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☆ The Life and Times of China’s Pirate Queen
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( E. Lily Yu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The book opens with Shek Yeung’s husband, Cheng Yat, receiving a mortal injury. To carry out that wish, Shek Yeung negotiates a marriage to his heir, Cheung Po, with the promise of a son. Despite the fearsomeness of the historical figure, Chang-Eppig’s Shek Yeung is pensive and passive. When Shek Yeung disembowels a man, we do not see, hear, feel or smell anything. Only in the last 100 pages, when the Qing emperor’s pirate hunter, Pak Ling, becomes a credible threat, does Shek Yeung blossom into her namesake and act with vitality and resolve.

Persons: Rita Chang, Ching Shih, Cheng, Sao, Yeung, Ching, Kuang’s, Bardot, ”, Larry Feign’s, ” Rita Chang, Shek, Cheng Yat, Shek Yeung, Cheung Po, Chang, Pak Ling Organizations: AS, SEA, “ Pirates Locations: South China, Caribbean

MANILA, April 6 (Reuters) - Philippines toy maker David Tan is flooded with orders from grieving pet owners who want to memorialise their dogs, cats, hamsters and rabbits with stuffed toys or 'plushies'. The process is different from taxidermy, which preserves the body of the animal, said Tan, owner of Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory. This is actually one hundred percent, genuinely a stuffed toy," he said. "Although his ashes are here, and his memories are here, it's so much better to see something that really resembles him," Lazarte said. Reporting by Adrian Portugal and Lisa Marie David; Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The bottom line: The Ally High Yield Savings Account is a strong high-yield savings account with a competitive interest rate and solid savings tools. Ally High Yield Savings Account Learn more On Ally's site. Compare Today's Savings RatesHow Ally WorksAlly is an online bank with several strong accounts, including its high-yield savings account. We've compared the Ally High Yield Savings Account with savings accounts at two other online banks: Discover and Marcus by Goldman Sachs. See how Ally compares Ally High Yield Savings AccountDiscover Online Savings AccountMarcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Account Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

☆ Why ChatGPT and AI are taking over the cold call, according to Salesforce leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT are changing the way that companies and salespeople are communicating with customers for the better, said Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce's Service Cloud business. "You look at how salespeople work today, and most of them, they dread writing sales emails; they'd much rather be out there with customers," Shih said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Thursday. Earlier this week, Salesforce launched what it called the first generative AI CRM technology, Einstein GPT. The updated software uses generative AI technology and OpenAI's advanced AI models that power ChatGPT to do things like create personalized emails for salespeople, responses for customer service representatives, and auto-generate code for developers, among other tasks. "It's really about bringing enterprise-grade generative AI to our clients, whether those are small businesses or the largest companies in the world, and doing it in a way that's rooted in business outcomes," Shih said.

☆ Eli Lilly, Apple and Salesforce each made news on Thursday — our Club takes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A trio of Club stocks — Eli Lilly (LLY), Apple (AAPL) and Salesforce (CRM) — are in the news Thursday. The news: Eli Lilly is ending clinical development for one of its older Alzheimer's drugs — known as solanezumab — following another failed trial. Eli Lilly shares have struggled so far this year, falling more than 13%. In a note to clients, the firm said Eli Lilly "remains one of our favorite names" in the industry. The Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of the company's offices in San Diego, California, September 17, 2020.

☆ ChatGPT: How Salesforce is using generative A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChatGPT: How Salesforce is using generative A.I. Salesforce Service Cloud CEO Clara Shih joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss what Shih thinks the future of generative A.I. looks like, details behind the company's contract with ChatGPT, and how much data goes back to ChatGPT.

☆ Enterprise Tech Firms Push Further Into Generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Generative AI, the technology underlying the viral ChatGPT chatbot, runs on algorithmic language models trained on vast amounts of online data. “We think 2023 will be the year that generative AI will become prevalent and a key component of modern office work,” he said. On Tuesday, the company launched a $250 million investing fund targeting generative AI startups. Yet despite assurances from the enterprise market’s biggest players, most corporate tech chiefs are taking a wait-and-see approach to ChatGPT-like generative AI technology, analysts said. Steve Santana, chief information officer at educational-testing company ETS, said he is more open to working with large enterprise-technology firms on generative AI capabilities, rather than small niche providers.

☆ Salesforce to add ChatGPT to Slack as part of OpenAI partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 7 (Reuters) - Salesforce Inc (CRM.N) said on Tuesday it was working with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to add the chatbot sensation to its collaboration software Slack, as well as bring generative artificial intelligence to its business software generally. ChatGPT also would integrate with Slack to help users summarize conversation threads and handle other queries. Clara Shih, a general manager at Salesforce, said in a press briefing that the announcement responded to demand by businesses for the nascent technology. Salesforce's generative AI tools would help companies “completely reimagine how they engage with their customers,” she said. Salesforce also announced a fund to invest in generative AI startups.

