China factory activity shrinks for the first time in 2 years

orecasters expect annual growth of about 6.5 per cent, down slightly from 2017's 6.7 percent. But some industry segments, including auto and real estate sales, have suffered more serious declines."Downward pressure on the economy is still large," economist Zhang Liqun said in a statement issued with the PMI.Overall orders and exports both contracted, indicating that Chinese factories are suffering from weak demand at home and abroad. Exports to the United States kept growing at double-digit monthly rates through late 2018 despite President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs. But growth in exports to the rest of the world fell sharply in November and forecasters expect American demand to weaken in early 2019.That adds to complications for Chinese leaders who are trying to reverse a broad economic slowdown and avert politically dangerous job losses.Chinese and U.S. envoys are due to meet in early January for negotiations that are intended to resolve their economically threatening trade war. Over the weekend, Trump sounded an optimistic note, tweeting that he had spoken with President Xi Jinping by phone."Deal is moving along very well," Trump tweeted. "If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!"But economists say the 90-day moratorium on new penalties that was agreed to by Trump and Xi on Dec. 1 is likely too little time to resolve their sprawling dispute.Chinese economic activity already was weakening after Beijing tightened controls on bank lending in late 2017 to cool a debt boom. The downturn was more abrupt than expected, which prompted regulators to shift course and ease credit controls. But they moved gradually to avoid reigniting a rise in debt. Their measures have yet to put a floor under declining growth.Chinese leaders promised at an annual economic planning meeting in mid-December to shore up growth with tax cuts, easier lending for entrepreneurs and other steps. Dailyhunthttps://diigo.com/0dk45g

Food porn: Scrumptious dishes for the hungry soul

Chocolate sheet cake.A sheet cake is a cake baked in a large, flat rectangular pan such as a sheet pan or a jelly roll pan. Cranberry-apple crisp. The perfect holiday dessert recipe, it is made with tart cranberries paired with sweet apples and crumbly crisp topping. Roasted Brussels sprouts. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Chipotle pork and hominy stew. Also known as posole, this fragrant and spicy New Mexican stew combines toothsome hominy and tender chunks of pork in a mildly spicy, verdant base. Glazed roast chicken. Preheat oven to 375°. In a small saucepan, bring wine to a boil; cook 3-4 minutes or until wine is reduced by half. Stir in preserves and mustard. Reserve half of the glaze for serving. Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together. Roast 45 minutes; baste with glaze. Continue roasting chicken until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 170°-175°, basting occasionally with glaze. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Remove chicken from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with remaining reserved glaze.Dailyhunthttps://ask.fm/vaitlaasreenu

Looking for a place to set your furry companion free? Here are 5 dog-friendly parks to head to in India

Converted into a park from a dump yard, the brainchild of IAS officer Harichandana also has certified trainers and veterinary professionals, thus becoming the first park in India to match the international standards that have been set for the pet's holistic well-being. Petboro Dog Park, Bengaluru: Spread over a large space and equipped with canine-exclusive play tools such as ramp, see-saw, jump hoops and bars, weave posts, and others, this park is a haven for dogs to play and socialise as they exercise. Since the area is entirely fenced, the canine buddies can prance about, crawl, jump and relax as freely as they wish to. This park also serves as an ideal place for pet parents to train their little ones while they enjoy. Carter Road Dog Park, Mumbai: Stretched along the coastline overlooking the sea, the park is enclosed and absolutely secure for the little snoots to run about freely and make friends among both fellow dogs as well as humans. The park also provides dogs with several opportunities to socialise and have the time of their lives by organising interesting parties on numerous occasions. The best deal is that this park is open 24x7, so pet parents know where to head to when their furry buddy nudges them awake at 3 am for some fun! Off The Leash, Gurugram: True to its name, Off the Leash is a park-cum-café where you can let your furry one run around, make fellow pooch friends and explore the area without having to trail behind them the entire time. They are in for a treat, literally, with an amazing doggie menu for them to hog on as the parents sit back in admiration and sip their coffee. And a pool to do away summer jitters serves as a cherry on the cake! Domlur Dog Park, Bengaluru: Through concerted efforts by the Ugly Indian association, concerned pet parents and other animal lovers, a former garbage dump was converted into a dog-friendly park and is regularly maintained by them, too. With play equipment such as kennel, dog-exclusive benches and tier tunnels, this park serves as a relief for pets and their parents to relax and enjoy. Furthermore, a 'poop pit' has been dug in a corner which acts as a compost for the responsible parents to scoop out and put the excreta left behind by their furry children, thus ensuring a clean area for them to unwind. (Bhupendra Khanal is Founder and CEO of Dogsee Chew, which retails natural and organic dog treats and chews. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at bhupendra@dogseechew.com) Dailyhunthttps://able2know.org/user/zikkergikkers/

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Jaipur man circulating ex-minister's morphed video in police remand

A case under violation of IT Act was registered against Parashar at the Christianganj police station. He was arrested on Thursday and was produced in the court on Friday. According to a police official who didn't wanted to be named said that in his Whatsapp profile, Parashar has described himself as Ajmer district vice-president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The police official said, 'We are also trying to find out the intention behind sharing the post. When we checked his social media profile we found that he has been sharing hate messages and fake messages on regular intervals. Recently he shared a post in which he has asking few politicians and actors to leave the country and settle down in Pakistan. Akhtar contested the recent assembly elections from Pushkar against Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate Suresh Singh Rawat and lost by 9389 votes. During campaigning an objectionable video of her which was morphed went viral on social media. After which Akhtar had registered a complaint to the superintendent of Ajmer police Rajesh Singh demanding action against the accused. She had also attached the 'objectionable' video. The state police has been on toes during the election period and have been closely monitoring the social media. Recently, the crime branch of the Rajasthan Police wrote to the special operations group (SOG) to action against two people, who are charged with spreading hate content on social media. The two posted fake videos on micro-blogging site, Twitter, after the results of the 2018 Assembly elections were announced on December 11. A video was uploaded on December 12 which went viral on the social media. The video showed that a Pakistani flag was raised at a rally in Jodhpur district in Teori village celebrating the victory of the Congress. On December 15, another video was uploaded on social media where few persons of a particular community were seen molesting women. Those sharing the video are claiming that the incident happened in Utambar, Rajasthan after Congress won the recently concluded assembly elections. Dailyhunthttps://justpaste.it/5dlsy

