Anna Davis

Faces Of Fall: Oct. 14, 2022 | Sports | News-Gazette.com – News-Gazette https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/faces-of-fall-oct-14-2022-sports-news-gazette-com-news-gazette/ LEVI EADS Tri-County footballHis favorite athlete is … Ryan Crouser. His favorite team is … Greenville University track and field. If he could attend any one sporting event in person, it would be … college track meet. His favorite sport besides football is … track and field. AUSTIN KUTZ Arcola footballHis favorite athlete is … John Daly. His favorite team is … the Green Bay Packers. If he could attend any one sporting event in person, it would be … the Iron Bowl. His favorite sport besides football is … golf. SAWYER LAFFOON Milford/Cissna Park footballHis favorite athlete is … Michael Jordan. His favorite team is … the Chicago Cubs. If he could attend any one sporting event in person, it would be … a World Series Game 7. His favorite sport besides football is … baseball. JACE PANKEY Iroquois West footballHis favorite athlete is … Jack McMillan. His favorite team is … the Chicago Bulls. If he could attend any one sporting event in person, it would be … the Super Bowl. His favorite sport besides football is … basketball.

WATCH: Into The Metaverse: Mental Health – Campaign US https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/watch-into-the-metaverse-mental-health-campaign-us/ To continue reading this article you need to be registered with Campaign. Registration is free and only takes a minute. Register here or sign in below if you already have an account. Register Limited free articles a month Free email bulletins Register Now Become a member From $116 a year Full access to campaignlive.com Exclusive event discounts Plus lots more… Choose a package Need to activate  your membership?

James Bond: The Coolest Cars From The Franchise, Ranked – MovieWeb https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/james-bond-the-coolest-cars-from-the-franchise-ranked-movieweb/ James Bond has always been associated with cool cars, even when he was just a fictional character in a collection of novels, before making the leap to film. Now with 25 movies in the series over the past 60 years, six different Bond actors (and their stunt doubles) have driven dozens of vehicles on-screen, from an underpowered Citroën 2CV to a Caterpillar excavator to a moon buggy. The latest film, No Time To Die, saw Bond choosing a Land Rover in retirement. But the automobiles most associated with the character are beautiful and powerful sports cars. Here are our rankings for the 8 coolest cars from the James Bond franchise. 8/8 Sunbeam Alpine Series II – Dr. No (1962) United Artists While James Bond would eventually become synonymous with gadget-filled Aston Martins, in the very first film, Dr. No in 1962, producers had to settle for the sportiest car they could find on location in Jamaica. That was a lake blue Sunbeam Alpine Series II convertible that looked particularly small with 6 foot 2 inch Sean Connery driving. There were no upgrades, either in real life or by Q Branch, so it was up to Bond to drive his way out of trouble, which he did, sending his pursuers over a cliff in the first of many such scenes to come. 7/8 Toyota 2000GT – You Only Live Twice (1967) United Artists Bond doesn’t actually drive the Toyota 2000GT in 1967’s You Only Live Twice. But as a passenger, he gets to enjoy the many special upgrades, including a television screen, which undoubtedly seemed very futuristic to audiences at the time. The real-life car likely caught producer Cubby Broccoli’s eye while he was in Tokyo, but Toyota had to custom-build two models for the movie, removing the top to fit Connery, thus turning the coupe into a roadster. The appearance reportedly gave the company some legitimacy internationally and boosted sales on its way to becoming the world’s largest car manufacturer. 6/8 BMW 750iL – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Some gadgets first seen in Bond cars did eventually make their way to the public. In 1997, Pierce Brosnan as Bond drove his BMW 750iL with his mobile phone in Tomorrow Never Dies. Cell phones were still years away from being ubiquitous, and it would be a decade before smartphones began to take over, so the idea of controlling a vehicle with one was well ahead of its time. These days, it’s common to hail a ride with a smartphone, and Tesla owners can use the Summon feature to park or retrieve their nearby vehicles from their phones without being inside them. 5/8 Ford Mustang Mach 1 – Diamonds Are Forever (1971) United Artists The majority of 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever takes place in and around Las Vegas, so it made sense that Bond would drive an American car. It was the age of muscle cars, and a bright red Ford Mustang Mach 1 fit the bill. In the vehicle’s most memorable scene, Sean Connery as Bond is trying to lose the police as he swerves through glittering downtown. At one point, he ramps the car onto two wheels to escape down a narrow alley, only to emerge on the other two wheels. The physics are puzzling, but the car’s power is unmistakable, and it wouldn’t be the last time Bond pulled a stunt to escape. 4/8 AMC Hornet – The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) United Artists When one thinks of cool cars, the AMC Hornet probably doesn’t come to mind. Decades after its glory days as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, the version Roger Moore drives in The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974 is notable because it pulled off perhaps the greatest single stunt in a franchise full of them. This was no CGI or miniature trick, though computers were used for the first time to model a spiral jump and prove it could be done. Then stunt driver Loren ‘Bumps’ Willert took a modified Hornet through a complete barrel-roll over a river in one take! Now known as the corkscrew jump, the ground-breaking stunt was so unbelievable that many thought it had to be a special effect, and the slide whistle sound effect didn’t help. 3/8 Aston Martin V8 – The Living Daylights (1987) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ​​​​​​​Bond drove several different Aston Martins over the years, but for the sheer number of useful gadgets, it’s hard to beat the model from 1987’s The Living Daylights. On his inaugural outing, Timothy Dalton as Bond drove a modified Aston Martin V8, using elements of the convertible Volante model, but with a hardtop and Vantage upgrades and badges. Among the devices Dalton deploys are a cutting laser, heat-seeking missiles controlled with a heads-up display; a jet engine booster, and retractable skis! More recently, the Aston Martin V8 showed up again when Daniel Craig took it out of storage for his final appearance as Bond in No Time To Die. 2/8 Lotus Esprit S1 – The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) United Artists ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Outside of his Aston Martin, the car most associated with James Bond has to be the Lotus Esprit S1 from The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. It basically had one trick, but it was a memorable one, transforming into a submarine after diving off a pier. Fans might be surprised to learn that a full-sized model was​​​​​​​ built and filmed underwater in the Bahamas! Unfortunately, it wasn’t watertight, so the “driver” was actually a diver in scuba gear. The car proved so popular that a Lotus Esprit Turbo was used again in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only, this time with copper metallic paint, so it contrasted with the snowy scene in which it appeared. 1/8 Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger (1964) United Artists The Aston Martin DB5 is unquestionably James Bond’s car. No other car is so closely connected with the character, and three different Bond actors have driven it. First appearing in Goldfinger in 1964, Sean Connery can’t believe the modifications Desmond Llewelyn as Q has made: “Ejector seat? You’re joking!” Bond unsurprisingly crashes it, but after being recovered, Connery would drive it once more in 1965’s Thunderball. It’s easy to forget that 30 years passed before audiences saw it again, this time with Pierce Brosnan behind the wheel in GoldenEye in 1995, and then again briefly in Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997. Next, Daniel Craig as a rebooted Bond wins the car in a poker game in 2006’s Casino Royale, only to see it completely destroyed at the end of SkyFall in 2012. But you can’t keep a good car down, so the new Q, played by Ben Whishaw, restores it yet again in time for Bond to drive away in 2015’s Spectre. And that leads to its most recent appearance in the action-packed extended opening of No Time To Die in 2021. Only time will tell if we see it again, but as its many appearances prove, the Aston Martin DB5 is surely the coolest car from the James Bond franchise.

Japanese Gaming Giant Konami To Launch Web3 And Metaverse Initiative – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/japanese-gaming-giant-konami-to-launch-web3-and-metaverse-initiative-cryptonews/ Source: KONAMI Japanese video game giant Konami has announced plans to launch a marketplace for trading in-game NFTs, as well as a “wide range” of other Web3-related products and services.  The entertainment conglomerate also unveiled that it is looking to add new talent and will recruit a “wide range of talent for system construction and service development to provide new experiences such as Web3 and Metaverse,” Konami said in a Thursday blog post.  The gaming giant claimed that they have been researching how to integrate the latest innovations into games, adding that one of its main products will be a marketplace for trading in-game NFTs.  “We have been conducting research and development to incorporate the latest technology into games and contents, and plan to launch a service where players can trade their in-game NFTs (digital items) through a unique distribution platform using blockchain,” it stated. Konami mentioned that NFTs can be used for several purposes. While the innovation is primarily used to represent unique in-game items in entertainment, it can also represent fan tokens and tickets to events, allowing owners to interact with other services and communities.  Notably, this is not Konami’s first foray into the world of blockchain. Earlier this year, Konami celebrated the 35th anniversary of Castlevania by selling a collection of NFTs related to the franchise.  The majority of the collection was made up of GIFs of gameplay snippets from the first three Castlevania games on various home computers. The rest of the collection was renderings of in-game maps and art versions originally used in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.  NFT Popularity At Record Lows It is worth noting that Konami’s bold bet on NFTs comes as the market for these digital tokens is experiencing its worst days ever. As reported, NFT trading volume has taken a major dive, plunging by nearly 100% from its all-time high in January this year. NFT trading volume dropped from $17 billion at the very beginning of the year to just $466 million in September, representing a drop of 97%. The plunge is in line with the broader market downturn and the global market rout, caused by the war in Europe, rising inflation, and poor central bank policies.  “The fading NFT mania is part of a wider, $2 trillion wipeout in the crypto sector as rapidly tightening monetary policy starves speculative assets of investment flows,” Bloomberg reported in late September.

Traders Divert Europe-Bound Diesel To The U.S. In Race To Re-Stock – Reuters https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/traders-divert-europe-bound-diesel-to-the-u-s-in-race-to-re-stock-reuters/ LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Traders are diverting Europe-bound tankers carrying diesel to the U.S. East Coast as the two regions battle for supplies amid an acute shortage and soaring prices. At least two tankers carrying 90,000 tonnes of diesel and jet fuel are heading from Europe to the U.S. East Coast, according to traders and Refinitiv ship tracking data. The Thundercat, carrying a cargo of diesel from the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday changed its destination from the Dutch port of Rotterdam to the New York Harbour, according to shipping data. It is currently in the Mediterranean. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com And Proteus Jessica, currently in the Atlantic Ocean, has in recent days changed its destination to New York from the Southwald waiting area off the southeast coast of England. The 35,000 tonne tanker Hellas Tatiana has also been provisionally booked by Exxon Mobil to deliver diesel from France to the United States, according to shipping data. Diesel diversions Such diversions are rare as Europe, where refineries do not produce enough diesel to meet domestic demand, typically imports diesel from the United States as well as Asia and the Middle East. In recent weeks European diesel refining margins hit all-time highs amid weeks-long strikes at French refineries that have shut down over half of the country’s refining output and led to acute shortages at petrol stations. But at the same time, a sharp drop in U.S. diesel inventories has pushed prices and refining margins there higher, opening up opportunities, known as arbitrages, to import diesel from Europe to the U.S. East Coast. In the United States, political pressure is mounting for refiners to increase domestic inventories in the northeast, which are near multi-decade lows, ahead of winter. U.S exports of distillate fuel reached a record 1.76 million barrels in September, with more than 633,000 barrels of diesel sent to Northwestern Europe, according to Refinitiv data. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Kirsten Donovan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Technological Innovation In Lisbon And Portugal – The Portugal News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/technological-innovation-in-lisbon-and-portugal-the-portugal-news/ Lisbon and the country of Portugal as a whole have become one of Europe’s biggest hubs in terms of tech companies and technological innovation. Some have made comparisons between Lisbon and Silicon Valley in California, USA. While there are some major differences between the two places, Lisbon is quickly becoming one of Europe’s major tech hubs. With such a vibrant and diverse startup scene, the city has become home to a growing number of talented people who are helping to shape the future. Why is Lisbon’s Tech Scene Booming? Lisbon’s tech scene really started to take off in 2016 when Web Summit moved from Dublin to Lisbon. The annual technology conference showcases some of the brightest minds in the industry and offers a place for people to learn more about the latest trends. While the decision to move from Dublin to Lisbon was originally a surprise to some, it showed that Lisbon is a city with a lot to offer. Tech startups were already commonplace in the city, but Web Summit helped bring more attention to Lisbon and Portugal as potential locations for growing businesses. Since then, many investors and business owners have been drawn to Lisbon, with the ideal climate, comparatively low cost of living and relaxed culture adding more reasons to set up here. In addition to this, English is a commonly spoken language, and there’s a wealth of talent already available to hire from. Many large corporations, including those in the fintech industry, have recently moved their offices to Portugal either completely or partially. Leading Portuguese fintech firms offer both innovative payment methods and online payment possibilities. One major example of this is Revolut, which launched a consumer operation in Lisbon in December 2021. More than 500,000 people in Portugal now use this banking service, and it shows the potential for Lisbon-based companies. Startup Support in Portugal Aside from being a very welcoming place to visit, Portugal also encourages entrepreneurship with a number of funds and startup support schemes. These initiatives have been set up to help develop the tech industry in Lisbon and Portugal, leading to greater job creation and a better economy. A 200 million euro fund was established by the Portuguese government in 2018 as an early-stage co-investment fund with venture capital funds. Another initiative for entrepreneurs is Startup Lisboa, which was established in 2011 by Bank Montepio, IAPMEI (the Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation), and the city of Lisbon. Businesses wishing to launch in Lisbon can get assistance from Startup Lisboa. The government also simplifies the taxes process for international investors. For instance, the non-habitual tax residency programme enables individuals who work in important businesses, such as the technology sector, to pay a flat tax rate of 20%. Additionally, those businesses are now excluded from paying taxes on their foreign-sourced income. Early-stage investments from angel investors and private capital funds are increasing as well. For instance, Portugal Ventures has made investments totalling €162 million since 2012. There is also Faber Ventures, which helps early-stage firms and tries to give entrepreneurs both financial support and operational and entrepreneurial expertise. The Next Stage of Tech in Lisbon With such a booming tech scene, Portugal could be home to some of Europe’s most exciting new tech companies in the next few years. Already, the country has seen the creation of several unicorn firms, whose valuation surpasses €1 billion. The world’s first market-leading, low-code software development system, OutSystems, was established in Lisbon in 2011 and was recently valued at $9.5 billion. Companies such as Might are helping Lisbon-based startups grow and expand their reach online using email and online marketing automation techniques. As the tech scene continues to develop, it offers new opportunities for other businesses based in Portugal and all over Europe.

