Dave Woodhall talks to Russell Watson, the people's tenor and boxing fan.

"The government has come up with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an open network for digital commerce that is helping even the bigger e-commerce businesses," said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Returnless refunds are a tool that more retailers are using to keep online shoppers happy and to reduce shipping fees, processing time and other ballooning costs from returned products. Companies such as Amazon, Walmart and Target have decided some items are not worth the cost or hassle of getting back. Think a $20 T-shirt that might cost $30 in shipping and handling to recover.

Indore's Siyaganj market is experiencing a surge in demand for groceries ahead of the wedding season, despite significant price increases in edible oils, pulses, and grains. Traders anticipate an 8-10% rise in business compared to the previous year, driven by bulk orders from caterers and increased individual purchases.

The Bhartia family and Goldman Sachs are joining forces for a significant deal. They are planning to acquire a large stake in HCCB, the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in India. Goldman Sachs will provide substantial financial backing for this venture. The deal involves a planned future listing of HCCB, allowing Goldman Sachs to exit strategically. This move mirrors PepsiCo's successful strategy with Varun Beverages.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to meet with state counterparts on December 21-22 for pre-budget discussions and a GST Council meeting. Key agenda items include potential GST exemptions for certain insurance policies and rate reductions on various goods. The Council may also consider raising GST on luxury items like high-value shoes and watches.

India witnessed a surge in gig employment opportunities during the 2024 festive season, with over 1.2 million roles posted. This growth, a 23% increase from the previous year, was fueled by e-commerce expansion and a shift towards flexible work arrangements. Tier II cities are emerging as new gig hubs, while higher pay is attracting skilled professionals.

Sheela Foam, maker of Sleepwell and Kurl-on mattresses, reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 9 crore on revenues of Rs 813 crore in Q2 FY25. The company saw a 32% year-on-year revenue increase, driven by a 19% rise in mattress volume.

Akzo Nobel India reported a 14% increase in net profit to Rs 108.7 crore in the fourth quarter, driven by higher demand from the automotive sector. Despite muted retail demand due to higher rainfall and price hikes, the company's revenue from operations rose 3% to Rs 9.82 billion.

Net profit after minority interest declined to ₹694.60 crore in July-September quarter from ₹1,205.40 crore during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. Consolidated net sales decreased 5.3% to ₹8,003.0 crore from ₹8,451.9 crore.

US President Donald Trump's second term may benefit India's electronics industry. The US plans to impose tariffs on Chinese electronics, encouraging companies to seek alternative manufacturing hubs. India, with its growing manufacturing sector, stands to gain. Experts believe this shift could lead to increased electronics exports from India to the US. However, concerns remain about India's capacity to handle the potential surge in production.

Bajaj Electricals experienced a 59% drop in second-quarter profits, attributing the decline to weaker demand for cooling products due to monsoon rains. Despite a slight revenue increase, the company's profits were impacted by reduced demand and cost-of-living pressures. Analysts anticipate a demand resurgence in the December quarter, fueled by festive season promotions.

DAEWOO India has brought on C.M. Singh as its new Joint Managing Director. Singh brings over 30 years of experience to the role, having previously held leadership positions at LG, Videocon, TCL India, and Sukam. DAEWOO aims to leverage Singh's expertise to expand its presence in the consumer durables sector and reach new markets across India.

Manos Nikolakis, GM, BIC Cello, said, "While e-commerce is growing significantly across the country, the landscape of the Indian market is still heavily reliant on traditional trade. Accordingly, this remains our main sales driver. The lack of digital penetration in semi-urban and rural areas can sometimes create a challenge in the e-commerce space, which means that e-commerce is mostly relevant in bigger cities with a more mature infrastructure."

Stationery retailer DOMS Industries has acquired 51 per cent of stake in Skido Industries with an initial investment of Rs 51 lakh, marking its entrance into school bag manufacturing, it said in a press release on Thursday. The remaining stake of Skido remains with Sehgals.

Page Industries, the company that holds the license for Jockey and Speedo in India, saw its profit increase by 30% in the second quarter. The company's profit reached 1.95 billion rupees. This growth was driven by higher sales of premium athleisure wear. Despite a general slowdown in consumer spending, demand for these products remained strong.

