US Secretary of State in Berlin Solution to pipeline dispute by August?

Status: 23.06.2021 13:57

During his inaugural visit to Berlin, US Secretary of State Blinken demonstrated unity with his counterpart Maas. In the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, an agreement is expected soon. The German government wants to find a solution to the transatlantic dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline by August. This was announced by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Chancellor’s trip to Washington in mid-July would certainly also be a suitable date, said Maas. But in August the US Congress will again deal with possible sanctions. “It is extremely important to us to achieve results that can also be supported in Washington,” emphasized the SPD politician.

USA: Nord Stream 2 is “Russia’s geopolitical project”

Blinken warned that Russia could use energy to leverage Ukraine. “Our goal is to ensure that Russia does not use energy as a means of coercion, as a weapon against Ukraine or anyone else in Europe,” said the US Secretary of State, who told his counterpart Maas in the run-up to the second Libya conference met in Berlin. The US continues to believe that the pipeline is a geopolitical project by Russia that threatens Europe’s energy security. In view of the difference of opinion between Washington and Berlin on this point, Blinken emphasized: “It happens from time to time among friends.”

USA waived sanctions

For years, the US has been against the construction of the Baltic Sea pipeline, which is supposed to pump gas from Russia to Germany bypassing Ukraine. Nevertheless, in May the new administration of US President Joe Biden partially gave up its longstanding resistance to the project and waived sanctions against the operating company – also out of consideration for relations with Germany.

Since then, talks have been going on between Germany and the USA about how to proceed. In essence, it is about how Ukraine, as a previous transit country, can secure long-term income, since it is dependent on Russian billions for gas transfers. The corresponding contract between Russia and Ukraine is limited to 2024

Train drivers union GDL resolves industrial action at the railway

Status: 23.06.2021 12:54 p.m.

With the beginning of the summer holidays in some federal states, rail passengers have to be prepared for strikes. The train drivers’ union GDL decided a labor dispute. The GDL intends to announce tomorrow exactly how it should look. At Deutsche Bahn, train driver strikes in the middle of the holiday season are getting closer. The union of German locomotive drivers (GDL) decided on concrete industrial action after failed negotiations with the employers’ association Move. GDL boss Claus Weselsky will not announce the exact scope and time of possible work stoppages until Thursday at a press conference in Berlin. According to the GDL, the corresponding committee resolutions are available. A railway spokeswoman asked the union to return to the negotiating table. There are well-founded offers for more wages and additional protection against dismissal on the table, about which the GDL top has so far refused serious negotiations.

First warning strike since December 2018

Immediately before the start of the school holidays in several federal states, the union is increasing the pressure on the management of the railway. The GDL declared the negotiations to have failed last Tuesday. It is the first warning strike on the railways since December 2018, when the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) called on its members to take part in a labor dispute. Both unions are fighting with each other for influence in the state company. The EVG had already reached a collective agreement last autumn. From the beginning of 2022, employees will receive 1.5 percent more money – little compared to collective bargaining rounds in better times. Compulsory redundancies are excluded until the end of 2023.

GDL wants more

The GDL wants to get more out of money and working hours. Both sides had moved somewhat towards each other before the failure of the negotiations. Based on the collective bargaining agreement for the public service, the GDL is calling for an income increase of 1.4 percent plus a corona bonus this year and a further 1.8 percent next year. The employees deserved more than compensation for the price increase, argues Weselsky.

According to its own statements, Deutsche Bahn had proposed increases in incomes as in the public sector, but in relation to the airport sector. An “emergency collective agreement” had been concluded for airports because of the slump in traffic. The 1.4 percent increase in income there will only be in October 2022, the other 1.8 percent not until April 2023. Employers will also have the option of reducing working hours by six percent in 2022. The level of the collective agreement for the public service is to be reached in October 2023

retail trade Constant dispute about the closing time

Status: 21.06.2021 5:43 p.m.

25 years ago, the Bundestag approved longer shop opening times. But to what extent do more flexible rules benefit retail – and what price do employees pay? The debate continues.

From Jens Eberl, WDR

When Berliners want to go shopping in Bavaria, they might find themselves in front of closed doors every now and then. Berliners are used to having shops open around the clock. And Bavaria, on the other hand, has the shortest opening times in Germany. Since 2006, responsibility for regulating shop closing times lies with the federal states. The federal store closing law only applies in the federal states that have not passed their own store opening law; and that is the case in Bavaria. According to the Federal Store Opening Act, sales are allowed Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bakeries are allowed to open from 5.30 a.m. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony, the shops are allowed to open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., in the other federal states, 0 a.m. to midnight.

“The job can hardly be planned any more”

Have the more flexible opening times proven effective? The balance sheets are very different. Stefan Genth, chief executive of the retail trade association (HDE), says that liberalization was an important and right step. “Especially in the food retail sector, customers like to use the longer opening times to shop later in the evening after the working day and to take a look around.” The service union ver.di, on the other hand, speaks of a massive deterioration in working conditions. “Due to the long opening times, the employees are required to be much more flexible, the job can hardly be planned,” says Federal Board Member Stefanie Benefitberger. Compared to the past, there are many more part-time workers; the longer opening times have not led to the creation of full-time jobs. “There are simply fewer staff available for advice in the store, so that the opening times can be covered,” says Benefitberger. “Two thirds of those employed in retail are women. The expansion of part-time work and employment that is not subject to social security contributions are at their expense and mean that they are dependent on basic security in old age.”

Jobs for millions of people

The industry association contradicts: Liberalization has increased the need for labor in the retail sector. “Particularly in the food trade, additional jobs were created in order to be able to cover the evening and night hours,” said HDE General Manager Genth. Overall, the retail trade in Germany today offers more than three million people a job.

The union also sees a connection between the dying inner cities and the long opening times. There was a big cutthroat competition, so ver.di board member Benefitberger. “Four corporations make around 80 percent of sales in foodstuffs, three corporations make almost 90 percent of sales in drugstore articles.” Not every company was able to go along, especially smaller shops should have closed that way.

Sunday opening as an economic aid?

In the current discussion about shop opening times, the main focus is currently on Sunday. The trade association, the association of towns and municipalities and Marcel Fratzscher, head of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), have signed up for a general Sunday opening until Christmas – as an economic aid for the industry, which has been hard hit by Corona.

“In many other areas of the economy, opening on Sundays is a matter of course. In restaurants and pubs it is part of everyday life that the doors are also wide open on Sundays. The same is true of theaters, cinemas or museums worked on Sundays, “said industry representative Genth. “Only in the retail sector, as a rule, everything has to be closed on Sundays. That is no longer in keeping with the times.”

Resistance in court too

But the trade union ver.di is massively resisting further liberalization, which is why it repeatedly goes to court. The advance of the HDE is a “general attack” on the trade workers, their families, and the Basic Law. “The HDE thinks too short-sightedly when it hopes to liven up the city centers and shops with shopping Sundays,” said union Benefitberger. “Because just because it is open longer, people cannot spend more money. Sunday sales only move sales from working days to Sunday.”

