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Forbes
3 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Tobacco-Free Future - Moving Forward Or Backwards?
A delegate smokes a cigarette outside the conference centre on the opening day of the annual ... More Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, northern England, on October 1, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images) The World Health Organization this week released its tenth report on the global tobacco epidemic, a status update on its anti-smoking campaigns. The WHO concludes that more than 6 billion people, or around 75% of the world population, are now covered by some kind of tobacco control measure, including graphic warnings on cigarette packages, increases in taxation, advertising bans and programs that help people quit smoking. According to the organization, less than 20% of the world population currently smokes, down from more than 32% in the year 2000. 80% of these people are located in middle or low income countries and are more likely males as smoking continues to be the biggest cause of preventable death globally. As tobacco use is falling and control measures have reached a critical mass of people, a total phase-out of commercial tobacco use has been on the table in some countries, while others are inching closer, attempting to reduce the number of smokers to 5% or less of the population. However, some of the most high-profile measures of this kind have already failed, raising the question whether a tobacco-free future is in the making, further away that it seems or even wholly unattainable. This chart shows major tobacco bans or similar legislation and state of implementation worldwide (as ... More of June 2025). Bhutan, the Himalayan nation, was the world's first officially smoke-free country when it outlawed the import and sale of tobacco in 2004. Bhutan has become famous for its different approach to governance, which has been admired in the West, for example calculating gross national happiness or mandating that 60% of the country remain forested. But even the remote nation that cited Buddhist teachings as a reason for its tobacco ban has not been immune to outside influence and axed the majority of its ban in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic to stop smuggler which were spreading the disease. Since then, the country's government decided not to reinstate and instead focus on education and cessasion programs, as the ban did not actually lower smoking rates and instead created an environment free of warnings around the tobacco which was still available illegally. More recently, New Zealand attempted to raise a smoke-free generation from 2027 onwards by not allowing anyone born in 2009 or later to legally purchase cigarettes once the turned 18, alongside many other anti-tobacco measures. The country's approach was that of a more gradual phase-out rather than a sudden ban but its merits won't be tested as a change in government prompted the law enacted in 2022 to be scrapped despite reportedly having widespread public support. A new conservative coalition government decided to change course after coming to power in 2023, reportedly at the request of the populist New Zealand First party. Tobacco revenue was consecutively tied to new tax cuts. This highlights another area of concern with tobacco bans and phase-outs: the cost of prevention and tax revenue losses in the short term, even though these are expected to be offset by lower public healthcare costs. However, the United Kingdom is currently mulling a similar ban that is yet to be enacted but enjoys government and public support as of now. Creating Smoke-free Nations? The New Zealand government meanwhile said that it remained committed to creating a smoke-free nation nevertheless. Several countries, including Portugal, Canada and Australia, have set similar goals, typically aiming to reduce the number of smokers to 5% or less in the next five to 15 years. The EU, for example, has set this date to 2040. One popular rule to inch closer to this goal has been to further limit smoking in public outdoor areas like restaurant and bar patios, beaches, parks, natural areas or even inner city streets. The aforementioned countries, sometimes on a state level, have introduced bans like these, as have several other nations around the world. Cities have also followed suit and a well-reported ban went into effect in Milan at the beginning of the year, outlawing smoking anywhere near other people, similar to the law in place in Costa Rica. France is also tightening these rules from July 1, but exempts outdoor hospitality areas, another major area of pushback in the ongoing tug-of-war between public health advocates driven by well-founded concerns, proponents of free lifestyle choices and governments' short-term revenue considerations. Charted by Statista
India.com
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
India's first TV show to be made on budget of Rs 100 crore, name is..., Not Ramayana, Naagin, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
India's first TV show to be made on budget of Rs 100 crore, name is..., Not Ramayana, Naagin, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Mythological shows have always been loved and highly-watched by Indian masses. Especially during the lockdown, some of these shows were re-released and brought back that nostalgic flavour. One of them was Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Mahabharat which garnered not just good ratings but became India's first TV show to be made on a hefty budget of Rs 100 crore. The epic mythological show featured Saurabh Raj Jain as Shri Krishna, Shaheer Sheikh as Arjuna, Pooja Sharma as Draupadi, Aham Sharma as Karna, Arav Chowdhary as Bhishma, Arpit Ranka as Duryodhana. The channel Star Plus invested a staggering Rs 100 crore on the show. Mahabharat had some incredible talents to work on it, including Salim Khan as the creative consultant, Bhanu Athaiya for costume, Ajay Atul and Ismail Darbar for music. Omung Kumar as the production designer, built one of India's most expensive sets ever. The outdoor sequences of Mahabharat were shot in some of the most picturesque locations like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, among others. Moreover, Rs 20 crore was spent additionally on promotions and marketing of the epic show. In 2013, Star Plus had set up Mahabharat museums in eight cities of India, for people to catch the glimpse of the jewellery, weapons and attires used by the characters on the show. The museums situated in smaller towns, had everything setup on wheels. During lockdown, Mahabharat's re-run began on Star Plus from May 30 and became a leading television program across India.
