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The Department of Health has today published a final review of the 10 Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland.

The review takes account of the separate report published by the Institute of Public Health which looked at the relationship between mental health and smoking, along with a report produced by the University of Stirling (and facilitated by the Institute of Public Health) which reflects on progress made in reducing second hand-smoke exposure in NI.

Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, said: The end review reflects on the achievements and progress made in relation to tobacco control since 2012, highlighting remaining challenges and setting out further considerations for the development of a successor strategy.

In particular, the review highlights the strides made in protecting people from second-hand smoke along with the overall progress made in reducing smoking prevalence with adult smoking rates falling from 24% to 17% over the lifetime of the strategy. The review also reminds us of the numerous regulatory developments over recent years, including those aimed at reducing childrens use of tobacco such as tobacco display bans and enhanced penalties for tobacco retailers who sell to children.

However, it also highlights persistent smoking related inequalities and acknowledges new challenges posed by emerging nicotine products. The review also recognises the changing narrative in relation to tobacco control with many nations adopting measures which seek to eliminate tobacco use.

Work will now commence on a successor strategy, which will be co-produced with stakeholders and will seek to address these remaining and new, emerging challenges. Further details of how to get involved in strategy development workshops will be made available in due course.

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End Review of Tobacco Control Strategy for NI - Department of Health

Wednesday the Free Software Foundation celebrated "the 40th anniversary of the GNU operating system and the launch of the free software movement," with an announcement calling it "a turning point in the history of computing.

"Forty years later, GNU and free software are even more relevant. While software has become deeply ingrained into everyday life, the vast majority of users do not have full control over it... " On September 27, 1983, a computer scientist named Richard Stallman announced the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU, for "GNU's not Unix." GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom, and has remained true to its founding ideals for forty years. Since 1983, the GNU Project has provided a full, ethical replacement for proprietary operating systems. This is thanks to the forty years of tireless work from volunteer GNU developers around the world.

When describing GNU's history and the background behind its initial announcement, Stallman (often known simply as "RMS") stated, "with a free operating system, we could again have a community of cooperating hackers and invite anyone to join. And anyone would be able to use a computer without starting out by conspiring to deprive his or her friends."

"When we look back at the history of the free software movement or the idea that users should be in control of their own computing it starts with GNU," said Zo Kooyman, executive director of the FSF, which sponsors GNU's development. "The GNU System isn't just the most widely used operating system that is based on free software. GNU is also at the core of a philosophy that has guided the free software movement for forty years."

Usually combined with the kernel Linux, GNU forms the backbone of the Internet and powers millions of servers, desktops, and embedded computing devices. Aside from its technical advancements, GNU pioneered the concept of "copyleft," the approach to software licensing that requires the same rights to be preserved in derivative works, and is best exemplified by the GNU General Public License (GPL). As Stallman stated, "The goal of GNU was to give users freedom, not just to be popular. So we needed to use distribution terms that would prevent GNU software from being turned into proprietary software. The method we use is called 'copyleft.'"

The free software community has held strong for forty years and continues to grow, as exemplified by the FSF's annual LibrePlanet conference on software freedom and digital ethics.

Kooyman continues, "We hope that the fortieth anniversary will inspire hackers, both old and new, to join GNU in its goal to create, improve, and share free software around the world. Software is controlling our world these days, and GNU is a critique and solution to the status quo that we desperately need in order to not have our technology control us." "In honor of GNU's fortieth anniversary, its organizational sponsor the FSF is organizing a hackday for families, students, and anyone interested in celebrating GNU's anniversary. It will be held at the FSF's offices in Boston, MA on October 1."

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GNU Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary - Slashdot

Running a small business often means wearing many hats, one of which might be managing your own marketing efforts. While this can seem daunting, it's entirely feasible with the right approach and a little determination. This article from Mediaboss Marketing aims to provide a comprehensive roadmap that will help you transform yourself into an effective, one-person marketing department, capable of driving growth and visibility for your business.

Revisit Your Current Marketing Strategy

Handling your own business marketing involves setting clear objectives, understanding your target audience, crafting compelling key messages, and utilizing the right marketing tools effectively. You need to know your goals, have insights into your audience's behaviors and interests, ensure your messages reflect your business value, and use up-to-date platforms to reach your audience. It's also crucial to track your performance using analytics to measure the effectiveness of your strategies and make necessary improvements. Marketing is a continuous process that requires constant evaluation and adaptation.

Zero In On Your Target Market

Understanding your target market is crucial. This involves identifying who they are, where they are, what they need, and how your product or service can meet that need. Market research is invaluable here. It equips you with insights into your customers' behaviors, preferences, and pain points, enabling you to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly.

Refine Your Marketing Message

If you're handling your own business marketing, it's crucial to first have a solid understanding of your target market. Once you've got that down, refine your marketing message to deeply resonate with them. This message should be more than just what your product or service is; it should clearly communicate what your brand stands for, the unique value you offer, and why it's beneficial to them.