At the moment, shops generally have to close on Sundays and public holidays. There are exceptions, for example, for bakeries, flower shops, newsagents, petrol stations and shops in train stations and airports

Fee dispute BGH ruling costs banks millions

As of: 06/17/2021 3:40 p.m.

Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank have to set up provisions in the three-digit million range because of the BGH’s fee ruling. Savings banks and Volksbanks do not provide any information. The decision of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) on possible fee reclaims from bank customers is costing the industry millions. Commerzbank expects charges “in the mid double-digit million range”, which are to be booked in the second quarter of 2021, said the CFO of the Frankfurt group, Bettina Orlopp. The ruling is also likely to have an impact on earnings. However, the bank is sticking to the forecast for 2021 of income above the previous year’s level. Thanks to the income from the IPO of the US startup Marqeta, Commerzbank will be able to offset the burden of the BGH ruling, Orlopp said. The second largest German commercial bank has held a stake in the US company since 2015. The amount of their current share is not known.

Deutsche Bank speaks of 300 million euros

Last week, Deutsche Bank was the first institute to issue an estimate of the possible burdens from the BGH ruling. CFO James von Moltke spoke of a total of around 300 million euros. The bank therefore wants to set aside a provision of 100 million euros in the second quarter for possible customer claims. In addition, the institute expects earnings losses of around 100 million euros each in the second and third quarters.

Von Moltke admitted that the Karlsruhe judges’ verdict caught the banking industry off guard. The burdens and yield losses are only temporary. By the fourth quarter, Deutsche Bank will have found solutions to how it can implement fee increases in accordance with the new rules.

BaFin is sounding the alarm

Savings banks and Volksbanks are holding back with statements about possible charges and provisions. A spokesman for the savings bank association DSGV wanted to respond to the request of tagesschau.de do not comment on the subject. A spokeswoman for the largest German savings bank, the Hamburger Sparkasse, said that there had been very few inquiries from customers about the BGH ruling. Therefore, she could not give any information on possible burdens.

The financial supervisory authority BaFin expects the ruling to have serious consequences for the entire industry. “That has the potential to become really expensive for banks. We would not rule out the possibility of half of the annual surplus being in the order of magnitude, which can stand in the fire,” said interim chief Raimund Röseler in mid-May.

Unclear number of reimbursement requests

However, it is still unclear how many customers actually request the reimbursement of previous fee increases. they have to become active themselves. Industry observers also assume that the financial institutions will examine each application individually, so there will be no flat-rate reimbursement.

At the end of April, the Karlsruhe judges decided in proceedings involving the Deutsche Bank subsidiary Postbank that banks must obtain the consent of their customers in the event of changes to general terms and conditions. The clause according to which financial institutions can assume tacit approval if customers do not object to a change within two months, disadvantageous customers inappropriately. Ref .: XI ZR 26/20

CNN reported on the 15th that several U.S. officials confirmed that the United States and Europe decided to truce at the summit in Brussels, that is, to suspend trade disputes caused by their respective government subsidies to Airbus and Boeing. Although no U.S. and European officials have directly said that the truce is related to China, CNN explained that both the U.S. and Europe are currently trying to counter China’s growing economic influence, and the truce is conducive to enhancing relations with the Atlantic Ocean.

CNN said in the headline of the report, “The United States and Europe have terminated the Airbus-Boeing dispute with their eyes on the threat from China”, but it gives the impression that American media such as CNN always “have their eyes on China” when reporting on their own. CNN said that the United States and the European Union will suspend the collection of tariffs caused by this dispute within five years. The two parties will also issue a statement detailing the “acceptable (government) support” for the two major aircraft manufacturers.

According to reports, US Trade Representative Dai Qi said that this “resolved the long-standing trade troubles in US-EU relations.” “It’s not fighting with one of our closest allies, but finally uniting and responding to threats together,” Dai Qi said. However, she also said that if Europe does not abide by the agreement, the United States will reserve the right to re-impose tariffs.

According to the report, the Airbus Boeing dispute can be traced back to 2004, when the European Union stated that Boeing had received $19 billion in unfair subsidies from the US federal and state governments. In the same year, the United States made similar accusations regarding European subsidies to Airbus.

CNN also quoted a senior government official as saying that later on the 15th, the United States and the European Union will announce the establishment of a joint committee to resolve trade and technical issues. This is to a certain extent to better examine “China’s economy. activity”. The official also said, “The purpose of this working group is to formulate route rules for the next generation, especially in the fields of economy and emerging technologies.”

Regarding the relationship between the United States, the European Union and China, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today (15th) that China has maintained continuity and stability in its EU policy, has always regarded the EU as a comprehensive strategic partner, and has always firmly supported Europe. The integration process supports the unity and self-reliance of the EU and supports the EU to play a greater role in international affairs. China believes that China and Europe are comprehensive strategic partners, not institutional opponents. Cooperation between China and Europe is far greater than competition, and consensus far exceeds differences. China-EU cooperation is complementary, mutually beneficial and win-win, and has brought tangible benefits to the people of both sides. We have always hoped that the EU and China will meet each other halfway, uphold the spirit of mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results, and jointly promote the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.

Zhao Lijian said that as for the United States trying to draw a line with ideology and engage in a small circle against China, what I want to emphasize is that China and Europe represent two important forces in a multipolar world. We believe that the EU will continue to strengthen its strategic autonomy and will not be kidnapped by other countries’ wrong China policies.

Aircraft builder Dispute over Airbus and Boeing put on hold

Status: 15.06.2021 6:17 p.m.

The transatlantic dispute between Airbus and Boeing had far-reaching consequences – in the form of special tariffs. Now the two aircraft manufacturers have buried the hatchet for the time being. By Torsten Teichmann, ARD studio Washington You speak of a breakthrough in Brussels. But the US and the European Union have not yet agreed on whether Airbus should repay subsidies or Boeing should forego funds. They have not found a long-term solution on how to regulate government support for the aircraft industry. Instead, both sides decided to freeze the dispute. US tariffs that have already been issued, which are intended as punitive measures for Europe, will remain suspended – for another five years. The same applies to punitive tariffs imposed by Europeans on certain imports from the USA.

“Armistice” in favor of jobs

The situation in the aviation industry certainly contributed to the compromise: The industry is severely affected worldwide by the consequences of the pandemic, travel restrictions and entry bans. Boeing needs security to invest in a successor to the 737 series, a new medium-haul aircraft with a single aisle and composite wings. For the USA there are a total of 1.2 million jobs, justified the trade representative of the USA, Katherine Tai, the readiness for a ceasefire in the trade conflict. The decision is in the interests of the American middle class.

