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Latest From Somanetics Corp.
The short-notice reopening of the country made 2022 a tough year for the health sector in China, where divestments, cash crunches and commercial challenges abounded. Throughout the year, despite clinical trial activity continuing to blossom, multiple Chinese innovative drug developers faced setbacks in the US from regulatory rejections of oncology products. Meanwhile, others quietly scaled back their operations in China, hit by the negative impact of deep price cuts.
Incoming visitors won't be required to be centrally quarantined in designated facilities starting 8 January while the national health authority also calls to stockpile three months supply of antivirals to tackle acute shortages across the nation.
As citizens in China grapple with the virtual end of pandemic restrictions and rush for medicines from cold remedies to traditional options, even some prescription antivirals such as Paxlovid are appearing online, while cheaper but unauthorized Indian generic versions have quickly sold out. Meanwhile, a renewed vaccination effort is targeting high-risk individuals and second booster shots as the country faces a huge surge in cases.
Three years since the first cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported in Wuhan, China has finally put the first nail in the coffin of its strict "COVID Zero" policies. But as Beijing begins to relax its most restrictive rules, citizens remain concerned about ballooning infections, while a low vaccination rate among seniors and vaccine fatigue appear to be dimming hopes of a quick revitalization of the hard-hit economy and bruised consumer confidence.
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Imerys announces refractory acquisition in Q1 results
Published: Thursday, 25 April 2013
Post fall in revenue and income, but remains “committed to acquisitions policy”
Imerys announced in its Q1
2013 results that it has acquired Arefcon b.v., a Dutch company
specialising in the installation of refractory products for the
The company produces refractory bricks, insulating fire bricks,
refractory castables, insulating castables, ramming mixes,
boards and fibre products.
This is not...

domain: news


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During an inspection that was conducted meat products that had not been properly handled were found in the “Acre Sausage company” butcher shop.
On June 30, 2016, an inspection of the northern district Health Bureau in cooperation with the sanitation and business licensing departments in the Acre Municipality and the Authority Veterinarian was conducted.
During the inspection of the butcher shop, meat and chicken products that were stored under poor sanitary conditions were found, part of them past their expiry date. In addition, products of unknown origin that had been produced, ground, packed and frozen on the premises with no manufacturer license and with no proper labeling were found.
Handling meat and chicken products, their storage and marketing which are not done according to the conditions required by the law may cause harm to public health.
On the instruction of the District Veterinarian, about 440 kg of meat and chicken products were destroyed.
The Ministry of Health and the Acre Municipality are taking enforcement measures against this food enterprise.


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More Consumers Rolling Over Credit Card Debt from Month-to-Month
A new Bankrate report released last week found that the number of adults carrying credit card debt from month to month jumped six points from last year to 35 percent. It also found that roughly 46 percent of credit card holders don’t pay their cards off in full each month, up from 39 percent a year prior. Nearly 43 percent of those with credit card debt are not aware of the interest rates associated with their card.
“People may not be fully aware of how expensive credit card debt—or other alternative loans—are, and that interest on these loans compounds,” said Columbia Business School professor Michaela Pagel in an email to Bloomberg. “If somebody rolls over $5,000 of credit card debt over five years, it balloons into $12,441 at 20 percent interest.”
Consumers are struggling with monthly payments that have become more expensive, as interest rates are expected to hit a 40-year high this year, and more car payments exceed $1,000 a month. Recent data from the Federal Reserve found that consumer borrowing rose $28 billion last November from the month before, topping the median prediction of $25 billion.
Government data also showed in December that wage growth was slowing down amid inflation, and that those who make more money are more likely to pay their credit card bills in full. 45 percent of those making less than $50,000 annually paid their balances in full each month, compared to 63 percent of those making $100,000 or more.
“It is more expensive to buy goods and services that households need,” said Pagel. “These increased costs of living might be reflected in credit card balances and households may have trouble meeting their obligations if their wages stayed constant.”
Bankrate commissioned YouGov to conduct the survey, which had a total sample size of 2,458 adults in the United States including 1,876 credit card holders and 849 who carry credit card debt from month to month. The survey was conducted between December 7-9, 2022.


