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Corporate/Commercial Law
Most Read: Contributor Hong Kong, November 2020
Hong Kong: Latest Regulatory Action On Sponsor Failure
by ONC Lawyers
ONC Lawyers
On 16 September 2020, the Securities and Futures Commission (the "SFC") announced that it has prohibited a former responsible officer ("RO") of Yi Shun Da Capital Limited ("YSD Capital"), who was also its chief executive officer, from re-entering the industry for 20 months for breaching the (1) Code of Conduct for Persons Licensed by or Registered with the Securities and Futures Commission (the "Code of Conduct"), and (2) Additional Fit and Proper Guidelines for Corporations and Authorized Financial Institutions applying or continuing to act as Sponsors and Compliance Advisers. He was a sponsor principal in charge of the supervision of the execution of a listing application in 2017 for which YSD Capital was the sponsor.
In the SFC's disciplinary action, the SFC found that the former RO failed to discharge his duties as a sponsor principal, an RO and a member of the senior management of YSD Capital as he had failed to (1) exercise due skill, care and diligence in handling the listing application; (2) diligently supervise his subordinates to carry out the sponsor work undertaken by YSD Capital; and (3) ensure the maintenance of appropriate standards of conduct by YSD Capital.
The SFC has not disclosed any further information about the above disciplinary action as it is related to another disciplinary action against YSD Capital for the same listing application and YSD Capital has made an application to the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal (the "Tribunal") for a review of the disciplinary action against it.
According to a decision of the Tribunal dated 6 July 2020, the SFC found that YSD Capital was culpable of misconduct in its conduct of the listing application of Imperial Sierra Group Holdings Limited ("Imperial Sierra") and that it was not a fit and proper person to remain licensed. YSD Capital was therefore reprimanded and fined HK$4.5 million. In relation to this SFC decision, YSD Capital has also applied for a review of the disciplinary action against it in the Tribunal.
Common compliance issues of IPO sponsors
The SFC has repeatedly reminded sponsors to avoid five big failings as follows.
Adopting a box-ticking approach
A common failing is sponsors' failure to consider the extent of the due diligence required, and resorting to a box-ticking approach. It is important for sponsors to develop comprehensive due diligence plans customised for the applicant's unique business model at the start of each engagement instead of relying on a generic checklist. Sponsors should devote sufficient time for each engagement to ensure that all major issues are being dealt with properly.
Ignoring red flags
Another common failing is sponsors' failure to take reasonable steps to follow up on obvious red flags. Sponsors have to verify that the business operations are accurately described in the listing application. For instance, if 90% of a listing applicant's revenue is derived from sales to a group of customers, and this is mainly paid through third-party payers, the sponsor should regard it as an obvious red flag and follow up to establish the authenticity of the sales.
Improper interview practices
The SFC noted that some sponsors failed to comply with the requirements for sponsors' interview practices set out in paragraph 17.6 of the Code of Conduct, such as failing to verify the identity of the interviewees independently and that the interviewees had the appropriate authority and knowledge. Sponsors should follow up on questions which were not satisfactorily answered during the interviews. Sponsors should also spend sufficient time to properly consider the issues raised in the interviews and resolve the potential red flags accordingly.
Over-reliance on experts and third parties
Sponsors are reminded to critically review an expert's opinion and conduct necessary follow-up to resolve any material discrepancies, irregularities or inconsistencies. For instance, a sponsor should look into and disclose to the regulators a material difference between the figures provided by two auditors. The fact that the auditors have audited the listing applicant's accounts would not relieve the sponsors of their responsibility to assess the listing applicant's financial and business performance.
Sponsors are also responsible for tasks undertaken by third parties. A sponsor should be able to explain why it can rely on the third party considering its qualification and competence, whether it communicates the scope and extent of the due diligence to the third party, and whether the third party's work provides a sufficient basis to determine that reasonable due diligence has been conducted and hence the sponsor's due diligence obligations have been discharged.
Improper supervision and inadequate resources
The SFC found that sponsor principals in some cases might not have the capacity to adequately supervise the transaction teams, resulting in failing to escalate critical matters. Following the implementation of the SFC's Manager-In-Charge regime in 2017, management responsibility is now a particular focus in the SFC's inspections. Sponsor principals should adequately supervise their transaction teams at all times, attend key due diligence interviews together with junior team members so as to be better informed about the listing applicants, and provide timely guidance to the team when needed.
The SFC imposed fines of over HK$800 million in disciplinary actions against sponsor firms in 2019 alone. It also suspended the licences of several sponsor firms as well as sponsor principals. These serve as a strong message to sponsors that the SFC has little tolerance for any misconduct and will be resolute in upholding conduct standards in IPO listing applications. Hence it is very important for sponsor firms and sponsor principals to understand and comply with the relevant regulatory regime and seek appropriate legal advice where necessary.
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"John Q" quotes
Nick Cassavetes directed this movie in 2002
Title John Q
Director Nick Cassavetes
Genre Drama, Thriller
Interpreted by
Ethan Suplee
Ray Liotta
Plot – John Q. Archibald is an ordinary man who works in a factory and takes care of his family. His wife Denise and his son Michael are all he has. When his boy becomes ill, he has urgently to undergo a heart transplant but the operation is economically inaccessible to the Archibald'S and their insurance will not cover the costs. John will do anything to save his son's life. Driven by desperation, John takes hostage the entire emergency department of the hospital where Michael is hospitalized.
All actors – Gabriela Oltean, Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise, Ron Annabelle, Daniel E. Smith, David Thornton, Barry G. King, Laura Harring, Kevin Connolly, Larissa Laskin, Vanessa Branch, Stephanie Moore, James Finnerty, Anne Heche, James Woods, Michael Jaye, Yanna McIntosh, Linda Massad, Lester Mathews, Noam Jenkins, Allegra Fulton, Darrin Brown, Paul Johansson, Shera Danese, Kirsta Teague, Ethan Suplee, Rick Sood, Shawn Hatosy, Heather Wahlquist, Troy Byer, Troy Winbush, Eddie Griffin, Martha Chaves, Scott Bloom, Dina Waters, Carlos Diaz, Joe Duer, Simon Sinn, Robert Duvall, Obba Babatundé, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Douglas, Keram Malicki-Sánchez, Philip Williams, Nigel Shawn Williams, Frank Cassavetes, Colin Evans, Angelo Tsarouchas, Marcia Johnson, Vijay Mehta, Andrew Schaff, Malcolm Nefsky, Jay Leno, Gloria Allred, Larry King, Arianna Huffington, Ted Demme, Nas, Bill Maher, Claire Rankin, Phillip Craig, Gerry Quigley, Oluniké Adeliyi, Joanna Bennett, Jennifer Cohen, Chantal Cousineau, Cheryl De Luca, Larry Hatcher, Sandra Jackson, Gillian Leigh, Jane Luk, Marcus Mayer, Carroll Shelby, Victor Sutton
"John Q" Quotes 5 quotes
"No goodbye, you know I don't like goodbyes. See you later!"
Daniel E. Smith - Michael 'Mike' Archibald
[Tag:death, farewell]
"You know how easy it is to get a gun in this country? In five minutes, boom, gunshow."
James Woods - Dr. Raymond Turner
[Tag:america, weapons]
"You always listen to your mother, understand? Do what she tells you to do. She's your best friend. Tell her you love her every day. You're too young for girls right now but there's gonna come a time, and when it does, you treat them like princesses, because that's what they are. When you say you're gonna do something, you do it. Because your..." (continue)(continue reading)
Denzel Washington - John Quincy Archibald
[Tag:last words, life, money]
"My son is dying and I'm broke. If I don't qualify for Medicare, who the hell does?"
[Tag:disease, injustice, poverty]
"I am not going to bury my son. My son is going to bury me."
[Tag:death, disease, father]
More Nick Cassavetes Movies
Alpha Dog
She's So Lovely
More Movies by the Actors
Remember the Titans
Have worked with Nick Cassavetes
John Travolta(1954)
actor, singer, dancer
Sean Penn(1960)
Ryan Gosling(1980)
actor, film director, scriptwriter, film producer, musician
Sharon Stone(1958)
actor, producer, top model
More Movies with genre: Drama, Thriller
The Siege
Bringing Out the Dead

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Validation one element in form via jQuery is it possible to validate input generated via devexpress using jquery?
Each time I try validate my element using:
$('name').valid()

It returns true despite the fact that I wrote this in devexpress control:
Properties.ValidationSettings.RequiredField.IsRequired = true;

Validation was possible only when i add "required" to element directly in html.
What is more validation before sending form after clicking in devexpress button works.