June 15, 2021

Contribution to the transatlantic détente

And at the same time, the step serves the foreign policy goal of relaxing transatlantic relations again – as far as the domestic political sensitivities in Washington allow. Because the accusation of the elected US President Donald Trump that Europe is exploiting the United States has never completely disappeared. Specifically, the US is suspending higher tariffs on certain European imports as long as the EU’s support for Airbus does not go beyond the agreement that has now been made. And vice versa, presumably the same applies to the EU tariffs on Washington and Boeing.

June 15, 2021

Controversy has been smoldering for many years

The transatlantic trade conflict over direct and indirect state aid has existed for 16 years. The World Trade Organization (WTO) decided in autumn 2019 that subsidies for Airbus put its competitors at a competitive disadvantage. The WTO gave the United States the option of penalizing imports from Germany, France, Great Britain and Spain with tariffs totaling 7.5 billion US dollars annually. Since then, French cheese, German wine and EU aircraft have become significantly more expensive for the US market. Because nothing was progressing in talks from the US point of view, the administration under President Trump increased tariffs on European aircraft from ten to 15 percent in March 2020. In a second procedure, the WTO again approved the Europeans, who in turn paid higher customs duties on imports from the USA. It was about additional taxes amounting to 4.5 billion US dollars, for example on whiskey, nuts, tobacco and airplanes.

interview 11/10/2020

Business recently stagnated on both sides

In the past few months, Boeing and Airbus had only delivered a few machines. According to the “Wall Street Journal”, however, the tariffs on planes in the USA mainly affect Delta Airlines, which is expanding its Airbus fleet. In Europe, Ryanair in particular had to reckon with rising prices with its standard Boeing 737 fleet. It is not known whether the airlines took over the customs duties when the machines were delivered or the manufacturers themselves. The agreement in Brussels and the postponed conflict should give both sides a little more security.

11/9/2020

Focus on new competition

The US Trade Representative Tai also said that instead of fighting with your closest allies, they are coming together to face a different challenge. And the common adversary is – once again on this trip by US President Joe Biden through Europe: China. The People’s Republic is building its own aircraft industry with state investments. Europe and the US are complaining that China is violating the rules of international trade and laws protecting intellectual property. But that’s also true: a competitor is just emerging for medium-haul aircraft like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 – and that on the lucrative Chinese market.

Dispute over ECB bond purchases Get together!

As of: June 9th, 2021 6:05 p.m.

It is understandable that the EU Commission is reacting to the Karlsruhe ECB ruling with proceedings against Germany. But that won’t resolve the dispute. Only the courts themselves can do that. A comment from Frank Bräutigam, ARD legal editors If anyone at Karlsruhe’s Schlossplatz had hoped that the high waves after the Karlsruhe ECB judgment of May 2020 would fizzle out silently, they were disappointed today. The EU Commission is initiating infringement proceedings against Germany because of a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court. ´ That has never happened before. The relationship between Karlsruhe and Luxembourg has always been somewhat tense. But this is now a unique escalation.

Do not lose sight of questions of democracy

The starting point of the Federal Constitutional Court on EU issues is absolutely correct and important. To see that the legal limits remain an important currency at the EU level. Because one must not lose sight of the individual voter, i.e. questions of democracy. Because the individual states have not given up all their competences to the EU. With its “yes, but” approach, the court has achieved a lot in several rulings since the financial crisis in 2012 at the latest. In this specific case of the ECB bond purchase, pulling the emergency brake, accusing the ECB and ECJ of arbitrary action, went too far.

The EU Commission had to react

That was not proportionate: in terms of content, but also with a view to the possible role model effect for other states such as Poland or Hungary. What happens there in terms of content within the judiciary is of course not comparable to Germany. Nevertheless, there is this bare result: The German court does not adhere to what the ECJ says. Then why should we do this? The fact that, from its point of view, the EU Commission must therefore react and initiate a procedure – which is understandable.

Dilemma for several actors at the same time

But you also have to be aware that if you think through the process started today, it will lead several actors into a real dilemma. First of all, the federal government, which now has to take a position as a first step. What is she supposed to do? Somehow signal an independent court to correct its judgment or take other action? And in the last step, the ECJ would decide on a breach of contract. Who? Yes exactly. One of the arguing actors. He would be a kind of judge in his own case. Would that lead to a good solution?

Take “cooperation relationship” at its word

Arguing over who “has the last word” is almost always devastating. In private life, in politics and also within a network of national and European courts. It is the last thing the citizens of the EU need in these times. If the “cooperation relationship” between the courts can be heard in many speeches, this must be taken literally. Mind you: the courts cooperate with each other. Not the courts with the state and the EU. They are supposed to strictly control these two. The fact that there is often still room for improvement at the ECJ on this point has expressly contributed to this conflict.

It is the courts’ turn

An example from the two companies at issue here shows that cooperation is fundamentally possible. Because the First Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court (the Second Senate acts in the ECB conflict) has shown with important rulings from 2019 that Karlsruhe and Luxembourg can achieve control of national and European fundamental rights in the interests of the citizens together. That means: the current situation can only be defused by the courts themselves. Not from the Federal Government or the EU Commission. The actors from the judiciary know each other. Well, actually. You have to pull yourself together. It is unclear what the one solution to the specific dispute should look like, but there has been no lack of creative ideas in Karlsruhe or Luxembourg for many decades.

Editorial note Comments generally reflect the opinion of the respective author and not that of the editors.

Deutsche Bahn Train drivers announce strike

Status: 08.06.2021 1:43 p.m.

The collective bargaining has failed, the labor dispute is a done deal: The German Engine Drivers Union wants to call for a strike at Deutsche Bahn. A date is not yet known. Deutsche Bahn customers have to be prepared for strikes. The union of German locomotive drivers (GDL) declared its collective bargaining negotiations with the company to have failed and decided to take industrial action. The union has not yet announced a date. It also left open which areas of the company could be affected. The fourth round of negotiations between employers and employees also failed to bring an agreement on Monday. “We wanted to negotiate and reach an agreement, but DB refused again,” said union leader Claus Weselsky. He accused the railway of wanting to worsen the working conditions of the train crew and of lying in statements to the contrary.

First strike since December 2018

In the event of a strike, it would be the first at Deutsche Bahn since December 2018, when the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) called on its members to take part in a labor dispute. The last wave of strikes by the GDL was six years ago. The railway had already seen the escalation coming after the unsuccessful conversation in Berlin. After the meeting, Chief Human Resources Officer Martin Seiler criticized that the union aimed at confrontation at all costs. The GDL consciously accept damage for customers. The group is still ready to talk.

According to the railway, the union is not ready to talk

According to its own statements, the railway proposed a collective bargaining agreement on Monday that would have brought employees increased incomes, as in the public sector in the airport sector. However, the union refused to talk about leeway and solutions. You insist on significantly higher demands. The contracting parties in the public service agreed in autumn on wage and salary increases of 3.2 percent over a period of 28 months. Due to the slump in traffic, however, special rules apply at airports with delayed tariff increases, reduced working hours and a suspension of performance-related pay.

