Congressional Dairy Fix Would Still Raise Milk Prices

Dairy Manufacturers and Consumer Groups Oppose New Program
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) stated today that the legislation proposed by Congressional Agriculture Committee leaders would still cause a problem in the marketplace because it includes a controversial new program designed to limit the milk supply. That proposal, championed by Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN) yet resisted by consumer groups, food manufacturers and many dairy farmers, is known as the Dairy Security Act (DSA) and would require the government to intervene in milk markets to manipulate the supply of milk in order to keep milk prices artificially high.
"It is ironic that the threat of higher dairy prices for consumers, caused by the possible implementation of the 1949 Act, is being used to force Congress to pass a new program that will result in higher prices," said Jerry Slominski, IDFA senior vice-president for legislative and economic affairs.
The new program is included in a bill that would extend most existing farm programs for one year; it was placed on the House calendar by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK). That bill completely rewrites U.S. dairy policies, including the new program to control milk production, yet leaves all other agriculture programs unchanged. By insisting on its inclusion in the "fiscal cliff" legislation, its supporters are making it more difficult to pass that important legislation, should leaders come to an agreement on its details.
"The Dairy Security Act is a problem, not a solution," Slominski said. "IDFA supports an extension of existing dairy policies in the current farm bill to give Congress time to complete action on a new five-year farm bill and to allow for consideration of the alternative to the Dairy Security Act offered by Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and David Scott (D-GA). We believe that alternative will pass if it is brought to the full House of Representatives for an up or down vote.
"A clean extension of the 2008 Farm Bill will avoid having the 1949 Act become relevant law and allow payments to dairy farmers when milk prices fall. The 1949 Act represents agriculture policies from the past and unless Congress passes a clean extension of the Farm Bill, Secretary Vilsack would be placed in the unenviable position of proposing rules to implement such policies. Although he will be able to delay any increase on consumer dairy prices for weeks if not months, Congress should still take action to avoid that situation," Slominski concluded.

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Book of Mormon Tickets Remain Atop Most Popular Theatre Tickets List

The Book of Mormon continues to remain at the top of our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list, said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. The 9-time Tony Award winning musical is currently running at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York, the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
This bold, bawdy, hilarious and heartfelt musical opened in February of 2011. It went on to win nine Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Now after almost two years, it continues to top popularity polls and play to sold out crowds around the country. (Source: Wikipedia.com, BuyAnySeat.com)
From the creators of “South Park and “Avenue Q”, Coloradoans Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the Book of Mormon continues to receive an almost perfect 4.9 rating from audiences, while critics give it a 4.7 out of five stars. (Source: Entertainment-link.com)
“While this musical is not appropriate for younger children, especially those in their pre-teens, adult audiences appear to appreciate the show’s explicit and irreverent content,” said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. “We continue to see The Book of Mormon tickets at the top of our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list.”
“Through-out the Holiday season, we’ve also seen major spikes in search traffic for discount Book of Mormon tickets for the current performances in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.”