Leverage Automation and AI

Marketing automation platforms can significantly enhance your marketing efficiency. These services are capable of automating repetitive tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, and ad campaigns. Moreover, the insights provided by automation - AI services into customer behavior and preferences are invaluable in helping you fine-tune your marketing strategy. Thus, the integration of these services not only streamlines marketing procedures but also optimizes your reach to the target audience.

Track Your Marketing Effectiveness

Tracking and measuring your marketing efforts is essential to understand what works and what doesn't. Use tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, engagement levels, and conversion rates. Monitor your social media performance too. Use these insights to tweak your strategies for better results.

Consider Your Marketing Channels

Are you using the most effective channels to reach your target audience? If you're not seeing the results you want, consider switching up your marketing channels. Maybe your audience is more active on Instagram than Facebook, or perhaps they respond better to email marketing than social media.

Share Files Easily

When it's time to collaborate with marketing experts or stakeholders, make file sharing easier by converting files to PDFs. Employ a PDF file converter using free online tools to ensure seamless collaboration. This simple step ensures everyone can access and view your documents without facing any compatibility issues.

Becoming your own marketing department is a continual process of learning, implementing, and refining. It requires a deep understanding of your target market, a clear marketing message, and efficient use of technology. Furthermore, it demands the ability to adapt quickly to shifting market trends and customer preferences. Constant measurement and analysis of your efforts and easy document sharing are essential to ensure you're staying on track and achieving your goals. With these steps, you're well on your way to effectively handling your own business marketing.

Scheana Shay turned to Botox in a bid to control her facial features.

The 38-year-old star has revealed that she was encouraged to get Botox by the makers of '90210', the TV teen drama that ran from 2008 until 2013.

Scheana told the 'Scheananigans' podcast: "They told me that for Disney, my facial expression was great. But for a more dramatic type of role, that I needed to learn how to control my eyebrows.

"They were like, The role is yours. Here is your callback. We want you for this but we are bringing in a couple more girls as well because if you cant control your facial features then we're not going to give it to you.' They were like, Maybe try some Botox.'"

Scheana believes that Botox helped her to develop a "resting b**** face".

She shared: "In my interviews, I don't want my face moving. But back then, they were like, 'B****, control your eyebrow.' Because it was just like a mind of its own."

In 2021, meanwhile, Scheana revealed that her hair started "coming out in chunks" after she gave birth.

The TV star - who has Summer, two, with Brock Davies - took to social media to discuss the challenges she faced after giving birth.

Scheana - who styled her hair in a high ponytail in an episode of 'Vanderpump Rules' - wrote on Instagram: "To everyone who has commented on my hairline tonight: this was already my biggest insecurity and legit the only thing I usually would facetune. After having a baby, I have postpartum hair loss.

"It is slowly coming back but I'm also still pumping milk every 3 hours since Summer stopped latching. Not sure if breastfeeding is related to the hair thinning also but it's happening to me. My hair was coming out in chunks. Next time think before you comment. (sic)"

Excerpt from:
Scheana Shay turned to Botox to control her expressions - Tank Town Media

"That's incredibly disappointing," said a user.

Recently, billionaire Elon Musk renamed the social media platform Twitter to X and unveiled a new logo- a stylized black-and-white version of the letter. Twitter also changed its official handle to @X as part of the ongoing rebranding, while the original @Twitter handle is now inactive. However, it was reported that Mr Musk took over the @X account without paying its original owner. In a similar case, a user has stated that the same happened to him as the social media company suddenly took the account handle from him and offered a new handle in return.

On August 4, Jeremy Vaught took to Twitter and said that he had been running the handle @Music for the past 16 years. However, the microblogging site took control of it and "just ripped it away". "16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter / X just ripped it away. Super pissed," he wrote in the caption.

He also attached a screenshot of the email he received from the company. The email reads, "The user handle associated with account @Music will be affiliated with X Corp. Accordingly, your user handle will be changed to a new user handle."

"However, we appreciate your loyalty and want to minimize any inconvenience this may cause. At this time we will be changing this handle to @musicfan," they continued.

Mr Vaught was also informed by the Elon Musk-led social media company that he could alternatively switch to the account @musicfan or select another username from @musicmusic, @music123, or @musiclover. It also stated that his account's followers and following information will be moved to his new user handle.

Since being shared, his post has amassed a lot of attention online. It has received over 4.9 million views and 28,000 likes.

"That's incredibly disappointing," said a user.

"If it's any consolation, this platform is getting destroyed so quickly that it won't be here in another five years let alone sixteen," commented another person.

A third person added, "This is crazy. Imagine Gmail coming back to you after 16 years to say they are now taking back that email ID you've been using all this while?"

"Welcome to Musk's platform - where he can just steal your handle and rip apart 16 years of work. And then he'll offer you alternative handles that others already own, and so steal from them too. Who would ever build a following on here anymore?!" commented a person.

"A reminder that when you build on someone else's platform, you don't own anything. Do whatever you can to get people onto your own platform that you do own," remarked a person.

Solutions To Check Food Inflation By Dr Ashok Gulati | Serious Business

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"Just Ripped It": Twitter User Says Elon Musk Took Control Of His Account - NDTV