
Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping saga
In addition to facilitating trade transactions, the China International Barter Trading Center also offers a range of value-added services to support businesses in navigating the complexities of international trade. These services include logistics support, legal guidance, and market intelligence, all aimed at enabling businesses to expand their global reach and achieve sustainable growth.
The Ukrainian government's assertion of a lower death toll has raised questions about the accuracy of casualty figures in the conflict. Both Russia and Ukraine have been accused of manipulating and misrepresenting casualty data for political gain, further complicating efforts to ascertain the true human cost of the conflict.
In the realm of black and white noir films, gangster movies have always held a special place in the hearts of cinephiles. The gritty underworld, the conflicted characters, and the intricate web of alliances and betrayals have fascinated audiences for decades. Among the timeless classics in this genre is "Four Seas Brothers," a film that has now been reimagined with a fresh approach to storytelling.GES STEM Night a successTitle: Hunter 1 and Hunter 2 Clash – Anticipating the Premiere!
As the Medicine Valley grapples with this crisis, it stands as a somber reminder of the fragility of life and the complexities of modern medicine. The once bustling corridors of healing are now filled with a sense of mourning and reflection, as the community comes to terms with the harsh realities of mortality and the limitations of our current medical knowledge.As the dust settles on the transfer window, Liverpool will have to regroup and focus on their other targets as they look to strengthen their squad for the challenges ahead. While missing out on Havertz may be a setback, Klopp and his team know that they must remain ambitious and proactive in the transfer market if they are to maintain their status as one of Europe's elite clubs.
Football fans around the world will be eagerly anticipating this match, as it promises to be a spectacle of skill, determination, and passion. Real Madrid will be looking to come away with a positive result on the road, while Atalanta will be hoping to cause an upset and continue their impressive Champions League campaign.
Qatar Chamber recently participated in the ‘5th France-Arab Countries Economic Summit’, which was held in Paris under the theme ‘Increasing France’s Place in the Arab World’. The event was jointly organised by the Arab-French Chamber of Commerce, the Union of Arab Chambers, and the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME), with support from ICE-FRANCE, the International Chamber of Commerce-France, International Medef, and Business France. The delegation from Doha was led by Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani and included board member Dr Khaled bin Klefeekh al-Hajri. The summit was attended by more than 400 high-level economic figures and featured three round table discussions which focused on the Maghreb countries, the Arab Levant countries, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. On the sidelines of the summit, Sheikh Khalifa met with Aurelien Le Chevalier, director of the Office of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in the attendance of Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to France. During the meeting, both sides discussed economic and commercial relations and explored ways to enhance cooperation between the Qatari and French private sectors. They also emphasised the importance of fostering mutual investments and partnerships between the business sectors of both nations. Speaking during the third working session, al-Hajri highlighted Qatar’s successful hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and its management of the post-World Cup phase. He noted that Qatar recently launched the Third National Development Strategy (2024-2030) and the launch of the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Strategy (2024-2030) as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030. He said the strategy aims to position Qatar as a global leader in innovation and scientific research in the Middle East region, enhance the business sector’s involvement in innovative activities, develop qualified domestic talent, and increase the sector’s contribution to the state’s GDP. He also highlighted the state’s efforts to advance innovation by fostering partnerships and cooperation with international technology leaders, such as Microsoft, Google Cloud, NVIDIA, among others, including the launch of 5G networks. Al-Hajri said Qatar ranked second globally in terms of 5G speed and ranked first in mobile Internet speed. Al-Hajri said Qatar aims to attract $100bn in direct investments in the manufacturing, logistics, education, financial services, food, agriculture, and healthcare sectors. He added that the national economy is expected to grow by 4% annually until 2030, driven by the expansion of gas production. Related Story Qatar participates in Arab League's consultative meeting Ministerial committee meeting demands end to Gaza killingsWhen people open their banking app or log into their account to pay a bill, most will complete their task quickly so they can move on to something else. But if a customer is