“We still have a big selection of Book of Mormon tickets available however,” said Martinez. “And we’re proud to be able to offer fans a great selection, with a worry-free guarantee to protect their purchase,” said Martinez.
“To access the complete selection of cheap Book of Mormon tickets we now have available, customers can go to BuyAnySeat.com and search for Book of Mormon – then select their tickets,” said Martinez.
The musical itself tells the tale of two mismatched missionaries sent to deepest, darkest Africa to spread the good word. Those who have seen "South Park" probably won't need any warnings, but the producers have issued a parental advisory due to `explicit language’. What happens to these asymmetric missionaries in poor, hungry, AIDS-plagued Africa is... well, R-rated.
To some reviewers, the musical’s content is both revolutionary and classic, hilarious and humane, funny and obscene. Other critics have called it blasphemous, scurrilous and more foul-mouthed than David Mamet on a blue streak – yet with a heart and soul as pure and pristine as a Rodgers and Hammerstein or Disney show.
How offensive is it? Despite its adult theme and bawdy content, Entertainment Weekly and the Salt Lake Tribute call it “surprisingly sweet”, while Vogue magazine writes that the show "starts out as a potty-mouthed buddy comedy" before "winding up as a kind of parable," and concludes that the musical's "dirty little secret is its big heart."
To shop for The Book of Mormon tickets, visit BuyAnySeat.com.
About BuyAnySeat.com: An online ticket marketplace, BuyAnySeat.com connects sports, theater and other live entertainment fans to an extensive worldwide network of ticket sellers. The site’s simplified listings and navigational tools enable fans to easily locate, compare and purchase inexpensive, discounted or lower-priced tickets to virtually all advertised sports and entertainment events around the globe. The site, which is PCI-compliant and Norton Secured, also provides customers with a complete Worry-Free Guarantee on all ticket purchases. Based in Denver, Colorado, BuyAnySeat.com is a subsidiary of Denver Media Holdings. For more information, please visit http://buyanyseat.com.

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Breakout Consulting Offers New Clients $500 Off on Dream Client Marketing Campaign

Leading business consultancy offers businesses of all sizes to strategically target their dream client list.

(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Breakout Consulting, a leading small business coaching and consulting firm based in Dearborn, MI is offering new clients a $500 discount on their Dream Client Marketing Campaign focused on attracting the most lucrative buyers in their marketplace. The customized marketing package includes all the research, creatives and marketing collateral necessary to execute an effective dream client or best buyer marketing strategy. Package price also includes coaching and guidance to ensure effective deployment of the campaign. New clients can expect to be interacting with prospective dream clients within 45 days of engaging Breakout Consulting for this service.
The promotional price of $495 is a 50% discount over the normal price and is offered to new clients only.
Additional details can be found on their website or by calling 313-757-1425.
About Breakout Consulting:
Breakout Consulting, LLC was founded in 2000 by Michael P. Berry, a seasoned business professional who has been involved at various levels of ownership and management in 23 different private and franchise brands. Coaching and consulting services focus on all aspects of business improvement including marketing, sales, profitability, growth, hiring, training, planning, policies and procedures for start-ups and small to medium sized businesses. Prospective clients are offered a complimentary initial consultation and receive a customized 12-point growth plan free of charge.

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Michael J. Fox to play newscaster dealing with Parkinson's in NBC show

PASADENA, Calif. - On his upcoming NBC TV comedy, Michael J. Fox will play a newscaster who quits his job because of Parkinson's Disease but returns to work in the show's first episode because a new medical regimen has helped him control many of the disease's symptoms.
NBC said Sunday the comedy closely tracks many aspects of Fox's personal life and tries to have fun with an image that has left him an object of pity-fueled admiration.
The show doesn't have a title yet. NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke said it will premiere in September. Although the schedule isn't set yet, NBC is aiming to put it on Thursday night, where "30 Rock" and "The Office" are leaving in the next few months.
Salke said Fox is meeting this week with actresses who could potentially play his wife on the show.

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NHL players in hurry-up mode to prepare for games with pending end to lockout

