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The IntraLogisteX show is taking place on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th February 2019 at Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
With over 1,200 visitors, this event is a must attend for logistics professionals who are interested in end-to-end supply chain solutions, from warehouse and transport management to the latest materials handling technologies.
OBS Logistics, part of the Sanderson group, are pleased to be exhibiting at the show and will be on stand 340 talking about innovative total logistics solutions that support multi-modal transport – road, rail, air, sea and warehouse management; encompassing the end-to-end supply chain.
Our experts will be on hand for advice and guidance on the benefits our total logistics solutions can provide, such as:
• Streamlining processes across operations
• Reliable infrastructure that provides full visibility
• Quick response to critical issues and proactive management of labour resources
• Rapid rollout times, with managed services options for reduced expenditure costs
• Serving customers faster, more accurately and at lower cost
With modular options available for bay and yard management, electronic proof of delivery and vehicle management, there’s plenty to talk about.
Click the link to register; it’s free: www.intralogistex.co.uk
We look forward to meeting you at the show.


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Stocks inched up Friday as American and Chinese negotiators ended a productive round of trade talks; topping 26,000 for the first time since November of last year and finishing a nine-week “winning streak.”
“The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 97 points as Intel outperformed. The 30-stock index briefly broke above 26,000 for the first time since Nov. 9 and was on pace to post its ninth consecutive weekly gain. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.5 percent as shares of Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet all traded higher; it was also on track to notch its ninth straight weekly gain,” reports CNBC.
“It’s pretty extraordinary the amount of gain that we’ve had,” said one trading expert. “I really wish I could pick a sector that had defensive qualities right now, but everything has gone up so dramatically that when the pullback comes, it will probably be widespread.”
Read the full report at CNBC.
AMERICA UNLEASHED: Stock Market HITS ALL TIME HIGH, Unemployment at 49 YEAR LOW
The US economy continued to smash records and surpass expectations in September, with new data showing the American unemployment rate at a half-century low and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching an all-time high.
According to CNBC, the Dow rose 219 points Thursday with the S&P 500 also breaking its previous record. The President hailed the news on social media, saying “S&P 500 HITS ALL-TIME HIGH Congratulations USA!”
S&P 500 HITS ALL-TIME HIGH Congratulations USA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2018
The stunning economic data may spell disaster for Democrats hoping to retake Congress this fall, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowing to repeal the ‘GOP Tax Scam’ should her party win big during the midterm elections.
Read the full report at CNBC.
BERNIE’S LESSON: Amazon Cuts Bonuses, Stock Options After Minimum Wage Hike
Online retail giant Amazon is cutting back on bonuses and other stock options for its warehouse workers after it raised its minimum wage for all employees to at least $15 an hour; a sharp rebuke of Sen. Bernie Sanders public crusade against one of the nation’s largest corporations.
According to Bloomberg, “Warehouse workers for the e-commerce giant in the U.S. were eligible in the past for monthly bonuses that could total hundreds of dollars per month as well as stock awards, said two people familiar with Amazon’s pay policies. The company informed those employees Wednesday that it’s eliminating both of those compensation categories to help pay for the raises.”
The revised payment scheme may actually result in “less wages” for certain workers.
“Because it’s no longer incentive-based, the compensation will be more immediate and predictable,” Amazon said.
The announcement comes just weeks after Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his full-fledged campaign against the one of the nation’s largest companies; unveiling new legislation that would impose a stiff tax for government benefits received by full-time employees.
Read the full story at Bloomberg.

domain: news


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New Britain Palm Oil revealed that it was taking the opposite
stance to rival Sipef on palm oil sales – reducing forward coverage – as it unveiled
a 70% slump in profits and a ditching of its dividend.
Sipef, which like New Britain has palm oil operations based
in Papua New Guinea, said last week that it had sold forward 53% of its
expected palm oil output for 2013, ahead of levels of 45% at the same time in
both 2012 and 2011.
The group cited an "uncertain price outlook" for
palm oil, adding that "the high stocks, in origin as well as the main
importing countries, will remain a burden to the market".
However, New Britain on Wednesday revealed a sharp cutback
in its forward sales, to 123,500 tonnes, less than one-quarter of the palm oil
analysts expect New Britain to produce this year, and well below the 220,000
tonnes it had sold ahead by late February 2012.
The strategy reflects the depressed price of crude palm oil and
palm kernel oil, a smaller but typically more expensive product whose values have
been particularly depressed.
"It's a testament to the market," a person familiar with New
"They do not think the pricing mechanism is right at the moment,"
with values of the total oils trading below levels well above $900 a tonne the
company is seeking.
Antonia Monteiro De Castro, the New Britain chairman, said
that the group was placed "to take advantage of any upward movement in palm oil
The 123,500 tonnes of crude palm oil sold forward achieved
an average price of $890 a tonne, well below the $1,078 a tonne it achieved on
forward sales a year ago, and the average 2012 price of $1,062 a tonne.
New Britain revealed the sales as it unveiled pre-tax profits
for 2012 of $81.6m, down from $275.5m the year before.
The drop was down in part to weaker palm oil selling prices,
from the $1,108 a tonne achieved in 2011, but also the impact of inundations on
production, which for total oils fell by 46,000 tonnes to 545,000 tonnes.
"The past year has presented a number of unprecedented
climatic and market related challenges," Mr De Castro said.
The group had made efficiency savings, improved its
preparations for heavy rains and sealed cheaper deals on fertilizer and freight
to support its performance in 2013, he added.
While New Britain has in previous statements prepared
investors for the drop in production and profits, its shares, which are listed
in London, fell 6% in early deals after it revealed it was ditching its final
The group, while committing to pay an interim dividend this
year, highlighted that it ended 2012 "with net cash balances of negative $16.8m,
having started the year with net cash balances of positive $55.1m".
Analysts at Liberum said: "The 70% fall in NBPO's pre-tax
profit has been well-flagged.
"What had not been expected is the decision not to pay a
The broker restated a "hold" rating on New Britain shares,
saying that while they have a long-term fair value of 750p, this assumes a palm
oil price of $1,100 a tonne.
"Our hold rating is based on the expectation that NBPO
shares will struggle to outperform while palm oil prices remain weak," Liberum
The shares stood at 505p in lunchtime deals, down 4.7% on


text: In a move that can be simultaneously described as puzzling and pragmatic, Microsoft has decided to bring its Bing for Mobile app to Android and iOS before launching it on its very own Windows Phone platform. The company announced the release in a blog post this week, highlighting the app's most noteworthy features, including a revamped maps module, a new deals service and real-time transit feeds. Interestingly enough, Redmond also based its app on HTML5, rather than Silverlight, in the hopes of providing greater continuity across mobile browser and app interfaces. Only at the very end of the post did Microsoft mention Windows Phone 7: "We're working to release the same consistent experience for RIM and Windows Phone 7 devices in the future, and will share more details as they become available." At first glance, this decision may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but it also makes a lot of sense, considering the fact that Android and iOS comprise the bulk of the consumer market (and, of course, the fact that Bing is already integrated within Windows Phone 7). It appears, then, that Microsoft is simply trying to get Bing out to the widest initial audience, which seems pretty logical. Android and iOS users can grab the app now, at the coverage links below.


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Two international food brands will set up shop in a new mixed-use development in Downtown Flushing.
Ju Qi, a restaurant specializing in authentic Beijing cuisine, and Meet Fresh, a Taiwan-based dessert bar, will open in the Tangram development. Both establishments signed a 10-year lease with Tangram and plan to open in 2020.
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce that Ju Qi and Meet Fresh are the latest restaurants to commit to space at Tangram,” said Helen Lee, executive vice president of F&T Group, which is developing Tangram with SCG America. “Flushing is the go-to destination for international culinary brands looking to make their mark in the United States and we are proud that they are flocking to Tangram to be a part of the exciting new culinary and lifestyle destination we are creating.”
With 20 locations in China and one in Sydney, Australia, Ju Qi celebrates old Beijing-style cuisine through unique dishes and an immersive dining experience. Their signature dishes include a mashed potato dish shaped like Lord Rabbit — an important symbol of Beijing culture — special fried rice presented in the shape of a traditional honeycomb briquette, Peking duck — fresh duck roasted with fresh fruit and barbecue lamb — and Sanbuzhan, a hot egg pudding favored by the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty.
The Ju Qi space at Tangram will be decorated to replicate the grand courtyard in Beijing, with details inspired by brick and old stone walls.
“Ju Qi is writing the new chapter of Beijing’s rich culinary history and we are thrilled to continue that story with a new restaurant in Flushing,” said Rex Yang, general manager of Ju Qi. “As our United States flagship, Ju Qi at Tangram brings a superior dining experience that will attract foodies from all over New York City and make them feel like they are in Beijing.”
Following the opening of their East Village location, the Tangram location will be Meet Fresh’s second New York location. With over 1,000 stores across Asia, New Zealand and Australia, Meet Fresh’s menu offers taro balls, herbal grass jelly, mochi, mango shaved ice, boba tofu pudding, green tea with whipped cream and hot almond soup, all made with fresh, natural ingredients.
“Our first location in Manhattan’s East Village was a huge success, and it made perfect sense for us to expand into Flushing,” said Vicky Chen, owner of Meet Fresh stores in New York. “Tangram is becoming the new social hub in Flushing, and we are excited to be a part of that.”
For more information, visit www.tangramnyc.com.


