zoom Finnish Port of Helsinki set a new annual record for a number of passengers, reaching 11.56 million in 2016, up 3.1 percent from the previous year.A total of 8.74 million passengers passed between Tallinn and Helsinki, and 2.34 million between Stockholm and Helsinki.The port saw a total of 408,900 cruise passengers throughout the cruise season, a decrease of 6.3 percent compared to 2015.“Traffic to Tallinn is expected to continue to grow in the future, and the Port of Helsinki is preparing by opening a new West Terminal 2 during February 2017. The introduction of the new terminal and the related two new quays will increase the capacity for fast traffic to Tallinn significantly,” according to the port.In December 2016, a total of 931,100 passengers, 4.3 percent more than in December 2015, passed through the Port of Helsinki.Furthermore, the Port of Helsinki recorded an increase of 1.9 percent in its annual cargo throughput, having handled a total of 11.62 million tons in 2016.Of this amount, 10.57 million tons was transported in large-sized unit loads, such as cargo transported in containers, trucks, and trailers.“This was the third consecutive year of increase in total cargo traffic and unitised cargo,” Kimmo Mäki, Managing Director of Port Of Helsinki, said.Imports stood at 5.02 million tons, an increase of 3.8 percent compared to the previous year. Exports amounted to 5.6 million tons, a decrease of 0.3 percent.Exports are expected to increase during 2017, as the export operations from the new Metsä-Fibre bioproduct plant in Äänekoski are started through the Vuosaari cargo harbor, the port said. These transportations will increase exports by almost one million tons per year, according to the Port of Helsinki.“The merger of the Port of Loviisa, which is specialised in forest industry and dry bulk, with the Port of Helsinki at the beginning of the year will create plenty of new possibilities for cargo traffic,” the port said.The Port of Helsinki is the main port for foreign trade and passenger traffic services in Finland.Image Courtesy: Port of Helsinki read more

NEW DELHI: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) on Monday sought time from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for discussing issues related to the national capital.Based on the request, Kejriwal has fixed the meeting with DPCC members on Wednesday. A delegation led by former DPCC chief Sheila Dikshit is also expected to take part in the meeting to discuss the problems that the capital is facing. Sharing the details of the proposed meeting, Delhi Congress leader Rajesh Lilothi said the main agenda of this meeting would be the electricity and water problem that people of Delhi are facing. The discussion will be on fixed electricity bill in the capital. Also Read – Cylinder blast kills mother and daughter in Karawal NagarSheila Dikshit will be forming the team that would attend the meeting and their demand will be to return the amount which they have taken through fixed electricity bill charge, he further added. The meeting between the two leaders is coming about a fortnight after the announcement of general election results in which both Congress and AAP had failed to win any seat. AAP, which is running the government in Delhi, slipped to the third position with a vote share of a little over 18 per cent. The BJP got over 56 per cent and Congress over 22 per cent vote share in this year’s elections. read more

Globe-Trotting DJ/Producer Marc Mysterio is teaming up with Flo Rida on a release for charity entitled ‘Booty On The Floor’ today.The song is available today, exclusively on Beatport.All net proceeds of the Beatport Release will go to the families affected by the Tragic Marathon Attack in Boston via OneFundBoston.org, a charity set up by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.“God Bless the families affected by the Boston Marathon Explosion, I’m praying for you all” noted Flo Rida, via Twitter.The catchy refrain goes, ‘Put your Booty on the Floor’ which is accompanied by a melodic arpeggio piano riff and a massive electro lead.“For me, ‘Put Your Booty On The Floor’ is a paraphrased way to say ‘Call to action’ and ‘get in gear’ which honors the first responders in Boston, as well as those whom acted on impulse to care for the wounded” notes Marc, whom himself lived in Boston for many years growing up.A promotional video to push the charitable effort and song was posted on YouTube featuring Bangkok-Based Viral Tutting Star Billy Chuchat as well as artwork by Jonathan Beckley, a Boston-Based Photographer.Fans can support the effort by tweeting #bootyonthefloor @marc_mysterio and @official_flo.Source:PR Newswire read more