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An agro-allied company, Johnvent Industries Nigeria Limited, has said it has invested N3bn to boost cocoa business in Ondo State and Nigeria as a whole.
The Group Managing Director of the company, Mr John Alamu, while addressing journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on the development, said the firm came into the cocoa industry to make a difference.
Alamu disclosed that the company would be officially inaugurated by the state’s Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, next week.
He said, “We acquired the factory from Olam. Olam was the last tenant here and the factory belongs to Coop Cocoa. The nature of acquisition is this: the building belongs to Coop Cocoa while we had 100 percent acquisition of all the equipment of the factory.
“We came in, in the month of April and since we came in, we have invested over N3bn in revamping the entire factory. This investment has been in the area of upgrade of some machineries and complete overhaul of some machineries. There is a whole lot of development; this is not what this place used to be months ago. We have also invested a lot of money into procurement of cocoa beans.”
Alamu said the by-products of the company would be for export .
He said, “Ondo State is the largest cocoa producing state in Nigeria. The biggest challenge for a factory like this is always raw material. But then because we are sited in Ondo State and we have in our procurement strategy plans to do backward integration to support farmers, that would eventually lead to guarantee the supply of our raw materials.
Alamu said the company had signed agreements with some countries, adding, “For the powder, we are not willing to sell that abroad because we don’t want to package all our fortune here and take them abroad since there is a local demand for the powder.”