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Kramer writes, “At the current $15 a month, the WSJ Kindle subscriptions represent about $5.4 million annually. But itâ€™s not that easy: the subscription price and the revenue split with Amazon shifted earlier this year; the price increased 50 percent from $10 while Amazonâ€™s share of the take dropped. (The issue with customer relationships, a pet peeve of Rupert Murdoch, didnâ€™t change: Amazon still controls the finances and the names.)
“Iâ€™m told that roughly half of the subscribers are still at the previous rate. That would put the current overall revenue at about $4.5 million, with Dow Jones getting less than half that. Incremental, yes, and it will continue to be. But it also should continue to grow.
“The hardest bit to decipher at this point is how many people are giving up print or WSJ.com subscriptions for e-readers and, now, the new mobile subscription.”
Read more here.


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Singapore-based venture capital firm Monk’s Hill Ventures (MHV) has closed its second fund of USD 100 million, the firm’s spokesperson told KrASIA. First reported by Venture Capital Journal, MHV said that the fund was already closed in late last year but that it wanted to keep it low-key and chose not to publicly announce it.
For its Fund II, Monk’s Hill Ventures is partnering with long-term investors including US-based and international endowments, foundations, and family offices. “As a firm, we have taken a focused and disciplined approach to invest and believe in raising modest fund sizes, which we believe will allow us to provide our investors with outsized returns,” said the MHV spokesperson.
The firm invests in early-stage startups, mainly Series A in Southeast Asia. MHV raised its first fund of USD 80 million in 2015 and it has backed over 20 startups so far. MHV is an industry-agnostic VC firm that invests in tech companies that are addressing sizeable market opportunities. It usually invests in high-demand sectors like logistics, fintech, e-commerce, and travel. Its portfolio companies include Singapore-headquartered logistics company Ninja Van, Singapore’s talent recruitment and job matching platform Glints, and Indonesian restaurant supply marketplace Stoqo.
The firm did not disclose details of its plans and strategies with the new fund. It will continue to invest in startups with a plan to scale up profitably in the region’s major economies such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, the firm said.


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- GTA V Special Edition and Collector’s Edition Details and SA Pricing
- Fifa 14 ‘Ultimate Team Gold Pack’ up for grabs with Fifa 14 pre-orders
- Metro: Last Light | Zombiegamer Review
- Metro: Last Light | DLC and Season Pass Details
- Daily Boom – 23 May 2013
- Call of Duty: Ghosts now confirmed for Playstation 4
- IGN Poll shows that 75% were disappointed with Xbox One reveal
- GameStop president assures PS4 and Xbox One games can be resold
- Gaming News Wrap [23 May 2013]
- Microsoft tease “big announcement” at E3 for Xbox 360 owners
- Win a trip for two to E3 2013 with Playstation 4
- THIEF for Xbox One to be “most immersive THIEF game ever” promises Eidos-Montreal
- EA is developing for Wii U but “not anywhere near as many as for PS or Xbox” says EA CFO
- Daily Boom – 22 May 2013
- EA Sports’ IGNITE Game Engine Detailed
- Battlefield 4 “begins on October 29″
- Xbox One | Microsoft’s New Xbox: The good, the bad and the ugly
- Gaming News Wrap [22 May 2013]
- Xbox One | First images
- Call of Duty: Ghosts | Reveal Trailer
Need for Speed Archive
Posted on May 23, 2013 | No CommentsGood morning. Everything back to normal after all the Xbox One activity? Nope… Ryse, the Crytek developed Kinect title, has been confirmed...
Posted on February 7, 2013 | No CommentsYou can do it. Tomorrow’s Friday. Stay strong. Read the news, be informed and be on a high for the rest of...
Posted on October 26, 2012 | No CommentsEA has released the high-octane fueled launch trailer for Need for Speed Most Wanted…
Posted on October 9, 2012 | No CommentsCriterion and EA have released this new ‘The Most Wanted List’ trailer for Need for Speed Most Wanted…
Posted on October 8, 2012 | No CommentsThese might not be the latest, but we received an email from EA which had these attached, and they do look mighty...
Posted on June 25, 2012 | No CommentsCriterion signed up to the Need for Speed franchise in 2009 with the much enjoyed Need for Speed Most Wanted. The studio...
Posted on May 8, 2012 | No CommentsEA has announced that a new Dead Space and a new Need for Speed will be out by March 2013. While no...
Posted on April 18, 2012 | 3 CommentsBT Games is not content to only list the unconfirmed Dead Space 3 for pre-order today, but have decided to add the...
Posted on April 14, 2012 | No CommentsEA are reportedly looking to take the Need for Speed franchise to the big screen. According to Variety, siblings John and George Gatins,...
Posted on April 30, 2011 | No CommentsFollowing on the EA announcement of Need for Speed The Run, here is the trailer…


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Automakers & PHEVs: Between "Barack" and a Hard Place
by David Fessler, Advisory Panelist
Friday, March 20, 2009: Issue #960
During the last few years of the Bush administration, the EPA was directed to ignore California's pleas to grant it a waiver of the Clean Air Act.
Why? The grant would effectively have permitted California to enforce stricter emission rules its legislature had enacted a number of years before.
The EPA dragged its feet because as many as 16 other states were considering legislation modeled after California's - with one notable difference: emission rules even more stringent than California's.
The automakers lobbied Bush administration officials to oppose California's request. And it's not hard to understand why: They're struggling just to stay in business.
But now, automakers are between Barack and a hard place, as the President told the EPA to "reconsider" its Bush-era denial. If it does, car manufacturers could find themselves having to make cars that get 43 mpg by 2016. It's why PHEVs have generated so much interest lately.
Not that that's a bad thing - but it's far more aggressive than the current goal of 35 mpg by 2020. The problem is that the new requirement would nearly double today's fleet-wide average of 25 mpg.
Automakers Scramble To Get Into Plug-In Electric Vehicles
All this has had the automaker's scrambling to get into the Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PHEV) business. Most already have an active PHEV development program underway, with GM being the closest to production with its Chevy Volt.
Unfortunately, GM is also teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and we're seeing that in spades with PHEV development. One of the more intriguing schemes is the "Vehicle-to-Grid" (V2G) concept, and it's been strongly endorsed by the head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
It works like this:
- When your V2G car is plugged in to recharge its batteries, the utility regulates the rate at which it is charged.
- More importantly, it can reverse the flow and use the V2G's battery pack as a power source during peak use periods on the grid.
- Similar to the way cloud computing works - where many PCs are combined to create a huge supercomputer - all the V2G vehicles taken as a whole would equate to a giant, nationwide power storage battery.
In return, the vehicle's owner would receive a credit towards his or her electric bill. It's been estimated that - utilizing this concept - the entire premium cost for owning a V2G vehicle could be recouped in as little as three years.
The benefits go way beyond recouping the added expense of owning an electric car, however.
- By reducing our demand for oil and gas, it would make the process of weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels much less painful.
- Greenhouse gases would significantly decrease, an impact that would be most notable in densely populated urban areas.
- The additional revenue that the power companies would reap from PHEV charging could finance the additional solar, geothermal or wind power installations necessary to provide the additional charging power.
- It also solves one of the biggest problems with solar and wind power: That they can't be used as baseload supplies.
- This giant nationwide, distributed storage system would allow utilities everywhere to store power from solar and wind sources and redistribute it whenever it's needed.
For the moment, neither GM nor Toyota - the two leading PHEV contenders - have announced any plans to produce this type of vehicle.
Clearly what's needed is legislative regulation or an incentive (or both) from the FERC that will coax the utility companies into embracing the V2G concept. This will create the need for the vehicles, and the incentive for car companies to build them.
The Fly In the Ointment - Improving Battery Technology
The only fly in the ointment - and regular readers have heard me say this before - is an improvement in battery technology.
Right now, the most promising technology that seems like it can provide the power densities required for the 100 to 200 mile target commuting range is Lithium-Ion.
And those few companies in the lithium battery business are destined to be the big winners, as the technological challenges are met. So who's in the battery business?
EnerSys (Nasdaq: ENS) is one of the largest manufacturers, marketers and distributors of industrial batteries. From submarines to spaceships - and everything in between - EnerSys has a battery technology to fit the application. It also makes the charging and power equipment as well.
Last fall, the company launched its EcoSafe line of batteries designed for renewable energy storage applications. Targeted towards the wind and solar energy generation markets, this product line should see significant growth under President Obama's EPA initiatives.
Of more interest to us, EnerSys is working with a number of niche players to develop a lithium-ion line of batteries specifically targeted to the PHEV transportation market.
Where Will All the Lithium Come From?
The short answer is Bolivia and Chile, and Sociedad de Chile (NYSE: SQM) - based in Santiago, Chile - is a world leader in the production of lithium carbonate and a number of other specialty chemicals.
Right now, the world's demand for lithium is growing at roughly 7% annually. SQM leads the world in lithium production, too, with over 30% market share.
Lithium is used in greases, glass and portable power tool batteries, but its biggest future growth prospects are large, lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles. New HEV battery demand is expected to ramp up sharply in the latter half of 2009, and even more in 2010.
And SQM is getting ready to meet this increasing demand: Its three-year capital expenditures of $1 billion means an across-the-board capacity increase of 25% to 30% for all of its products by the end of 2010.
Changing 100 Year-Old Perceptions
There's an old rub that goes something like this: "Science only progresses with the death of each scientist." The idea is that sometimes it takes the passing of a generation in order for fresh ideas and discoveries to rise to the top of the heap.
Let's hope - at least in this case - it doesn't take that long for PHEVs. We don't have that much time to waste.
Next week, I'll be speaking at the 2009 Investment U Conference at the beautiful Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida. Our regular format will take a week off and instead you'll be getting daily reports from Scott Brown. I look forward to seeing many of you there.
Today's Investment U Crib Sheet
Recently we've been looking at a number of options and alternatives in the "green" energy sector. And new auto technologies are on the forefront of "hot topics" in this field. The debate over cost effectiveness and environmental impact has been clashing with the scientific hurdles and limits of our current technologies.
In fact, our discussion boards over Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: The Only Roadblock to PHEVs and the follow up article Is General Motors the Buy of the Decade? PHEVs Part Two ranged from supporting, to disgust over a number of the current options and their potential.
It's a decision that you'll have to make for yourself. But regardless of which side you fall on, we all can agree that it's an area we need to keep an eye on. Whatever technology and solution that emerges will have the potential to change the way we live around the world.
With new solutions and technologies, many of the initial investors are rewarded handsomely - Think Microsoft, Google and Wal-Mart. Ultimately, we don't have a crystal ball to know exactly what will happen, and that's why we pay attention to all of the alternatives.