Deutsche Bahn announced at an inopportune time

The labor dispute hits not only the customers, but also the financially troubled company at an inopportune moment. After the relaxation of the corona rules, the state-owned company’s business is picking up speed again. In regional traffic you drive the full range, in long-distance traffic almost 100 percent, said Seiler. “Bookings are picking up again, that’s nice.” It is all the more important that the GDL make its contribution in solidarity. In September, the railway had put together a tariff package with its largest union, the railway and transport union. From the beginning of 2022, employees will receive 1.5 percent more money. No redundancies for operational reasons are possible until the end of 2023. In previous collective bargaining rounds, the almost 215,000 Deutsche Bahn employees were able to look forward to some significantly higher increases in income. The GDL refused to take part in the negotiations. An arbitration in autumn failed. After the wage agreement expired at the end of February, the new round of negotiations began.

The US-EU reached a historic agreement to settle a 17-year dispute involving Airbus and Boeing. (Source: Getty Images) US officials confirmed that the country and the EU had reached an agreement to end a dispute over government subsidies to the world’s top commercial aircraft manufacturers at the US Summit- EU in Brussels. The two sides agreed to suspend the tariffs for a period of five years. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the deal “resolves a longstanding trade issue in the US-EU relationship”. “Instead of fighting one of our closest allies, we are ultimately fighting a common threat together,” Ms. Tai said. Under the agreement between Airbus-Boeing, any passenger aircraft built in the future will not be allowed to receive subsidies from the government. In addition, these two allies also pledged to settle another dispute related to imported aluminum and steel products. According to the CNN The fact that the EU and the US reached an agreement to end the dispute and impose a “eaten patty” tax for the past 17 years is a positive signal for bilateral cooperation under President Joe Biden. Immediately after the news was announced, shares of Airbus group rose 1.4% on the Paris exchange. Meanwhile, shares of Boeing have not changed much. (according to CNN)

Ancient vase dating from Qing Dynasty, China The most expensive antique on the planet belongs to an antique vase made in 1740 from the Qing Dynasty of China. The vase looks very beautiful, is made of gold with a harmonious combination of light yellow and sky blue and 4 motifs like fish and flowers. The auction of this vase is also one of the most expensive transactions ever made. The value of the vase is not only limited to its materials and sophistication, but also to its historical value and uniqueness. Can you imagine, the soaring price of this vase is 80.2 million USD. Leonardo da Vinci’s Leicester Notebook Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook was written around 1508. It was among the 30 notebooks during his lifetime. The notebook consists of 72 pages with special linen material, containing more than 300 notes, detailed drawings related to the research topic of water and its movement; sketch studies of the famous Mona Lisa; explanation of the fossils found,.. Leonardo da Vinci’s Leicester Notebook However, if you just stop there, the notebook is just an ordinary notebook. What makes it so special and famous is that the notebook was written by its owner using a unique mirror writing technique. This way of writing backwards from right to left will force the reader to use a mirror when wanting to read it. Many people believe that he did this to keep his research secret, but it is also possible that it was Leonardo da Vinci’s own style. US billionaire Bill Gates is the most recent person to own this book for $ 30.8 million at an auction making it the most expensive book in the world today. The notebook is named after the Earl of Leicester, who first acquired it in 1719. Wine cabinet from the 18th century Wine cabinet from the 18th century. It should come as no surprise if this wine cabinet hits a record $30.4 million as it is one of the most exquisite pieces of furniture crafted in Florence during the Medici family’s rule. It took six years and 30 craftsmen to complete this masterpiece. This 12-foot tall cabinet was made continuously for 6 years by 30 skilled craftsmen. It is made of polished gemstones and colored stones. There is also a clock on the top of the cabinet, marked with a lily symbol (fleur-de-lis), making it even more sparkling and noble. It is currently on display at the Liechtenstein Museum, where visitors to the museum can freely admire it, unlike many other antiquities in private collections. Moonflask pink-fermented blue-white vase The blue-white vase is fermented in Moonflask pink. Another ancient Chinese vase entered the top of the world’s most expensive antiques. This Moonflask vase has the style of the 15th century and was autographed by the famous Qianlong king 6 times from 1736 to 1795. The vase is 48.9 cm high with very skillful and delicate carvings. . On the vase are engraved 2 phoenixes and a bright red pearl in pink enamel. In 1987, this beautiful blue-white vase was offered for sale at Sotheby’s – Hong Kong for $15.1 million. Olyphant handmade horn Olyphant Handmade Horn – $16.9 million It is unlikely that anyone would use a battle horn worth more than £10 million on the front, but this is exactly what the Olyphant represents – a battle horn or so-called hunting horn. This amazing artifact is without a doubt the most expensive artifact ever put up for auction in Northern Europe, and it was crafted in the 11th century. In fact, there are only six similar artifacts left in existence in the world. world. Three-legged vase made of gold from the Ming Dynasty The tripod is made of gold from the Ming Dynasty. With 18 carat pure gold material and embellished with many precious stones such as rubies, natural pearls, jade and crizoberyl minerals, … the 3-legged antique vase dating from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty ( China’s dynasty known for its wealth and luxury) has become one of the most valuable antiques in the world. It appeared in an auction held by the Sothebys in 2008 in Hong Kong for 15 million USD. Tiara’s crown Tiara’s crown This rare and beautiful tiara was a gift from German Prince Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck to his second wife, the Swedish princess Katharina. The Tiara tiara is set with 11 500-carat pear-shaped emerald gems and a Shizuka diamond, weighing approximately 101.27 carats. In an auction in Ganeva, it was sold for $12.1 million. Illustrated Folio by the Persian Shah Illustrated Folio by the Persian Shah. The Illustrated Folio, made by the Persian Shah around the 1500s, is the most expensive specimen of Islamic art perfection ever auctioned or sold for $12.2 million. This is the most creative work of art, the most exquisitely illustrated manuscript ever. It has great historical value because it is the epic scene of the Persian nation Ancient Goddard and Townsend family secretarial desk Ancient Goddard and Townsend family secretarial desk. A coveted antique treasure for collectors is the antique secretarial desk of the Goddard and Townsend families who lived in the United States in the 18th century. They lived in a residential carpentry community in Rhode Island, so the table was. In addition to the family’s Chippendale style, it also reaches a level of sophistication in its carvings and patterns as well as the wood that makes it up. This table is between 7 and 9 extant. Its new owner was the Brown family at an auction held by Christie’s in New York (USA) in 1989 for approximately $ 12 million. The German Imperial Soup Bowl The German Imperial Soup Bowl. The German Royal Soup urn from the time of Louis 15 is one of those valuable antiques that makes people feel very interesting. Interesting because it is just a bowl to eat soup that costs nearly 10.4 million USD. Maybe this is just a meal for emperors. However, this is also a work of art. The lid of this urn is engraved with beautiful patterns with the peaceful natural scenery of the countryside such as plants, fish and poultry. This is one of the most exquisite silver products that have survived until now when it was not confiscated to be melted down to support war funding during the French Revolution of 1789. The antique last appeared at a Sotheby’s auction in November 1996, but its owner is unknown.