Gurugram: While the citizens of Gurugram enjoy Holi with great fervour, they will also have to be careful in their savouring. To ensure that there is no law and order problem in the city due to Holi celebrations, the Gurugram Police will be on duty. Among the major tasks of Gurugram police officials main focus will be to ensure that there is no drunken driving in the city.Besides drunken driving, the Gurugram police will also take stringent measures on offences like drinking in public places, rash driving and other traffic violations like not wearing a helmet or a seat belt while driving. With traffic violations becoming a major cause of deadly accidents in the city, the Gurugram Police will be placing its personnel at prominent public places. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderDirectives have been sent to various police stations in the city providing them with directives of how to maintain safety for citizens during Holi. “Certain citizens in the city feel that enjoyment in festivals like Holi gives them the licence to take law and order in their hands and they go violating laws. A major complaint that the Gurugram Police normally receives during Holi celebration are incidents of drunken and rash driving. The Police will act strongly against these offenders. To begin with, we will impose a heavy penalty on the offender. If we feel that it does not make a difference we can also impound their vehicles or arrest these people,” said a senior police official from Gurugram Police. Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchings”It will not only be drunken and rash drivers that will be penalised but all the traffic violators if found to be jeopardising the safety and security for commuters and pedestrians at road will be penalised accordingly. Besides our local police station numbers, the Gurugram Police can also be contacted through means of social media to report complaints,” added the official While Gurugram Police will be keeping a track on the offenders so that most citizens have a safe and secure holi, certain residents also expressed their angst against the Gurugram Police officials. “The claims of Gurugram Police that will ensure that the violators are punished is just hogwash. Many youngsters in areas like Gurugram- Faridabad road hold car races yet there is no action taken against them,” said Rahul Sinha, resident of Silveroaks residential condominium society. “For many of the citizens like us such measures are only seen as harassment by the police officials,” added Sinha. read more

TORONTO — Stock markets ended lower on Thursday as traders were disappointed with the outcome of the European Central Bank’s attempt to tackle the debt crisis in the region.Here are the closing numbersTSX — 11,506.50 -112.03 -0.96%S&P 500 — 1,365.00 -10.14 -0.74%Dow — 12,878.88 -92.18 -0.71%Nasdaq — 2,909.77 -10.44 -0.36%Hopes were high the ECB would announce more immediate steps, considering the ECB president’s pledge last week to do “whatever it takes” to keep the euro intact, but those expectations were quickly dashed, sending markets in Europe lower as well.Toronto’s S&P/TSX composite index closed down 112.03 points to 11,506.50 and the TSX Venture Exchange moved down 15.98 points to 1,173.65.The Canadian dollar was down 0.19 of a cent to 99.29 US cents.On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 92.18 points to 12,878.88 and the broader S&P edged down 10.32 points to 1,365. The Nasdaq was off 10.44 points at 2,909.77.The ECB disappointed markets once again after Draghi’s earlier comments pumped up expectations, BMO senior economist Benjamin Reitzes said in a note.“With inflation expected to fall below 2% in 2013 and downside growth risks, the ECB’s lack of bold action to boost the crisis-wracked region borders on irresponsible.”In Europe, Germany’s DAX ended down 2.2% at 6,607 while the CAC-40 in France fell 2.7% to 3,232. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.9% at 5,662.However, Draghi did say that more action would be taken, in particular a new effort to purchase government bonds in an effort to lower borrowing costs for Spain and Italy. Specific details are likely to be revealed in the coming weeks, Draghi said.“Draghi can talk all he wants, but the trouble is that (the ECB) really isn’t (like) the Fed in the U.S. — it doesn’t have the same capabilities,” said Chris King, portfolio manager at Morgan, Meighen and Associates.“Quite frankly, U.S. markets had a pretty good run, and Europe had a pretty good bounce up in the last little while … this hasn’t really pulled back that much.”The TSX energy sector was down 2% as the September crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed $1.78 lower to US$87.13 a barrel.The gold sector was down 0.6% while the price of gold was down for the third consecutive session. December gold fell $16.60 to close at US$1,590.70 an ounce.Kinross Gold Corp. has replaced president and chief executive Tye Burt in a decision it says is necessary to move forward with its plan to improve the Toronto-based miner’s lagging performance. Shares were down 45 cents to $7.56.September copper moved down 8.4 cents to US$3.29 a pound.In U.S. data, more people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, though the data was likely skewed higher by seasonal factors.Weekly applications increased by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 365,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell for the sixth straight week to 365,500, the lowest since March 31.In earnings, Enbridge Inc. says its second-quarter profit shrank by 96% to $11-million, as a decline in the fair value of its derivatives portfolio offset gains in the company’s operational profit. Its shares fell 61 cents to $39.90.Valeant Pharmaceuticals International shares were up after the pharma company reported a $21.6-million net loss, or seven cents per share, in the second quarter compared to $56.4 million or 18 cents per share a year earlier. The company’s weaker results were related to restructuring and acquisition charges, and also the settlement costs of a class-action lawsuit. Its shares gained five cents to $47.21.Gildan Activewear Inc. says its third-quarter profit fell to US$78.6 million, almost $10-million below the same time last year, as it absorbed restructuring and other costs related to an acquisition in May. Shares were up seven cents to $28.30.First Uranium, which is winding up its operations, cut Thursday the amount it estimates unitholders will receive to at least 12.5 cents per unit from approximately 22 cents per unit. The company attributed the lower estimate to changes in exchange rates as well as lower than expected gold prices and production from the operations. Shares dropped 38%, or nine cents, to 14.5 cents.Here’s the news investors were watching today:ECB lack of action ‘borders on irresponsible’ING considers sale of Canadian online banksBill Gross, Jeremy Siegel spar as death of equities debate rages onPaul Rollinson takes over as Kinross CEORIM launch of LTE PlayBook set for Aug. 9 in CanadaON DECK FRIDAYECONOMIC NEWSUNITED STATES8:30 a.m. Employment report (July): Economists expect a gain of 100,000 jobs and for the jobless rate to remain unchanged at 8.2% 10 a.m.Non-manufacturing ISM index (July): Economists expect a reading of 52, just about flat from last month CORPORATE NEWSCANADAAgrium Q2 earnings: Analysts expect US$4.62 SNC-Lavalin Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 56¢ Telus Q2 earnings: Analysts expect $1.02 Manitoba Telecom Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 65¢ Power Corp Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 62¢ Power Financial Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 66¢ Brookfield Office Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 26¢ GMP Capital Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 7¢ UNITED STATESThe Procter & Gamble Co. Q4 earnings: Analysts expect 77¢ a share NYSE Euronext Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 50¢ Southwestern Energy Q2 earnings: Analysts expect 25¢ Viacom Inc Q2 earnings: Analysts expect US$1 The Washington Post Co Q2 earnings: Analysts expect US$5.74 read more

