Cebu City, Philippines – Gothong Southern , a trusted leader in transport and E2E supply chain solutions, is proud to announce the launch of GS Business Solutions , a new product offer that marks a significant step in the company’s strategic expansion into the technology sector. This new product underscores Gothong Southern’s commitment to relentless innovation, guided by a clear strategic vision, strong leadership, and commercial and technical expertise. This new initiative expands Gothong Southern’s expertise in supply chain and transport through tech-driven solutions that address the evolving demands of businesses. With GS Business Solutions, the company positions itself as its clients’ partner for growth, equipping them with solutions designed to optimize operations and drive sustainable success across diverse industries. “By providing our partners with business solutions to automate and streamline their processes, we empower them to grow their businesses, and as they grow, we grow with them,” said Ramon A. Angeles III, Chief Technology Officer of Gothong Southern. “It is our CEO Roberto D. Gothong’s vision that the Gothong Southern brand endures for over a century, and we believe this growth will come not through expanding brick-and-mortar, but through technology,” he added. Through GS Business Solutions, the company empowers clients to achieve their goals, thrive in a fast-paced technological landscape, and drive long-term growth and efficiency. Gothong Southern Business Solutions provides a comprehensive range of services designed to optimize every aspect of your business. These systems are made to meet unique client needs in the following areas: These services leverage transformative, emerging technologies to enhance efficiency, security, and scalability—all while ensuring sustainability and cost-effectiveness. “Our commitment is not just to meet the technological needs of today, but to prepare our clients for tomorrow’s challenges,” he added. “By continuously identifying and implementing emerging technologies, we aim to deliver seamless, simple, and fast solutions—transforming the way businesses operate, with sustainability and efficiency at the core of everything we do.” As Gothong Southern ventures further into the technology sector, it reaffirms its dedication to providing innovative solutions and shaping the future of technology-driven business operations. Gothong Southern is a leader in transport and E2E supply chain solutions in the Philippines, now venturing into technology-driven business solutions. Guided by its core values of innovation and reliability, the company strives to deliver excellence to its clients across diverse industries. Visit www.gothong.com to know more about its integrated products in transport, E2E supply chain, and business solutions.
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( MENAFN - Jordan Times) After finishing Malcolm Gladwell's“Outliers” for the second time, one question lingered in my mind: Why do some individuals succeed while others remain on the margins of achievement? This is the central question Gladwell explores in his renowned book. He argues that success is not merely a product of hard work and personal intelligence but a result of a blend of external environments and internal circumstances shaping one's life. Gladwell highlights the pivotal role of surrounding conditions in shaping the opportunities available to individuals, asserting that success often stems from factors beyond personal willpower. Success depends not only on individual capabilities but also significantly on the conditions and environment surrounding a person. This invites us to ask: How can this idea be applied to Jordan? And how does the volatile regional environment impact the country's development trajectory? Gladwell notes that success often correlates with being in the right place at the right time. For example, individuals born during periods of economic transformation or technological revolutionsand born to a well have family supporting his journey, have greater opportunities for success. He cites examples of successful figures in the technology sector, like Bill Gates, who benefitted from being born to a rich parent during the personal computer boom. He also emphasises the influence of family and societal culture in shaping the values and skills that help individuals succeed. For instance, he highlights the role of a strong work ethic and perseverance passed down through generations in Asian communities. Singapore is often presented as a model of growth and prosperity, drawing comparisons to Jordan. However, Singapore's surrounding environment lacked the geopolitical constraints Jordan faces, such as closed borders due to regional conflicts or hosting millions of refugees, which strain its healthcare, education systems, and scarce resources like water. Surrounding environment has a considerable impact that provides or restricts opportunities for growth, focus, and development. In regards of Geographical Advantage and Challenge, Jordan's geographical location is both a strategic advantage and a significant challenge. On one hand, Jordan serves as a gateway connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, offering the potential to become an economic and trade hub. On the other hand, its location in a conflict-prone region - marked by crises such as the Syrian war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and ongoing instability in Iraq undermines its ability to achieve long-term economic stability. Moving to Human Capital and Societal Culture Jordan boasts a young and educated population, with education being a national priority. Yet, the challenge lies in converting this education into practical skills that translate into economic productivity. Regional Environment and Its Pressures is another factor to look at, the tumultuous regional environment directly pressures Jordan's economy, from refugee influxes to reliance on external aid. This complex reality leaves Jordan facing a delicate equation: How to maintain internal stability amid persistent challenges. Hence, as Gladwell illustrates how the timing of birth impacts individual success, the timing of regional transformations plays a pivotal role in Jordan's development. Since its inception, Jordan has dealt with regional crises, from the Israeli occupation of Palestine and its enduring consequences to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the US invasion of Iraq, and the protracted