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99abd38f8a9328efb96302fa4a14cdaf	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fireye-m-a-symantec-idUKKBN16222L?edition-redirect=uk	Symantec sought to buy FireEye, talks end with no deal: sources	Symantec sought to buy FireEye, talks end with no deal: sources By Reuters Staff1 Min Read FILE PHOTO - The Symantec logo is pictured on a screen June 13, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas White/File Photo (Reuters) - Security software provider Symantec Corp held talks to acquire FireEye Inc about six months ago, but is not currently pursuing a deal with the cyber security company, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The two companies could not reach a deal because of disagreements over price, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the negotiations were confidential. Symantec and FireEye declined to comment. Shares of FireEye had jumped earlier on Thursday after financial blog Zero Hedge published an article based on anonymous sources stating that Symantec’s LifeLock unit was willing to offer $16 per share for FireEye. FireEye shares were up 2 percent in late morning trading in New York on Thursday, giving the company a market capitalization of close to $2 billion. Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
52ffda6a2b2872ac7161096ccba7ad3e	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-first-baby-over-age-45-expect-complic-idUSTRE73D6JT20110414	First baby over age 45? Expect complications: study	First baby over age 45? Expect complications: study By Kerry Grens, Reuters Health4 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study of older new mothers in Israel finds that 8 in 10 experienced health problems during their pregnancies, and nearly half of their babies were smaller than average. A woman holds her stomach at the last stages of her pregnancy in Bordeaux April 28, 2010. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau First-time births over age 45 have more than tripled over the last decade in Israel. Though they still represent a small fraction of all births, the researchers note that the study highlights a downside to using assisted reproduction technologies to make first-time motherhood possible later and later in life. The researchers gathered data on 131 mothers ranging in age from 45 to 65, who gave birth at the same hospital in Israel between 2004 and 2008. Four of every 10 women developed pregnancy-related diabetes, and two of 10 had preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition that includes high blood pressure and protein in the mother’s urine. One third of the babies were born prematurely, and nearly all were delivered by a cesarean section. “This study shows that pregnancy after the age of 45 is in fact a risky proposition, and this provides a basis upon which women of this age group can be counseled” about those risks, said Dr. Richard Paulson, director of the in vitro fertilization program at the University of Southern California, who was not involved in the study. In the U.S., first-time births to mothers over 45 still make up a very small percentage of all deliveries. In 2010, they totaled 2,028, with just 165 of those babies born to new mothers aged 50 and up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the Israeli study, the risk of having a baby born early or underweight was higher for women over age 50, than for women in their late 40s. Two out of every three babies born to the mothers aged 50 to 65 weighed less than 2,500 grams (about 5 and a half pounds), and half were born prematurely. That compared to one out of three babies born either underweight, or prematurely, or both to mothers 45 to 49. The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, did not compare the women to mothers less than 45 years old, but the authors write that other studies have found much lower rates of pregnancy-related health problems and premature births in younger mothers. All of the women in this study had experienced fertility problems and more than half had been pregnant before. All but five of the 131 women underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which a fertilized egg is implanted into the mother’s uterus. Nearly a third of the women had a chronic disease like high blood pressure or diabetes before they got pregnant. Paulson told Reuters Health that there is no policy dictating how old a mother can be to undergo IVF, although his clinic’s policy is that women over age 50 who already have health problems are not candidates for the procedure. Interestingly, the mothers over age 50 were more likely to have a boy than the mothers in their late 40s. “There’s no reason for that,” Paulson said. “It just shows you that statistically significant results can sometimes happen by chance.” The health risks for older mothers are well established, however. Paulson said that the way to mitigate those risks is to consider alternative procedures. Women might consider “gestational surrogacy,” in which another woman carries the child, but the father’s sperm and sometimes the mother’s egg are used to create the embryo. Paulson also said that starting motherhood at an advanced age may carry risks, “but they’re not prohibitive risks. People of all ages are interested in having a child and completing their families.” The study did not look at the excess cost of having a baby at an advanced age. SOURCE: bit.ly/iezuHc Fertility and Sterility, online March 31, 2011. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
1392e71cc99fd1b9286c33253bec7213	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-first-cap-secs-jpmorgan-idUSKCN12K09Q	JPMorgan in talks to sell out of Chinese securities JV	JPMorgan in talks to sell out of Chinese securities JV By Sumeet Chatterjee, Julie Zhu4 Min Read HONG KONG (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co is in talks to sell out of a Chinese securities joint venture with First Capital Securities Co Ltd in what would be the first departure by a top-tier global investment bank from China’s securities segment. A view of the exterior of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. corporate headquarters in New York City May 20, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/Files Wall Street banks like JPMorgan hold only minority stakes in such ventures. The resulting lack of control and limited contribution to total revenue have brought banks frustration at a time when domestic competition has become acute. Almost all leading investment banks, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc, UBS Group AG, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Suisse Group AG have securities ventures with local firms. Shenzhen-listed broker First Capital, in an exchange filing on Thursday, said it is in talks to buy JPMorgan’s 33 percent of JP Morgan First Capital Securities Co. It said no transaction has been finalised and that any purchase remains uncertain. JPMorgan confirmed the content of the filing. “China is a key market for the firm globally and for many of our clients outside China. J.P. Morgan believes in the long term prospects of China and remains fully committed to our China franchise,” the U.S. bank said in an emailed statement. Neither JPMorgan nor First Capital gave reasons for the move. Some analysts said the U.S. bank could return to China’s securities market with a new partner as the outlook for onshore deals remains attractive. Rival Morgan Stanley launched a securities joint venture with Huaxin Securities in 2011, a year after it sold its 34.3 percent of China International Capital Corp Ltd (CICC), the country’s top investment bank at the time. “It has been a difficult ride (for foreign banks), but we really feel that it’s at tipping point in terms of opportunities and the banks have just a lot left on the table,” said Benjamin Quinlan, CEO of financial services consultancy Quinlan & Associates. “There is no alternative avenue for foreign players to go in and China is sending a clear signal that it is liberalizing and I do think they (foreign banks) will be able to get to a stage where they have effective management control of the entity.” China’s securities regulator approved the establishment of JPMorgan First Capital Securities Co at the end of 2010. The venture, headquartered in Beijing, offers services such as stock and bond underwriting and merger advisory. It posted net profit of 52 million yuan ($7.72 million) for January-June, versus a loss of 23 million yuan in the same period a year earlier, showed information First Capital filed at the exchange. A stake sale would come as rival HSBC Holdings PLC awaits regulatory approval to launch a majority-owned joint venture, taking advantage of rules favoring Hong Kong-established banks. HSBC would own up to 51 percent of the venture, while the cap for other foreign banks in such ventures is 49 percent. China has been gradually opening up its financial sector, though some foreign banks have called for the pace to increase. Despite the challenges, no other top-tier foreign bank has exited securities joint ventures in China, betting on long-term opportunities in the world’s second-largest economy. Foreign banks that have exited since 2007 include BNP Paribas SA, CLSA, Daiwa Securities Group Inc and Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, showed a Quinlan & Associates report. Reporting by Julie Zhu and Sumeet Chatterjee; Editing by Lisa Jucca and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
c11e50669b6e114b2d5b297add076a2b	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fish-humanface-idUKKCN1001E4?edition-redirect=uk	Fish can recognise human faces, study finds	Fish can recognise human faces, study finds By Matthew Stock5 Min Read Scientists have shown for the first time how a species of tropical fish can distinguish between human faces. The archerfish used in experiments could demonstrate the ability to a high degree of accuracy; despite lacking the crucial neocortex part of the brain which other animals use for sophisticated visual recognition. The research, conducted by scientists from the University of Oxford and Australia’s University of Queensland, wanted to test the long-held belief that differentiating between human faces could only be accomplished by more sophisticated animals, such as primates. The archerfish, found largely in Australia and southeast Asia, was chosen for its ability to spit a jet of water; a technique it uses to shoot down insect prey even above the water level. In laboratory-based tests, an archerfish was presented with two different images of human faces and trained to ‘choose’ one of them by shooting a jet of water at it. “We present them with different stimuli, and it can be a whole range of different things. But what we do is we give them different options and then we train them by giving them a food reward to select a particular one. So this can give us a huge amount of information about what the fish is able to see and how they do it,” explained lead author Dr. Cait Newport from the University of Oxford. In subsequent tests, the archerfish were presented with the learned face and a series of new faces. Researchers found that the fish could discriminate one face from up to 44 new faces with up to an 81 percent success rate. They were able to do this even when features such as head shape and colour were removed from the images. In her lab at the Department of Zoology, Newport demonstrated a similar level of visual perception in her Picasso triggerfish. The brightly coloured tropical fish were able to successfully pick out a black coloured disc mounted on a board surrounded by white discs. Newport said the lack of a neocortex in fish and the fact they have no evolutionary need to recognise human faces makes the results of their research all the more surprising. “It [the brain] is very large in primates, and it’s highly folded, so there is a lot of different connections within the neurons happening in the brain; fish entirely lack that. When you look at a picture of a fish’s brain it’s only got what we consider the primitive sections of the human brain which are underneath that highly folded neocortex. And yet fish are still able to perform really complex behaviours; they can do facial recognition as we showed, they also build social systems, and there’s some evidence of potential tool use,” Newport told Reuters, adding that the fish could be applying their pattern recognition ability that evolved to detect aerial prey to the task of discriminating human faces. The cognition demonstrated by fish sheds some light on their ability to recognise and return to the same territory year after year for breeding. This is something that could be under threat in the Great Barrier Reef due to the current mass bleaching of coral reefs. Bleaching occurs when the water is too warm, forcing coral to expel living algae and causing it to calcify and turn white. Mildly bleached coral can recover if the temperature drops, otherwise it may die. Australian scientists have said mass bleaching is likely to destroy half of the northern coral. This could prove devastating for the marine life there. “These guys [the fish] are looking at colours and patterns and textures. And if all of that is bleached… we don’t know if they’re still going to be able to find their territories, their homes; we don’t know how that will affect how they detect predators or potential prey,” said Newport. The study, published recently in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests that complicated brains are not necessarily needed to recognise human faces, even though subtle features need to be identified in order to differentiate. Newport added that the research provides evidence that fish have much more impressive visual discrimination abilities than previously believed. “It is amazing what they can do with a really simple brain, as humans like to call it. Although it seems a bit unfair to call it simple - I think their brains are perfectly adapted to what they do and that’s what’s important to remember about all this - brains can look different, but they’ve evolved for different tasks,” she said.
