"There is a friendly link but it'll not be so friendly on Sunday because I know John's attitude and professionalism, " said Houston.

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But Irving Mintzer, an economist, worries that the rush to new electric-car technologies could leave us dependent on other not-so-friendly parts of the world for critical materials.

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"Before coming here all we heard about was drunk people in the streets, but everyone's been friendly and not so crazy, " said Yolanda Huang.

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Ultimately, the SVSC will persist as long as it attracts the kind of smart, talented, friendly, not-arrogant people that Max believes were so helpful to his start-up journey.

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Alan King, from the National Trust, said the "friendly" learning centre would be a distance from the house so as not to affect its appearance.

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What makes helium-3 so attractive as an alternative future fuel source is its environmentally friendly credentials, as it does not produce radioactive waste.

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