Trent Limited, a Tata Group company, witnessed a 40% rise in net sales for the quarter ending in September. The retailer's revenue reached Rs 4036 crore, while net profit saw a 46% increase to Rs 423 crore. Despite the growth, consumer sentiment remained subdued. Trent opened 43 new stores during the quarter, expanding its presence to 184 cities.

Mankind Pharma is spinning off its consumer brands business into a wholly-owned subsidiary, aiming to increase its revenue contribution. Similar moves by Sanofi, Cipla, and Zydus Lifesciences have yielded benefits. Mankind Pharma seeks to unlock investor value through focused marketing and potential stock market listings.

Secret Alchemist, a wellness startup focusing on aromatherapy, onboards actress Samantha Prabhu as co-founder after securing $500,000 in seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures. The company, co-founded by Ankita Thadani and Akash Valia, plans to expand its product line and enhance brand reach with pure-grade essential oils for holistic wellness.

The beauty giant, which manufactures makeup, skincare, perfumes, and hair care products, has been in India for close to 20 years now. It had first launched MAC in the country, followed by Clinique, Estee Lauder and recently The Ordinary—its premium affordable range aimed at recruiting younger consumers.

Coty expects lower annual profit than previously forecasted. Demand for beauty products is slowing down in the US and Australia. Consumers are choosing essential products over beauty items. Coty's prestige fragrance segment, however, reported a 9% rise in sales. This is due to new launches such as Burberry Goddess and Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild fragrances.

Net sales rose 40% to $301.1 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with analysts' average estimates of $285.8 million, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Government initiatives, such as mandatory quality control orders and increased customs duties, have significantly boosted India's toy exports, but further efforts are needed, according to DPIIT Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. He mentioned ongoing efforts to include the toy sector in the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, with a proposed budget of Rs 3,489 crore, to enhance domestic manufacturing.

Founded by Supam Maheshwari and his colleague from a previous business, Amitava Saha, FirstCry has been the darling of investors which include SoftBank, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, Premji Invest, Mahindra & Mahindra and TPG Growth.

Millennium Babycares Ltd announced the closure of a Rs 122 crore private placement round with Bharat Value Fund (BVF), which acquired a significant minority stake. BVF is managed by Pantomath Capital and targets a corpus of Rs 2,000 crores. The funds will be used for market expansion in India and internationally.

Ian Hoffman Brass Instructor IAN HOFFMAN has a deep-seated connection and passion for music and the arts, having started his musical journey singing with the Dreaming Summit Honor Choir in […]

Artasia Viges, 24, is facing multiple charges after police said she lied about her son being kidnapped after she left him unattended on a major roadway.

Hi, I'm looking for an RV to rent for Burning Man, hopefully within a ~10hr drive of Black Rock City. I would need it from Thursday, August 24 through Thursday, September 5. Required: refrigerator, shower, capable of extended boondocking Appreciated: solar, large grey water capacity I'm an experienced burner, an avid consumer of information, and a mom. I'm planning to treat your RV as gently as possible and return it in the condition I receive it in, and I have a plan for how I'm going to do that. Happy to discuss further. I'm willing to pay, but I'm hoping for a reasonable rate - preferably less than $4k out the door. I am willing to get additional insurance.

Snabblån Express is a Swedish-based website looking to expand into the global audience. We specialize in money-management and personal economy. Our aim is to increase knowledge about money-lending and educating the public to avoid taking unnecessary risks. This is done via our vast knowledge database. We are now looking for editors who can read and write in English and German (Dutch), as well as Swedish. We have several hundred articles in the database, both published and ready-for-review status, which needs translating as we will launch our website on an international domain soon. The work is done remotely and we seek driven individuals who has the minimum of the following requirements met: You are a social and engaging person with high motivation and ability to perform your tasks individually. You have advanced knowledge from the field of finances and economy in the west, and know how to write compelling economy and finance articles. You are self-driven and efficient, and a fast writer :) - Experience in using Wordpress - Experience in writing before (add references) - Experience in SEO - Fluent in English, German languages - Advanced in Swedish language The payscale varies depending on the output of the work you provide. We are open to suggestions.