A: I solved this problem by adding:
settings.Properties.ClientSideEvents.Init = "function(s,e){ var input = s.GetInputElement(); $(input).attr('required', 'true');}";

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Have you ever looked at all those tanks in doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms or on posh shop counters and wondered, "how do they keep them so clean?" Well, wonder no more – it's us! But it isn't just aquariums in public places we look after; we take care of aquarium cleaning in people's homes too.
Sturgeon are a spectacular, very old and almost unchanged genera of fish that are very hardy once established. They're active and will feed all year round, and tolerate a wide variety of temperatures as long as the water is very well oxygenated. More and more colour varieties are becoming available and within the next few years we could see some spectacular colour forms turning up.
Check out our extensive range Online!
Greenmann Aquatics is a group of family-owned business' in Dorset and The New Forest. We are fish and water specialists! Run by Lucie Mann and David Green, who have worked with fish and aquatics for over 30 years.
Dave has been keeping fish since 4 years of age and working in the industry for over 30 years. Covering everything from trout farming, landscaping, wholesaling, and ornamental aquatics (including tropical and marine). Furthermore, he has done an extensive study on sturgeon farming and holds a HND in fish farming and fisheries management. Most noteworthy, is Daves love of all things Aquatic.
Lucie began working with aquatics 30 years ago, concentrating on indoor aquatics. She has always had a passion for plants and a dream to combine fish and plants in her working life. Over 25 years Dave and Lucie have worked together, building the companies that now exist under Greenmann Aquatics. Lucie now concentrates on the Aquaponics projects and Sturgeon products in the business, fulfilling her dreams. Also, Lucie assists Dave in the day to day running of Greenmann Aquatics Pond Services while she expands the projects above.
Have a browse through the website – New products are added every day. Our pond services are available and all information on this can be found via the tab above. Greenmann Aquatics Pond Services can do pond cleaning, maintenance, pond builds as well as water testing and many more things.
If you are in need of help with fish keeping, health or filtration advice, see our tab about The Fish Man! Dave can provide a wealth of knowledge on these subjects and is available for home/pond visits.
The blog is also updated regularly with our activities including New Forest Sturgeon Treats for all pets and our adventure with Aquaponics!
Check out our photos to see whats been happening!


Description: Bella the Bratz girl is at her favorite video arcade again. She is so confident that she will make it this time reaching the Highest score in her favorite game and win the top prize. Not so easy to get this confidence, she has been playing these games almost 18 hours a day. Get her dressed well to boost her confidence level and wish her all the best for a great day. Use your mouse to play this game.


CANTON, Ohio – Former Washington Redskins NFL general manager Bobby Beathard was inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Beathard helped guide the Washington-based franchise to prominence by hiring a little-known and inexperienced coach in Joe Gibbs while leading the Redskins to three Super Bowl appearances, including victories in Super Bowls XVII and XXII.
Winning championships is what Beathard was known for and was an architect of talent acquisition. Thanks to Beathard, Gibbs, wide receiver Art Monk, lineman Russ Grimm and cornerback Darrell Green all dawn gold jackets under his direction.
He started off his career in professional football as a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 when the organization won the AFL Championship that season but fell to Green Bay in Super Bowl I. Beathard was responsible for guiding seven teams to the Super Bowl and had the best combined regular season and postseason winning percentage (.667) in the NFL during his time with the Redskins.


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First Look Video: After 7 slows it down beautifully on "No Place Like You"
(January 4, 2022) Last year's Unfinished Business was a welcome return for one of the most beloved vocal trios around. Four years since After 7 made a triumphant comeback with Timeless - an excellent album that reconnected them with their adult soul audience and won for them two SoulTracks Readers' Choice Awards - the members showed that they still have it goingbig time.
And on this great new album, the most celebrated by fans has to be the beautiful ballad, "No Place Like You." A song that combines love and a sense of heartbreak, "No Place" displays the emotions of a man who realizes what he's been missing. As Kevon Edmonds explains, "I am fairly certain that if you live life long enough, you'll learn that you can't have the sunshine without the rain. 'No Place Like You' was inspired by the thought of knowing that you can build a house with all the finest materials in the world with the best of everything in it. But in reality, it's not these things that make a house a home. It's the love from that special someone."
Now, the video for the song, directed by Derek Blanks, has been released, and it captures the emotions of the tune, which was written penned by a whopping nine songwriters. Check out the video for "No Place Like You" and welcome After 7 back to SoulTracks.
After 7 - "No Place Like You"
CONNECT WITH AFTER 7
Website - www.After7Music.com
Instagram - @After7Music
Facebook - /After7
Twitter - @After7Music


The LAM TCU 20/80 chiller is a dual channel temperature control unit, used predominantly on the LAM 4000 Etchers Series. The 20/80 was designed to provide independent temperature control to the process chamber's upper and lower electrodes all from a single chiller using a mix of DI water and Glycol.
Trillium provides both service and refurbished 20/80s in support of customers globally. With access to OEM parts direct from LAM, Trillum can provide expert level support on your existing 20/80 fleet.


Womanity believes that the media offers a unique way to overcome women's isolation, to enter family homes and put women's and societal issues on the table, stimulating debate and providing information and knowledge.
In particular, 'edutainment' strategies, especially in the form of fiction series, can enact stories that closely relate to real life, where characters experience the same concerns and pressures of the listeners, leading the audience through a learning process towards positive behavioural changes. With this in mind, Womanity and its programme partners produced an exclusive Arabic radio fiction, Worth 100 Men (Be 100 Ragl in Arabic). Read more.
While countries in the Arabic-speaking world differ in prosperity, population, and resources, they share strong similarities in cultural terms, and in governance and social structures. Many countries in the region find women in economically dependent positions within the family, with no or little decision-making power, and exposed to some form of violence.
Arab women's participation in the labor market is only 26.7%, compared to a worldwide rate of 52.5%; women's literacy rate is 59.4% compared to a worldwide rate of 72.7%; and overall unequal opportunities for girls and women result in a loss of resources and productivity for entire communities.
Issues that affect women, such as their role in society, their rights and responsibilities, and the problems they face in private and in public, are taboo and rarely discussed. Consequently, there are few public platforms for an open dialogue to address them and discuss ways for women to maintain their cultural identities while pursuing their aspirations and realizing their full potential.
Consequently, many Arab women are becoming more actively involved in the public, professional and political spheres, and are role models for their peers. However, these experiences are limited and women continue to remain too often bound by societal customs, with little space to challenge them directly.
As demonstrated with Radio Nisaa FM in the Palestinian Territories in 2009, Womanity believes that the media offers a unique way to overcome women's isolation, to enter family homes and put women's and societal issues on the table, stimulating debate and providing information and knowledge.
In particular, 'edutainment' strategies, especially in the form of fiction series, can enact stories that closely relate to real life, where characters experience the same concerns and pressures of the listeners, leading the audience through a learning process towards positive behavioural changes.
With this in mind, Womanity and its programme partners produced an exclusive Arabic radio fiction, Worth 100 Men (Be 100 Ragl in Arabic). The series follows the story of Noha, an intrepid young radio journalist, who confronts gender discrimination in the workforce, in family, and the social sphere. Noha challenges prejudice and oppression, and becomes a role model for the whole community. The series covers divorce, domestic violence, sexual harassment, women's access to education and professional careers, the status of single women in traditional society, and healthy romantic relationships.
The first edition was aired between March and October 2014 throughout the Arab world.
In 2015 Womanity and its project partner Lapis Communication undertook to produce the second edition of Be 100 Ragl designed as an animation series in ten episodes. The second season is an animated video story destined for online broadcasting and was released online from June to December 2016. In season II, Noha is played by leading Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak , and the show theme tune ''B100 ragel'' is performed by the Saudi based Iranian singer Alaa Wardi.
Womanity is currently producing the third edition of the series that is expected ot be released in summer 2017.
Visit Be 100 Ragl website in English and Arabic.
– Radio Nisaa in the Palestinian Territories, Radio Yemen Times in Yemen, and Radio Aswat in Morocco broadcast talk shows discussing the main topics of Worth 100 Men.
– To date, the fiction series has been heard by millions of listeners across nine Arab countries, and engaged over 140,000 social media users, who continued the dialogue long after the show was off-air.
– Womanity, in partnership with SMPL Media, organized ten public events and debates in Egypt and Jordan, attended by over 480 participants.
– Local women's organizations have held community-based group discussions with the support and training of the program partner Oxfam Novib . Group discussions have significantly contributed to shift participants' opinion towards more favourable positions in support of gender equality.
– Worth 100 Men was showcased at a side event of the Convention on the Status of Women, organized by Oxfam Novib, and in two BBC programs.
– 18 Real-life round-tables, meet-ups and debates involving public screenings organized in appropriate spaces in cooperation with civil society and women's groups, schools, universities, NGO's, young changemakers and innovators. Events saw the attendance of 600 participants in 2016.
To fund this work visit our Donate page.