d56521ec741b424024b6c74e964fc346	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fitbit-m-a-alphabet-eu-idUSKBN1XH25S	After Google's Fitbit deal, EU says worrying when firms targeted for their data	After Google's Fitbit deal, EU says worrying when firms targeted for their data By Foo Yun Chee, Victoria Waldersee2 Min Read FILE PHOTO: A sign is pictured outs a Google office near the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Dave Paresh/File Photo/File Photo LISBON (Reuters) - The acquisition of companies for their data is concerning in general for regulators, Europe’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday, a week after Google bought fitness trackers company Fitbit. Alphabet Inc-owned Google paid $2.1 billion for Fitbit to help it take on Apple and Samsung Electronics in the crowded market for fitness trackers and smart watches. Vestager declined to comment on the deal specifically but said there was general unease among regulators when data-heavy companies are the targets of bids. Google’s deal has triggered calls from competitors to competition enforcers to take a tough line. Fitbit, which helped pioneer the wearable devices craze, has an invaluable trove of health data. “In general we have a concern if companies merge because of data,” Vestager told a news briefing at Web Summit. She added that regulators then considered the questions of, does this create a barrier to entry, will this make it more difficult to innovate and does a risk to privacy issues arise from that kind of data coming together. Google’s Fitbit deal requires EU regulatory approval. Vestager has in the last two years handed down more than 8 billion euros in fines to Google for stifling competitors in three separate cases involving its price comparison shopping product, its Android smartphone operating system and in search advertising brokering. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
707f9406fc4453343e49ed4ba5721564	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fitbit-m-a-alphabet-eu-idUSKBN26N32J	Headwinds for Google as rivals, customers criticise Fitbit concessions	Headwinds for Google as rivals, customers criticise Fitbit concessions By Foo Yun Chee2 Min Read FILE PHOTO: Fitbit devices are displayed in a store in New York City, U.S., November 4, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Google’s bid to win EU approval for its $2.1 billion purchase of Fitbit faces headwinds as rivals and customers argue concessions to EU antitrust regulators do not go far enough, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Alphabet’s Google last week offered to restrict the use of Fitbit data for Google ads and to monitor the process closely. It also offered to make it easier for rival makers of wearables to connect to the Android platform by offering them access to Android software (API), and said third parties would continue to have access to Fitbit users’ data with their consent. The European Commission is now seeking feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept the offer or demand more. Other sources have said the new concessions are likely to help Google secure EU clearance. Some rivals and customers, however, plan to tell the EU competition enforcer to ask for more, the people said. “The definition of wearable API is too narrow,” said one of the people, who said Google should broaden the scope to take into account new functionalities that come into the market in future. Google’s 10-year data pledge also drew fire from its critics in advertising. “Why would you limit the data separation remedy to 10 years? Bad idea. Google is making long bets. Ten years is tomorrow,” the second person said. Respondents have until next week to provide feedback. The Commission is scheduled to decide on the deal by Dec. 23, although a ruling could come earlier. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
5d0c7e2a2d9b715e259fa77cf4d7b2d2	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fitness-detoxification/can-exercise-detoxify-the-body-health-experts-are-skeptical-idUSBRE8BG0KQ20121217	Can exercise detoxify the body? Health experts are skeptical	Can exercise detoxify the body? Health experts are skeptical By Dorene Internicola4 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters) - The word “detoxification” is flung around the fitness community as frequently as kettlebells are swung. A woman practices yoga during a mass floating event in the Dead Sea September 14, 2012. REUTERS/Nir Elias Yoga teachers regularly speak of detoxifying twists, aerobics instructors of detoxifying sweat, dieters of detoxifying fasts. But health professionals are skeptical. “If you start talking about exercising to detoxify, there’s no scientific data,” said Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, chief of women’s sports medicine at Harvard Medical School. “The human body is designed to get rid of what we don’t need.” The same applies to fasting. “No good scientific data supports any of those cleanses, where you drink juice, or (only) water for a week,” she said. Exercise is important, Matzkin added, because it enables our body to do what it is made to do, but the kidneys and colon get rid of waste. The role of exercise in that process is unclear. “In general exercise helps our lungs; kidneys get rid of things that can cause us onset of disease,” she said. A healthy lifestyle - eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and exercising - is important to detoxifying because it enables our body to do what is intended to do. “As for specific yoga moves, I’m not so sure,” she said. Yoga instructor and fitness expert Shirley Archer, an author and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) said the theory behind the effectiveness of detoxifying twists in yoga is that they squeeze the organs, which push the blood out so fresh blood can rush in. “Better circulation equals better health,” said Archer, who is based in Florida. “If detox means to eliminate from the body what it no longer needs, then certain yogic practices can help.” She said yogic deep breathing with strong exhalations can empty the lungs of unneeded carbon dioxide and allow for a fresh breath of more oxygenated air. “This nourishes all of our cells,” she said. “It is also a method of cleansing because better circulation equals better health.” Meditative movement practices, such as yoga and tai chi, she added, can detox your attitude because they require staying in the present moment and discourage dwelling on the past. Last summer, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson began taking groups of 40-odd women on what she calls Detox Weeks, which involve at least three hours of workouts each day, as well as lectures on fitness and nutrition aimed mainly at encouraging lifestyle changes. Similar weeks in other cities are planned for 2013. “Women work out and think ‘Why can’t my love handles, muffin tops go away’?” said Anderson, creator of the Tracy Anderson Method and a co-owner, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, of fitness centers in Los Angeles and New York. “The most important thing is if you can become a consistent exerciser.” “A good workout is not five to 10 yoga poses,” she explained. “You have to learn to scale up your endurance. If you can only jump for five minutes straight, we’ll go to 10 minutes, then 20 minutes.” Anderson said she uses the term detoxification broadly to include everything from working up a good sweat to clearing the mind of destructive thoughts. “Detoxification is a big topic,” she said. Nancy Clark, a registered dietitian in Boston, Massachusetts and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, said the body generally does a fine job of detoxifying itself through the liver and kidneys. Sweating has nothing to do with it. “When you sweat you really don’t detoxify anything,” she explained. “If someone goes on a crash diet, then maybe toxins are released but then the body would take care of them. When you sweat you lose sodium.” Editing by Patricia Reaney and Todd EasthamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2a673cc0d7504eb517e4b883d17ea3a5	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fitness-taichi/tai-chi-getting-there-more-slowly-but-gracefully-and-intact-idUKBRE95G03E20130617?edition-redirect=uk	Tai chi: getting there more slowly, but gracefully and intact	Tai chi: getting there more slowly, but gracefully and intact By Dorene Internicola4 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters) - For modern, harried lifestyles focused on getting and spending, fitness experts say tai chi, the ancient Chinese slow-moving exercise, can be an ideal way for anyone to stay fit. Slideshow ( 2 images ) A staple in senior citizen centers and a common dawn sighting in public parks, the practice can offer long-term benefits for all age groups. “In this high-tech world that’s all about speed, greed and instant gratification, tai chi is the antidote to bring us back to balanced health,” according to Arthur Rosenfeld, a tai chi master and the author of a new book called “Tai Chi — The Perfect Exercise: Finding Health, Happiness, Balance, and Strength.” “It doesn’t mean you can win the marathon or clean and jerk 750 pounds or win a cycle sprint,” said the South Florida resident, 56. “It’s not about getting there sooner.” Tai chi is more about how the body works than how it looks, and is about aging gracefully and “with less drama.” “The last time I looked, there were some 500 studies about the various physical benefits of tai chi, from improving balance and attention span to boosting the immune system to beating back the symptoms of arthritis, asthma and insomnia,” said Rosenfeld. An estimated 2.3 million U.S. adults have done tai chi in the past 12 months, according to a 2007 National Health Interview Survey. The practice is not perfect. Tai chi “does not supply the cardiovascular component that we’d be looking for in a well-rounded routine,” said Jessica Matthews, a San Diego, California-based exercise physiologist. “The exertion level, while challenging, is not going to increase your heart rate.” ‘GRAND ULTIMATE MOTION’ T’ai chi ch’uan, as it is formally known, derives from a form of Chinese martial arts. Explaining the slow, circular movement of the practice, Rosenfeld said tai chi is a philosophical term that means the harmonious interplay of opposing forces. When nature encounters a strong force, the way it answers that force to maintain harmony in the world is with a spiral, he said. “Astronomers see galaxies moving in spirals, water goes down the drain in a spiral, tornados form as a spiral. We spiral in tai chi because the most effective way to move fluid through solid is a spiral.” Hawaii-based personal and group-fitness trainer Jordan Forth, who has studied tai chi since 2006, said one translation of tai chi is “grand ultimate motion.” “I recommend it to everybody,” said Forth. “It teaches people to move well in multiple planes of motion with a state of awareness not cultivated in everyday fitness. Most people check out on a treadmill or during high-intensity activity.” Forth said tai chi improves mobility, movement and flexibility and can be even more dynamic than yoga, which the 35-year-old has studied since he was a teenager. “With tai chi you’re grounded the entire time,” he said. “For me, (it) translates more into functional everyday movement.” Matthews, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, said because tai chi is slow motion and low impact, many assume it’s just for older people or not a viable means of exercise. Not so, she said: Research studies have found that the practice increased mineral bone density, boosted endurance, strengthened the lower body, and eased depression. Editing by Patricia Reaney and Eric WalshOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
c4ffd90afd5d725932cbc6e787eb5463	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flavonoid-diabetes-idUSBREA0S1JK20140129	Flavonoid-rich foods linked to lowered diabetes risk	Flavonoid-rich foods linked to lowered diabetes risk By Shereen Jegtvig, Reuters Health4 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with diets rich in foods like berries, chocolate, red wine and tea also have reduced inflammation and insulin resistance - a diabetes precursor, according to new UK research. Flavonoids are chemical compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and laboratory studies suggest they may offer a variety of health benefits. “The aim of this study was to add more weight to these findings by starting to unravel how they work in humans,” said Aedin Cassidy, a nutrition researcher at the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School, who led the study. “Our previous studies have shown that these powerful bioactive compounds called flavonoids, present in berries and other foods like chocolate and wine, can reduce your risk of having a heart attack and of developing type 2 diabetes,” Cassidy told Reuters Health by email. Cassidy and her colleagues wanted to see if a large group would show differences in diabetes risk, and other health markers, based on their flavonoid consumption. The study involved 1,997 healthy women from TwinsUK, a nationwide registry of adult twin volunteers. The women ranged in age from 18 to 76, and about half were post-menopausal. The women completed food questionnaires that were used to estimate their intake of six types of flavonoids. Cassidy and colleagues also calculated the womens’ total calorie intake and their body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height. The participants were also asked about their family medical histories, general lifestyle habits and physical activity levels. The women’s average total flavonoid intake was 1.2 grams per day, but ranged from about 0.6 grams daily among women with the lowest intake to about 1.7 grams among women with the highest intake. Tea was the biggest source of flavonoids in the women’s diets. They also got plenty from grapes, pears, wine, berries, oranges and peppers, Cassidy’s team reports in The Journal of Nutrition. The researchers also measured blood levels of insulin, glucose and markers of inflammation for all the participants and used those measurements to calculate insulin resistance. Considered an early sign on the path to type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance occurs when the body is unable to use the insulin it produces effectively to get blood sugar into cells. All in all, women who consumed the highest levels of two particular types of flavonoid, anthocyanins and flavones, had the least insulin resistance and lowest levels of inflammation. “We showed in population-based studies that higher habitual intakes of one class of flavonoids called anthocyanins, compounds responsible for the red/blue color of berries and other fruits and vegetables, can improve the way we handle glucose and insulin and reduce inflammation - a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes,” Cassidy said. The study cannot prove that eating flavonoid-rich foods caused any reduction in inflammation or insulin resistance. The flavonoids could also be the mark of some other factor that accounts for the differences, like exercise or an overall healthy diet. The study also did not follow the women to see who actually developed diabetes or heart disease. More research is needed to test what these plant compounds do in the body and how much of them would need to be consumed to offer a health benefit. Previous research suggests that berries are particularly important, according to Cassidy. “This latest research shows that just one portion of flavonoid-rich berries every day was associated with better control of blood sugar levels and blood pressure. But small amounts of red wine and moderate amounts dark chocolate may aid prevention efforts as part of a healthy diet,” Cassidy said. SOURCE: bit.ly/M4Uid7 The Journal of Nutrition, online January 20, 2014. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