A new survey conducted and published by the Central Institute for Economic Management showed that 24.4% of enterprises recorded having had a dispute with a buyer, seller or both in the past time. Goods received that are not the same as advertised is one of the typical violation trends in e-commerce in Vietnam. Illustration: KT In particular, the trend of disputes in the online trading environment is increasing. Currently, there are 4 popular dispute resolution methods in Vietnam including negotiation, conciliation, arbitration and court. 57.8% of businesses and individuals choose the negotiation method; 46.8% chose to resolve disputes through the courts, while 22.8% conducted mediation and the rest needed arbitration to handle disputes. Notably, although Vietnam has a Law on Electronic Transactions, the trend of applying technology in resolving online disputes has not been applied much due to the incomplete legal framework and not many people know about it. ./.

Developed by a small group of the most talented vaccine scientists on the planet and industrially produced by the leading pharmaceutical giant with many prestigious certifications, Vaxzevria (the official new name for the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe) has been making hot headlines for many months. But not the kind that manufacturers have high expectations for. Months later, the manufacturer was not only caught in the political conflict between the EU and the UK, but also by the increasingly complicated conflicts. As a result, many governments around the world have recovered parts of Vaxzevria (some countries call it Covishield). Even when the third wave of outbreaks broke out in Germany and the EU, followed by a number of people claiming they wanted to be injected with any vaccine except for AstraZeneca. What’s wrong with that? The following survey by reporters Der Spiegel has reorganized the stories surrounding AstraZeneca in recent weeks to envision the disaster facing not only the pharmaceutical company but also many other countries. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (center) in an AstraZeneca vaccine factory. The Story of AstraZeneca The story of Vaxzevria begins at the Faculty of Medicine Nuffield, a research center on the eastern edge of the University of Oxford city. On January 30, 2020, a group of prominent researchers gathered there, just one day before the Brexit event and one day before the first two COVID-19 infections were announced in the UK, to be exact. is in York, 300 km away. For weeks, researchers continuously watched news about an outbreak of a virus in Wuhan (China), in a restless mood. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s governmental capacities are fully focused on leaving the EU, scientists at Oxford discuss how they can do to save the world. Among those present that day was Sarah Gilbert (a mediocre professor at the Jenner Institute) who was experimenting with yeast in a brewing research laboratory before becoming a world-renowned vaccine expert. Ms. Gilbert has researched on vaccines against malaria, Ebola and MERS, and is also preparing vaccines for “Disease X” – the next major pandemic that scientists are working on. . Ms. Gilbert (who has been studying the SARS-CoV-2 genetic code for weeks) has surprised colleagues by asserting that a vaccine will soon be available. At the time, Ms. Gilbert was working on phase 2 of Phase 1 clinical trials of a vaccine against MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) caused by a virus in the coronavirus family. By March 2020, Oxford experts have completed the first batch of new vaccines used to destroy SARS-CoV-2. The swine clinical trials in Surrey County have shown promising results. But obviously a huge amount of vaccine is needed, as much as possible. So Oxford started looking for partners in the pharmaceutical industry, and the first choice was pharmaceutical giant Merck (USA). But because Mr. Donald Trump’s “America First” thought made the British hesitant when working with Americans and the deal with Merck broke down. Speaking later on LBC radio, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock posted on the forum explaining that he did not want to enter into a contract that would allow the first batch of Oxford vaccine to be given to other countries. In April 2020, AstraZeneca’s Anglo-Swedish joint idea was born. Mr. Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca. Pascal Soriot and AstraZeneca When Pascal Soriot took over AstraZeneca in 2012, the company was at a bottom: stock prices plummeted, and the risk of losing its drug patents. Soriot is deep into AstraZeneca: instead of reducing costs, he invested in product development, bought more companies, and resisted Pfizer’s American acquisitions. Today, AstraZeneca is the 2nd largest company in the UK. At the age of 61, Mr. Soriot soon learned to build himself. Raised up in the Paris suburbs and his father passed away when his son Soriot turned 20 years old. Soriot then enrolled in the Paris Business School (HEC) and entered the pharmaceutical industry. In 2020, AstraZeneca’s CEO Soriot announced that his company was planning to tackle a very difficult public health problem: producing vaccines against COVID-19. AstraZeneca initially announced a partnership with Sarah Gilbert and other Oxford scientists. AstraZeneca plans to export vaccines globally at prices ranging from $ 2 to $ 5, and aims that poor countries will have access to vaccines as quickly and equally as possible. At the same time, Soriot also assured Prime Minister Boris Johnson that would provide the first and exclusive large quantity of vaccine to the UK. However, the AstraZeneca staff said that Soriot was subjective in not considering the possible consequences of failure. Without hesitation, Soriot approaches the vaccine strategy as it does with all of its projects. AstraZeneca is committed to producing 300 million doses of the vaccine for the EU by mid-2021, as well as another 100 million doses for the UK. AstraZeneca is producing Vaxzevria in at least four plants in Europe; Two of them are Oxford Biomedica and Cobra Biologics (both located in the UK); The other two facilities are Thermo Fisher and Halix (located in Belgium and the Netherlands). The four factories are operated by subcontractors, not by AstraZeneca. And at least two of them have had problems right from the start. At first, Thermo Fisher produced fewer vaccines than expected. And Cobra Biologics does not work synchronously. The Dutch health expert, Wilbert Bannenberg, was not surprised by AstraZeneca’s vaccine production glitch when it came to the hundreds of ingredients used in vaccines like Vaxzevria, even with small deviations in the ingredients. The raw material also causes the finished product to be discarded. By the end of 2020, it was clear that AstraZeneca was having difficulty in the contracts it had to make. Soriot is wondering whether to leave the UK or leave the EU. And the owner of Downing Street began to form a specialized vaccine force consisting of famous experts and scientists. Led by biochemist and venture capitalist Kate Bingham, the force not only created multipurpose vaccines for the British, but also built the UK vaccine industry. In other words, the UK offered vaccine developers an offer they could hardly turn down. Gambling customers’ trust Vaxzevria is the third vaccine to be approved in Europe, after BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna. But by the fall of 2020 it appears that AstraZeneca’s pandemic studies have become inaccurate. For example, about 3,000 test subjects received half an injection for their first phase, and a full dose for the second injection. Both Oxford and AstraZeneca disagreed in the notion that half the dose was an attempt to act. good idea. AstraZeneca has been criticized because it basically ended up calculating the mean of the data for different groups of test subjects. An even bigger problem is the lack of seniors to include in the study. The Standing Committee on Immunization (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute (Germany’s center for disease control) initially recommended AstraZeneca only test 18 to 64 years old, and invisibly turned the island. Inoculation in Germany is wrong. With a feeling of discomfort from a congestion in the vaccine supply, and not yet on any scientific basis, but French President Emmanuel Macron has declared the AstraZeneca vaccine “does not budge at all for people over 65” . Since that time, the vaccine has been ranked 2 in every European country except the UK. In the US, the AstraZeneca vaccine has not even been approved even though President Trump ordered 300 million doses required by the end of May 2020. At first it seemed that AstraZeneca was not completely transparent with Americans when covering the truth about A test subject fell ill at an early stage of the trial. But that is not the last malfunction. In March 2021, AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic infections. But US officials believe that the pharmaceutical company’s data is out of date and may falsify the results. In March 2021, news began to circulate threatening to destroy confidence in AstraZeneca. In some countries, people vaccinated with the Vaxzevria vaccine have developed an embolism caused by a blood clot in the brain, also known as sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT). On 29 March 2021, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (German institution of health management) recorded 31 cases of CSV out of 2.7 million vaccinated people in Germany. Most affected young women. 9 people died. Fearful, some countries have now ended contact with AstraZeneca. Until recently, the European Medicines Agency (EUMA) admitted for the first time that there is a link between thrombosis and Vaxzevria, but EUMA still recommends the Vaxzevria vaccine for all age groups. According to a survey, 23% of French people consider Vaxzevria safe, in Germany it is 32%. Norway and Denmark stopped using the vaccine Vaxzevria. Thrombosis and death were also seen in Britain for the first time. Oxford University has suspended a vaccine trial in children. Experts are on the verge of despair. Ms. Nina Gatter (a vaccinator from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) criticized AstraZeneca when saying that the company did not properly display concerns from the skeptical psychology of public opinion. In Europe, there has been growing skepticism and has delayed the vaccination campaign. Many were vaccinated later than planned, while others used different vaccines. Consequences affect the chain elsewhere. The Covax initiative is currently heavily dependent on the AstraZeneca vaccine. The consequences of this lack of trust can be seen in South Africa. The government stopped vaccinating people after it discovered a mutation. The slow results of the COVID-19 vaccinations in South Africa, meaning substances created with the hope of saving the world, are now piled up in stock.

