Social network icon Facebook. Photo: AFP/VNA This is the first antitrust investigation that European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager has launched against the world’s number one social media provider and the latest she has launched into an American “tech giant”. Ms. Vestager had previously forced Alphabet – Google’s parent company to pay a fine of 8 billion euros (about 9.7 billion USD) and is conducting a similar investigation to Amazon and Apple. During the Facebook investigation, Ms. Vestager said she would review Facebook’s huge data warehouse collected from 7 million companies that have participated in advertising on this social network. The European Commission (EC) and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are investigating the possibility of Facebook exploiting its dominant position in the social network or digital advertising by collecting collects and uses data, and examines Facebook’s “distortion” of the advertising market through service classification. Ms. Vestager stressed that in today’s digital economy, data should not be used in ways that undermine competition. This tech giant may have to change its business model with large fines. Reacting to the EU and UK’s decision, Facebook said it will fully cooperate with the authorities of both sides to demonstrate that Facebook’s integrated “Marketplace” and dating platform provides all people with more choices and all operate in a highly competitive environment. In the role of “gatekeeper”, Facebook as well as other social networking platforms have collected a large amount of personal private information of users based on privacy terms to develop an integrated platform. Marketplace aims to increase competitive advantage over competitors. In the past, the UK has rarely conducted independent antitrust investigations into US tech giants. Since withdrawing from the EU, the UK’s antitrust division has become an independent global regulator. Andrea Coscelli, CEO of the CMA, has pledged to tackle companies like Google and Facebook with a series of antitrust lawsuits, and said he is open to working alongside colleagues in Brussels.

Emissions from a factory in Scunthorpe, UK. Photo: AFP/VNA The UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme officially became operational two weeks ago, replacing the UK’s participation in the EU’s common system. The UK government has announced that the new CO2 trading scheme will make a significant contribution to achieving the goal of being CO2 neutral by 2050. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also plans to reduce emissions by 78%. pollutant emissions by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. UK prices start at around £50 ($71) per tonne of CO2, slightly higher than European prices. Meanwhile, the average selling price in the world’s third largest market, California (USA) is about 20 USD/ton. Observers say the supply of CO2 credits is dwindling in the UK to meet the Government’s environmental targets. Therefore, CO2 prices in this market are expected to continue to rise. According to Tim Atkinson, director of sales and brokerage at CF Partners, CO2 trading is one of the cornerstones of climate change policy. He considers this the most important tool to cut emissions in the power sector and heavy industries. For example, the UK has largely phased out the use of coal, largely because CO2 quotas make it too expensive to produce electricity this way. Meanwhile, other tools such as subsidies have fueled the boom of wind farms in the country. The efforts come as the UK, host of the G7 summit this month, is urging the world’s richest nations to facilitate for the “green” global economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. London will also host the United Nations climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow in November.

The first robot tractor in operation on the farm in the UK. Photo: TL. According to Fram Famers (UK), commercial robot tractors have been put into operation at Home Farm Nacton (member of Fram), in Suffolk (United Kingdom), from mid-April. Technological improvement required, along with difficulties in finding seasonal labor, led to the investment of robot tractors at the aforementioned farm. Home Farm, which specializes in organic agricultural production, received the Robotti 150D from Agrointelli, a Danish company. It was the first robot tractor to operate in the UK, and is now fully operational on the farm. The Robotti 150D is used to till the soil to prevent weeds from sprouting by using a harrow attachment. In the near future, Robotti 150D at Home Farm will be used to perform many other jobs such as mowing the lawn, punching holes to plant onions, etc. Home Farm produces both organic and conventional vegetables, including leeks, bok choy, onions, beets, potatoes, sugar beets and grains, on 1,940 hectares. The farm is looking to apply more advanced technology to production and business activities. Andrew Williams, Home Farm manager, said: “A large portion of our produce is organic, so we are increasingly limited in how we can control weeds. Organic production requires a lot of repetitive work as the beds are constantly plowed and weeded. Meanwhile, sourcing seasonal workers, mainly foreigners, has become increasingly difficult. We want to look to the future of farming and Robotti fits our setup perfectly.” Designed and manufactured by Agrointelli, the Robotti 150D is controlled automatically by GPS via an integrated computer, independent of the operator, instead following a pre-programmed route in the field. Tractor Robotti 150D. Source: Agrointelli. “Accuracy lies in the GPS mapped field, with Robotti always taking the exact same lines,” explains Frederik Rom, sales manager for Agrointelli. It is equipped with an RTK GPS, so setting up on any farm is simple. It takes about 10 minutes to map the 4-acre field at Home Farm and another 10 minutes to log the weeding plan into the system. It is important that this is correct from the start, as it will determine reliable performance.”