Whether you prefer the modern age of cinema or the silent era, there's plenty of films worth checking out this weekend and beyond! WEMU's Russ Collins from Marquee Arts gives the full cinematic rundown in his conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

What's your favorite scary movie? WEMU's David Fair and Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins meet up to inform you of tonight's special screenings for your Halloween viewing pleasure! Plus, you'll get details on some new films opening downtown and at the multiplex, too!

This explains a lot.

A Narcissist's Prayer That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did You deserved it. by Dayna EM Craig The Trauma Survivor Mantra It did happen. It was bad. It was a big deal. It doesn't matter if they meant it. I reject the shame. I didn't deserve it. by Dr. Elayna Fernández ~~~~~ Elayna Fernández is a happy, smiling, festive, wise powerhouse who lives oh so large. A joy to read, I cannot help but smile. I was/am so glad to come across her take on A Narcissists Prayer -- honest, painful, human, smart. A Narcissists Prayer is the best description of the animal I've ever come upon, in six lines (!) no less. Craig gives it to us dead on. Fernández in The Trauma Survivor Mantra nails it, gives us the sane and healthy response to insane unhealthy people.

I am the son of a Holocaust survivor. When my dad was 11, his parents put him and his 13 year-old brother on a boat, alone, from their home in Amsterdam so they could come to America and escape the Nazis.

Hilariously, just one generation later, this website suggests I get back on the boat and return to exactly the same place for exactly the same reason.

Since a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd on Memorial Day, NPR has faced ethical challenges every hour of every day, including how to describe the killing, how to use the audio of Floyd's last words, how to document Floyd's life and how to describe the mass demonstrations. The best answer to every one of these questions is: embrace precision, be descriptive, use more words. The more this happens, the better the journalism. When news organizations, including NPR, sometimes fall short, it's usually because of an attempt to economize words. This week we received questions and complaints from a number of listeners about a variety of topics. I have summarized them across four general questions that I put to two senior editors and one host. Here's a breakdown of the most frequent questions and the answers I received: Why do hosts and reporters say, "George Floyd died in police custody?" It seems like an understatement. That phrase does feel incomplete, even weak, given that

Since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, rage that had accumulated over centuries of racial violence spilled into the nation's streets. From Atlanta , Macon and Savannah to London , Amsterdam and Paris , protesters are flooding streets that, only weeks ago, stood nearly empty due to fears of COVID-19. The crowds are unprecedented in their size , diversity and condemnation of police brutality and systemic racial injustice. Despite early property damage , largely peaceful protests have gained momentum over the course of the last week.

John Lewis has gotten into a lot of trouble in his life. The now 17-term House Representative from Atlanta has been arrested 45 times – five as a U.S. congressman. One of the original Freedom Riders , Lewis trained in nonviolent resistance, but faced a lot of brutality during his time as a young activist in the civil rights movement. He suffered harassment and attacks during lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville, his skull was fractured by a blow from a Klansman in 1961, and he was badly beaten after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on Bloody Sunday .

Copyright 2020 KJZZ. To see more, visit KJZZ . STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Hospitals in Arizona are reaching capacity. Coronavirus infections there continue to rise. And the governor, who once pushed ahead with reopening, has now delayed the start of school. Is that enough? From our member station KJZZ, Rocio Hernandez reports. ROCIO HERNANDEZ, BYLINE: Arizona students are some of the first in the nation to go back to school. Some districts opened their doors as early as end of July. But that won't be the case this year. In June, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order pushing back the reopening of brick-and-mortar schools. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DOUG DUCEY: At this point in time, we are going to delay the first day of school till August 17. HERNANDEZ: That's too soon, says teacher Stacy Brosius at Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix. STACY BROSIUS: I don't want to be the teacher that gets COVID and have my third-graders have to attend my funeral. But I

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Here is a very brief history of American testing in the pandemic. The United States started out drastically short of coronavirus tests. The few people who got them had to wait many days for results. Then the United States engaged private companies to make up the difference. Mobile testing centers appeared in parking lots in many cities. Millions of people were tested. But now, as NPR has reported, most states are short of the testing numbers they need, and people getting tested report delays in getting results. Admiral Brett Giroir is on the line. He is an assistant secretary of health, and he has been in charge of the federal testing response. Admiral, welcome to the program. BRETT GIROIR: Thank you. It's good to be here with you this morning, Steve. INSKEEP: I want to quote Mick Mulvaney, President Trump's former chief of staff, who wrote, quote, "it isn't popular to talk about in some Republican circles, but we still have a

Copyright 2020 Georgia Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit Georgia Public Broadcasting .