A friend of mine recently said, once an acquaintance called in panic calling about wrongly converting 300,000 VND into 300 million VND for an online order. My friend on the one hand just called the bank to ask for intervention, on the other hand, the owner of the sales page. While the bank said that it can only support within 24 hours, the owner of the online sales site commits to transfer the excess money immediately. Just a few minutes later, the excess money was sent back to the acquaintance’s account, the relevant bank staff also called back to report the money was transferred by the receiver. Everything happened in 15 minutes. The acquaintance sent a thank-you message to the online shopkeeper, and received a message back: “It’s not my money, if you don’t pay it, it’s a scam, but I’m not a scam”. The explosion of online businesses in the epidemic era is accompanied by disputes through this online shopping channel. It is a case of luck in many cases that cannot be recorded in the booming online shopping activity in our country. Recently, a clothing store owner said that she saw a lot of beautiful clothes on an online store, so she bought it for business with the price of 5 million dong. The homepage owner requires a full payment in advance. The clothing store owner was a bit skeptical because of that payment terms, but one factor made her reassuring: the sales page had 20,000 followers. Therefore, she still transferred 5 million before receiving the goods. A pity happened: 3-4 days passed for the shopkeeper finally received a package full of rags. She warmly said that she did not know how to get money back because everything happened online. Online shopping has mushroomed after rain in Vietnam for many years, especially since the Covid-19 epidemic. There are tons of trusted platforms out there, but there are also plenty of websites where no one knows where. The Vietnam E-Commerce Index 2020 report by the Vietnam E-commerce Association indicates that the growth rate of Vietnam’s e-commerce in 2020 will reach about 15%, reaching a scale of about 13.2 billion USD. , and is expected to continue to grow steadily in 2021 and the next period. Illustration However, the explosion of online businesses in the epidemic era is accompanied by disputes through this online shopping channel. It is recognized that fraudulent acts of online buying and selling are very diverse such as: fraudulent online purchase of goods, selling goods with the wrong quality committed, fraud through multi-level distribution channels or investment. virtual money … Mr. Pham Hoang Long, Department of Competition and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Industry and Trade, there are guests who call the department complaining that they order Iphone through online shopping channels but until when received, the Iphone has turned into a “brick” properly. Some other customers reported that they ordered fruit online, but when received, they found that the fruit was broken, not as delicious as advertised … Mr. Long said that only in 2020, the Department of Competition and Consumer Protection will receive more than 11 thousand phone calls with content of lawsuits surrounding online shopping activities. “Most online shoppers wonder whether their rights are protected by the law,” he said. In that context, Mr. Vu Anh Duong, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC), said that a unit of VIAC has built a MedUp online mediation platform to provide more a cost-effective, time-effective dispute resolution model with technology, digital application. MedUp is an online dispute resolution platform operated independently by the Vietnam Mediation Center. This is one of the few online dispute resolution platforms using ADR in Vietnam so far. With the development of MedUp, according to Mr. Duong, the Mediation Center hopes to provide a technology solution that meets and promotes the need to resolve disputes between businesses and consumers, including credit disputes. applications, disputes through e-commerce floors, … through online mediation. On that basis, he said, it will expand to become a tool to narrow the gap to justice for other offline disputes – instead of being limited to e-commerce. However, according to Mr. Duong, more support from the Ministry of Justice, business associations, industry associations, and businesses is needed to institutionalize cyber exchanges such as digital signatures or identifiers. and electronic authentication.

Produced | Sohu Technology

Editor | Zhang Yating

Today is Friday, April 23. Last night and this morning, what major events happened in the science and technology circle, please pay attention to Today’s Science and Technology Morning Post.

Tesla re-issued a post late at night: Willing to be tested by any authoritative testing agency under the witness of three parties

Tesla posted a post on Weibo, announcing the specific progress of communication with related parties. It is reported that on the afternoon of the 22nd, Tesla has sent the sealed paper version of the data to Ms. Zhang by express mail; at 18:00 on the 22nd, it has gone to the Zhengdong New District City Supervision Bureau to receive the notice of ordering rectification.

At the same time, Tesla once again promised that it will unreservedly cooperate with the regulatory authorities to carry out in-depth investigations and openly accept social supervision. With the consent of the customer, government designation or supervision, the three parties will jointly witness and conduct testing at any qualified and authoritative testing organization across the country.

Meituan completes $6.6 billion first-to-new allotment

According to the WeChat official account of “CLSA”, CITIC Securities/CLSA successfully assisted Meituan to complete the US$6.6 billion stock allotment on the 22nd. CITIC Securities/CLSA served as the joint bookrunner in this project.