Africa's most populous nation is often characterized as teetering on the brink.
The latter is primarily a battle for water and land but those involved have been polarized along ethnic, sectarian and religious lines, in a country with more than 250 ethnic groups and where identity is rarely far from the surface.
Thirty years later, rumors circulated that President Muhammadu Buhari had died during one of his lengthy absences from Nigeria in 2017 on medical grounds, and that he had been replaced by a lookalike called Jubril from Sudan.
That Buhari, 76, had to even devote time to debunking the claim is extraordinary but the fact it still circulates is a sign of the scale of problem — and the task facing the media and fact-checking organizations.
The lookalike rumor can be traced to pro-Biafran supporters, who want a separate state for the ethnic Igbo people who dominate southeast Nigeria.


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Don Lemon doubles down on racist comments
Rob Kim/Getty Images for Blue Jacket
Don Lemon took a little heat this week for saying this. Watch:
CNN's Don Lemon Tells Chris Cuomo: "Biggest Terror Threat In This Country Is White Men" youtu.be
Probably one of the most racist things I've ever heard on cable news. It was one of the most contradictory statements I think you could ever dream up. We need to stop demonizing people… but, oh yeah, those white people!
RELATED: TERRIFYING: White men are the stuff of Don Lemon's nightmares
So the backlash, as it should have, began to pile up. And where was CNN executive Jeff Zucker? I mean, he was quick to demonize Donald Trump for calling him "Fake News" after the world's worst pipe bomber sent his network a fake bomb. He was Johnny on the spot. But when one of his employees labels an entire race as terrorists? Silence.
Well, on Halloween, we finally got a response from Don Lemon. But instead of an apology, we got a double down. Watch:
"Let's put emotion aside, and look at the cold, hard facts. The evidence is overwhelming."@DonLemon presents the facts on domestic terrorism.#DonsTakehttps://t.co/PpH9t4Trvp pic.twitter.com/v3qDglsLaL
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) November 1, 2018
So in other words, "Sorry, but not sorry."
And I'm sorry Don, but your "overwhelming cold hard facts" are flawed. And these flawed "facts" have already been used recently by Cory Booker to basically say and do the same thing: to demonize and lay blame on one specific race of people, which is typically called - oh I don't know - oh yeah… RACISM!
Both Cory Booker and Don Lemon are primarily quoting from a Government Accountability Office report on Countering Violent Extremism. And since Lemon alluded to these "cold hard facts" but didn't really give any context, I guess I'll do it for him.
During his "sorry not sorry" mea culpa refusal, Lemon quoted the GAO report finding that from September 12, 2001 until the end of 2016, there have been 85 extremist attacks. 73% of those documented attacks were committed by right wingers. So case closed then? Are Cory Booker and Don Lemon right?
Well, if you actually look at the listed attacks you'll see a few… peculiarities. It's very obvious from Lemon's rant that he was talking about domestic terrorism, but the GAO report lists cases that don't have anything AT ALL to do with domestic terrorism. The GAO counted every single case where a fatality occurred and the attacker had an affiliation with a right wing or white supremacist affiliation. Those attacks include prison murders and gang violence where race, religion or sexual orientation weren't even the motive. One case included in the report listed a member of a white supremacist street gang that killed his own father.
You heard that correctly. The report that Cory Booker and Don Lemon are using to show that white people are the most dangerous terror threat, includes prison and gang crime where - many times - race or bigotry wasn't even the motive. You think that might be skewing the information just a bit? And if your whole case is built around this report to try and label an entire race of people as dangerous terrorists, isn't that a little - well actually - INSANELY DISHONEST?
Don does however point out that there were more fatalities from Islamic extremists versus right wing extremists. Right wingers killed 106 people, as documented in the GAO, and jihadists killed 119. And I also found that even more interesting considering that the GAO didn't include attacks unless there was a fatality. There were multiple attacks from Islamic extremists that either didn't show up because they didn't kill anyone, or they were foiled by the FBI before they could attack.
False narratives and propaganda are only successful when the questioning stops and we fail to do our own homework.
But the GAO doesn't show that information. Now if you're going to call all white people terrorists, you might wanna have more information to back it up than a flawed study that includes prison and gang violence. So, I went to the Department of Homeland Security. From 2001 to 2013 there were 53 Islamic terror attacks that were foiled by law enforcement. From 2014 to 2016, just with ISIS alone, there were 101 foiled attacks. So during the span of the GAO study that Don Lemon is quoting from, there were 154 foiled Islamic terror attacks! That's more attacks than the GAO even reported. Combining right wing attacks AND Islamic terror attacks, and even including prison and gang violence, they only reported 85 incidents. Jihadists tried to attack us 154 times!
Now, unlike Booker and Lemon, I'm not stating these facts to try and demonize. I'm not labeling all Muslims as terrorists. That would be irresponsible. But even MORE irresponsible is going on national cable TV, on a supposed "NEWS" network, and using tailored facts to have people ignore one threat while, at the same time, demonize an entire race of people. False narratives and propaganda are only successful when the questioning stops and we fail to do our own homework. It's never been more dangerous than right now for us to fail at doing both.
UPDATE: Here's how the discussion went on radio. Watch the video below.
Don Lemon doubles down on racist comments youtu.be


The MCA wants to dissolve Barisan Nasional, says party president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said the party's central committee has been authorised to pave the way for the dissolution of the coalition.
"The General Assembly authorises the central committee to pave the way for the dissolution of Barisan Nasional and to forge an effective alliance," Dr Wee told a press conference at the end of the party's 65th annual general assembly Sunday evening.