The four employees of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) were among a large group of relief workers from international aid agencies seized by unidentified combatants last Thursday following a rebel attack in Zwedru on a transit camp for 6,000 refugees who had fled violence in Côte d’Ivoire.”The abductors told the released WFP aid workers their colleague would be freed on Saturday, but by Monday morning we still had no news about any such release,” the WFP country director in Liberia, Justin Bagirishya, said yesterday. “As time goes by, we are growing increasingly concerned about his safety.”The four workers, Wilfred Tokpah, David Pewee, Solomon Fayiah and Velicious Moulton, are Liberian nationals. Early last Friday all but Mr. Moulton, established radio contact confirming they had been released. The group crossed the border into Côte d’Ivoire and eventually reached the agency’s sub-office in the west of the country. read more

UN Special Representative Juan Gabriel Valdés was scheduled to stop at Lycée de Pétion-Ville in Place St. Pierre, Lycée Fort Nationale in Bel Air and at the Hôpital de la Paix, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).A few technical glitches caused some delays, but MINUSTAH worked to correct them and the first nationwide voting since an insurgency forced elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into exile two years ago was proceeding without serious incident, the mission said.At UN Headquarters, the Security Council heard a closed-door update from senior UN Secretariat officials. It was the first in what is expected to be a daily briefing on hotspots, instituted by the Council president for February, United States Ambassador John Bolton.He told journalists afterwards that Assistant Secretary-General Hédi Annabi had briefed the 15 Council members on such matters as Haiti’s polling stations, security, contingency plans and protection of the votes cast. The briefings would not be decision-making meetings, he added.Meanwhile, in a report to the Council on the mission released today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan underscored the need for the incoming leadership to show strong commitment to reconciliation and inclusion.He also recommended that MINUSTAH be continued in its present configuration for another six months while a post-electoral mission strategy is worked out.Newly elected Haitian officials will inherit weak State and local institutions, suffering from both a lack of trained personnel and insufficient administrative infrastructure, the report noted, pointing to the need for ongoing support from MINUSTAH and the international community.“The installation of an elected Government will usher in a new phase in Haiti’s transition to a stable democracy,” Mr. Annan said, adding: “Haiti’s political and institutional progress will require sustained commitment to promoting key democratic values, including promoting national dialogue; respect for the independence of the judiciary and an impartial, professional civil service and police; and full commitment to human rights.”Some immediate improvement in social and economic conditions could make a crucial contribution to stability, the Secretary-General stressed, voicing hope that the fruits of multilateral cooperation would become clearly visible in the coming months, and would be supplemented by targeted aid for such basic needs as health and education, agriculture and job creation.Mr. Annan noted that the mission was estimated to cost more than $43 million per month up to next June and the unpaid assessed contributions to MINUSTAH’s Special Account now amounted to just over $135 million. read more

A large country in central Africa, DRC has been plagued by violence and insecurity for decades. Across the country, local populations and humanitarian workers assisting them have come under attacks by armed groups, necessitating the deployment of a large UN peacekeeping mission.   Unanimously adopting resolution 2439 (2018), the 15-member Council “demanded” that all armed groups in the region respect international law and ensure full, safe, immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian and medical personnel, and their equipment, transport and supplies to the affected areas.Humanitarian response teams and hospitals providing life-saving assistance and relief to those in need “must be respected and protected, and that they must not be a target,” said the Security Council in the resolution.The UN body also stressed the need for gender-sensitive response to the Ebola outbreak that addresses the specific needs of both men and women, given that men and women are affected differently by the socio-economic impacts of the outbreak.The Council also stressed the importance of the “full, active and meaningful engagement” of women in the development of such responses.According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), as of 22 October, over 200 cases have been confirmed and at least 150 people have lost their lives since the outbreak was declared in DRC’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces in August. This is the tenth outbreak in the country in the past 40 years.In its latest assessment, the UN health agency also warned of the potential for the virus to spread into Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi, and called on these countries to step up readiness efforts.Primary ResponsibilityIn the resolution, the Council also noted that the Government of the DRC “bears the primary responsibility” to protect civilians subject to its jurisdiction and stressed the need for the international community to “remain engaged” in supporting national health systems, as well as maintaining financial, technical and in-kind support for efforts to control the outbreak.It also encouraged the Government and countries in the region to “continue efforts to address and resolve the wider political, security, socioeconomic and humanitarian consequences of the Ebola outbreak, as well as to provide sustainable and responsive public health mechanisms.”The Security Council also expressed its appreciation towards the work of humanitarian and health staff on the ground and as well as the “positive role” of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUSCO) in support of the response and in protecting civilians.It also requested all relevant parts of the UN System to step up their response to the outbreak, within the overall coordination of WHO, including by supporting the development and implementation of preparedness and operational plans, in collaboration with governments of the region and those providing assistance. read more