Syrian war. While these crises have imposed significant burdens, they have also benefited Jordan economy in some ways and to develop sectors like logistics and education. And in review of Educational and Cultural Foundations, Thanks to Jordan's longstanding investment in education, the country has a strong human capital base. However, the issue lies in prioritising“education for certificates” over“education for skills”. According to Gladwell, education systems should focus on fostering practical skills that enable individuals to invest their training hours effectively. The Role of Community and Family have valuable effect, as Gladwell emphasises the role of family and community, Jordan must enhance collaboration between the public and private sectors to stimulate innovation and support youth. Emerging entrepreneurial projects in Jordan demonstrate how local talent can be harnessed to create new opportunities. Jordan must focus on enhancing vocational, industrial and technological training programmes aligned with labour market needs. Too, streamlining legal frameworks and easing investment procedures are critical to encouraging local and foreign investors to channel funds into productive sectors Moreover, efficiently harnessing natural resources, such as solar energy, can reduce dependency on external aid and achieve economic self-reliance. Further, cultural and educational initiatives should foster a shared national identity that inspires youth and embeds values of teamwork and innovation. As“Outliers” demonstrates, success is the result of multiple interconnected factors. Jordan has all the elements needed to achieve excellence, but it requires a clear strategic vision and intelligent investment in its human and natural resources. Amid accelerating regional and global challenges, Jordan's opportunity remains to become a model of a small nation with a profound impact - provided it invests wisely in its internal environment, regardless of the difficulties posed by its surrounding conditions. MENAFN19122024000028011005ID1109014836 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Noticing more ads every election? Blame a legal loophole Wisconsin politicians could closeTrump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staff
Scientists have raised concerns about hospitality staff coming into contact with second-hand smoke at work after the Government rowed back on plans to make it illegal to smoke in pub beer gardens. Concerns have also been raised about the “renormalisation” of smoking. Dr Rachel O’Donnell, senior research fellow at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said restrictions on smoking in outdoor places can “reinforce” a message that smoking “isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do” and could also help smokers to kick the habit. In November, it emerged that the UK Government is to scrap plans to ban smoking in the gardens of pubs and restaurants in England. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the hospitality industry has “taken a real battering in recent years” and it is not “the right time” to ban smoking outside pubs. But smoking and vaping could be banned in other public places in England – such as in playgrounds or outside of schools – under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. According to the World Health Organisation, there is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure. In a briefing for journalists, Dr O’Donnell said decision-making “should be on the basis of all the evidence that’s available”. She added: “Any debate about legislation on smoking in outdoor settings shouldn’t only focus on air quality and second-hand smoke exposure levels, because the impacts of restrictions in outdoor settings are also evident on our social norms.” Smoke-free outdoor environments “reinforce smoke-free as the acceptable norm”, she said. “This, I think, is a critically important point at a time where in the media, over the last year, we’ve seen various reports and questions as to whether we might be on the cusp of renormalisation of smoking for various reasons, and so smoke-free public environments still have a critically important role to play. “If you reduce opportunities to smoke, it can also help individuals who smoke themselves to reduce the amount they smoke or to make a quit attempt.” Dr O’Donnell said visibility of tobacco products and smoking is a “form of marketing for tobacco companies” as she pointed to studies highlighting the increasing number of tobacco depictions on screen. She went on: “The more often young adults observe smoking around them, the more likely they are to believe that smoking is socially acceptable, which feeds back into this idea of renormalisation of smoking. “So, restrictions on smoking in outdoor public places have other positive knock-on effects, potentially for young people as well, just sending out that clear message that this isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do and see, and this could help to discourage smoking initiation among young people at quite a critical time.” On being exposed to second-hand smoke at work, she added: “I think sometimes when we think about exposure to second-hand smoke in outdoor settings, in pubs, in restaurants, we think about that sort of occasional customer exposure, the nuisance element of it when people are out enjoying a meal with friends, but we also need to be reminded that this is a repeated occupational exposure for those who are working in hospitality and serving drinks and food. “Now, as we’ve already seen, concentrations of second-hand smoke in these settings are generally low, and they’re likely to present a low risk to health for most healthy people. “But ... there’s no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and so any individual with pre-existing heart, lung or respiratory conditions may be particularly vulnerable even to low levels of exposure. “We know that second-hand smoke is its known carcinogen, and on that basis those exposed in the hospitality sector have a right to be protected. “On that basis, there’s a need to protect them, as there is anybody in any workplace setting from second-hand smoke exposure in all areas of workplaces and spaces.” Sean Semple, professor of exposure science at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said: “I think that if I were a policy-maker, which I am not, then I would be looking at those occupational exposures as well. “I have asthma, if I was being occupationally exposed to SHS (second-hand smoke), and knowing that I was one of a very small number of workers now being legally exposed to SHS in the workplace, then I might not be very happy about that.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As part of our 10 Year Health Plan we are shifting focus from sickness to prevention, including tackling the harms of smoking and passive smoking. “The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK.”Trump tells U.S. Senate Republicans they ‘must kill’ journalism shield law
