It is important for all countries to respect each other's sovereignty and refrain from interfering in internal matters. The principle of non-interference in internal affairs is a fundamental norm of international relations, and any violation of this principle is an infringement of a country's sovereignty.The Green Bay Packers (7-3) host the San Francisco 49ers (5-5) at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. What channel is Packers vs. 49ers on? What time is Packers vs. 49ers? The Packers and the 49ers play at 4:25 p.m. ET. NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. Packers vs. 49ers betting odds, lines, spread Packers vs. 49ers recent matchups Packers schedule 49ers schedule NFL week 12 schedule This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.SINGAPORE: Festive gift-giving is getting a digital transformation in China and becoming the new battleground for Chinese social media apps as e-commerce competition heats up. Tencent’s WeChat has been testing out a new feature allowing users to browse, buy and send presents to friends and relatives, while Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, rolled out a similar gifting function back in January. WeChat, a multi-functional platform that offers services from messaging to mobile payment and gaming, has more than 1.3 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most widely used apps in the world. Its new “Send Gift” feature, added to its app store on Dec 19, allows users to “show appreciation” for their loved ones by searching for products priced at 10,000 yuan and below. The feature is “being rolled out gradually”, WeChat said in a statement, and for now, is only available to a selected number of users in mainland China. “We are still working hard to gradually improve the relevant functions,” the company said. Those able to use the function bought gifts like cosmetics and snacks and sent them on to their friends. One user who went by the name Diana, shared her experience of sending makeup foundation worth 480 yuan to a friend, praising the “practicality” of the new service and saying it was useful for holidays like Christmas and birthdays. She recalled her friend reacting with confusion upon receiving her WeChat gift. “(She thought) she was sent a meme, but it was actually a Christmas gift,” Diana said. The novelty of the new WeChat function also sparked discussion on the Xiaohongshu social media app, with some expressing excitement of being able to send gifts to friends and relatives quickly, with others commenting that they were eager for it to be rolled out on their accounts. Some Xiaohongshu bloggers also shared step by step tutorials showing users how to send and receive gifts. One user who went by the handle Momozi, expressed doubts, saying more improvements were needed and she did not see older app users trying out the gift giving function. “Firstly, a gift should be a surprise. If not I’ll simply send a red packet,” she said. “Why not simply just send money?” Irate users also left one star reviews on WeChat shop’s customer service platform, describing unfavourable experiences they had in dealing with unresponsive sellers and merchants who did not send out orders once placed, as well as the lack of refundable options. The feature allows users to purchase products from WeChat stores and send them to other users through a virtual gift format. Gifts are capped at 10,000 yuan, excluding jewellery and tutoring classes, with the option to hide prices from the recipient. After selecting a product, users would then click on “send to friend” and complete payment. There is also no need to include a recipient’s delivery address, WeChat said and gift orders will not contain buyer information or payment details. Gifts are non-transferrable and users will not be allowed to cancel orders. But if gifts are not accepted by the recipient within 24 hours, the order would then be cancelled and the money refunded to the sender’s accounts. RESHAPING THE GIFT-GIVING CULTURE China’s e-commerce market is the largest in the world, generating billions in revenue and outpacing the United States. Giving money and gifts is a huge part of Chinese culture and in 2014, WeChat introduced virtual red packets linked to its digital payment service. The virtual red packets were a hit with users who received amounts of money in the form of transactions quickly and conveniently through their apps, and digitised a deeply-rooted Chinese tradition ahead of the new year. It also gave Tencent the edge in the digital payment battle against e-commerce rival Alibaba’s Alipay system, industry experts said. In 2017 alone, WeChat users exchanged around 46 billion digital red packets over the new year period in January. Just as WeChat changed the way people gave out traditional red packets, can it do the same with its new “gift-giving” feature? “Gifting is something deeply rooted in Chinese culture, just like red packets are,” said Li Jianggan, CEO of Singapore-based venture firm Momentum Works, adding that spending habits and gifting behaviour of younger Chinese differed substantially from elders. Analyst Dave Xie from the Oliver Wyman global management consulting firm, called the new feature “a strategic move” on Tencent’s part. “China's e-commerce landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent years, driven by emerging platforms, evolving consumer behaviors and strategic adaptations by established players,” Xie told CNA. WeChat’s “extensive” user base and established social connections could provide a unique advantage in driving e-commerce engagement, he added. With more than 1.3 billion active monthly users, WeChat is a “powerful tool” and has something “none of the Chinese e-commerce platforms have”, Li said, a huge user network and trusted social map. “As WeChat gradually gets deeper into social commerce and live commerce, there is a good possibility that the e-commerce competitive landscape (in China) will be reshaped.” But it is still “hard to predict” if the new gift-giving function will be as popular and widely used among WeChat users as digital red packets, Li said, adding that it was “safe to assume” it would have a smaller use as compared to payment. “That said, we believe that gifting is just one of the many attempts to effectively embed social commerce into the WeChat ecosystem.” In line with government internet restrictions, app-associated services like Facebook marketplace and Instagram Shopping aren’t made available to Chinese users. WeChat's new gift-giving function is also not the first in the Chinese market. Earlier this year, Douyin released a similar gifting function called “sui xin song” or “Gift as you wish” – allowing its users to send out gift vouchers. It also ran a special Chinese New Year campaign allowing users to send gifts to their loved ones, with gifts worth over 40 million yuan sent. Social gift giving “naturally” aligns with WeChat’s social DNA, Xie said, with the potential to “create unique social shopping experiences” for users on the platform. But success will depend on being able to convert “social engagement” into sustainable sales growth. One of the biggest challenges for the new gift-giving function would be how it functions and operates, Li said. “What is the selection of products available... and how do you manage the user experiences and expectations? How (can WeChat) regulate the system so that it doesn’t get abused by illicit merchants and scammers?” “This is something that Wechat can tap into if they find the right magic formula.”
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The accusations against Manchester City stem from a series of leaked documents and emails that suggest the club may have misled the Premier League and UEFA regarding their financial affairs. The allegations paint a troubling picture of a club that may have circumvented financial regulations in order to gain an unfair advantage over their rivals. If proven true, these violations could result in severe sanctions for the club, including hefty fines, point deductions, and even potential expulsion from future competitions.The police were promptly called to the scene, and after assessing the situation and speaking with both the ambulance crew and the vehicle owner, they made the decision to detain the car owner for obstruction of emergency services. The detained individual now faces administrative sanctions and fines for their irresponsible actions.The swift response and coordinated efforts of the airline crew, emergency responders, and airport personnel in handling the challenging situation were commendable. Their professionalism and dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of those onboard the flight are truly laudable.
By Paul Vieira OTTAWA--Canada's federal and regional political leaders must present a united front in fighting a proposed 25% tariff on the nation's exports to the U.S. that President-elect Donald Trump wants to impose, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday. Freeland reiterated at a Toronto press conference that Canada is prepared to impose its own retaliatory trade measures against the U.S. should Trump fulfill his pledge. However, disagreements among the premiers, or governors, of Canada's provinces are already emerging about applying economic pressure on its biggest, most important trading partner. "For a Canadian response to be strong and effective, Canada needs to be united," Freeland said. "The ultimate response we come up with needs to be one that all of our country stands behind." Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the leader of Canada's most populous province, has mused about shutting down electricity exports to the U.S. Northeast in the event the 25% tariff kicks in. The leader of the oil-rich province of Alberta, Danielle Smith, said she doesn't agree with that approach. Crude oil is one of the biggest U.S.-bound Canadian exports. Smith and another western Canadian premier, Scott Moe of Saskatchewan, fiercely rejected the idea of an export tax on key commodities that Canada sells to the U.S., such as energy, potash and uranium. This is under consideration among Canadian officials but no final decision has been made, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Smith said that an export tax "would be a terrible idea." Moe, whose province is also rich in natural resources, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hadn't broached the concept of an export tax on commodities in the Canadian leader's talks with the provinces. "If they are under consideration, that would be a complete betrayal by the Trudeau government of the team approach they have been advocating and a complete betrayal of Canadians," Moe said in a social-media post. Under Canada's system of federalism, the provinces have responsibility for energy and natural resources within their own borders. That makes provincial leaders protective of attempts by the federal government to control production. Late last month Trump, in a post on the Truth Social platform, said his pledge to slap hefty tariffs on his North American partners stems from an inability by Canada and Mexico to stem the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S. A 25% tariff risks triggering a recession in Canada, economists warn. Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem said a tariff at that level represents a major uncertainty for the economy, and risks weighing on investment activity. Freeland said she spoke to some western Canadian officials Friday morning, and is optimistic the federal and provincial governments will converge on a united strategy. "We have to be candid about the reality of the incoming U.S. administration," Freeland said. "This is an administration which openly has a strategy of creating economic uncertainty outside the United States as a strategy to discourage investment anywhere other than the United States." Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com