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Stephen Hightower has never accidentally been in the right place at the right time. He’s always made sure he was prepared for any opportunity.
In 2009, at the peak of the Great Recession, GM was in the throes of a government-assisted bankruptcy. And the president and CEO of Hightowers Petroleum Co., a licensed wholesale distributor of petroleum-based products, was prepared to sell to the battered auto manufacturer. He had to be ready to provide “initial fills,” or place fuel in cars coming off the GM assembly line. Although it only took two years to gain product certification and approval from GM to produce a top-tier branded product with stabilizers that helped the fuel last longer, it took five years total before he was given a contract; three of those years were spent convincing all participants in the supply chain, from buyers to the CEO, that his team had the expertise and capability to perform on time.
During that time both a vice president and a supplier diversity executive who had championed Hightower left the company, so he had to start the relationship-building process all over again.
“What got me back on track was an automotive summit, hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition,” says Hightower. “They put me back in front of the CEO of GM, [who introduced us to] Barbara Whittaker, a senior procurement manager.” She went back to the buyers and told them to move forward with Hightowers Petroleum, giving the company a shot at the contract. This was historic. Hightower says no other company aside from BP had ever handled initial fills for any auto manufacturer in the U.S.; not Exxon, Chevron, or Sunoco, nor any jobbers—those who buy, sell, transport, and store fuel.
“Bad times are great times for small, innovative, and emergent businesses to take advantage of instability in the marketplace,” says Hightower, who says the company does not have an 8(a) federal designation but is registered with the National Minority Supplier Development Council and has a minority business enterprise (MBE) in select states. “GM gave us the opportunity with 48 hours to implement it … nationally. We had carriers step up and we outperformed our suppliers. We worked 24 hours for two to three weeks but we never let any plant run out of fuel.”
GM got the benefit of witnessing the promise that Hightowers makes to all of its customers: “You come first, every time.” Every drop of fuel that Hightowers delivered met the required specs and was delivered on time, which is the most important part of the job.
“There are great financial penalties for shutting down an assembly line to any supplier to the automotive industry. That would have been the end of our career with General Motors,” says Hightower.
Since that time, Hightower says, every car that comes off a GM assembly line throughout the U.S. and Mexico runs on Hightowers gas. The company now delivers 14 million gallons of fuel to GM every year. Hightower says nobody aside from BP has these kinds of contracts, which in GM’s case is a contract in the neighborhood of $50 million and growing now that the industry has rebounded.
Hightowers is now laying the groundwork to increase its business at GM Canada, and with Ford, Chrysler, and Honda. The preparation involves getting its products tested and approved, and pursuing relationships at the buying level and senior procurement level so that auto manufacturers know Hightowers has the capacity to get the job done.
GM is only one of a myriad of household names to which Hightowers Petroleum distributes fuel. In 2012, the company grossed $303 million in revenues, making it No. 10 on the BE industrial/service companies list, by annually selling an excess of 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel to companies such as Duke Energy, Sam’s Club, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, and Kroger grocery stores. Hightower says his company does approximately $100 million with Kroger annually. Due to the success of its partnership with Kroger, the retail food chain has quadrupled its expenditures with Hightowers during the past five years.
“Hightowers has proven to be a strong business partner and has continued to assist Kroger in maintaining its competitive edge by providing a high-quality product at a competitive price,” says Denise Thomas, director of corporate supplier diversity at The Kroger Co.
These additions to the company’s roster of blue-chip clients since 2000 have propelled Hightowers to experience extraordinary growth from $10,869 in net income in 2006 to $1 million in 2012.
“Once you start getting those kinds of companies, I think it causes other entities to say, ‘If they are doing that well with Duke, we can give them a shot with our business,’” says Gary Visher, Hightowers’ chief financial officer and a former banker.
Because of the CEO’s keen business acumen, and the company’s remarkable sales growth and commitment to the highest level of performance, Black Enterprise has selected Hightowers Petroleum Co. as the 2013 be Industrial/Service Company of the Year.
Credit On Empty
Purchasing his father’s janitorial business in 1981 and then selling it two years later, Hightower, who attended Wright State University, also powered his entrepreneurial ambitions by building businesses in construction, industrial materials, and the fuel industry. Although his construction company took off immediately, years went by before Hightowers Petroleum broke even, a luxury he was able to indulge in since it wasn’t his only source of income. He was a quick study, discovering that fuel is a commodity producing razor-thin margins while at the same time requiring a heavy outlay in capital.
“I had business sense and an ability to articulate it at a very young age,” says Hightower, who had been selling contracts through his father’s janitorial service firm from the age of 18. He used that competitive advantage to help gain his first wholesale fuel contract through a set-aside program that allowed Hightowers an opportunity to enter what was a closed market.
Three years later, in 1985, BP took Hightowers from dealer to distributor status, when the oil giant selected Hightowers to carry jet fuel to various government installations such as the Ohio National Guard. Hightowers became licensed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s hauling authority as a PUCO contract carrier hauling fuel throughout the entire state of Ohio.
When it came time to renew Hightowers’ PUCO authority, BP supported Hightowers so that the carrier could transport fuel on its behalf, says Hightower, who now moves fuel in states from California to Maine. That’s when Hightower realized the incestuous nature of the fuel industry. The fiercest competitors of jobbers can on any given day be a vendor or customer to one another. Hightower recalls that the PUCO had a restriction that allowed existing carriers to protest new carriers from gaining a PUCO hauling authority in Ohio’s closed market, but BP called the carriers and asked them to not oppose Hightowers’ authority.
“It somewhat legitimized us from being a normal broker out there. It’s unique because you still have to buy from the same people you compete with.”
Between the 1980s and 2006, the company’s revenues appeared to be flat, but the number of gallons it sold grew and its reputation increased among suppliers and customers.
Despite its stellar reputation in the industry, Hightowers was unable to obtain a line of credit until December 2011. Throughout the years the company relied on alternative financing and used larger oil suppliers such as The Lykins Cos. and Truman Arnold Cos., —not banks—to purchase fuel. Without this type of alternative financing, Hightowers would not be able to purchase, supply, and sell product to customers.
For example, Don Lykins of Lykins Oil was both a friend and a competitor. But after Hightower sought Lykins as a mentor, Lykins taught Hightower about the fueling business and supplied him with oil on credit to sell when Hightowers first received the contract through the set-aside program.
