Latest news with #791
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Palm falls on weaker soyoil, concerns over rising output, stock levels
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm oil futures fell on Monday, as weaker soyoil prices and concerns over rising production and inventory levels pressured the market. The benchmark palm oil contract for August delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid RM36, or 0.94 per cent, to RM3,791 (US$901.97) a metric ton at the midday break. Crude palm oil futures were down due to concerns over rising output and rising stock levels in the coming weeks, while weakness in the soybean oil market also weighed on prices, said David Ng, a proprietary trader at Kuala Lumpur-based trading firm Iceberg X Sdn Bhd. Dalian's most-active soyoil contract fell 0.98 per cent, while its palm oil contract shed 0.77 per cent. The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) is closed for a holiday. Palm oil tracks the price movements of rival edible oils as it competes for a share of the global vegetable oils market. The ringgit, palm's currency of trade, strengthened 0.59 per cent against the dollar, making the commodity more expensive for buyers holding foreign currencies. Oil prices gained in early Asian trade after US President Donald Trump extended the deadline for trade talks with the European Union, easing concerns about US tariffs on the bloc that could hurt the global economy and fuel demand. Stronger crude oil futures make palm a more attractive option for biodiesel feedstock. Palm oil is poised to break support of RM3,812 per metric ton and fall to RM3,768, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.
Mint
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Vance in India: What's that black SUV in US Vice President's cavalcade?
US Vice President JD Vance landed at Palam airport on Monday morning for a four-day visit. Vance is in India with his wife, Usha Vance, the Indian-American Second Lady, and his three children – sons Ewan and Vivek, and daughter Mirabel. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the US Vice President at the Palam airport, where Vance was given a tri-services guard of honour. As Vance's aircraft landed at Palam Technical Area in New Delhi, a black Chevrolet Suburban near the plane caught the attention. The black SUV was adorned with the flags of the United States and India, symbolic of India-US ties. In the past, the Suburbans were flown in with the US VP's delegation. It bore US number plates. In 2021, the then US vice president Kamala Harris was seen in videos travelling in a Suburban which bears the same number plate as the one in Vance's motorcade Suburban. The Chevrolet Suburban is a series of SUVs built by Chevrolet since the 1935 model year. Known as the longest-used automobile nameplate in the world, the Chevrolet Suburban is currently in its twelfth generation. With one of the first metal-bodied station wagons, the Suburban is the progenitor of the modern full-size SUV, combining a wagon-style body with the chassis and powertrain of a pickup truck. The Suburban is the largest of Chevrolet's lineup of SUVs on sale, predominantly in the United States. The one seen in Vance's motorcade is a seven-seater version. In December 2019, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce unveiled a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for the Suburban, noting that the Suburban had been in "1,750 films and TV shows since 1952. The highest variant of the car - Chevrolet Suburban High Country 2025 is priced at about ₹ 6,791,500 (US$79,900) Chevrolet exited the Indian market in 2017. Transmission: 10-speed Automatic Dimensions (MM): 5722X2060X1923
Mint
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Vance in India: What's that black SUV in US Vice President's cavalcade
US Vice President JD Vance landed at Palam airport on Monday morning for a four-day visit. Vance is in India with his wife, Usha Vance, the Indian-American Second Lady, and his three children – sons Ewan and Vivek, and daughter Mirabel. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the US Vice President at the Palam airport, where Vance was given a tri-services guard of honour. As Vance's aircraft landed at Palam Technical Area in New Delhi, a Chevrolet Suburban stationed near the plane caught the attention. The black SUV was adorned with the flags of the United States and India, symbolic of India-US ties. In the past, the Suburbans were flown in with the US VP's delegation. It bore US number plates. In 2021, the then US vice president Kamala Harris was seen in videos travelling in a Suburban which bears the same number plate as the one in Vance's motorcade Suburban. The Chevrolet Suburban is a series of SUVs built by Chevrolet since the 1935 model year. Known as the longest-used automobile nameplate in the world, the Chevrolet Suburban is currently in its twelfth generation. With one of the first metal-bodied station wagons, the Suburban is the progenitor of the modern full-size SUV, combining a wagon-style body with the chassis and powertrain of a pickup truck. The Suburban is the largest of Chevrolet's lineup of SUVs on sale, predominantly in the United States. The one seen in Vance's motorcade is a seven-seater version. In December 2019, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce unveiled a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for the Suburban, noting that the Suburban had been in "1,750 films and TV shows since 1952. The highest variant of the car -- Chevrolet Suburban High Country 2025 is priced at about ₹ 6,791,500 (US$79,900) Chevrolet exited the Indian market in 2017. Transmission: 10-speed Automatic Dimensions (MM): 5722X2060X1923 The Chevrolet Suburban is known as the longest-used automobile nameplate in the world. First Published: 21 Apr 2025, 01:45 PM IST