fd43407ae631f7259438cc8ac40fced0	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flipkart-amazon-antitrust-appeal/indias-online-sellers-to-appeal-against-competition-commissions-flipkart-ruling-idUSKCN1P608P?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews	India's online sellers to appeal against competition commission's Flipkart ruling	India's online sellers to appeal against competition commission's Flipkart ruling By Reuters Staff2 Min Read The logo of Flipkart is seen on the company's office in Bengaluru, India, May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Abhishek N. Chinnappa MUMBAI (Reuters) - A group representing online sellers in India will appeal against the Competition Commision of India’s (CCI’s) ruling in favour of Walmart-owned Flipkart, the group’s lawyer Chanakya Basa said in a release on Saturday. All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA), which represents more than 3,500 online sellers, had complained that Flipkart was using its dominant position to favour select sellers. The CCI had rejected this argument in November. The CCI had said Flipkart as well as Amazon did not break regulations through their selection of merchants and brands. [nL4N1XI3KJ] The AIOVA will appeal to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Monday against the CCI decision, Basa told Reuters. “We firmly believe we have filed adequate information to prove the existence of a prima-facie case which the hon’ble Commission has failed to take into account. Hence, we are filing this appeal,” Basa said in a statement. The AIOVA has also brought a similar case against Amazon, alleging it favours merchants that it partly owns, such as Cloudtail and Appario. India has a burgeoning e-commerce market, with almost 500 million Indians using the internet in 2018. The market is tipped to grow to $200 billion in a decade, according to Morgan Stanley. [nL3N1RZ068] Reporting by Euan Rocha and Suvashree Dey Choudhury; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
02ea527d9101353f35f93abefd2180da	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flipkart-m-a-walmart-factbox/factbox-walmart-notches-biggest-foreign-investment-with-16-bln-flipkart-deal-idUSKBN1IA2MN	Factbox: Walmart notches biggest foreign investment with $16 bln Flipkart deal	Factbox: Walmart notches biggest foreign investment with $16 bln Flipkart deal By Reuters Staff4 Min Read (Reuters) - Walmart Inc WMT.N on Wednesday announced it was paying $16 billion for a roughly 77 percent stake in Indian online marketplace Flipkart, the U.S. retailer's biggest deal as it battles rival Amazon.com Inc AMZN.O in a burgeoning e-commerce market. {nL3N1SG3T3] The deal is also Walmart's biggest bet in foreign markets, where it has historically struggled. The retailer's previous biggest acquisition, Asda - which it bought in 1999, was sold last month to Sainsbury's SBRY.L. Deals and investments made by Walmart in the past two decades: Walmart bought UK grocery chain Asda Group PLC in 1999 for 6.7 billion pounds, which was the retailer's biggest acquisition up until the Flipkart deal. Last month, Sainsbury's SBRY.L bought Asda for around 7.3 billion pounds, after Walmart struggled with the business over the past five years. Walmart sold its German retail business to Metro AG in 2006, taking a loss of $1 billion. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed here. In 2006, Walmart sold its South Korean retail business to Shinsegae Co for 825 won billion here ($882 million). Walmart spent up to 100 billion yen ($878 million) to buy out minority shareholders in Japanese supermarket unit Seiyu Ltd 8268.T in 2007 here. In 2012, Walmart got the go ahead from a South African court for its $2.4 billion acquisition of retailer Massmart hereMSMJ.J. In 2015, a unit of conglomerate China Resources Corp plans to sell minority stakes it holds in 21 Wal-Mart Stores Inc WMT.N. outlets around China for $525 million here. In June 2016, Walmart sold its Chinese online grocery store, Yihaodian, in return for a stake in the country's no. 2 e-commerce firm JD.com Inc hereJD.O. Walmart paid $3.3 billion for internet retailer Jet.com and its innovative pricing software in the August of 2016 here. Walmart in January 2017, announced that it was buying online shoe seller Shoebuy.com from Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp IAC for $70 million here. Walmart bought online outdoor retailer Moosejaw in February 2017 for about $51 million here in cash giving the U.S. retailer a slew of popular brands including Patagonia and North Face. In March 2017, Walmart bought women's vintage-inspired retailer Modcloth.com. The value of the transaction was not disclosed here. In June of 2017, Walmart said it would buy online men’s fashion retailer Bonobos Inc for $310 million. Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard OrrOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2d4b758556563dfea52ce3c160245b76	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-python-hunt/it-was-going-for-my-throat-florida-python-hunters-wrestle-invasive-snakes-idUSKBN1ZG16F	'It was going for my throat': Florida python hunters wrestle invasive snakes	'It was going for my throat': Florida python hunters wrestle invasive snakes By Zachary Fagenson4 Min Read OCHOPEE, Fla. (Reuters) - Thomas Aycock’s life flashed before his eyes one night in the Everglades as a 13-foot Burmese python squeezed his arm and a leg in its coils. Aycock, who was trying to bag the snake by himself, still recalls feeling its tail across his back. “I knew what it was doing, it was going for my throat,” said the 54-year-old Florida Army National Guard major who was able to wrestle free during that incident in the summer of 2018. “I said to myself, ‘It can’t go down like this.’” That scare has not stopped him from returning again and again to the sprawling wetland, devoting almost every spare moment to searching the thick brush and sawgrass for more snakes, as he was doing during this interview. The state encourages hunters to capture or kill the giant, invasive south Asian snakes that are decimating local wildlife. Dozens of hunters are prowling the Everglades during Florida’s 10-day Python Bowl, which ends Monday. Armed with long metal hooks that resemble fireplace pokers and bags, many hunters catch the snakes and take them in live. Those who take the most longest and heaviest pythons each will win $2,000 in cash. Slideshow ( 11 images ) Other prizes include off-road vehicles. Aycock and his fellow hunters are spending days and nights slowly creeping across the webs of levees that span the Everglades by foot, bicycle and souped-up SUV looking for the glint of an eye or the shine of brown and black scales. First found in the Everglades around the year 2000, the snakes were introduced by pet owners and possibly a snake research facility that was destroyed when Hurricane Andrew struck the region in 1992. The behemoths, some of which measure more than 18 feet (5.5 m) long and weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kg), have wreaked havoc on the fragile ecosystem. A 2012 study in Everglades National Park by the United States Geological Survey found 99% fewer raccoons, 98% fewer opossums and 87% fewer bobcats. Massive snakes have even been found trying to eat alligators. “I saw an opossum last night out on the levee and it was the first small animal I’ve seen in probably five or six months,” Aycock said. Agencies including the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission have all launched python removal programs in recent years, offering hunters hourly wages and bonuses depending on the size and weight. According to a 2019 report, contracted python hunters brought in about 1,900 snakes since the program launched in March 2017. Slideshow ( 11 images ) The success has been hard fought. Despite their size and numbers, which some estimate in the hundreds of thousands, Aycock said it can take eight hours on average to find a snake. HUNDREDS CAUGHT From the start of the program to mid-2018, the most current data available, hunters working for both agencies spent 14,000 hours in the field yielding 1,186 snakes. Some larger females have been found holding up to 100 eggs. “We’re targeting removal in bird rookeries, in sensitive ecological areas, so regardless of the snakes’ population we know every one removed makes a difference,” said Kristen Sommers, the state’s wildlife impact management section leader. Yet on Wednesday night, finding even one proved impossible for Aycock. The cooler weather meant the cold-blooded serpents stayed hidden and out of sight. “Every python removed out of this ecosystem serves a purpose in restoring this ecosystem,” Aycock said. “We have a good time out here, but it’s also a mission we take seriously and are willing to work at.” Editing by Scott Malone and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
a8bc81453d489d7caf3a1ae8e1bd7085	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-rail/florida-governor-slams-brakes-on-high-speed-rail-idUSTRE71F3ZH20110216	Florida governor slams brakes on high-speed rail	Florida governor slams brakes on high-speed rail By Michael Peltier5 Min Read TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Florida’s Tea Party-backed Governor Rick Scott on Wednesday rejected $2.4 billion in government funds to build a high-speed passenger rail line, prompting a sharp rebuke from Washington as political tensions grew over the federal budget deficit. Florida governor Rick Scott in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, November 3, 2010. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity “Government cannot spend more than it takes in,” the Republican governor said in an announcement making clear the rail project would not go forward. “Government has become addicted to spending beyond its means and we cannot continue this flawed policy,” he added. At a news conference in the state capital, Scott strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s budget proposal for 2012 unveiled on Monday and said federal grants earmarked for Florida to begin work on a high-speed rail link between Tampa and Orlando would be turned down. The newly elected governor, a former healthcare executive and uncompromising fiscal conservative, cited what he described as likely cost overruns for the project as the main reason for rejecting the federal funding. The potential overruns could put Florida taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars, he said, laying out his objections to a project championed by the Obama administration and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood “The truth is that this project would be far too costly to taxpayers and I believe the risk far outweighs the benefits,” he said. In December, the Obama administration gave Florida about $342.3 million in additional funds for the rail line, meaning that Washington had committed to covering the full $2.4 billion projected cost of the project. That $342.3 million was part of $1.2 billion intended to fund high-speed rail projects in Ohio and Wisconsin which had been spurned by newly elected governors in those states. JOBS IMPACT Saying he was “extremely disappointed” by the decision, LaHood said Scott’s stated reasons made no sense, since any financial risk for Florida had been eliminated by a federal requirement that private businesses competing for the project absorb any cost overruns and operating expenses. He said in a statement the project spurned by Scott “could have supported thousands of good-paying jobs for Floridians”. “It is projects like these that will help America out-build our competitors and lay the foundation to win the future,” LaHood said. The Florida Department of Transportation had been expected to invite formal bids for the high-speed rail project this spring, and as many as eight teams made up of firms that have built and operated bullet trains in Japan, Germany, France, South Korea and China had been expected to participate. The Tampa to Orlando line would have been the first phase of a longer line to Miami. The $814 billion federal stimulus plan passed last year included $8 billion to begin building a network of “bullet trains” across a country that has long relied on interstate highways for passenger travel. Scott’s announcement drew immediate criticism from Florida Democrats, who have pointed to his recent state budget proposals as highlighting a seeming disconnect between fiscal conservatives and ordinary Americans reeling from unemployment and the loss of homes and benefits in the recent recession. “Over the past month, Governor Rick Scott has become a one-man wrecking crew for Florida’s economy, putting at risk over 100,000 jobs as he tries to impose his extreme philosophy on the Sunshine State,” state Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said in a statement. The governor’s budget proposals for Florida include calls for hefty cuts in state spending on education and healthcare to close a deficit of nearly $4 billion, while slashing corporate income and property taxes. Florida, an epicenter of the U.S. mortgage crisis, is struggling with a record-high 12 percent unemployment rate, the third highest in the country. The Tea Party, a loosely organized conservative political movement that advocates smaller government and less taxes and regulation, is a key supporter of Scott. Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, who ridiculed Scott as someone who might have opposed the interstate highway system built under President Dwight Eisenhower, said he had talked to LaHood about the possibility of pressing ahead with the bullet train without the state government’s participation because it uses federal funds. “We are exploring ... how we could keep this project going forward,” Nelson told the Palm Beach Post newspaper. Writing by Tom Brown; additional reporting by Lisa Lambert and John Crawley in Washington; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Philip BarbaraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