The former chairman of ZTE’s labor union raised 2.1 billion yuan of funds

Recently, a judgment published by the Judgment Document Network showed that He Momei, the former chairman of the labor union of ZTE Corporation, used his position to receive and transfer funds raised through a large number of private accounts, and used the funds raised to purchase wealth management products, real estate, and sales. Stocks, etc., have raised a total of 2.119 billion yuan and unreturned funds of 899 million yuan.

In the end, He Momei was guilty of fund-raising fraud, embezzlement, and other crimes. The total sentence was 28 years in prison, and 20 million yuan of personal property was confiscated. He decided to execute 20 years in prison and was sentenced to confiscation of personal property of 2000 yuan. Ten thousand yuan.

TSMC’s board of directors approves a US$2.8 billion increase in chip production capacity plan

TSMC, the world’s largest foundry chip manufacturer, confirmed on Thursday that the company’s board of directors has approved a $2.89 billion expenditure to increase chip production capacity. This move is seen as a response to the global chip supply shortage, and the crisis of chip shortage has a particularly serious impact on automakers.

In a brief statement, TSMC stated that its board of directors has approved the expenditure, “the purpose is to launch mature process capacity.” However, the company did not give a detailed explanation.

Apple and Google attended antitrust hearing, sued by app developers

According to foreign media reports, on the 21st local time in the United States, the US Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights convened executives from companies including Apple, Google, and Spotify to hold an antitrust hearing on Apple and Google’s app stores. Question whether it abuses its dominant market position.

This hearing is also part of the antitrust review of large technology companies by the U.S. Congress. Most of the complaints from app developers are directed against Apple, because Apple’s closed ecosystem prohibits apps on iOS from being installed anywhere outside of Apple’s App Store; the complaints against Google are mainly focused on its search and advertising business.

App developers expressed throughout the conference that the two companies can deal a heavy blow to their businesses by adjusting the rules of the app store. They also complained about the high fees for in-app purchases and the ambiguity of platform rules.

SMIC intends to sell a holding subsidiary for US$397 million

SMIC issued an announcement stating that the company intends to sell all the equity interests in its holding subsidiary SJ Semiconductor Corporation, with a total transaction consideration of approximately US$397 million. The transaction parties include CICC SAIC Emerging Industry Fund, Suzhou Yuanhe Houwang and Suzhou Puhuachuang Yu etc.

Tesla releases data for 1 minute before the brake accident of Zhengzhou car owners

Tesla provided data from one minute before the vehicle accident and provided a text description. The full text of the text description is as follows:

When the driver stepped on the brake pedal for the last time, the data showed that the speed of the vehicle was 118.5 kilometers per hour. Within 2.7 seconds after the driver stepped on the brake pedal, the maximum brake master cylinder pressure was only 45.9 bar. After that, the driver increased the stepping on the brake pedal, and the brake master cylinder pressure reached 92.7 bar. The front collision warning and automatic emergency braking function were activated (the maximum brake master cylinder pressure reached 140.7bar) and played a role, reducing the amplitude of the collision. 1.8 seconds after the ABS was applied, the system recorded the occurrence of the collision. After the driver stepped on the brake pedal, the vehicle speed continued to decrease, and before the collision, the vehicle speed was reduced to 48.5 kilometers per hour.

To sum up, the vehicle is running at a higher speed, and the driver starts to depress the brake pedal with less force. After that, the automatic emergency braking function is activated and takes effect, increasing the braking force and reducing the impact of the collision. The driving system is normally involved in the work and reduces the speed of the car.

In addition, with regard to the condition of the vehicle 30 minutes before the accident, Tesla stated this: In the 30 minutes before the accident, the driver drove the vehicle normally and had more than 40 records of depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle has repeatedly stopped more than 100 kilometers per hour and stopped repeatedly.

Xiaomi: Car manufacturing has not yet officially started, release in advance hopes to obtain better global resources

At the second WIN·Global Managers Forum and the 5th Anniversary Ceremony of Guests, Xiaomi Group President Wang Xiang said that Xiaomi decided to join the electric vehicle field by relying on its mobile phone and AIoT business’s ability to grow steadily, as well as the ability to pull internal resources. At present, car building has not officially started. The reason for the early announcement is to take into account two factors: one is that there are many rumors in the previous period, in order to make the information disclosure in time to decide the official announcement; the second is to obtain better global resources through early release , And jointly develop Xiaomi cars.

Tesla responds to the resignation of Vice President Tao Lin: rumors

In response to online news that Tesla Vice President Tao Lin took the blame and resigned, Tesla responded: This is a rumor, and Mr. Tao is working normally.

Storm is sentenced to more than 12 million in compensation to iQiyi due to contract disputes

China Judgment Document Network published the first-instance civil judgment on the contract dispute between Beijing iQiyi Technology Co., Ltd. and Baofeng Group Co., Ltd. on April 6. The People’s Court of Haidian District of Beijing made a judgment: The defendant Baofeng Company paid 12 million yuan to the plaintiff’s iqiyi company’s contract and 416,400 yuan for breach of contract for late payment.

According to the judgment, the plaintiff, iQiyi, alleged that on May 28, 2019, it and Baofeng Company signed a “Reconciliation Agreement” through consultation and agreed that before December 15, 2019, Baofeng Company will pay a lump-sum settlement of 12 million yuan. If the payment is overdue, the overdue penalty shall be paid at the rate of 1/10,000 of the total settlement amount for each day overdue. However, Baofeng Company has not paid the amount so far, so it filed a lawsuit in this case.

Defendant Baofeng Company argued that due to business difficulties, our company is temporarily unable to pay; according to the “Settlement Agreement”, the liquidated damages should be calculated from January 15, 2020 instead of December 15, 2019.

Ziguang Guowei’s 2020 revenue is 3.27 billion, and its net profit has increased by 98.74% year-on-year

Ziguang Guoxin Microelectronics Co., Ltd. released its 2020 annual report. During the reporting period, operating income was 3,270,255,200 yuan, a decrease of 4.67% from the same period of the previous year. After deducting the impact of changes in the scope of consolidation, the same caliber increased by 26.38%; net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies was 806,422,900 yuan, an increase from the same period last year 98.74%.

Among them, the integrated circuit business realized an operating income of RMB 3,046,840,400, accounting for 93.17% of the company’s operating income, and the electronic component business realized an operating income of RMB 196,829,600, accounting for 6.02% of the company’s operating income.

As of December 31, 2020, the company’s total assets were RMB 7,627,730,800, a year-on-year increase of 19.20%; the owner’s equity attributable to shareholders of listed companies was RMB 4,962,143,300, a year-on-year increase of 18.48%.

Apple CEO Cook: M1 chip version of Mac computers has sold more than Intel version

At the Apple 2021 spring conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the sales of Mac computers equipped with Apple’s self-developed chip M1 have surpassed those equipped with Intel processors.