Betty Ervin Bunch | Obituaries | Rockymounttelegram.com – Rocky Mount Telegram https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/betty-ervin-bunch-obituaries-rockymounttelegram-com-rocky-mount-telegram/ Betty Ervin Jones Bunch, 93, of Battleboro, NC, peacefully went home to be with the Lord on October 11, 2022. Betty was born on April 4, 1929, in Red Oak, NC, to William Alexander “Jack” Jones and Martha Bettie Clay Jones. A lifelong resident of Nash County, she grew up on a tobacco farm in Red Oak where she attended Red Oak High School and was a member of the women’s basketball team. During high school, Betty began writing to Sgt. Elbert L. Bunch, a soldier in the US Army Air Forces from Edenton, NC. He and Betty married shortly after his return from duty in Europe and moved to Rocky Mount where they raised three children and lived for over 30 years. Later in life, Betty took on many new endeavors including a full-time job at Abbott Laboratories, working third shift, as well as four acres in Battleboro. She referred to her home as heaven on earth. Betty found great joy in tending her azaleas and goldfish ponds, but she valued family most. If you were hers, love was never a question. Betty is survived by her son Dr. John E. Bunch and son-in-law Wayne E. Denton; grandchildren Wayne E. Denton, Jr., and wife Rebecca, Anna E. Amunrud and husband Troy, Paula R. Hales and husband Allen, Victoria K. Bunch and wife Martha Hudson, Kathryn A. Walker and husband T. J., and Cameron J. Bunch and partner Corey Simons; as well as six great-grandchildren. Betty was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, WWII veteran Elbert L. Bunch; children Betty L. Denton and Randy P. Bunch; and great-granddaughter Adelynn A. Walker; as well as her parents; her siblings V. Catherine Stephenson, L. Mavis Mullins, William A. Jones, Jr., John H. Jones, and Milton J. Jones; and half-sisters Dorothy I. Dawes and Annie L. Cooke. Family members will receive guests prior to the service from 1:00 PM until 2:45 PM at Cornerstone Funeral Home. A graveside service will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery in Nashville, NC, at 3:00 PM.Cornerstone Funeral Home is honored to be caring for the Bunch family and words of comfort may be shared at www.cornerstonefuneralhomeandcremations.com Cornerstone Funeral Home 1052 South First Street, Nashville, NC 27856.

DAC7 Is Coming: Are You Sure That Your Business Is Not In Scope? – Lexology https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dac7-is-coming-are-you-sure-that-your-business-is-not-in-scope-lexology/ European Union October 13 2022 The DAC7 rules, which apply as of 1 January 2023, impose new obligations on Platform Operators. Platform Operators will have to collect, validate, store and report certain information about (Relevant Activities of) the sellers using their platform. The definitions of Platform Operator and Relevant Activity are not clearcut and can result in a broad range of situations falling under DAC7. In this website article we have included practical examples to illustrate situations where DAC7 could apply. DAC7 requires Platform Operators to collect, validate, store and report certain information about (Relevant Activities of) the sellers using their platform. A Platform Operator for DAC7 purposes is an operator of a website, a mobile application or any type of software that allows sellers to be connected to other users for the purpose of carrying out a Relevant Activity. A Relevant Activity is any of the following: sale of (tangible) goods, rental of immovable property, rental of any mode of transport or provision of personal services. As the definitions of Platform Operator and Relevant Activity are not clearcut, we have included some practical examples to illustrate situations where DAC7 could apply. 1. Multi-sided businesses connecting sellers and users A Marketplace Y operates a website that allows Webshop Owner X to connect and sell its tangible goods to Business Client Z and others. Marketplace Y would be considered a Platform for DAC7. The website of Marketplace Y allows sellers (Webshop Owner X) to connect with customers (Client Z and others) for the sale of (tangible) goods. Jobs Platform B enables House Owner C to contract Gardener A to conduct gardening activities at his house. Jobs Platform B would be considered a Platform for DAC7. The website of Jobs Platform B allows seller (Gardener A) to be connected with a customer (House Owner C). Members of Fitness Club B can book personal training sessions with independent Personal Trainer A through the website of Fitness Club B.Fitness Club B would be considered a Platform Operator for DAC7. The website of Fitness Club A allows sellers (Personal Trainer A) to be connected with customers (Fitness Club Members). 2. Businesses ‘buying-in’ and re-selling services from third parties Taxi Operator B uses its website to on-sell taxi services supplied by Taxi Company A to Consumer CTaxi Operator B might have to be considered a Platform Operator for DAC7.The website of Taxi Operator B allows sellers (Taxi Company A) to be connected with customers (Client C). According to the OECD Model Rules, a Platform also exists whenever the Platform Operator first purchases the relevant services from the seller and then offers these services in its own name to the users.The DAC7 definition of a Platform seems to require that sellers are registered on the website as to be connected to users. In that case, if Taxi Company A is not required to register on the website of Taxi Operator B as to be connected to Consumer C, Taxi Operator B would not be a Platform under DAC7. 3. Entities within a group facilitating the sale of goods or services from/to third parties Group Company Y operates the global website of the group. Clients can order goods through this website. A Local Operating Company X of the group concludes the sales of the goods with the clients.It is unclear whether Group Company Y qualifies as a Platform Operator. This is because, to be deemed as a Platform, Group Company Y would need to allow Sellers to be connected to other users for the purpose of carrying out a “Relevant Activity”. Although activities “carried out by a seller acting as an employee of the Platform Operator or a related entity of the Platform Operator” are not regarded as a Relevant Activity under DAC7, it is not clear if all activities of a related entity or, rather, if merely activities of sellers who are employees of the related entities are excluded. A Procurement Company X within a multinational group operates software that allows third party service providers from all over Europe to register and offer their personal services to EU group entities.Depending on the interpretation of the DAC7 provision referred to in the previous example, The Procurement Company X could be considered a Platform for DAC7 as it allows sellers (third party contractors and service providers) to be connected with EU group entities. Company X operates the global website of a global Fast Food group. Clients can order their hamburgers through this website. The Local Franchise Companies conclude the sales of the fast food with the clients.Company X would be considered a Platform for DAC7, as the website of Company X allows third party sellers (Local Franchise Companies) to be connected with customers (Clients). 4. Businesses intermediating in the rental of immovable property Holiday Park Operator A provides vacation accommodation to Customers. Some of these dwellings are owned by Third Parties. Holiday Park Operator A facilitates the rental of these vacation accommodation owned by Third Parties to individual clients via its website.Holiday Park Operator A would be considered a Platform for DAC7 when it intermediates in the rental of accommodation. Pursuant to the OECD Model Rules, Holiday Park Operator A might also have to be considered a Platform for DAC7 when it on-sells the rental of vacation accommodation. 5. Businesses with mix activities and several service lines Bank A offers several financial services via an app. Through the same app Clients can buy goods from Merchants with loyalty points.Bank A is a Platform Operator for DAC7, as it connects the clients with the Merchants for sales of goods via its app. An Online Seller of consumer electronics sells its own goods via its website. At the checkout, it offers customers the possibility to buy an additional guarantee for the purchased goods from Insurance Company B.It is not clear if insurance services qualify as a Personal Service for DAC7. If this would be the case, the Online Seller would be a Platform Operator in respect of the guarantees sold by Insurance Company B. Travel Client A books his vacation, including flight and hotel accommodation offered by third parties, through the website of Travel Agent B.Travel Agent B would be considered a Platform Operator for DAC7. The website of Travel Agent B allows sellers (e.g. accommodation or tourist services providers) to be connected with Travel Client A for the provision of different Relevant Activities. Conclusion Besides online marketplaces and app stores, business in traditional industries can also fall within the scope of DAC7. This is the case if they connect third party sellers and users through their website for the performance of Relevant Activities. Companies will have to perform a DAC7 analysis of the business models and business lines applied. Loyens & Loeff can help you understand if your business is impacted by DAC7 and, if so, help you prepare to be compliant to the obligations imposed by DAC7.

How Can Property Investors Sidestep A Downturn? – Scottish Business News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/how-can-property-investors-sidestep-a-downturn-scottish-business-news/ THE latest research by Alliance Fund, the end-to-end real estate fund, has revealed that the nation’s property investors have benefitted substantially from the increasing value of new homes in the last decade, but with a potential market downturn looming, how can they safeguard against the uncertainty that lies ahead?  Alliance Fund analysed new-build property values over the last decade across the UK property market, as well as how the price of a new home compares to existing market stock.  The research shows that, even after adjusting for inflation, the average new-build property has increased by 22.1% in the last year, up 62.4% in the last decade.  The largest annual increase has been enjoyed across the South West, where new-build homes are now commanding 26.7% more than they were just a year ago. However, it’s the East of England that has seen the best new-build performance over the last 10 years, with the average new home commanding 82.6% more than it did in 2012 even after adjusting for inflation.  What’s more, while house prices have been increasing across the board, the research by Alliance Fund also shows that the price premium paid on new-build homes has also been increasing. A decade ago, the average new-build commanded a 21.2% house price premium versus the average cost of an existing property. Today, this new-build house price premium sits at 37.3%, meaning the gap has widened by 16.1% between the new-build and existing market when it comes to the market price achieved.  In fact, the price gap between the new and existing market has increased by 11.6% in the last year alone, demonstrating the continued strength of the new-build sector even when the market as a whole is performing well.  But with many forecasting a turbulent time ahead for the UK property market, will the new-build sector be standing as firmly over the coming months and what does it mean for those investing in the nation’s new housing stock?  CEO of Alliance Fund, Iain Crawford, commented: “With many mortgage lenders moving to reduce the level of products available to homebuyers, it certainly seems as though we’re seeing the first signs of a declining market and this is sure to dampen the high rates of house price growth seen across both the existing and new-build sectors.  For those investing in the delivery of new housing stock via the traditional model this is sure to come as quite a concern, as a reduction in buyer demand means less homes sold and those that do sell are likely to go for a lower market value.  This is the reality of operating in a cyclical market such as the new-build sector where property values are vulnerable to the wider economic landscape and can decline in uncertain times.  However, this is something we’ve looked to safeguard against at Alliance Fund, so that we aren’t adversely hit by a perceived deterioration in market health.  In a market where there are less buyers and more renters, we simply retain a larger proportion of our current portfolio and leverage it within the rental market. In doing so, we maintain a strong and consistent cash flow, avoid a hefty capital gains tax bill and we can access funds to redeem shareholders where needed.  This approach is not only more tax efficient, but in times of market instability we are also able to acquire at a lower cost. With rental values remaining robust, this also helps improve the yields we secure and the returns we can bring to our investors. So while the current outlook may be a worrying one for many within the property investment bubble, there’s certainly no reason that a market downturn should cause said bubble to burst, as there are plenty of opportunities to pivot with the changing face of the property market.”