(Source: Reuters) Sumitomo Corp. (Japan) will provide mobile service in Ethiopia through a consortium with a telecommunications service provider Vodafone Group (United Kingdom). The move will make Sumitomo the first Japanese company to enter the African market. Ethiopia has approved a license for the consortium on mobile service providers in the country. It is expected that Sumitomo will hold about 30% of the shares in the new business and invest about 8 billion USD in 10 years, including investment capital for base stations. This will be the largest foreign direct investment on record in Ethiopia. According to the plan, service delivery will begin in 2022. Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa, with 112 million inhabitants. According to statistics, when the rate of mobile phone usage is only about 40%, the new consortium has seen growth opportunities in this country. In addition to mobile services, the consortium also plans to launch services in areas such as digital currency, education, and health information technology. The announcement of the cooperation between Sumitomo and Vodafone comes amid concerns in Japan, the US and the UK about the trend of Chinese companies such as Huawei Technologies and ZTE building much of Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure.

Tourists visit the Parthenon at the Acropolis archaeological site in Athens, Greece. (Source: Reuters) In order to attract tourists back to the beautiful islands, Greece has sent the country’s Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis 3 days to the UK to convince one of the biggest tourist markets of “ The land of myths .” According to the announcement of Greece, Minister Theoharis will meet with British Foreign Secretary Nigel Adams to discuss the tourism market in the context that Greece is gradually easing travel restrictions. It is expected that Mr. Theoharis will also work with British Airways, EasyJet and Jet2 – airlines that have regular flights to Greece. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, there were about 3.5 million British tourists on vacation in Greece and now the country wants to attract visitors from “The Land of the Mist”. blind” returns to the beautiful Greek islands in the coming months after gradually easing restrictions and blockade measures that have been imposed for months to combat the COVID-19 epidemic. Tourism contributes a quarter of the Greek government’s annual revenue, and Athens wants to convince tour operators that the country is safe to visit. Earlier, on May 10, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after talks with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, emphasized that Athens is one of the first capitals of the EU, along with Madrid, to support the idea of ​​a “vaccination certificate” to allow the resumption of tourism. Despite imposing a partial blockade since November 7 last year, Greece is still recording more than 1,500 cases COVID-19 /day, mainly in Athens, in which there are dozens of deaths and hospitals are always overloaded. In order to restart tourism, which has fallen into stagnation, since the beginning of April, the country has gradually reopened non-essential shops and cafes. On May 10, all schools were allowed to reopen after 6 months of closure. Under the new rules, students and teachers will have to self-test for the virus twice a week. Nearly a month ago, the 7-day quarantine rule was lifted for all visitors from the EU, the US, UK , Israel, Serbia, United Arab Emirates and some other countries. However, the UK has so far ranked Greece on the “amber travel list,” meaning Britons returning home from Greece must undergo at least five days of quarantine. At the highest level, the “travel red list” requires returnees to be isolated for 10 days.