Hightower developed his business based on relationships with multiple suppliers throughout the country as well as multiple carriers. He set up a distribution network that allowed him an opportunity to go into any state, city, or county in the U.S. and source fuel on credit with little more than a handshake and his honor.
“I didn’t have to pay Lykins until I got paid,” said Hightower, who practiced competitive public speaking in high school, college, and beyond. Thirty years later, I still have a relationship with Lykins Oil.”
Shifting into High Gear
Visher, who brought a more conservative perspective from the corporate banking world, joined the company in 2006 with the goal to build up the company’s balance sheet, and as a result, Hightowers Petroleum increased profitability and assets, which opened the door to a line of credit.
“To strengthen the balance sheet, I first had to make it profitable, grow the equity, put assets on the books, and restrict tax liabilities,” explains Visher. Laying off workers never crossed his mind. Further, though the price of fuel can change twice a day, the margins are fixed, so Visher couldn’t alter the company’s pricing structure. Instead, he watched the budget and found additional cost savings by averting situations where the company could be overtaxed.
“When you’re selling millions of gallons, that can be a lot of money,” says Visher. For example, Hightowers Petroleum operates as a fuel dealer in 17 states, which means it is subject to a multitude of taxes, including federal excise taxes, federal inspection fees, and state motor fuel taxes. In some instances those taxes can be 37 cents on the gallon or more.
“Visher’s contribution as CFO is what our organization needed at the time,” says Hightower.
Also in December 2011, Hightowers purchased a 14,400-square-foot building for slightly more than $1 million. Since Hightowers rents out more than 50% of the space, the mortgage is covered.
In the fuel industry, contracts are rarely confirmed with signatures on paper, but with handshakes, says Hightower.
“It is a very upright industry. It depends on good faith and good will. If you don’t have it, you’re not in it,” says Hightower, who is the only African American national fuel distributor. “That had to be proven over time.”
Proving that has been as much about staying accessible to customers as it has been about perfecting the business processes at the pump. Hightower attributes the company’s growth in sales and customer relationships to its exponential marketing strategy, which he implemented 10 years ago. The strategy relies heavily on creating a marketing atmosphere, where others—customers, political networks, and industry agencies—are selling on the company’s behalf.
“My father always says, ‘As much as we travel and promote ourselves, there is not enough time in the day [to do it all],’” says Stephen L. Hightower II, 32, the chief operating officer. “Based on our reputation and our relationships, people have begun to promote us, for us.”
Relational selling is what keeps the elder Hightower out of the office 70% of the time, promoting the company’s core values by sitting on boards and visiting customers.
“We’re able to broadcast through our largest customers. There is no amount of time or advertising dollars that can beat that sort of endorsement,” says Hightower II.
The elder Hightower, who was appointed to the National Petroleum Council in 2010 by Steven Chu, former U.S. Secretary of Energy, says their increased visibility and thereby increased customer accounts is a result of accepting board appointments, participating in community service events, and from receiving various awards such as the Minority Owned Business of the Year from Dayton’s Business Journal.
By bringing on Visher and Hightower II, the company has increased the impact of its exponential marketing strategy. “We went out into the world together. He coached me to learn his style, selling technique, and marketing techniques. More importantly we began to transfer relationships,” says Hightower II, who worked as a regional field director on President Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign. “The key stakeholders and players would already know me and accept me because I was brought in through my father.”
With Visher handling the day-to-day business in the office, and Hightower II taking more board appointments, the elder Hightower has the opportunity to expand. For example, Hightower has been spending more time with HP Energy, a developer of energy efficiency projects, owned by him and two other partners. In addition, Hightower plans to focus more on Hi-Mark Group Inc., a wholesale fuel distributor targeting the government sector. Hightower II will run that company.
“Stephen has stepped up to the challenge and shown a lot of maturity,” says the elder Hightower, whose daughter Stephanie Hightower-Thomas works in accounting, and whose son Quincy acts as COO of Hi-Mark Construction Group, which launched in 1979 as Landmark Building Services.”
It is also important to the elder Hightower that Hightowers Petroleum extends relationship-building inside the office by maintaining a family-friendly atmosphere. “We still try to keep that closeness. It’s not an easy thing to do,” says Visher. “He pushes us to maintain that because happy, motivated employees give you more.”
They extend those values to their vendors as well. “Our method of managing our carriers throughout the U.S. has been extremely effective and we have some very loyal relationships that allow us to deliver product almost every seven minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says the elder Hightower, who attended executive programs at the Kellogg School of Management, at Northwestern University and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. “We have more than 400 trucks available to us for emergency response and we have close to 1,000 trucks available to us for our daily business.”
In fact, after Hurricane Sandy stripped the Northeast of power last fall, Hightowers helped fuel utility company Con Edison’s emergency response vehicles. Hightowers dispensed carriers to New York and New Jersey to stage fueling sites at shopping centers and hotels, and fuel the trucks of Con Ed contractors at night.
“The extraordinary thing there is Hightower came through for us at a time when it was hard for anyone to find fuel,” explains Michael Jones-Bey, director of supplier diversity at Con Edison. “It was really tough and he came through in a big way. We’re really proud of him.”
Topping Off Innovation
Hightowers has sustained customer satisfaction by upgrading its IT system and including value-added services that aren’t typically found across the industry. For example, this spring, the company upgraded from Quickbooks to DM2, a petroleum-specific ERP (enterprise resource planning) system that is designed to calculate federal, state, and local tax reporting for fuels and lubricants. As opposed to the old way of calculating taxes manually for every state it did business in, DM2 will allow Hightowers to give its customers more accurate, flexible reports about real time volume and production. Adding the system was a considerable financial and time investment—every staff member has to be trained on the system—but Hightower believes its implementation will improve the lives of its customers and employees.
Finally, the company provides back-office services for its customers. For instance, Duke doesn’t need to hire an employee to order fuel for its facilities. Because of telemetry equipment on Hightowers tanks, the company is able to monitor each customer’s historical fuel use, forecast their needs, remotely measure tank levels, and automatically send out tankers to refuel their facilities.
As the company’s customer base grows, and as it adds additional lines of revenue, the leadership team continues to diligently service existing customers.
“We’ve been very careful not to lose our focus on our baseline business and customers. We feel that a distraction to our core business could be fatal, particularly in this growth that we’re experiencing,” says Hightower, who likes to mock naysayers who told him minority businesses are not legitimate businesses. “There is only one way to sell fuel. There’s not a black way and a white way. There’s only the right way.”