a2c16f20f3170e485a0bacbea43c3d6f	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-bloodsupply-idUSKCN0YZ2L5	Democrats urge an end to curbs on blood donations from gay men	Democrats urge an end to curbs on blood donations from gay men By David Morgan, Andrew M. Seaman3 Min Read (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Monday urged the removal of U.S. restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, calling the policy unwarranted in the aftermath of Sunday’s shooting rampage at a gay nightclub in Florida. A message towed by an airplane urges people to donate blood, after a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, U.S. June 12, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri The Food and Drug Administration imposed an indefinite ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men in the 1980s to protect against transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. The agency relaxed its policy last December to say men could donate blood 12 months after their last sexual encounter with another man. The worst mass shooting in U.S. history, in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, prompted hundreds of people to line up to give blood over the weekend. But many later expressed anger on social media because gay and bisexual men could not donate. The FDA said on Monday it did not have scientific evidence to support an end to the restriction. The agency added that blood supplies were adequate. “We find it unacceptable that gay and bisexual men are banned from donating desperately needed blood in response to this tragedy,” said a statement issued by four Democratic lawmakers led by Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois, vice chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. The other lawmakers were Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Representative Barbara Lee of California. Critics of the policy say it assumes risk from all gay donors based on their sexual orientation, regardless of whether their behaviors in terms of practicing safe sex or having multiple partners make them more likely to be infected with HIV. “Blood donations are needed now more than ever, yet gay and bisexual men remain unable to donate blood due to an outdated and discriminatory FDA rule,” the Democrats said. “This revision does not go far enough in ending an outdated policy that is medically and scientifically unwarranted and that perpetuates inaccurate stereotypes,” the lawmakers said. In a statement, the FDA said it would continue to re-evaluate and update its blood donor policy as new scientific information becomes available. “We empathize with those who might wish to donate, but reiterate that at this time no one who needs blood is doing without it.” Reporting by David Morgan in Washington and Andrew M. Seaman in New York; Editing by Peter CooneyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
e86ce78b6e3dfbfea013fdec673660e7	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-claim-confirmation-idUSKCN0YY0X0	Islamic State's claim of responsibility for Orlando shooting not confirmed: senator	Islamic State's claim of responsibility for Orlando shooting not confirmed: senator By Reuters Staff1 Min Read (Reuters) - Florida Senator Bill Nelson said on Sunday that a claim made by Islamic State’s Amaq news agency that the militant group was behind a shooting in Orlando, Florida, that left 50 dead was not yet confirmed. “The Islamic State’s news agency has just issued a statement that says that they are responsible. That has not been confirmed,” Nelson told reporters in Orlando. “We’ll have to see what those connections are once we get the details.” Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
fbfe30ce01215d9abebc2812b8361e02	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-mosque-idUSKBN15L2L6	Florida man sentenced to 30 years in prison for mosque fire	Florida man sentenced to 30 years in prison for mosque fire By Zachary Fagenson2 Min Read MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida man pleaded no contest and was sentenced on Monday to 30 years in prison for setting fire last year to the mosque where Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen once worshipped, court officials said. Slideshow ( 2 images ) Joseph Schreiber, 32, caused more than $100,000 in damage to the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which he set ablaze on Sept. 11, 2016, the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, authorities said. The crime also coincided with the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. No one was hurt, but the fire forced the congregation to relocate prayer services as it seeks a new home. Schreiber told police after his arrest in September that his attack on the mosque had nothing to do with Mateen, Assistant State Attorney Steve Gosnell said in an interview on Monday. A lawyer for Schreiber could not be immediately reached after Monday’s court hearing in St. Lucie County. The mosque was close to the apartment Mateen shared with his wife before he killed 49 people and wounded dozens more at a gay nightclub in Orlando last June, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mateen pledged allegiance to the head of the Islamic State militant group during a 911 emergency call before being killed in a shootout with police after a three-hour standoff at the Pulse nightclub. Investigators do not believe he had assistance from outside organizations. Schreiber told investigators he viewed the teachings of Islam as a national security threat, Gosnell said. Police previously said Schreiber’s Facebook page included anti-Muslim rhetoric. “He said he wasn’t angry, he didn’t do it with hatred,” the prosecutor said. Schreiber faced up to life in prison given his prior criminal record and the charge against him, arson evidencing prejudice, essentially a hate crime in Florida, Gosnell said. “It’s horrible when anyone attacks a house of worship for whatever purpose,” the prosecutor said. Reporting by Zachary Fagenson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter CooneyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
d6d09747272e55dab0efe535b925fff1	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-speaker/house-speaker-ryan-florida-shooting-shouldnt-threaten-right-to-own-guns-idUSKCN1FZ1VS?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=website	House Speaker Ryan: Florida shooting shouldn't threaten right to own guns	House Speaker Ryan: Florida shooting shouldn't threaten right to own guns By Reuters Staff1 Min Read House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) speaks at a news conference with Republican leaders after a closed conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan, in a round of interviews with conservative radio shows on Thursday, said the Florida school shooting that killed at least 17 people on Wednesday should not threaten citizens’ rights to own guns. “There’s more questions than answers at this stage,” the Republican lawmaker said in an interview with Tom Katz on Indiana radio station WIBC about the mass shooting less than 24 hours earlier. “I don’t think that means you then roll that conversation into taking away citizens’ rights - taking away a law-abiding citizen’s rights. Obviously this conversation typically goes there. Right now, I think we need to take a breath and collect the facts.” Reporting by Lisa LambertEditing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
f32bd3eddb9d3eb66a34dc6d0ce1c520	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-victims/gamer-killed-in-florida-never-even-had-a-fist-fight-idUSKCN1LC2E6	Gamer killed in Florida 'never even had a fist fight'	Gamer killed in Florida 'never even had a fist fight' By Bernie Woodall3 Min Read (Reuters) - Elijah Clayton, one of two men killed on Sunday at a video gaming competition in Jacksonville, Florida, was a peaceful young man who had “never even had a fist fight,” his cousin said. FILE PHOTO: Police officers cordon off a street outside The Jacksonville Landing after a shooting during a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida August 26, 2018. REUTERS/Joey Roulette Brandi Pettijohn said her family was “devastated” by the fatal shooting of the 22-year-old Clayton, from Woodland Hills, California, who went by the name “True.” Taylor Robertson, 27, of Giles, West Virginia, was the second player killed on Sunday. He went by the name “SpotmePlzzz.” “Elijah’s family wants you to know he was a good man. He did not believe in violence. He never even had a fist fight,” Pettijohn said to reporters on Monday. She and others in Clayton’s family flew to Jacksonville from California on Sunday night. Both of the men killed were elite players, also called gamers, of the Madden football video game made by EA Sports, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said the suspect in the shootings had walked past people at a pizza restaurant, which housed the room where the tournament was held, and targeted competitors. Social media and local media reports in West Virginia showed Robertson was the father of a young son and that he and his wife were married in 2013. A GoFundMe page raising donations for Robertson’s family had raised about $10,000 of a $100,000 goal by Monday afternoon. Another GoFundMe page for the families of both men called the “Madden Community Fallen Angels” by Monday afternoon had raised about $13,000 of its $100,000 goal. Robertson was a football player while he was in high school in Monroe County, West Virginia, and he grew up helping his father do chores on a farm, a local media report showed. Pettijohn said Clayton had six brothers and three sisters. Clayton’s parents stood behind Pettijohn as she addressed reporters on Monday. “As you all can imagine, we are devastated by yet another senseless act of gun violence. Every person who has stood in this position has said that they never thought this would happen to their family, and we are no different,” Pettijohn said. Clayton was saving his winnings from competitive gaming to pay for college, Pettijohn said. He had earned about $51,000 playing Madden football and Robertson had earned about $80,000, EA Sports said on its website. Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
ea3ce5d67851fe2978bb6b22dc5add0f	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting/gunman-who-killed-five-at-florida-airport-to-get-life-in-prison-idUSKBN1L21IL	Gunman who killed five at Florida airport sentenced to life	Gunman who killed five at Florida airport sentenced to life By Bernie Woodall2 Min Read FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Reuters) - A U.S. veteran of the war in Iraq who killed five people during a shooting spree in the arrivals area of a Florida airport last year was sentenced on Friday to life in federal prison for what the judge called “85 seconds of evil.” Esteban Santiago, 28, had pleaded guilty in May to launching the attack, near a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 6, 2017. Under a deal with prosecutors, he escaped the death penalty and was instead sentenced to five consecutive life terms followed by 120 years in prison, without the right of appeal. U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom had pushed back the sentencing hearing to allow families of victims to be present. A woman who was wounded and whose husband was killed told Santiago he was a coward, WFOR-TV in Miami reported. Bloom called the shootings, “85 seconds of evil,” and Santiago chose not to speak at the hearing, the TV station reported. Slideshow ( 2 images ) Santiago carried out the rampage after flying to Florida from his home in Anchorage, Alaska, then recovering a 9mm pistol and two ammunition clips from his checked baggage. In addition to killing five people, he wounded six others as he walked through the arrivals area, apparently opening fire at random, security camera footage showed. After running out of bullets, he placed his weapon on the floor and surrendered to police. A psychologist testified during a plea hearing in May that Santiago had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Judge Bloom ruled in March 2017 that he was mentally fit to stand trial. Santiago, who served in the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, was deployed to Iraq from 2010 to 2011. At a previous hearing, when Bloom asked Santiago why he carried out the attack, he replied: “I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking about it at the time ... There were a lot of things going on in my mind, messages.” Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Steve OrlofskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
cdd406ddca4d375a7f5c5387cf26f479	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flu-vaccines-who/fast-track-flu-vaccines-dont-reduce-safety-who-idUSTRE5751HH20090806	Fast-track flu vaccines don't reduce safety: WHO	Fast-track flu vaccines don't reduce safety: WHO By Reuters Staff3 Min Read GENEVA (Reuters) - Procedures to fast-track approvals of new vaccines to combat H1N1 influenza do not reduce safety, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday. The WHO said vaccines had to be available quickly and in large quantities to have the greatest impact. “The public needs to be reassured that regulatory procedures in place for the licensing of pandemic vaccines, including procedures for expediting regulatory approval, are rigorous and do not compromise safety or quality controls,” it said. The WHO has said the current outbreak of H1N1, declared a pandemic on June 11, is the fastest ever pandemic and could eventually affect 2 billion people. A WHO statement said concerns had been expressed about the safety of vaccines to fight H1N1, known as swine flu. But the United Nations agency said vaccines had arrived too late in the 1957 and 1968 flu pandemics to be of much use, and flu vaccines had not yet been developed in the 1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic which killed an estimated 50 million people. It said it had been working with government regulators and vaccine makers in 2007 to look at ways of speeding up the approval of a new vaccine if a fresh virus strain emerged. In some cases the process could be faster because a vaccine was not really new, as it was based on the technology for existing seasonal flu vaccines, it said. But the WHO said safety issues could arise during a pandemic when a vaccine is administered on a mass scale, even if they did not show up in safety trials. “For these reasons, WHO advises all countries administering pandemic vaccines to conduct intensive monitoring for safety and efficacy, and many countries have plans in place for doing so,” it said. The WHO’s top vaccines expert, Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, is due to give a briefing at 8:30 a.m. EDT in which she will provide an update on H1N1 vaccines. Leading flu vaccine makers include Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Baxter, GlaxoSmithKline and Solvay. Novartis has started human testing of H1N1 swine flu vaccine candidates while Sanofi-Aventis, the world leader in flu shots, will commence within days, company officials said on Tuesday. (For the full WHO statement go to www.who.int/csr/disease /swineflu/notes/h1n1_safety_vaccines_20090805/en/index.html ) Reporting by Jonathan LynnOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