being talked into transferring their cash to a scammer, there are subtle shifts in behaviour that leave a digital trail of clues. In these cases, banks say, the customer might spend longer than usual logged in, or they could move their mouse in a less purposeful way – such as by drawing circles on the screen – as they listen to the scammer’s instructions over the phone. Banks can detect suspicious transactions from information such as how frequently a user is touching their screen. Credit: iStock If the unsuspecting victim has allowed a scammer to take control of their computer, there can be other clues. The customer may not touch their phone’s screen as frequently as they usually do, or the criminal who has taken over might type faster than the customer usually does. Banks can now see all these clues, and use that information to spot suspicious transactions. “When I log in, and I know why I’m logging in, I behave with purpose,” says Tim Dalgleish, one of the architects of BioCatch Trust, a system that looks for data such as this to detect scams and fraud. “In one of these scam scenarios, you’re basically being coached, coerced, tricked or bullied to do something different.” Late this year, major banks signed up to the BioCatch system as part of the banking industry’s effort to stem a $2.7 billion wave of scams. While it’s early days, it’s hoped these sorts of digital clues – alongside lots of other information – can be used to stop more scams in the milliseconds before a customer sends their cash, after which it can be much harder to retrieve the money. The banking industry’s war on scams is a long-running fight in which businesses face fierce pressure to do more to prevent customer losses, but there are tentative signs of progress. It’s a battle in which speed is everything, and co-operation between banks, telcos, tech giants and authorities is vital. ‘Speed is everything’ Time is of the essence when fighting scammers. The rise of near-instant money transfers between bank accounts, which launched in Australia in 2018, means once someone is tricked into clicking “send” on a payment, there is very little time to put a halt on the transaction. It is up to banks to sift through millions of transactions, detect the suspicious ones and raise a red flag, in near-real time. But how do you detect a payment to a scammer in mere milliseconds? This is an area where banks have invested millions in systems that crunch reams of data and raise alerts or block payments from going through. National Australia Bank’s executive for group investigations, Chris Sheehan, has high hopes that over time, the BioCatch system will make it very difficult for scammers to operate in Australia. National Australia Bank’s executive for group investigations, Chris Sheehan. More broadly, he says it is an example of collaboration that wouldn’t be possible in markets overseas – one due to Australian banks’ history of data-sharing to fight scams, as well as the fact our banking market is relatively small and concentrated. “This type of industry-wide collaboration – it is a global first,” says Sheehan, a former Australian Federal Police senior officer. “And frankly, I don’t think anywhere else in the world can do it the way we’ve done it here.” While banks’ anti-scam systems have historically focused on detecting and responding to scams, he says that won’t cut it any more. The BioCatch move is an example of where banks need to focus – on stoping scams before the money’s been transferred. “We need to be stopping the scam, stopping the crime, before it occurs,” he says. More broadly, it’s also an example of the co-operation between banks that goes back to 2016, when the industry launched the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX), a bank-backed group of which Sheehan is a director. The exchange allows member banks to quickly report fraud as well as share intelligence on scams with other businesses such as telcos or technology firms. Sheehan says that when this intelligence loop is “fully mature”, it will allow a bank to pass on a scam URL or dodgy phone number to, say, Telstra or Google, and have the number or website taken down immediately. Commonwealth Bank’s head of group fraud, James Roberts, says this scheme – known as “the loop” is another example of Australia leading the charge globally through fast sharing of information between telcos, banks, social media companies and regulators. “Speed is everything. The faster we can take down a link or a dodgy advertisement ... the less people will get scammed by it, so you’re reducing the blast radius,” says Roberts, who is also a director of the AFCX. There will be extra refinements in the new year as banks face continuing pressure to curb scam losses. Australian Payments Plus (AP+), a payments organisation, will in 2025 launch an industry-wide name-checking system , which checks the name of accounts to which cash is being transferred. Some banks already offer this service. “The solution has been built. It’s in testing at the moment and will be going live across the banks throughout 2025,” says AP+ chief executive Lynn Kraus. Losses still way too high Of course, banks have been touting anti-scam technology for years, and it hasn’t stopped a wave of losses that hit $2.7 billion in 2023 – a 13 per cent fall on 2022 levels but a figure that is still far too high. Will these new anti-scam measures make a more meaningful difference? Even banks don’t claim anti-scam technology can solve the problem on its own. Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones unveiled the government’s anti-scam laws in October. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer There is widespread agreement on the need for closer work between banks and social media companies, and new laws unveiled by Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones in October will require these businesses to report scams as soon as they are detected, with the threat of $50 million fines. “Our scams crackdown will cut off the avenues scammers use to target Australians by setting a high bar for what businesses must do to prevent them,” Jones said. Consumer advocates maintain there should also be more emphasis on requiring banks to compensate scam victims, an approach that has been adopted in the UK but resisted by the federal government. Yet despite all the work still to be done, there are tentative signs of progress. CBA’s Roberts notes the banking giant reported a 50 per cent reduction in customer scam losses last financial year. Other banks have also reported declines. NAB’s full-year results showed a 20 per cent fall in customer losses from scams, Westpac said scam losses were down 29 per cent, and ANZ reported a 46 per cent drop in customer scam losses. Roberts says the reduction in scam losses seen in Australia is better than the situation in some peer countries, though he adds the problem remains significant. “It does not mean the problem is solved – and it has tragic consequences for consumers, but at least there’s a trend directionally,” he says. NAB’s Chris Sheehan also says the $2.7 billion in industry-wide scam losses in 2023 was “way too high”, and he stresses the battle against scanners must continue. But he, too, says there are some encouraging signs. Ultimately, he says, there is no silver bullet in the fight against scams and the bank expects to be constantly changing its defences as the scammers also evolve. Scam-fighting is also a part of finance where banks put aside their commercial rivalry and frequently work together to share information against a common enemy. Indeed, last year the competition watchdog gave the Australian Bankers’ Association and its members permission to talk together to develop industry standards for anti-scam measures. Not only does information-sharing help to spot the scammers, there’s also no public benefit in a situation in which some banks have far better anti-scam systems than others, because you can be sure that the criminals will cotton on to any vulnerabilities. “When it comes to fighting crime and preventing the impact of crime on our customers, we don’t compete on that,” Sheehan says. “We realise that we have to work together because otherwise we’ll just get picked off individually.” The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each we e kday afternoon .
The "systemic indifference" of algorithm-driven profit maximization extends beyond individual businesses to societal issues such as environmental sustainability and community well-being. When algorithms prioritize short-term financial gains over long-term sustainability and social impact, businesses may overlook the environmental consequences of their operations or disregard the needs of local communities. This can result in ecological degradation, social unrest, and a breakdown of trust between businesses and society.
In conclusion, Dennis Suarez's journey at Arsenal under the guidance of Unai Emery is a testament to the complexities of player-coach relationships in the world of football. Despite the challenges and criticisms they may face, both Suarez and Emery have the opportunity to work together, learn from each other, and ultimately achieve success on the field. Only time will tell how their story unfolds and whether they can overcome the obstacles to prove their doubters wrong.Why TikTok Shop sellers could be hit harder than creators by a ban of the app in the US
Strictly star STRIPPED in front of me & left me stunned – there’s reason why celebs think they can behave how they want
However, the decision to call for Cho Kuk's swift arrest has also attracted criticism and skepticism from some quarters. Critics argue that the resolution could be politically motivated, aimed at tarnishing Cho's reputation and undermining the credibility of the ruling party ahead of the upcoming elections. There are concerns that the government may be using the corruption scandal as a political tool to discredit its opponents and distract the public from other pressing issues.The restoration of the caretaker government and the introduction of a bicameral system in parliament will be among the recommendations to be proposed by the Constitution Reform Commission. The commission, led by political scientist Ali Riaz, is likely to recommend the inclusion of equality, human dignity, and social justice in the preamble to the constitution. Its proposal, which is currently being prepared along with the rationale, is scheduled to submit its recommendations by January 7. "I would say the biggest consensus we received is on the caretaker government. If I were to say 100 percent, it would not be an exaggeration," Riaz told The Daily Star. Additionally, the commission will propose