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Apple is expected to announce a new trade-in program. But you can already get enough money for some older iPhones to cover the cost of a new one.
Early in September, Tim Cook will step on to a blacked-out stage and unveil two quite different new iPhones: the iPhone 5S, an upgraded iPhone 5, and another, cheaper one that the rumor mill has dubbed the iPhone 5C.
Smartphone makers are experimenting with new sizes, features and customization options to stand out from their competitors. But what do consumers actually want?
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has launched a $1 billion global ad campaign with a commercial featuring U.S. film star Robert Downey Jr., in the hope of turning around its fortunes.
Google is facing both long odds and a lot of questions about what its intentions in the smartphone market really are with its Moto X phone.
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC is the "biggest victim" of the intensifying battle in the premium handset space, and there could be little scope for it to stage a turnaround.
Manufacturers of high-end smartphones may be forced to lower prices in the coming months, as the market nears saturation and users slow the pace of changing phones, say analysts.
Chinese cellphone chip designer Spreadtrum Communications will be acquired by a unit of government-owned Tsinghua Holdings for a raised offer price of about $1.78 billion.
A better-than-expected 195,000 jobs added in June is good for stocks, bad for bonds, and likely to give the Fed more reason to taper sooner rather than later.
Depressing numbers from Samsung and HTC on Friday flagged concerns that the market for smartphone makers, including Apple, could be reaching saturation.
Apple shares may be down 20 percent year to date as investors worry about slowing growth, but two fund managers still see reason to own the smartphone maker.
Overtaking Apple as the world's leading maker of smartphones has stretched Samsung's in-house supply lines, and the South Korean firm is now courting some of its rival's main parts suppliers.
HTC, the Taiwanese mobile maker, announced profits hit a record low in the first quarter and one analyst told CNBC that a new tie-in with Facebook has little potential in resurrecting the company's fortunes.
Facebook is unveiling a new Android product Thursday, as a fast-growing number of its 1.06 billion users access it on smartphones and tablet computers.
T-Mobile USA will start selling Apple Inc's iPhone on April 12, making it the last of the national U.S. operators to sell the device.
Google has named Sundar Pichai to replace Android co-founder Andy Rubin as chief of the world's most used mobile software.
Apple has held talks with Beats Electronics on a potential partnership involving Beats' planned music-streaming service, three people familiar with the situation told Reuters.
Mobile wars came to Barcelona on Monday as the world's largest technology giants unveiled their latest products.
Qualcomm's strong earnings should come as no surprise, given that that the company is a dominant force in the smartphone market.
Apple iconic iPhone is losing some of its luster among Asia's well-heeled consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong, a victim of changing mobile habits and its own runaway success.


