commemorating merchANT navy DAY Australia's wartime history is filled with stories of ordinary Australians who served our nation in extraordinary ways. Today we reflect on the crucial role that Australian and Allied merchant mariners played in wartime, facing various dangers while carrying out their duties under the most trying of circumstances. While some merchant ships were equipped with limited defensive capabilities during the Second World War, most vessels remained unarmed, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from enemy surface ships, aircraft, submarines and mines.

https://www.miragenews.com/minister-keogh-commemorating-merchant-navy-day-1076810/

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MANILA, Philippines—La Salle parades a deeper bench when it tries to return the favor against defending champion National University in their UAAP Finals rematch beginning Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Malaluan, who got swept by the Bella Belen and the Lady Bulldogs in the championship series last year, believes the Lady Spikers flaunt more firepower this time around. 'Our bench is deep. Whoever you field in from the bench will contribute. Expect that from our team,' said Malaluan in Filipino.

https://sports.inquirer.net/508255/uaap-with-more-depth-la-salle-eyes-different-outcome-vs-nu-in-finals-rematch

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App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi allegedly shared screenshots of Instagram AI features under development. One of them will help users identify AI-generated content on the platform. Another will facilitate editing photos on the social media website. As a result, artificial intelligence may soon transform how everyone uses IG. We rely on social media daily, from chatting with friends to promoting businesses. Each change to these platforms will transform how we communicate with others. For example, X (formerly Twitter) made sharing short messages publicly common practice for everyone.

https://technology.inquirer.net/126540/upcoming-instagram-ai-upgrades

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Flies are persistent pests but could become our way to a sustainable future. Scientists discovered they can turn dead flies into biodegradable plastics. Don't worry because the researchers use waste material from these insect's reproductive processes. Soon, it could help us replace plastics with a more eco-friendly alternative. We must ensure our world remains habitable for future generations by using renewable energy and sustainable materials. That is why we must explore every viable option, even out-of-this-world ideas like turning flies into biodegradable plastics.

https://technology.inquirer.net/127470/scientists-turn-flies-into-biodegradable-plastic

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the press briefing in Hanoi on April 15. (Photo: VNA) Talking to the press on April 15, Blinken, who has been on an official visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 16, said that he was in Vietnam at the behest of President Joe Biden to further broaden and deepen that partnership following the President's phone talks with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong last month and building on earlier high-level visits, including from Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, and recently members of the Congress.

https://baolongan.vn/vietnam-us-develop-dynamic-effective-ties-us-secretary-of-state-a153465.html

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MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Tourism (DOT) to assess non-operating tourism zones under the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to boost the Philippine tourism industry. According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Marcos issued the directive during a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector Group on Thursday in Malacañang. The PCO said the PSAC presented updates on previous recommendations and new proposals to further improve the country's tourism sector during the meeting.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1762105/bongbong-marcos-tells-dot-to-review-non-operating-tourism-zones

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BitCash ( BITC ) traded down 6.6% against the U.S. dollar during the one day period ending at 16:00 PM ET on April 22nd. One BitCash coin can now be purchased for approximately $0.0010 or 0.00000004 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges. BitCash has a market capitalization of $22,116.81 and approximately $0.23 worth of BitCash was traded on exchanges in the last day. Over the last seven days, BitCash has traded down 17.9% against the U.S. dollar. Here's how related cryptocurrencies have performed over the last day: KILT Protocol (KILT) traded down 1.

https://www.dailypolitical.com/2023/04/22/bitcash-bitc-price-tops-0-0010-on-exchanges.html

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Pastor blesses Zurich from church tower during Holy WeekPastor Christoph Sigrist calls the city blessing from one of the two towers of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Grossmuenster to the residents of Zurich, Switzerland, 03 April 2023. The urban prayer call sounds out from the Grossmuenster tower over the Old Town and the city of Zurich during the Holy Week and Easter. EPA/MICHAEL BUHOLZER

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/091/0009426069?sid=104

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Ahead of the first cruise ship of the 2023-24 season arriving in South Australia next month, the nation's peak cruise industry body has confirmed Adelaide will host its 2024 annual conference. The vote of confidence in the state's cruise sector by the Australian Cruise Association (ACA) comes as South Australia gets set for a record-breaking number of ship visits from October. With 124 scheduled cruise and expedition ship visits, it is a new all-time high well surpassing last season's 103 visits which brought more than 227,900 passengers and crew to the state.

https://www.miragenews.com/adelaide-prepares-for-record-season-hosts-major-1076976/

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Private Trust Co. NA decreased its stake in Amgen Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMGN – Get Rating ) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 7,107 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 169 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA's holdings in Amgen were worth $1,866,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AMGN. Cooper Financial Group boosted its holdings in shares of Amgen by 0.

https://www.dailypolitical.com/2023/03/24/amgen-inc-nasdaqamgn-position-lessened-by-private-trust-co-na.html