FREE Support To Live A Healthier Life – North Somerset Council https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/free-support-to-live-a-healthier-life-north-somerset-council/ Free, personalised support to improve health and wellbeing is now available to adults living in Weston-super-Mare and nearby villages, thanks to a partnership between North Somerset Council and Pier Health Primary Care Network (PCN). Five new Healthy Lifestyle Advisors have recently been recruited by the council’s Public Health team, partly funded by Pier Health PCN. They are on hand to provide 12 weeks of free support to help people form healthier habits and reach healthy lifestyle goals, as part of the council’s ongoing commitment to improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. Residents are being offered tailored support to get active, eat well, lose weight and stop smoking. Guidance provided to residents is personalised and follows evidence and best practice guidance from official health bodies. The 12-week support is client-focused, non-judgmental and free. It can be given in a one-to-one or group setting, face to face at the Town Hall, over the phone or via video call. It is available to anyone who is aged 18 and over, and who lives in Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding villages. Residents in those areas can request support by completing the simple online health MOT available on the Better Health North Somerset website at www.betterhealthns.co.uk. Practitioners supporting local residents can also refer people for support via the practitioner page at www.betterhealthns.co.uk/practitioners. More than 400 people have already completed a health MOT since the website went live in the summer. The five new recruits join an existing team who already offer heathy lifestyle support to people across North Somerset. More information about the help available can be found on the Better Health North Somerset website which is full of advice, tips and real stories from other North Somerset residents who have been supported by the team. Cllr Mike Bell, Deputy Leader of North Somerset Council and executive member with responsibility for health, said: “We’re a council that cares and wants to empower people and communities to live healthy, happy lives. Our Healthy Lifestyle Advisors play a vital role in supporting people to make healthy choices and form new habits to improve both physical and mental health. “I’m delighted that with this part funding from Pier Health Primary Care Network, the team of advisors has grown and will be able to offer 12 weeks of free, tailored support to people living in and around Weston. This is such an important service, particularly at a time when cost of living is increasing, and people may be worried about how they can afford to live more healthily. “This support is free, it’s personalised and it’s there for you to use, so please visit the Better Health North Somerset website or get in touch with the team and find out how they can help you.” For help and support to lead a healthier lifestyle go to www.betterhealthns.co.uk People can also contact the Healthy Lifestyles team for support by calling 01934 427 661 or emailing healthylifestyles@n-somerset.gov.uk. The photograph shows Carmen, a Healthy Lifestyle Advisor who’s been helping North Somerset residents live healthier lifestyles for six years, welcoming the newest recruits who’ll be working in and around Weston. From left to right Aleks, Naomi, James, Carmen, Alexis and Lucilla.

On The Air | News, Sports, Jobs – Marquette Mining Journal https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/on-the-air-news-sports-jobs-marquette-mining-journal/ Subject to change ————— Highlights of TV, radio coverage ————— Today ————— High school football • Negaunee at Houghton, 7 p.m., WKQS 101.9 FM and WOLV 97.7 FM • Midland at Marquette, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 105.1 FM & 99.9 FM • Iron Mountain at Ishpeming, 7 p.m., WRUP 98.3 FM • Bark River-Harris at Westwood, 7 p.m., WZAM 106.9 FM & 970 AM • Munising at Cedarville, 7 p.m., WQXO 1400 AM • Newberry at Pickford, 7 p.m., WMJT 96.7 FM • L’Anse at Manistique, 7 p.m., WTIQ 1490 AM ————— College hockey • Northern Michigan University at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., WUPT 100.3 FM ————— Women’s soccer • FIFA Under-17 World Cup, group stage, at Fatorda, India: Germany vs. Chile, 10:15 a.m., FS2 ————— Major League Baseball • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 2 (best-of-5): Cleveland Guardians at New York Yankees, 1 p.m., TBS (makeup from Thursday rainout) • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 3 (best-of-5): Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies, 4:30 p.m., FS1 • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 3 (best-of-5): Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres, 8:30 p.m., FS1 ————— Golf • PGA Champions Tour: SAS Championship, first round, at Cary, N.C., 2 p.m., Golf Channel • PGA Tour: ZOZO Championship, third round, at Inzai, Japan, 10:30 p.m., Golf Channel • European LPGA Tour: Aramco Team Series, second round, at Ferry Point, N.Y., 2:30 a.m. Saturday (taped), Golf Channel ————— Men’s soccer • English Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albioin at Brentford, 3 p.m., USA ————— College field hockey • Indiana at Michigan, 4:30 p.m., Big 10 Network ————— College men’s soccer • Wisconsin at Maryland, 5 p.m., ESPNU • Notre Dame at Duke, 6 p.m., ACC Network • Penn State at Indiana, 6:30 p.m., Big 10 Network • North Carolina at North Carolina State, 8 p.m., ACC Network ————— Pro hockey • Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m., NHL Network • Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit (Red Wings season opener) ————— College football • Brown at Princeton, 7 p.m., ESPNU • Navy at SMU, 7:30 p.m., ESPN • Texas-San Antonio at Florida International, 8 p.m., CBS Sports ————— College men’s basketball • Exhibition, at Lexington, Ky.: Kentucky Big Blue Madness, 7 p.m., SEC Network ————— Auto racing • NASCAR Xfinity Series, Alsco Uniforms 302, playoffs round of 8, at Las Vegas: qualifying, 8:30 p.m., USA ————— College volleyball • Penn State at Nebraska, 8:30 p.m., Big 10 Network • Florida at Mississippi State, 9 p.m., SEC Network ————— Tennis • WTA San Diego, quarterfinals, 8:30 p.m., Tennis Channel ————— Pro basketball • NBA preseason: Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m., ESPN2 ————— Saturday ————— College football • Northern Michigan University at Michigan Tech, 1 p.m., WLUC-NBC or Fox-U.P. (TV) and WUPT 100.3 FM (radio) • Penn State at Michigan, noon, Fox-U.P. • Minnesota at Illinois, noon, Big 10 Network • Colgate at Army, noon, CBS Sports • Auburn at Mississippi, noon, ESPN • Maryland at Indiana, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2 • Oklahoma State at TCU, 3:30 p.m., WBUP-ABC • Alabama at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., WZMQ-CBS • Vanderbilt at Georgia, 3:30 p.m., SEC Network • Wisconsin at Michigan State, 4 p.m., Fox-U.P. • LSU at Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN • Louisiana-Monroe at South Alabama, 7 p.m., NFL Network • Nebraska at Purdue, 7:30 p.m., Big 10 Network • Stanford at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., WLUC-NBC • Clemson at Florida State, 7:30 p.m., WBUP-ABC & ESPN2 • USC at Utah, 8 p.m., Fox-U.P. • Air Force at Nevada-Las Vegas, 10:30 p.m., CBS Sports • Harvard at Howard, 11 p.m. (taped), ESPNU ————— Women’s soccer • FIFA Under-17 World Cup, group stage, at Navi Mumbai, India: China vs. Colombia, 6:45 a.m., FS2 • FIFA Under-17 World Cup, group stage, at Fatorda, India: Canada vs. Japan, 10:15 a.m., FS2 ————— Golf • DP World Tour: Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters, third round, at Sotogrande, Spain, 7:30 a.m., Golf Channel • PGA Champions Tour: SAS Championship, second round, at Cary, N.C., 2 p.m., Golf Channel • PGA Tour: ZOZO Championship, final round, at Inzai, Japan, 11 p.m., Golf Channel ————— Men’s soccer • English Premier League: Crystal Palace at Leicester City, 7:30 a.m., USA • English FA Cup, fourth round: Wrexham AFC aat Blyth, 7:30 a.m., ESPN2 • English Premier League: Nottingham Forest at Wolverhampton, 10 a.m., USA • English Premier League: Everton at Tottenham Hotspur, 12:30 p.m., WLUC-NBC • Mexican Liga MX, playoff quarterfinals: Cruz Azul at Monterrey, 7 p.m., FS2 ————— Tennis • WTA San Diego, ATP Florence, ATP Gijon & WTA Cluj-Napoca, semifinals, 8 a.m. & 2:30 p.m., Tennis Channel ————— Horse racing • British Champions Day, at Ascot, England, 8:30 a.m., FS1 ————— Auto racing • NASCAR Cup Series, South Point 400, playoffs round of 8, at Las Vegas: qualifying, 12:30 p.m., USA • NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 302, playoffs round of 8, at Las Vegas, 3:30 p.m., WLUC-NBC ————— Rodeo • PBR Ridge Rider Days, at Glendale, Ariz., 1:30 p.m. (taped), WZMQ-CBS ————— Major League Baseball • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 4 (best-of-5): Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies, 2 p.m., FS1 • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 3 (best-of-5): Houston Astros at Seattle Mariners, 4 p.m., TBS • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 3 (best-of-5): New York Yankees at Cleveland Guardians, 7:30 p.m., TBS • Playoffs, divisional series, Game 4 (best-of-5): Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres, 9:30 p.m., FS1 ————— College volleyball • Illinois at Minnesota, 4 p.m., Big 10 Network ————— Pro hockey • Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit • Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m., CBC • Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m., NHL Network • Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m., CBC ————— Boxing • Top Rank Main Event, at Melbourne, Australia: lightweights Devin Haney vs. George Kambosos, 10:30 p.m., ESPN Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