This classic boot comes in all heel heights and toe shapes, but the most distinguishing feature of a Chelsea boot is the black elastic side panel. These shoes often have a tab at the back of the boot, making it easier to put on. The interesting fact is that the first version of this style was made for Queen Victoria by J. Sparkes-Hall in 1851 because she wanted a pair of boots without lace. They were considered trendy and “mod” in the UK when they first came out, and over time have become a wardrobe essential for both men and women. Combat Boots Army combat boots were originally designed to be used by soldiers in combat, as the name suggests. While this style is still worn by members of the military, others tend to seek fashion rather than function. Stylish combat boots still feature the original military elements, such as round ankles, laces, chunky soles, and high tubes. But these designs are more flexible, with many different textures, from imitation croc leather to smooth leather and all colors for fashionistas to easily mix and match and apply in many situations. Weather boots (rain/snow) When it comes to comfortable shoes, you’ll always need a pair of waterproof boots, whether it’s snowshoes or rain boots to help you weather the winter storms. But don’t worry about having to choose between an ugly pair of rain boots or a pair of shoes that make you wet. Because with the evolution of fashion now, you have a ton of weather-appropriate options in terms of styles and colors, as long as they are waterproof and have sturdy soles. Thigh boots Unlike ankle boots, which can expose parts of your skin to the winter elements less than pleasant, thigh-high boots keep you covered — literally. . In it, the classic style has a mid-thigh shaft and is usually fitted to your feet without the strange ripples and roughness. Thigh boots can be worn with tights, jeans, skirts, dresses, etc. will sometimes help your legs become slimmer and more elegant. Stiletto heels A stiletto heel will never go out of style, even though the kitten look has made a comeback in recent seasons. The slim heel can be worn with any style of shoe from Chelsea boots to thigh-high options and looks best when worn with tailor-made shoes. Think of stiletto boots as an alternative to office shoes for fall/winter. You still maintain confidence when wearing normal high heels as well as increasing height. Horse riding boots You don’t have to be a horseman to put on a pair of riding boots. These flat or low heel knee-highs come in a variety of colors and styles, but typically brands will offer them in standard colors like brown, black, navy, or gray. Some riding boots are suede, others are vegan leather, and generally have a very classy touch. Cowboy boots Compared to the past, they are further and further away, more and more designers are returning to the inspiration of cowboy boots. Reworked every season, cowboy boots now come in all prints, colors and textures beyond the leather. Special for this season, you’ll find everything from kitten heels to spiked metal designs.

TikTok is growing strongly all over the world. Several tech employees in the UK have refused to pursue jobs at TikTok because of concerns about the company’s harsh, intense and toxic work culture, according to CNBC News. The six said they withdrew from interviews, turned down job offers or left the company after learning that TikTok had a culture of “996” through online reviews or through face-to-face experiences. The 996 culture is the applied pattern commonly seen in Chinese companies. The name comes from the requirement that employees work from 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week, and 72 hours per week. Meanwhile, the regulation in the US and UK is about 40 hours per week, depending on the specific work. In the UK, it is illegal to work more than 48 hours per week. Hazardous Environments “The most common problem I found on Glassdoor is the work-life balance, the crazy hours. That situation persists until now, ”said an anonymous candidate. “It doesn’t seem worth it to me. I stopped the conversations pretty quickly knowing they were less flexible in terms of location and work policies ”. Last week, TikTok announced, Chief Financial Officer Shou Zi Chew has been appointed as the new CEO, which could result in the company needing more technical manpower. An anonymous senior artificial intelligence researcher also revealed that he turned down a job offer from TikTok despite being offered a salary of £ 100,000 ($ 139,000 – $ 3.2 billion) a year, plus other treatment. “I looked it up on Glassdoor. It didn’t seem that positive in my work / life balance, which I really value, ”said the person. While Glassdoor is considered by many to be a useful platform for evaluating the insider performance of companies, it is only a source of reference as reviews can be overly emotional at times. However, four former employees told CNBC they had a negative experience at the company whose video-sharing app owns 2 billion downloads. Another former anonymous employee told CNBC that TikTok was the most poisonous workplace they have ever experienced. “Everyone there feels tired, while life is too short. In the first year before the outbreak, there were only 4-5 days of weekends of the year that I didn’t have to work, ”said the person. “Everyone was right when they quit their jobs and I know the company is having difficulty in hiring. But in the end, they don’t care, the staff is just numbers ”. With the same belief, another former employee revealed, the average working day at TikTok is 15 hours. “For them, it is normal,” said the person. “The staff complained, but they still accept it later, maybe because of the good salary”. “Away” TikTok is accused of having a toxic work culture. In a one-star review on Glassdoor, two former employees of Tik Tok urgently warned under the title “Stay away, stay away, stay away”. The article lists 10 reasons why people should “resist the temptation of TikTok and find work elsewhere”. Criticism included “unbalanced work life” to “malicious team” and “bad management”. TikTok has been expanding the workforce around the world as it becomes an increasingly popular social media app. The company needs employees to moderate its content and handle technical and policy issues. In an effort to improve workplace culture, TikTok hired Michal Osman from Facebook as head of culture in Europe in January. But she came only after dozens of people quit her job. “I know TikTok has discussed the work with a lot of people. I don’t think they hire it easily, because there is still a shortage of people who can lead AI labs, ”an AI researcher told CNBC. While some are reluctant to come to work at TikTok, the company has increased the number of employees in Europe from around 1,600 in September to more than 3,000 today, with many joins from Facebook and Google. A current employee told CNBC that they have not experienced 996 culture, meetings are banned on Wednesday afternoon and Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, TikTok is ranked 30th in the list of best places to work by Great Place to Work in the UK. Great Place to Work – often consulting and surveying companies charging prior to listing – rating statements are determined entirely by employee experience and anonymous responses.