The world population is going up, and human-wildlife overlap is increasing. That can lead to negative outcomes, including spread of disease and species extinction. There can be benefits, too, but it will require some planning. That's the focus of a new study out of the University of Michigan. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Associate Professor in Conservation Science Dr. Neil Carter about the study and what can be done right here in Washtenaw County.

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Belated podcast for August, American summer is just like that. No idea what we talked about, but I know we had a good time.

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Copyright 2020 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air . TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. At a time when many Americans are still home and life seems to have come to a standstill, our film critic Justin Chang says it could be an especially good time to watch "Palm Springs," a romantic comedy about two people forced to repeat the same day over and over again. It stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. It's streaming on Hulu and playing in some drive-in theaters around the country. JUSTIN CHANG, BYLINE: "Palm Springs" was a hot ticket at this year's Sundance Film Festival, one of the last public events to take place before the movie industry shut down. I didn't see it there, but having caught up with it months later at home, I can't help but feel as though this breezily entertaining movie plays a little differently in the era of COVID-19. It's a comedy about isolation and repetition, which might not sound too appealing at a time when many of us are also leading lives of isolation

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: Performing artists are struggling to find ways to reach audiences during the coronavirus lockdown. Musicians are streaming concerts from their homes. Theaters are trying everything from Zoom plays to radio dramas. And one opera company is trying to reach its audience one listener at a time over the telephone. Reporter Jeff Lunden decided to take the call. JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE: This is a story of love and separation. Two days before my phone rang, I got an email. And it says, my love, I miss you terribly. Each day without you is like... JENNIFER ZETLAN: A day without breathing. I long to see your face, the twinkle of your eyes. LUNDEN: The email is from my beloved. She says she's written some lyrics to songs she wants to sing to me and adds a postscript. ZETLAN: I've taken up learning a new language in quarantine, so all the songs will be in German. Here's the English translation. LUNDEN: I waited. Then the phone rang.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: The United States set a new record yesterday for the most new coronavirus cases reported in a single day - more than 68,000. The previous high mark was set just the day before. The pandemic is stressing medical resources in several states like California, Arizona, Texas and Florida that have seen dramatic surges in recent days. The country's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, this week referred to this moment as a perfect storm of viral contagion, all of which has intensified the debate about what the country - each of us, really - can do to slow down the spread of the virus, like wearing a face mask. Today President Trump was seen wearing a mask in public during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. But the president has sent mixed messages about this, refusing for months to wear a mask, as health experts recommend. So to begin tonight, we want to focus on a group of

The public funeral for opera star Jessye Norman has been set for Saturday in Georgia and will feature tributes from actor Laurence Fishburne, civil rights activist Vernon Jordan and Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald. The funeral will be at the William B. Bell Auditorium in Augusta. A private interment will follow. There are two public viewings — on Thursday and Friday.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14

I'll be at Burning Man for the first time in a long time and thought I'd post a placeholder for a meetup. We could meet at the Man base or Center Camp, maybe go on an art walk.

I am very sad to let the MeFi community know that one of its staunchest supporters and all around good guy digaman (Steve Silberman) has passed away as reported by his spouse on Bluesky. For people who didn't know digaman well, you might know his book NeuroTribes (MeFi post), the Grateful Dead box set he co-produced So Many Roads, or one of his 184 posts to MetaFilter (all from 2010 and before). He was always a great internet friend to me especially lately over on Mastodon and I know I will miss his voice. May his memory be a blessing, we are lucky to have known him.

"Honeymoon in Oak Ridge" is a documentary that tells the story of my parents, two young newlyweds who unknowingly contributed to building the world's first atomic weapon.

In 1998, I returned with them to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where they shared on camera their wartime memories with pride and sorrow. Decades later, I sat down with their grandkids to hear what they think about their grandparents' role in this piece of history and how it affected our family and their view of history. The 20-minute documentary won the Jury Award for Best Short Documentary at the 2024 Uranium Film Festival. It's now available to stream on Docsville.com (free trial available).

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