☆ Salesforce follows Microsoft in launching A.I. tools for salespeople with help from OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The company said Tuesday that it will release software incorporating artificial intelligence to help salespeople, customer service agents and marketers do their jobs. Salesforce is calling the offering Einstein GPT, drawing on OpenAI's technology that's taken the tech industry by storm since the Microsoft-backed startup opened ChatGPT to the public in November. These AI models sometimes display incorrect information, prompting companies that sell to big businesses and governments to proceed carefully. Like Salesforce, Microsoft is trying to keep the spread of incorrect information to a minimum as it brings AI features to its competing Dynamics 365 software. Salesforce is also touting a new ChatGPT app for Slack that can display information derived from Salesforce.

☆ Is the iPhone's 'Made in India' era beginning as Apple breaks with China?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said Apple was already making between 5% and 7% of its products in India. His comments come at a time when Foxconn (HNHPF), a top Apple supplier, is looking to expand its operations in India after suffering severe supply disruptions in China. For years, Apple had relied on a vast manufacturing network in China to mass produce iPhones, iPads and other popular products. China headaches mountBut the world’s most valuable company posted shockingly weak earnings this month, partly because of its recent problems in China. According to Counterpoint’s Pathak, India accounts for 16% of the global smartphone production, while China constitutes 70%.

☆ Meet the DINKWADs: The TikTok legion making everyone jealous with their double incomes, no kids, and a dog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

There's a new American Dream: Becoming a DINKWAD — double income, no kids, with a dog. It stands for double income, no kids, with a dog. You can also be a DINK — double income, no kids — or a SINK, meaning single income, no kids. And then I heard the phrase DINKWAD, which is double income, no kids, with a dog. There's an increasing acceptability of not having children; there's a decreasing stigma around not having children," Pamela Aronson, a professor of sociology and an affiliate of women's and gender studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, told Insider.

The port-to-property group, led by Gautam Adani, one of the world's richest people, has denied the allegations and called them baseless, adding it has always made the necessary regulatory disclosures. "But from an offshore investor's perspective the allegations (made by Hindenburg) ... do not seem to be clearly addressed," he said. The U.S. short-seller has said Adani's "response largely confirmed our findings and ignored our key questions." Australia's corporate regulator said on Wednesday it would review the Hindenburg report as concerns raised also relate to Adani's Australian operations. Adani Enterprises lost nearly 6% on Wednesday to bring its losses since the Hindenburg report to more than $8 billion.

U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap said halting the lawsuit until the Patent Trial and Appeal Board reviews the patents would unnecessarily delay the court case and prejudice Caltech. Representatives for Samsung and Caltech did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The school's 2021 lawsuit alleges Samsung's Galaxy phones, tablets, watches and Wi-Fi-enabled Samsung products like televisions and refrigerators infringe its data-transmission patents. The Texas case is scheduled to go to trial in September. The case is California Institute of Technology v. Samsung Electronics Co, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No.

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☆ The best social-media moments and trends last year, according to rising stars of the creator economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

We asked 22 rising stars in the creator economy what their favorite social-media moment was in 2022. As part of Insider's inaugural list highlighting the next generation of leaders in the influencer space, we asked individuals what their favorite social-media moment was in 2022. These rising stars have spent the past year making tangible change through their work on products, content, or initiatives at startups or social-media giants. (Read our full list of 22 rising stars of the creator economy.) Read the full list of rising stars for more favorite moments and details about their careers:

☆ Taiwan president resigns as party leader after election loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses on Saturday suffered by her party. Tsai had spoken out many times about “opposing China and defending Taiwan” in the course of campaigning for her party. “Faced with a result like this, there are many areas that we must deeply review.”Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen casts her ballot at a polling station in New Taipei City, Taiwan on Nov. 26, 2022. They’ve raised a local election to this international level, and Taiwan’s survival,” said Yeh-lih Wang, a political science professor at National Taiwan University. At an elementary school in New Taipei City, the city that surrounds Taipei, voters young and old came early despite the rain.

[1/5] Posters from Taiwan People's Party can be seen on the streets ahead of the election in Taipei, Taiwan, November 18, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - China's belligerence towards Taiwan and the future of the island's democracy are taking centre stage in campaigns ahead of local elections next week, a key test of the ruling party's support before a presidential vote in early 2024. The Nov. 26 mayoral and councillor polls are nominally about domestic issues such as transport and the COVID-19 pandemic rather than China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. "Russia has invaded Ukraine and Taiwan is facing the threat of China," Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters this week. "The China issue is not an issue for local elections," he told Reuters.