Cook also said that although it was only released in November last year, the sales of Mac computers equipped with the M1 chip now account for most of its Mac sales.

Earlier, Apple disclosed in its financial report for the first quarter of 2021 that in the quarter, sales of its Mac computers increased by 21% year-on-year. Although the company no longer shares the details of hardware sales, IDC data shows that the company shipped approximately 6.7 million Mac computers in the first quarter of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 115.5%.

Xiaomi was enforced by the court, and the subject matter was 32310 yuan

According to the Tianyan Check App, Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd. recently added a piece of information about the person subject to enforcement, case number (2021) Jing 0108 Zhi 10164, the subject of enforcement is 32310 yuan, the enforcement court is the People’s Court of Haidian District, Beijing, and the related case is The copyright dispute between Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd. and China Music Copyright Association.

GSX announced that it will be renamed Gaotu Group, and the listing name will also be updated simultaneously

GSX announced that it will be renamed Gaotu Group, and the listing name and code will also be updated simultaneously. Previously, Gaotu Classroom was one of GSX’s brands.

At the business level, the K12 business brand is still “Gaotu Classroom”, and the adult online brand is renamed “Gaotu College”, from elementary school to university adult.

At the same time, Gaotu Classroom announced the release of a new generation of online education products, and began to explore “local online courses” to realize online courses localization, localized enrollment, localized services, local high-quality teachers, in order to continue to improve online education products, teaching and services .

In addition, Gaotu College for online learning for adults currently has a number of online courses in the fields of language training, financial education, public examinations, business management, study abroad, and study promotion.

Chanel loses a trademark dispute with Huawei, the court: the signs of the two sides are different in the direction of the semicircle, there is a difference in visual difference

Recently, Caijing Life was informed by the BBC that the French luxury brand Chanel had lost a trademark dispute with Huawei.

It is understood that this dispute began in 2017, when Huawei applied to the trademark agency the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for approval to register its computer hardware trademark, which is composed of two vertical semicircles intersecting.

Chanel objected to this, saying the design was similar to its “double C” trademark. Since then, the Trademark Office rejected Chanel’s objections in 2019, saying that there are no similarities and it is unlikely to cause confusion in the public mind.

Subsequently, Chanel again challenged this ruling in the Luxembourg court. The court rejected its appeal in Wednesday’s ruling and stated that the two signs have different semicircular directions and visually significant differences.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said he viewed his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as the eldest brother during his visit to China. (Source: THX)

During a recent joint press conference in Fujian province (China) with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said he considered Wang Yi to be taiko (roughly translated: eldest brother) after He describes Malaysia and China as a family.

Mentioning this phrase, Mr. Hishammuddin spoke in Mandarin before translating himself into English. In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also emphasized: “We are brothers”.

Malaysian public opinion responded

Immediately, this “big brother” diplomacy “stormed” Chinese social networks because that claim was seen as Malaysia’s strong respect for China, the second largest economy. gender.

However, it has caused a lot of controversy in Malaysia because many people believe that Mr. Hishammuddin seems to be “marrying” Beijing and downplaying Kuala Lumpur’s status.

In response to criticism from domestic public opinion, the Malaysian Foreign Minister explained that it was a way of showing respect to his Chinese counterpart, as Wang Yi was older (67 years old) Mr. Hishamuddin (59 years old). and a more veteran diplomat.

During his first visit as foreign minister, Mr. Hishammuddin chose China as a way to express his appreciation to Beijing for its help in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before that, when the Covid-19 epidemic was seriously spreading in Malaysia, China sent masks and other medical protective equipment to assist this country, and at the same time shared its epidemic prevention experience.

Although Malaysia’s Foreign Minister has voiced his opinion that this is a way of showing respect and thanks, his explanation still cannot calm domestic public opinion.

Led by the attackers were former Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. They commented that Mr. Hishammuddin had made an elementary mistake in diplomacy, leaving his personal feelings overwhelmed and possibly unintentionally “putting Malaysia in a position as a puppet” of a major country and asking for an apology.

Meanwhile, the Chinese side highly appreciated the desire for cooperation and the sincerity in the words of Mr. Hishammuddin, who has always had goodwill in relations with China and hopes a positive future for the two countries’ relations.

The Chinese daily newspaper in Malaysia Sin Chew Jit Poh commented that the word “taiko” did not show inferiority and turned the issue over: “Does Mr. Hishammuddin sign any treaty that could destroy Malaysian interests? Did Mr. Hishammuddin give up national sovereignty to China? What is diplomacy? It is the clever use of language to smooth the process of achieving its goals in international negotiations ”.

Two angles of politics and economics

For the political observer, Professor Dr. Chin Yew Sin, Mr. Hishammuddin’s statement can be explained from two perspectives on politics and economics.

From a political perspective, with the Malaysian general election (GE15) approaching, Mr. Hishammuddin wants to express his goodwill to China to attract Chinese-American votes in Malaysia. According to the survey, about 30% of Chinese voters have not decided which party to support in GE15.

From an economic perspective, Malaysia’s economy is facing many difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so it is very necessary for big partners like China in the context that Beijing is facing many “obstacles” in relations with the West. In addition, after the Covid-19 epidemic, Malaysia also needs to attract Chinese tourists to revive the tourism industry.

“Did Hishammuddin suddenly call China ‘taiko’?”, Professor Chin Yew Sin emphasized.

Some have suggested that Foreign Minister Hishammuddin is looking to use his personal capacity to achieve the national goals for Malaysia. As the Chinese economy is thriving when it recovers rapidly from the pandemic, Kuala Lumpur needs to strengthen economic cooperation with Beijing.

China is Malaysia’s largest trading partner for the past 12 years. Despite the pandemic, China’s imports of goods hit a record high in 2020. This brings many economic and commercial benefits to Malaysia.

From this trip, Malaysia has achieved a number of breakthroughs in trade. In particular, Beijing agreed to allow imports of red palm oil from Kuala Lumpur, which previously did not meet China’s color specification standards.

This is an important turning point for the Malaysian economy because palm oil is a major export item and foreign currency earnings for Malaysia. The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) recently forecast that China would import about 6.8 million tons of palm oil this year. Of which, about 42% of palm oil will come from Malaysia.

In addition, during the visit, Mr. Wang Yi also said that China was ready to work with Malaysia to continue promoting cooperation in the post-Covid-19 high quality Belt and Road initiative.

At the same time, the Chinese side also expressed its readiness to strengthen cooperation in Covid-19 vaccine and treatment research with Malaysia. In addition, the two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in digital technology areas such as 5G, the digital economy and modern agriculture.

Malaysia’s foreign minister’s visit to China is part of a series of foreign ministers’ visits to Beijing from March 31 to April 2, at the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Minister. The foreign ministers of the remaining three Southeast Asian countries are Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

(According to The Star)