a two-term limit for the office and curbing the prime minister's absolute power. It will also recommend establishing a balance of power between the prime minister and the president. The commission plans to strengthen the parliamentary standing committees to enhance their ability to monitor and hold the government and the prime minister accountable. It will also recommend repealing Article 70 of the constitution. Asked whether the commission is amending or rewriting the constitution, Riaz clarified that it is not drafting a new constitution but rather compiling recommendations so that the constitution would guarantee that no one can snatch the voting rights of the masses and no potential autocrat can grab power. So far, the commission has received proposals from 28 political entities, including 25 political parties and three alliances. It has also held discussions with 43 organisations, including civil society groups, some of which have provided written submissions. Moreover, the commission consulted seven constitutional experts and sought opinions from 27 prominent citizens. It also took opinions from 10 youths who contributed songs, poems and graffiti during the July uprising. They were not associated with the Student Against Discrimination movement or the Jatiya Nagorik Committee. The commission has undertaken two broader initiatives. Riaz said, "First, we collected public opinions through our website, receiving 50,573 responses. While these inputs were helpful, they had limitations due to the lack of demographic information about the respondents, such as age, gender, location or profession, which weakened their scientific credibility." To address this, the commission collaborated with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to conduct a household survey using a methodologically sound and scientifically rigorous process. "This survey collected 45,925 opinions, which we are now analysing. This approach ensured a more representative and inclusive understanding of public sentiment," Riaz added. Thus far, the commission has conducted 46 meetings: 23 for consultations and 23 among its members. "Through these efforts, we have extensively and inclusively gathered opinions and analysed 121 countries' constitutions -- we are working toward making well-informed recommendations," Riaz also said. The restoration of the caretaker government and the introduction of a bicameral system in parliament will be among the recommendations to be proposed by the Constitution Reform Commission. The commission, led by political scientist Ali Riaz, is likely to recommend the inclusion of equality, human dignity, and social justice in the preamble to the constitution. Its proposal, which is currently being prepared along with the rationale, is scheduled to submit its recommendations by January 7. "I would say the biggest consensus we received is on the caretaker government. If I were to say 100 percent, it would not be an exaggeration," Riaz told The Daily Star. Additionally, the commission will propose a two-term limit for the office and curbing the prime minister's absolute power. It will also recommend establishing a balance of power between the prime minister and the president. The commission plans to strengthen the parliamentary standing committees to enhance their ability to monitor and hold the government and the prime minister accountable. It will also recommend repealing Article 70 of the constitution. Asked whether the commission is amending or rewriting the constitution, Riaz clarified that it is not drafting a new constitution but rather compiling recommendations so that the constitution would guarantee that no one can snatch the voting rights of the masses and no potential autocrat can grab power. So far, the commission has received proposals from 28 political entities, including 25 political parties and three alliances. It has also held discussions with 43 organisations, including civil society groups, some of which have provided written submissions. Moreover, the commission consulted seven constitutional experts and sought opinions from 27 prominent citizens. It also took opinions from 10 youths who contributed songs, poems and graffiti during the July uprising. They were not associated with the Student Against Discrimination movement or the Jatiya Nagorik Committee. The commission has undertaken two broader initiatives. Riaz said, "First, we collected public opinions through our website, receiving 50,573 responses. While these inputs were helpful, they had limitations due to the lack of demographic information about the respondents, such as age, gender, location or profession, which weakened their scientific credibility." To address this, the commission collaborated with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to conduct a household survey using a methodologically sound and scientifically rigorous process. "This survey collected 45,925 opinions, which we are now analysing. This approach ensured a more representative and inclusive understanding of public sentiment," Riaz added. Thus far, the commission has conducted 46 meetings: 23 for consultations and 23 among its members. "Through these efforts, we have extensively and inclusively gathered opinions and analysed 121 countries' constitutions -- we are working toward making well-informed recommendations," Riaz also said.