The clock is already ticking for NHL players preparing to return to the ice.
With the end to the lockout pending, there will only be time for a brief training camp before a compressed schedule of 48 or 50 games.
The next few weeks will quickly show whether players who haven't played a competitive game since last spring are ready for the rigours of a regular season.
"I don't think it'll be too tough," said Montreal Canadiens forward Travis Moen. "Guys are professionals, so you should have been keeping yourself in decent shape all this time.
"We'll have some time to skate before, and then you make the best of it."
The NHL and the players reached a tentative agreement early Sunday morning but no details on how many games each team would play or when the season would begin were released.
There may be a wide disparity in game-readiness when the season does finally get underway.
About 200 players got game action skating for European clubs during the lockout, and most teams sent a few of their younger players to the American Hockey League.
But most, like Montreal captain Brian Gionta, did their best just to stay fit and keep their skills sharp by skating a few times a week in small groups on rented ice.
"Their timing and game-readiness would be there for sure,'' he said of those who played during the lockout. "It'll take a few games to get caught up, but that's the reality of where we're at."
A big concern will be staying healthy.
Injuries in the NBA reportedly rose more than 14 per cent from the previous season after their lockout ended in December 2011. Teams played a 66-game schedule after a short training camp. Some, including commissioner David Stern, disputed the injuries were the result of the lockout.
The shortened NHL schedule will have teams averaging more than 3.5 games per week.
"It's one of the more obvious things that might happen, especially groins, hip flexors, that sort of thing," said Vancouver Canucks forward Chris Higgins. "I think you'll see some teams with troubles with that early on.
"Hopefully, you've been doing the right things leading up to this."
His teammate Manny Malhotra said even that may not be enough.
"Watching the NBA last year try to squeeze in as many games as possible, it’s very taxing on the body," said Malhotra. "(Hockey) is obviously a lot more physical game than basketball.
"I would see it being a real grind on the players with very little rest. We always say: 'You can ride a bike as much as you want, you can practise as much as you want, you can bag-skate as much as you want, but there’s no substitute for actual game action.'"
There isn't expected to be time for pre-season games, as coaches will have enough to do just getting players back on the same page. In some cases, teams have new coaches who will have little time to work in a new system.
Players looking to earn an NHL contract in camp must be as impressive as possible in intra-squad games.
Among them is veteran forward Steve Begin, who has a tryout invitation to the Calgary Flames camp.
"I won't have much time to show what I can do but I'm confident," the 34-year-old said. "I've been working hard all summer and the last three months.
"I haven't played a game in a year and a half, so I'm excited. I'll take my chance and do as much as I can."
One who shrugs at the compressed schedule is Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, who said it is "not a problem. We’re used to travelling. We’re used to playing pretty much every second night. If they throw in one or two more games over a certain period of time, that’s fine."
Many players had already lost an entire season during the 2004-05 lockout, but only a handful recall the 1994-95 stoppage, which also ended in January and was followed by a 48-game schedule.
The Detroit Red Wings (33-11-4) and Quebec Nordiques (30-13-5) were the top regular-season teams that season, but it was the fifth-place overall New Jersey Devils who won the Stanley Cup. The defending champion New York Rangers barely squeaked into the playoffs at 22-23-3.
Physical forward Jim Vandermeer, a free agent who played for San Jose last season, expects the short season to be a wild ride.
"It'll be really exciting for the fans," he said. "Every game is going to matter that much more.
"You really can't (waste) any games in an 82-game season let alone a shorter one. It's going to be a race to the finish. Everybody's going to be flying right off the bat. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun to watch.

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Canada's top court rejects blanket rule on niqabs in court

(Reuters) - Canadian judges should decide on a case-by-case basis whether women can wear the niqab, a full-face veil, while testifying in court, but a blanket rule on the issue would be "untenable," Canada's top court said on Thursday.
The decision, supported by four of the seven judges who heard the case at the Supreme Court of Canada, said lower courts must consider, among other things, the harm that could come if Muslim women who wear the niqab feel discouraged from reporting offenses.
But the ruling also said that where a witness's credibility is central to the case, "the possibility of wrongful conviction must weigh heavily in the balance." Judges must also consider the sincerity of a witness's religious beliefs.
The court dismissed an appeal from a woman, known only by the initials N.S., who accused an uncle and a cousin of sexual assault and wished to testify wearing a niqab. A preliminary inquiry judge ordered her to remove the veil when she testified, and appeals pushed the case to the Supreme Court.
The case turns in part on the value of facial expressions in court. Government lawyers argued that facial cues can reveal deception and are thus important when cross-examining witnesses. N.S. argued that untrained people cannot detect deception using facial expressions, and that in any case, a niqab does not obscure the wearer's eyes or tone of voice.
The Canadian court's case-by-case approach stands in contrast to France's broad ban on full-face veils in public places. But a similar law would not be without precedent.
Face coverings are already banned at Canadian citizenship ceremonies and in 2010, Quebec's provincial government put forward legislation that would have given government workers broad discretion to refuse service to people whose faces are covered.
The bill died when the Liberal government was voted out of office.
Two judges concurred with the judgment on dismissing the appeal, but they argued for "a clear rule that niqabs may not be worn at any stage of the criminal trial" in the interests of openness and religious neutrality.
A third judge, Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, dissented. She argued that unless a witness's face is directly relevant - for example, when her identity is in question - she should not be required to remove her niqab.