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In the animal world, you don't need to learn a numeral system – such as the ten-digit Indo-Arabic system we commonly use – to be able to count. Animals constantly use numerical information from their environment to make decisions. Estimating the number of conspecifics in a competing group before engaging in conflict, the amount of food available in a difficult-to-reach location, or the number of potential sexual partners in a new territory is essential for survival and reproduction. This skill can reach an astonishing level of refinement; for example, certain species of ants orient themselves in the desert by estimating the number of steps required to reach a target.

https://www.miragenews.com/fruit-flies-can-differentiate-between-numerical-1047339/

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Vipshop ( NYSE:VIPS – Get Rating ) had its target price lifted by UBS Group from $18.00 to $18.50 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Benchmark raised Vipshop from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $15.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Nomura Instinet raised shares of Vipshop from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $10.

https://www.dailypolitical.com/2023/05/28/ubs-group-boosts-vipshop-nysevips-price-target-to-18-50.html

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Russia on Friday claimed to have improved its fighting positions around the northeast Ukraine town of Kupiansk, as Kyiv's troops struggle ahead with their counteroffensive in other areas. Moscow also launched a volley of hypersonic missiles at western Ukraine in an attack that killed an eight-year-old boy in a part of the country that has largely been spared from attacks.  Kyiv said the strikes hit a house where a family with three children lived near the western town of Kolomiya. Kupiansk and the surrounding areas of the northeast Kharkiv region were recaptured by Kyiv's forces in September, but Moscow has since pushed back into the region, forcing Ukraine to order civilian evacuations.

https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/russia-ups-pressure-on-northeast-ukraine/news-story/df2d5a7901c3d1b1e4c289b21d114194

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Egypt demolishes ancient cemeteries to make space for new highwayPeople walk over demolished cemeteries in AlSayeda Aisha district in Cairo, Egypt, 27 August 2023. Authorities began demolishing parts of cemeteries located in historic Cairo, an area included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, to make space for a new highway. EPA/KHALED ELFIQI

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/091/0009497653?sid=104

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imported cars-Aug sales Imported car sales fall 2.1 pct in August amid lack of supply SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- Imported vehicle sales in South Korea fell 2.1 percent last month from a year earlier amid a lack of supplies in some brands, an industry association said Tuesday. The number of newly registered imported cars came to 23,350 units in August, down from 23,850 units a year ago, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) said in a statement. The three bestselling models last month were BMW's 520 sedan, Mercedes-Benz's E 250 sedan and Mercedes-Benz's GLC 300 4MATIC SUV, the statement said.

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0014173111?sid=104

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Posted Today, 06:56 PM how strong is the glue he is using? good in the long term?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxxw0mC60A4

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/783293/how-i-built-this-log-cabin-alone-using-2x8-lumber-and-how-much-it-cost/

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LOS ANGELES: Hollywood's pink wave has yet to crest as Warner Bros' Barbie dominated for a third straight weekend in North American theaters, pushing the film's global haul past US$1 billion in a first for a solo woman director, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. The Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster has tapped into a cultural zeitgeist: not only did it make history by hitting the billion-dollar box office milestone, it also did so faster than any film - including those directed by men - in Warner Bros' 100-year history, executives there said.

http://klse.i3investor.com/web/blog/detail/kianweiaritcles/2023-08-07-story-h-243658136-Sublime_Barbie_tops_US_1_billion_globally_in_first_for_solo_woman_direc

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CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Dimensional U.S. Targeted Value ETF ( NYSEARCA:DFAT – Free Report ) by 30.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 63,379 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 14,914 shares during the period. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Dimensional U.S. Targeted Value ETF were worth $2,820,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business.

https://www.dailypolitical.com/2023/08/03/dimensional-u-s-targeted-value-etf-nysearcadfat-shares-acquired-by-cfs-investment-advisory-services-llc.html

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Palestine International Book Fair in RamallahA person attends the 13th edition of Palestine International Book Fair, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 08 September 2023. The Palestine International Book Fair runs from 07 to 17 September, with 390 publishers and 180 authors taking part. The book fair is held under the slogan 'From the Nakba to the State.' EPA/ALAA BADARNEH

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/091/0009505032?sid=104

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BEIJING, April 23 : Global oil traders are fixated on the next milestone in China's economic recovery, when travelers pack their bags and head to the airport for the Golden Week holiday in early May. Some 170 million Chinese holidayed abroad in 2019, before the pandemic struck. That figure sank to less than 9 million last year at the height of China's lockdowns. The likelihood of dramatically more air travel explains why jet fuel consumption in China is widely seen as the single biggest driver of world oil demand growth this year, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

http://klse.i3investor.com/web/blog/detail/kianweiaritcles/2023-04-23-story-h-272490060-A_golden_week_for_China_air_travel_may_stem_drop_in_oil_prices

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