As the families of the other missing and dead from the attack identify bodies and confirm the deaths of their loved ones, Mr Thomas’ family may never get this closure, as he has still not been found. Nathalie Cros Brohan, his sister-in-law wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning:”I thank you also for having had the kindness to share my call to witness to find my brother-in-law Xavier Thomas.”But there is still no news from Xavier.  The silence and waiting without knowing what happened to him is so horrible. We want to believe in a miracle. But unfortunately, we fear the worst.”My sister was operated on yesterday and her condition is stabilised. The medical team in London is remarkable and dedicated.”Thanks also to the French and English authorities  who have given us great psychological help.”The couple were walking south over London Bridge at around the time the attack started.They had been out with a group of friends, all from France, but they have been unable to find him since.Witness accounts suggest that it is possible that Xavier was struck by the van that resulted in him being thrown into the River Thames. Her relieved sister posted on Facebook that her condition is now stable – but that her pelvis was completely shattered and there was no way to repair it. The family of Xavier Thomas spoke just today of the “terrible silence” they have faced while waiting for news of their loved one.Detectives issued an urgent appeal for information about the whereabouts of the Frenchman who has been missing since Saturday night. Mr Xavier, 45, was in London for the weekend with his girlfriend Christine Delcros who was badly injured in the attack and underwent a two-hour operation this afternoon to reset her pelvis.  Appeal for Xavier Thomas missing since the terror attack on #LondonBridge https://t.co/oGrJZJf4nA pic.twitter.com/vxrzZyvhXm— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 6, 2017 The Metropolitan Police have found a body in the Thames, and there are fears it could be missing Frenchman Xavier Thomas, who went missing after the London Bridge terror attack on Saturday.They said in a statement: “On Tuesday, 6 June at approximately 19:44hours the body of a man was recovered from the river, near Limehouse, by specialist officers from the Marine Police Unit.”Formal identification has not yet taken place, however Mr. Thomas’ next of kin have been informed of this development.”The Met previously said they feared the 45-year-old was thrown into the river by a van driven by the three terrorists at London Bridge. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily  Front Page newsletter and new  audio briefings. read more

When submitting a tax return, the paperwork usually involves invoices and receipts. For Damien Hirst’s manager, it includes 73 coffee-stained placemats.The mats feature Hirst’s doodled portraits of Frank Dunphy, his friend and long-time manager, drawn over breakfast meetings at the Wolseley restaurant in Piccadilly.By donating them to the nation under the government’s Cultural Gifts Scheme, Mr Dunphy has knocked £90,000 from his tax bills.They are among dozens of “cultural treasures” named on Thursday in a report by Arts Council England, totalling nearly £60 million in 2018-19.Hirst drew the sketches over 8.30am breakfasts, and some of them bear the coffee and food stains to prove it.Some are comedic – one is captioned “Frank eggs-ellent” Dunphy” and depicts the manager as a boiled egg – and others refer to major milestones in Hirst’s career. A picture entitled “Skull Duggery [sic] Day” relates to the sale of the artist’s diamond and platinum-encrusted skull. As the Arts Council explains: “All were executed ad vivum [from life] except two: the 14th portrait, Frank (From Memory), and the 24th, In His Absence, which was done after Dunphy left to eat at another table when Hirst objected to his breakfast of kippers.”Hirst was in no doubt that the sketches represented a canny investment, and the report notes that he worked “with a placemat on his knee in order to hide his drawings from passers-by”.Salvador Dali is also said to have identified restaurant visits as a money-saver: according to legend, he would take large parties out for dinner, write a cheque for the entire meal and then sketch something on the back of it, knowing that the restaurant owner would never cash it and part with a valuable work of art.The Wolseley Drawings, as they are known, have been allocated to the British Museum.Mr Dunphy also donated a life-size bronze of a headless woman, Wretched War, under the scheme. It has been allocated to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily  Front Page newsletter and new  audio briefings. Hirst’s drawing of Dunphy as a boiled eggCredit:Damien Hirst The Cultural Gifts Scheme, set up to encourage philanthropy in the arts, allows donors to receive a tax reduction in exchange for their donations. The reduction can be spread over five years.It runs alongside the Acceptance in Lieu scheme, which allows owners of artworks and heritage to transfer them to public ownership to meet inheritance tax bills.Together, the schemes accounted for treasures worth £58.6 million – over double the value of items accepted in the previous financial year.The family of Tony Benn shaved more than £500,000 from their inheritance tax bill by donating his archive to the British Library. The family of Clement Attlee reduced their bill by £133,000 by donating his archive to the Bodleian.Other highlights include a pair of Chippendale pier tables and looking glasses, accepted in lieu of tax from the trustees of the 7th Earl of Harewood’s Will Trust and representing a tax saving of £5.6 million.They were donated to the V&A but remain on display at Harewood House in West Yorkshire as a long-term loan in recognition of the “added value” of seeing them in their intended home.The most valuable cultural gift last year was a collection of 20th and 21st century books on photographic art, donated by Sir Charles Chadwyck-Healey and representing a saving of £126,000. They have been allocated to the Bodleian Library. One of The Wolseley DrawingsCredit:Damien Hirst read more