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Julio Cesar Chavez Turned Down Huge Name To Take Jake Paul Fight
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: Julio César Chávez Jr. attends Logan Paul Workout Showcase at ... More Wild Card Boxing Club on October 22, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by) Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had options. According to the former middleweight champion who is set to take on Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on June 28, he had an offer to fight another YouTuber-turned-boxer, KSI. However, Chavez says he took the fight against Paul because he has a bigger name. Chavez was speaking to boxing content creator, Elie Seckbach of ES News. Here is a look at the interview. The matchmaking decisions behind influencer boxing fights aren't always rooted in rankings or competitive merit—they're often about reach. Chavez Jr. knows that, and based on his comments to Seckbach, his team weighed their options. KSI, a global brand in his own right, was on the table. But Paul's drawing power still seems to eclipse everyone else in this niche crossover space, which made the decision a straightforward one for Chavez. While Chavez Jr. says he chose to fight Paul because he has a bigger name, he also said he wants to take revenge for Mike Tyson. Chavez says he didn't like seeing Paul fight the 58-year-old boxing legend, and he wants to make Paul pay. The fight between Chavez Jr. and Paul was announced on April 18. The date for Paul-Chavez Jr. is a curious one considering it positions the fight to go head-to-head against the UFC's International Fight Week. Does Paul know something we don't about UFC 317? Aside from that, it is strange for him to attempt to go head-to-head with one of the UFC's biggest shows. The pairing immediately sparked discussion around Chavez Jr.'s current form and what Paul gains by continuing to pick fights with legacy names. KSI had a fight scheduled with former mixed martial artist, Dillon Danis, but an injury forced the former out. However, the cancellation happened after KSI slapped Danis in the face with a pancake at the presser. Despite Chavez Jr's boxing pedigree, he will likely be an underdog by the time the fight with Paul rolls around. Chavez Jr. is 38 years old and he has only fought once over the past four years, a unanimous decision win over former UFC fighter, Uriah Hall. From a promotional standpoint, Paul vs. Chavez Jr. sets up a clean 'old school vs. new wave' narrative. And Chavez Jr. has leaned into it, pointing to Tyson's involvement in the Paul orbit as a motivator. Paul, who continues to play the role of boxing disruptor, now faces a name with legacy weight—even if that legacy has been complicated by inconsistency and inactivity. There's no question the build-up will lean heavily on personality, nostalgia, and internet moments. With Paul, that's always part of the package. For Chavez Jr., the question will be how sharp he can look after so much downtime—and whether a name built off heritage and occasional brilliance still has enough juice to challenge the influencer boxing tide. Like it or not, we're about to find out.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Precise Positioning Could Accelerate Autonomy, Industry Panel Predicts
Ford Fusion equipped with Swift Navigation Skylark positioning system at the American Center for ... More Mobility, Ypsilanti, Michigan. On a closed course, as soon as the driver gets behind the wheel of a specially-equipped Ford Fusion all the windows are covered. With no physical view of the course, the driver will attempt to navigate its twists and turns using only an image on a tablet positioned above the steering wheel. After some period of adjustment and about a dozen crushed traffic cones, it's a clean crawl through a series of wide and tight turns and s-curves. It feels like a video game but the exercise at the American Center for Mobility near Ypsilanti, Michigan this week was a demonstration of Swift Navigation's Skylark Precision Positioning System. By using what's called global navigation satellite system, or GNSS, Swift's technology aims to provide vehicle location accuracy within one centimeter, by correcting any errors caused when satellite signals travel from space through the atmosphere to a series of thousands of ground reference stations around the world, according to the company. It's a cloud-based software solution that works in concert with properly-equipped vehicles. Swift Navigation image representing the difference in the accuracy of its system, from others. The ... More orange lines represent the correct driving course. The others show how far off other systems could be. Not to be confused with the more familiar global positioning system, or GPS, which is a U.S.-owned system, GNSS is actually the umbrella term for all global navigation systems. 'GNSS in the vehicle, is the only absolute position sensor that tells you where you are in the world, but it's part of the larger suite of sensors in the vehicle,' explained James Tidd, vice president, systems engineering at Swift during a panel discussion of the future of vehicle autonomy at the ACM on Tuesday, presented by the Society of Automotive Analysts. Panel discussing the future of vehicle autonomy at the American Center for Mobility, Ypsilanti, ... More Michigan, April 8, 2025. Seated left to right: Moderator Gary Vasilash; Mark Barrott, Plante Moran; Curtis Hay, General Motors; Daniela Steinbacher, Bosch; James Tidd, Swift Navigation. Indeed, as the auto industry looks to improve advance driver safety systems and increasing self-driving capabilities, the demand for more precise accuracy in vehicle positioning has become more acute. The challenges, however range from technology to budgets to competitive secrecy, panel members pointed out. 'We don't have a standardization, and I think this is a very crucial topic,' said Daniela Steinbacher, program manager at Bosch. 'Everybody's doing their own stuff.' Stuff costs money. Mark Barrott, a partner at management consultants Plante Moran warned with average vehicle transaction prices already around $50,000, adding cost for technology, as advantageous as it might be, is probably not a good business decision. 'I cannot put this technology into a vehicle to force another $2,000, $3,000 on top of that, the price of that vehicle,' said Barrott. 'It has to be affordable. It has to be useful, and my consumer has to understand how to use it, what benefit they're going to get. Self-driving systems such as General Motors's SuperCruise are becoming more popular, providing a break for drivers, as long as they keep their eyes on the road most of the time. However, the systems are only as safe and accurate as their programming, sensors and information ingested about the roads and environment on which the vehicles are traveling. Feedback from customers is they don't want SuperCruise to work in some environments, they want it to work everywhere, said technical fellow at GM, Curtis Hay. 'So as we expand automated driving to new environments, what happens? We see more trees. We see more buildings,' said Hay. 'We've got to solve those, they become more important problems to tackle the automated drive down highways.' About 70% of auto brands are currently using GNSS, according to Tidd and Swift is working with around 20 automakers. As both urgency and demand for more effective and accurate autonomy and ADAS technology increases, Tidd stresses it's imperative to look outward and upward. 'I think what's happened is people are now treating the intelligent transport system as a much larger system,' Tidd advised. 'You can no longer look at four wheels and a body of chassis and say, that's my system. You have to include the upper atmosphere, the surrounding environments, the road conditions.' Indeed it must at least be accurate enough for a driver to get though a course without crushing a dozen cones.
