FILE - This Jan. 3 Kepa Arrizabalaga Chelsea Shirt , 2012, file photo, shows the Starbucks Coffee logo in Mountain View, Calif. Starbucks announced Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, it plans to enter probably its most intimidating market yet: Italy. The coffee chain said that the first Starbucks will open in Milan in early 2017, in partnership with Italian developer Percassi. (AP PhotoPaul Sakuma, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks says it plans to enter probably its most intimidating market yet: Italy.


The coffee chain said Sunday that the first Starbucks will open in Milan in early 2017, in partnership with Italian developer Percassi.


It's a symbolic move for the 45-year-old company and its CEO, Howard Schultz. On a business trip in the 1980s, Schultz visited Milan and Verona and decided to bring espresso drinks to the U.S. The concept took off, and Starbucks became the beverage giant it is today.


Starbucks already has a presence in Europe, but it has not been as successful there as in other markets. The company entered the U.K. in 1998 and there are now about 2,400 stores in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, making up about 10 percent of stores globally.


Italy is expected to prove a challenge. Coffee is a deep part of the culture, with myriad local shops competing to sell espresso and cappuccinos. Most shops operate as places where Italians can get a quick espresso and go about their way, in contrast to Starbucks' stores which are designed for customers to sit and work or talk with friends.


Starbucks alluded to the challenge the company is expected to face, saying it was entering Italy "with humility and respect."


Starbucks' store in Italy will be owned and run by Percassi, the licensee. Other stores are expected to follow.


"We know that we are going to face a unique challenge with the opening of the first Starbucks store in Italy," said Percassi President Antonio Percassi, in a prepared statement.


Are you an art fan? Or do you generally like good art hanging on your walls? Or you might be an interior designer searching for a few good pieces to hang on your client’s new interiors? You might want a few good paintings for your home or your office but you aren’t really that great a painter and you don’t know anyone who paints too. So where can you get a really good painting at an affordable rate? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions or if you desperately want good paintings, then Oil painting reproductions is something you should try.


Oil painting reproductions: Art simplified
Not all of us can afford expensive pieces of original Oil paintings and artwork made by up and coming artists or even from the Old Masters. But you might appreciate the beautiful works of masters like Reuben’s, Michelangelo and of Salvadore Dali. You want one for your own home just because these paintings are beautiful and they make you happy when you look at them. But Dali’s hang in a few art galleries in beautiful cities all over the world. You cannot visit them all and looking at Oil paintings in a small book is just not enough. But oil painting reproductions are affordable, beautiful and permanent copies of these master artworks. All you have to do is get in touch with a good artwork reproductions agency and they will paint the reproduction for you at a nominal cost. You can choose size, framing, painting etc to suit your needs and your requirements. For example, this is how a routine ordering process would work-


Step 1- Select the type of painting that you want.
Some customers will want Oil painting reproductions that are from the Old Masters. As these are usually popular selections, companies might have stock sets that are already painted and ready for sale. You will be able to get these quicker. However, if you want to order rare oil painting reproductions and copies, then the painting company will require a week to paint and process the painting for your. If changes are required, this may take more time. Some customers may also want portraits of families, children, pets, scenic vistas, etc. As a rule of thumb, oil reproductions can be made of any source including photographs but the larger the picture, more the time required to prepare and paint the image. If you are not in a hurry, let the painter paint at his leisure to produce better quality oil reproductions.


COLOMBO, July 21 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary- General António Guterres has commended the Sri Lankan government for establishing the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), saying it was a significant milestone for all Sri Lankans still searching for their missing loved ones.


"The United Nations stands ready to support this process and the Secretary-General looks forward to the OMP becoming operational as soon as possible, starting with the appointment of the independent commissioners, " a statement from the UN Office in Colombo said on Friday.


Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday issued a gazette notification setting up the long-awaited office of missing persons, which will probe into the disappearance of thousands of people during and after Sri Lanka's civil conflict between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.


" I signed the Office of Missing Persons Gazette today. This marks another step forward in Sri Lanka's path to sustained peace," the president said on twitter Thursday.


The OMP will be given wide powers to investigate the disappearance of more than 20,000 people, mostly minority Tamils who were the worst affected by the conflict.


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