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Yum! Brands Inc. officials remain bullish on their growth prospects in China, where even its dominant KFC and Pizza Hut chains felt the effects of a slowing Chinese economy in the second quarter, as well as in other Asian markets poised to take off, according to a securities analyst who attended last week’s Yum China Investor Day in Xi’an, China.
David Tarantino of Robert W. Baird & Co. was one of several people hosted at Yum’s China Investor Day, where much of the focus was on how China, combined with upstart markets like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, would continue to drive the majority of Yum’s growth in annual operating profit. In addition to meetings with Yum China in Xi’an, attendees also visited franchised restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to get a sense of operations from Yum’s Asian Franchise Business Unit.
Baird analysts returned home after the meetings and site visits “with greater appreciation of the key advantages that can allow Yum to continue to strengthen its leading position in China and other key emerging-growth markets,” Tarantino wrote in a research note. He generally described those advantages as Yum’s first-mover status, size and support infrastructure in China, as well as its roster of franchisees and brand recognition in emerging Asian countries.
New dayparts, new cities in China
Tarantino noted that Yum in populous China is still “operating from a position of strength,” as its system of more than 5,200 restaurants represents only three units per 1 million people, compared with a penetration level in the United States of 58 units per million people. With several sales-driving programs running at KFC and Pizza Hut and a Chinese consumer class continuing to grow from 350 million people, Yum would be poised to prosper over the long haul, he wrote.
“The long-term outlook for Yum China remains bullish, supported by favorable market dynamics, low existing penetration levels and very healthy internal fundamentals,” Tarantino wrote.
Baird expects Yum China to deliver about 43 percent of Yum’s operating profit this fiscal year.
The company’s KFC brand has the much larger size advantage in China, at more than 4,000 units, and the key strategy would be to grow KFC’s average unit volumes in the near term through expanded dayparts and usage occasions, as well as more value initiatives, Tarantino noted. Through May of this year, KFC had expanded its sales mix from breakfast, delivery and 24-hour operations to 16 percent of sales, a significant increase from 2008, when that rate was only 4 percent.
“Yum continues to build upon the wide range of value offerings that produced very strong performance in 2011 and the first half of 2012,” he wrote, “including a range of attractive entry-level price points at each daypart — 6 renminbi at breakfast, 15 renminbi at lunch and 9 renminbi at tea time — that are priced slightly above other street food and local offerings but are competitive with other branded QSR competitors like McDonald’s. … Longer-term, we think the strategy of providing low-hurdle price points can continue to increase usage frequency with existing customers while attracting trial from new customers that are just entering the consuming class.”
Management also was encouraged by the performance of new signature items like Zinger sandwiches and Egg Tart desserts, as well as a 30-renminbi dinner combo meant to kick-start that lagging daypart, Tarantino noted.
Menu innovation also is driving the acceleration of sales and unit growth for Pizza Hut Dine In, Yum disclosed. The casual-dining brand turns over 20 percent of its menu twice a year, and its system sales have grown 35 percent year to date.
Pizza Hut is expected to lead much of Yum’s unit growth in China this year, which will ramp up to 700 openings this year, especially in interior cities and regions, where Yum’s large development and site selection staff stands out as a big advantage over other Western brands, Tarantino noted.
“Management pointed to a range of factors supporting the increase to 700-plus new-unit openings, including robust unit-level returns on invested capital, continued development of new city clusters and transportation hubs, and signs of pent-up demand in lower-tier cities as customers discover the brands after traveling to larger cities or via exposure from Yum’s national television advertising,” he wrote. “We are comfortable that the company can continue to support annual unit development near or above the 2012 targeted level for an extended period.”
Robust opportunities elsewhere in Asia
Officials from the Singapore-based Asian Franchise Business Unit, or AFBU, also welcomed analysts to view their operations and predicted acceleration in unit growth, which Tarantino believed would contribute to increased profits for Yum in the coming years.
AFBU contributes 8 percent of Yum’s global operating profit and more than one-fourth of annual profit for the Yum Restaurants International, or YRI, segment. The group operates more than 4,500 locations in 13 Asian countries.
“We came away from presentation with a very positive impression of the segment’s commitment to continuing to build strong brands around key platforms for KFC that include Krushers beverages, oven-based items, and breakfast,” Tarantino wrote.
He also noted that AFBU could ramp up development in upcoming years to more than 300 units per year by 2015, compared with about 200 expected this year. Across its emerging Asian markets — meaning essentially every country in its portfolio except Japan — the five-year sales compound annual growth rate was 16 percent for KFC and 13 percent for Pizza Hut.
The Vietnam market, which analysts visited after meetings in China, includes 145 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, Tarantino noted.
“While Vietnam represents a very small portion of the AFBU business today,” he wrote, “the site visit and presentations from the two KFC and Pizza Hut franchisees for the market provided valuable insights related to the strong competitive advantages that Yum has in operating strong brands within emerging markets, as well as the impressive quality and sophistication of Yum’s franchise partners in international markets.”
Louisville, Ky.-based Yum operates or franchises KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. In addition to its 5,251 restaurants in China, it also has 15,987 units in the United States, 14,105 in YRI and 479 in India.


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The world is increasingly complex, instrumented and virtual. There’s vast amounts of information about consumers and the factors that influence their behavior that simply didn’t exist in the data warehouse era. Here, we take a closer look at how all this data will affect retail when it comes together with recent technology trends.
China is a global sports powerhouse, with a rising domestic sports market and the eyes of the international sports industry trained upon it and its 1.37 billion citizens. This whitepaper offers a snapshot of the current Chinese sporting fanscape and landscape.
When asked to pick the attributes they seek when purchasing all-purpose cleaners, 40% around the world say they want environmentally friendly benefits and nearly as many (36%) say they don’t want harsh chemicals.
In a recent survey, Nielsen asked corporate leaders and the general public to describe the current state of corporate social responsibility. The gap in perceptions between the two groups is striking. So what’s driving the gap?
If we know that consumers are engaging more with brands that are going green, producing sustainable products and giving back, do we have insight into which causes resonate the most? And are there discernible preferences between men and women? The short answer is yes.
Hunger is a huge issue in today’s world, and you might be surprised to know that it’s just as much a problem in developed countries as it is in emerging ones. But with a little insight, we're helping map the meal gap.