0baf0049efa2946c5602eeb474fb327c	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flu-virtual/online-blood-plague-offers-lessons-for-pandemics-idUKTRE53Q4HI20090427?edition-redirect=uk	Online 'blood plague' offers lessons for pandemics	Online 'blood plague' offers lessons for pandemics By Andrew Marshall, Asia Political Risk Correspondent7 Min Read SINGAPORE (Reuters) - In the dungeons of Zul’Gurub frequented by online game enthusiasts, a giant winged serpent called Hakkar the Soulflayer may offer important clues to epidemiologists trying to predict the impact of a pandemic. Researchers at the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) examine samples taken from pork imported from Mexico at the NVRQS centre in Anyang, south of Seoul April 27, 2009. REUTERS/Lee Jung-hoon/Yonhap In September 2005, a plague called “Corrupted Blood” caused mayhem in the hugely popular online game World of Warcraft. What happened next illustrates the kind of issues policymakers will have to grapple with if a deadly outbreak of swine flu in Mexico spreads. An estimated 4 million players were affected by the pandemic, and by the time it had run its course, whole virtual cities were littered with the bones of the dead, with most survivors fleeing urban areas for the relative sanctuary of the countryside. Epidemiologists and disaster planners have tried for years to build realistic models of how a highly virulent disease might spread and impact global society and the economy. But the Corrupted Blood plague accidentally provided something unprecedented -- a chance to safely study a pandemic in a uniquely complex virtual environment in which millions of unpredictable individuals were making their own decisions. In an article in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal in 2007, Nina Fefferman and Eric Lofgren of the Tufts University School of Medicine said the incident “raised the possibility for valuable scientific content to be gained from this unintentional game error” -- providing insight into real-world pandemics. Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of World of Warcraft, never intended the plague to get so out of control. At first, it could only be encountered by relatively advanced players who had penetrated deep into a new dungeon provided as part of a software update. Among the many offensive powers of Hakkar -- others included “blood siphon” and “cause insanity” -- was the ability to spread the Corrupted Blood plague. Most players who had come this far were strong enough to survive, and the plague was never supposed to spread far. But as with many real-world events, things did not go entirely to plan. TELEPORTATION AND MAGIC PETS “Unlike previous ‘virtual plagues’ that had been officially planned, this was a local effect that went out of control -- a naturally occurring virtual outbreak,” Ran Balicer of Israel’s Ben-Gurion University wrote in the journal Epidemiology. World of Warcraft allows players to teleport themselves from one place to another. And some infected players beamed themselves out of the dungeon and into cities, where weaker victims soon began to drop like flies. Also, the game allows players to own pets who can be banished and summoned at will. These pets also played a key role in spreading the plague beyond the dungeon. While teleportation and magical pets belong in the world of fantasy, these developments inadvertently mimicked possible characteristics of real pandemics, the two studies say. The risks that pandemics will spread through quick global transportation links and inter-species transmission are key factors that may well come into play in real-world outbreaks. Balicer said the impact of teleportation in World of Warcraft was “similar to the role of air travel in the rapid global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS),” while the havoc wrought by infected pets echoed the part played by asymptomatic ducks in spreading avian flu among bird populations. Before long, disease was raging across the online world. “Soon, the disease had spread to the densely populated capital cities... causing high rates of mortality and, much more importantly, the social chaos that comes from a large-scale outbreak of deadly disease,” Fefferman and Lofgren wrote. In web forums, players described scenes of devastation. One said the online world had been “filled to the brim with corpses.” “The city had streets literally white with the bones of the dead,” the player said. Screenshots show game characters walking through eerily deserted streets strewn with skeletons. “Seemingly innocuous aspects of the game world, each directly mirroring an aspect of real-world epidemiology, allowed what should have been a very minor point of interest in a small area of the game... to become the first online instance of uncontrolled plague to affect millions of Americans, Asians and Europeans at home,” Fefferman and Lofgren wrote. HUMAN RESPONSES What made Corrupted Blood so interesting was the way players responded -- providing an insight into the psychological response to plague that most computer models can never hope to capture. Some players selflessly rushed to help, using their healing powers and acting as first responders despite the risk. “Their behavior may have actually extended the course of the epidemic and altered its dynamics... keeping infected individuals alive long enough for them to continue spreading the disease, and by becoming infected themselves and being highly contagious when they rushed to another area,” the Lancet article said. Others got infected on purpose and strolled around populated areas -- leading some security analysts to say the incident may provide insight into how terrorists would exploit a pandemic. Dealing with thousands of complaints from players whose online alter egos had fallen victim to the plague, Blizzard Entertainment tried to quarantine the infected zones. But -- as is likely in real life -- the barriers were porous and some infected victims managed to find their way into “safe” areas. The inability of the game’s creators to halt the virtual plague mirrored expectations of real epidemics. “Once a fully contagious virus emerges, its global spread is considered inevitable,” the International Monetary Fund said in a 2006 report on the likely impact of a flu pandemic. “Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but cannot stop it.” Confusion reigned in Internet chat forums as baffled players tried to understand the plague -- often spreading misinformation. Again, this has real-world parallels. In a study of the likely effects of a major pandemic, the World Economic Forum warned of the risks of “infodemics” -- “where the rapid spread of inaccurate or incomplete information can amplify the effects of the core risk event.” In the end, Blizzard had to cheat to save the world. “The game’s developers (had) an option that remains unavailable to public health officials -- resetting the computers,” Fefferman and Lofgren wrote. “When the servers ravaged by the epidemic were reset and the effect removed, the outbreak came to a halt.” Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
ec9fc4e116eb73e4beb9cf7212beaf39	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flu-who-name/who-changes-flu-virus-strain-name-from-swine-flu-idUSTRE53T5S220090430	WHO changes flu virus strain name from swine flu	WHO changes flu virus strain name from swine flu By Reuters Staff2 Min Read * WHO changes name of new virus strain from swine flu A worker wears a mask as she talks on a walkie-talkie at Santiago's international airport April 27, 2009. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado * Now referred to as influenza A * Meat industry had objected to pig link GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO), bowing to pressure from meat industry producers and concerned governments, said on Thursday it would refer to a deadly new virus strain as influenza A (H1N1), not swine flu. “From today, WHO will refer to the new influenza virus as ‘influenza A (H1N1)’,” it said on its www.who.int/en/ website. The new strain has infected 257 people. The WHO has confirmed eight deaths although many more people are suspected to have died from the virus. It derives from a swine influenza virus but the new strain has been found only in people. While it contains mostly swine flu genetic sequences, it also contains small amounts of human and bird flu virus genetic material. No pigs have been confirmed to be sick with it. WHO has consistently said the disease cannot be caught from eating pork if it is prepared properly. “There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products,” it said on its website on Thursday. The name of the flu led several countries to ban imports of pork from Mexico and the United States, where the outbreak first appeared, and authorities in Egypt have ordered a cull of pigs. U.S. and European food industries and governments had been calling for a change in name to remove the link in people’s minds between the disease and pigs. The “influenza A (H1N1)” designation refers to a family of flu strains, including one of the current seasonal strains and the strain that caused the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 40 million people or more. (For more Reuters stories on swine flu, click on [nFLU]) (For more Reuters swine flu coverage, please click here: here ) (For WHO information on swine flu, go to: here ) Reporting by Jonathan Lynn; Editing by Stephanie NebehayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
1d7174ab8552dd376cbda40c4da80b47	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flutterwave-worldpy-funding/african-fintech-flutterwave-gets-35-million-partners-with-worldpay-idUSKBN1ZK1IE	African fintech Flutterwave gets $35 million, partners with WorldPay	African fintech Flutterwave gets $35 million, partners with WorldPay By Libby George3 Min Read LAGOS (Reuters) - Africa-focused fintech firm Flutterwave on Tuesday announced a $35 million fundraising round and partnerships with WorldPay and Visa as it targets expansion in northern and Francophone Africa. A man poses as he displays the Flutterwave homepage on a mobile phone screen in Abuja, Nigeria January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde The startup, founded in 2016 by Nigerians and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in individual and consumer transfers -- one of several fintech firms aiming to facilitate and capitalize on Africa’s booming payments market. As part of the deal, Flutterwave will become the African payment provider for Worldpay’s clients worldwide, making the company the latest African fintech firm to attract global cash and big-name partnerships. While the agreement is not exclusive, it is WorldPay’s only partner on the continent. Visa’s investment is its first buy in to Flutterwave, with which it joined last year on a consumer payment platform now called Barter by Flutterwave, which allows individuals to make payments to one another across borders. As part of the latest funding round, Flutterwave will scale up and expand that service, allowing it to issue physical and virtual Visa cards and process payments using Visa’s networks. “For us at Flutterwave, we have been focused on enterprise clients and now we are going to deepen that and also show how we can help small business scale their business when they use us as their payment partner,” Flutterwave’s founder and chief executive GB Agboola told Reuters. “That’s a major goal for this investment for us.” Visa also bought a 20% stake in Nigerian payments firm Interswitch late last year, elevating it to “unicorn” status - a term used for tech companies with a valuation of a billion dollars or more. Interswitch, founded in 2002 and also expanding across Africa, is the main platform for Nigeria’s business-to-business transactions, whereas Flutterwave’s main focus is on individual payments -- making it more akin to an African Venmo, where people pay each other back or transfer cash to family. “We have built a technology infrastructure that is steadily being recognized as the bridge to connect the payment system,” Agboola said in a statement. Business consulting firm Frost & Sullivan forecast that Nigeria’s fintech revenues alone will grow from $153.1 million in 2017 to $543.3 million by 2022. Flutterwave’s main backer in the fundraising round was venture capital firm Greycroft & eVentures, with other large backers including CRE Ventures, WorldPay FIS, Visa, and Green Visor. Reporting By Libby George; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