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Miss International Queen
Easy come, easy go: Ride-hailing apps 'vanish' from once-crowded Vietnamese market
Saturday, April 20, 2019, 16:17 GMT+7
Grab and Go-Viet drivers are seen in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre
A number of apps, both homegrown and international, that were launched last year in an attempt to break the domination of Grab in Vietnam have silently 'disappeared' from the market due to apparent tough competition.
Uber's exit from Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, in April 2018 enabled the regional rival Grab to easily dominate the Vietnamese market, while at the same time encouraged local transport companies to launch their own ride-hailing apps to fill in the blank left by the U.S. tech company.
Among those Vietnamese companies that hopped on the ride-hailing bandwagon were Mai Linh, Fast-Go, Vato, Aber, MLV, Go-ixe, and Xelo.
If many of these names sound unfamiliar to you, it's because they are.
Even though they were launched with the main goal of competing with the market leader Grab, most of these newcomers struggled to attract both passengers and drivers, despite their appealing promotions and preferential policies.
Many of these Vietnamese apps have therefore left the market even before customers had a chance to know about them.
In June 2018, for instance, Aber, which was developed by a group of Vietnamese engineers in Europe, entered Vietnam's ride-hailing market, offering as many as six different services including motorbike, car, delivery, and business car.
Aber said it stood out from competitors as the app applied no fare hike during peak hours, and only charged drivers a monthly rate based on their total income that month, instead of taking a cut from every ride they made.
But the company's attempt to differentiate itself from other ride-hailing apps turned out to make no difference.
Aber has recently announced its temporary absence from the market "for a bigger return", yet without saying when.
According to a company's leader, Aber "has to find another direction" amid tough competition from such rivals with a lot of money to spend as Singapore-based super app Grab and Go-Viet, the Vietnamese brand of Indonesian transportation network Go-Jek
An Aber driver is seen in this photo. Photo: Linh Ha
A leader of local app VATO, which claimed to have received US$100 million from Vietnamese bus line Phuong Trang and was expected to be a 'counterweight' to Grab and Go-Viet, also admitted the same thing.
"As the competition from Grab and Go-Viet has been quite harsh, our company has to find a different direction," said the VATO leader.
According to drivers and frequent customers of ride-hailing apps like Fast-Go, MLV, and Go-ixe, the coverage of these applications in the market is quite low, with only a small number of drivers, leading to long waiting time for both drivers and users.
Industry insiders say that the exit of these apps from the ride-hailing industry is already in sight.
Even fiercer competition awaits
Despite the demises of several Vietnamese ride-hailing apps, Tran Thanh Hai, general director of Vietnamese technology startup Be Group Corporation, believes there is still great potential for newcomers to join Vietnam's technology-based transportation market.
The company launched its ride-hailing platform Be last December.
According to evaluation reports of some international organizations, Vietnam's ride-hailing market revenue can reach US$500 million a year.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City collectively account for 93 percent of the market, meaning there is plenty of room to grow for ride-hailing apps in other localities across the country.
Besides personal transportation, technology-based transportation companies are also expanding to other sectors, including food delivery, where competition is already fierce with two main players, Grab and Go-Viet.
Grab and Go-Viet's food delivery drivers queue to buy drinks at a store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre
"It is very wasteful to not take advantage of tens of thousands of drivers for other services such as goods delivery, food delivery, and personal shopper," Hai of Be Group said, adding that his company has plans to join the food deliver sector.
Meanwhile, Grab said it has received an additional $1.46 billion from SoftBank's Vision fund for business expansion from its current services of financing, food delivery, freight forwarding, digital content and digital payments.
Bui Danh Lien, former chairman of the Hanoi Transport Association, said competition in Vietnam's technology-based transportation market is like a race to burn money.
"Only businesses with sufficient resources and a wise strategy can stay in and win the biggest market share," Lien said.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
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The victims were between four and 12 years old
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Tourism boom in Vietnam: Change or pay the price
Overtourism can bring about environmental, cultural, and social degradation if no action is taken
Branding itself as a message and phone app, Zalo has now been classified by Vietnamese authorities as an unauthorized social media platform
Abbott cements position in improving children healthcare with launch of Similac Total Comfort with HMO
Abbott has recently launched Similac Total Comfort with immune nourishing human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) in Vietnam
Lack of quality human resources suppresses Vietnam's tourism
Many businesses need to settle for non-professionals in their field, as well as those who have not graduated from high school
Vietnam damands China end violations of EEZ, Continental Shelf: spokesperson
The Haiyang Dizhi 8 and escort ships have infringed on Vietnamese waters over the last days
Authorities taking peaceful, lawful measures to protect Vietnamese seas: spokesperson
Vietnam's Politburo issues disciplinary warning against former Deputy PM
President Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body 'well-preserved' in Hanoi, 50 years on
Vietnam officially makes December 12 'Day of Pho'
Visitors taste pho in cold, rainy weather at Day of Pho in Hanoi
'Day of Pho' to be held in Hanoi next week
SSEAYP 2018 ambassadors visit Tuoi Tre Newspaper
Kindness in wake of disastrous floods in northern Vietnam
Residents in the northern Vietnamese provinces of Lai Chau and Ha Giang are trying their best to help one another rebuild their lives after floods took a heavy toll on the two localities last month.
Garbage fills sewer entrances in Ho Chi Minh City (photos)
Many sewers along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City have their entrances blocked by garbage on a regular basis, negatively impacting urban esthetics and the environment while helping cause serious flooding.
Vietnamese twenty-something draws striking portraits of World Cup stars
A young Vietnamese has constantly kept his pencil busy during the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup, drawing more than a dozen charismatic portraits of his favorite stars at football's biggest competition.
Following locals who pick Hanoi's iconic fruit at night
Locals who pick up sau, a typical fruit of Hanoi, for sale to earn a living will not start their daily 'harvest' until the sun goes down.
Hanoi lotus ponds filled with selfie-lovers as summer comes
Despite the sweltering weather in Hanoi these days, many young people still flock to lotus ponds surrounding the capital city's iconic Ho Tay (West Lake) to pose for Instgram-ready photos with a sea of blooming flowers.
Experience summer sand-boarding in Mui Ne
Sand-boarding, a popular activity amongst local children in the coastal tourism town of Mui Ne in south-central Vietnam, is attracting hundreds of tourists to the Red Sand Dunes
Young maple trees given better protection as Hanoi enters rainy season
The trees are currently growing well, with green leaves and healthy branches.
Hunting skinks for food in southern Vietnam
Skink meat is known to be soft, tasty, and highly nutritious.
Vietnamese-made app allows people to grow real veggies via smartphone
Nguyen Thi Duyen, a young engineer in Hanoi, developed the app and its related services to help busy people create their own veggie gardens.
Chinese tourists hit by Vietnamese over dine and dash
Four Chinese were reportedly injured, with one having a broken arm.
Vu Van Ninh served as Vietnam's deputy premier from August 2011 to April 2016
Over 22,000 offenses were detected and VND10 billion (US$430,000) worth of fines was issued from July 15 to 17
Uncle Ho's body was embalmed with help from Soviet experts and has remained rested inside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi to this date
Thuan Nguyen is earning a reputation for himself as one of Vietnam's most well-known fashionsitas, as well as one if it's oldest
About 41,000 square meters of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park is being illegally developed by locals looking for land to build houses, restaurants, and tourist facilities
A day later, none of the victims' identities had been disclosed
Good morning from Vietnam!
Hanoi flea market promotes green lifestyle
Vietnamese woman attends university to pursue study path in her 60s
"Red light" districts in Ho Chi Minh City
A look inside male brothels
Vietnamese parents spend big on summer courses for children
Prominent Vietnamese applied mathematician Hoang Tuy dies at 92
Vietnamese teacher dedicates life to children in remote areas
Sale of tickets for Vietnam's first-ever F1 race begins Jul 17
Fans unsatisfied as Vietnam midfielder rejects suspected AFF Cup rigging
Spirited Vietnam to play five games in 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign this year
Expats on why Vietnam is among best countries for foreigners
Getting fit in Vietnam
10 reasons why Vietnamese food is my favourite
Science center in Vietnam seeks help over unexpected land tax
The total amount owed for the land area has mounted to more than VND5 billion (US$215,000)
Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island unveils plan for monthly 'Environment Day'
The first Saturday of every month has been designated as 'Environment Day' on Phu Quoc in the hope of encouraging locals to keep the island clean and tidy
Homemade chat app Zalo tops 45mn users, half of Vietnam's population
Eclipse viewing event held at Hanoi astronomical station
This is the first time the astronomical station has held an eclipse viewing event
Partial solar eclipse observed in Ho Chi Minh City
Ex-official charged in elevator child molestation flees from reporters at Vietnam court
This man was trying to run through a crowd of reporters to enter a court in Ho Chi Minh City, where he would be tried for child molestation
Vietnamese woman exports bags made from wild water hyacinth
In Vietnam's Dong Thap Province, 26-year-old Tran Thi Ngoc Nhi is popularizing water hyacinths as a hot material for making handicrafts.