4 RED HOT Crypto Metaverse Games | Oct 2022 – Altcoin Buzz https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/4-red-hot-crypto-metaverse-games-oct-2022-altcoin-buzz/ Blockchain Games. You know it’s one of the fastest-growing sectors of the crypto economy. And you also know many have gotten crushed in this bear market. So, you might think that is slowing down gaming development or maybe games are a less attractive investment. And if you think that, you’d be wrong. There has NEVER been a better time to invest in metaverse games than NOW. And bear markets don’t last forever so don’t you want to be ready? Those that get in early in profitable games can do 100x or more. Want to see which games I like right now? Let’s take a look. Game #1: Apeiron Getting in early is key to making big $$ on games. And our first game does not get much earlier than this. Apeiron. Their land sale, which they call Stars instead of land, is starting their pre-sale in just a few days. That’s how early you are. Apeiron is a ‘godgame’. It’s the first one that is NFT-based. The NFTs are planets, stars, or relics/weapons. You use these NFTs to build out your planet and earn through gameplay. The point of the game is to grow your planet into something prosperous. Then you can align with other planets or play in a PvE or PvP environment. One of the limiting features of metaverse games is they are often a closed loop meaning you can only cash out by selling to another player in the same game. Not so on Apeiron, you will be able to trade or sell to another player. But you can also use these NFTs in other games or sell them on an open marketplace like OpenSea. This versatility means a lot more utility for Apeiron NFTs, especially while the game is new. The token model is unique too with 3 tokens instead of the standard 1 or 2 of the other games on this list. I like this new model and I’ll explain why in just a second. Why I like Apeiron  We are unbelievably early on this one. The presale of 11,498 Stars takes place on the 18th of this month so if you register and get yourself on the whitelist, you can jump right in and start building. Second, Apeiron has a 3-token model tokenomics: ANIMA, the in-game token. APRS, the governance token. RINGU, Ringularity, the special rewards premium token. The $RINGU token is a real differentiator. All games do governance and in-game tokens. Sometimes it’s 1 token and sometimes 2. But the $RINGU token here is a genius move by Apeiron. It’s a specific token to attract the gaming guilds. They know most new gamers will come through a guild. In this way, game guilds like Yield Guild Games and Merit Circle have a lot of influence. This token is a premium token given out when ‘large-scale events’ take place. You can only participate in these events through a long, sustained commitment in the game Galactic Events or through alliances and GvG (guild v guild) playing. Ready to own an @ApeironNFT Star in the Godiverse!? Read this thread to learn how these magnificentballs of plasma can spew up to 8⃣0⃣0⃣%+ ANNUAL RENTAL YIELDSand how YOU can get your hands on them on October 18th 1/6 pic.twitter.com/7fp8hxgZRp — Apeiron (@ApeironNFT) October 13, 2022 More About Apeiron The message here is loud and clear. Guilds, bring us your players and you, and they will be rewarded. It’s a brilliant marketing strategy to use the Ringularity coin in this way. It should help Apeiron grow faster than other games. Plus, all 3 coins including $RINGU will be available to trade on exchanges. This way if you are not part of a guild but want a chance to unlock these bigger benefits, you can just buy the token. In all my time watching and reporting on games, this is the first time I’ve seen the 3 token model and the emphasis on targeting guilds. I think it’s a real innovation and this won’t be the last time we see this. What godgames do you like? Do you have a preference? Or do you prefer FPS games? Let us know in the comments below. Game #2: Kryxivia The knock-on P2E games are that they feel like a job to earn the money because they are not that fun to play. Kryxivia is an exception to this rule. We like the game so much that we did a dedicated video on them about 6 months ago:  With Kryxivia, you can play individually, in groups, or a PvE environment. So you have lots of flexibility and ways to earn. The game is built with Unity Multiplay and has a medieval setting with cool graphics. It does look fun to play. Why I Like Kryxivia I like Kryxivia for a couple of reasons. First, the fun cannot be understated. Games are only successful long-term if they are fun. Most of this generation of blockchain games are not fun to play. So far. Second, they use both NFTs and 2 tokens in their gameplay. This means a couple of different ways to earn and ways to spend/cash out what you make. In the lower levels of the Mine, you can find a new cave shrouded in fog If you have the courage to follow the narrow path between the stalagmites, you will find Melucyna at its end She is not a boss that you can defeat easily Prepare the sword and see for yourself pic.twitter.com/MBHiFnwqd4 — Kryxivia Game (@kryxivia) September 19, 2022 The NFT use is unique here in that you can import and export NFTs into the game directly from the BNB Chain or sell it here when the NFT marketplace opens. They have a 2 token model I like for games to have with a blockchain/governance token $KXA and an in-game token $KXS. Do you like the 2 token models for a game? Let us know in the comments below. Game #3: Alterverse Alterverse is our next choice. Alterverse and it’s metaverse Sky City look like if you transported Dubai into the 25th century. And the metaverse will expand into models of other cities like London and New York. Sky City is the main hub of the Alterverse. It’s a city that’s free to get into and build upon like Decentraland. Sky City has 17 large floating platforms they call Halospheres that are like groups of neighborhoods bound together. Check out the beautiful views from one of the many skyscraper balconies in #SkyCity Located in the Epicenter, these skyscrapers are home to storefronts, residences, businesses, and endless entertainment for you to explore!#P2E #UE5 #NFT #DeFi #Web3 #metaverse pic.twitter.com/Gmk6irWaIL — AlterVerse (@AlterVerseGame) October 5, 2022 Along with this are 2 games in the works. One is an FPS game and the other is a strategy survival game. Why I Like Alterverse I like this game for a couple of reasons. First, Alterverse is in the Binance Labs incubator. I cannot understate how big a benefit this is. Binance gives it money and tons of expert advice on how to make its metaverse successful. Second, Binance just invested NEW money along with other investing leaders Polygon and Enjinstarter to help them advance. We are proud to share that AlterVerse has received funding from @BinanceLabs, @0xPolygon Ventures, @ankr, @enjinstarter & Baselayer Capital! With this support, we’re launching Pre-Alpha Access for Sky City: the 1st world in our #metaverse. Read more: https://t.co/ndI4fkmZwV pic.twitter.com/AHzIttzI1S — AlterVerse (@AlterVerseGame) October 3, 2022 Third, as you may have guessed from 1 and 2, you are SERIOUSLY EARLY in this one. You can invest in the coins at the same time VCs are investing in the platform. The same No. But still, very early. Lastly, they built on Enjin, which is a team I admire for its long history and work on NFT token standards like ERC-1155. Game #4: Anarcade My last game for today is Anarcade. Anarcade goes back to the old arcade and casino games. It’s a Web 3 integrated mini-games & casino platform dedicated to hardcore gamers. The platform is built on a combination of web 2 & web 3 technology for user safety. Source: Medium The platform hosts a variety of games including Raffles, Coin Flip & Blackjack where users can deposit as little as $2 to play. As the platform scales, it will host more native arcade games and peer-to-peer competitions. The team’s mission for the platform is to provide the opportunity for anyone regardless of their financial or economic background the ability to participate in the games with low entry and fair chances to win big, or just hang out and connect. Anarcade’s socials are growing rapidly with the announcement of their free mintable collection of 7,777 NFTs. The mint is coming soon so it’s another chance to get in early. The team’s next step is to implement a range of arcade and casino games such as slot machines, followed by peer-to-peer poker where the platform will host tournaments and live poker games for web 3 communities. Why I Like Anarcade Real blockchain gambling is a niche within gaming that’s small but positioned to grow. Blockchain is in a unique position to make the games provably fair. To show the games aren’t scams just to bring money into the house. Source: Medium The NFTs that you buy gives you a chance to earn a piece of the profits. And you know the saying ‘The House ALWAYS Wins’ And that’s our look at my top 4 games right now. Before you go, don’t forget to comment below with your favorite game. For more cryptocurrency news, check out the Altcoin Buzz YouTube channel. Check out our most up-to-date research, NFT and Metaverse buy, and how to protect your portfolio in this market by checking out our Altcoin Buzz Access group. Try it today.

Grab Yourself This 8-In-1 Maglight Utility Flashlight With 33% Off And Live The Convenience – The Inventory https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/grab-yourself-this-8-in-1-maglight-utility-flashlight-with-33-off-and-live-the-convenience-the-inventory/ 8-In-1 Maglight Utility Flashlight | $20 | StackSocial If you, or someone you know, loves the kind of tool that has a multitude of uses in one little package, then you’ll be overjoyed to hear that this 8-In-1 Maglight Utility Flashlight is on sale today with 33% off, and it’s got some big old functions y’all. The 8-In-1 Maglight Utility Flashlight is, at its core, a super bright flashlight that provides 800 lumens at maximum power, has four light modes to fit whatever you want to do, has a built-in kickstand so it’s hands-free, has a carabiner, a long-lasting rechargeable battery, a bottle opener, and something called a mounting hole. It’s great for garages, outdoorsy types, and just people who like cool little gadgets.

South Korea’s Biggest Exchanges Pen Crypto Crime-Fighting Deal With Police – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/south-koreas-biggest-exchanges-pen-crypto-crime-fighting-deal-with-police-cryptonews/ Source: Paegag/Adobe The five biggest crypto exchanges in South Korea have signed a “crypto crime-fighting” MOU deal with the nation’s police force – and will work with officers fighting crypto-powered money launderers and crypto scam artists. According to Fn News, the exchanges – the market-leading Upbit and Bithumb, as well as Korbit, Coinone, and Gopax – have agreed to work with police investigations into “crimes related to virtual assets” and “prevent damage” to investors. The police explained that the rate of crime “in the investment sector” was now on the rise and spoke of a fast-developing crypto and stock investment “craze.” Upbit trading volumes. (Source: CoinGecko) Officers also noted that the size of the domestic crypto market is continuing to rise – although the past few months have seen a slowdown with the onset of the bear market. But, they noted, more and more South Koreans are now becoming crypto investors.  And this, they stated, was leading to a rise in opportunistic crime, as scammers attempt to deceive the victim with promises of “guaranteed high-profit” crypto investments and crypto wallet hacking cases. They also claimed that some criminal groups were known to be using crypto to “launder illegal funds.” ‘Crypto Crime-fighting’ Deal – What Went on Behind the Scenes? Officers stated that the “need to cooperate with exchanges” has been growing, particularly during the investigation process, where police detectives often need to follow a trail of crypto transactions. The National Police Agency revealed that it has been “collaborating” with individual exchanges since April this year to establish a network of “hotlines” – allowing exchanges to relay relevant information to the police. The police also claim that they will continue to bolster cooperation by “sharing information” with exchanges on “cryptoasset-related crime investigations, damage prevention, the seizure of criminal proceeds, and money laundering prevention measures.” The five trading platforms are the only exchanges that are currently licensed to operate in the fiat KRW markets, and all five have commercial banking partners. Last month, the Chief Legal Officer at Dunamu, Upbit’s operator, welcomed talk of fresh regulations for the crypto sector.

Analysis | The Saudi-U.S. Relationship Was Always A Marriage Of Convenience – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/analysis-the-saudi-u-s-relationship-was-always-a-marriage-of-convenience-the-washington-post/ You’re reading an excerpt from the Today’s WorldView newsletter. Sign up to get the rest free, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox every weekday. Not even a fist bump could save the Saudi-U. S. relationship. When President Biden visited the Saudi city of Jiddah three months ago, he was greeted with a fratboy-like familiarity by the 37-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The meeting sparked a wave of criticism for the U.S. leader, who was accused of cozying up to the de facto head of a country he had once pledged to make a “pariah” after to the murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. But any hopes for a renewed bromance between the United States and Saudi Arabia were shattered last week when the Saudi-led oil cartel OPEC Plus announced it would cut its oil output by 2 million barrels a day — a move that could boost prices in the United States over the winter, a major political problem for Biden only a month before highly competitive midterm elections. That OPEC Plus includes Russia, at odds with the United States and its allies over its invasion of Ukraine, was just another kick in the teeth. The Biden administration quickly fired back. It announced it would be reviewing the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, warning of “consequences” for the action. In return, Riyadh offered an unusually detailed and combative response. On the official Saudi Press Agency, an unnamed official rejected any suggestion that it was taking sides against the United States and that the decision to cut production was based only on “economic considerations.” “The Kingdom affirms that it view[s] its relationship with the United States of America as a strategic one that serves the common interests of both countries. The Kingdom also stresses the importance of building on the solid pillars upon which the Saudi-US relationship had stood over the past eight decades,” the statement said. Among these pillars, it frostily concluded, was “mutual respect.” At a press briefing Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby rejected that explanation and accused Saudi Arabia of tacitly supporting the war in Ukraine. “Do they want to stay on the side of Russia?” Kirby asked of Saudi Arabia. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States is a strange one. There is no treaty or mutual defense pact that binds the United States with Saudi Arabia. Instead, it’s a marriage of convenience centered on oil and oil alone. The informal partnership was cemented with a dinner date more than 70 years ago on a U.S. Navy boat on the Suez Canal. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was returning from the Yalta Conference in 1945 when he stopped in Egypt to meet with some of the most important leaders from the Middle East and Africa, including King Farouk of Egypt and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. There was also a lesser-known name on the list: The first Saudi king, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. Ibn Saud was a charismatic military leader who beat his rivals to become the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. He was not a worldly man. The meeting on the Suez Canal was reported to be the first time he had left his kingdom. He brought eight sheep with him to the USS Quincy, where he met Roosevelt, to be slaughtered for dinner. He and Roosevelt hit it off, bonding over their shared physical ailments. They came up with an informal deal that would see the United States offer diplomatic support and military training for the then-fledgling kingdom, in return for political support in the region — and, of course, access to Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves. Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves were enormous, now believed to be second only to Venezuela, and of a higher quality than the sticky, crude stuff found there. But while Saudi Arabia had been struck years before World War II began, the kingdom was too poor to do much with it. Saudi Arabia’s traditional Western ally, Britain, was now preoccupied with its own recovery from the war. “Only the United States had the resources to help the Saudi economy cope until oil production grew sufficiently to make the Kingdom solvent,” Bruce Riedel later put it in his book “Kings and Presidents: Saudi Arabia and the United States since FDR.” In the years since 1945, this meeting has been mythologized as the beginning of a relationship of mutual benefit. Photographs of Roosevelt and Ibn Saud hang up in Saudi diplomatic outposts around the world. But in truth, there was no immediate seismic shift after the meeting. Roosevelt died only two months after he met Ibn Saud. He was replaced by Harry S. Truman, who took a more cautious view of the kingdom. Saudi oil production grew, but it didn’t make an immediate impact: Later estimates suggested that in 1950, after years of oil-backed growth, Saudi Arabia’s revenue was less than that of the average American city. When Saudi Arabia’s oil refineries did eventually boom, it wasn’t long before some Americans began to question what, exactly, the broader point of the relationship was. In 1972 and 1973, a Saudi-led oil embargo against countries supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War targeted the United States specifically. And as Saudi Arabia grew richer, it grew more powerful. “We are reaching the point where we are more dependent upon them than they are on us,” one American diplomat told The Washington Post in 1977 amid yet another round of tensions. “No matter what good friends they are, that is an unhealthy position for us.” Outside of oil, shared interests were fleeting. When Roosevelt and Ibn Saud met in 1945, much of the discussion centered around the prospect of a Jewish state in Israel, with the Saudi leader very much opposed. But differences over the Palestinian cause would later be at the root of many disagreements. Later, both Washington and Riyadh were loose allies in the Cold War and after the Iranian revolution in 1979, the two united in opposing Tehran. Saudi Arabia became a major purchaser of U.S. military goods by the 1990s, buttressing the American arms industry with the same money it extracted through oil sales. But the Cold War ended. Saudi Arabia now finds itself aligned with Moscow for economic reasons in OPEC Plus. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is seeking to revive the nuclear agreement between Iran and other world powers and it has little interest in painting Tehran as its enemy. And since the attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001, there has been simmering anger over Saudi Arabia’s tolerance of religious extremism. Arms sales have lost their luster, given the kingdom’s use of American weapons in its disastrous war in Yemen and the gruesome murder of Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who was well-known and well-liked in Washington. Whatever bond may have existed in the past between leaders like Roosevelt and Ibn Saud does not exist between Biden and Mohammed bin Salman. The best an American could say of his signature policy, the insane planned city of Neom, is that it serves as financial support for U.S. urban planners and technologists. Now, by pushing a production cut at OPEC Plus, Saudi Arabia isn’t just indirectly supporting Russia or pushing the world closer toward a recession — it’s shaking the very slippery, oil-based foundations of its relationship with the United States. And if Biden listens to some Democratic lawmakers, this marriage of convenience could finally be heading for a divorce.