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Customers at La Chere chatted with maids while sipping on drinks, often until 5:00 a.m.
Posts tagged as “Akihabara”
The top spot to shop for consumer electronics in Tokyo
SOD Land will open in Kabukicho on October 10
Suspect told manager, 'We both know you have your hands on a yakuza's woman!'
Four confirmed locations are just east of Chuo-dori street
Suspect told police, 'Regarding her age, I did not clearly make a confirmation'
Suspect allegedly took the girl, a middle school student, from a railway station in Tokyo to a residence in Tokamachi City by car
Honey Popcorn will make its debut next month as an idol unit in Korea
Suspect told police, 'I wanted to show that she was my woman'
JK businesses are believed to be a hotbed for child prostitution
Sex provided via separate menu at prices starting at ¥5,000


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USA: Burger King trading remains weak
Diageo , the UK food and drinks group, said on Thursday that trading at its Burger King fast food chain remains weak. The group warned that full-year operating profit for the hamburger chain was likely to be down year-on-year. "Trading at Burger King remains challenging and in January comparable restaurant sales were down approximately three percent, however February is slightly better...the full year reported operating profit is likely to be down year on year," Diageo finance director Nick Rose told a conference call to analysts.
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- McCormick to buy flavours business Enrico Giotti


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Last week, the Tatas announced their plans to launch a Super App. A whole bunch of global tech giants like Google, WhatsApp and Amazon and a behemoth like Reliance Jio are preparing to jump into the fray in India. And cement their dominance of a trillion dollar digital economy
Tag : digital-economy
Gates reads 50 books a year. How does he process all this information?
Your smartphone is the gateway for platform businesses to drive their hooks deep into your psyche and pockets, edge out traditional businesses, and reset markets. In doing so, they are becoming monopolies, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. What is fair play in this new world?
What should we make of the humungous numbers being reported by ecommerce companies around festive sales?
This Week: How civic tech can help Swachh Bharat, Aadhaar and digital platforms for development, and the importance of celebrating failures
The tech giants are rewriting the rules of how business empires are built. How deeply they can engage the millions on their network is the key to the kingdom. No business, including their own, is invulnerable. The concluding part in a two-part series
This Week: A systems approach to problem solving; tech businesses and funding for potential; customer data and privacy
New Rules of Business 2.0 / Disruptors
English dominates the internet, excluding crores of Indians. In this video, Reverie Language Technologies’ co-founders Arvind Pani and Vivekanand Pani talk about bridging the language barrier, what to look for in a co-founder, and why startups should not rush to get investors
Robert Tercek, futurist and author of the book 'Vaporized', talks about how digital technology pushes us towards a software-defined society
The recent crisis of confidence brought by the unicorn meltdowns isn't for real. India’s digital economy is actually poised for a bright future. Just that we need a new lens to look at the real opportunities


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TRENDING ON ONEINDIA
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Samsung's upcoming flagships Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are most likely to get unveiled in February 2018 at the MWC. With more than three months ahead of the launch, the rumor mill has already started churning out little details about the smartphones.
The website ETNews now claims, the Galaxy S9 duo will feature enhanced biometric authentication systems. Samsung is reportedly making improvements to the iris scanner and face recognition feature of the smartphones. The improvements, which are mainly software based will make the aforementioned features faster and smoother at the same time.
According to an anonymous industry observer, "there may be new add-ons through software applications" to make the biometric authentication systems better.
The website further reports that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will come with the same 8MP front sensor that is seen on their predecessors.
Samsung first introduced the facial and iris scanning technology on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The Galaxy Note 8 comes with the same features as well. However, it turned out that fooling facial scanning on the Samsung Galaxy S8 was pretty easy if you have a high-resolution photo of the phone's owner.
Thankfully, the iris scanner was hailed more reliable by experts. As per the experts, iris scanner is one of the most secure forms of biometric authentication that is currently around. While the process may not work as fast as the facial scanning, it can't be bypassed easily.
Months after the Galaxy S8 duo was announced, Apple unveiled its iPhone X with 3D facial recognition feature called Face ID. Unlike Samsung's flagships, the Face ID feature of iPhone X takes a 3D scan of a user's face to unlock the device. Unfortunately, the Face ID is also not as secure as Apple claimed it would be with the recent video showing a 10-year-old unlocking his mother's iPhone X.