A different roll call

It has been reported that the Centre has given its nod to changing the names of around 25 towns and villages this year alone.Mr Adityanath's boss, the prime minister, would certainly be glad with this spate of name-changing. And why not? Has not the prime minister's unshakeable belief in New India's newfound influence in the comity of nations been proved? For much like India's current crop of rulers, a burgeoning, global population is beginning to appreciate the usefulness of new names. It has been reported that an increasing number of immigrants - the thorn in the side of India, the United States of America and several European nations that are under the shadow of the Right - are now inclined to get baptized in a bid to melt into their new surroundings, as it were. Tellingly, only some kinds of names are in vogue. In India, names common among Muslims, or, for that matter, cities that were founded with Islamic names are under threat: they are a soft target. Similarly, immigrants seem to be nervous about epithets with ethnic chimings. Their anxieties are not unwarranted. A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, a peer-reviewed journal, has found that immigrants who take on anglicized names are more likely to receive assistance in their adopted countries in dire situations.A lot evidently depends on a name. This is because since the dawn of civilization, proper nouns, much like sartorial choices, have functioned as ciphers, dropping clues about the identities of people, cities and cultures. And identities are fraught with contestations, rendering some of them fragile. Thus, minorities and migrants are being threatened in a polarized world that is increasingly turning away from the principles of inclusion, pluralism and equality. One way of escaping such scrutiny and discrimination, a vulnerable people have found out, is a baptism that, they hope, would douse the fire.Will the new year bring good cheer, according equal respect to all names and communities? That would require fundamental political and social transformations. Alas, wishes, it seems, are indeed like horses. Dailyhunthttp://www.chaipaai.com/author/zeekrpheek/

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Inter Milan to play behind closed doors over racist insults

In addition to the next two home matches against Benevento, in the Italian Cup, and Sassuolo in Serie A being staged behind closed doors, the section of the San Siro stadium occupied by Inter's 'ultra' fans has also been ordered to be kept closed for a third game in the league against Bologna. The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, apologised to Koulibaly over the insults, describing them as 'a disgrace' on his Facebook page. 'It was a shameful act against a respected athlete, who proudly bears the colour of his skin, and also, to a lesser degree, against the many people who go to the stadium to support their team and be with their friends.' Napoli lost 1-0 after conceding a stoppage-time goal, leaving them nine points behind Serie A leaders Juventus. Like Koulibaly, their forward Lorenzo Insigne was also given a two-match ban after his sending off in stoppage time. Koulibaly was booked for fouling Matteo Politano and then dismissed for his reaction to the decision, although Ancelotti said the player was already upset and on edge over his treatment. 'I'm disappointed by the defeat and above all to have left my brothers,' said Koulibaly on Twitter. 'But I am proud of the colour of my skin. Proud to be French, Senegalese, Neapolitan: a man.' The FARE network, which monitors discrimination in European football, said it was a familiar tale. 'Once again in Italian football. Player is racially abused, referee fails to act, player is angry and gets sent off. The same cycle again and again,' it tweeted. Ancelotti said Napoli asked an Italian federation (FIGC) delegate three times during the match for the game to be suspended but, instead, public announcements were read out asking fans to stop. The coach said Napoli would walk off the pitch if there was a similar incident in the future. Inter Milan coach Luciano Spalletti added that it was the sort of behaviour which was holding back Italian football. 'If 65,000 people come and watch the match at Christmas, they want to see something else,' he said. 'We need a change of mentality (if) our objective is to bring our football back to the top in Europe.' Match officials in Italy are expected to report racist incidents to public security officials who have the power to stop games. The guidelines were introduced in 2013 after the AC Milan team walked off the field during a friendly match in protest at racist insults aimed at several of their players. Last year, there was an outcry after Ghanaian player Sulley Muntari was booked and sent off after complaining about racist abuse while playing for Pescara at Cagliari. Muntari, who said that he was booked for asking the referee to stop the match, walked off the pitch in protest and was then given a second yellow card for leaving the field without permission. Cristiano Ronaldo, currently the most celebrated player in Serie A, was among those quick to offer supportive messages to Koulibaly on social media. Juventus's Portuguese striker posted a picture of himself playing against Koulibaly with a message in Italian: 'Education and respect are needed in the world and in football. No to racism and to any offence and discrimination.' (Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ian Chadband) Dailyhunthttps://www.vox.com/users/wreengreens

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Incentives to spice up onion price

ewards under the scheme are payable as a percentage of realised free-on-board value and an MEIS duty credit scrip can be transferred or used for payment of a number of duties, including the basic customs duty.In recent weeks, farmers have been blocking highways and dumping onions as the prices have slumped to about Rs 1 per kg in the wholesale markets even though it takes around Rs 8 to produce a kg of the bulb crop. Maharashtra produces more than 30 per cent of the country's annual onion crop, followed by Karnataka. Onion is usually cultivated four times a year - early kharif, kharif, early rabi and rabi.Onions comprise less than one per cent in terms of value of the country's agricultural production. Dailyhunthttps://www.mobypicture.com/user/peeggerrizza

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