Telegraph
08-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Britain's ancient bell ringing tradition at risk of dying out
For centuries, the chimes of church bells have provided the musical backdrop to some of the nation's most historic events from coronation celebrations to melancholic tolls honouring the war dead. But the latest data reveals the demanding art of peal bell ringing is at risk of dying out, which could transform the sonic landscape of English cities, towns and villages. In recent years, the number of officially recorded 'peals' – precise mathematical variations of 'changes', or striking sequences, rung on tuned church bells for up to four hours – has fallen by more than a quarter. In 2024, only 3,583 peals were performed, a sharp decline compared to 2014 when 4,791 were officially logged in The Ringing World, a weekly journal recording such data since 1911. Only the two World Wars and Covid pandemic saw a more marked decrease. There are now far fewer 'first pealers', with the average age having reached 60 for the first time. In 1974, the average age was 35. The campanology crisis has meant the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR), which represents those who ring bells in the English tradition with a rope and wheel, is now considering simplifying the craft of peal ringing to make it more attractive to younger people. It comes after the council warned of a 'demographic time bomb', which could mean 'there won't be that many active ringers' in 20 years because of a dwindling 'base of young ringers'. Tina Stoecklin, the CCCBR president, said although she was reassured by the increase in the number of post-Covid peals, there may be a need to make the art more attractive to younger people. 'A peal can take between three and four hours to ring. It is a significant achievement in mental concentration and sustained physical effort for a team of ringers working together,' she said. 'It is a bit like a test match in cricket. Like cricket, we have shorter performances that a lot of ringers prefer over ringing peals. 'Could we come up with the equivalent of a 20/20 match for ringing to appeal to yet more people?' Will Bosworth, the editor of The Ringing World, said the number of younger bell ringers had increased, but they were shunning the traditional, longer three-hour peals. 'Students are not taking to it in as many numbers as they used to; three hours is considered a long time to ring these days and they are more likely to ring quarter peals,' he said 'There is also the issue of the declining number of churches making it more difficult for some people to get to ringing towers. 'Although we are seeing increasing numbers of youth bands being formed around the country, there is concern about the declining number of peals. 'I think there are several reasons; one is the natural decline following the post-War boom. It is worth noting that more peals are still rung now than there were before the war. 'In the past, ringing a peal was often a team and village effort so easy-to-ring peals were chosen – and that sort of cultural goal has died out.' The CCCBR has set up the Ringing 2030 project to help recruit new ringers amid fears 'there won't be that many active ringers' in 20 years time. For a peal from a tower containing seven bells to be rung they must be struck in every conceivable combination, requiring 5,040 changes to resonate creating a sound that cannot really be perceived as a melody. The Ringing World data includes all peals rung around the world worldwide, although the vast majority are in England. They also include hand bell peals, although their number is dwarfed by church tower peals. There are an estimated 30,000 bell-ringers in the UK.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California Rep. Zoe Lofgren Introduces Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act To Block Sites Infringing On U.S. Copyrights
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Dem-CA) has introduced H.R. 791, the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (or FADPA), to prevent foreign-run piracy sites from exploiting loopholes in U.S. law. The Act sets site-blocking laws that require U.S. internet providers to make 'a good faith effort' to disable access to pirate websites. Lofgren is Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and a senior member of the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet. After working for over a year with the tech, film, and television industries, she said, 'we've arrived at a proposal that has a remedy for copyright infringers located overseas that does not disrupt the free internet except for the infringers.' More from Deadline Global Industry Group ACE Announces Shutdown Of Fmovies, Deemed "World's Largest Piracy Ring" Operators Of Jetflicks, An Illegal Streaming Service With A Catalog Larger Than Netflix, Prime Video And Hulu Put Together, Convicted By Federal Jury Indonesia Clamps Down On Piracy Of Streamer Vidio's Content On Telegram Foreign digital piracy, she adds, presents a 'massive and growing threat,' costing American jobs, harming the creative community, and exposing consumers to dangerous security risks. The Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act is a targeted approach that focuses on safety and intellectual property, while simultaneously upholding due process, respecting free speech, and ensuring enforcement is narrowly focused. 