5137e568f32e690b249ced6b44db3460	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fly-idUSN2836748720080829	Why it's so hard to swat a fly	Why it's so hard to swat a fly By Reuters Staff2 Min Read A woman swats flies in Pancevo, Serbia, June 20, 2007. REUTERS/Marko Djurica CHICAGO (Reuters) - The brains of flies are wired to avoid the swatter, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. At the mere hint of a threat, the insects adjust their preflight stance to flee in the opposite direction, ensuring a clean getaway, they said in a finding that helps explain why flies so easily evade swipes from their human foes. “These movements are made very rapidly, within about 200 milliseconds, but within that time the animal determines where the threat is coming from and activates an appropriate set of movements to position its legs and wings,” Michael Dickinson of the California Institute of Technology said in a statement. “This illustrates how rapidly the fly’s brain can process sensory information into an appropriate motor response,” said Dickinson, whose research appears in the journal Current Biology. Dickinson’s team studied this process in fruit flies using high-speed digital imaging equipment and a fancy fly swatter. In response to a threat from the front, the fly moves its middle legs forward, leans back and raises its back legs for a backward takeoff. If the threat is from the side, the fly leans the other way before takeoff. The findings offer new insight into the fly nervous system, and lends a few clues on how to outsmart a fly. “It is best not to swat at the fly’s starting position,” Dickinson said. Instead, aim for the escape route. Dickinson, a bioengineer, has devoted his life’s work to the study of insect flight. He has built a tiny robotic fly called Robofly and a 3-D visual flight simulator called Fly-O-Vision. Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen, editing by Will Dunham and Xavier BriandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
7bf9c4f6838586ba6836c5852eb774e0	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-food-chefs-dragonwagon-idINTRE81R0J120120228?edition-redirect=in	World Chefs: New cookbook spills the beans ... on beans	World Chefs: New cookbook spills the beans ... on beans By Patricia Reaney5 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters) - Award-winning cookbook author Crescent Dragonwagon knows a lot about beans -- all kinds of beans, and how to use them to create everything from soups and salads to stews and curries and even cookies and ice cream. Cookbook author and chef Crescent Dragonwagon is shown in a recent photo. REUTERS/Walter Fogg/ Brattleboro Food Co-Op/Handout Her latest cookbook, “Bean by Bean,” contains 175 recipes for meat and vegetarian meals, as well as the basics about different beans and their origins, and selecting, preparing, cooking and storing them. The 59-year-old author and former restaurant owner spoke to Reuters about her passion for beans, their appeal and healthy benefits -- and how to avoid an embarrassing side effect of eating them. Q: Why did you write a cookbook about beans? A: “First of all there are thousands of varieties of beans. Second of all you can eat them at every phase of their lifecycle. Third of all they are the only plant that actually enriches the soil by growing as opposed to depleting it. They put nitrogen back in the soil, so they enrich the soil ... In these straightened financial times beans are the food of the 99 percent and they would be the food of the one percent if they knew what was good for them. They are healthy. They are inexpensive and they are absolutely like the perfect canvas for any picture you want to paint with them from sweet to tart to creamy to smooth to texture to spicy.” Q: How did you learn so much about beans? A: “I tend to be a person who when I get interested in something I get obsessed by it ... What happens to me is that I will fall in love with a particular ingredient, or a particular dish ... Once I make the decision that something has intrigued me enough to draw me in there is no end to it.” Q: Beans are a popular and staple food in many countries but not as popular in others, why is that? A: “They may not be the first thing that comes to mind in America because we are so used to eating meat heavily but there is more and more interest in them from the health standpoint, from the cost standpoint, from the environmental footprint standpoint, and also because of the movement for the farmers’ market and connecting with the food.” Q: Are you hoping to enlighten people about beans and elevate them to a higher culinary status? A: “I didn’t set out to do that. I just think there is so much inherent goodness (in beans) .... I am going to let the beans do it for themselves.” Q: Beans can cause unwanted effects in some people. How do you deal with that? A: “It’s pretty simple. There is a water soluble sugar that is in beans called oligosaccharides and they are indigestible by human beings. They ferment during the digestion process and hence you have gas. The more water you soak your beans in, the fewer oligosaccharides you have, and if you soak them in water a couple of times you can really mitigate it. That is not the only factor, some beans have more oligosaccharides than others.” Q: Are there any secrets to cooking with beans? A: “First of all you want to do the soaking with almost all of the larger beans because that will take care of the gas and second of all ... they want to be seasoned and flavored.” Elsie’s Cuban Black Bean Soup (serves 6 to 8) 2 cups of black beans, picked over, rinsed and soaked overnight 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of well-flavored vegetable stock or water 2 bay leaves 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and removed for mildness, or left in for heat, chopped 1/4 to 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil 3 large onions chopped 2 green peppers, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped 4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely minced Salt 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice, for serving 1 red onion, finely chopped, for serving Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large, heavy soup pot with the stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and drop in the bay leaves and jalapeno. Cover tightly and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Toward the end of this period, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring, until they begin to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the green peppers and continue sauteing for another 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat. When the beans are tender, stir in the onion mixture, add salt to taste, and simmer, slowly, uncovered, to let the flavors meld, at least 20 minutes and longer if you like. Discard the bay leaves and jalapeno. Place some rice and a good sprinkling of red onion into the center of each bowl and ladle the soup over the top. Editing by Elaine LiesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
25e9d044efca4a764346f94946174e35	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-food-safety-study/foodborne-illness-costs-152-billion-annually-idUSTRE6220NO20100304	Foodborne illness costs $152 billion annually	Foodborne illness costs $152 billion annually By Christopher Doering4 Min Read WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foodborne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion in health-related expenses each year, far more than prior estimates, according to a study released by consumer and public health groups on Wednesday. Bundled spinach is pictured in a cooler at a wholesale farmer's market in Washington September 15, 2006. U.S. supermarkets cleared shelves of bagged fresh spinach after the Food and Drug Administration warned the produce could be the source of a deadly E. coli outbreak across the nation. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Food safety advocates are hoping the study will boost efforts in Congress to overhaul the nation’s antiquated food safety system that has seen consumer confidence plunge. In recent years, the food supply has been battered by a series of high-profile outbreaks, many involving produce, such as lettuce, spinach, peppers and peanuts, leading to a rash of illnesses and even death for consumers. Dozens of pathogens, many of them unknown, creep into the food supply each year. The price tag includes medical costs, lost productivity and quality-of-life, according to a study from the Produce Safety Project. “This is significantly more than previous official estimates and it demonstrates the serious burden that foodborne illness places on society,” said Sandra Eskin, a spokeswoman with Make Our Food Safe Coalition, a group of consumer, public health and other groups pushing for stronger food safety laws. The latest study to delve into foodborne illnesses comes as Congress works to craft legislation that would mark the first major overhaul of the food safety system in 50 years. The House passed its bill last July and the Senate, which has been bogged down with healthcare and regulatory reform, is expected to act this year. The goal is to bring the food safety bill to a Senate vote around the Easter break and get it to President Obama by May, said Senator Tom Harkin on Tuesday during a hearing on agricultural appropriations. Harkin is the head of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which unanimously approved a food safety bill in November. “My hope... is that the sobering numbers of this report will compel the Senate to act immediately on food safety legislation,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who has vigorously pushed for food safety reform. “We literally can not afford to wait.” Past official government estimates of health-related costs of foodborne illness have ranged from $7 billion to as much as $35 billion, but they considered only limited costs and pathogens, according to the report. The new study, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts and Georgetown University, considered a total of 27 known pathogens --such as salmonella and listeria -- and looked at more health-related costs, pushing the price tag to $152 billion. Overall, foodborne illness costs related to produce were responsible for $39 billion of that total. Many firms including Kellogg Co, whose company lost nearly $70 million in products from the recent peanut recall, and ConAgra Foods have been among those affected. An estimated 76 million people in the United States get sick each year with foodborne illness and 5,000 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found Kentucky had the lowest cost per foodborne case at $1,731. Alternatively, greater exposure to higher cost pathogens pushed the price tag to about $2,008 per case in Hawaii. The average cost in the United States was $1,851. Typical medical costs from a case of foodborne illness range from $78 in Montana to $162 in New Jersey with much of the difference due to physician and hospital charges. The average productivity loss from a case of foodborne illness is between $377 in Mississippi and $924 in Delaware. Additional reporting by Chuck Abbott; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
9bde64ab2b60700fdf9a7dad5acebfd6	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-food-slime-scientist-idUSBRE82N0AG20120325	Scientist who coined "Pink Slime" reluctant whistleblower	Scientist who coined "Pink Slime" reluctant whistleblower By Carey Gillam4 Min Read Kansas City (Reuters) - Every time someone calls former U.S. government scientist Gerald Zirnstein a whistleblower, he cringes a little. Boneless lean beef trimmings are pictured in this March 20, 2012 handout photo courtesy of Beef Products Inc. REUTERS/Beef Products Inc./Handout When he coined the term “Pink Slime” to describe the unlabeled and unappetizing bits of cartilage and other chemically-treated scrap meat going into U.S. ground beef, Zirnstein was a microbiologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He made the slime reference to a fellow scientist in an internal - and he thought private - email. But that email later became public, and with it came an explosion of outrage from consumer groups. Descriptions of a mix of fatty beef by-products and connective tissue, ground up and treated with ammonium hydroxide, then blended with ground beef have led the nation’s largest supermarket chains to ban the product. McDonald’s said it would stop buying hamburger containing what the industry calls “finely textured beef,” and the USDA has said school districts can opt out of feeding it to children. For food safety advocates, the campaign to reject Pink Slime has been wildly successful. Zirnstein said even though he never intended to publicize this issue, he does hope the furor will bring about change. “You look through the regulations and a lot of that stuff was never approved for hamburger. It was under the radar,” said the 54-year-old Zirnstein, who lives outside Washington, D.C. with his wife and 2-year-old son. “It’s cheating. It’s economic fraud,” he said in a telephone interview. Zirnstein, who worked in a meat plant growing up in Kansas, said the situation came to his attention a decade ago. In 2002, he was working as a USDA food scientist and was assigned to a project to determine what was going into ground beef and whether the ingredients met federal regulations. PET FOOD AND COOKING OIL At the same time, the beef industry was asking the government to endorse a new product they called “lean finely textured beef” that was largely trimmings typically used for pet food and cooking oil. The trimmings were treated with ammonia to kill dangerous bacteria. USDA officials approved the processed product. Zirnstein was disgusted, and made his opinion known to co-workers in an email that called the processed product “pink slime.” The email was later released to the New York Times as part of a Freedom of Information request for a 2009 investigative article on food safety. The newspaper article mentioned the slime reference in passing. “Nobody did anything (about pink slime). USDA dropped the ball again. The meat industry soft sold it,” said Zirnstein, who left USDA and took a job as an industry consultant but now is unemployed. The issue got renewed life when British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who advocates for American children to eat healthier food, devoted an episode of his television show to the topic in April last year. Disgusted by the product, consumer activist organizations, food safety blogs and the media have pounced on the issue. More than a million people have watched a YouTube video of Oliver’s show, an online petition has begun and consumers have complained to major grocery companies. The American Meat Institute says the product is 98 percent lean beef and USDA continues to say it is safe. But that has not stopped a parade of major supermarket chains and fast food companies from spurning the product. “The whole thing went viral ... Just blew the top off everything,” said Zirnstein. Zirnstein said he worried at first about being deemed a whistleblower, but now does not care. “I am really an involuntary whistleblower,” he said. But he added, “It looks like pink slime. That is what I said.” Asked if he and his family still eat hamburgers, Zirnstein sighed. “The labels aren’t clear, so we don’t eat it. That’s the thing,” he said. “It isn’t freaking labeled.” Editing by Greg McCune and Vicki AllenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
