance Rulings (AAR), Uttarakhand recently held that the Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) cannot be levied on the services or materials procured from Government authorities to another Government Authority. The applicant, a society registered under the Society Registration Act, 1860 and administrative control of Information Technology Department of Government has requested an advance ruling on the applicability of the GST on the services or materials procured from the Government or Government authorities. Click to read more
The Commercial Tax department officials are cracking down on those not carrying an e-Waybill and evading Goods and Services Tax (GST). The department has now started levying fines amounting to the taxes being evaded, this is in addition to the tax evaded.
As part of the crackdown, the department on Tuesday conducted raids at Medchal and booked cases against 20 GST defaulters. The tax department officials have found out that the traders are resorting to new ways to beat the system. Click to read more


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Toyota Hints Next Move to Prius Hybrid Braking Problems
Toyota hinted for its next move to the Pruis braking problem, saying that the new plan will come out next week.
The carmaker is now discussing with the Japanese government possible repair or recall plan for its Prius model, which remained the top-selling gas-electric hybrid in the world despite software glitch that cause delays in braking system.
World’s largest automaker Toyota Motor Corp is expected to announce possible plans that would address the reported braking problems of its Prius electric hybrid. Earlier reports told that the car firm had already decided to recall its prized model in Japan.
Analysts said that the possible massive recall of the Prius would further add up to the burden of the company, which has already recalled more than 4.5 million vehicles due to sticking gas pedals.But a recall in the United States is unlikely as the Toyota already informed dealers that it will soon come up with the possible repair plans for the thousands of Prius hybrids sold in the country.
In a statement sent to dealers, Toyota Spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said that the new action plan would be handed down immediately to dealers once the company finished with its review.
Asked whether the recall of the Pruis model in Japan was true, Takeuchi refused to further comment, saying that “we will have to wait with the final decision.” The Japanese automaker is now discussing possible recall or repair plans with the government.
To date, the Prius remained the top-selling gas-electric hybrid in the world as demand for a more fuel-efficient and more environment-friendly cars becomes stronger. There were at least some 170, 000 cars sold in Japan while another 270, 000 were sold to the US.
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