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Tennis-Murray knows must do more to become 'Sir Andy'

BRISBANE, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Andy Murray is coming off a season in which he became the first British man in 76 years to win a Grand Slam singles title and won Olympic gold at the London Games but the Scot does not think he has done enough to deserve a knighthood yet.
The 25-year-old received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in a special U.K. New year Honours list, though some of his supporters thought his victories at the US Open and Olympics warranted a higher honour.
Bradley Wiggins, the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France, and Ben Ainslie, the most decorated Olympic yachtsman, received knighthoods but Murray said he would have to accomplish much more before he could perhaps one day join them.
"You need to do a lot, for a long time, to deserve an honour like that," Murray told a news conference at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
"A lot of the sportsmen and women have been given that just because their sport isn't necessarily in the spotlight all the time, it's easy to forget what they've done for 10, 15 years.
"I mean, some of them have won 10 gold medals in world championships, four or five Olympic medals, and have been doing it for years.
"I've only been doing it for a couple years, so I think I'll definitely need to win a few more matches and have more tournaments to have a chance of getting that."
Sir Sean Connery and Sir Alex Ferguson were in Murray's corner as spectators during the US Open but he said he only referred to them as Sean and Alex.
"I think with the people around you, I think everyone just kind of stays the same, and then it would be people that you don't know that will come up to you and address you as that," Murray said.
"But I would hope I wouldn't want my friends and family to call me that."
BETTER PREPARED
Murray's win over Novak Djokovic at the US Open in September has finally freed him of the questions about when he would make his grand slam breakthrough.
The world No. 3 said winning Olympic gold and his first major in the same year had had its perks but with a coach like Ivan Lendl to guide him he was never likely to get carried away by the success.
"The few weeks afterwards around the Olympics time and the US Open, I got a few upgrades on flights and things like that, which is nice, but that's died down a little bit over the last few months," he said.
"Life hasn't changed too much. Obviously the few weeks afterwards were very busy. Then once you start travelling and playing tournaments again, and get back into the routine of training and practicing, it hasn't really changed that much, to be honest, which has been nice.
"Also having someone like Ivan around me as well, he went through a similar sort of thing so that's obviously helped as well. He's given me some advice on how to deal with certain things that come with winning big events.
"I've had a lot of congratulations because I think a lot of people that follow tennis, and were sort of general sports fans, kind of knew my story a little bit.
"Of how long it had been since any British player had won a slam and how many times I had lost in the finals. Especially after Wimbledon, when I was very upset this year.
"It was very nice for me to finally be able to move on and not worry about that stuff anymore. I got a lot of congratulations for that."
Having shed the nearly-man tag, Murray said he would be better prepared than ever in his bid to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon.
Murray endured heartbreak in the 2012 Wimbledon final when he was beaten Roger Federer.
"There will be a lot of pressure again, but I don't think there will be more pressure than what I went through last year, to be honest," he said.
"I mean, that was a tough tournament for me. It was quite stressful. The Olympics was the same. The US Open - that was a tough, tough three months mentally for me.
"I think whatever happens at Wimbledon this year, I'll be able to deal with it better than I have done in the past."