Updated 12.35pmA passenger injured in a plane crash in a wheelchair is carried for medical treatment at a hospital in Jimbarn, Bali, Indonesia. Pic: AP Photo/Firdia LisnawatiAN INDONESIAN PLANE carrying more than 100 passengers broke in two after missing the runway at Bali airport today and landing in the sea, leaving dozens injured but no fatalities.The Boeing 737-800 was operated by budget airline Lion Air, a rapidly expanding carrier which recently sealed blockbuster orders for hundreds of new planes but which is banned from US and European airspace over safety concerns.The domestic flight ended with passengers screaming in terror as the aircraft hit the water after missing the runway at the popular resort island’s Denpasar airport, despite fine weather.The plane came to rest partially submerged in the water not far from the end of the runway, with inflatable slides deployed from the front exits and a gaping crack in the fuselage towards the rear.Passengers in life jackets could be seen in the water.About to landA passenger injured in a plane crash in a wheelchair is carried for a madical treatment at a hospital in Jimbarn, Bali, Indonesia. Pic: AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati“The plane was about to land when suddenly it fell into the sea. People on board panicked and began screaming,” a passenger named Dewi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP, her voice still shaking.She received light head injuries and was taken to Denpasar hospital.“There were 45 passengers who needed hospital treatment after being injured, but I cannot say whether their injuries were light or serious,” an airport spokeswoman told AFP.Three foreigners were on board the Lion Air flight – a Frenchman, a Singaporean woman and a Singaporean man, according to the airport’s head of communications.Transport ministry official Herry Bhakti initially said the plane overshot the runway, but later clarified his comments to say it landed straight in the water. Officials said they were still determining exactly why it ditched.A Lion Air spokesman said the aircraft was arriving from the city of Bandung in West Java province with 101 passengers and seven crew members on board. The passengers included 95 adults, five children, and one baby.He said the aircraft was relatively new, having started operating in 2012, and that the national transportation safety committee “will investigate the cause of the incident”.“The plane broke into two pieces,” he said, adding that “judging from visual observation, the plane cannot be used any more”.Lion Air, a little-known carrier launched 13 years ago with just one plane, has in recent times struck two of the world’s largest aircraft orders in a staggering $46 billion bet on Indonesia’s air transport boom.France announced last month that Indonesia’s fastest-growing airline had agreed to buy 234 medium-haul A320 jets worth $23.8 billion (18.4 billion euros) from European aerospace giant Airbus.That came after Lion Air astounded the industry with a $22.4 billion deal for 230 Boeing 737 airliners, inked in 2011 during a visit to Indonesia by US President Barack Obama.But experts have raised concerns that the airline’s rapid growth could put safety at risk, with some pointing out that there is a lack of qualified pilots in Indonesia to fly the fast-increasing number of planes.Lion Air is banned from European Union and US airspace, while in Indonesia it has a poor reputation for safety and reliability. Between 2004 and 2006, it suffered a series of six accidents, in which no one died, and which all involved planes overshooting the runway or missing it entirely.Founded in 1999 by brothers Kusnan and Rusdi Kirana, who are ranked the 33rd richest Indonesians with collective wealth of $900 million, Lion Air is the first private airline in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago nation.- © AFP, 2013 read more

A few days before 2018 departs, comes a positive announcement from the development and economy ministry’s General Commercial Registry.According to recent data, 7.04 per cent more businesses – of all types and sizes – were opened in 2018, compared to 2017.With the new business records running until 21 December 2018, the listings show openings surpassed closings in 2018.For the first year since the financial crisis hit Greece, the country has seen steady and healthy growth in the business industry;  more impressively, terminated businesses were reduced by 32.67 per cent in the current year, compared to 2017. Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram read more