‘Asbestos Mountain’ Removed From Former Tech City Campus – Mid Hudson News Website https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/asbestos-mountain-removed-from-former-tech-city-campus-mid-hudson-news-website/ iPark87 asbestos piles have been removed TOWN OF ULSTER – The environmental cleanup of iPark87 at the former Tech City site in the Town of Ulster is moving forward as the “asbestos mountain” has been removed. “EPA has removed the last piles of asbestos-contaminated material from this site, reclaiming this area for new economic activity,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia. “This marks a milestone for the Town of Ulster, following a process that saw officials from New York State and Ulster County tax a prominent role in working with EPA to find a solution that clears the way for businesses to move forward with new construction and renovation projects. This collaborative work is a model for future cleanups.” U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said the “once-contaminated dumping ground is now a foundation for the Hudson Valley’s economic future.” Congressman Patrick Ryan, until recently Ulster County executive, said iPark87 “is poised to be a shining example of the Hudson Valley’s economic resurgence.” In June 2022, the EPA reached agreement with iPark87, LLC, the current developer of the former Tech City facility, to remove asbestos at the site. The agreement calls for the proper removal of asbestos from the interior of Building 1 and remove three large debris piles containing asbestos which will be disposed of off-site at an EPA-approved landfill. The abatement of asbestos in Building 1 is ongoing, and the off-site disposal of the three debris piles containing asbestos has been completed.

1950.Jim Denton With Baby Shirley Bear Wallow Gap Courtesy Shirley Denton – Roanoke Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/1950-jim-denton-with-baby-shirley-bear-wallow-gap-courtesy-shirley-denton-roanoke-times/ Jim Denton with his daughter Shirley in 1950. Mike Allen Mike Allen Mike Allen is the editorial page editor for The Roanoke Times. His past beats as a Roanoke Times reporter included Botetourt County, Franklin County, courts and legal issues, and arts and culture. Author twitter Author email As featured on Every year since 2011, the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame at Pine Grove Furnace State Park i… Comments disabled.

US Short-Term Rental Market Poised For Further Growth | By Adam Zarczynski – Hospitality Net https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/us-short-term-rental-market-poised-for-further-growth-by-adam-zarczynski-hospitality-net/ Over the past decade, the short-term rental industry has taken the world by storm, affecting not just where people stay while traveling, but also how they vacation in general. Before 2008, short-term rental websites existed, but Airbnb revolutionized the home-sharing concept and essentially created a new category of rental housing. Similar platforms emerged, and in a relatively short period, this alternative lodging market has evolved to become a widely accepted, mainstream industry valued at approximately $115 billion worldwide in 2019. The short-term rental segment is comprised mainly of private accommodation bookings. This includes private holiday homes and houses as well as short-term rental of private rooms or flats via portals such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. In recent years there has been a convergence between traditional hospitality companies expanding into the short-term market, and short-term rental companies operating more like hotels. Companies such as Sonder have expanded upon the short-term rental model by operating traditional apartment units like hotel rooms. Sonder was founded in Montreal in 2014 and today operates properties in more than 40 cities worldwide. Sonder offers a more traditional hotel experience than individual short-term rental properties while enhancing the guest experience through technology. Everything from check-in to service requests to check-out can be handled on the app and the goal is to make the guest stay a seamless experience. The increased competition in alternative lodging has also pushed traditional hotel companies to innovate, evidenced by Marriott International’s entry into this space with its alternative brand, Homes and Villas. According to a July 2022 mid-year update on the U.S. short-term rental industry by AirDNA, there were 1,059,541 available units on various listing platforms in 2021, which was a slight increase from the number of listings in 2020 but still down 9.9% from the number of available listings in 2019. The following table provides short-term rental data from 2019 to 2021 along with forecasts for 2022 and 2023. Source: CoStar In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic inundated many short-term rental hosts with cancellations. However, while listings declined by 11.5% and demand for short-term rentals dropped 16.2% overall for the year, some vacation rental locations saw a surge in new bookings. As early as late March, those who wanted to travel but were looking for safety and seclusion began flocking to rural, drive-to getaways. During the pandemic, more travelers were choosing to stay at larger homes in destination markets, with higher average rates, leading to overall ADR growth in 2020 and 2021. In May 2022, there were 88,000 new short-term rentals added to the overall supply, leading to an all-time high in total listings, per AirDNA. Although demand is projected to increase by more than 20% in 2022, occupancy is projected to decline due to the amount of new supply. In its initial forecast for 2022 prepared in December 2021, AirDNA forecasted a decline in ADR for 2022; however, due to inflation and strong demand during peak times, AirDNA now forecasts ADR to finish at $277.53 for 2022. Looking ahead to 2023, AirDNA forecasts continued growth in terms of the available listings, but occupancy is once again expected to decline due to supply outpacing demand growth. Property Types According to a 2020 CBRE Research study, houses and apartment/condo/loft units make up about 96% of all the properties available for rent in the U.S. on short-term rental distribution channels. The other 4% includes unique units — such as lighthouses, boats, and tents — bed and breakfasts, hotels, and hostels. The following table shows the short-term rental supply for the entire U.S. by property type and listing type in 2019. Source: CoStar By 2019, house rentals had grown at a significantly higher rate than apartment/condo/loft units and accounted for 54.5% of the total U.S. supply. Shared spaces, hotel/hostel units, and bed and breakfasts represented only 3.7% of the total supply. Research data from AirDNA has shown that short-term renters are looking for larger rentals that can accommodate groups and families. As demonstrated in the following chart, the average number of rooms for booked properties has grown consistently over the last five years and jumped considerably in 2020 as guests avoided smaller urban properties in favor of larger homes in destination locations. Source: CoStar Although the size of the rental is an important factor, guests are also interested in unique experiences, no matter the size. As the following table shows, tiny houses were the fastest-growing short-term rental property type, growing 27% in 2021 to 9,402 listings. Source: CoStar Hosts In recent years, there has been a growing trend of people utilizing short-term rentals to help pay their mortgage and other living expenses as most short-term rentals found on booking platforms such as Airbnb are individual owners. According to the 2022 Airbnb annual survey of hosts and guests, approximately 45% of hosts reported that income from renting their property helped them continue to afford their homes’ expenses, while more than 20% of hosts stated their rental income kept them from having their property foreclosed or being evicted. The average host reported earning approximately $13,800 in 2021, which was an 85% increase from 2019. Some homeowners are now specifically looking for properties with rental potential when searching for homes to purchase to help cover some of their living expenses. This could include purchasing a duplex, a home with an outbuilding, a finished basement or attic space, and other options. While some of these owners are looking for long-term rental potential, others prefer the short-term model as it provides them with more flexibility. Price and Location Local interaction, home-like amenities, more space, and/or unusual experiences are some of the factors that motivate consumers to choose short-term rental accommodations. Price and location, however, remain the primary motivators. Short-term rentals can provide affordable options to tourists visiting cities in which hotels have disproportionately high prices, plus the typical home or apartment unit offers cost-saving benefits, such as kitchen and laundry facilities. According to CBRE, short-term rentals offered a discount of about 5% across the top 30 markets, and in the more urban U.S. cities the discount was as high as 20% to 30%. After price, location is generally the most likely reason travelers choose to book a short-term rental. A CBRE analysis of hotel and short-term rental unit location data shows that more than 35% of short-term rental properties are located more than a mile from the closest hotel. That increases to 57% for rural locations. Recent growth of short-term rentals has primarily occurred in suburban and rural areas. Though the supply of units in urban locations grew by 17% in 2019, these locations dropped to 21% of total short-term rental supply, down from 46% in 2014. As of 2019, 57% of units were located outside of large cities. According to CBRE’s 2020 study, most of the change in share resulted from large increases in resort and rural locations that primarily serve destination-vacation travel. Units for rent along the beach, at lakes, and at ski/mountain resorts accounted for 42% of units outside of urban areas. ADR growth for short-term rentals has seen the sharpest increase for properties in smaller to midsized markets. In a recent article, CoStar highlighted the top 10 markets for demand change from year-to-date June 2022 versus June 2019. The data showed that of these 10 markets, the biggest ADR growth for short-term rentals was in the smaller markets of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Panama City Beach, Florida; and the Wisconsin Area. In each of these markets, the ADR growth for short-term rentals has been noticeably higher than the ADR growth for hotels. One notable large market is Houston, Texas, where short-term rentals have experienced a 36% increase in ADR during this period, while hotels have only seen a 3% increase. Impact on Traditional Hotels While short-term rental platforms have seen much greater demand in recent years, one question that has remained is how many travelers are leaving traditional hotels behind in favor of short-term rentals. A 2021 survey conducted by ValuePenguin found that 72% of all survey participants preferred to stay at a hotel or resort compared to a vacation rental. This does not hold true among all demographics, however, as another survey conducted by YPulse found that 24% of millennials would prefer to stay at either an Airbnb or rental house compared to 12% who preferred an all-inclusive resort and 12% who preferred a national hotel chain. Per iPropertyManagement, 51% of all Airbnb bookings are generated from travelers between the ages of 18 and 34. In contrast, the fastest-growing demographic for new hosts on the Airbnb platform are seniors, who total more than 400,000 worldwide. While there are many factors that influence a traveler’s decision, the survey conducted by ValuePenguin found that some of the biggest factors for preferring a hotel stay included more amenities, a more simplified booking experience, higher staffing levels and dining options at the property. Travelers who are combining business and leisure trips, known colloquially as bleisure travelers, are more concerned with having strong internet performance, which gives traditional hotels a slight advantage as internet service varies widely between vacation rentals. Another factor for guests preferring hotels was the rewards progr...