Dearly loved husband of Veronica, dear dad of Kevin, special step dad of Angela and father in law of Russ. Devoted grandad of Liam and Sarah.
Funeral service will take place on Monday 11th February at The Parish Church of St. Aidan at 1.15pm. Prior to interment at Stranton Grange Cemetery. All are welcome.
What will you miss most about Brian Dunn?


Get ready to set sail with the most fearsome female pirate of them all, the Red Lady, one of many free slots available from Novomatic. Traverse the waves with the skull and crossbones fluttering high and watch the treasures start coming in.
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Welcome to the red article for Guilds of Ravnica! I'll be continuing my series on what I think the limited format will be in GRN by going more into depth about the Jump-Start mechanic in Izzet (UR) decks, as well as coming to a conclusion about Boros and if it's possible to run a combat trick heavy deck to take advantage of the Mentor ability. Of course we still have to work our way through the multicolor cards which COULD possibly super charge some of these archetypes, but after today we should have a good understanding of WR, UR, and UB strategies.
I've been talking up Mentor a lot recently and I'd like to start with this strategy today. Barging Sergeant, or as I like to call him 'Sarging Bargeant', is your typical glass cannon red creature. It has low toughness and high power. This makes him the perfect candidate for Mentor abilities. Whereas previous glass cannon cards ended up underperforming, I think this Minotaur Soldier will do some work. Think of him as a 4/2 hasty creature that will pump up one of your other creatures 80% of the time. A lot of the other mentor cards are fast but lacking in power, and 'Sarging Bargeant' will be able to pump them up no problem. This in turn makes your other mentor cards better the following turn. I imagine it as sort of a chain reaction of sorts. If you build your Mentor decks well you can tick up all of your creatures consistently and overwhelm your opponents.
Goblin Banneret is a new take on an old type of card. Fire breathing has been on 1 and 2 drop creatures for a while, and they've always been semi-playable. Adding Mentor to the mix makes being aggressive much more beneficial. Even late game I could see him being quite useful. If you add in combat tricks to the mix, both the Sergeant and Banneret become very versatile attackers.
As for Rubblebelt Boar, it's not a Mentor card per se, but it's a great support card for RW strategies. It pumps up your Mentor card when it comes into play which lets the ability trigger once more on attacking. Sure it reverts into an extremely vanilla 3/3 creature for 4 mana the next turn, but I think most Mentor based decks will want to play it in their 23 cards.
I'm not too impressed with red's removal spells in Guilds of Ravnica. Oh they'll kill creatures well, but they are lacking the versatility of being able to hit your opponent as well. I guess killing creatures it what is most important in limited, but I've been spoiled by cards like Lighting Strike, Fiery Temper, and Lightning Bolt in the future. Why can't we have both?
Lava Coil does a great job of stoping those pesky black creatures from returning from the dead, and Command the Storm should have no problem dropping even the beefiest of creatures at instant speed. It's a little overcosted I think, especially after we had cards like Roast and Thunderbolt at 2 mana, but you'll end up playing it regardless.
Now you want to do damage to both players AND creatures? Well, choose one and you'll have to pay 6 mana to do it. I mean in the past we had Inferno at instant speed for 7 mana that dealt 6 damage to both creatures AND players, yet we have to pay 6 to just choose one target? It's sad to see how far red has fallen. Inescapable Blaze is alright for decks that need a way to kill big bombs like the 6/6 demon, but it's not what you want to be drawing against faster decks like Boros. Not going to be high in draft, but if you're in red you should pick it up if there's nothing else. Personally I'd go for the easier to cast removal.
Cosmotronic Wave isn't removal so much as it's an 'accidental' board wipe. It's great at getting rid of tokens and 1 toughness creatures, but he main reason you'll be playing this is if you're trying to be aggressive. It's definitely playable in a RW/Boros deck, but I could see it seeing play in UR/Izzet as well since it fills up your graveyard with a spell and also lets your flyers punch through some damage.
Smelt-Ward Minotaur is slightly better than Wave if you're playing an Izzet deck with a good number of spells. Playing this on curve then using combat tricks, tempo, or burn cards will give your opponent a headache as they try to block favorably. I could see it being good in Boros as well if you have lots of instant speed pump effects.
I really hope this means we're getting a Thundermaw Hellkite reprint or something like it soon. I mean Hellkite Whelp is cute and all, and it has a good body and ability for 5 mana, but I'd rather pay 5 to get a bigger body that helps swing the tempo into your favor.
Book Devourer is an interesting card. Never mind the A+ flavor, but having the rummage ability built into a creature with trample seems really good. It will be hard to block favorably, meaning you'll be able to activate this ability when it attacks most of the time. Discarding could help if you're playing RB with Undergrowth cards, or if you have lots of Jump Start cards in UR that you don't have to worry about keeping in your hand. It's both a decent beater and a great set up card. I'm looking forward to experimenting with it.
I think most people are realizing this was designed to be a big F* YOU to Tron decks in modern and ways to easily kill Emrakul, but "Explodey Boy" should be decent in limited as well. It checks off all of the boxes you want in a utility creature: easy to cast, multiple abilities, and can use abilities right away. There aren't too many colorless/artifacts you'll want to destroy with him, but being able to block then deal 2 damage to another creature to kill it is quite useful. I wouldn't mind having 1-2 in my red deck.
Direct Current (2.5) – Seems overcosted to me, even if you can deal 2 damage twice to any target. 6 mana + 1 card to deal 4 damage is very inefficient.
Fearless Halberdier (2) – Vanilla filler.
Fire Urchin (2) – Maybe good in a spell heavy deck or one with lots of combat tricks. Good target for Mentor triggers though.
Street Riot (2) – Good anthem in aggressive decks, especially if they're lacking in power but can go wide.
Sure Strike (2.5) – I like it as a combat trick as well as a way to activate Mentor.
Wojek Bodyguard (2) – Good body but can't block or attack alone. Good for Mentor decks but a liability in others.
Phew. Well I didn't think that I'd get through red so quickly but there wasn't as much substance there as I thought there would be. Jump-Start seems to have fizzled out for Izzet decks, but Mentor seems like it can still be viable. I'm sure the Multicolor Izzet cards will do a lot to shore up red's shortcomings, but even without multicolor cards I can see RW Mentor being a viable archetype.
I'll be working on green for Friday, and I think there is a good chance that I'll have the main colors ready before the pre-release. The Multicolor article is going to be a beast though and most likely it won't be out until after the pre-releases. I hope you've gotten some good insight from this article, but if there's something I missed or evaluated wrong, don't hesitate to let me know in the comments.


text:
«Борац» (Чачак) () — сербський футбольний клуб з міста Чачак.

Заснований 1926 року. «Борац» грає на стадіоні «Чачак» («Стадіон край Мораві»), котрий розрахований на 10 000 місць, з них 4000 — із сидіннями.

Кольори клубу — білий і червоний. Через горизонтальні смуги на формі команду прозвали «зебрами». У Сербії уболівальників «Борац» прозвали «Військом».

Єврокубки
2008 року «Борац» дебютував у єврокубках. У першому кваліфікаційному раунді Кубка УЄФА 2008—2009 «Борац» зіграв з молдавською «Дачією» (1:1, 3:1), у другому кваліфікаційному раунді — з болгарським «Локомотивом» (1:0, 1:1), і в першому раунді — з нідерландським «Аяксом» (1-4, 0-2).