Astronomers working on the SETI project have reported a peculiar signal, one that could potentially indicate the existence of alien life in a solar system 95 light years away. It is also possible this is yet another false alarm caused by a terrestrial radio signal. We don’t know the true origin yet, but the solar system the signal appears to be coming from is a good candidate for extraterrestrial life. The observation was made with the RATAN-600 radio telescope (above) in Zelenchukskaya, Russia on May 15, 2015, but has only recently been analyzed. The star in question is HD 164595 about the same mass and temperature as our own. It is known to have one exoplanet, a gas giant similar in size to Neptune. There could, however, be habitable moons or smaller planets in the system that we are not able to detect at this time. The signal an extremely high power isotropic beacon in the 11GHz range. For an alien to have sent that from 95 light years away, we’d be talking about a very advanced civilization. Paul Gilster of SETI speculates it would have to be a Kardashev Type II civilization. That means they would have harnessed the full energy output of HD 164595.That all sounds very fanciful and cool, but there’s another, much more mundane possibility. According to Astronomer Nick Suntzeff from Texas A&M University, it’s more plausible that the signal has terrestrial origins. A signal much closer to Earth (i.e. a satellite) that was merely coming from the same direction as HD 164595 would have had much lower initial power. It might simply be a military signal from a satellite pinging a ground station. Astronomers will have to keep an eye on HD 164595 to see if it happens again. read more

You didn’t read that headline incorrectly. Sony Music Entertainment has announced a new publishing label called Unties that will create games for multiple platforms. Unties (pronounced Un-ties, not Un-tees) will have games on both PC and Nintendo Switch. The first title set to release is an indie game called Tiny Metal, which will launch on PS4, PC, and Switch on November 21.“At Unties, we dig up the masterpieces buried in those situations, and support them so that more users notice and pick them up. We spread information about excellent games and sell titles for multiple platforms,” said Sony Music Entertainment in a press release (translated by Gematsu). “The name ‘Unties’ comes from the thought ‘to unleash the excellent talents of unique game creators all over the world’ and ‘setting creators free from the various shackles of game publishing, named from the intention of realizing publishing that is freedom of production without restraints.’”Unties has a number of other upcoming titles. These include Deemo Reborn, Last Strand, and Merkava Avalanche. The latter two are set to release on multiple platforms. Deemo Reborn is going to have PlayStation VR support on PS4. None of these games have release dates at the moment.This is the first time Sony and Nintendo have collaborated like this in 26 years. For those who may not know, Sony was originally going to create a CD add-on for the Super Nintendo. The “Nintendo PlayStation” never made it to market after Sony and Nintendo severed ties, so it’s interesting to see the two work together like this so many years later. Seeing Sony games on PC isn’t as wild, however. The company released titles such as Planetside 2 and Payday: The Heist on PC through Sony Online Entertainment (now known as Daybreak Entertainment).Given the popularity of indie games, it makes sense that Sony would invest in them. It’s unclear why Unties isn’t under Sony Interactive Entertainment. Perhaps Sony simply wants to avoid confusion by having Unties be its own thing and not directly tied to PlayStation.As for “Unties,” perhaps a slight name change is in order. I know I’m not the only one who thought of underwear when first reading that moniker.Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. read more

Load More RelatedPosts Hong Kong Jockey Club cites “serious integrity concerns” in complaint over Crown Resorts-owned betting exchange The Executive Chairman of Crown Resorts, John Alexander, has lashed what he describes as “sensationalist” news reports claiming links between Crown and Asian criminal syndicates while defending the company’s “zero tolerance” policy towards criminal elements.His comments, which formed part of Crown’s FY19 results release on Wednesday, follow a series of damaging media reports from Australian newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and Channel 9’s 60 Minutes television program questioning its use of Asian-based VIP promotors – also known as junkets – and alleging links to large-scale money laundering. Strong VIP growth sees Okada Manila GGR climb 72% in August 70% of Macau gaming market driven by 400,000 premium players: brokerage Those allegations have led to an inquiry by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, but Alexander has hopped onto the front foot this week in citing Crown’s contribution to the Australian economy through its role in tourism, employment, training and its corporate responsibility programs in FY19.“Crown’s contributions risk being overshadowed by recent media reporting which has unfairly sought to tarnish Crown’s reputation,” he said.“Crown operates in one of the most highly regulated industries in Australia with our business subject to ongoing review and monitoring by State gaming regulators and Governmental agencies such as AUSTRAC.“It comes as no surprise that various regulators and other agencies have launched inquiries given recent media reports and the sensationalist nature of the allegations raised.“Crown has zero tolerance for criminal elements and we view these inquiries as an opportunity to continue our cooperation with regulators and other agencies.”It was also announced earlier this month that a second inquiry will be conducted by The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority – the regulatory body tasked with overseeing the AU$2.2 billion Crown Sydney – into the recent acquisition a 19.99% stake in Crown by Macau’s Melco Resorts & Entertainment.While that transaction is pending, Crown can at least take solace in the fact that its Sydney development is tracking both on time and on budget.“Construction of the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort is progressing on schedule,” the company revealed on Wednesday.“The tower elevator core structure has been constructed to level 51, whilst the fit-out of the first hotel rooms on level 6 is well advanced. The podium structure is complete with exterior glazing and façade work well advanced, enabling fit out activities to be progressed in all areas of the podium.“The project remains on schedule for completion in the first half of calendar year 2021.” read more