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Murray knows must do more to become 'Sir Andy'

BRISBANE (Reuters) - Andy Murray is coming off a season in which he became the first British man in 76 years to win a Grand Slam singles title and won Olympic gold at the London Games but the Scot does not think he has done enough to deserve a knighthood yet.
The 25-year-old received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in a special U.K. New year Honours list, though some of his supporters thought his victories at the US Open and Olympics warranted a higher honour.
Bradley Wiggins, the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France, and Ben Ainslie, the most decorated Olympic yachtsman, received knighthoods but Murray said he would have to accomplish much more before he could perhaps one day join them.
"You need to do a lot, for a long time, to deserve an honour like that," Murray told a news conference at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
"A lot of the sportsmen and women have been given that just because their sport isn't necessarily in the spotlight all the time, it's easy to forget what they've done for 10, 15 years.
"I mean, some of them have won 10 gold medals in world championships, four or five Olympic medals, and have been doing it for years.
"I've only been doing it for a couple years, so I think I'll definitely need to win a few more matches and have more tournaments to have a chance of getting that."
Sir Sean Connery and Sir Alex Ferguson were in Murray's corner as spectators during the US Open but he said he only referred to them as Sean and Alex.
"I think with the people around you, I think everyone just kind of stays the same, and then it would be people that you don't know that will come up to you and address you as that," Murray said.
"But I would hope I wouldn't want my friends and family to call me that."
BETTER PREPARED
Murray's win over Novak Djokovic at the US Open in September has finally freed him of the questions about when he would make his grand slam breakthrough.
The world No. 3 said winning Olympic gold and his first major in the same year had had its perks but with a coach like Ivan Lendl to guide him he was never likely to get carried away by the success.
"The few weeks afterwards around the Olympics time and the US Open, I got a few upgrades on flights and things like that, which is nice, but that's died down a little bit over the last few months," he said.
"Life hasn't changed too much. Obviously the few weeks afterwards were very busy. Then once you start travelling and playing tournaments again, and get back into the routine of training and practicing, it hasn't really changed that much, to be honest, which has been nice.
"Also having someone like Ivan around me as well, he went through a similar sort of thing so that's obviously helped as well. He's given me some advice on how to deal with certain things that come with winning big events.
"I've had a lot of congratulations because I think a lot of people that follow tennis, and were sort of general sports fans, kind of knew my story a little bit.
"Of how long it had been since any British player had won a slam and how many times I had lost in the finals. Especially after Wimbledon, when I was very upset this year.
"It was very nice for me to finally be able to move on and not worry about that stuff anymore. I got a lot of congratulations for that."
Having shed the nearly-man tag, Murray said he would be better prepared than ever in his bid to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon.
Murray endured heartbreak in the 2012 Wimbledon final when he was beaten Roger Federer.
"There will be a lot of pressure again, but I don't think there will be more pressure than what I went through last year, to be honest," he said.
"I mean, that was a tough tournament for me. It was quite stressful. The Olympics was the same. The US Open - that was a tough, tough three months mentally for me.
"I think whatever happens at Wimbledon this year, I'll be able to deal with it better than I have done in the past."
Murray is taking part in the Brisbane International tournament as part of his preparations for the Australian Open, which begins on January 14.

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How to Sync All Your Calendars Onto One Smartphone