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EuropeActive and Deloitte published the sixth edition of the European Health & Fitness Market Report (EHFMR), summarizing the latest market statistics for the calendar year 2018.
According to the report, the European health and fitness market continued to grow strongly in 2018 as the total number of health and fitness club members increased by 3.5% to 62.2 million. With a membership growth of 4.5 % to 11.1 million members, Germany strengthened its position as the country with the highest number of members ahead of the United Kingdom (9.9 million), France (6.0 million), Italy (5.5 million) and Spain (5.3 million).
European health and fitness club memberships grew by 3.5% to 62.2 million in 2018, strengthening fitness as the nr. 1 sports activity in Europe.
Total fitness club revenues were €27.2 billion (+3.4% at constant currency)
The number of facilities increased by 4.6% to 61,984.
Consolidation continues; the top 30 European fitness club operators accounted for 15.4 million members (+11.2%), representing 24.8% of all membership.
Merger and acquisition activity reached a new high in 2018 with 24 major M&A transactions in the operator market identified for this report.
Top 3 Operators
In terms of revenues, the UK-based premium operator David Lloyd Leisure (EUR 545 million), low-cost operator Basic-Fit (EUR 402 million) and the Swiss operator Migros Group (EUR 383 million) led the European operator rank. Herman Rutgers, EuropeActive Board member and co-author of the report, commented: “2018 was another year of continued growth for the sector. It was interesting to see positive developments across all market segments; value, premium as well as some mid-market operators. Additionally, we saw more small and medium-sized facilities opening closer to where people live and work, making fitness even more accessible for all. We remain confident to reach the industry goal of 80 million members by 2025.”
This report was made possible by the generous support of Basic-Fit, Exerp, FIBO, Gympass, IHRSA, Technogym and YANGA Sports Water.


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Friend Software Corporation, creator of the operating environment for the internet, has announced their plans to become the World’s first Token Generation Event launched in Norway. The company is also proud to announce that they have been working closely with all relevant Norwegian authorities and one of the largest banks in Norway to develop their offering.
Headquartered in Norway, Friend Software Corporation has been at the forefront of developing forward-thinking solutions for the internet in a country renowned for its no nonsense approach to integrity, transparency, and impeccable corporate governance. The company’s Friend Unifying Platform (FriendUP) is poised to deliver the world’s first, open source decentralized cloud computer that will unify web applications and create an ecosystem for them to thrive in. The powerful, open source technology will provide developers with customizable APIs and protocols for unleashing the potentials of the internet and placing the internet literally in their hands.
Designed as a decentralized cloud computer, FriendUP offers secured and scalable computing infrastructure built on blockchain technology. The fully-featured virtual computer is readily available for use once the user logs in and facilitates a thriving environment for applications to seamlessly interact with each other regardless of their origin - Blockchain, web, or legacy applications. The extensively innovative stack technology offers groundbreaking features including client side integrations and zero deployment cost approach for virtual computers.
FriendUP is gaining acclaim and recognition from software companies leveraging its Friend platform to deploy Windows-based applications to users across devices and locations. This platform not only provides software vendors with a cost-effective infrastructure for making their software platform and device independent, but also enables them to deploy their applications faster and at a cheaper cost.
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Integrating blockchain technology into any developer’s application is now a swift and seamless process with FriendUP. developer s will be able to deploy on and integrate with Ethereum and other decentralised technologies on the network’s revolutionary Blockchain-based, cloud infrastructure, the Friend Network. Users on this network share ownership over the infrastructure and get rewarded in tokens.
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Disclaimer. This article is paid and provided by a third-party source and should not be viewed as an endorsement by CoinIdol. Readers should do their own research before investing funds in any company. CoinIdol shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services mentioned in this article.


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The owner of the shop and petrol station devastated by fire in Ingoldmells last week has said the businesses are likely to remain closed for at least two months.
The businessman also estimates that the damage caused to his Spar shop and adjoining Gulf petrol station during the fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning will cost around £80,000 to repair.
He said: “I was totally devastated - it’s a real shock for anyone to see their business go up in smoke but what has given me peace of mind was that the fire didn’t start at our site.”
An update from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has also confirmed that the fire did not begin in the Gulf filling station, contrary to initial reports, but at a nearby auto-repair shop which managed to escape relatively unscathed.
The Spar was the worst hit during the blaze and the Gulf petrol station was also moderately damaged, but it is hoped a mobile filling station can be opened on the site while repairs are taking place.
Staff will continue to be paid during the businesses’ closure.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A patent filed by Amazon may indicate what’s to come in the future of home delivery.
The approved patent outlines plans to add robots to customers’ homes that assist in picking up packages.
The robot would essentially wait inside a home or residence until an Amazon order arrives. Once a delivery truck drops off an order at the curb, the robot would go out to retrieve it on its own.
According to the patent, the robots could service individual homes, larger buildings like an apartment complex, or even an entire neighborhood.
So far, Amazon has yet to announce an actual robot like the patent describes.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 20, 2016)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced five new members for its 2016 Board of Directors. The new members join the 43 current business and community leaders representing a broad cross-section of the greater Madison economy.
“Each of our new board members bring a wealth of business experience and represent important sectors in our local economy,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “The Chamber is well-positioned to take advantage of the economic momentum happening in Greater Madison. We look forward to working with these new board members and drawing upon their influence and expertise to build upon that momentum.”
New 2016 board members are:
Click here for the full roster of the Greater Madison Chamber Board of Directors.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 9,500 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.


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Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Robin Givhan from the Washington Post spoke on a panel about
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Robin Givhan from the Washington Post spoke on a panel about women and fashion in New York City last night and of course Mrs. Obama came up. Givhan pointed out that she would love to see the First Lady wear the downtown style of American designer Marc Jacobs. Hmmm. I guess I’m not mad at that. She added that Mrs. O has set an example for a lot of women who are over the age of 30 and felt disenfranchised by the fashion industry.
“She is perfect example that you can incorporate fashion into your life, and what makes you look good doesn’t necessarily negate your I.Q.,” Givhan said.
Stay tuned to see if Mrs. Obama wears Marc Jacobs in the near future…


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Tourisme et de Gestion Hôtelière avec la certification académique de l' Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne
As F&B technology is being continuously updated, the Sagesse Faculty of Hospitality Management is looking to keep pace with the new trends in technology. Therefore, when Porfira s.a.r.l., the official distributor of Thermomix in Lebanon, graciously offered the Faculty with what has been named as the world’s most intelligent food processor, Dr. Tanios Kassis, the Dean of the Faculty, gladly accepted.
Thermomix has revolutionized kitchens throughout the world as it chops, grates, mixes, weighs, grinds, cooks, steams, whisks, kneads, and blends ingredients. In addition, a touchscreen displays digital recipes and guides cooking in order to facilitate the process.
The SFHM students will be introduced to the new technology as Dean Kassis, Mr. Marc Ghaoui, Director of Operations, Chef Bechara Chmouny, Production Manager, and their team installed the high tech processor in the kitchen. On behalf of Dean Kassis, the faculty would like to thank Ms. Ioanna Pitta, Ms. Jeanine de Chadarevian, and Ms. Nada Najm for their generous contribution.


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Samsung’s Galaxy Note series is so strong that even the Note 7’s battery disaster of 2016 remained unsuccessful to demolish brand’s reputation. As of now, it looks like the Cupertino’s giant, Apple is also greatly inspired by Samsung’s Note series and may copy at least one of its feature in its upcoming Rolls-Royce — iPhone X Plus, as suggested by Rosenblatt analyst Jun Zhang reported by AppleInsider.
The analyst notes that Apple will launch at least three new iPhone models in 2018. The lineup will consist of two OLED versions, with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch (Rolls-Royce) displays, alongside a 6.1-inch LCD low-priced version.
According to Jun Zhang, the larger 6.5-inch OLED “Rolls-Royce” model will be positioned at a far higher price and will have some slightly unusual features. The company stated that it will support the “iPen”, which could be a reference to the Apple Pencil or a similar device we have seen the news, though the accessory will not be included in the box with the iPhone.
The report also notes that the bigger model will get dual-SIM support, a feature that could make it more appealing to China and other markets. The upcoming iPhone X Plus will get improved 3D sensors, which consume less battery and make possible new application features.
Alongside detailing the almost impossible feature for Apple to put on its iPhones, the analyst also revealed significant features of the three upcoming models. The new iPhone X models may also come with improved water resistance. As the current models have an IP67 rating, which means they can be immersed up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes, but Apple is looking to push the depth to 10 meters.
Zhang has also revealed that the cheaper version of the 6.1-inch LCD model will be offered for between $550 and $650, that price point is almost half the price of iPhone X, as noted in a previous leak.
Apple’s upcoming iPhones have been surfacing in rumors for quite a while now, but so far, we can’t even guess that when the devices are going to be unveiled.
Image Source: Digital Trends