f8ceb93ef23a42203064948824e60bb5	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-food-waste-idUSBRE87K0WR20120821	Americans waste, throw away nearly half their food: study	Americans waste, throw away nearly half their food: study By Reuters Staff2 Min Read Expired fruits from a supermarket sit on the sorting floor at the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center in Wilmington, Delaware, January 8, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (Reuters) - Americans throw away nearly half their food every year, waste worth roughly $165 billion annually, according to a study released on Tuesday. “As a country, we’re essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path. That’s money and precious resources down the drain,” said Dana Gunders, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s food and agriculture program. The NRDC report said Americans discard 40 percent of the food supply every year, and the average American family of four ends up throwing away an equivalent of up to $2,275 annually in food. Just a 15 percent reduction in losses in the U.S. food supply would save enough to feed 25 million Americans annually. It also would lighten the burden on landfills, where food waste makes up the largest component of solid waste, according to the NRDC, a nonprofit environmental organization. Particularly worrisome, the organization said, was evidence that there has been a 50 percent jump in U.S. food waste since the 1970s. Unsold fruits and vegetables in grocery stores account for a big part of the wasted food. But consumers and restaurants are also to blame, preparing large portions that result in leftovers that often go uneaten. The NRDC said it is asking for the U.S. government to study losses in the food system and set goals for waste reduction. “No matter how sustainably our food is farmed, if it’s not being eaten, it is not a good use of resources,” said Gunders. Reporting by Carey Gillam; Editing by Dan GreblerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
e0e4f42f68a6cbc0a037a3837e3ca5a5	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-ncaa-van-fuller-idUSKBN2880UL?taid=5fc2db2698701900016e44eb&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter	History: Fuller becomes first woman to play for Power Five team	History: Fuller becomes first woman to play for Power Five team By Reuters Staff2 Min Read Sarah Fuller of Vanderbilt made college football history on Saturday when she became the first woman to play in a game for a Power Five team. Nov 28, 2020; Columbia, MO, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores kicker Sarah Fuller (32) before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Hunter Dyke/Handout Photo via USA TODAY Sports She got her opportunity when she kicked off to open the second half with Vanderbilt trailing 21-0. The squib kick traveled 30 yards and was covered by a Missouri player at the Tigers’ 35-yard line. The 6-foot-2 Fuller is the goalkeeper for Vanderbilt’s women’s soccer team, which won the SEC championship last weekend. “Honestly, it’s just so exciting,” Fuller said after the Commodores’ 41-0 loss. “The fact that I can represent all the girls out there that have wanted to do this or thought about playing football or any sport really, and it encourages them to be able to step out and do something big like this, it’s awesome.” She joined kickers Katie Hnida (New Mexico, 2003) and April Goss (Kent State, 2015) as the only women to play in a Division I college football game. Fuller did not get the chance to attempt a field goal or extra point. Fuller wore No. 32 for the Commodores (0-8, 0-8 SEC) and the phrase “Play Like A Girl” was stripped across the back of her helmet. She was pressed into service for the football team when the Commodores’ kickers became unavailable because of COVID-19 protocols. She tried out for the team earlier this week and was the only kicker to travel with the team to Columbia, Mo. “She’s got a strong leg,” coach Derek Mason said earlier in the week. “We’ll figure out what that looks like on Saturday.” Fuller was amazed by the opportunity. “I think it’s amazing and incredible,” Fuller said Friday. “But I’m also trying to separate that because I know this is a job I need to do, and I want to help the team out and I want to do the best that I can. Placing that historical aspect aside just helps me focus in on what I need to do. I don’t want to let them down in anyway. It’s an honor they called on me to be able to do this and help them out.” --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
ccf981de824e53df8abdff678fcaaac9	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-dal-bryant-arrest-idUSKBN20Y2UO	Cowboys' Ventell Bryant arrested on suspicion of DUI	Cowboys' Ventell Bryant arrested on suspicion of DUI By Reuters Staff1 Min Read FILE PHOTO: Aug 29, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ventell Bryant (81) runs the ball during warmups before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports - 13276393 Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ventell Bryant was arrested early Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., on suspicion of driving under the influence. The 23-year-old was pulled over at 2:45 a.m. ET for driving without his headlights on. According to an arrest summary obtained by the Dallas Morning News, Bryant “exhibited several clues of impairment and admitted to drinking several margaritas.” Bryant failed a field sobriety test and exceeded Florida’s legal blood-alcohol level of .08, testing at levels of .102 and .99, police said. He was booked on a $500 bond. The Cowboys have not commented on the arrest. Undrafted out of Temple in 2019, Bryant joined the Cowboys’ practice squad in September after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals. Promoted to the active roster on Oct. 2, he appeared in 12 games and registered six tackles on special teams. The 6-foot-3 wideout caught one pass, a 15-yard touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
53b5ba30f275686dc8ac996ec77a2a38	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-dal-morris-signing-idUSKCN1UP08U	Report: Minus holdout Elliott, Cowboys to sign RB Morris	Report: Minus holdout Elliott, Cowboys to sign RB Morris By Reuters Staff2 Min Read Slideshow ( 2 images ) On the same day that multiple media outlets reported that NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott will be training in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, instead of joining his Dallas Cowboys teammates at training camp at Oxnard, Calif., the team has made a counterpunch. The Cowboys have agreed to sign running back Alfred Morris to a one-year contract, Pro Football Talk reported Monday after confirming with his agency Katz Brothers Sports. Morris, 30, returns to the Cowboys after playing the 2018 season with the San Francisco 49ers. In 12 games (one start with the Niners, Morris rushed for 428 yards and two touchdowns. The seven-year NFL veteran played his first four seasons with the Washington Redskins, where he ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. As a rookie in 2012, Morris posted 1,613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns -- both figures ranking second in the league. Morris signed a two-year contract with Dallas in March 2016 and mostly served as a backup behind Elliott. Morris did start five of six games that Elliott missed in 2017 after being suspended for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. For his career Morris has accumulated 5,931 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in 104 games (70 starts). --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
7be969dee154ea351fe40dbada007a0f	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-nyj-mgm-gaming-partnersh/jets-mgm-resorts-announce-nfls-first-gaming-partnership-idUSKCN1N52UU	Jets, MGM Resorts announce NFL's first gaming partnership	Jets, MGM Resorts announce NFL's first gaming partnership By 2 Min Read Slideshow ( 2 images ) The New York Jets and MGM Resorts International announced Wednesday a multi-year partnership that makes the Las Vegas-based casino the official gaming partner of the club. It is the most comprehensive gaming partnership in the NFL. The agreement will give Jets fans access to an MGM mobile app, provide season-ticket holders with hospitality opportunities and rewards, and give MGM access to the Jets 360 production studio among other sponsorship exposure and advertising. “We could not be more excited to join with the New York Jets for a first-of-its-kind partnership in the NFL,” MGM Resorts Chairman & CEO Jim Murren said in a release. “We look forward to working with the Jets to innovate gaming, increase our customer base through cross marketing opportunities and provide NFL fans with a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.” The announcement comes just two days after MGM announced a sports betting partnership with the NHL. It is similar to deals already struck between MGM and the NBA and WNBA. As part of the NHL deal, MGM Resorts will be able to market many of its products and services to NHL fans via various media platforms and events. The company will have access to enhanced NHL proprietary game data that will be generated by the league’s tracking systems currently under development. MGM and other casino companies have been seeking to take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in May that removed a federal ban on sports betting. --Field Level Media
c875a5de3025ba415ae2f981e243ab8b	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-super-bowl-advertising/cbs-scores-record-545-million-in-super-bowl-ad-revenue-despite-low-ratings-idUSKBN2AA2P3	CBS scores record $545 million in Super Bowl ad revenue despite low ratings	CBS scores record $545 million in Super Bowl ad revenue despite low ratings By Sheila Dang1 Min Read FILE PHOTO: The ViacomCBS logo is displayed at the Nasdaq MarketSite to celebrate the company's merger, in New York, U.S., December 5, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (Reuters) - ViacomCBS’ CBS network generated a record $545 million in advertising spending during the NFL’s Super Bowl LV this past Sunday, according to preliminary estimates from research firm Kantar. The game included a record 57 minutes of commercial time, and a 30-second ad was sold for an estimated average cost of $5.6 million, Kantar said Wednesday. The high price and increase in commercial time helped CBS score record revenue even as the game, which saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prevail over the Kansas City Chiefs, got the lowest TV ratings in 15 years. Advertisers flock to the Super Bowl because it is one of the last remaining annual events that attract millions of Americans to their TVs at the same time. Auto companies continued to be the top category among Super Bowl advertisers, representing 14% of total spending during the game, followed by streaming services and alcoholic beverages, Kantar said. Reporting by Sheila Dang; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
28add8ac13e5c9444cd4811d5008fd39	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-superbowl-ads/womens-empowerment-social-causes-take-the-field-in-nfl-super-bowl-ads-idUSKCN1PP2Y0	Women's empowerment, social causes take the field in NFL Super Bowl ads	Women's empowerment, social causes take the field in NFL Super Bowl ads By Sheila Dang3 Min Read (Reuters) - College education and clean water will be among the social issues that feature in commercials this Sunday, along with a spotlight on women, as advertisers seek to grab the attention of what is often the year’s largest television audience: the National Football League’s Super Bowl championship. Kia Motors Corp and Anheuser-Busch Inbev are two major brands plugging social causes, such as funding for college education and clean water, which appeal to millennials - the generation of people born between 1981 and 1996, that is prized by advertisers and tends to look for companies with values, marketing experts say. Last year’s Super Bowl saw TV ad buyers choosing to spotlight social responsibility in more than a quarter of the commercials - a “remarkable” change from the previous decade when such messages made up only about 5 percent of ads, said Charles Taylor, a professor of marketing at Villanova University School of Business, adding he expects the trend to continue. This year, the average cost of a Super Bowl commercial is about $5.2 million, Taylor said. Last year 103 million people watched the event. During this weekend’s matchup between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, Microsoft Corp plans to air a 60-second commercial for its new Xbox controller designed for gamers with limited mobility. Benjamin Hordell, founding partner of digital marketing and advertising firm DXagency, called the strategy a long-term play, as “people, especially millennials ... want their brands to stand for something,” he said. “Gen Z,” or those born between 1997 and 2012, also cares about where companies stand, according to Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and chief executive of dating app Bumble. It will air a commercial during the Super Bowl partnering with American tennis star Serena Williams. Slideshow ( 2 images ) “They care about what they buy, what they do, where they go, the brands they wear, what impact that has on the world around them,” Herd told Reuters Video News in an interview. Along with Bumble, some of the buzziest of the pre-announced commercials are those with high-profile female celebrities or themes of women’s empowerment. In its first ever Super Bowl commercial, Beauty brand Olay, a unit of Procter & Gamble Co , will feature actress Sarah Michelle Gellar. Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp’s commercial will star Antoinette “Toni” Harris, a sophomore football player at East Los Angeles College in California who aspires to be the first female NFL player. While it is well known that women make up almost half of Super Bowl viewership, they have often been ignored by advertisers until recently, said Paul Caiozzo, co-founder of creative advertising agency Interesting Development. “There’s an emergence of women in leadership roles in ads, instead of being the butt of the joke or being shown in a bikini,” he said. Reporting by Sheila Dang and Hilary Russ; editing by Daniel Wallis, G Crosse and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