It’s a simple request: I just want my online calendars to sync with my smartphone… is that too much to ask? It took some initial research and finesse, but I’ve discovered the best ways to get your Yahoo and Google calendars to appear on either an Android or Apple IOS mobile device.
Google Calendar on Android Phone
When you first set up your Android phone, you had to create or enter your Google account info, so the phone already has the login info for your Google Calendar. Now you can go to your phone’s Settings, choose Accounts, click the Google account and then make sure “Sync Calendar” is checked. Then go to the Calendar App on your Android phone and it should be there.
For multiple calendars, hit the Settings button and then Calendars to customize which Google calendars you see.
Yahoo Calendar on Android Phone
Although it seems like it should be easy to add the Yahoo Calendar to your Android, I never got mine to sync. Theoretically, you would open the Android calendar on your phone, hit the Settings option, and Add Account. But depending on the flavor of Android I tried, I either couldn’t add a Yahoo account or when I did, it didn’t sync. It could just be me, but I found a lot of people online with the same issue. So I tried one of the most recommended apps to solve the problem – Smoothsync for Yahoo. It costs just under three dollars, and once you install it, you can sync all your Yahoo calendars into the native Android calendar. Ah, sweet relief.
[Related: New Tricks for New (and Old) Androids]
Yahoo Calendar on iPhone
On your IOS device, hit Settings. If you haven’t added your Yahoo Account yet, do so by going to Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Choose “Add Account.” Once you’ve input your Yahoo login info, the next screen gives you the option to Sync Mail, Contacts, and Calendars. Make sure calendars is on. Hit the Home button, open the IOS calendar. Hit the Calendars button on the top corner and you will see all your calendars listed under Yahoo. If you only have one Yahoo calendar, make sure you check to have it show in your IOS Cal. Also, many people have multiple Yahoo calendars: a family calendar, a work calendar, a soccer team calendar for the kids, and a personal calendar. You can customize which of these Yahoo Calendars show up by checking or unchecking them in this screen.
Google Calendar on iPhone
It’s a little more complicated, but you can also put a Google or Gmail calendar on the iPhone. Here’s how:
If you only have your one personal Google calendar to sync, you do things the same way as with Yahoo: Go to Settings on your IOS device, add your Google account (if you haven’t done so yet) by going to Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Choose “Add Account.”
Once you’ve input your Google login info, the next screen gives you the option to Sync Mail, Contacts, and Calendars. Make sure Calendars is on. Hit the Home button, then open the IOS calendar. Hit the Calendars button on the top corner and you will see your calendar listed under Google. You can track those Google dates in the IOS calendar and multiple Yahoo calendars at the same time.
But if you want multiple Google calendars, you need an app for that. Google does let you do this through their mobile site, but that’s basically just a website without the power of notifications and all the extras you like from your calendars. So I suggest getting the CalenMob app. It’s free with ads or $5 ad-free. It syncs all your Google calendars to the app (not the native IOS calendar) and adds in notification options, SMS functions and email alert options. It also syncs simultaneously to your Yahoo calendars.

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Hutchison closes deal to become No. 3 in Austria

 Consolidation of Austria's cut-throat telecoms market moved ahead on Thursday when Hutchison Whampoa Ltd completed its 1.3-billion-euro ($1.7 billion) takeover of Orange Austria, making it the country's third-biggest mobile operator.
Its purchase from Mid Europa Partners (MEP) and France Telecom-Orange followed extensive negotiations that finally won European and Austrian regulatory approval last month.
"We are delighted that, after undergoing a lengthy regulatory process, we have finally been able to close this acquisition," said Jan Trionow, head of local unit Hutchison 3G Austria.
"I am particularly looking forward to working ... to push forward with building a nationwide LTE network in Austria within the next two years," he said, referring to the next-generation high-speed networks that will speed data delivery to users.
France Telecom said it would get around 70 million euros in cash from selling its 35 percent stake in Orange Austria. Private equity group MEP held the other 65 percent.
In a separate but related deal, market leader Telekom Austria wrapped up its purchase of discount brand Yesss from Orange Austria.
Both transactions have won regulatory approval, but Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile Austria unit has tried to throw a spanner in the works by lodging a court appeal against the accompanying re-allocation of radio frequencies.
Hutchison and Orange Austria are the country's two smallest operators and have a combined market share of about 24 percent. Their deal will cut the number of mobile operators in Austria from four to three.
Austrian operators serve a population of just 8.4 million and have been extremely competitive, with all-inclusive no-strings deals starting at 7 euros per month.
Telekom Austria agreed last February to buy frequencies, base station sites, mobile phone provider Yesss and other intellectual property rights from Orange Austria for up to 390 million euros.
It said in a statement it had also completed the acquisition of intellectual property rights for the "One" brand on Thursday, while closing on the other assets "follows gradually".

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