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Big Pharma, Mitch Zeller, and the FDA e-cig regulations: Follow the money
When the FDA e-cig regulations were first announced on May 5, 2016, many retailers and manufacturers were completely unaware of the significant role that Big Pharma played in their creation. As far back as the late 1990’s, pharmaceutical companies were already well aware of the many health benefits of electronic vaping devices. Companies like GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, and Squibb quickly determined that the delivery of prescription medications would be cheaper and more immediately effective when injected through these devices.
At the same time, Big Pharma also successfully predicted that e-cigs would become even more popular among smokers, especially those who were trying to quit. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline already offered Nicorette Gum as a smoking cessation method. Meanwhile, “The Patch” by Big Pharma’s Johnson & Johnson was also raking in big bucks. So when the Williamson Tobacco Corporation accused the FDA of overstepping its authority to regulate tobacco products in 1998, Big Pharma was watching.
FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
The case made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The FDA argued that nicotine was a “drug,” and cigarettes and any other electronic delivery system for nicotine fell under the jurisdiction of the FDA. The Supreme Court concluded that this was not the initial intent behind the law, and gave the win to Brown and Williamson.
In light of this devastating loss, the Tobacco Control Act of 2009 was passed, giving the FDA the official authority to regulate the tobacco industry. It allowed the creation of the Center for Tobacco Products, a new branch of the FDA focused on regulating the marketing and sale of tobacco products. The bill was also publically supported by the American Cancer Society (ACS), an anti-smoking advocacy group that Big Pharma had secretly funneled millions of dollars in contributions over the years. In turn, the ACS would publically promote “The Patch” and Nicorette Gum as the preferred methods to quit smoking.
Mitch Zeller, GlaxoSmithKline, and the FDA e-cig regulations
President Obama now needed to appoint someone to oversee the newly formed branch of the FDA, the Center for Tobacco Products. But he needed someone with the legal expertise to write new laws that were free of potential loopholes. The last thing that anyone wanted was another visit to the U.S. Supreme Court. To ensure that the legal language in any future regulations was foolproof, Obama looked to Big Pharma for a potential department head. He settled on a previous political consultant for Nicorette Gum’s GlaxoSmithKline, a Mr. Mitch Zeller.
It worked. Zeller spearheaded the campaign to write new FDA e-cig regulations that would eliminate the competitive advantage that electronic cigarettes held over “The Patch,” Nicorette Gum, and other similar smoking cessation products. But the new regulations would also need to be marketed to the American Public in such a way that the typical voter would somehow view e-cigs as at least as deadly as traditional tobacco cigarettes, if not more. Who better to do this than anti-smoking advocacy groups like the American Cancer Society?
Big Pharma and the War on Vaping
The War on Vaping has been a politically calculated series of maneuvers that spans the past twenty years or more. It involves Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and several other high-power organizations with very deep pockets and decades of already established political connections. Meanwhile, the vaping industry is still relatively young. It hasn’t had to the time “buy” any political officials on its behalf.
In fact, nearly 99% of all e-cigs and vaping devices were introduced to the market after February 15, 2007, less than ten years ago. (Coincidentally, this is the very same predicate date of the newly announced FDA e-cig regulations.) If the vaping and e-cig industries want to win the War on Vaping, they may need to learn how to play dirty, just like Mitch Zeller, GlaxoSmithKline, the entire Big Pharma industry, and even the American Cancer Society.


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Zscaler raises $100 million to pulverize security appliances
Jay Chaudhry—the CEO, founder, and chairman of the cloud-based security company Zscaler—has a brashness about him.
At the RSA conference earlier this year, a representative of his company obliterated competitors’ electronics on stage with a mallet. (Much to the periodic vexation of the neighboring booths.) One cannot mistake his message.
“The old technology based on appliances is not really relevant,” Chaudhry says, sharing his vision that incumbent security companies, ones that rely on selling hardware “boxes” to businesses in order to help them secure their network endpoints, will face a coming crisis. “When business happens in the cloud, you need security in the cloud.”
Zscaler sells security as a service. Companies subscribe, point their Internet traffic to the firm’s security “checkpoints,” which reside in about 100 data centers globally, and let Zscaler inspect and scrub it. “We like to talk about ‘Internet gateway’ as a new category that needs to be done in the cloud,” Chaudhry says.
On Monday, the company announced that is raising $100 million in a funding round led by TPG Growth, which has also financed other notable tech startups such as Uber, Airbnb, and Box (BOX). Other participants in the round include existing investors EMC (EMC) and Lightspeed Ventures, which invested $38 million in the company in 2012.
Chaudhry, a serial entrepreneur who hails from a small Himalayan village, originally self-financed Zscaler with $60 million in two earlier rounds. He tells Fortune that the San Jose, Calif.-based company is “pretty close to cash flow neutral,” and will likely go public within the next year or so.
“The next step for us is sales and global expansion,” he says, adding that he also plans to beef up the company’s research team.
Nehal Raj, a TPG partner who specializes in software company investments, sees great potential in Zscaler’s particular cloud model. “They control the access to the web for corporations,” he says. “That’s a strategic place to be.”
Indeed, given a boom in recent funding announcements, many investors seem to believe that the field of security is itself a strategic place to be. Last month another cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, raised $100 million in a funding round led by Google (GOOG) Capital. And investment firms have poured $1.2 billion into cybersecurity startups in the first half of the year, up from $771 million in the same time frame in 2013, according to researcher CB Insights.
Investors’ enthusiasm doesn’t dissuade Raj, however. “It feels like a very rational bet to be making,” he says, speaking on TPG’s involvement in Zscaler’s latest funding round. “But I’m not surprised if others feel the same way about the other companies they’re spending on.”
Chaudhry has no doubts about his company either. If and when the proverbial mallet strikes, he believes his firm will be just fine.
“I think if I were an appliance company I would be worried,” he says. “We built in the cloud for the cloud and we’re seeing tremendous growth. Are we worried about it? Not really.”


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Burger King has sales momentum and it all started with chicken fries. Restaurant Brands International the parent company to Burger King posted a comparable-store sales gain of 6.2 percent in the second quarter of 2015 and this week posted 6,7% growth.
Success does leave clues and after seeing sales gains during the third quarter, Burger King said it has introduced a Buffalo version of its fan-favorite Chicken Fries. Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® insist “you have to dance with the one that brought you to the party”.
That is exactly what Burger King plans to do. As we noted; The original Chicken Fries—a past LTO that was brought back as a permanent offering in March—and its follow-up, Fiery Chicken Fries, have been key sales drivers for the chain in recent months, spurring comps growth of 6.7 percent in Q2 and 6.2 percent in Q3.
Now Burger King is getting hotter the newest iteration “eschews traditional Buffalo sauce, opting instead for a Buffalo-flavored breading, the chain said. A nine-piece order of the limited-time item sells for $2.89.” That is both turning up the heat in flavor and price competitiveness a formula that will work once again.
www.FoodserviceSolutions.us specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy. Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant Contact Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us


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The startup specializing in procurement, international logistics and distribution has strengthened its teams with the recruitment of new Lebanese employees. More than 30 new hires are also planned for 2023. This is the group's first office in the Middle East and its second in the MENA region.
The launch of this new headquarters is a key step for DocShipper, which aims to have a local presence in all regions of the world. The company has been bootstrapping (self-financing) since its inception and is pursuing this goal to get closer to both its customers and the agents it works with.
"The art of navigation and trade are characteristic of the Phoenician civilization. Thus, this office in Lebanon will allow DocShipper to support its international expansion with a high-level talent pool. For professionals and recent graduates, this represents very attractive professional opportunities. They will be able to develop their experience in a dynamic work environment. The Lebanese team will be an essential link in the acceleration of our growth" says Nicolas Rahmé, CEO and co-founder of the Group.
"DocShipper offers a great opportunity for talent from Lebanon. They will be able to join a fast-growing international company that offers real career opportunities, projects for renowned clients, and a young and dynamic corporate culture. It is the demonstration that despite the economic crisis that Lebanon is undergoing, we are convinced of the potential and skills of this country and participate at our level in its recovery," adds Pierre Rahmé, Co-founder and Head of the Sourcing Department.
Despite the profound changes the country is currently undergoing, the Franco-Lebanese co-founders of the startup believe that thanks to its young talents, a better future awaits Lebanon. With the opening of the new office, Docshipper joins companies such as CMA-CGM in delivering a strong and reassuring message to the Lebanese.
Based in Hong Kong, DocShipper is an import/export startup on its way to disrupting a multi-billion dollar industry by breaking the codes of the sector both digitally and operationally.
DocShipper's mission is to assist individuals, SMEs and large groups in the complex and archaic sector that is the supply chain. From procurement assistance to international transport and 3PL, DocShipper is the single point of contact for its customers.
The company's goal is to simplify the international trade industry through digitalization, so that companies can focus on growing their business.https://www.docshipper.com/press-releases/docshipper-group-opens-new-office-lebanon/


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Unedited news and product information from vendors.
Moontoast Hosts Vince Gill Auction Event
Mar 27, 2010 (02:03 PM EDT)
Proceeds to Benefit Challenge America
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Social commerce network, Moontoast.com announced today the launch of an auction that will partner the website with Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill to benefit the charity Challenge America. Moontoast, a site which connects Guides ("those who know") and Explorers ("those who want to know"), will invite people to bid online for a chance to win one-on-one time with Gill. The highest bidder will receive 90-minutes of Gill's time and can choose to experience it either in-person, via phone lines or via Moontoast's Live Video Player. The winner can talk guitars, get some golf tips or just hang out.
The auction began on Thursday, March 25 and will run through midnight (CDT) on April 16, 2010. Go to: http://www.moontoast.com/vincegill/ChallengeAmerica
"We are seeing lots of brands and individuals embrace the Moontoast platform as a way to monetize their knowledge, experience and expertise, but Vince is the first to use Moontoast for philanthropy. We think he's going to raise a lot of money for Challenge America, and at the same time show other artists, athletes and celebrities that Moontoast can be an efficient and effective vehicle for good," said Moontoast Chief Marketing Officer, Michael Haje.
"The funds raised through this innovative, online auction will help Challenge America continue to 'connect the dots' for our country's returning injured military and their families to resources for a successful transition from battlefield to home front," said Houston Cowan, Challenge America founder and executive director.
About Challenge America
Challenge America is a national initiative to provide support to our country's returning wounded military. Challenge America's mission is to work with communities across the United States in linking new and existing services and supporting the development of recreational and occupational programs to better serve returning injured military and their families.
Gill, along with his wife Amy Grant, helped officially launch Challenge America with a star-studded concert event to honor wounded warriors in Washington, D.C. in 2009.
Moontoast is a social commerce network for people to pursue and promote their passions through personal relationships. Moontoast simply connects those who know, with those who want to know.