Seattle DJC.com Local Business News And Data – News – Architects West – Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/seattle-djc-com-local-business-news-and-data-news-architects-west-seattle-daily-journal-of-commerce/ Oct 14, 2022 Summit Bank Moreland Jenny Bennett, market president for Summit Bank, announced that Megan Moreland has joined the Eugene & Springfield Lending team as a business client advisor. Moreland is a native of Alaska and comes to Summit from SELCO Community Credit Union, where she had eight years of experience in commercial banking. Prior to SELCO, she was a personal banker with Chase Bank for three years. Moreland graduated from the University of Oregon. She serves on the board of directors of Kids FIRST, the Springfield Twin Rivers Rotary Club, and is a past board member of the Eugene Active 2030 Club. Summit Bank has offices in Eugene, Central Oregon, and downtown Portland. SirionLabs Seattle-based SirionLabs, a global provider of AI-powered contract lifecycle management, announced the expansion of its Customer Success team as it positions itself to scale operations for its accelerated growth plans following its recent infusion of $85 million in funding. The new members of the executive team will report directly to Sirion COO Madhukar Yarra. Naveen Mehta has come on board as senior vice president and will be responsible for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) portfolio growth. Mehta has 25 years of experience spanning technology, product and business operations. Most recently he was vice president and head of sales for Europe and Asia at Conduent. Manish Chhabra joins Sirion as vice president. He brings experience as a global leader in customer success and analytics at organizations including Sprinklr, Amazon, Dell and Accenture. Stephen Brickley joins as vice president for key accounts in North America. Brickley is a growth-oriented SaaS executive with over 20 years of experience leading customer success teams in privately funded enterprise SaaS companies, including iRise and Blueprint Software Systems. Sirion also brought in key members to both its business strategy and its marketing teams. Executive veteran Gordon Thompson has come on board as executive vice president of pre-sales & business strategy. Thompson brings more than 25 years of experience in enterprise software and SaaS applications, most recently as senior vice president of pre-sales & business transformation at Mindtickle. Spearheading the company’s global marketing initiative, Hiro Notaney joined Sirion earlier this year as chief marketing officer. Notaney has over twenty years of experience with industry leaders such as Oracle and Deloitte, and more than five in contract management. Building Transparency Building Transparency announced a new influx of pilot partners and that Stacy Smedley is joining the organization full-time as executive director. Building Transparency’s latest pilot partners are in the manufacturing and architecture, engineering, and construction sectors and are committed to material transparency and clean procurement. Building Transparency’s latest partners include: American Wood Council, Softwood Lumber Board, The Tile Council of North America, TK Elevator and WoodWorks. As partners, these organizations are driving the continued support and development of EC3, a tool that allows benchmarking, assessment, and reductions in embodied carbon and focuses on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction materials. The partnership enables companies to support material transparency, while also improving carbon accounting efforts to make it easier to set and achieve emission reduction targets. Prior to serving in a full-time capacity, Smedley served in two roles, her position at Building Transparency and as senior sustainability director at Skanska, one of the companies responsible for co-conceiving, funding and piloting the EC3 tool. In addition, Steve Clem, senior vice president of project planning services and head of green function at Skanska, will join Building Transparency as a board member and treasurer. Building Transparency is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides open access data and tools that support action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon’s role in climate change. Formed in 2020, Building Transparency is headquartered in Seattle. Oct 13, 2022 Wizards remains in Renton Several recent office reports from various brokers agree that Wizards of the Coast is moving its headquarters in Renton, where the game company was founded 32 years ago. It has leased 110,947 square feet at Southport, representing the biggest tenant signed there to date. Landlord Seco Development confirmed the lease last month with Puget Sound Business Journal; CBRE brokers the space for Seco. Wizard’s many popular titles include Dungeons & Dragons and Magic, the Gathering. Its currently based in the old Landmark office park a little south of Interstate 405. Based on that old lease, it may be shedding a little space, but it also has 28,000 square feet in Bellevue’s Eastgate Office Park. BH Properties McLaughlin BH Properties recently announced that Hughes McLaughlin has joined the firm as managing director. He’ll be tasked with leading acquisitions in the Pacific Northwest, with an emphasis on value-add deals and opportunistic real estate. He makes the move from Cushman & Wakefield. He’s a 20-year veteran in our market. He said in a statement, “My role is to find fundamentally strong real estate assets that are suffering from today’s market dislocation. One of the things that attracted me to BH is that they are self-funded and require little to no leverage to close on even the most complex transactions. This also allows us to deploy capital in scenarios where traditional joint ventures wouldn’t.” BH is based in Santa Monica, Calif. and has an office in Seattle. The privately held firm now has about 100 properties under management, which total about 10 million square feet. Brokers both bearish and bullish? Beddard Nov. 16 marks the next NAIOP monthly breakfast, to be held at Hyatt Regency Seattle at 8 a.m. The panel discussion will consist of office brokers trying to forecast a very cloudy 2023 ahead. Interest rates, work-from-home, the ascendancy of industrial and life science, the cratering of office and the durability of apartments will all likely enter into the discussion. Alison Beddard of Cushman & Wakefield will moderate the discussion among CBRE’s Laura Ford, Thad Mallory of Newmark and Chris Moe of Kidder Mathews. Details and registration: naiopwa.org. Orchard sprouts downtown As traditional office leases are decreasing in size and duration, hybrid work and co-work spaces are picking up some of the slack. Thus, JLL is expanding its Orchard Workspace by JLL platform, it recently announced. That expansion, marking its second location in the U.S. after Brooklyn, recently opened with 35,000 square feet on two floors at Westlake Tower, at 1601 Fifth Ave., overlooking the monorail. Jacob Bates, the head of Flex by JLL, said in a statement, “We are excited to activate the Seattle location and add the space to JLL’s growing network of flex locations around the world. With hybrid work, flex is becoming a significant part of employers’ flexible work strategies, and our new Seattle location serves to effectively implement these plans.” F5 Budnik F5 appointed Marianne Budnik to its board of directors. Budnik has extensive marketing and cybersecurity expertise, as well as more than 25 years of operating experience in the technology sector. Budnik currently serves as chief marketing officer for Talon Cyber Security. Previously, she served as chief marketing officer for CrowdStrike, where she also oversaw the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Budnik’s prior roles include chief marketing officer for CyberArk, as well as leadership roles with SimpliVity, Acme Packet, CA Technologies, and EMC Corp. Budnik earned an M.B.A. from Boston University and currently serves on the board of directors for Cerence, Inc. With Budnik’s appointment, F5’s board expands to 12 members, 11 of whom are independent. Headquartered in Seattle, F5 is a multi-cloud application services and security company. The Beer Institute Crawford The Beer Institute, one of the nation’s oldest trade associations representing brewers, beer importers and beer industry suppliers, appointed Brian Crawford as president and chief executive officer of the trade association. Crawford joins the Beer Institute from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), where he is executive vice president of government affairs. The position of president and chief executive officer has been vacant since May, after the departure of Jim McGreevy. Celebrating its 160th anniversary, Crawford will lead and represent the Beer Institute before lawmakers, regulators, news media and in public forums. Crawford came to AHLA following eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives, having served five as chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Tom Rooney. He previously served as the deputy chief of staff for Florida Congressman Ric Keller, and held senior roles in other national trade associations. Genuine Auto Glass Safelite Group, owner of Safelite AutoGlass, announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Genuine Auto Glass in Seattle. Genuine Auto Glass will leverage Safelite’s operational systems, safety system recalibration expertise, distribution network, global purchasing power and insurance and commercial relationships. Safelite Group is a vehicle glass and claims management service organization based in Columbus, Ohio, and operates facilities in 50 states. The company, which has been in business since 1947, includes Safelite AutoGlass and Safelite Solutions, which offers fleet and insurance claims management services for vehicle glass and other claims. The company employs over 16,00...

AFD, NBA Africa Expand Basketball Experience Programme In Nigeria – THISDAY Newspapers https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/afd-nba-africa-expand-basketball-experience-programme-in-nigeria-thisday-newspapers/ NBA Africa and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Thursday announced the official launch of the Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience programme in Lagos. The flagship initiative, which was introduced in Lagos in November 2021 as a pilot programme, aims to use basketball as a platform to promote social inclusion and support secondary school children to become changemakers in their local communities.   The programme’s weekly basketball and life skills sessions will educate youth participants about issues including physical wellbeing, mental health, life skills and healthy living. As part of the initiative, with the support of new partners, including the Lagos State Sports Commission, the collaboration will also support the renovation of outdoor basketball courts in Lagos and scale-up the programme to reach more youth across the city. The announcement was made at an official ceremony in the presence of H.E. French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann; AFD Director for Nigeria, Xavier Muron; NBA Africa Vice President & Country Head of Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu; Dream Sports Africa’s (DSA) Nigeria Country Director, Michael Anejo and representatives of the Lagos State Government. “This programme demonstrates AFD and NBA Africa’s shared vision of using sport as a tool to foster gender inclusion, sustainable development and social cohesion in Nigeria,” said Muron.  “After the successful first steps in Lagos, we look forward to continuing to work with NBA Africa and engaging with the Lagos State Government to expand the initiative to other parts of the city.” “The benefits and values that come from playing basketball extend far beyond the court, which is why we are committed to making the game more accessible to Nigerian youth,” said Abudu.  “Nigeria has a strong basketball tradition, and through the Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience programme, we are able to create more places where youth can learn the game and develop as players and leaders.” This flagship initiative, which is part of AFD and NBA Africa’s larger collaboration to support basketball infrastructure in youth development across the continent, builds on the inaugural Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience launched in Zenata, Morocco in 2019.   In November 2021, AFD and NBA Africa initiated a pilot phase in Lagos implemented by international non-governmental organization DSA.  To date, the pilot phase has reached more than 21,000 boys and girls ages 12-17 years from 55 public and private schools in Lagos State.

Cambria Vets Office To Meet Today | News, Sports, Jobs – Altoona Mirror https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/cambria-vets-office-to-meet-today-news-sports-jobs-altoona-mirror/ Event is second of four offered Cambria County Veterans Services Office will have a veteran information meeting at 1 p.m. today at the Patton Library, 444 Magee Ave., Patton. This is the second of four meetings scheduled in Cambria County. The department will hold similar meetings for veterans and their families at: — 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at South Fork Library, 320 Main St., South Fork — 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at Portage Library, 704 Main St., Portage. Discussion topics will include benefit claims, PACT Act, Camp Lejeune water and survivor benefits, followed by a question and answer session. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Metaverse In Banking – How Is The Technology Transforming The Future Of Banks? – Appinventiv https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/metaverse-in-banking-how-is-the-technology-transforming-the-future-of-banks-appinventiv/ In the olden days, banks were used to deposit and withdraw banknotes. Then ATMs came into the picture with debit and credit cards, and electronic payments soon followed, eliminating the need to visit ATMs or even carry cash.  With the banking industry being one of the primary sectors getting affected by every wave of digitalization, what if the next change around the corner is the introduction of metaverse technology in banking? Imagine virtually entering a bank branch and taking the help of customer rep avatars to enter the vault and digitally deposit or take out money. Imagine being given the option to pay with dollars in your savings account or a digital currency issued by the bank or even through tokens from a digital wallet like Ethereum. All of these far-fetched theories hold the potential to come true at the back of banking in the metaverse.  In this article, we are going to dive into facets like – the business opportunity for metaverse in banking, the benefits of metaverse banking, the banks which have already entered the space, and how banks should plan out their metaverse entry.  At Appinventiv, when someone asks us what metaverse is in banking, we answer with we look at Metaverse as a new paradigm that is powered by a culmination of multiple next-gen technologies. Technologies that are a combination of decentralized and immersive tech stack. While decentralized technologies like NFT, DLT, and Web3 offer a resilient infrastructure and secure exchange approach, immersive technologies like AR/VR creates an enhanced virtual experience.  In order to truly understand the potential of metaverse use cases in banking, it is necessary to look at the evolution of banks – something that brought them to a stage where the industry is now prepared to introduce a new chapter.  The evolution: What led to metaverse in the banking industry  At the time of writing this article, the banking industry has entered the fourth phase of evolution, with NFTs and cryptos coming to the forefront. At the same time, a handful of banking institutions have entered the fifth – the metaverse stage. Let us look at the evolution phases of metaverse bank and the issues that built up to it.  Traditional banking It was a two-tiered banking phase ruled by central banks that relied on one-on-one interactions with customers in a physical space. The stage was known for being paper-based and heavily manual, with an absence of financial product customizations and personalization. Internet banking Digitalization of the banking industry came into full force in the last decade. It was divided into two categories – one where the existing processes were digitalized to be accessed through mobile and the internet and the second stage was where new customer journeys were made to address the digital-first demand of customers.  Open banking  In the last three to five years, the banking industry has opened itself to be connected with third-party services via APIs. This has led to a number of neo-banks, cross-industry marketplace offers by banks (for example: health services, buy and sell automotives, energy services, etc.) coming into existence.  Digitalized finance banking With the advent of Web3, blockchain has given birth to a new secure, borderless, and fast banking economy. A huge role in this is played by NFTs and cryptos, which have added entirely new assets to the financial market, like art, gaming, and real estate.  Metaverse in the banking sector In the last one-two years, the metaverse has gained massive traction among a range of industries, with banking being one of them. With virtual banking experience taking center stage, the industry is set for another massive revolution.  Now that we have looked into the evolution of banks leading to the metaverse financial services, let us dive into the concept further.  The metaverse opportunity for banks  Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs found that the metaverse domain is set to be as big as $8 trillion in the coming time. In this market valuation, banks have a critical role to play. Using technologies like AR/VR and cryptocurrencies, banks will be able to reimagine how they interact with their customers and with what offerings.  Although the technology holds massive potential for the banking industry by answering the many issues customers face, the banks which have entered the domain are still finding their space. Let me explain by giving you examples of the current metaverse use cases in banking.  JP Morgan – They have opened an Onyx lounge in Decentraland metaverse where they facilitate cross-border payments, financial assets creation, safekeeping, and trading.   HSBC – They have invested in a plot at The Sandbox metaverse, which will be developed for engaging with the gaming and esports fans.   Standard Chartered – The bank has also acquired land in The Sandbox, which it plans to use for experimenting and creating new experiences for clients on the metaverse.   Siam Commercial Bank – They are the first banking group to have built headquarters in The Sandbox. The space comes with three zones: a) A virtual hub: A space for events and knowledge sharing. b) Virtual land: A space for partnered businesses to connect over project development activities. c) Hub: It helps promote local artists via the NFT gallery, NFT marketplace, and virtual concerts. While these are only some of the top names in the metaverse banking space, there are a number of other banks entering the domain as we discuss this revolution. But what are banks getting from investing in metaverse efforts? After all, they have come to a stage where they are irreplaceable, so why change? Here’s why.  [Also Read: How Much Does it Cost to Develop the Metaverse?] The benefits of metaverse in banking Banking in the metaverse comes with a range of benefits for the traditional industry. Benefits that don’t just impact customer experience but also open up new financing models.  Elevation of existing functionalities in 3D  With 47% of bankers rooting for AR/VR as an alternative transactions channel by 2030, a number of banks have started training their employees on VR. For example, Bank of America has developed a VR training program for its 50,000 employees that would simulate real customer scenarios. Moreover, BNP Paribas has even launched a VR app that enables users to perform banking transactions using VR.  Enabling 3D employee and customer experiences will open banks to elevated offerings where they are able to connect with a new target audience and establish their prominence. To summarize, here are the benefits of using 3D for banks.  Metaverse banking: Offer customers the ability to view their balance, pay the bills, and make transfers through AR/VR platforms.  Employee experiences: Deliver an immersive learning experience through simulated customer scenarios and onboarding remote workers with a feeling of community.  Multi-faceted customer engagement  Banking in the metaverse gives institutions the opportunity to relook at how they interact with their customers and what they can do to deliver empathetic service through avatars. The experience-focused answer to how metaverse will affect financial services is two-fold: Personalized connect: In the metaverse, banks can give high-touch service to the customers by giving them a virtual look into the portfolio and expense revenue, having virtual financial planning sessions, and making well-strategized product recommendations.  Brand extension: Banks can extend their physical experience in the virtual world by mimicking events like ATMs cash withdrawals, branch placement and layout, and more. This would help customers feel connected with the bank.  Invent new products  Banking in the metaverse comes with numerous opportunities to tap the space with innovative banking products like –  Digital payments Digital assets like NFTs and cryptocurrency  Digital twin  What this results in is – a) Creating a sense of connectivity between physical and virtual banks and b) Opening new sources of revenue for banks.  So here were the three critical metaverse benefits in banking. But from a bank’s perspective, entering the space can be very challenging. After all, it takes them towards complete virtualization – an area which is massively unexplored. Now while it has been comparatively easier on finance in metaverse, banking institutions require planning and milestone wise goals to approach metaverse technology in banking.  How does Appinventiv approaches banking in the metaverse? At Appinventiv, when we work for financial institutions on metaverse development services, we often suggest our clients to follow a milestone-based approach towards the technology. Here’s what it looks like for banks.  Short-term strategy – We advise banks to focus on the existing metaverses where they can find potential customers, offer lending and payment services, and onboard them through digital wallets. We also suggest them to target new customer segments like artists, gamers, and creators via services like instant loans, financial planning, and concierge services.  Mid-long term strategy – By the time banks reach this stage, they would already have digital assets, custody platform for supporting the virtual banking world’s needs. So now the banks can even consider building their own digital world and introduce financial products that can be tied back to their traditional offerings  Achieving these strategies would require the banks to hire people with future-driven skills like game designers, 3D artists, metaverse platform experts, and dedicated blockchain developers. The catch here is that investing in them in-house is not just expensive but also managing resources w...