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Police have arrested a man believed to be the driver in a fatal hit-and-run in Northwest Miami-Dade.Police took 25-year-old Luis Mozas into custody at his Miami Gardens home, May 17.According to Miami-Dade Police, Mozas hit 58-year-old Jose Hernandez-Garcia in the area of Northwest 173rd Drive and 47th Avenue, at around 11 p.m., on May 9.Investigators said Mozas continued heading south and fled the scene of the crash.Hernandez-Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene.Officials said Mozas confessed to the crash and said that he was driving under the influence of marijuana at the time.He was charged with tampering with evidence and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death. Mozas has since bonded out of jail.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. read more

Emperor geese at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo via FWS)The Yaquillrit Keutisti (“Keeper of the Birds”) Council will meet Thursday to discuss regulations proposed by the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council (AMBCC).Among the proposals is a 2016 subsistence hunt of the Emperor Goose, the first hunting season for the species since 1987. There will be an overall harvest of 3500 birds allowed, and the YKC will look at various ways the birds could be allocated for Bristol Bay hunters.Gayla Hoseth is BBNA Subsistence Resource Specialist and the Bristol Bay region’s representative for the AMBCC. She explained the options for how to allocate Emperor Geese include per household allocations, individual harvest tags, and local hunter’s lists.“[All those options] are on the table,” said Hoseth. “Our council wants to make sure the bird is still protected. Our council would be happy if we could harvest a limited amount per household… We don’t want to collect an abundance of geese. People would be happy with 2 birds, 3 birds, 4 birds — based on the population size within our region.”The return of the Emperor Goose hunt, requested by several Alaska Native groups, comes after surveys by Fish & Wildlife determined the population had surpassed a threshold of 80,000 birds. The YKC’s discussion of how to allocate geese in Bristol Bay will be taken into account at an upcoming AMBCC meeting in Anchorage.Also on the YKC’s agenda is a proposal to change the definition of wanton waste for migratory birds. Hoseth says the AMBCC’s language will require that a greater part of the bird be salvaged.“The Board of Game defined wanton waste for swans, geese, and cranes as breasts, legs and thighs,” said Hoseth. “Our wanton waste language is going to be more restrictive than the Board of Game’s language. Our edible meat means the meat from the breasts, back, thighs, legs, wings, gizzard, and heart. We wanted to emphasize, however, that the head, neck, feet, other internal organs, and skin are optional.”The council will also discuss a proposed handicraft regulation that would allow Alaska Natives to sell handicrafts that use inedible parts of 27 migratory bird species.Hoseth acknowledges that the co-management system is complex, so she urges hunters to come to the meeting to learn and offer their comments.The proposed regulations will go to a 60-day public comment period in November. read more

Journal information: arXiv (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers affiliated with the University of Oxford in England and Aalto University School of Science in Finland has conducted a study of human behavior and has found evidence backing up a prior theory that suggests humans have different layers that make up their social circle with different numbers of people in them. In their paper uploaded to the preprint server, arXiv, they describe their study which involved analyzing cell phone records to count calls, what they found and that they believe it means for us a group. Social network diagram. Credit: Daniel Tenerife/Wikipedia More information: Calling Dunbar’s Numbers, arXiv:1604.02400 [physics.soc-ph] arxiv.org/abs/1604.02400AbstractThe social brain hypothesis predicts that humans have an average of about 150 relationships at any given time. Within this 150, there are layers of friends of an ego, where the number of friends in a layer increases as the emotional closeness decreases. Here we analyse a mobile phone dataset, firstly, to ascertain whether layers of friends can be identified based on call frequency. We then apply different clustering algorithms to break the call frequency of egos into clusters and compare the number of alters in each cluster with the layer size predicted by the social brain hypothesis. In this dataset we find strong evidence for the existence of a layered structure. The clustering yields results that match well with previous studies for the innermost and outermost layers, but for layers in between we observe large variability. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Explore further © 2016 Phys.org Citation: Study suggests humans are only capable of having five people in their closest circle (2016, May 2) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2016-05-humans-capable-people-closet-circle.html One of the researchers, Robin Dunbar, was part of a team that back in the 1990’s studied the correlation between brain size in primates and the number of individuals in their social groups. They found that the bigger the brain, the more members of their groups. More recently, he and colleagues have conducted some experiments that suggest that humans have layers or groups of contacts, with the closet layers having fewer people, and the farthest, more. He and his team have suggested that there are actually four layers, which cumulatively contain 5, 15, 50 and 150 people respectively, with the final layer representing the 150 total that was theorized back in the nineties. To give more credence to this theory, the researchers conducted a study of phone records of people living in an undisclosed European country during 2007 (prior to Facebook and smartphones). They narrowed the initial 6 billion calls down to those that involved people who on average called approximately 130 other people, making approximately 10 calls per day. The idea was that people call those that are closer to them more often, thus counting the calls between individuals would reveal how many people were in each of their layers. The team also screened out business and casual calls and also those calls from people that clearly did not use their phone as a means of social contact.In the end, the team did find clustering that appeared to correlate with their layer theory, with people having on average, 4.1, 11, 29.8, and 128.9 people in their layers, which was small but close to the numbers they had derived for their theory—close enough to fit in with natural variation, they claim. They did find some exceptions to the rule, such as for those people who were clearly extroverts or introverts, which the teams suggests, may mean such people may have an extra layer. Peak friendship—data reveals when you’ll be most popular read more

Darjeeling: The chairperson of the Darjeeling Municipality has alleged that around 5 to 6 councillors of the municipality have been kept in forced confinement by the group owing allegiance to Bimal Gurung, in order to bring about a no-confidence motion. She has further alleged that Gurung has been constantly pressurising the councillors of her camp to switch over.Incidentally on May 29, a group of councillors along with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Bimal faction) had marched to the municipality and submitted a memorandum to chairperson Prativa Rai Tamang. They had asked her to call a special meeting and prove her majority in the floor of the house. The memorandum was signed by 18 out of 30 councillors. The Tamang camp, meanwhile, had alleged that some signatures in the memorandum had been forged and 5 to 6 others were made to sign under duress. Also Read – Rs 13,000 crore investment to provide 2 lakh jobs: MamataTamang had also lodged an FIR stating that she had been manhandled and was in hospital. Following this, the 17 councillors who had tried to stage a coup had gone into hiding. “Out of the 17 around 5 to 6 councillors had earlier established contact with me. They had stated that they were misled and forced into joining the other camp. Now they are being forcibly held in a house arrest like situation. They are in trouble. I hereby appeal that nothing should be done forcefully. Bimal Gurung is also sending people to threaten councillors on our side. He is videocalling and sending messages, asking them to switch over to his side. They should not be disturbed in this way and allowed to act on their own free will. Within 8 days of the election result they have started disturbing the peace and tranquility,” alleged Tamang while talking to mediapersons in Darjeeling on Wednesday. Regarding the special meeting for the no confidence motion, she stated that she will consult the Chief Executive Officer and other officials and check up the legalities as per the Bengal Municipality Act on Thursday. read more

This hands-on workshop will give you the tools to authentically connect with an increasingly skeptical online audience. May 17, 2010 Enroll Now for Free 3 min read Free Workshop | August 28: Get Better Engagement and Build Trust With Customers Now Nothing says success like professional presentation. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs who wouldn’t bat an eye at dropping some coin on a decent website, impressive newsletters and other collateral tend to shatter the illusion when it comes to their business phones.Too often, small-business owners send customers the wrong message by mixing business with pleasure–routing all of their calls (work and personal) to the same number, for example, or having overly casual, unprofessional voicemail greetings. The cost and complexity of setting up traditional business PBX systems–with all the bells and whistles–have made them prohibitive for startups.All that changed with the rise of virtual PBX and software-as-a-service telephony providers like RingCentral. Its flagship RingCentral Office offers a hosted phone service with four lines, VoIP soft-phones, fax services and real-time routing to cell phones for a monthly rate of $24.99 per user. Meanwhile, its RingCentral Mobile service does all of the routing and unifies multiple user phones under one virtual phone system for $9.99 per month per user. The San Mateo, Calif., company has brought in tens of thousands of paying users since its 2003 inception.”I operate my business from home, but I also have employees,” says Matthew Strong, owner of Matthew Allen Weddings & Events in Sacramento, Calif., and a RingCentral customer since 2005. “Just the fact that you could manage the calls in real time was the most attractive thing in the world, because in our industry having somebody always there to answer the phones is really important.”RingCentral also has attracted some pretty heavy-hitting competition. In March 2009, Google launched Google Voice, a free Internet-based telephony service that offers some of the basic features extended by RingCentral Mobile: call forwarding, voicemail to text and custom greetings by caller. As of a November report, Google had signed on close to 1.5 million users to the invite-only service.But RingCentral’s brass and loyal customers say Google Voice doesn’t detract from RingCentral’s core value proposition to small businesses. They point out that Google’s consumer-focused service does not offer business-oriented options such as toll-free numbers, multiple extensions, fax services and auto-attendant greetings.”Google is great for individuals, but if you’re looking for a business phone system that is comparable to the enterprise-class phone systems companies use, you need something that has auto-receptionist [features], multiple extensions and all of that,” says Nisha Ahluwalia, director of marketing for RingCentral. “Once [customers] understand what they’re getting–call forwarding versus a complete business phone system–it becomes very clear.”But the market could shift. Google purchased Gizmo5, a VoIP and soft-phone developer, in November. The acquisition sends strong signals that the Internet behemoth will soon look to offer a service that more closely competes with RingCentral Office. Perhaps not great news for RingCentral but fantastic for small businesses searching for ways to improve how they communicate with customers. This story appears in the June 2010 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe » read more