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Betsson TUMMY and SkillOnNet Limited strong ! with Swedish fines. SLS Las Vegas Resort and Casino re-branded given that the Sahara Sin city. Nektan having mobile bingo to the business-to-consumer iGaming platform
On Sweden and also the nation’s Spelinspektionen gaming regulator has repeatedly https://myfreepokies.com/lucky-88-slot-review/ reportedly fined a pair of casino online operators meant for breaking their strict system concerning the dotacion of happening againcoming back bonuses.
As per a Friday report by CalvinAyre. com citing an early on declaration from the Swedish regulator, Betsson ABDOMINAL EXERCISES and SkillOnNet Limited are collectively disciplined to the music of approximately $3. 01 million to get found guilty of offering ‘weekly surprises, capital prize drags, travel and even free spins, bonus products, rewards and free activities to steadfast players’ for contravention with rules that were brought in a few six months ago.
Sweden supposedly launched a governed iGaming sector in Thinking about receiving while the Spelinspektionen earlier this month levied penalties worth slightly in excess of $232, 300 towards operators Genesis Global Confined and AG Communications Restrained for very much the same bonus-related infringements.
CalvinAyre. com reported that online casino workers licensed to present their products and services to game enthusiasts in Laxa, sweden are taboo from providing reoccurring bonuses with fans only in a position to take advantage of approximately 13, 000 non-transferable bonus. But , the particular Spelinspektionen reportedly stated the fact that Betsson AB’s NGG Nordic Limited subordinate were definitily breaking that rule by its domain at NordicBet. com for at least four many weeks to are charged a fine of around $2. ’04 million.
Stockholm-headquartered Betsson ABS reportedly written a statement cleaning that it had not agreed considering the Spelinspektionen’s ‘interpretations’ of Sweden iGaming protocols and had been of the thoughts and opinions that the solutions from NGG Nordic Constrained had ‘been in line with what’s permitted in the new casino legislation’
Their AB’s declaration reportedly read…
“The control on deposit bonuses is confus and has been demonstrated to keep much living room for different interpretations. ”
Concerning SkillOnNet Constrained, it was apparently hit which has a financial charge of almost $1. 51 thousand after frequently its websites were adjudged to have destroyed Sweden’s iGaming rules by offering ‘daily bonuses, monthly benefits, free spins, cash-back and VIP packages’. The Maltese business is responsible for numerous online gambling houses including LunaCasino. com , PlayOJO. com and PrimeCasino. com together with was at the same time purportedly cautioned for working an online lotto, for which it’s not locally accredited.
After finalizing its getting the fighting SLS Nevada Hotel plus Casino a great undisclosed amount of money in The spring, the Meruelo Group has reportedly rechristened the 2, 720-room house as the Sahara Las Vegas .
Brand new owner:
According to a good Thursday document from the Vegas Review-Journal, the real estate firm work by Alex Meruelo bought the very venue initially built in 1952 from San Francisco-headquartered expenditure fund Stockbridge Capital Group and has committed to spending more than $100 huge number of on makeovers. While this progression continues, it offers officially published a new title that harkens back to an original identity in the once noticeable enterprise, that is known as the actual Sahara Hotel room and Betting house until it implemented the SLS moniker on 2013.
Often the newspaper claimed that the Sin city venue at the time hosted these types of celebrities since Dean Frank, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and the Beatles while 55-year-old Meruelo comprehensive that the completely new name may help his supervision team to bring back these achievements days in addition to deliver sexual and outstanding experiences.
Meruelo reportedly advised the Vegas Review-Journal…
“We want individuals that stay with individuals to say ‘my God, just what an experience’, because practical experience leads to thoughts and that certainly is what we prefer to create, recollections and goes through you wil forget. To accomplish this, we had to choose the right vacation resort and this is the right vacation resort. We can complete a big effects here at this kind of iconic holiday location. Our residence is just the proper size to offer the vivid, yet unique, experiences which will made website visitors first adore Las Vegas. ”
Fresh new beginnings:
The Las Vegas Review-Journal said that Meruelo unveiled the latest Sahara Sin city identity at Thursday celestial via a exceptional ceremony joined in by several 700 attendees that received featured fireworks and a jingle light indicate. He ostensibly moreover proclaimed that the Cellisca venue having its Moroccan onion-dome minaret previously had ‘played an important role during the evolution with the destination’ which his agency will now become responsible ‘for shaping the latest narrative’ along with ‘writing another chapter on the city’s evolution’.
Global portable online game playing services and also solutions service provider, Nektan, seems to have announced the main signing to a ‘white-label’ bargain that is to observe its business-to-consumer iGaming stand feature a stop offering with Maltese designer, Pragmatic Have fun with Limited .
The Gibraltar-headquartered innovator used an official Wed press release to be able to detail that your new product has long been specifically designed with the mobile guitar player in mind and features an authentic lobby that will additionally gives the collection of that comes miniature video game titles.
Nektan mentioned that it is business-to-consumer stand is currently utilized by over a hundred and sixty iGaming online websites from around the globe and that the elite of the brand-new bingo name is set to be able to ‘further enhance’ this progress by adding that will its presently extensive array ‘top-performing pai gow poker and live-dealer games. ’
Jane Thomas, Chief Functioning Officer meant for Nektan, used the press release for you to declare that addition of a mobile-friendly bingo product is research that their firm is normally investing in it has the products in order ‘to service the industrial ambitions of everyone in attendancee its operators and white-label partners’ by way of allowing these kinds of to address an even greater guru demographic.
Ryan’s statement read…
“The unveiling of bingo allows this partners to draw and acquire unique player segments as well as offering our present players much more content pick. The large major our members are on smartphones on the market and we are confident the mobile-specific customer experience and even in-game vestibule will desire increased mobile traffic. We look forward to having incremental gambling revenue to help existing white-label casino partners as well as working together with new bingo-focused partners. ”


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WASHINGTON –(ENEWSPF)–April 11, 2017. A leading consumer group, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, released the ninth in a series of reports that review complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The latest report explores consumer complaints about medical debt, a major source of problems for consumers, since medical debt items on credit reports are often wrong or about the wrong consumer. The report also demonstrates the need to defend the CFPB from partisan and special interest attacks.
Medical debt collectors often employ aggressive tactics and attempt to collect debt from the wrong customers – putting consumers’ credit records at risk. Medical debt accounts for more than half of all collection items that appear on consumer credit reports. Recognizing medical debt is both often mistaken and not a good indicator of future creditworthiness, leading credit score companies have begun to remove it from credit scores, but it still appears in credit reports.
“The CFPB is working tirelessly to stop unfair medical debt collection practices that harm innocent consumers, so why are some on Capitol Hill backing efforts to kill or weaken the CFPB?” asked Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director for PIRG. “This report provides strong, concrete evidence that CFPB Director Richard Cordray and the CFPB’s oversight are effective in protecting consumers. Both the director and the bureau must be defended.”
“The CFPB is an important partner in our efforts to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive debt collection practices,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. “This report makes it even more clear how vital the work of this agency is.”
Complaints submitted to the CFPB suggest that many consumers contacted about medical debt should not have been contacted in the first place, and that many contacts involve aggressive or inappropriate tactics. Key findings of the report “Medical Debt Malpractice,” by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Frontier Group include:
- Nearly two-thirds (63%) of 17,701 complaints about medical debt collection reviewed in the report assert either that the debt was never owed in the first place, it was already paid or discharged in bankruptcy, or it was not verified as the consumer’s debt.
- Many complaints document inappropriate and aggressive tactics including frequent or repeated calls, calls harassing friends and family, threats of legal action, or the use of abusive language.
- Although impacts on credit reports are not categorized by the CFPB, they appear to be a significant source of complaints: 1,810 complaint narratives, or 35 percent of all medical complaint narratives submitted, contain the text “credit report.”
“Medical debt collection is a system run amok,” said Gideon Weissman of Frontier Group, report co-author. “Our analysis of CFPB complaint data suggests that many of the consumers facing harassment and damaged credit due to medical debt never owed any money in the first place.”
“The CFPB has returned $11.8 Billion to 29 million consumers harmed by financial practices,” said Mike Litt, U.S. PIRG Consumer Advocate. “This is an agency that works well and needs to be protected from rollbacks.” He noted that opponents of the successful bureau seek to remove its director, eliminate its independent funding and restrict many of its powers to protect consumers.
The group noted powerful special-interests continue to spend many billions — $2 billion on lobbying and campaign donations in 2015-2016 alone, according to the PIRG-backed Americans for Financial Reform, to weaken the CFPB and all of the Wall Street reforms enacted in 2010.
The report’s key recommendations included the following:
- Stop debt collectors and buyers from collecting debts without proper information and documentation about the debt and records of prior communications with the consumer.
- Stop debt collectors from bringing robo-signed cases in court.
- Crack-down on widespread use of threats, harassment and embarrassment in debt collection, and make it easier for the consumer to demand a stop to unwanted communications.
- Protect servicemembers by strictly limiting contact with their commanders to verifications of address.
“Consumers deserve protection from unfair, aggressive, and illegal medical debt collection. Fortunately, they have a powerful resource in the CFPB, which has already taken multiple actions against collection companies that break the law while collecting medical debt,” Ed Mierzwinski concluded. “Not only that, they need to preserve a strong CFPB because it’s the one agency working to make financial markets fair for consumers.”
U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being. With a strong network of researchers, advocates, organizers and students in state capitols across the country, we take on the special interests on issues, such as product safety,political corruption, prescription drugs and voting rights,where these interests stand in the way of reform and progress.
Source: US PIRG


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Okanagan’s third government-run cannabis store planned for Kelowna
Kamloops got the first government-run cannabis store the day pot was legalized on Oct. 17, 2018.
Now, just over a year later, the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch is applying for a B.C. Cannabis Store for Willow Park mall in the Rutland neighbourhood of Kelowna.
Two stores are now open in Kamloops with another one pending. Applications have also been made for West Kelowna and Penticton.
The Willow Park application is for a 3,500 square foot space, half the size of the one proposed for West Kelowna, which is meant to become a regional headquarters for the area from Osoyoos to Vernon.
The West Kelowna application is expected to go to public hearing on Nov. 12. School District 23 is opposing that rezoning effort since it’s only 160 metres from George Pringle Elementary School. That fits the rules set by West Kelowna council but the school board wants cannabis stores to be at least 500 metres from schools.
The Willow Park application fits all the rules set down by the City of Kelowna, the application letter states.
If approved, it will employ about 15 unionized staff and might be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
The rezoning application was filed with Kelowna city staff yesterday, Oct. 30 and will have to go to a public hearing.
The Penticton outlet has been approved but the Liquor Distribution Branch is still negotiating terms with the landlord.
The B.C. Cannabis web site lists two stores being open in Kamloops with one pending on Lansdowne Street. Earlier this year another one was listed as pending on Tranquille Road but that is no longer on the list.
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A combination of pictures taken in Jerusalem on March 13, 2017, shows the logos of U.S. computer chip giant Intel (top) and Israeli auto tech firm Mobileye.
"It's an area where the company (Intel) has had very little presence - the automotive market, and so this is a tremendous opportunity for them to get into a market that has significant growth opportunities", said Betsy Van Hees, an analyst at Loop Capital Markets who has a "buy" rating on Intel shares.
Intel said Shashua will head Mobileye and Intel's automated driving group in Israel.
"The addition of Mobileye to our family provides the data path to our computing solutions becoming the intelligent set of eyes that will allow a vehicle to see and define the world around it", said Brian Krzanich, Intel's chief executive, in a letter to employees.
Mobileye generated $358 million in revenue previous year and $108 million in net income, meaning it's getting taken out at 42.7 times sales and 141.7 times earnings.
It is the biggest technology takeover in Israel's history and the largest purchase of a company exclusively focused on self-driving.
At a price of $63.54 per share, the offer for Mobileye is a more than 34% premium from its March 10 closing price of $47.27.
Intel Corp. continued its foray into the autonomous vehicle sector this week with the acquisition of computer vision and machine-learning specialist Mobileye for about $15 billion in cash.
The technology that Intel and MobilEye are working on won't just be limited to BMW cars, though.
Intel will blend its expertise in hardware chips with Mobileye's collision detection software to form a comprehensive portfolio of autonomous driving technologies.
Mobileye is the central player in Israel's burgeoning automotive technology sector, which hosts development centers for no less than four major vehicle companies.
At the same time, Intel gains access to Mobileye's EyeQ system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology, which helps collect the data from a variety of sensors and cameras installed in the vehicle.
The deal for Mobileye N.V. (NYSE: MBLY) follows Intel's announcement in January that it would acquire a 15 percent stake in digital map and location services specialist HERE.
Mobileye was cofounded in 1999 by Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram. The two companies announced plans to put 40 autonomous BMW cars on American and European roads by the end of this year.


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The first of 26 Norwegian Majesty's annual cruises to Bermuda embarking from Massport's Black Falcon Cruise Terminal begins May 6. The Port Boston expects 113 scheduled ship calls--- both embarkations and port of call visits---and over 200,000 passengers during the 2001 season, which runs through October.
The Port of Boston expects to set new records by breaking the 200,000-passenger mark and with FIVE cruise ships docked at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal on September 9th and 29th. All this cruise activity is expected to generate for the region an economic impact of $50 million
"The record-setting growth of the cruise ship industry in Boston is a true success story for the Port and for workers in maritime, hospitality, retail and transportation industries,"said Virginia Buckingham, Massport executive director and CEO. " Massport has allocated $12 million to build another cruise terminal contiguous to the Black Falcon to keep up with the growth and new ships."
Director of the Port of Boston, Michael Leone says the new terminal, currently in the design stage, will be part of a cruise complex on the South Boston waterfront which will be able to accommodate the Destiny Class and mega-ships that cruise lines are adding to their fleets.
"We expect the new facility will be ready for the opening of the 2003 season," said Leone.
This year, cruise ships will tie up at Massport's terminals at the Black Falcon and at the World Trade Center. Ships new to Boston include Carnival's Victory, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas and Silver Sea's Silver Whisper, a 382-guest ultra-luxury vessel, will make a port of call visit September 27, during her Inaugural Season.
There's also a new cruise option--- coastal cruising, offered by the Delta Queen's Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light. These newly constructed, 224-passenger ships are named for historic lighthouses and designed to resemble the Fall River Line vessels, which served overnight passengers on northern U.S. coastal routes for nearly a century, beginning in the mid-1800s. The first of these coastal cruises visits on June 20th at the World Trade Center. The vessels' itineraries have 12 New England port of call stops: Providence, RI, Newport, Martha's Vineyard, Provincetown, Fall River, Plymouth, Boston, Gloucester, Salem, Portsmouth, NH, Kennebunkport and Portland, ME.
The Amsterdam, Holland America's newest "Flagship of Excellence", visited Boston last October during her inaugural voyage to the U.S. She's back for five port of call visits beginning September 9.
In preparation for the 2001 cruise season, Massport gave the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal a facelift. The work included: repainting of both interior levels of the terminal, redecorated the waiting area with new pictures and plants, installed baby-changing tables in rest rooms, added new lighting inside and out, installed a new automatic queuing system for passengers waiting for cabs, and replaced ceiling and fan, repaired luggage bins, forklifts and other equipment.


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The House of Representatives Committee on Customs yesterday tackled the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other agencies over congestion of ports across the country, which is frustrating the ease of doing business.
This is just as the NPA has accused police and naval officers of being responsible for the persistent gridlock at the port access road at Apapa, Lagos, due to multiple checkpoints they set up to extort motorists.
The lawmakers, at an interactive session aimed at proffering solutions to the traffic congestions within the ports and make them economically competitive, said the country could no longer wait to address the issues.
Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Leke Abejide, listing various issues facing the ports, decried the long cargo clearing processes at the ports, saying the faster the Customs processes, the more revenue they would generate for the nation and the agency.
He said, “Bonded containers that are supposed to be dropped at sea side by the shipping lines are not being allocated to another bonded terminals together with other containers for the said bonded terminals to take the whole vessel loads to its terminal first on the cost of the importers before the bonded terminal which is the final destination pick the container to their terminal.
“Apart from the cost which is abnormal and triple, there is time consumption which lead to delays make nonsense of the federal government’s policy of ease of doing business.
“Shippers’ Council in today’s meeting should tell us what it is doing to monitor the excesses of all the shipping lines in trying to kill the export business by leaving containers at the ports.”
In his presentation, the acting Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, while highlighting some of the challenges faced by the agency, alleged that the police and other security agents were fronting some area boys who extort motorists on their behalf.
He said, “There’s the issue of extortion, there are multiple checkpoints at the ports extorting people. And these checkpoints are manned by police officers.
“At times you find men in naval or military uniform, extorting vehicles illegally and Lagos state government has been very cooperative in terms of enforcement of the SOP as it relates to the truck call up system.
“We held a meeting recently with Federal Road Safety Commission, LASTMA and other officers in the police force, and we decided that let them identify checkpoints and the essence of the checkpoints is let it not interfere with traffic.
“The essence of the check point is to verify that these trucks are allowed to come in.”
When asked to adopt automated terminal delivery where anyone without a ticket cannot come in or have their trucks impounded, Koko alleged that the people to implement same were the ones involved in extortion.
He also said currently there are over 5,000 old containers taking up space in the ports. According to him, the Customs has not auctioned any containers in recent times, thus creating a huge space challenge at the port.
Koko further said all the ports across the country are working though those outside Lagos face certain limitations.
“All the ports are working, but the eastern ports have geographical limitations. They have the longest channels that exist in Nigeria because they are near the ocean. So, because of that location and the insecurity in that area, it makes it difficult for shipping companies to use those ports.
“We have also given concessions to shipping companies and we are hoping that it will encourage more activities in those ports. We are encouraging the use of flat vessels in those areas but the NPA cannot determine for importer where to take his cargo.
“Studies have shown that between 60 to 70 percent of cargoes imported is used in the southern part of the country. So, you don’t expect an importer who wants to use his raw materials in a factory in Lagos or Ibadan to take his cargoes to the eastern part of the country,” he said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Leke Abejide, gave the Nigeria Customs Service two weeks to reduce its long cargo clearing stages from 18 to four so as to decongest ports.