Відомі гравці
  Івиця Драгутинович
  Зоран Костич
  Боян Симич
  Милош Живкович
  Ненад Іняц
  Марко Ломич

Відомі тренери
  Миодраг Божович
  Борис Буняк

Посилання
 Офіційний сайт клубу

Футбольні клуби Сербії
Футбольні клуби, засновані 1926
Чачак
Футбольні клуби Югославії

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Golf International
American youngsters signal their intent heading into Ryder Cup year
Dave James 26/12/2017
US Open winner Brooks Koepka is one of many strong young talents.
The rising generation of Americans dominated 2017 after Spaniard Sergio Garcia's memorable Masters triumph, laying down a marker ahead of next year's Ryder Cup in Paris. Brooks Koepka, 27, claimed the US Open title, before Jordan Spieth's third major crown at the British Open and his fellow 24-year-old Justin Thomas' breakthrough victory at the USPGA Championship.
Add in world No1 Dustin Johnson, and United States Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk has a formidable team more than capable of repeating October's Presidents Cup thrashing of the Internationals. The US are the favourites to retain the trophy come next September at Golf National, but they haven't won on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry.
"We have 25 years of scars to overcome," Furyk said in Paris in October.
"I don't want (them) going in there being overconfident that they are the greatest team. I want them going in with a chip on their shoulder that they have something to prove."
Europe's stars had a mixed season, although 37-year-old Garcia produced the year's stand-out moment by ending his wait for a major title by edging out Justin Rose in a thrilling Masters play-off in April. Garcia's compatriot Jon Rahm stole a few headlines by rising to world No4 in his first full season as a professional, but four-time major winner Rory McIlroy was plagued by injuries and loss of form as he failed to win an event for the first year since 2008.
Cricket World Cup 2019: Shaheen Afridi, Avishka Fernando and other youngsters who have impressed
Geraint Thomas delivers statement of intent in the defence of his Tour de France crown
American players received most of the plaudits for their major winning exploits, but Europeans like Tyrrell Hatton, Rafael Cabrera Bello and Paul Casey slid slightly under the radar to finish 2017 inside the world's top 20. "You tell me a time where there's been 11 Europeans in the top 21 in the world," said Europe's Ryder Cup skipper Thomas Bjorn.
"It might have happened but it's not something that you see very often.
"So that's a very strong European team."
Tiger's back, again
A year that began with a failed attempted injury comeback from Tiger Woods, ended with the 14-time major champion starting another return. The 41-year-old pulled out of February's Dubai Desert Classic with a back injury, but after surgery and an appearance as a Presidents Cup vice-captain, he produced a promising performance in the Bahamas earlier this month.
"I knew I was going to be able to play all four rounds, that wasn't going to be an issue," said Woods, who also missed all of the 2015-16 season with back trouble, after finishing tied-ninth at the Hero World Challenge.
"I was still scratchy with my irons. I drove it pretty good, made some good putts."
The chances of Woods adding to his major tally – and reviving his bid to chase down Jack Nicklaus' all-time record of 18 titles – will become clearer when he returns to Augusta National for the Masters. A first major triumph since the 2008 US Open may seem a long way off but Woods could still be a force to be reckoned with if fully fit – he won five PGA Tour titles and reclaimed the world No1 spot in 2013 when he last managed a full season.
The Open 2019: Tiger Woods favours... 17/07/2019
Brooks Koepka Dustin Johnson Hero World Challenge Jim Furyk Jordan Spieth Justin Rose Ryder Cup 2018 Sergio Garcia US Open golf More tags
International Majors Tiger Woods Dubai Desert Classic European Tour PGA Tour Rory McIlroy Golf More tags
Brooks Koepka Dustin Johnson Hero World Challenge Jim Furyk Jordan Spieth Justin Rose Ryder Cup 2018 Sergio Garcia US Open golf
International Majors Tiger Woods Dubai Desert Classic European Tour PGA Tour Rory McIlroy Golf
INTERVIEW: Darren Clarke backs Jon Rahm to become Ryder Cup star
Chris Bailey 6/12/2017
Darren Clarke is a four-time winner of the Ryder Cup as a player.
Few men know more about Ryder Cup golf than Darren Clarke, a four times winner as a player and once as a non-competing vice-captain.
His captaincy at Hazeltine may have ended in defeat last year but he believes an up-and-coming crop of Europeans can trouble an elite American team in the summer.
In an exclusive interview with Sport360° on behalf of Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet, Clarke talks Ryder Cup 2018, the chances of old heroes Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter making the team, and why golf is taking its toll on the younger generation.
How good are Europe's prospects in next year's Ryder Cup?
I think Jon Rahm has been incredible this year – you see what he's achieved from just turning pro to becoming No4 in the world. He's been amazing. Tyrrell Hatton's had a fantastic year as well, and Tommy Fleetwood's had that breakthrough and he's been battling with Justin Rose. Sergio Garcia – there's so many of them.
Rugby World Cup 2019 Profile: France – Les Bleus hoping to rediscover their flair in Japan
Jon Rahm upbeat over Open chances after thrilling Irish Open victory
So I think the Ryder Cup is going to be exciting again, but saying that the Americans are very, very strong right now. Our captain Thomas Bjorn has got his hands full but I'm sure the team that we're going to have will be very strong as well.
How do you balance the younger generation with more experienced players in the Ryder Cup?
It depends how many rookies make it again. There were six of them at Hazeltine – I'm sure there will be three or four at least this time. The rookies nowadays aren't like what they used to be though, they're more worldly wise and more renowned players. They seem to come through very quickly and play very well very quickly. It will be interesting to see how those guys perform in France. But the good thing about playing the Ryder Cup in France is that we have played a tournament there for so long (Open de France), so we know the golf course really well.
Clarke spoke about Poulter's and Westwood's Ryder Cup chances.
Is it soon time to wave goodbye to Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter as Ryder Cup players?
That's just the way professional golf is – but that's not to say Poults or Lee won't make the team again, they've got a really good chance of making it again. But competition for places is getting even more challenging. So yes, while you'd like them to walk out onto the tee, if they haven't performed all year, you've got to maybe have another young guy who has played really well. It'll be down to Thomas if they don't qualify.
You'd want them to have a good start to the year and show a little bit of form later in the summer if they don't make one of the automatic spots.
There's personalities you want for making the team. Guys who will speak out, guys who will be respected and listened to, and both Lee and and Poults would be two of those sort of guys.
We've seen Rory McIlroy battle injury this year. How tough is the modern game on players?
The demands of what they do now and what they physically put their body through, hitting the ball so much faster, it's much more than it was in my day. That's why so many guys are getting injured now – because there's so much torque and speed being generated to maximise distance. It's like tennis, when the serve started becoming more important than a few years ago. But how much can bodies cope through? So we'll see how many of the younger generation can keep on playing for a longer period of time.
McIlroy has had an unfortunate 2017 with injuries
How can golf tours help protect players?
They're talking about making tournament golf balls softer to slow it down, maximum speeds you can hit, but they're still hit the golf ball the same way. There are a lot of people saying we need to rein it in, especially with some of the older courses becoming a little defunct, but at the same time, you or I as a golf fan want to see guys hit it 350 yards. We are an entertainment business.
What's in your sights in 2018?
I'm doing corporate stuff, commentary and still playing so I'm busy as I've ever been. I'll be playing the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in January. I'm still playing a bit because I turn 50 next August which is when I can start the senior tour. I've had a pretty decent career and once you're a professional golfer and a competitor that never leaves you. So I want to get out onto the Champions Tour and start winning again.
Darren Clarke Ian Poulter Lee Westwood Rory McIlroy Ryder Cup Ryder Cup 2018 More tags
International Golf Interviews
Darren Clarke Ian Poulter Lee Westwood Rory McIlroy Ryder Cup Ryder Cup 2018
Justin Rose moves to second in Race to Dubai with Turkish Airlines Open win
Justin Rose.
Justin Rose continued his march to the summit of the European Tour's Race to Dubai rankings with his second victory in a row at the Turkish Airlines Open.
The Englishman, who came from eight shots behind to win the WGC-HSBC Champions in China last week, is now within touching distance of Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood after securing a thrilling one shot win in Antalya.
Rose birdied three of his closing four holes in a final round six-under par 65 for a one stroke win at 18-under par tally on the Regnum Carya course.
The Rio Olympic champion and world No.6 went into the final day trailing by two shots but after a third birdie of his round at the ninth, Rose found himself among three sharing the lead at 14-under par.
The win is Rose's 10th European Tour success and comes just a week after he captured the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
Bernd Wiesberger shoots to top of European Tour's Race to Dubai after Scottish Open win
The Open 2019: Tiger Woods favours quality over quantity in bid to prolong career
"This is an incredibly sweet moment and it is like a bus as you wait ages for one and two turn-up at once," he said smiling.
"Today was a different type of win but then they are all different in their own way, and to hole that birdie putt on 18 was special as a lot of tournaments I have won have been two putts on the 18th green."
Rose, who won the Race to Dubai title in 2007, moved from No. 3 on the Race to Dubai to replace second-ranked Sergio Garcia and now only trails compatriot Tommy Fleetwood by 134,893 euros.
Fleetwood posted a last day 68 for a share of 23rd on eight-under par.
Rose also has moved to the top of the European Ryder Cup standings and closer to a fifth European Team cap.
Henrik Stenson to miss DP World Tour Championship with rib injury
Clement Sordet lifts NBO Golf Classic Grand Final as Road to Oman...
India star Aditi Ashok captures Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open t...
Justin Rose Race to Dubai Turkish Airlines Open
International DP World Championship UAE Golf