Focal Bathys Review – Pickr – Pickr https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/focal-bathys-review-pickr-pickr/ Armed with a DAC built into the headphones and active noise cancellation tech, the Focal Bathys aren’t your ordinary pair of wireless cans, and that’s a good thing. As much as we love headphones, and love opening a new pair and listening to what’s on offer, some headphones are more exciting than others. That’s true with any product type, because some devices just stand out. It might come from an exciting design or a feature set aimed at delivering just that much more. Some gadgets stand out more than others, and going off of what we’ve seen about Focal’s Bathys headphones, that’s definitely true. HiFi makers aren’t known for jumping into the world of active noise cancellation or wireless headphones, but that’s exactly what French audio specialists Focal have done, and they’ve not been shy. The Focal Bathys more than just wireless and noise cancelling tech going for them, as the headphone aims to make audiophiles happy listeners, too. Design and features Designed like no other pair of wireless headphones you’ve seen before, the Focal Bathys are different, and that’s a good thing. While simple and black (or beige) tends to be the general vibe for most headphone makers, Focal has gone a totally different way, opting for a spray of circles in a spiral pattern on each ear, with a large Focal logo on the inside that can light up, but also be controlled from the app Focal and Naim make for Android and iPhone. It’s a look that is unmistakably different from every other pair of headphones out there, and that helps to make these stand out. Granted, it’s not totally out of kilter from the Focal Celeste, but somehow these look better to our eyes. Really, they’re like no other headphone you’ve seen, and will get glances from people who see you. The Focal Bathys look premium, certainly more so than any other pair of wireless headphones I’ve worn before. Inside, you can expect to find 40mm patented drivers made in France crafted with aluminium and magnesium, connected to technology to talk to your phone, tablet, and computer using Bluetooth 5.1 multipoint. The headphones are circumaural fitting around your ears with a plush ear piece, and use eight microphones — four on each ear — to handle the sound matching for its approach for active noise cancellation. Like other pairs of headphones, there are controls on the headphones and support for voice assistant, covering Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, whichever you prefer, and there’s also both a 3.5mm connection and a Type C USB port for turning the Bathys into wired headphones. However, Focal has gone a little bit beyond this, adding something extra to the package: a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC). Often one of those things that you’ll plug into a sound source as an extra, the DAC can be switched on separate from the noise cancellation mode once it’s plugged in via a Type C cable, essentially turning these headphones into a DAC already plugged into high-end headphones. Focal’s DAC supports up to 192kHz at 24-bit, which means it should cover the assortment of high-res 24-bit tracks available on lossless at Apple Music, as well as what you can find on Tidal HiFi. All of that is wrapped into one pair of headphones, which also arrives in a fabric-lined hard case, complete with two cables, one with a 3.5mm jack and the other with a Type C port. In-use Throw the headphones on and your ears will be treated to a delightful level of comfort. Circumaural and spacious, we’ve been wearing the Bathys for hours and hours, barely giving our ears a break as we jammed in these headphones, all without sweating. Once worn, using the Bathys is just like any other pair of wireless headphones, with a bunch of controls on the side, plus an app. For the physical controls, Focal has opted for physical controls without a whole lot of naming or instructions, so it’ll come down to your memory. On the left cup is one button for noise cancellation modes, which will notify you with a rather nondescript sound. It doesn’t tell you much about the cancellation mode you’ve selected, but you’ll get the feeling when the sound gets tighter and less noise gets in, or the other way around when transparency kicks in. More controls can be found on the right side, and again it’ll largely be about memory. There’s a volume rocker with a controller button in between, and that’ll pause and play, while double and triple presses will skip tracks. Next to this is a physical switch for turning the headphones on and off, with a DAC switch in between. Choose DAC when you’re plugging in a source over Type C USB, and choose on when you’re going for 3.5mm wired or wireless and noise cancelling. Off is just the power being off. Finally, there’s a small button next to the power switch for triggering your voice assistant of choice. There’s also that app, but it’s not that big of a deal if we’re honest. The most useful thing it can do is turn down the brightness of the light-up Focal logo on the side, but everything else is about playing with the EQ and a few presets, changing the noise cancellation mode between full, transparency, and off, and generally just setting up which voice assistant of choice you want to use. All of this is pretty much normal for an ordinary pair of headphones. Performance The Bathys aren’t your ordinary headphones, though, because they actually come with two ways of listening to your tunes: wireless with noise cancellation switched on, and then wired using a DAC. That makes them special, and it means we can’t just simply test these cans the same way we would normally. Rather, it means we need to break up the test into two sections, specifically looking at performance for each. Performance in wireless ANC That starts with the way most people will opt to use the Bathys, which is without the cords and with the active cancellation switched on. If you’ve been waiting for a generation of Focal that does away with cords, we’re with you, and this is one clearly made with that in mind. And tested with the Pickr Sound Test, which you can listen to for yourself, our ears were treated with a delivery set in balance, but with an expansive sound stage, to be sure. It started with electronic from Tycho and Daft Punk, both of which provided a clear and wide sound, with a spacious sound that wasn’t exaggerated in delivery, but just more the Goldilocks feeling of “just right”. Detailed and friendly, these were already doing our ears well. In the pop and R&B sounds delivered by Carly Rae Jepsen, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, and Charlie Puth, the sound opened in a way to make the headphones breathe that much more, with solid snap on the lows, and detail everywhere. During our time listening to Rage Against The Machine and the Deftones, there were sounds we’re not sure we’d heard before. The delivery was just that encompassing, allowing us to re-hear all that music we love, experiencing it again for the first time. Performance with wired DAC There’s also another side to the Focal Bathys, and this makes them stand out in the headphone world. And it’s really quite cool. While it’s not unusual to see audio specialists jump into active noise cancelling headphones, it’s a little unusual to see one packing a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) built directly in, and then allow you to plug that into a media source and use it directly in the headphones. Normally we’d rely on a Type C option from Astell & Kern, or grab the THX Onyx which works with an iPhone, but armed with the Bathys, we don’t need to. We can plug these headphones straight in and jam with a DAC inside. Grab the Type C cable and plug it into both the headphones and your source, and then switch the headphones into the middle option on the switch marked “DAC”. Do that, and the DAC will switch on, powering a converter that can handle up to 24/192, handy if you have sources that do that. For our testing, we used it with Apple Music’s high-res lossless on Android and iPad Air over a Type C connector (which only works when you plug in a DAC, anyway), and also took the time to plug the Bathys into a MacBook Pro, configuring the headphone’s on-board DAC for the highest setting we could in the Audio MIDI setting, triggering a max of 192/24. We have some high-res source files for that, including a lovely 24/192 of Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue”, so that was the obvious thing to plug in for. The good news is that plugging in and testing both the Pickr playlist and extra high-res tracks meant our ears were treated with some beautifully clear and delicious tunes. You won’t see noise cancellation switched on when the DAC mode is turned on, but that’s also not the point. Rather, you’ll get a pristine music rendition the way a DAC and pair of wired headphones aims to deliver, using that magnesium-aluminium driver and built-in DAC to amp up the sound and give you the best that high-res source has to work with. With the right media, the result is a bigger sound with more detail, and it’s a joy. You won’t get spatial audio with head tracking in the Focal Bathys, but that’s fine: the big sound offered by cord and the DAC is big enough to keep you happy. And for folks who have used both gadgets for music listening — big headphones and a DAC — Focal’s combination in the Bathys isn’t just great for sound, but also for convenience. Simply put, the Bathys make being an audiophile easier with a pair of headphones that does it all. Battery The combination of technologies actually grants the Bathys some decent battery life, though it’s different dependent on how you use them. If you’re using the Bathys as wireless noise cancelling headphones, you’ll find up to 30 hours on offer, while the wired DAC mode apparently supports closer to 42. We’ve not pushed it as far, but expect this bigger runtime for the wired mode could come from the headphones being ...

Regulators Are ‘spending Too Much Time’ On Crypto: Comptroller – Cointelegraph https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/regulators-are-spending-too-much-time-on-crypto-comptroller-cointelegraph/ Michael Hsu stated that it is starting to worry him that “we’re not spending that time and attention on some other things,” like fintech, which he described as the “future.” 769 Total views 22 Total shares United States Acting Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Michael Hsu has expressed concerns that regulators are spending “too much time on crypto,” rather than more pressing issues, such as technology and banking.  The crypto skeptic OCC head made the comments during an interview with Reuters on Oct. 13, as he outlined a worry that crypto is “occupying a lot of brain space for an awful lot of people” in the regulatory community. Hsu has been at the helm of the OCC since May 2021 and serves as the administrator for the federal banking system and chief economic officer of the OCC. During his tenure, he has called for greater supervision of crypto firms and standards around stablecoins, while also stressing the need for a cautious approach to crypto regulation due to “red flags” with the sector’s rapid growth. “We’re spending too much time on crypto,” he told Reuters, adding that “it’s interesting, it has thorny issues… but relative to other technology and banking issues, I think we’re now kind of overweight crypto.” Hsu went on to explain that there are other areas that need to be focused on at present, specifically relating to fintech, something which he emphasized last month that required immediate oversight to avoid a “severe problem or crisis” due to the sector’s rampant expansion, adding: “The persistence of the occupation of brain space, it’s starting to worry me now that we’re not spending that time and attention on some other things.” The OCC head said he thinks fintech is the future, and therefore it needs proper time and considerations to help the sector thrive sustainably. “This is the future, so let’s do the future right,” he said. These sentiments are in stark contrast to Hsu’s views on crypto, given that he described the sector as “an immature industry based on an immature technology,” during a lecture at a Harvard Law School roundtable on Oct. 11. Related: Rep. McHenry gives progress report on stablecoin legislation, says it’s an ‘ugly baby’ Hsu also outlined concerns with the crypto sector’s apparent fear of missing out (FOMO) syndrome, which he argued fosters wild speculation as opposed to innovation: “Promises of innovation and inclusion often mask crypto’s promotion of a gold rush vibe that exploits people’s fear of missing out on the next Google or Amazon.” “My skepticism of crypto stems from a frustration that the most promising innovations have been crowded out by hype and a fixation on trading,” Hsu added.