'Compromise is often found when you sit and hash out policy recommendations with the workers, companies, and users directly involved, and I appreciate the support from the tech and content communities in this effort. I look forward to continuing to work with Chairmen Darrell Issa and Jim Jordan on anti-piracy measures in the near future,' Lofgren said. Rep. Issa (R-CA) is the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. Trade groups applauded the bill with the Motion Picture Association noting that intellectual property theft drains at least $30 billion and 230,000 jobs from the U.S. economy each year. It said more than 55 countries including Canada, the UK and Australia have tools in place similar to those proposed by Rep. Lofgren that have successfully reduced piracy's harms while protecting consumer access to legal content. 'The MPA thanks Rep. Lofgren for introducing FADPA and for her commitment to work with Chairman Issa to enact legislation this Congress to ensure America's creators have effective enforcement tools to combat offshore piracy targeting the U.S. market,' said MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. Jean Prewitt, president and CEO of the Independent Film & Television Alliance, said foreign copyright piracy is also a grave problem for independent film producers. 'Site blocking legislation is badly needed to protect U.S. creators from industrial-strength theft of their films and programs by foreign bad actors, who are outside the reach of U.S. legal jurisdiction.' 'We also look forward to working with … Chair Darrell Issa as he leads a bi -partisan effort, working with Rep. Lofgren and other members to craft a legislative solution to deal with foreign copyright piracy and protect our industry and U.S. economic productivity,' she said. The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the Authors Guild, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE),the Copyright Alliance, and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and leading technology policy think tanks, ITIF, also backed the bill. Background on the issue Lofgren's office provided, citing research, said that in 2019, U.S.-produced television episodes and movies were illegally streamed or downloaded, respectively, 126.7 billion and 26.6 billion times. By 2022, global visits to movie and TV piracy sites reached 191.8 billion, costing the U.S. economy $29.2 billion annually and threatening more than 230,000 American jobs in entertainment, technology, and small businesses. Today, it said, some illegal foreign online pirate sites are bigger than some of the biggest legit U.S. streaming services. One piracy site hit 364 million visits in October of 2024, which was larger than Disney+ viewership in that same month. Live sports are also a prime target, with piracy draining $28 billion annually from the global sports industry. 'Past U.S. efforts to curb piracy failed because they lacked due process, threatened free speech, and provided overly-broad enforcement powers that risked harming legitimate websites and the open internet,' the announcement said. That's certainly what some felt about Obama-era legislation called the Stop Online Piracy Act (or SOPA), which lawmakers quickly walked back after facing a really furious onslaught by the U.S. tech industry. Today is the first time legislators have really dared to touched the issue of digital piracy since then. 'A decade ago, I was at the center of the successful effort to prevent the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) from becoming law. That was not because I support copyright infringement, but because I support the open internet. Lofgren said. She said the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act takes a better approach. It protects service providers from legal liability. ISPs, DNS providers, and other intermediaries are shielded from lawsuits 'as long as they comply in good faith' with court-ordered blocking measures. The good faith element could make enforcement messy but it's a start. As per the famous (or infamous) Section 230 of Telecommunications Act of the late 1990s, service providers are not responsible for content on their platforms, with very few exceptions. A 2018 law under the Trump Administration did legally prohibit sex trafficking sites. Providers tend to cry slippery slope and the end of free speech at any carve-out to their Section 230 freedom, which courts have mostly respected. Other highlights of the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act: It only targets large-scale, foreign-run piracy sites. It respects First Amendment rights. Every blocking order must go through a U.S. court, requiring clear evidence, due process, and judicial oversight to ensure fair enforcement and prevent censorship. Courts must first verify that any site-blocking order does not interfere with access to lawful material before issuing an order. It allows for feasible tech solutions. Unlike past proposals, the bill does not mandate specific technical measures for blocking. Instead, it allows service providers to determine the best, least intrusive methods to comply with court orders. It provides a narrowly-tailored blocking mechanism limited to piracy sites that exist solely to infringe copyrights. Best of Deadline How to Watch The 67th Annual Grammy Awards Online And With Cable 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More The 2025 Oscars: Everything We Know So Far About The Nominations, Ceremony, Date & Host