☆ Keeping Employees Happy On The Front Lines
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailKeeping Employees Happy On The Front LinesAs the founder of Hearsay Systems and the current CEO of Service Cloud for Salesforce, Silicon Valley veteran Clara Shih knows a thing or two about keeping workers happy and engaged even in the most demanding roles. We'll talk to Clara about the changing nature of customer relations, get her tips on navigating this new era of remote and hybrid work, and hear her strategies on winning the war for talent in a tight market.

☆ China's alarming decline could tank the stock market, take down the global economy, and spark a dangerous showdown with the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

In the Western capitals and boardrooms, it appears the horror of Beijing's transformation has finally settled in, and the lure of China's economic future is fading. Economic dangerIf you want a clue to just how far China's economy has fallen, look no further than Beijing's attempts to hide information about the country's growth. Beyond the short-term signs of trouble, there are more enduring signs pointing to China's economic distress. That's a big if, and even if Beijing is successful, the slow-moving blob of debt will choke off economic growth for years to come. Xi has tightened his grip on China's economy and government from education to public health.

☆ Salesforce's Clara Shih on how chatbots are easing employee burnout
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSalesforce's Clara Shih on how chatbots are easing employee burnoutSalesforce Service Cloud CEO Clara Shih joins CNBC's Work Summit to discuss the role of technology, including chatbots, in remaking customer service post-pandemic.

Then, two men led Mr. Hu — who appeared reluctant to go — out of Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. Was Mr. Hu, 79, suffering from poor health, as Chinese state media would later report? When the aide finally succeeds in coaxing Mr. Hu from his chair, Mr. Li, the No. As the two aides begin guiding Mr. Hu away from his seat, the older leader stops to say something to Mr. Xi. The state broadcaster’s news program that night showed footage of Mr. Hu voting, and then his empty seat later in the ceremony, without explanation.

☆ China's Xi deals knockout blow to once-powerful Youth League faction
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIJING, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The three most glaring omissions from China's new Communist Party leadership share one common trait: all rose through its Youth League and were considered members of a once-powerful faction whose influence Xi Jinping has now effectively crushed. "On Hu Chunhua, I think this has been Xi Jinping's main tactic of shutting down the youth league faction," said Victor Shih, an expert on elite politics in China and a professor at the University of California, San Diego. "They are completely defeated," said Cheng Li, a specialist on the transformation of political leaders in China, referring to the sidelining of the Youth League faction. The Youth League has been active in attacking foreign brands accused of misbehaviour in China, such as false advertising. The Youth League did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

☆ Hu's dramatic China congress exit fuels speculation, official silence
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

During the once-in-five-years congress, Xi solidified his grip on power by appointing a Standing Committee made up entirely of loyalists - and excluding the three most senior members of Hu's once-powerful Communist Youth League faction. State TV's Saturday night news broadcasts included images of Hu at the congress, before his exit. Chinese politics, always opaque, have become even more secretive under Xi's decade-long tenure. "Despite the plausibility of a mundane explanation of ill-health, the CCP's secretiveness vis-à-vis senior Chinese leaders and elite Chinese politics lends itself to many more salacious explanations," he said. On China's Twitter-like Weibo, a few social media users alluded to the incident by commenting on old posts featuring Hu.

☆ Xi Jinping now 'more or less a dictator' of the country, China expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailXi Jinping now 'more or less a dictator' of the country, China expert saysVictor Shih, Ho Miu Lam chair in China and Pacific relations at UCSD, discusses the China politburo's standing committee as President Xi Jinping fills it with loyal supporters.

That loyal inner circle has not only strengthened Xi’s hold on power – but also tightened his grip over China’s future. In the eyes of Xi, China is closer than ever to achieving its dream of “national rejuvenation” and reclaiming its rightful place in the world. What he decides to do – and how he goes about doing it – will have a profound impact on the world. Under Xi, Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, sending warplanes and conducting military drills near the island. Xi continues to back a costly zero-Covid policy that keeps borders heavily restricted and regularly sends its cities into lockdown – dragging down China’s economic growth.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Shipping Firm, Individuals for Alleged Oil Exports to North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. imposed sanctions against a shipping company and two individuals for allegedly exporting oil to North Korea, which the U.S. said supports Pyongyang’s nuclear and military programs. The U.S. said the Courageous, also known as the Sea Prima, has participated in several deliveries of refined petroleum to North Korea, including ship-to-ship transfers to North Korean vessels that violated United Nations sanctions. North Korea faces sanctions from the U.S. and the U.N., including restrictions on its import of petroleum products. Ship-to-ship transfers have been identified as one way North Korea circumvents these sanctions. PREVIEWFriday’s sanctions come after the U.S. Justice Department filed a criminal complaint against Mr. Kwek in April 2021 for allegedly conspiring to evade economic sanctions on North Korea and for conspiracy to money launder.

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