Raj Chetty Discusses Inequalities In U.S. – Inside Higher Ed https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/raj-chetty-discusses-inequalities-in-u-s-inside-higher-ed/ The United States’ innovation rate would quadruple if universities could deliver societywide equity in education, Harvard University economist Raj Chetty has calculated. Chetty, a professor of public economics at Harvard known for his data-driven examinations of societal inequity, opened the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit with a look at how the sector is contributing to the problem. Examples covered by his presentation included a variety of ways that societal advantages—in wealth, race and gender—still play out in career success in the U.S., such as students being more than twice as likely to become a patent-holding inventor if their family was in the top fifth of incomes than if it was not. More generally, Chetty said, students born to the wealthiest U.S. families have a nearly 100 percent likelihood of going to college. Those born to the poorest families have about a 30 percent chance. “Higher education is actually not on net a great engine of economic opportunity,” said the professor, one of the youngest tenured faculty in the history of Harvard’s department of economics. “It’s actually serving to stratify society.” During its three days, Times Higher Education’s chief annual gathering, hosted this year by New York University, featured worldwide academic leaders exploring the ability of the sector to meet rising societal demands in the aftermath of COVID-19. Chetty led it off with some stark reminders, particularly for the sector’s more elite institutions, about their overall shortfalls on equity, noting that advantages conveyed through education have major persistence across generations. He listed leading potential solutions for universities to consider, such as programs that encourage low-income students to apply, revisiting the practice of favoritism in admissions for children of alumni and increasing student financial aid. Another analysis showed that among students scoring at least 1500 on the SAT, most have about a 20 percent chance of gaining acceptance from an “Ivy-plus” institution. Those odds, however, jump rapidly for students from families in the top one-fifth of incomes, reaching about 50 percent odds of entry for students from the highest-income families. That kind of inequity, Chetty said, can be addressed by institutions in their admissions processes. Chetty also held out successful examples, with one list showing the top U.S. colleges as measured by the percentage of students who come from families in the nation’s bottom fifth by income who ended up in the top fifth. Topping that list by a wide margin is California State University, Los Angeles, with about 10 percent of its students making that leap. Even that perspective got some pushback at the summit, over questions of the wisdom of promoting income-based measures of student success. “It will inevitably privilege those careers that give you access to the 1 percent,” Gabrielle Starr, the president of Pomona College, said in recalling Chetty’s analysis at a subsequent session of the conference. In response, Chetty told THE that he agreed with Starr “that money is not the only yardstick for success” for students. “But other outcomes of interest—health, innovation, etc.—are often correlated with money,” he said, “and at least at the lower end of the income distribution, achieving a better life in terms of living standards is often a priority for students attending college.”

Production Technology Behind Disney Blockbusters Arrives In Australia – ABC News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/production-technology-behind-disney-blockbusters-arrives-in-australia-abc-news/ News Ticker Flood warning For the latest flood and weather warnings, search on ABC Emergency Posted 46m ago46 minutes agoFri 14 Oct 2022 at 6:43am Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Future superhero filmmakers from Canberra are learning how to use virtual backgrounds in film production. Stories from ABC News Carousel Duration: 4 minutes 47 seconds4m 47s Duration: 4 minutes 14 seconds4m 14s Duration: 3 minutes 19 seconds3m 19s Duration: 2 minutes 15 seconds2m 15s Duration: 1 minute 27 seconds1m 27s Duration: 3 minutes 41 seconds3m 41s Duration: 2 minutes 53 seconds2m 53s Duration: 2 minutes 12 seconds2m 12s Duration: 3 minutes 7 seconds3m 7s

Mid-Shore Calendar | Calendar | Stardem.com – The Star Democrat https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/mid-shore-calendar-calendar-stardem-com-the-star-democrat-5/ Angela Price Oct 14, 2022 1 hr ago 0 Post a comment as anonymous Welcome to the discussion. Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don’t Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left.

Qatar World Cup 2022 To Recreate ‘Expo Effect’ For UAE Hotels – The National https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/qatar-world-cup-2022-to-recreate-expo-effect-for-uae-hotels-the-national/ Hospitality sector in the Emirates expects near or full occupancy during the mega sporting event in November The Jumeirah Beach Residence area in Dubai. The Qatar World Cup is set to drive a massive influx of visitors into neighbouring transit hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, boosting demand for air travel and accommodation. AFP Beta V.1.0 – Powered by automated translation The first Fifa World Cup to be held in the Middle East promises booming business for UAE hotels in the last quarter of 2022 as thousands of fans flock to the Gulf country due to limited accommodation in neighbouring host country Qatar. The UAE’s major local and international hotel chains expect to be at or near full capacity during the four-week football tournament, amid strong forward bookings for November and December, top hospitality executives said. Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi expect occupancy levels ranging between 80 per cent to 100 per cent, with strong demand trends similar to those recorded during the peak period of Expo 2020 Dubai, they said. “We are expecting our occupancy in the mid to high 90s across Dubai and we are expecting performance in Dubai in the fourth quarter to be the same as the performance [in the] fourth quarter in 2021 when we had the Expo,” said Guy Hutchinson, president and chief executive of UAE-based hotel operator Rotana. The UAE, the Gulf region’s popular travel and tourism centre, is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the mega sporting event, which begins on November 20, according to hospitality industry reports. ____________ Watch: How people attending Qatar World Cup can apply for UAE’s multiple-entry tourist visa The World Cup is set to drive a massive influx of visitors into neighbouring transit hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, boosting demand for international air travel and accommodation. It is expected to draw 1.2 million tourists to Qatar, pushing the country’s hotel supply pipeline for 2022 alone to about 13,300 rooms, with 80 per cent of these falling under the four or five-star hotel category, according to a report by Alpen Capital. With hotels in Qatar fully booked in the run-up to the game, hotels in the UAE are expected to record a rise in demand for accommodation of up to 40 per cent, according to a report by online travel agency Musafir.com. Shuttle flights operated by regional airlines from Gulf cities on match days and multiple-entry tourist visas for fans attending the matches will support the movement of visitors. Jan Hanak, the Radisson Hotel Group’s managing director for UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, said the region was “buzzing” with travellers coming from Europe and the Middle East to watch the event. “We have already started seeing incredibly positive performance across our hotels and we are certain there will be a multi-destination travel trend that will be seen across the region this winter,” he said. Radisson expects occupancy rates to exceed 80 per cent across its hotels in the fourth quarter of 2022. “We expect Q4 [the fourth quarter] to be extremely busy in the UAE and the region. As we welcome the cooler winter months, we envision high occupancy rates across rooms and F&B [food and beverage] outlets,” Mr Hanak said. Co-operation between government entities and private operators on logistics — ranging from shuttle flights to visas for fans — is expected to deliver a “seamless” travel experience for visitors across the Gulf, he said. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, which recently opened the Wyndham Grand Doha West Bay Beach, is also scheduled to open the Ramada by Wyndham Doha Old Town before the World Cup starts. 11 new hotels opening in Qatar — in pictures The St Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar. Photo: St Regis “We are expecting all our properties in Qatar and the neighbouring countries to be operating at nearly full occupancy in the lead up, during and after the World Cup,” said Michel Augier, regional director for Middle East and Africa at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. “The upcoming World Cup will have a positive ripple effect on the hospitality industry across the region as football fans are expected to use neighbouring countries as a base for the event, especially the UAE as the flight time is just one hour.” Currently, the group’s hotels and resorts in the region have reported a “significant increase” in revenue, with Dubai properties up 30 per cent this year from 2021 and Abu Dhabi properties up 13.9 per cent annually, indicating a “healthy position” for forward bookings, he said. The World Cup will also coincide with the traditionally busy winter season in the UAE, year-end holidays and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, further boosting business for UAE hotels. “We are expecting our properties to be very busy as November and December is the start of the peak season in the region,” Mr Augier said. ____________ Watch: Inside the stadium that will host the Fifa World cup final in Qatar World Cup ticket holders will be staying in surrounding countries for the tournament and flying in and out of Qatar for matches, especially during the group stages, an arrangement that will simultaneously benefit the regional hospitality industry and help to alleviate accommodation pressure in Doha, he said. “A particular group of tourists who will benefit from regular flights and easy visa access are tourist families, who are already interested in exploring the UAE and also have members who are football fans,” Mr Augier said. “So, we can expect the fans to fly to Qatar to watch the matches while their family members stay and vacation in the UAE. At the end of the tournament, they might even extend their stay to enjoy their holiday in the country.” These logistical arrangements, along with cooler weather, are expected to drive an increase in hotel bookings of 15 per cent to 20 per cent in November and December, he said. Marriott International plans to nearly double its presence in Qatar, with 10 hotels planned over the next 15 months, six of which are scheduled to open before the World Cup. Quote We can expect the fans to fly to Qatar to watch the matches while their family members stay and vacation in the UAE Michel Augier, regional director for Middle East and Africa at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts “There is a huge growth story for us. It is kind of linked to the World Cup but we are looking at it long term,” said Sandeep Walia, chief operating officer of Marriott International in the Middle East. “The spillover will be good too,” he said, pointing to neighbouring Gulf cities such as Dubai. InterContinental Hotels Group, which operates the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands, expects average occupancy of 80 per cent in Doha and the UAE during the World Cup. Revenue per available room, an important performance metric for the hospitality industry, is expected to increase by 10 per cent to 15 per cent annually in November and December, said Haitham Mattar, managing director for India, Middle East and Africa at IHG Hotels and Resorts. Updated: October 14, 2022, 5:16 AM

PRESS DIGEST- New York Times Business News – Oct 14 – Yahoo Finance https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/press-digest-new-york-times-business-news-oct-14-yahoo-finance/ Oct 14 (Reuters) – The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. – U.S. grocery giants Albertsons Companies Inc and Kroger Co are in talks to combine in a deal that would be one of the industry’s largest in years, creating a colossal food retailer aimed at taking on Walmart Inc. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared a nationwide shortage of Adderall, a medication used to treat A.D.H.D. that has had surging demand in recent years. – The Federal Communications Commission is poised to block the sale of new telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp in the United States. – The shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp, the SPAC that seeks to merge with former President Donald J. Trump’s social media company, surged on Thursday after Google said it would allow Trump Media & Technology Group’s flagship product to appear in its app store. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

Local Briefs | News, Sports, Jobs – The Express – Lock Haven Express https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/local-briefs-news-sports-jobs-the-express-lock-haven-express/ CPI to hold an open house on Oct. 20 PLEASANT GAP — The Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI) is pleased to announce that it is hosting an Open House event to the public on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 4-7 p.m. Parents, business/industry, future students, and anyone interested in career and technical education are invited to attend. Light refreshments will be available through our Culinary Arts Program and guests can also participate in a chili cook-off. “It is great to open our doors to the public again so that people can see and experience the many exciting things going on at CPI” said Todd Taylor, Vice President of Post Secondary Education. “Our faculty and staff will have many demonstrations and activities going on to engage the community” said Taylor. Visitors will have the opportunity to see many of our secondary and adult education program areas, participate in hands-on demonstrations in the various program areas, meet our instructors, and speak with current CPI students about their experiences. Further, CPI’s heavy equipment and CDL simulators will be open and available for the public to try. Free financial aid information will be available from CPI’s in-house experts to help those thinking about grants and aid for college. CPI is located at 540 Harrison Road in Pleasant Gap. If you have questions, please call 814-359-2793 or visit cpi.edu. Penn State Extension offers four programs to help with Alzheimer’s and dementia LOGANTON — Individuals who are interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s and dementia are encouraged to participate in four workshops offered by Penn State Extension. These workshops include “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” “10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s,” “Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body” and “Dementia Conversations” Program dates: — Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Friday, Oct. 28, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. — 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s: Friday, Nov. 4, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. — Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body: Friday, Nov. 11, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. — Dementia Conversations: Friday, Dec. 2, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend these programs, which will be held at the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, 242 East Main St., Loganton. For more information or to register, email Dawn Jeffries at djeffries@svrcs.org or call 570-367-1351. If you need a special accommodation prior to attending any of the workshops, please contact Dawn. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox