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14 notable Toronto businesses that closed in March
Toronto businesses that closed in March ran the gamut from a beloved used bookstore and trusty neighbourhood coffee shops to an entire handful of restaurants damaged by fires over the course of two nights. Many of these places will leave locals pining for what was lost.
Here are the most notable Toronto businesses that closed in March.
This BBQ joint in Cabbagetown smoked its last meat last month after around four years in business. (And FYI, the "420" was a reference to its address on Parliament St.)
Last year it was Baldwin, this year it's Bloor. A nighttime fire caused both of these popular Indian restaurants next to Christie Pits to close (hopefully) temporarily due to damages. If all goes well, Madras Masala should reopen in June, while the verdict is still out for Banjara. However, fans of the latter can still visit its Yonge & Eg location.
Strangely enough, the next evening, another fire broke out further west on Bloor, this time affecting this popular Bloordale sandwich shop and the two businesses flanking it. Judging by Facebook posts from Brock Sandwich and South Indian Dosa Mahal, it may be some time before either reopens.
After more than 15 years in business, this swank sushi and cocktail bar at King & Bathurst closed its doors last month. Its owners alluded to debuting a new dining concept, but no word yet on what, where or when that might be.
This reliable coffee shop was embraced by its neighbourhood, as it has been in its other two locations. Sadly, it was forced to close its Annex outpost due to skyrocketing rents on Bloor St. Fans of its very reasonably priced espresso-based drinks can still take solace in the knowledge that its cafes in Little Italy and Bloorcourt still exist.
Vegan chef Doug McNish's North York restaurant, known for its vegan brunch, ran its course and closed last month. The chef and cookbook author is now focusing on his plant-based spot in "Vegandale" (a.k.a. Parkdale) called Mythology Diner.
Formerly called Evolution Food Co., this healthy option by St. Lawrence Market with salads, smoothies and juices suddenly closed up this location. Its presence in Liberty Village remains, however.
Following some controversy involving unpaid wages, this relatively new lunch spot by Dundas & University closed last month due to unpaid rent.
Having opened in 1982, this much-loved, independent used bookstore by Avenue & Lawrence closed due to an astronomical increase in rent. It will be greatly missed by the community.
After 21 years of serving coffee in the area, the Liberty Village location of this coffee house shuttered for good. Now only its outpost at 401 Richmond remains.
When it first opened in Leslieville over five years ago, this neighbourhood restaurant and wine spot was well received by locals. But after a recent decline in business, it was forced to close for good last month.
This husband-and-wife-owned flexitarian pantry in the Junction Triangle closed its retail operation on March 28 to re-focus on the catering side of its business, Urban Acorn Catering (and to spend more quality time with its growing family, a.k.a., a new baby).
Jesse Milns at Blowfish
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
Dow Plunges 1.2% On Inflation Fears
Stock Prices fell another 1.2% today despite the news that the Fed added another
$1.2 Trillion Dollars
to the economy by purchasing Treasury Bonds and Toxic Bank Assets.
Federal Express said that they intend to lay off more people and cut wages as their 3rd. quarter profits fell 75%---Crude Oil prices climbed on fears of inflation and a weakening dollar.
from Yahoo Finance
Ms. Cristy Li

domain: news


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Opportunity in functional foods market
The health benefits of Marlborough salmon, mussels and seaweed could be valuable in the high value functional food market, a visiting scientist says.
Riddet Institute general manager Mark Ward said in Blenheim yesterday the market, which includes dietary supplements and nutraceuticals, is worth US$80 billion (NZ$97b) a year and growing 8 to 10 per cent annually.
With expertise in forestry, dairy, meat, seafood and arable foods, and innovative ideas and scientific research, New Zealand had the ability to substantially grow its economy, he said.
"We need more diversity and variety and a synergy between industries.
"We have the capability and a proven history in lamb, dairy, kiwifruit, deer, wine and - believe it or not - carrot and radish seeds."
Mr Ward was joined by Grow Wellington science and technology general manager Adrian Gregory and Marlborough District Council strategic planning and economic development manager Neil Henry to talk at the Marlborough Research Centre about New Zealand's economic opportunities.
The value of agri-food exports was $20b in 2009, and the Government wanted to increase it to $58b by 2025 as part of its growth agenda, he said.
The emerging economies of China, Indonesia, India, Brazil and Turkey held opportunities for innovative high-value functional foods.
The wine industry was New Zealand's leader at tapping into many of these markets, he said.
"New Zealand's wine industry has a lot to teach other industries about breaking into emerging markets, marketing, branding and adding value to their products."
Challenges included a lack of investment in the research and development industry, access to capital, rising energy costs and volatile economic factors.
The Riddet Institute is a food science and health research centre whose science underpins the development of foods promoting health and wellness.
Its research reflected world- wide trends, with gut health and immunity in high demand, he said.
Functional foods were also going to be key for addressing the growing worldwide demand for protein products.
"We may not sell it as a leg of lamb or a steak in the future - it may be a seaweed, fungi, algae or even insects.
"It may be a bit off beam but it will be a case of making sure the world will have a supply of food."
The Marlborough Express


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Posts Tagged «AVX-512»
Intel confirms Skylake upgrade for Core M later this year February 13, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Intel’s second-generation Core M is scheduled for the latter half of 2015. Skylake, Broadwell’s successor, will launch across both desktops and mobile in that timeframe.
Intel supercharges AVX to 512 bits, will likely come to mainstream CPUs in 2015 July 24, 2013 at 6:37 am
Intel announced new extensions to AVX today — the SIMD standard is headed up to 512 bits wide in future versions of Xeon Phi, with mainstream CPU integration likely in the 2015 timeframe.


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It seems 2013 was a good year for Hulu. Or more specifically, for Hulu Plus. The company has shared some numbers and other interesting tidbits, one of which was how they have topped the 5 million mark in terms of subscribers. And interestingly, it was said that more than half of those are streaming exclusively from a mobile device.
Of course, the amount of Hulu Plus subscribers also ties in with the revenue. For this we have heard from CEO Mike Hopkins who has said they will reach $1 billion in revenue this year. Looking in comparison, that is up from $695 million for 2012. Hopkins also touched on how he believes that reaching this milestone in the six years Hulu has been available is “quite an impressive feat.” Hulu originally launched out of beta in 2008.
Perhaps key for the users though — the currently available and the promise of additional content. To that point, Hulu and Hulu Plus now has content available from 488 partners with 86,000 TV episodes and 2,900 TV series making for a total of 68,000 hours worth of video. While Hulu has content from five of the six top US broadcast networks, they are also focusing on original content as well.
In fact, Hulu launched more than 20 originals in 2013. Current shows include The Awesomes, Behind the Mask and The Wrong Mans, but looking forward, there was mention of doubling the amount of Hulu Originals. Details here suggest they are planning to double the original content “over the next few years.”
SOURCE: Hulu Blog


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According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) market report for Q4 2014, on-trade sales of wine, spirits, and beer continued to decline this quarter, with annual sales down 3 per cent year-on-year in volume terms.
Spirit sales fell 5 per cent in Q4 2014 compared to the previous quarter, driven by a 7 per cent drop in vodka and whisky sales. Only gin bucked the trend, with double digit volume and value growth over the past 12 weeks.
On-trade wine sales fell 4 per cent this quarter, with sales from most regions showing decline. Even sales of sparkling wine, which has shown impressive growth so far this year, slowed into single figures over the past 12 weeks.
“The latest market report suggests it has been another mixed trading period for the sector. The fall in on-trade sales will be of concern for restaurants, bars and pubs - which are increasingly reliant on wine and spirit sales,” said WSTA chief executive Miles Beale.
Black Friday of booze
However, data from Public England suggests that pubs and restaurants could see alcohol sales soar today (Friday 19 December), which has been dubbed ‘the black Friday of booze’.
Last year, Friday 20 December 2013 saw sales of alcohol in pubs, bars and restaurants rise by 114 per cent compared to the average Friday.
Total alcohol sales were up 28 per cent in December 2013 compared to November 2013, reaching £3.7bn. Sales of sparkling wine and liquers rose by 88 per cent and 54 per cent respectively.
Anticipating a similar rise in December alcohol consumption this year, PHE has urged people to be ‘mindful’ about the health impacts of drinking,
Charity Alcohol Concern has encouraged people to sign up for its Dry January campaign and abstain from drinking for a month.


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Bel Air, Maryland: Bring your kids to the 22nd annual Halloween Costume Parade and Contest at the Festival at Bel Air in Harford County on Saturday, October 30th, 2010, at 10 am!
It’s TOTALLY FREE!
All kids who dress up and march in the parade get candy AND trick-or-treat bags.
The event features live music, cash prizes for best costumes, and a SPECIAL CASH PRIZE RANDOMLY DRAWN from all attendees!
WXCY-FM RADIO PERSONALITY DAVE HOVEL will be judging costumes, and kids and parents can sign up to win different FREE items from merchants at the Festival at Bel Air, including a free kids bike from Contée’s Bikes & Fitness.
Best of all, every child is invited to trick or treat participating stores at the Festival at Bel Air shopping center afterwards, until 2 pm!
The 22nd annual Festival at Bel Air Halloween Costume Parade is held rain or shine on Saturday, October 30th in the parking lot in front of CHUCK E. CHEESE’S. LINE-UP starts at 9:30 am, and the parade and judging is at 10 am sharp!
The Festival at Bel Air is located on Route 24 at Bel Air South Parkway in Harford County, just a mile and a half from I-95 Exit 77B. For more information, call 410-893-1700 or go online to FestivalAtBelAir.com.


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A panel from the World Trade Organization ruled on Tuesday that the tariffs imposed by the United States on more than $200 billion of Chinese products in 2018 was illegal. The three person panel concluded it was inconsistent with global trading rules.
A three-person panel ruled that the United States has not shown why the tariffs were justified. In addition to being above the committed maximum rates, the panel found that the tariffs were inconsistent with trading rules because they only applied to China. The Trump administration said the tariffs were necessary to confront China’s violations of intellectual property, innovation, and forced technology transfer policies.
In the report, the panel said, “that the United States had not met its burden of demonstrating that the measures are provisionally justified.” The panel also recommends the two countries find a satisfactory agreement between themselves.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer criticized the panel report that stated that actions taken by the U.S. to combat China’s theft of American technology and intellectual property were inconsistent with WTO rules.
“This panel report confirms what the Trump Administration has been saying for four years: The WTO is completely inadequate to stop China’s harmful technology practices,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “Although the panel did not dispute the extensive evidence submitted by the United States of intellectual property theft by China, its decision shows that the WTO provides no remedy for such misconduct. The United States must be allowed to defend itself against unfair trade practices, and the Trump Administration will not let China use the WTO to take advantage of American workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers. It is important to note that this report has no effect on the historic Phase One Agreement between the United States and China, which includes new, enforceable commitments by China to prevent the theft of American technology.”
The United States has 60 days to appeal the decision under WTO rules.


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The fashion world is taking smartwatches to a new level.
230 Recent Stories
Garmin's tactix Bravo watch combines time-telling with all the features necessary to figure out where you are after parachuting into unknown terrain, setting a starting point and destination across a river and up a cliff, and tracking your fitness the whole way there.
New Balance announced Tuesday that it will release an Android Wear device later this year that will function untethered.
If you have the cash, your rich friends will thank you for gifting them with one of these pricey packages.
The Fossil Group announced on Thursday plans to acquire wearable brand Misfit for an undisclosed amount.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Andrew Harmon, WildAid Communications Director
SOUTH AFRICA REJECTS RHINO HORN LEGALIZATION
CAPE TOWN (April 21, 2016) – Ending months of speculation, South African officials said Thursday that they will not submit a proposal to legalize trade in rhinoceros horn to the 17th Conference of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to be hosted in Johannesburg in September.
The proposal to open international trade in rhino horn, championed by private rhino owners, remains highly controversial. Proponents of legal trade argue that they can tightly control the trade by limiting it solely to horn legally taken from living rhinos and legitimate stockpiles and use the revenue to support anti-poaching.
Opponents – including WildAid – warn that legitimizing the use of rhino horn by promoting trade can massively increase consumer demand in Asia for a product that is falsely claimed to cure cancer, hangovers and other illnesses. A huge increase in consumer demand would not be controllable and would result in sharply increased rhino poaching. Legal trade mechanisms can easily be used to launder poached horn. They point to a similar experiment undertaken by CITES in 2008, when 108 tons of elephant ivory were auctioned off to Japanese and Chinese buyers, stimulating a continent-wide poaching epidemic that saw the loss of 30,000 elephants a year and recently prompted China, Hong Kong and the United States to announce a ban on domestic ivory sales. There are only about 20,000 White and 4,000 Black Rhino surviving.
The trade proposal would have required the support of a two-thirds majority of the 180-plus countries expected to attend the Conference in order for it to succeed. This would have been highly unlikely given the low numbers of rhinos, the catastrophic outcome of the ivory experiment and the on-going failure to control poaching within South Africa. International opinion is increasingly against the trade in wildlife products derived from threatened species.
WildAid CEO Peter Knights said: “This decision is in the best interests of South Africa and all rhinos. It will have wide international support and now the government can unite the world at the CITES meeting in cracking down on the trade in rhino horn. The focus must be on higher-level prosecutions in South Africa and Mozambique to break up the poaching syndicates and on reducing consumer demand in Vietnam and China. This will be easier with the distraction of international legalization off the table.“
Comprehensive demand reduction efforts have proven effective. During the last rhino poaching crisis, which ravaged Africa between 1970 and 1993, Taiwan, then the world’s largest consumer of rhino horn, banned the trade under pressure from the international community and strongly enforced that ban. Media coverage of the government’s action, combined with large public education campaigns, all but eradicated rhino horn use in Taiwan, resulting in negligible rhino poaching between 1994 and 2008. Rhino poaching has surged in recent years following criminal syndicates’ efforts to stimulate consumer demand among newly-wealthy consumers in Vietnam and mainland China.
Note to editors: WildAid (www.wildaid.org) is an international NGO that has pioneered major wildlife public education projects in Africa and demand reduction programs in Vietnam and China, featuring icons such as Jackie Chan, Yao Ming, David Beckham and other celebrities and business leaders. Surveys indicate that since 2012 awareness of rhino poaching in Asia has increased by 50%.
Official South African Government press release on this issue.
Photo credit: Ryan Roux @ The Rhino Orphanage, Limpopo / Saving the Wild
In related news…
By Jamie Joseph / January 2016
A significant part of the problem is that almost nobody in Vietnam or China has been arrested for consumption or possession of rhino horn. If they were to arrest one senior government official or one prominent businessman for this heinous crime, publicly, the impact would be massive.
But it’s an uphill battle because the Asian officials are saying that the South African government are positioning themselves to trade with rhino horn, so in their minds there is no point in cracking down on their citizens. It gives them the excuse to do nothing at all.
The South African government could be leading the demand reduction charge, and the whole world would get behind them. If South Africa goes ahead and proposes trade at CITES in September, all the international journalists will lead with corruption, and that will be the story. The irony is that they will never get the CITES votes anyway; it’s all such a horrific, bloody waste of time, with a rhino now being poached every eight hours.
#2016YearOfTheRhino – Read the full story on Virgin Unite.
By Jamie Joseph / November 2015
Says Sir Richard Branson, “Listening to 25 of the country’s leading entrepreneurs around the table, it is promising to hear that the issue has already become part of a national conversation which is bringing shame to a country of 90 million people entering the global market space. The wheels of politics turn slowly, coupled with a lack of interest in conservation, but the younger Vietnamese do not want to be associated with this vile trade, and here lies an opportunity for mobilization.”
Read the full story on Saving the Wild.


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Now that Nokia is making its return to the Smartphone market, this question might possibly be making rounds over your brain for a while : Should I buy the upcoming Nokia Phone? Well, the answer is a simple YES.
Nokia used to be the world’s largest phone manufacturer. The brand was synonymous with mobile technology, just like Apple and Samsung are today. But, things soon changed after Microsoft acquired Nokia for almost close to nothing. But now that the License Agreement is over and Nokia is finally free from Microsoft; we are as excited as we used to be for the launch of a new Nokia branded phone.
The Finnish company in partnership with HMD Global will launch two new Android Smartphones next year during the Mobile World Congress.
- Nokia P1 ( expected to be a flagship )
- Nokia D1C ( mid-range )
I am more excited about the flagship device Nokia P1 than the mid-ranger. P1 is said to sport a 5.5″ 1080p display, Snapdragon 835 chipset (to be launched in 2017), 4GB RAM, and 64GB/128GB onboard storage. It will most likely have a 22.6MP rear camera with Zeiss Lens and a 16MP front sensor.
Meanwhile the younger brother D1C may have a 5.5″ 1080p display, Snapdragon 430 chipset, 2GB/3GB RAM, and 16GB internal storage. It is said to feature a 16MP back camera and an 8MP front sensor.
Both the phones are expected to run Android Nougat out of the box and will likely support Google’s Daydream VR platform. We know you’re as excited as we are. But we’ll have to wait until February next year to know what Nokia and HMD has in store for us. Let’s just all hope that Nokia hasn’t lost the magic it once had! Comment below to show your love for Nokia.
And in the other news, Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is dead.


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The Orange Police Division is trying to find a bunch of 5 girls who allegedly stole a secure with $9,000 inside it from a grocery retailer final week.
Among the girls distracted workers on the retailer whereas others snuck to the again and heaved the secure right into a grocery cart.
The ladies then seem to calmly stroll out of the shop with a blanket or another material protecting the secure.
BABY JESUS STOLEN FROM TEXAS NATIVITY IS RETURNED, POLICE SAY SUSPECTS IDENTIFIED
“That is heartbreaking, particularly throughout this vacation season. I hope these girls are caught, jailed, and held to reply for his or her felonious crimes,” Orange Police Chief Dan Adams stated in a press release.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The theft occurred at about 11 a.m. on Dec. 17 at a household enterprise in Orange, a metropolis about 30 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.


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As streetwear continues to be a reckoning force within fashion (and with good reason), designers have begun to receive their credit due for not only inspiring their peers and target audiences but international fashion houses and luxury brands alike. Standing triumphant as having one of the most creative and well received shows at last weeks New York Fashion Week, Hood By Air's Shane Oliver has been named as a semifinalist for the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Young Designer award. Oliver, amongst 29 other nominees stand the chance of winning a $400,000.00 dollar prize and a years time of mentoring from the historic and iconic luxury brand.
What once began 6 years ago as a Hip Hop go-to, Hood By Air has grown as a mega force within the fashion industry with its avant garde and edgy designs. The brand is carried internaitonally at Colette in Paris and Harvey Nichols in London. Amongst us in the states you can find it at Barneys, Opening Ceremony, and our ever favorite VFiles store.


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Walmart to Open 219 Locations in 2013, Slow Capital Spending Growth
October 12, 2012,
BENTONVILLE, Ark.-Walmart said it would open about 219 U.S. locations, including Walmart stores, Sam's Clubs and its new smaller-format Neighborhood Markets in fiscal year 2013, the company told attendees at its annual conference for the investment community earlier this week.
At the same time, the retailer said its planned capital expenditures for the next fiscal year would be flat to slightly down from fiscal 2012, totaling in the range of $12.6 billion to $13.5 billion. Looking further beyond, Walmart's projection calls for a further deceleration in capital spending in 2014, to between $12 billion and $13 billion.
Looking further into the numbers, Walmart U.S. plans to add about 125 large-format stores next year, about 80 Neighborhood Markets and 14 Sam's Clubs. In fiscal 2014, it is projecting an additional 125 large-format stores, from 95 to 115 new Neighborhood Markets and from 12 to 20 new Sam's Clubs, for a total of from 232 to 260 new locations in that year.
Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said, "We intend to achieve lower costs in real estate and construction, while delivering slightly greater square footage growth next year compared to this year. Our goal is to reduce the average cost of supercenters by approximately 10 percent by fiscal year 2016."
The company said it also plans to invest more heavily in the four markets that represent the greatest growth potential for e-commerce: the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and China. These investments will go toward developing a global technology platform and customer applications for mobile and social media. Earlier this year, Walmart had announced its intention to up its stake in Yihaodian, the e-commerce website based in China, to 51 percent.
Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Walmart Global e-Commerce, said, "We will continue to innovate in ways that will allow us to expand our global platform and strengthen our infrastructure and local fulfillment networks, while taking advantage of transformational mobile capabilities."
Other Articles By Author
HFN Launches Interactive Idea Book
HFN's DIGITAL EDITION
COVER STORY: HFN Turns 90
We commemorate HFN's 90th anniversary by paying tribute to the iconic retailer and supplier brands--and the people--that have helped the industry flourish, then and now.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Up & Coming Leaders - The home industry is in capable and visionary hands as this year’s 40 Under 40 list attests. Today’s young leaders span all disciplines and varied levels of operation.
- Omnichannel Retailing - In the Mobile App World, Time is Money


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The journey trade is trying to bounce again this summer time to pre-pandemic numbers. Individuals are able to put the pandemic behind them, regardless of prices being greater than in earlier years.
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#GMA #Journey #SummerVacation


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The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has issued a directive against the mandatory wearing of high-heeled footwear in the workplace, particularly for sales ladies working in malls and other large retail outlets in Tagbilaran City.
According to DOLE Bohol field officer Emmanuel Ferrer, the department called on local business owners to adhere to the order which took effect on September 11, 2017 nationwide covering women compelled to wear high heels in their places of work.
The new policy pertains to shoes which have heels that are over an inch in length, said Ferrer.
In addition, employees required to stand for long periods of time are allowed to take 15-minute “sitting breaks” every two hours.
Based on several studies, as pointed Bureau of Working Conditions, prolonged standing lead to several health issues, particularly when wearing high heels.
According to Ferrer, the DOLE office is open for complaints against employers who have not complied with the new policy.
However, Ferrer noted that since the directive’s implementation, business establishments including malls which have sales ladies have started to adhere to the order. (Allen Doydora)


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Zip Co has become an Accelerate partner in the Adobe Exchange Partner Program, to further the global expansion of buy now pay later (BNPL) and provide flexible, digital payment options to Magento’s network of merchants.
Magento is a commerce platform that blends digital commerce, order management, and predictive intelligence to enable online shopping. Adobe offers an enterprise-level, cloud-hosted application, Magento Commerce, as well as a free ecommerce solution, Magento Open Source and serves companies of all sizes with flexible, digital commerce solutions to sell across channels.
As an Accelerate partner, Zip’s BNPL financing solutions will be marketed directly to thousands of Magento merchants around the world. Zip offers point-of-sale credit and digital payment services to industries including retail, home, health, automotive and travel.
Zip co-founder and chief operating officer, Peter Gray said Adobe is a global leader in digital commerce and this collaboration will help the company reach thousands of merchants and their customers with a better way to pay.
“With partners like Adobe, we are well on our way to making Zip the first payment choice, everywhere and every day,” he said.
Adobe vice president for commerce product and platform, Jason Woosley said while brands are looking for ways to engage customers with new experiences, the realities of Covid-19 have catapulted digital commerce technologies to the forefront of the market.
“Consumers love installment payment solutions because they’re fast, fair and interest-free. Zip enables Magento merchants globally to implement these capabilities effortlessly at checkout, improving cash flow, increasing order value, and keeping customers coming back again and again,” he said.
Zip partners with THG
Zip also recently announced its partnership with THG to provide interest-free payments over four installments to customers shopping on THG sites and with brands using the THG Ingenuity end-to-end ecommerce platform.
In a multi-market agreement, Zip will be a payment option at checkout across THG’s sites in the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand, including LOOKFANTASTIC, Myprotein and Zavvi.
Zip will also integrate with THG Ingenuity, allowing the growing number of brands choosing the platform for their own direct-to-consumer sales to offer Zip’s interest-free payment option. Through a simple integration and Zip’s global scale, retailers on the platform can seamlessly switch on Zip and serve customers internationally.
Zip UK managing director, Anthony Drury said, “We’re growing rapidly in the UK and our partnership with THG only confirms our intention. There is an increasing appetite among retailers to embed BNPL payment domestically and internationally. Our flexible products are accessible across many retail sectors from fashion, health & beauty and groceries to homeware, entertainment, sport and travel.”
THG Ingenuity CEO, John Gallemore said, “Our collaboration with Zip allows us to further expand the payment options that we offer THG Ingenuity clients and THG’s own brands, ultimately giving greater choice and flexibility to consumers anywhere in the world.”


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DuPont DD, -1.41% cut its second-quarter financial targets as a domestic economic slowdown spreads to Europe, South America and Asia. The chemical company now expects per-share earnings of 35 cents to 45 cents, compared with the 53-cent average estimate of analysts surveyed by First Call. According to a company statement, U.S. manufacturing capacity utilization is at levels equal to the 1982 recession. The company is also being hurt abroad by a strong U.S. dollar. DuPont is trimming its capital expenditures target for 2001 to $1.6 billion from $2 billion. Shares of the Dow Industrials component closed down 12 cents at $48.12.
E.piphany EPNY reported preliminary second-quarter results that missed analyst expectations. The San Mateo, Calif.-based software company said its net loss for the quarter will be in the range of 29 cents to 30 cents per share, excluding amortization of goodwill and stock-based compensation. Revenue will be roughly $31 million. Analysts had been expecting a loss of 27 cents per share and revenue of roughly $37.9 million, according to First Call's consensus estimate. While the company said its North American markets stabilized during the quarter, its international business experienced "a more significant sequential decline." Shares of E.piphany closed up 35 cents, or 3.4 percent, at $10.51.
Internet Security Systems ISSX said weak end-of-quarter sales will hurt second-quarter results. The Atlanta-based company expects revenue in a range of $50 million to $52 million and per-share results of breakeven to a loss of 2 cents. The company said previous targets put revenue at $64 million to $67 million with a per-share profit of 15 to 16 cents a share. Shares ended the day up $1.61, or 3.3 percent, at $50.17. The company will report second-quarter results on July 18.
Multex.com MLTX said it expects to report a $1 million loss before special charges for the second quarter. Analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial expected a profit of 10 cents a share for the quarter. The investment research and services firm also announced several restructuring actions, including a 15 percent reduction in its workforce, cuts in the salaries of senior management and the end of its Sage Online business. Multex.com blamed a global slowdown in spending for technology and investor products and services. Second quarter gross revenue is expected to come in at $24 million. The company expects little or no sequential revenue growth for the third and fourth quarters. Multex.com said it will take a one-time charge in the second quarter related to write downs of intangible assets while a restructuring charge will be assessed in the third quarter. More details will be forthcoming during the company's quarterly conference call on July 19. Shares of Multex.com are down 3 percent to $15.53 after hours.
BackWeb Technologies BWEB said it expects to report second-quarter revenue of $4.4 million to $4.7 million and a per-share loss of 19 to 22 cents. That compares to the average estimate by Multex of $7.5 million and a loss of 16 cents, respectively. The provider of communications infrastructure attributed the expected shortfall to delayed information technology spending initiatives as a result of poor economic conditions. The company also said it would reduce its work force by about 25 percent. The stock dropped 6.9 percent to close at $1.49.
Earthgrains EGR said it expects to report fiscal first-quarter earnings of 34 cents a share vs. the 28 cents a share projected by First Call. The company attributed the positive pre-announcement to strong refrigerated dough and superpremium bread sales. Separately, Earthgrains agreed to be acquired by Sara Lee SLE, +5.28% in a cash and debt deal valued at $2.8 billion. Earthgrains surged 53.2 percent to close at $39.82.
Eastman Chemical EMN, +2.63% fell 1.5 percent to close at $46.92 after informing investors that it now expects second-quarter earnings to be in the range of 53 to 57 cents a share, before charges. Non-recurring charges for the quarter are expected to be between $200 million and $250 million pre-tax. First Call had expected second-quarter earnings-per-share of 69 cents. The company blamed the shortfall on the weak U.S. economy and the now slowing economy in Europe.
Lightbridge LTBG tumbled 25.1 percent to close at $14.54 after warning that second-quarter earnings would be 19 to 20 cents a share on revenue of $45 to $46 million. First Call had estimated EPS of 21 cents a share and revenue of $50.8 million. The provider of mobile business enabling products blamed the expected shortfall on a drop in hardware sales.
LightPath Technologies LPTH, +1.65% fell 5.7 percent to close at $8.39 after saying late Friday that fiscal fourth-quarter sales were expected to be about $5 million, a 260 percent increase over the same period a year earlier, but down from $10.3 million recorded in the sequential third quarter. The company attributed the expected decline in sales to the inventory correction occurring in the telecommunications industry. The maker of glass and optical equipment said it is considering taking a non-cash asset impairment charge of about $12 million to $15 million.
Dow component 3M MMM, +2.16% warned that it expects lower second-quarter earnings due to continuing weakness in the U.S. economy, an increasing slowdown in European and Asia Pacific economies and negative impact from the strong U.S. dollar. 3M now expects earnings for 2001 to be in the range of $4.50 to $4.75 per share vs. the $4.75 to $5.00 a share the company expected previously. The company said the range assumes the U.S. economy will remain at current levels for the remainder of the year and that there will be a continued slowdown outside the U.S. For the second-quarter, 3M projects earnings-per-share of $1.10 to $1.14, which includes an anticipated negative currency effect of about 7 cents a share. First Call/Thomson Financial had anticipated EPS of $4.83 for the full year and $1.19 for the second quarter. The stock gained 2.8 percent to close at $117.26.
Netro Corp. NTRO warned that second-quarter revenue is now expected at about $2 million, down from $15.5 million in the year-ago period and $9 million in the first quarter. The broadband wireless access solutions provider also said it has cut its workforce by 25 percent from peak levels. The company blamed worldwide pressure on the broadband wireless industry as a result of slower telecom equipment spending and reduced capital availability for the shortfall. Shares fell 8.5 percent to close at $3.88.
Parker Hannifin PH, +1.86% announced after the close Friday that earnings for the fourth-quarter would be about one-third below the consensus estimates of 77 cents a share, citing severely depressed shipments in North American industrial markets. For the full fiscal year, earnings excluding unusual items are expected to range from $2.81 to $2.91 per share. First Call currently expects EPS of $3.09 for the full year. The stock added 0.7 percent to close at $42.73.
Peoples Energy Corp. PGL, +15.38% said it expects third-quarter earnings per share of 25 to 30 cents a share as a result of warmer weather curbing demand for gas. That compares to the 41 cents a share that had been expected by First Call. But the company expects earnings for the full fiscal year to be near the midpoint of its previously announced range of $3.15 to $3.25 a share. Shares added 0.6 percent to close at $40.44.
Radvision RVSN fell 6 percent to close at $5.82 after the Israel-based company said lower networking product sales in the U.S. will lead to second-quarter losses of 4 to 5 cents a share on revenue of $10.2 to $10.4 million. Analysts surveyed by Multex had been expecting a profit of a penny a share on revenue of $11.5 million. The company also said it's cutting its workforce by 13 to 14 percent to shave costs.
Turnstone Systems TSTN said it now expects second-quarter net revenue to come in at about $4.5 million, lower than the $5.25 million expected by analysts, according to Multex. The DSL hardware and software provider also announced a 20-percent work force reduction and said it would take a $500,000 to $600,000 charge in the quarter for costs associated with the layoffs. Further, Turnstone expects to take a charge of about $34 million to $38 million for excess inventory. The company expects to report an operating loss of $45 to $49 million in the second quarter as a result of the charges. Excluding the charges, Turnstone expects an operating loss of $12 to $13 million for the quarter. First Call projects a loss of 12 cents a share in the second quarter. The stock tumbled 16.3 percent to close at $5.86.
VocalTec Communications VOCL informed investors it now expects to report second-quarter revenue of $5.5 million vs. its previous forecast of "slightly better" than the $11.2 million recorded in the sequential first quarter. Losses for the period are now anticipated to be 61 to 63 cents a share, excluding discontinued operations, and $1.16 to $1.22 per share with them included. The provider of telephony network enabling software had previously indicated that losses would be "about the same" as the 55 cents it lost in the first quarter. The company also announced it would reduce its workforce by an additional 60 positions. With the latest cuts, VocalTec has now shed 390 employees since the start of the second quarter. The stock fell 18.3 percent to close at $2.01.


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Read on to find out what I believe is in store for the global transactions scene in 2014.
The social media conversation almost always circles back to ROI, which means the various platforms must deliver new features to stay relevant.
Here are five contingencies to consider that could derail your 2014 budgeting process.
Hotel owners pay a lot of money to fly those flags, and brands must continue to evolve quickly to justify the costs.
A rising demographic of middle-class travelers, coupled with a government push to modify mandated holiday travel, has hoteliers in China and neighboring countries adapting.
Upper-upscale hotels sold at least 80% of their rooms on 78 out of the first 212 days of the year.
Big box hotels with large meeting spaces are a thing of the past. What will the future landscape look like for group business?
Recent changes from Google will impact e-commerce business—for better and worse.
There are three strategies for success as hotel marketers prepare for the next great battle over hotel distribution.
Many hoteliers believe they are in good standing in the branding department, but a recent study suggests guests hold inaccurate brand perceptions that could affect the bottom line.
Working within a systematic framework can enable hoteliers to identify more and better benefits for customers.
Owners and management companies can compromise when negotiating early termination rights.
It’s becoming standard practice for design professionals to include limitation-of-liability clauses in contracts. Here’s what developers should know.
The cost of having a tax projection prepared for due diligence far outweighs the cost of making a bad deal.
Savvy resort developers are eliciting the “wow” factor from guests by transforming the once-standalone resort concept into an adventure park.
Waikiki, Hawaii, has seen some growth, but there are some potential pitfalls for the market.
Managers can ensure employee satisfaction and retention by using five fundamental skills.
Mexico has rebounded as a land of opportunity, but hoteliers should heed these guidelines before jumping in head first.
The inevitable downturn waiting for the hotel industry after this period of recovery likely won’t be as painful as the 2008 crash.
As hotel performance begins to decelerate, hoteliers must anticipate challenges that lie ahead.
Group business is picking up at Ryman Hospitality Properties, which overcame a mid-year dip following the transition of its management business to Marriott International.
A restructuring is near for revenue management, and the new brand of RM calls equally for a new breed of revenue leaders.
The next step in the evolution of revenue management will be to examine a guest’s total spend. But don’t expect a smooth transition.
A recent trip to Colombia highlighted the country’s commitment to group and meetings business.
Chinese outbound travel is neck and neck with the U.S., so understanding Chinese travelers can impact business.


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EU VAT win for small businesses
Following the earlier VAT Moss controversy, the European Commission has proposed an exemption for small companies selling across EU borders
Britain's small businesses and sole traders have claimed a minor victory on the controversial VAT ‘Mini One Stop Shop' (VAT MOSS) ruling, after the European Commission has said it will propose an exemption for small companies and sole traders selling across EU borders.
The Commission has confirmed it will propose a threshold beneath which companies will be VAT exempt but it is yet to give a figure.
The VAT MOSS ruling came into force from January 1 2015 and seeks to stop large tech firms from reducing their VAT bills by registering digital sales in other countries such as Luxembourg. UK enterprises do not have to register for VAT until they have £82,000 in revenues, while many EU countries have a lower figure or no threshold at all.
There was a huge backlash from organisations and business owners when the ruling was first announced last year which led to the the HMRC “tweaking” the regulation so that small businesses with VAT registration turnover of less than £82,000 would not have to charge UK VAT on domestic sales – but would still have to register for VAT in the UK to use MOSS.
This latest update by the European Commission will be welcomed by small business owners but there are limitations – the threshold exemption could take years to come into effect as many EU member states have previously blocked plans to set a threshold.
What's your view on VAT MOSS? Share your thoughts in the comment section below


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Higher milk output for July sees quota market stirred up
By Robert Harris
MILK output in July was higher than expected, and the quota market has already reacted to the news, say brokers.
Provisional figures released by the Intervention Board this week showed butterfat-adjusted deliveries for last month hit 1.21bn litres, 29.4m litres or 2.4% over quota, surprising some observers given the hot weather and shortage of grass in some areas.
At 56.3m litres, production is about one-and-a-half days over quota for the first four months of the milk year. But an extra 62m litres of quota was added to the first four months of this years milk output profile, so production is actually running 118m litres ahead of last year.
That, and the recent super-levy confirmation for the last milk year, stirred the quota market. Values for 4% supplies rose to 5.9p/litre to lease on Wednesday, and 29p/litre to buy, reports Jonathan Smith of Bruton Knowles. At the end of last week, 4% leased quota traded at 5.3-5.4p/litre, he adds.
Given present output, and allowing for the IBs 40m litre reduction in profile through October and November, Mr Smith is already confident that the UK will end up over quota at the end of next March. "I think prices will firm, but I cant see leasing values exceeding 6p/litre. Sales will probably reach 32-33p/litre."
Roger Lightfoot of Hobbs Parker agrees lease values could rise about 0.5p/litre, but doubts the sale price will climb by more than 1p. "But only if the present level of activity continues. If not, I do not expect much to happen."
Milk production figures should not directly affect quota values at this stage of the year as farmers can easily alter output, he maintains. "Having said that, there has been a definite increase in leasing. The cheaper quota has gone."
ADASs Ian Powell reckons an average producer can afford little more this year. ADAS Milk Cheque results show a 12-month rolling margin over purchased feed of £1117 a cow in June. That is down £16 on the year, though it is a marked rise on the February five-year low of £1099 a cow, he says.
The average herd is now producing just under 6900 litres a cow, a rise of 300 litres on the year. Although cows ate more concentrate to produce that milk, this was helped by lower prices.
But the rolling 12 month average margin over all feeds has slipped 0.8p to 12.6p/litre. And the milk price could fall further this year. "At 5.5p/litre, clients are taking advantage of one of the most favourable ratios of milk price less quota plus feed costs that we have seen for the past five years. But if prices go up, the situation will become very marginal." *


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© Vogue Images
On April 20 at the Padma Shri 2013 awards in the capital, India's President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the government's fourth highest civilian honour on fashion designer Ritu Kumar for her work in fashion, textile and craft revival over the last 40 years.
“I didn’t even know such a category existed, since this system of awards has always been so opaque,” the 68-year-old awardee told Vogue in February when the awards were announced.
While some may bemoan the fact that it took so long for a fashion designer to be recognized -- 66 years since the inception of the awards -- Kumar insists, “It is not a personal triumph. I’ve acted as a catalyst for the revival of our ancient traditions in textile, but if it were not for the craftsmen and weavers who work quietly and tirelessly even today, there would have be nothing for me to work with.”
The designer, who began her work with four block printers and two tables in a small village near Calcutta 40 years ago, hopes that the award will lure more of her counterparts into the serious business of saving indigenous crafts.
“Fashion is just one story -- turning fabric into garments that are then shown on the ramp. But there are many smaller human stories that lead up to it. We have nearly 16 million people working in this industry right from the grassroots level, and they are the ones we should be proud of.”
Kumar remains one of the most prolific veterans of the Indian fashion industry, with a clientele that includes celebrities like Aishwarya Rai, Jemima Khan and even the late Princess Diana.
YOU SHOULD ALSO SEE: Indian designers on the move
YOU SHOULD ALSO SEE: In pictures: Costumes for Midnight's Children


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The New York Attorney General’s office paid considerable attention to those cautionary flags and has now ordered those bargain stores to pay $1.2 million in fines and damages as a result of selling expired over-the-counter drugs, obsolete motor oil, and more.
“It’s a tough pill for New Yorkers to swallow that the over-the-counter drugs they were buying may have been expired,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a news release.
“New York consumers have a right to expect that products on store shelves are safe, fresh and suitable for their advertised use. These settlements will ensure that Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar will not only pay both a substantial fine and damages, but, more importantly, update their business practices to comply with the law so that no expired over-the-counter drugs are sold to a New York consumer again.”
While finding the expiration dates on grocery items is pretty easy, it’s not the same for other products. For example, fake UL labels have been slapped on low-cost items such as power strips, extension cords, mobile-phone chargers, and batteries, which could lead to fire and shock hazards.
The interesting twist in this case is that the fine involves motor oil. Investigators found several Dollar General stores selling one company-branded motor oil that isn’t suitable for most automobile engines built after 1930; another oil was found to be unfit for engines built after 1988.
Adding to the investigators’ dismay, the descriptions of those motor oils were strikingly close to more well-known brands and placed on the same shelves without any signage warning consumers about the mismatch of the oils with today’s car engines.
The New York Attorney General’s office says that customers who bought the old motor oil can file a complaint online.
A good reminder to pay attention
While the settlement is centered on Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar stores in New York, it’s still a reminder that, no matter where you live, there are reasons why a product is sold for as low as a dollar -- and some of those reasons wind up being bad for the consumer.
A core of ConsumerAffairs reporting is about recalls, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has dozens of pages of recalls and warnings about various consumer products. Before you buy something that might cost you mightily in another regard like health or safety, it might be wise to do a quick search to see if that product is safe and dependable.


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The new SPA platform, Volvo has determined, is too large for a Range Rover Evoque-size XC40.
Volvo's 2015 XC90, which will debut late next year, will be the first vehicle built on the Swedish automaker's all-new modular, scalable vehicle platform internally referred to as SPA (Scalable Platform Architecture).
Despite underpinning cars like the 2015 XC90 and the next-gen S60, the SPA platform will only support Volvo's new generation of four-cylinder engines, which were designed in-house by Volvo in the last few years. Volvo has decided, however, the platform is too large for a Range Rover Evoque fighting XC40.
Volvo isn't giving up on the model; it's simply delaying the car for at least the next five years. A XC40 would "fit the brand and sell in numbers" a Volvo insider told Autocar. In the future the 'Cross Country' moniker will be added to more rugged versions of current cars while the 'XC' prefix will be saved for bespoke SUVs.
Though a four-cylinder-only platform might seem restrictive, Volvo has designed the new modular framework to support mechanical four-wheel drive as well as hybrid-based four-wheel drive with the two rear wheels driven independently by electric motors.
Geely, the Chinese company that owns Volvo, has plans for a new mid-range brand that would fit between the China-only Geely car brand and the top-range Volvo brand. No word, however, on whether this mid-level offshoot would be offered outside of China.


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The GSMA Mobile World Conference was last week in Barcelona, and it would seem that this year's hot topic was not necessarily who had the hottest new model or accessory, but rather how mobile brands can continue to benefit from the increasing numbers of mobile users on social networking sites. Myspace alone reported a quadrupling in the numbers of members accessing the website via cell phone in the last year - up to about 20 million of 135 million users total, with Facebook reporting similar gains.
It isn't all that surprising to me that the number of mobile social network users is exploding so quickly; as Reuters explains, "the spontaneous and personal nature of much of that communication lends itself perfectly to the mobile phone." Myspace announced deals with Nokia and Palm at the conference that will incorporate Myspace-specific utilities in their phones, such as photo uploads directly to the website, and Facebook's iPhone app had already reached over 1 million users as of last July.
Free and easy accessibility to these sites via mobile is only going to grow increasingly important as the number of working professionals using Facebook for networking purposes increases and the college students already addicted become working professionals themselves. AdAge just posted yesterday about Facebook's latest user statistics: users aged 35-44 are now officially the largest age demographic on both Facebook and MySpace, with users aged 55+ being the fastest growing segment. Among the younger demographics, there just isn't much more room to grow, as Facebook is already the most visited site across college campuses according to an Anderson Analytics poll last fall. Still, some wonder if Facebook and MySpace will become "less cool" as the average age demographic continues to age. Yet, with Facebook and MySpace continuing to make strides in increased mobile access, I don't see that as too great a concern. So long as these large, broader networks continue to be the most popular one-stop internet sharing utilities out there, users will be hesitant to stray anywhere less convenient - especially when you don't have to remain tethered to a computer to access them.
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It’s no secret that Korean skincare has long been ahead of the game. According to insiders, the research that’s driving beauty innovation in Seoul is at least seven years ahead of the rest of the world, largely thanks to huge funding from the South Korean government.
K-beauty has already gifted our beauty cabinets with clever imports from skin-perfecting CC Creams and sheet masks to pore refining essence and cushion compacts. But while some industry forecasters have recently questioned the longevity of K-beauty’s influence over Western skincare regimes—it would seem the seven-step habit doesn’t come so easy to us—several new launches have just landed on Brit soil to blow doubt of the (skin-purifying) water.
From buzzy new brands improving on classic K-beauty formulas to all-new product lines tackling problem skin conditions; here’s the latest from the cutting edge of Korean skincare.
If you’re over too many steps, too many ingredients and eye-watering price tags, check out iUNIK. Focusing on “minimalist skincare”, the ethos of this brand is to make things simple, effective and affordable. Think pared-back bottles, natural ingredients and solution-driven products that you can use to build a routine as brief or as lengthy as you like.
Our latest K-beauty addiction, Saturday Skin has just hit Cult Beauty—and we’re super into it. Developed by scientists at renowned Seoul wellness centre Chaum, the whole line uses Cha-7 es Complex, a fusion of peptides developed to boost your skin’s regeneration process, for that glowy, well-rested weekend skin we’re forever chasing Monday to Friday.
If you’re a K-beauty obsessive, you may already be aware of famed Seoul skin clinic Pyunkang Oriental Medicine. Specialists in using traditional medicine to treat atopic conditions, the derms behind the clinic have now channelled their expertise into a product line geared towards protection and prevention. The formulas take a clinical approach—there’s nothing in there that’s not essential to getting results—which is especially appealing if you’ve got problem or particularly reactive skin.
Currently trending on Beauty Mart, Seoulista Beauty is a new mask-focused brand that’s all about getting the results of a pro facial while sprawled out at home in your bathrobe. There are currently eight sheet masks in the range (six for your face, one for feet and one for hands), with the Brightening Instant Facial, infused with vitamin C and exfoliating AHAs, currently topping our shopping list.
Landing in the UK for the first time at the end of last year, Touch in Sol may have its primary focus on makeup, but the skincare still packs all the innovation you’d expect from a K-beauty brand. Think advanced CC creams with SPF 30, colour-corrective primers that protect and perfect, a patent-pending cleanser enriched with herbs and proteins to protect against pollution, plus our favourite; the Toc Toc Toning Capsule Base—a moisturising gel infused with pearl crystals to brighten, tone and hydrate.


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Major automaton player snaps up high-payload AMR firm
14 January 2020
Teradyne has completed the acquisition of AutoGuide Mobile Robots, a leading supplier of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).
Mark Jagiela, President and CEO of Teradyne says: “AutoGuide’s safe, high-payload AMRs for the global forklift market provide a powerful, additional growth engine to Teradyne’s Industrial Automation group. We are happy to welcome AutoGuide to Teradyne and look forward to helping expand their product lineup and accelerate their global growth plans.”
Rob Sullivan, President and CEO of AutoGuide, said: “Joining Teradyne gives us the resources and support to both strengthen our capabilities in North America and expand our reach globally to assist customers who need safe, productive and high-payload material-handling products. Since announcing the acquisition in October, we’ve heard from many potential customers who recognise the flexibility, ease of deployment and superior ROI of our AMRs compared with other options and are eager to engage with AutoGuide to learn more.”
AutoGuide’s Max N10 modular mobile robot platform deploys a ‘reliable and affordable’ natural feature guidance platform with a growing number of application-specific configurations, including tugger, conveyor deck, car mover and pallet stacker.


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LOS ANGELES — The Force is not with those who want to watch "Star Wars" without giving the Mouse its cheese. The Walt Disney Company's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" set an opening-weekend domestic box-office record, owing much of that to the hordes of fans happy to pony up $20 or more for a ticket to see it in full Imax 3D. But there's a big online audience that finds downloading it illegally to be a far more compelling value proposition, regardless of the legal risk and ethical questions, and Disney's success in locking down the movie four days after it opened leaves the would-be pirates out of luck.
While it seems like everyone has already seen "Star Wars" in theaters anyway, those hoping to download a high-quality torrent — a type of compressed video file — are finding nothing. Reddit's piracy boards are full of frustration and what appear to be handheld-video-camera bootlegs in Russian. And the fact that so many other big holiday movies have already leaked makes the absence of "Star Wars" stand out even more.
"The Revenant," a Western thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was last weekend's most pirated film. Fully 762,109 unique IP addresses downloaded the movie, according to data provided to International Business Times by German forensic IT firm Excipio. Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" was second with 609,436 addresses. Both movies were scheduled for a Christmas Day release. "Creed," the latest installment in the "Rocky" saga, which has been in theaters since Nov. 25, placed third with 521,020.
Other notable movies that have leaked online in recent days include "Steve Jobs," "Carol" and "In the Heart of the Sea," according to Variety. For the third film, a whaling epic directed by Ron Howard, the breach adds insult to injury. The movie, with a rumored $100 million production budget, has brought in only $68 million globally in its first two weeks — and now it's competing with "Star Wars" and the Christmas movies. And it can't count on word of mouth to save it — the movie has an embarrassing 42 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Many of the leaks come from DVD screeners given out to voters and other entertainment media types during awards season, which is now. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres even found herself in the middle of a leak controversy in 2014, when a screener of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" that had a watermark tied to her ended up online. And while studios digitally track their screeners and flash ominous-sounding warnings about severe penalties on the screen, screeners are exchanged freely among friends of friends in the industry in L.A. this time of year, so it's easy to see how some end up online.
While Irdeto, Disney’s anti-piracy subcontractor, declined to comment on any specific strategies or tactics it has been using to protect "Star Wars" from a similar fate, Disney has been aggressive in enforcing its copyrights. The media giant filed for a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice that forced Facebook and Twitter to pull a photo taken by a fan of an action figure that was legally — if apparently prematurely — bought at a Walmart store and posted on a fansite.


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Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, today reported its highest-ever sales for a calendar year - the first full year of its solo ride after splitting with its former Japanese partner Honda Motors.
The company sold record 6,117,599 two-wheelers in the calendar year (January-December 2011), a growth of 19.2 per cent over the calendar year of 2010 when it sold 5,134,549 units.
Sales during December 2011 stood at 540,276 units, a growth of 7.8 per cent over the corresponding month of the previous year when the company sold 501,111 units.
Net profit for the October-December 2011-12 quarter stood at Rs613 crore compared with Rs429 crore in the year-ago quarter.
Total sales rose to Rs5,984 crore during the quarter compared with Rs5,118 core in the year-ago period.
For the fiscal third quarter (October-December 2011-12), the company sold 15,89,276 units, an increase of 11.3 per cent over the corresponding quarter in FY'11, when the company sold 14,28,030 units.


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The Unlocking Company claims that their users will get to know the difference of their service with the service of carrier companies who so long monopolized the market and are reported to have ruled it dominantly with giving little care to their users’ satisfaction.
At the arrival of online mobile phone unlocking services and the reliable and Trustwave trusted service providers like The Unlocking Company, mobile phone unlocking has become quite easier. As a result, the woes of the users carrying locked cell phones have fully erased out.
Now, they can choose any carrier according to the better services and cheaper rates, change SIM cards or use any local SIM cards, and raise the resale value of their phone. But, to avail of these advantages, users are to first unlock their cell phones. To unlock their cell phone, they should approach service providers like The Unlocking Company, whose service has been tested by time and site verified. This company guarantees these advantages for their customers.
Coupled with these advantages, the discount offer of www.theunlockingcompany.com/
Usually, the charges taken by the carrier companies to unlock cell phone and give unlock codes to their customers tend to be whimsical. It is said that this whimsicality is due to discourage the customers from their planning to switch over to any other carrier company.
This is why mobile phone users whose handsets are locked to a single carrier and shell out hefty bills each time they travel across states turn to the online service providers to unlock codes. “We unlock them in a few minutes and our service has always been 100% safe, secure, and faster. Our delivery time and service fees are very much perfect,” said the CEO of www.theunlockingcompany.com/
About the company:
The Unlocking Company has been providing cell phone unlocking service all over the world for over 7 years. Till this date, more than 3 million phones have been unlocked through its 4-simple mobile phone unlocking steps. To obtain its service and unlock codes, locked mobile phone users are just to visit its website, www.theunlockingcompany.com/
Contact Person: John Michael
Business Site: http://www.theunlockingcompany.com/
Address: California, USA, 2874


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Latest Video on demand Stories
NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today announced the election of Mark T.
CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Feb.
'Smart Entertainment' for Inquisitive Millennials WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, Feb.
Xstream appoints new CEO as founder steps down as CEO to become Director of Xstream Americas COPENHAGEN, Denmark, February 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Xstream, the
LONGMONT, Colo., Feb.
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NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The FCC today announced results of its auction of AWS-3 spectrum, and Verizon Communications Inc.
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LONDON, January 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Futuresource Consulting's latest wave of Living with Digital consumer research highlights the continued shift in entertainment
- The practice of two or more parties jointly purchasing all or part of a butchered cow and dividing the meat between them.


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Kice Industries has introduced a new line of replacement filter bags that are more efficient and offer a longer bag life than previous versions.
“These DuraTes bags allow less penetration of the media and promotes more surface loading, resulting in longer media life,” said Jeff Kice, Kice Industries. “Customers will see shorter lead times and lower costs with these new bags. In addition, testing results showed a better EPA compliance.”
The new option includes an improved ground wire that includes stainless steel ground wire for food grade and NFPA compliance.
Kice Industries, Wichita, KS 316-744-7151 www.kice.com


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iCAPTCHA is a website protection tool that uses captchas to teach South Africans words from the country’s 11 official languages.
Libryo is a comprehensive governance platform providing companies with up-to-date info on local legislations.
Lumkani’s smart Fire Detector monitors for sharp temperature rises, and warns the whole neighborhood if a fire breaks out.
Reflector Protectors are ultra reflective disposable drink coasters that can make nocturnal walkers up to 900 percent more visible.
Email My Boss enables users to request an email ‘late-note’ via their mobile phone when train delays make them late for work.
Solaris is an energy-rich tobacco plant soon to be harvested by South African Airlines — looking to provide a new, greener, biofuel for their fleet.
The recycled Repurpose school bags come equipped with solar panels to provide a renewable light source for kids in disconnected regions.
Nomanini has created a rugged point-of-sale register that can facilitate cash payments for electricity, airtime and insurance.
South Africa’s Khusela startup has developed a smart detector specifically for shacks, which enable community-wide warnings in the event of a fire.
South Africa’s Backtracker is a device that aims to save cyclists’ lives by letting them know of dangerous traffic coming from behind.
South Africa’s El Burro restaurant has installed a device that enables customers to take professional-style Instagrams of their meals.
Seed is a set of mobile and computer products that use the processing power and data of a single docked smartphone.
Mellowcabs is enabling South African citizens to travel for free in its advertising-funded and eco-friendly cycle cabs.
The Lightie is a system that uses an empty bottle and a solar filament to provide cheap light in the places that need it most.
Giving homeless people the same dignity afforded to paying customers, The Street Store is a rent-free temporary store that provides poor neighborhoods with free clothes and fashion advice.
Hope Soap features an encased toy inside, which can only be used if children wear down the soap by washing their hands regularly.
The Bye Bye Red Eye advertising campaign featured a machine delivering free coffees triggered by a yawn.
The Exchange is a new pop-up fashion store in South Africa that enables customers to take home items as long as they register as an organ donor.
Attendees at the OppiKoppi festival in August will be able to order beer to be delivered directly to them via their smartphones.
eChaja is a solar-powered portable charger that helps users make money by offering charging facilities in remote locations.
The Coming Up Short Handed project hopes to develop open source prosthetics, enabling access for those who can’t afford commercial products.
Wonderbag is an insulated device that greatly reduces fuel use by enabling cooking via heat retention.


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A YouTube channel called Mustang Car Parts Cliparts is selling cliparts for cars that include car parts from the 1970s and ’80s.
The clips are posted to the website and appear to be made by someone with a passion for cars.
The cars include a Porsche 911 Turbo, a Ford Mustang and a McLaren P1.
“This isn’t just for fun, this is for true car enthusiasts who love all things Mustangs,” the video’s description says.
“It’s time for all of you to join the ranks of Mustangs who have a passion and love for the sport.”
Mustang has long been the world’s biggest car maker and it’s seen a dramatic rise in popularity.
In the last three years, the brand has expanded to China, Australia, Japan and Canada, and it has launched a new US model, the Mustang.
However, demand is slowing down in China and the US, where the brand still has a significant share of the market.
The cliparts range is set to launch on YouTube in early September.
The video also includes a description for the new Mustang, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the Ford Mustang GT350R and the Mercedes-Benz CLA50-class.
The company has also announced a new Mustang model, which will be announced on September 11.
In 2017, Ford introduced a new SUV called the Fusion.
The SUV was launched at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show and has been a huge hit with buyers.
The Fusion is currently Ford’s second-biggest luxury product, behind the Lexus ES350 and Audi A3.
Mustang has been busy developing its new Mustang models.
It has just unveiled a new crossover SUV called Fusion GT, and announced the arrival of a new small SUV, the Fusion Prime.


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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Half of the Starbucks stores in the Buffalo region are unionized, but there remains a long road ahead before members of Workers United and the coffee giant ratify any labor contracts.
Right now, the attention is on the National Labor Relations Board Region 3 Office that covers Buffalo, which has filed for injunctive relief in federal court that seeks a cease-and-desist order against Starbucks to stop unfair labor practices.
The NLRB also accused Starbucks of failing to bargain in good faith with the union. As a result, the NLRB wants seven employees reinstated and an interim bargaining order that would allow members of stores that have not voted yet to begin contract negotiations with Starbucks.
In addition to the federal action, the NLRB Buffalo Office has 70 active charges that union members have filed against the coffee giant, such as allegations of retaliatory firings, threatening workers, and enforcing work rules with a heavier hand at unionized stores.
And Starbucks has filed 22 of its own complaints against Workers United, pointing the finger at the union for failing to bargain in good faith. Starbucks said union members recorded contract meetings and posted sessions online, which the NLRB prohibits.
Since the first store unionized in Buffalo late last year, Workers United said 15 of its members have been fired in retaliation for supporting the union.
William Westlake said Starbucks fired him at the Hamburg store for wearing a suicide awareness pin in memory of a colleague. His separation letter states that he violated the dress code three times, in addition to clocking in late for two shifts.
“As a result of the union campaign, they’ve decided to start cracking down on things like this,” Westlake said.
Michael Sanabria, a 2019 district Barista champion, said he was fired at the Transit Commons store in East Amherst for attending his grandmother’s funeral and not finding someone to fill his shift.
According to his separation letter, a manager viewed his absence as a no show, even though the company’s rules do not require employees to find shift replacements for sudden events and emergencies.
Starbucks said in a statement that Sanabria appealed his firing and has since been reinstated with back pay after he provided “additional information and documentation for his absence.” He returned to work Monday morning.
In what the union termed as an “escalation of their anti-union war,” Starbucks late last week fired Jovan Draves and Connor Mauche, both from the Delaware/Chippewa store. Nationwide, more than 130 union members have been dismissed, the union said, although more than a dozen were ordered to be reinstated after favorable rulings from the National Labor Relations Board in other markets.
There are about 9,000 Starbucks stores, with 250 unionized, and workers at another 50 stores that need to vote.
Starbucks said allegations of retaliation are false and any increase in discipline against union supporters is “reflective of an increase in policy violations.”
“No Starbucks partner has been, or will be, disciplined for supporting or engaging in lawful union activity—but interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all partners,” Starbucks said. “Our partners receive training on our policies and are aware that failing to uphold them can result in termination.”
In addition, Starbucks said on its website that it has made “extensive efforts” to move ahead with more than 200 sets of contract negotiations, which have to be done by individual stores that unionized.
“It’s disappointing that Workers United would begin this process by creating unnecessary delays and needless confusion by distorting the facts on social media,” the company said on its website.
Many of the complaints filed by Buffalo-area union members mirror those filed against Starbucks in other markets.
For example, on behalf of workers at three stores in the Missouri/Kansas market, the union filed nine charges against Starbuck alleging unfair labor practices, including more strictly enforcing dress code and time-off rules at union stores, and telling employees that they might not get previously promised pay increases if they voted in favor of a union.
In October, Administrative Law Judge Arthur J. Amchan handed down a blistering decision that required reinstatement of four employees, including one he said would be “hard to imagine a clearer case of discriminatory discharge.”
“A willingness to discriminatorily discharge one employee makes it more likely that an employer will discriminate against another,” Amchan wrote in his decision.
Starbucks said it “strongly disagrees” with the ruling and will appeal.
“Substantial evidence of misconduct by Union representatives and the NLRB was presented following an election in our Overland Park store” Starbucks said. “This vital factor was ignored in the ALJ’s decision to reinstate partners that broke policies. Additionally, we maintain that the separated partners named in this ruling violated multiple policies, procedures and safety standards.”
In August, a Tennessee U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven employees, who the union referred to as the “Memphis Seven” after the NLRB petitioned the court for injunctive relief to restrain Starbucks from continuing unfair labor practices.
“The Board’s evidence provides reasonable cause to support the conclusion that Starbucks violated [The National Labor Relations Act] by terminating the Memphis Seven because it provides evidence consistent with the theory that Starbucks discriminatorily applied its policies to the Memphis Seven when terminating them,” Lipman wrote.
Starbucks said that interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies.
“We continue to ground our decisions in our policies and our Mission and Values, and in alignment with labor and employment laws.
Westlake said he could not recall Starbucks ever enforcing dress codes until stores began to unionize.
Westlake said union members got written up for wearing the wrong shade of color of clothing and for being late five minutes to their shifts.
“No customer cares about this,” Westlake said. “It doesn’t impact the store at all, and for years and years Starbucks has operated not enforcing any of these things, and yet now they want to throw the book at us as a way to make it impossible.”
In October, Starbucks said that most of the charges the union has filed with the NLRB have not been evaluated for merit.
As for the NLRB’s federal case, Starbucks said its decisions “are grounded in both our policies and our Mission and Values and are aligned with labor and employment laws.”
“We appreciate every opportunity to share the facts, address inaccuracies and defend our actions as we work side-by-side with our partners to reinvent Starbucks for the future,” a company spokesman said.
Experts chime in
The flurry of action between the union and Starbucks is not unprecedented, said Wilma Liebman, a labor lawyer and former chairwoman of the NLRB. Rather, union organizing was flat for years, she said.
“It may look unique or unprecedented because we haven’t really had organizing campaigns of this magnitude and extent for a long time,” Liebman said.
What does make this unionizing effort unique, Liebman said, is the disconnect with how Starbucks portrays itself as an enlightened, liberal-minded company compared with how it has handled itself during a new wave of worker activism.
“Amazon’s never tried to do anything like that,” Liebman said. “It’s discordant. It’s a disconnect in terms of their messages.”
Roger King, a labor relations attorney with more than 40 years of experience, said many consumers are getting the impression that Starbucks is under union siege, but the numbers say otherwise.
Less than 3% of Starbucks’ stores are in unions, and in Buffalo, where the effort was launched, only half the stores have voted to join, he said.
King said Starbucks is a reputable company and cautions consumers from jumping to conclusions too quickly.
“I do know this company is sophisticated enough that they’re not going to go out and just willy nilly fire people,” King said. “That would be suicidal, it would make no sense.”
Liebman said a big issue is how national labor laws in the United States have not deterred companies from attempting to bust union efforts. The laws are too weak and outdated to be effective anymore, she said.
“If you want to avoid a union, it doesn’t cost that much to violate the law and engage in unfair labor practices that are intended to discourage unionization,” she said. “There’s no incentive to strictly comply if you’re really dead set on avoiding unionization.”
Dan Telvock is an award-winning investigative producer and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2018. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.


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Boxed game sales continue to be a core driver of the Nordic games market, despite a recent decline at games retail in the region.
According to the Association for the Nordic Game Industry (ANGI), in 2014, the value of Nordic retail sales decreased by 18 per cent.
More games were sold on PS3 at Nordic retail during 2014 than any other console, with the machine shifting 2.3 million software units.
This total was almost double the sales on its successor, the PS4, which sold the second-most amount of games during the year with 1.2 million units purchased by gamers.
However, Sony’s new console is clearly on the rise, seeing 1,168 per cent growth year-on-year in software sales compared to the 38 per cent decline of the PS3.
In terms of volume, PlayStation dominated the Nordic games retail landscape last year – between PS3 and PS4, Sony claimed over 48 per cent of the software market.
Comparatively, Xbox One and Xbox 360 collectively held just under one fifth of market share. PC, meanwhile, comprised 16 per cent of the sector.
Sweden takes the lion’s share of the Nordic games industry, with more than a third (36 per cent) of the market in terms of both volume and value.
Norway is the second-largest region for games, contributing a quarter of the territory’s business. Denmark and Finland both account for approximately a fifth of the region’s market.
Sweden comprises over a third of the Nordic games industry
The Nordic multi-platform retail charts are very similar to the most popular games in the UK.
The best-selling title of 2014 was FIFA 15, followed by Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
Much like in Britain, the action genre is far-and-away the most popular type of game available.
The genre comprised a quarter of the market in 2014, with sports proving second-most popular, with a 16 per cent share – ahead of the shooter category’s 14 per cent market share.
Sweden may be the biggest games market in the Nordic region, but 2014 saw the country’s industry suffer as retail sales fell by 15 per cent.
This came despite the growth of both new-generation consoles; annual PS4 and Xbox One software sales rose by 905 and 8,003 per cent, respectively.
PC games did fall, dropping by over a fifth. However, Jacob Kroon,communications officer for Swedish Games Industry,says that the platform will remain popular for local developers.
PC is an evergreen in Sweden, and mobile is the top grower,” he told MCV.
Mobile is a very important factor, but it’s vital to remember that the industry is growing as a whole, and recent success with mobile has led some countries to more or less abandon PC and other ‘traditional’ platforms.
Sweden, on the other hand, has always had, and continues to have, a strong focus on PC games as a stepping stone to greatness across the board.”
Approximately 20 major specialist games chains exist in Sweden, with a quarter of these contributing the majority of revenue.
New titles tend to cost around the same as they do in the UK; PS4 games retail on average for €58.93 (41.12), while Xbox One software is slightly cheaper at €55.98 (39.06).
The average price of any game for any platform is €36.32 (25.34).
"Sweden has always had a strong focus on PC games as a stepping stone to greatness across the board."
Jacob Kroon, ANGI
Sweden’s healthy landscape for games has led to the formation of several major firms in the country – several of which have been purchased by global games giants for huge sums.
Minecraft creator Mojang hails from the region, and was acquired for $2.5 billion by Microsoft in November 2014.
Meanwhile, mobile behemoth King was recently picked up by Activision Blizzard for $5.9 billion.
The territory’s preference for PC titles has encouraged the success of niche publishers such as Paradox Interactive on the global stage – the firm’s simulation title Cities: Skylines would have been crowned as the best-selling title in the UK back in March had digital data been included in the official charts.
Countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland
GDP (Per Capita): $53,977
Languages: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Greenlandic, Sami
Paradox Interactive, King, Mojang, Raw Fury Games, DICE, Avalanche Studios, Stardoll, IO Interactive, Playdead, Interceptor Entertainment, Press Play, Novasa Interactive, Reto-Moto, Krillbite Studio, Rain Games, Funcom, Red Thread Games, Dirtybit, D-Pad Studio, Turbo Tape Games, Ravn Studio, Serious Games Interactive, Krillbite Studio, Rain Games, Funcom, Red Thread Games, Dirtybit, D-Pad Studio, Turbo Tape Games, Ravn Studio
Webhallen, Elgiganten, Discshop, Coolshop, CDON, Coop, Platekompaniet, Gucca, BilligeSpil, Dvdoo, DVD City, GameStop
Koch Media, Nordic Games, Bergsala, Game Outlet, Nordic Game Supply, Creative Distribution, Nordisk Film Distribution, Pan Vision
Activision Blizzard, EA, Deep Silver, Disney, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony, Warner Bros, Bandai Namco, Nordic Games, The Game Factory, Nintendo


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Greece, one of the top olive oil producing countries in the world, is looking east for new opportunities. Olive oil producers and distributors are eyeing China’s immense market. However, they are finding that their quality products are not an easy sell. For several in the business, their recent efforts are proving to be disappointing, yet they remain hopeful.
Vassilia Fragaki, the president of Cooperativa Sitia, one of the largest olive oil cooperatives in Greece, said the potential in China is alluring. “The sales potential is great. So we made a decision that we needed to build our efforts in the Chinese market. It has been very interesting for us so far,” said Fragaki. Fragaki added that efforts over the past few years have involved substantial preparation including everything from translation, creating a strategic marketing plan to hiring Chinese representatives based in target cities.
Recently, Fragaki joined a marketing trip organized by the Greek olive oil conference and exhibition group, Eleotexnia. In November 2013, along with several other Greek producers, Cooperativa Sitia’s team aimed to broaden contacts and present their olive oils at the Shanghai Food Exhibition. Fragaki said results have yet to be seen but the effort has been “worth it so far.” “We’re beginning to unfold the secrets of the market. I feel at this point we can continue to take small steps and by next year we can think about moving on to bigger steps.”
Nikos Monahoyios of Ergofood Greece isn’t as hopeful any longer. He attended several Chinese food exhibitions where he quickly learned that Greek participation and marketing support was low. He felt he found a great opportunity to showcase his Greek brand and quality Greek olive oils. However, he admits he faced disappointment.
The Chinese may have a growing upper class interested in products like ours but they can’t find the top quality. Their market isn’t reliable and they’re not trained enough yet to select authentic high quality olive oil and wine products.” Monahoyios, who also exports Greek wines, said in China products like Greek olive oils are purchased “mostly to show off among friends and gain social status.” “In our opinion the Chinese consuming behavior isn’t mature enough. They want to follow the Western consuming culture and habits but their only criterion in their choice is price and not quality.” He pointed out that recent research showed that most of the French wines sold in China are not actually French but just have a French label. He believes the same can happen with olive oil. Monahoyios said that one Chinese company suggested that he even change the numbers on acidity levels, even though, he said, they didn’t know what the numbers meant. “Of course we denied working with them.” Meanwhile, at exhibitions, Monahoyios was thrilled that Chinese traders loved the taste and quality of his olive oil. “They were saying that it was the best olive oil they tasted but when they were asking about the price the first reaction was that it was too expensive.” After his efforts, Monahoyios is giving up. “I’m honestly so disappointed from the Chinese market after all these negative experiences with the Chinese consuming behavior and perception that I can say now that I am not aiming in this market any longer.” Monahoyios will focus on the U.S. market instead. “Consumer perception is more advanced,” he said. “I can see now why there is a wide effort from several Greek companies trying to promote the Greek olive oil and its quality, especially over the past few years.”
Up and Down
Stelios Vytogiannis of Foodrinco introduced his Greek extra virgin olive oils to the Chinese market two years ago. He had also hired a local Chinese sales and marketing associate to promote his products. “The language, time difference and culture all play a role,” said Vytogiannis. “There is room in China, of course, but it is difficult to get access.” To describe his frustration he compared his attempts in China to another Asian market. “In Korea, I was able to ship products and create a good business relationship quite easily in less than two months. My experience in China has been an uphill battle.” Vytogiannis said everything seemed grim when his Chinese associate stopped answering his phone calls and emails. Their business relationship came to an end. That blow to his investment, he says, didn’t stop him. “It’s our third year trying and we’ve already invested so much so we must go on. We’ll find someone new to help us in China. We are determined to get some results.”
Source : http://www.oliveoiltimes.com


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But once the votes had been counted, the UK Government realised that it may have an issue on its hands. As well as urging pharmacists to stockpile a six-week supply of key medicines ahead of the transition period ending, Whitehall also started to keep a close eye on drug shortages and supply.
“A lot of the measures for medicine shortage were brought in as the Government in London tried to prepare for Brexit and anticipated, probably correctly, that it would have a really big effect on medicine supplies,” Mark Dayan, the Brexit Programme Lead at the Nuffield Trust told the Sunday National.
And issues with medicine supply in the UK didn’t start with the end of the transition period. They began almost as soon as the 2016 referendum results came in. And there is one measure which predates Brexit which highlights this: UK Government-approved price concessions for imported medicine.
These concessions have an immediate knock-on impact on an already over-stretched NHS budget. The more the health service pays for medicine, the less it has to spare elsewhere.
Before the referendum in June 2016, the Department of Health and Social Care had never needed to issue more than two dozen at a time.
Since mid-2016, the number of concessions being issued has climbed higher and higher. After the impact of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-Budget – which saw the pound sterling hit record lows against the US dollar – the UK was forced to issue around eight times more concessions than it ever had before the Brexit vote.
These price concessions are “really an indicator of shortage or pressure on supplies”, Dayan explains. Worryingly, the low numbers being approved before the 2016 vote have not been seen again since.
The UK’s decision to exit the EU impacted immediately on medicine supply and cost concessions through the devaluation of the sterling. Exit polls predicting a Leave victory saw the pound slump to a three-decade low from which it has never recovered.
The NHS has to spend more of its pounds to get the same amount of medicine as it had before “because of perceptions about what Brexit would mean,” Dayan says.
He adds that while medicine shortages are a global issue at the moment, “there is evidence that aspects of this in the UK have been exacerbated by Brexit”.
A weakened pound is not the only way in which leaving the EU looks to have impacted on medicine supplies and prices in the UK. “Bureaucracy and barriers at the border” may also have added to prices, leading to more concessions having to be made.
“Particularly for generic medicines which are not expensive [and not] high-end products where extra transport costs can be soaked up,” Dayan says. “They’re price-competitive, bulk, commodity products. A change in transport costs could have an effect.
“In many cases they would have been supplied on a whole-Europe basis before [Brexit]. Some will be shipped straight to the UK, but many will be shipped to Rotterdam or Hamburg etcetera.”
And looking to the future, the UK may find itself outside of key measures to combat medicine shortages being looked at by the EU.
On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that the European Commission was looking to tackle problems it is facing through stockpiling drugs and obliging manufacturers to guarantee supplies.
Dayan warned that the UK may need to look at taking such policy moves on, as it will “not be part of EU anti-shortage measures”.
“If the EU does stockpile a lot of these common medicines for example for infectious diseases, the UK will be out of that,” he says. “It may have to consider stockpiling for itself again.”
A surge in Covid, cold, and flu cases – especially in children – across the northern hemisphere has left some basic medicines in short supply. But soon the issue could be elsewhere.
“Crises tend to jump from one [drug] to the other,” Dayan says.
“At the moment the UK, and actually many countries, are in a really difficult situation with medicine shortages and it’s gotten much, much worse in recent years.”


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Two Carnival Ships Return to Galveston
This Sunday, Carnival Vista and Breeze will be returning to the port of Galveston, a welcome sight to the thousands of people in the city whose jobs are connected to the cruise industry.
Carnival intends for the vessels to stay there until cruising can resume from the U.S. again. In the meantime, the line will ready the ships for sailing and prepare to bring crew back.
Officials say that in Galveston, $115 million in local spending and over 3,600 jobs are tied to the cruise industry.
New Cruise Regulations Issued For UK
The UK Department of Transport has officially issued new cruise regulations.
They say all travelers must be residents of the British Isles and cruise ships will be limited to 50 percent capacity or 1,000 passengers — whichever is lower.
Additionally, groups of more than six people or two households won’t be allowed to mix indoors, even if they booked in the same group.
If things go well in the first month, the regulations are expected to loosen on June 21.
Azamara To Resume Cruising In Greece
And lastly, Azamara has announced that it’ll be returning to sailing in Greece on August 28.
Azamara Quest will sail six weeklong voyages, visiting ports including Rhodes, Heraklion, Santorini, and Mykonos, Greece, as well as Limassol, Cyprus.
Throughout the six voyages there will be 18 late-night stays for more time in port. The cruises will be open to full-vaccinated guests only, and bookings open on May 11.


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In an effort to structure how marijuana advertising should be handled moving into the era of legalization within Canada, sixteen of the cannabis industry’s leading producers have come together to design a national standard. The sixteen companies, including the likes of MedReleaf, Canopy Growth, and Aphria, have partnered with Advertising Standards Canada in order to find a way to overcome concerns and set a clear path forward for cannabis companies in the advertising space.
The industry has been quite vocal on their objection to a report issued by a federal task force that recommended marijuana products be sold in plain, generic packaging and be restricted on branding, similarly to how big tobacco is forced to operate. The objection stems from the idea that every cannabis company should be able to express themselves and set their products apart from the competition through their unique branding. The argument against the branding claims that “such restriction are necessary to ensure that users are aware of health risks associated with the substance.”
Roottie.com had a chance to speak with Darren Karasiuk, VP of Strategy for MedRelead Corp. in regards to the developing advertising guidelines and he shared the following statement – “The Federal Government has been clear that one of their primary objectives with legalization of cannabis is to stamp out the black market. We applaud this goal and believe the most effective ways to get rid of the black market is through effective, adult-focused branding and promotion. Adult-focused branding and promotion – the same as what is used in the alcohol industry – will help us inform consumer decision making, and effectively compete against an unregulated black market. We’re proud to be a part of this initiative with Advertising Standards Canada and are encouraged by the solidarity shown by the group in developing guidelines that align with public policy objectives.”
Currently, the federal government has their own guidelines for alcohol distributors and retailers, and the alcohol industry is not held to the restrictions that are being proposed for cannabis.
Cory Hughes is a former police officer turned cannabis cultivator and writer. After years of being on the wrong side of the law, Cory decided to hang up his badge and gun and move into an industry that truly has the potential of bringing people together. He has been an active part of the Colorado cannabis culture and has worked as a horticulturist in dozens of licensed grow operations. Cory now looks to share his knowledge of cultivation and horticulture with the world.