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Luke Kromenhoek threw for 209 yards and tossed three touchdown passes as Florida State halted a six-game losing streak and routed Charleston Southern 41-7 on Saturday. Kromenhoek completed 13 of 20 passes in his first college start, including a 71-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas, as the Seminoles (2-9) won for the first time since Sept. 21. The true freshman also connected with Amaree Williams for a 4-yard TD and Hykeem Williams for a 10-yard TD. “It was unbelievable, it was a dream come true,” Kromenhoek said. “The more snaps I get, the more reps that I get, it slows down little by little. I just try to take advantage of every one that I get.” The Seminoles (2-9) have started three quarterbacks and nine offensive line combinations this fall, and they came into Saturday with the nation’s worst scoring offense (13.3 points). Florida State hadn’t scored more than 21 points or surpassed the 300-yard mark in 2024. But Florida State overwhelmed FCS Charleston Southern (1-11), accumulating 415 offensive yards. Coach Mike Norvell made major changes following a 52-3 loss at Notre Dame on Nov. 9. He fired offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans. On Saturday, Norvell again called plays (as he has done throughout his five years at Florida State). Randy Shannon, the linebackers coach, was elevated to interim defensive coordinator. “It’s been a tough last couple weeks, tough season in general,” Norvell said. “But I was really proud of them for how they approached this week and the work that they poured in. From senior to freshman, there was a lot of investment to go push to be better.” After a scoreless first quarter, Florida State poured it on — scoring on six straight drives. This is the first time the Seminoles have scored 10 or more points in a quarter, tallying 17 in the second and 14 in the third. Kaleb Jackson completed 22 of 32 passes for 218 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Landon Sauers, and an interception for the Buccaneers. Next up: Randy Shannon Shannon stepped in to coordinate, guiding a first- and second-team defense that didn’t allow a point. Florida State led 31-0 after three quarters, allowing Charleston Southern to pick up just 124 offensive yards and holding the Buccaneers to 23 rushing yards. Once Miami’s head coach, Shannon has now been a defensive coordinator at all four of the state’s Power 4 schools. Shannon was the defensive coordinator at Miami (2001-06), Florida (2017), UCF (2018-20) and will now also be Florida State's interim coordinator next week against Florida. The takeaway Charleston Southern: While the Buccaneers found some success through the air, they couldn’t sustain drives and managed just 57 rushing yards on 29 carries. Florida State: The Seminoles picked up a season-best 176 rushing yards, scoring 17 points in the second quarter and 14 points in the third quarter to take control. Up next Charleston Southern’s season is over. Florida State plays host to Florida on Nov. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate" granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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In a move poised to reshape the contours of the Bitcoin mining landscape, MARA Holdings Inc., a significant player in the cryptocurrency technology arena, has positioned itself to acquire a 114-megawatt wind farm located in the north Texas region. This particular farm, based in Hansford County, is expected to serve as the powerhouse for MARA's data center operations dedicated to Bitcoin mining, according to information revealed in an article by Chron yesterday. This acquisition, orchestrated by the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. headquartered company, is predicated on a definitive agreement, and though it requires regulatory nods, the transaction's closure is anticipated to occur in the first quarter of 2025. In a strategy that might appear counterintuitive, MARA plans to disconnect the wind farm from the existing energy grid, employing the renewable power output to energize its mining hardware, as per a report by Public Power . With energy usage being a critical and scrutinized facet of Bitcoin mining, this strategic purchase signals a substantial shift towards sustainability within the industry. To elaborate, MARA's Chairman and CEO, Fred Thiel, in a statement obtained by Bloomberg, expounded on the significance of this acquisition. "This acquisition serves as a blueprint for how the energy and data center sectors can collaborate to create long-term value while advancing sustainability initiatives," he explained. Thiel's vision encapsulates the utilization of "100% renewable, zero-marginal energy cost" resources to power a process traditionally criticized for its hefty energy footprint, as reported by Chron . Contrasting with the state's existing energy profile, the wind farms in question were not part of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, but were supervised by the Southwest Power Pool network which is responsible for the central U.S. energy market. Under MARA's management, the site will use last-generation ASIC mining hardware, which could have ended up discarded, hence amplifying the firm’s environmental commitment, the equipment, will be in use approximately "30% of the time," Thiel told Chron . Decisively, Texas continues to be a magnet for cryptocurrency enterprises, attributed to its deregulated power market, vast space, and business-friendly ethos, the Public Utility Commission of Texas even mandated registration for crypto miners within the ERCOT grid in a recent regulation to better gauge the emerging energy demands of this sector. MARA's significant purchase appears to align with the state's broader economic narratives while promising to alleviate grid congestion and foster renewable energy prospects.Webinar on ‘Roshan Digital Account’ for Pakistani diaspora in Canada