Land Rover Defender has just been named the automotive design of the year 2021. This is the third time Land Rover has won the award after previous victories for Range Rover Velar (2018) and Range Rover Evoque (2012) and the latest is the global award for a 4×4 off-road vehicle. The World Automotive Design Award recognizes the best new vehicle for the past 12 months and awards vehicles that demonstrate the highest standards of engineering and design innovation. Professor Gerry McGovern OBE, Creative Director of Jaguar Land Rover said Jaguar Land Rover’s vision was to create a 21st century Defender by crossing the boundaries of engineering, technology and design while retains its signature DNA and reputation off-road capabilities. The result is an attractive 4×4 that resonates with customers at the highest level – the emotional level. The signature design makes the New Defender instantly recognizable, and the revised front and rear end design offers excellent approach and exit angles. Land Rover designers reimagined the familiar Defender models, giving the 4×4 a purposeful vertical shape and Alpine windows on the hood, while retaining the side-hinged rear doors and The external spare wheel makes the vehicle very recognizable. In particular, the Defender model has been completely transformed compared to the prototype version, when previously hidden details are now shown on the outside, with the emphasis on simplicity and practicality. The Defender 110 offers a five, six or 5 + 2 seat configuration, while the 90 is capable of accommodating six people in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback. The Defender’s diverse capabilities enhance off-road ruggedness and off-road comfort. Underpinned by Land Rover’s D7x aluminum platform – the brand’s toughest bodywork ever – advanced off-road technologies and state-of-the-art powertrain. This is also the model that experts at Euro NCAP have given a maximum safety rating of five stars. The Defender family now includes Defender 90 and Defender 110, as well as 90 and 110 Hard Top commercial variants. Since its launch, Defender has won more than 50 global awards, including Top Gear’s 2020 Vehicle, SUV of the Year 2021 voted by MotorTrend, and Best SUV by Autocar. choose./.

Restrictions made the Buckingham Palace open for the second year in a row impossible to organize. Visitors will be allowed to visit on their own basis, from July 9 to September 19, 2021. The tour will pass through a number of gardens, which have long been an exclusion zone, reserved only for music parties and events. Buckingham Palace campus. Source: Rct.uk The gardens in Buckingham Palace are said to be “green oases” in the heart of London, with a rich ecosystem. It is home to more than 1,000 types of plants, including a mulberry tree about 400 years old, from the time of King James I. In the spring, flowers bloom brilliantly in the gardens, like the yellow of primrose, color red camellia, white magnolia flower … A 19th-century lake is also a popular tourist destination, connecting to Serpentine Lake in nearby Hyde Park. Visitors can go to immense green lawns, overlooking the lake gardens and wild flower meadows. These lawns allow for picnics and gatherings; However alcoholic beverages, ball games and barbecue are prohibited. State Room in Buckingham Palace. Source: Rct.uk Tours inside the palace are still limited, only accessible in small groups and guided tours. The tours are open during May and June, and visitors are allowed to visit State Rooms, visiting some of the treasures in the Royal Collection. Visitors can also see the inside of the palace, through virtual tours on the official website of the Royal Family./.