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It’s tough to say what was more surprising: that Micro Warehouse, one of the industry’s largest and oldest computer catalogers, was selling the North American portion of its business to $4.3 billion rival CDW, or that CDW was able to snap up the business, which has annual sales of roughly $940 million, for a mere $22 million.
For its $22 million, Vernon Hills, IL-based CDW gets Micro Warehouse’s customer database along with $14 million in inventory, intellectual property, trademarks, and copyrights. Norwalk, CT-based Micro Warehouse, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 10, two days after the sale, retains its overseas business, which accounts for approximately $1 billion in revenue. In its Chapter 11 filing, Micro Warehouse listed consolidated assets of more than $100 million and debts of more than $100 million. Computer products distributor Ingram Micro, Micro Warehouse’s largest unsecured creditor, is owed $17.9 million. CDW won’t acquire the accounts receivables or the liabilities, but it will receive a 5% service fee for collecting existing Micro Warehouse receivables. By not buying the company’s liabilities, says CDW spokesperson Anne Ireland, CDW keeps itself apart from Micro Warehouse’s Chapter 11 filing.
The deal not only enables CDW to become the country’s largest Apple computer products reseller, but it also allows CDW to broaden its customer base considerably. CDW determined that 75% of Micro Warehouse’s revenue is from customers who have not bought from CDW. And although Micro Warehouse’s Canadian subsidiary pulls only $40 million (U.S.) in annual sales, “we view it as a platform for getting us into Canada,” Ireland says.
“We will retain the Mac Warehouse name,” Ireland says. “It has a lot of brand equity in the marketplace.” The company’s Micro Warehouse and Data Comm Warehouse trademarks will be phased out.
Rise and fall
Founded in 1988, Micro Warehouse “started by having smart people on the phones fulfilling orders more cheaply than Comp USA did at retail,” says Marty Wolf, president of Martin Wolf Securities, a San Ramon, CA-based investment bank that follows the computer products and services industry. The company’s greatest growth was during the mid-1990s, when sales soared from $776.4 million in 1994 to $2.1 billion in 1997. At one point during the mid-’90s, the marketer did business through nearly a dozen titles, including Home Computer Warehouse and LAN Warehouse.
But several observers say that Micro Warehouse failed to evolve from a traditional catalog business, with order-takers waiting for calls, to a more proactive direct marketer. During the past five years CDW, Dell, Insight, PC Connection, and other computer marketers have invested in larger outbound telemarketing and field sales divisions to offer information technology professionals more one-on-one direct selling.
For instance, in the seven years that Dino Farfante, president of Insight North America, has been with the Tempe, AZ-based computers marketer, “we’ve gone from 98% direct-to-consumer and 100% catalog to a proactive outbound telemarketing/face-to-face sales model to 99% businesses this year.” And while consumers account for just 2% of CDW’s sales, they made up 15% of Micro Warehouse’s, Ireland says.
The problem in selling computer products and services to consumers, Farfante says, is that “the repeat business isn’t there. The frequency of purchase isn’t as large as it is with business customers.”
When Micro Warehouse was bought by an investor group led by president/CEO Jerome York at the end of 1999, the group hoped to catch up to CDW and Insight by mailing more catalogs. But what was really needed was a larger outbound sales staff.
For Micro Warehouse’s most successful rivals, says Wolf, “the catalog has become kind of like an appetizer, rather than the main meal.”
And the meal that Micro Warehouse was offering was less palatable to tech professionals than the appetizers produced by other marketers. “Most of the companies I follow these days aren’t just sending catalogs that show products and prices,” says David Manthey, research analyst with Milwaukee-based investment bank Robert W. Baird & Co. (Baird maintains a trading market in the securities of CDW, though Manthey doesn’t personally own CDW shares.) “They have a theme that focuses on solutions, such as computer virus protection. They’re more like magalogs to support sales.”
Also unlike many of its rivals, Micro Warehouse shied away from acquiring smaller computer marketers. During the past two years alone, PC Mall bought Pacific Business Systems and Wareforce, PC Connection acquired e-procurement supplier MoreDirect, and Zones bought Corporate PC Source. And of course, there was last year’s merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer Corp.
“We’ve expected CDW to make acquisitions over the past two years, so this one wasn’t a surprise,” Insight’s Farfante says. “There’s consolidation going on in this industry because of economies of scale. We’ve acquired three companies over the past 18 months [including reseller Comark last year] and expect CDW to take similar steps.”
Manufacturer/marketer Dell, the two-ton gorilla — or $35.4 billion segment leader — of the computers market has done its part to consolidate the industry as well. Although it hasn’t made major purchases of rivals, Dell has inked exclusive distribution deals with such manufacturers as computer printer vendor Lexmark, which Wolf equates to acquisitions.


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The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, which has already seen 85% of its stand capacity being snapped up by exhibitors, has announced its last call for entry.
Held at the NEC in Birmingham from March 22 – 28 2018 as the largest event of its kind, the Show returns after seeing its busiest year in 2017, where it attracted high net worth visitors with an average budget of £121,000, which drove significant return of investment (ROI) for the trade.
The previous show was clearly a success, with 87% of attendees making purchases or considering doing so after the event. Also, 80% of people did – or were likely to – request a quote from an exhibitor, according to a recent consumer survey.
Nick Noble, commercial & events director at Future PLC, commented: “Our growth in visitor figures has driven additional trade attention towards the opportunity we’re providing, as through our shows we’re connecting the undiminished appetite from consumers who see their homes as their number one asset with the premium, highly targeted database.”
“We don’t just offer attendees access to products and services that are not available anywhere else,” he continued, “but we also facilitate an efficient and rewarding buying experience via our property experts’ free expertise. When you have a budget of over £100,000 for construction materials alone, this service is vital.”
The event is designed to provide advice and resources for potential homebuilders and people interested in renovation. They cover a wide range of interests from extensions, home DIY, planning, permission, interiors, renewable technologies, energy efficiency, home insurance, building regulations and more.
The Homebuilding & Renovating Show’s portfolio expands across seven shows this year, covering key venues including Birmingham, London, Harrogate, Glasgow, Surrey, Somerset and Edinburgh.
The event organisers are also planning to launch another exhibition at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference in January 2019, further expanding its brand.
For more details on the upcoming show and its features, visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk.


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JET2 flights are expected to be cheaper than ever this winter, as Brits need to be encouraged to travel abroad, according to the airline boss.
Holidays to Europe have been left in tatters after a number of short-notice quarantine restrictions were enforced by the UK government, hitting travellers in France, Spain and Malta.
Portugal is feared to be the next on the quarantine list today, with concerns for Greece as well.
Both countries have seen rising cases, with Greece already on the quarantine list for Scotland after two flights from Zante were forced into isolation in Wales.
Jet2 airline owner Dart Group has said prices will need to remain “enticing” for holidaymakers to book later this year.
According to The Sun,The Dart Group said winter 20/21 bookings have yet to match capacity cuts, although it said bookings to date for summer 2021 were “encouraging”.
Seven nights and return flights to Greece and Italy with Jet2 including 22kg luggage and transfers – from £217pp
Philip Meeson, executive chairman of Dart Group, said: “Winter 20/21 forward bookings have yet to match our revised on-sale seat capacity, with customer bookings displaying a shorter lead time than in previous years.
“Therefore, pricing for both our leisure travel products – end-to-end package holidays with Jet2holidays and flight-only seats with Jet2.com – will need to remain consistently enticing.
“For Summer 2021, we plan to fly to all our popular leisure destinations with an appropriate, tailored level of service, which we anticipate will be close to Summer 2019 seat capacity levels.
“Bookings to date are encouraging, with average load factors ahead of the same point last year and package holiday customer numbers as a proportion of total departing customers showing a material increase.”
The airline has been restarting flights in recent weeks – Cyprus holidays resumed from August 17 while Portugal restarted on August 24.
However, with popular destinations such as France, Spain, Malta and Croatia on the quarantine list, Brits face a holiday in the UK instead this year.