Adapted from "Counting Winter Chill", published in the Sacramento Valley Walnut News, January 2017, by Katherine Jarvis-Shean, Janine Hasey, & Joe Connell.
The last few years have been highly variable, both in terms of winter chill accumulation and spring bloom and leaf-out behavior. The winter of 2015-2016 had moderate-to-high chill accumulation in the Sacramento Valley and leaf-out in the spring was tight and early. The winter of 2014-2015, on the other hand, had low chill accumulation and leaf out was late and straggled. We documented this in Chandler, but also saw it in other mid-to-late leafing, mid-to-high chill varieties. What's driving this behavior? What can we expect this year? And how can one track and interpret chill accumulation?
What drives the timing of leaf-out?
Deciduous fruit species lose their leaves and enter dormancy each fall. This dormancy has external and internal requirements for growth to begin again in the spring. The first is favorable external conditions facing the plant, primarily adequate moisture and favorable temperatures for growth. Even if temperatures and moisture conditions are favorable, there is a period during the winter when trees will not grow. During this period, growth is inhibited by internal factors when the plant is said to be in "rest".
Rest is broken by exposure to cold temperatures. All deciduous fruit plants require a certain amount of chilling during the winter rest period to enable their buds to sprout evenly and for good flowering and fruit set to occur in spring. The winter chilling requirement to break this rest period varies with plant species and even with particular varieties within the same species. Early leafing walnut varieties require less chilling than later leafing varieties (Table 1). Insufficient winter chilling prolongs rest and results in delayed and uneven bloom and leafing the following spring. Bud drop and reduced set may also occur and consequently, production and quality of fruits and nuts may be poor.
*Chilling hours required to break bud after 15 days at 71.6°F. From Gale McGranahan et. al., Walnut Improvement Program 2006, Walnut Research Reports 2006, pg 10.
What can we expect this year in terms of winter chill?
Dormant walnut orchard. Photo credit: W. Suckow, 2016.
We don't have tools yet for predicting whether winters will be low, medium or high chill before they start. We do know that historically, low chill winters occur every 10-15 years. We had a low chill winter in 2014-2015, so it seems less likely that this would also be a low chill winter. But our climate has been doing some unusual and record-breaking things in the last few years, so past behavior is not a guarantee of future behavior. We also know that in the past, December and January have been our most critical months for chill accumulation. So if you're going to keep an eye on chill accumulation, those are the months to pay attention.
How to track and interpret chill accumulation?
Chill Hours counts any hour between 32°-45° F as the same. Chill Portions gives different chill values to different temperatures. No more wondering about the value of 'warm' chill hours. Temperatures between 43°-47° F have the most chill value. The chill value on either side of that range are lower, dropping to no value at 32° F and 54° F.
Chill Hours only count up to 45° F. Chill Portions count up to 54° F. This makes Chill Portions better able to approximate effective chilling for the trees we grow, most of which evolved in fairly mild climates.
Chill Hours does not subtract for warm hours. With the Chill Portions model, warm hours that closely follow cold periods can subtract from the running total of chill accumulation.
In recent years, Chill Hours and Chill Portions have counted winters differently. In the winter of 2013-2014, the Chill Portions model showed low chill accumulation, whereas we had average to high Chill Hours accumulation. Both models counted low chill for the winter of 2014-2015. In Davis, leaf-out was eight days later than average in 2014 and 11 days later than average in 2015, indicating that walnut buds responded to both winters as low chill.
Because Chill Portions is much newer than the Chill Hours model, researchers don't have exact estimates for the chilling requirements of all California's important tree crops and cultivars. While researchers work on that, it may be valuable to watch chill accumulation with both models to see if, as occurred in 2013-14, one indicates normal winter conditions while the other indicates leafing and bloom is likely to be more sporadic.
Chill accumulation for both models using CIMIS weather station data, along with additional information on the models, how to calculate accumulation with your own weather data, and estimates of chilling requirements for some crops in Chill Portions is available at the UC Fruit and Nut Center website. Because there is not a CIMIS station close to Yuba City, Janine Hasey calculates chill based on a temperature recorder at the UCCE office in Yuba City and weekly updates of chill accumulation in Yuba City will be posted. To receive those updates via email, subscribe to the blog and select walnut updates in addition to any other categories of interest.


Our Medium Roast showcases the distinctive aromas and flavors of San Ignacio. Indulgently aromatic, beautifully balanced with a full smooth flavour and juicy body, a real delight to drink. Best matched with a plunger/French press, pour over or drip filter.
SKU: N/A. Category: Coffee. Tags: Fair Trade, filter/pour over, gourmet, Medium Roast, organic, plunger.
Our organic Medium Roast coffee showcases the distinctive aromas and flavors of San Ignacio. Indulgently aromatic, beautifully balanced with a full smooth flavour and juicy body, a real delight to drink. Best matched with a plunger/French press, pour over or drip filter.
Rich, aromatic with fruity and sweet vanilla highlights on a darker base which provides a strong full bodied coffee, with bittersweet and delicious lingering aftertaste. Our Essence Espresso provides a full flavoured experience both as a black coffee and as a milk based coffee. Experience the Essence of real coffee, you will lick the cup clean!


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Q: How do I put a pair of parentheses on each matched line with Python regex? I'm trying to convert the following code
print "*** Dictionaries"
dictionaries = json.loads(api.getDictionaries())
print dictionaries
...
print(bestMatch)
...

to
print("*** Dictionaries")
dictionaries = json.loads(api.getDictionaries())
print(dictionaries)
...
print(bestMatch)
...

that is, to put a pair of parentheses on each print line.
Here is my code
import re

with open('p2code.txt') as f:
  lines = [line.rstrip() for line in f]

cmplr = re.compile(r'(?<=print).*')

p3code = []

for line in lines:
  p3line = line
  m = cmplr.search(line)
  if m:
    p3line = 'print(' + m.group(0) + ')'
  p3code.append(p3line)

with open('p3code.txt', 'w') as f:
  for line in p3code:
    f.write(f"{line}\n")

There're 2 questions related to the code above.
Is there a more elegant way to do the replacement, e.g. cmplr.sub? If yes, how do I do that?
one of the print lines has already put the parentheses
print(bestMatch)

How do I make my code skip that line, avoiding something like
print((bestMatch))

The idea/need comes from Cambridge's API doc
https://dictionary-api.cambridge.org/api/resources#python

A: You can just do it with a single command at the command line using sed. Something like:
sed -i -E 's/print ([^\(].*[^\)])/print\(\1\)/g' code.py

This is both minimal and easy. But in case you're pressed on doing it with python, you can make use of the following:
re.sub("print ([^\(].*[^\)])", r"print($\1)", lineOfFile)

You can play with the regex further here.


text:
Q: Failed to write to Database via ajax and PHP I have built a facebook app by which people have logged in to the app and took part in a small competition. I built it using facebook php SDK along with jQuery and javascript. The thing is that after the app was ready the client stated that three participants took part and are not found in the database.
The structure of the write to database happens upon a click of a 'submit' button which through jQuery, calls a php file to do the rest. Is it possible that form the user side the jQuery function is never executed? because the client demands an answer why specific participants are not found in the database. Yet the app functioned perfectly normal with other users.
My question is this, is it possible for jQuery to fail an ajax call to fail for specific browsers?