f701355dcab9c4705dd3886883bd6652	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-superbowl-peta/peta-defends-controversial-kneel-advertisement-intended-for-super-bowl-idUSKBN1ZW03D	PETA defends controversial 'kneel' advertisement intended for Super Bowl	PETA defends controversial 'kneel' advertisement intended for Super Bowl By Amy Tennery2 Min Read MIAMI (Reuters) - Animal rights group PETA defended an ad it said was rejected for the Super Bowl broadcast this year, after some critics said it trivialized and appropriated quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest against police brutality and racial injustice. The minute-long animated spot, which has gone viral on Twitter, shows animals from bears to horses taking a knee, ending with an American bald eagle kneeling, before the caption rolls: “Respect is the right of every living being #EndSpeciesism.” While some praised the advertisement, others on social media said it exploited a protest first staged by Kaepernick in 2016 to bring attention to police violence against black Americans. “PETA has a long history of misappropriating images of Black suffering & Black struggle to promote its brand,” Kristen Clarke, the president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, wrote on Twitter. “Using kneeling animals in this #SuperBowl ad is a new low.” In an email to Reuters, a representative for PETA, otherwise known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, defended the ad and said that Kaepernick had approved of it. “No living being, old, young, from another country, LGBTQ, of color, or of another species, should be disrespected,” said spokeswoman Moira Colley. She said that Fox, which is broadcasting the Super Bowl, did not accept the advertisement. Reporting by Amy Tennery, Editing by Rosalba O’BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
8482eaedff6b83a76ac726f33b7ae552	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-tb-sea-smith-idUSKBN23Z0MW	NFLPA's Smith: Workouts 'not in best interest' of safety	NFLPA's Smith: Workouts 'not in best interest' of safety By Reuters Staff2 Min Read FILE PHOTO: National Football League Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith arrives at the Manhattan Federal Courthouse in New York, August 19, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith took issue with NFL players working out together despite a recent recommendation from the union stating that they should refrain from doing so. During an interview with USA Today, Smith was asked about social media posts following workouts by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. “Those practices are not in the best interest of player safety,” Smith told USA Today Sports in an editorial published Saturday. “They’re not in the best interest of protecting our players heading into training camp. And I don’t think they are in the best interest of us getting through an entire season.” Dr. Thom Mayer, the NFLPA’s medical director, issued a statement on June 20 advising players to avoid working out with teammates to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. More than a dozen Bucs players -- including new tight end Rob Gronkowski, wide receiver Chris Godwin and center Ryan Jensen -- met at a Tampa prep school Tuesday morning for a two-hour workout, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Also present, per the Times, were backup quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin, wideout Scotty Miller and defensive backs Mike Edwards, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean. Brady, 42, and teammates have been working out regularly at Berkeley Preparatory School since mid-May. Wilson posted a video of a workout with Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf earlier this week. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
83bf39e42471718e2f404315279b1a05	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-china/ford-to-resume-production-at-china-joint-venture-with-changan-on-february-10-idUSKBN1ZS0VE	Ford to resume production at China joint venture with Changan on February 10	Ford to resume production at China joint venture with Changan on February 10 By Reuters Staff1 Min Read FILE PHOTO: The corporate logo of Ford is seen at Brussels Motor Show, Belgium, Jan. 9, 2020. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Ford Motor F.N plans to resume production on Feb. 10 at its manufacturing facilities in China with joint venture partner Chongqing Changan Automobile 000625.SZ, a spokesman for the U.S. automaker said on Wednesday. The production plan for its factories in Chongqing and Hangzhou comes as local governments have extended Lunar New year holidays to rein in a coronavirus that has killed more than 130 people in China. Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
ba5a03efd5f64400aa3d47191d264a14	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-ekso-workers/ford-ekso-team-up-for-bionic-auto-workers-idUSKBN1D93B0?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews	Ford, Ekso team up for 'bionic' auto workers	Ford, Ekso team up for 'bionic' auto workers By Nick Carey4 Min Read WAYNE, Mich. (Reuters) - Robots have replaced many U.S. manufacturing workers, but new mechanical exoskeletons being tested by Ford Motor Co F.N may help factory workers to function like bionic people, reducing the physical damage of millions of repetitive tasks over many years. Ford Motor Co assembly worker Paul Collins wears a EksoVest as he works on the assembly line producing the Ford Focus and C-max at Wayne Assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, U.S., November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook The U.S. automaker said on Thursday that workers at two U.S. factories are testing upper-body exoskeletons developed by Richmond, California-based Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc EKSO.O, which are designed to reduce injuries and increase productivity. The four EksoVests were paid for by the United Auto Workers union, which represents hourly workers at Ford, and the automaker plans tests for the exoskeleton in other regions including Europe and South America. The cost of the exoskeletons, which were developed as part of a partnership between Ford and Ekso, was undisclosed. Two workers at each of the company’s Wayne and Flat Rock factories have been testing the exoskeletons since May. The lightweight vest supports workers while they perform overhead tasks, providing lift assistance of up to 15 pounds (6.8 kg) per arm through a mechanical actuator that uses torque to take the stress off a worker’s shoulders. If you try one on, if feels like an empty backpack, but it enables you to hold a weight such as a heavy wrench straight out in front of you indefinitely and without strain. Ekso began by developing exoskeletons for the military and medical fields, but branched out in manufacturing and construction in 2013. Slideshow ( 6 images ) Paul “Woody” Collins, 51, a worker at Ford’s Wayne plant, has been at the automaker for 23 years and has worn an EksoVest since May. He attaches bolts and parts to the undersides of Ford Focus and C-Max models, raising his hands above his head around 1 million times a year. Since wearing the vest, he has stopped having to put ice and heat on his neck three or four days a week and finds he has energy after work instead of feeling exhausted. Russ Angold, Ekso’s chief technology officer, said the aim is to get workers used to the technology before moving eventually into “powered” exoskeletons that “will help with lift and carry” work. “The idea is to demonstrate this isn’t science fiction, it’s real and it has real value,” Angold said on Thursday. “As we prove its value, we will be able to expand into other tasks.” The No. 2 U.S. automaker has been studying for years how to lower its workers’ injury rates and the exoskeleton venture is the latest step in that process. From 2005 to 2016, Ford recorded an 83 percent decrease in injuries or incidents that resulted in days away, work restrictions or job transfers, to a rate of 1.55 incidents per 100 full-time employees. That is a little over half the rate of 2.9 cases per 100 workers for private employers in 2016, according to U.S. government data. “We have made great progress, but shoulders are still our number one injury and they take a lot of time to heal,” Marty Smets, the Ford ergonomics engineer in charge of testing the exoskeletons, said on Thursday.. Collins, the Ford worker in Wayne, was supposed to wear the vest only until August, but has now asked to keep it. “If they want it back now, they’re going to have to fight me to get it off,” he said. Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
85d58f63046174e0795cedba2d5297d1	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-electric/ford-makes-big-electric-push-in-europe-with-new-launches-idINKCN1VV1CZ?edition-redirect=in	Ford makes big electric push in Europe with new launches	Ford makes big electric push in Europe with new launches By Reuters Staff3 Min Read (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it would launch eight electric vehicles in Europe this year, a key step in its target of achieving a majority of its overall sales from electric cars by the end of 2022. FILE PHOTO: The Ford logo is seen at the Ford oldest Brazil plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Rahel Patrasso The U.S. automaker is pushing into electric vehicles at a time when car manufacturers around the world are racing to slash carbon dioxide emissions in order to comply with more stringent environmental standards in the European Union. Ford’s launches include electric variants of the Kuga and Puma SUVs and the Mondeo sedan. The automaker also plans to launch nine other electric vehicles by 2024 in Europe, including a new Mustang-inspired electric sports utility vehicle next year. The automaker unveiled the models at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, and said it would partner with six leading energy suppliers across Europe to provide home-charging wall box installation services. The carmaker, like its rivals, has been facing stagnant demand and rising costs as it invests billions of dollars in electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles in efforts to boost sales. The company’s European business has been losing money for years and the pressure to restructure its operations increased after rival General Motors raised profits by selling its European Opel and Vauxhall brands to France’s Peugeot SA. In a bid to slash development and manufacturing costs, Ford tied up with Volkswagen <AG VOWG_p.DE> in July to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles. VW agreed to plow $3.1 billion into Ford’s Argo AI self-driving unit, but estimated it could realize up to $20 billion in revenue by sharing its MEB electric vehicle architecture with Ford in Europe. Ford had said it expects to build more than 600,000 electric vehicles in Europe over six years, sourcing components and the vehicle underpinnings from VW, helping both to cut costs. The cooperation with VW on electric vehicles in Europe is part of Ford’s previously disclosed $11.5 billion EV investment worldwide. The challenge of investing in low-emission vehicles while having to overhaul combustion engines to meet new clean-air rules, has forced Europe’s carmakers to slash fixed costs and streamline their model portfolios. The company will also introduce a smartphone app that will let its users and operators locate, navigate to and pay for charging. Ford said it expects its electric vehicle line-up to surpass sales of gasoline and diesel models by 2022 in Europe, and expects to sell 1 million electric vehicles by then. (bit.ly/2m2uZA7) The company’s stock fell more than 5% to $9.04 on Tuesday after Moody’s downgraded its senior unsecured debt rating to junk territory, as the carmaker pursues a lengthy and costly restructuring plan, with a cash cost of around $7 billion. Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
4530cd84d2430f2f6b3ce980554fb7da	https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-motor-japan-indonesia-idUKKCN0V3112?edition-redirect=uk	Facing weak market share, Ford to exit Japan, Indonesia this year	Facing weak market share, Ford to exit Japan, Indonesia this year By Jake Spring, Naomi Tajitsu3 Min Read BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co F.N said on Monday it will close all operations in Japan and Indonesia this year as it sees "no reasonable path to profitability" in the two countries where it has struggled to gain market share. The corporate logo of Ford is seen at a Ford branch in Caracas March 27, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins Ford will exit all areas of business, including shuttering dealerships and stopping sales and imports of Ford and Lincoln vehicles, according to an email from Asia Pacific President Dave Schoch to all employees in the region viewed by Reuters. Product development carried out in Japan will be shifted elsewhere. “Unfortunately, this also means that our team members based in Japan and Indonesia will no longer work for Ford Japan or Ford Indonesia following the closures,” Schoch wrote in an email regarding the decision that was sent to employees on Monday. Ford, one of Detroit's "big three" automakers, follows in the footsteps of General Motors Co GM.N, which last year decided to stop making GM-branded cars in Indonesia - with the loss of 500 jobs - amid intense competition from Japanese rivals. Ford began operating in Japan in 1974 and has 52 dealerships in the country, employing 292 people. Last year, it sold around 5,000 vehicles in Japan and held a share of around 1.5 percent of the imported new car market. In Indonesia, where it entered the market in 2002, Ford has a staff of 35 and sells through 44 franchised dealerships. Last year, it sold around 6,000 vehicles, taking a 0.6 percent share of the total new car market in a country struggling from economic slowdown. “In Indonesia, without local manufacturing ... there’s just really no way that automakers can compete in that market, and we do not have local manufacturing,” said a Ford spokeswoman based in Shanghai, confirming the content of the email. The company has also had a tough time selling its Fiestas, Mustangs and Explorers in the Japanese market, which is dominated by Toyota Motor Corp 7203.T, Honda Motor Co 7267.T, Nissan Motor Co 7201.T and other domestic brands. On top of that, vehicle sales have been falling in Japan as the population ages and demand for cars by young people decreases. (This version of the story deletes final paragraph after Ford spokeswoman says it no longer holds shares in Mazda, correcting earlier comment that it would maintain its minority stake after exiting Japan.) Reporting by Jake Spring in BEIJING and Naomi Tajitsu in TOKYO; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.