Virgin’s Branson halts talks on $1 billion Saudi investment in space ventures

British billionaire Richard Branson said on Thursday that his Virgin Group would suspend its discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund over a planned $1 billion investment in the group’s space ventures, in light of the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi government,” Branson said in a statement. Branson also said he would suspend his directorship…

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71% of Consumers Watch Videos on Social Media to Laugh, Report Says

One of the great joys in life is laughter, and when it comes to consumers on social media, 71% said it is one of the reasons they watch videos. The 2018 Sprout Social Index report surveyed consumers and marketers to determine where in the funnel social marketing effort must be targeted. It is critically important to define this target because social media is no longer an optional marketing channel. For small businesses, mastering social marketing is even more relevant because it is an easy and affordable way to reach your target audience. Whether you…

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Snacking on almonds in the morning can help lower cholesterol, glucose

A morning snack of almonds may reduce total cholesterol, and improve the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar in breakfast-skipping college students, a study claims. Many college students tend to skip meals, mostly breakfast, while they transition to a more hectic independent lifestyle, said researchers from the University of California Merced in the US. According to the American Heart Association, daily breakfast consumption may decrease cardiometabolic risk factors including blood sugar and insulin metabolism, they said. “This study, the first among a college student population, shows that for those who…

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Walk Barefoot On The Grass, It Can Improve Your Health

It is not a secret that spending time in nature is good for you. For years, researchers have been detailing how people who live near green spaces – parks, greenbelts, tree-lined streets, rural landscapes – have better physical and mental health, and practices such as Japanese forest bathing and Nordic hygge, which has a strong outdoorsy component, are being embraced here in the United States. Could grounding be next? I was intrigued when a colleague recently recommended a mutual patient – seeing her for stress management and me for nutritional…

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Would you consider skipping the Colosseum and Vatican on a trip to Rome?

You can hardly see the treasures of Rome’s top attractions these days amid the sweaty hordes and seas of selfie-sticks. Overtourism is real, there and elsewhere in Europe. Yet look away and there is hope. Give up your ambition to name-drop the top 10 attractions, and you can unlock the experiences of a lifetime at sites with equally astounding masterpieces that just don’t happen to be in every guidebook and listicle. The central part of the ancient Roman Baths of Caracalla. At the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme museum, you might…

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Tokyo stocks retreat in morning after Mnuchin tweet on foreign investment

TOKYO, June 26 (Xinhua) — Tokyo lost ground Tuesday morning as investors turned risk-off following a tweet by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying that more countries might be banned from investing in U.S. technology firms. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 116.82 points, or 0.52 percent, from Monday to 22,221.33. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, fell 8.14 points, or 0.47 percent, at 1,720.13. Oil and coal product, mining, and service-linked issues comprised those that declined the most by the…

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