A: No.
It does not depend on the browser. The only thing necessary for the browser is to have Javascript enabled, so make sure that's the case.
You can use the error method provided when using an AJAX call to see if the call successfully returns data. If not, your server-side code is either getting no data or runs into runtime errors.
I suggest you start debugging your application using the console from the moment the 'submit' button was clicked. This can also answer your question of the function never to be executed. So for the Javascript, use client-side debugging.
If you're still having trouble, please provide code samples or a jsfiddle.


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Punch Joins the Eater Family
The award-winning drinks site is our new sister publication
by Amanda Kludt@kludt Aug 23, 2021, 12:03pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Punch Joins the Eater Family
Punch, the beloved and award-winning drinks publication, is joining Vox Media as a sister publication to Eater. Founded in 2013 by editor-in-chief (and former Eater contributor) Talia Baiocchi as an independent brand within book publisher Penguin Random House, Punch is a destination for quality storytelling and rich photography surrounding the world of bars, spirits, and drinking culture. It's a go-to for the industry as well as cocktail enthusiasts and consumers who want to stay on top of what's happening in the world of (both boozy and zero proof) drinks.
And it's a perfect complement to Eater, allowing us to expand our focus on service, reporting, and storytelling beyond restaurants and food culture. Meanwhile, Punch will be supported by Eater and Vox Media's broader resources across production, development, revenue, marketing, and events expertise.
Amanda Kludt, Eater editor-in-chief, and Talia Baiocchi, Punch editor-in-chief
Clay Williams
Though the two publications will collaborate, Punch will remain a separate entity, not a drinks section of Eater. Baiocchi and her team of writers and creators will continue the industry-leading work they do, with more support for their ambitions.
We are excited for our Eater audience to learn more about Punch, an indispensable resource for drinking well.
Checking In With the Starbucks Union as a Supreme Court Labor Decision Looms
By Jaya Saxena
When the World Ends, I Only Hope to Grow a Patch of Strawberries
By Bettina Makalintal


You'll love the new scenic, challenging courses along the Brazos River, Historic Elm Avenue, through downtown Waco, and over the Washington Bridge.
Join us on Saturday, May 25 at the EXPO featuring Packet Pick Up, Registration, Run Project and Badass Texas Gear, and a celebration of all things Waco! After the race beginning and ending at Heritage Park at Austin & 3rd Street and the finish line festival to follow, you can enjoy the rest of your weekend visiting a variety of museums, vineyards, & recreation areas in Waco.
There's a New Sheriff in Town... Show Off Your 4" Lonestar Badass Texas Finisher Medal.
The beneficiary for Badass Texas is AFSP Waco. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. With more than 38,000 lives lost each year in the U.S. and over one million worldwide, the importance of AFSP's mission has never been greater, nor our work more urgent. You will be participating in the AFSP's work when you run this year's Badass Texas.


text:
An Interactive Multimedia Introduction to Signal Processing, 9783540491521 (354049152X), Springer, 2007
Together the book and CD-ROM form a learning system that provides both investigative studies and the visualization of complex processes. A didactic concept is undertaken for microelectronics, computer technology and communication engineering, which deals with the visualization of signals and processes in addition to graphical programming of signal processing systems. Through the utilization of a professional and globally supported software for metrology and control engineering, DasyLab, useful applications can be developed, modified and optimized.
Computer supported processing of real signals is made possible over the sound card and the parallel port. Over two hundred pre-programmed signal engineering systems and design transparencies are provided.
Pictures also play a dominant rule in this book: there are numerous introduction-videos, one for every chapter, more than 250 high-quality pictures and - most important – all the "living" experiments and their results are visualized. With this learning system, readers can now make use of "equipment" and software, which was practically unaffordable for individuals in the past.
What's more, here is a very new concept for learning Signal Processing, not only from the physically-based scientific fundamentals, but also from the didactic perspective, based on modern results of brain research.
Analog-Baseband Architectures and Circuits: for Multistandard and Low-Voltage Wireless Transceivers
Analog-Baseband Architectures and Circuits reviews the fundamentals and studies the state-of-the-art multistandard transceivers before describing novel architectural and circuit techniques for implementing multimode and wideband (tens of MHz) baseband analog front-ends under low-voltage constraints. Techniques developed on architecture...
Theory of Finite Automata With an Introduction to Formal Languages
Prentice Hall, 1989
It often seems that mathematicians regularly provide answers well before the rest of the world finds reasons to ask the questions. The operation of the networks of relays used in the first computers is exactly described by Boolean functions. George Boole thereby made his contribution to computer science in the mid-1800s, and Boolean algebra is used...
Digital Control in Power Electronics (Synthesis Lectures on Power Electronics)
Morgan and Claypool Publishers, 2006
This book presents the reader, whether an electrical engineering student in power electronics or a design engineer, some typical power converter control problems and their basic digital solutions, based on the most widespread digital control techniques. The presentation is focused on different applications of the same power converter...
Wireless Crime and Forensic Investigation
Auerbach Publications, 2007
Security is always a concern with any new technology. When we think security we typically think of stopping an attacker from breaking in or gaining access. However, based on the broad reach of wireless, stopping someone from passively listening is just as critical. Intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and forensics are just a few of the...
Advanced C and C++ Compiling
Learning how to write C/C++ code is only the first step. To be a serious programmer, you need to understand the structure and purpose of the binary files produced by the compiler: object files, static libraries, shared libraries, and, of course, executables.
Advanced C and C++ Compiling explains the build process in...
Evolutionary Computation 1: Basic Algorithms and Operators
Taylor & Francis, 2000
The original Handbook of Evolutionary Computation (Back et a1 1997) was designed to fulfil1 the need for a broad-based reference book reflecting the important role that evolutionary computation plays in a variety of disciplinesranging from the natural sciences and engineering to evolutionary biology and computer...


text:
Q: Kill C++ process in python using ctrl + C I have a python wrapper for a c++ program using Python.h
In C++, the code contains an infinite loop as service:
for (;;) {
  ...
}

The python wrapper invokes this service and jumps into this loop. When I call ctrl+c, the program can't be killed. (It seems that the python program has been killed and the c++ program not)
How can I kill both of the python and c++ program using ctrl+c?

A: If you have pid of the child process, you can kill it using os.kill(pid, sig).
To launch it when your python exits, you may add .atexit handler.


text:
Q: How to simultaneously run all JUnit tests for a Eclipse Java project without Maven? I have a small Java project in Eclipse. I have a class of JUnit tests for each class in the project. I'm using JUnit 4, and this is not a maven project.
Is there an easy way to tell Eclipse to run all tests in all test classes at once?

A: Right click on a source folder then Run As… > JUnit Test.

A: Select the source directory containing all test classes, right-click, select "Run as..." and select JUnit test.


text:
Q: Measurement and probability In the $\left\{\left|j_1j_2;jm\right\rangle=\left|ls;jm\right\rangle\right\}$ basis, I've got the state ket $$\left|\alpha\right\rangle=\frac{1}{2\sqrt{2}}\left(\sqrt{\frac{2}{3}}\left|11;20\right\rangle + \sqrt{6}\left|01;10\right\rangle - \left|11;10\right\rangle - \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\left|11;00\right\rangle\right).$$ Now I would like to calculate the probability that a measurement gives $j=1$, but I'm facing a conceptual difficulty: is this probability given by

*

*$$\mathcal{P}\left(j=1\right)=\left|\sum_{q=0,1}\left\langle q1;10|\alpha\right\rangle\right|^2,$$
or

*$$\mathcal{P}\left(j=1\right)=\sum_{q=0,1}\left|\left\langle q1;10|\alpha\right\rangle\right|^2 \,?$$