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Experts are warning of a surge in the illegal reptile trade and its impact on animals’ natural habitats after reptiles and their parts have become a popular choice of pet. The trade is worth between $7 and $23bn annually, making it among the most profitable illegal industries in the world, according to a report by the United Nations. While reptiles comprise a small proportion of illegal trade, numbers are increasing. Many reptiles are captured and kept in inhumane conditions before being sold to collectors, breeders or restaurants. Increased public awareness and responsibility among governments is needed, according to experts.
Experts Warn of Surge in Illegal Reptile Trade
Reptiles have long been a popular pet choice for animal lovers. However, the demand for exotic reptiles and their parts has led to a rising illegal trade in these creatures. Experts are now warning of a surge in the illegal reptile trade that not only puts these species at risk but also affects their natural habitats.
The United Nations recently released a report which stated that the global illegal wildlife trade is worth between $7 and $23 billion annually, making it one of the most profitable illegal industries in the world. While reptiles only make up a small percentage of the trade, the experts warn that the numbers are increasing.
Illegal trade harms species and their habitats
The mass trade of reptiles is putting a number of species at risk of extinction. Reptiles are often captured in the wild and transported through inhumane conditions. Many are then sold on the black market to collectors, breeders, or even restaurants as delicacies. The demand for their skins, meat, and organs has also led to habitat destruction and deforestation.
This illegal trade is especially prevalent in parts of Asia and Africa where reptiles are an important part of traditional medicine and cultural practices. Snakes, for example, are often used for their venom, which is claimed to have medicinal benefits. While the use of some animal parts in traditional medicine can be scientifically supported, the illegal trade is contributing to the erosion of biodiversity and habitat loss.
The role of social media in fueling the illegal reptile trade
The ease of selling and buying reptiles online has only made the problem worse. Websites and social media platforms have become an important tool for sellers and buyers of illegal reptiles. The anonymity and lack of regulations make it easy for traffickers to implement their trade unnoticed.
According to reports, the number of live reptile adverts on online marketplaces increased by 60% in the UK between 2014 and 2019. This trend is not restricted to the UK, with similar spikes in adverts being reported across the globe.
What actions can be taken?
Efforts to reduce the illegal reptile trade can take various forms. These include stronger law enforcement, better monitoring of online marketplaces, and more stringent regulations on trade and import. Governments need to take the responsibility of implementing and enforcing laws that protect reptiles and their habitats.
It is, however, important to note that the illegal trade in reptiles goes beyond just law enforcement. Public awareness campaigns can also play a role in reducing demand for illegal reptiles, and awareness should be raised around the ethical and environmental consequences of this trade.
Q: Is it legal to own a reptile as a pet?
A: In most countries, owning reptiles as pets is legal. However, it is important to ensure that you are purchasing from a licensed breeder. Buying from illegal sources only adds to the problem.
Q: Are all exotic reptiles being traded illegally?
A: No. There are legal ways to trade exotic reptiles, but this needs to be done responsibly and with consideration for the conservation of the species.
Q: What can I do to help stop the illegal trade of reptiles?
A: Awareness is key. By educating yourself and others about the impact of the illegal trade, you can actively choose not to participate and discourage others from doing so as well. Additionally, you can support organizations working towards conservation efforts and reducing the illegal wildlife trade.


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On 6 December 2011 Morocco’s National Agency of Telecommunications Regulation (ANRT) made downwards adjustments to wholesale network interconnection charges for voice telephony and SMS messaging services, initially set for the period 2010-2013. Under the most recent adjustments, the regulator decided to lower mobile termination rates (MTRs) by 82% between July 2010 and December 2013, compared to the previously agreed reduction of 65% in the period. The additional reductions in MTRs will be applied from 1 January 2012. MTR fees for connecting calls on the networks of the country’s three cellcos, Maroc Telecom (IAM), Medi Telecom (Meditel) and Wana (Inwi), will fall to MAD0.202 (USD0.024) at 1 January 2013 – half the original rate of MAD0.40 proposed in the ANRT’s original 2010-2013 wholesale framework. At that date all three mobile operator’s interconnection rates will be unified for the first time – at 1 January 2012 the three rates will stand at: Maroc Telecom MAD0.392, Meditel MAD0.452 and Inwi MAD0.554. The respective rates fall to MAD0.276, MAD0.305 and MAD0.338 at 1 July 2012 before the symmetrical fees take effect six months later.
Similar downward revision of prices has been applied to termination in fixed line (copper) and restricted mobility (CDMA-based) networks as well as SMS interconnection, all under the watchdog’s stated goal of encouraging operators to lower their retail prices to benefit consumers. Wana’s limited mobility CDMA network has an interconnection rate imposed of MAD0.228 as from 1 January 2012, sliding to MAD0.152 at the start of 2013.


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Americans Overwhelmingly Reject Internet Sales Tax Proposal
Two of three Americans said they oppose a sales tax in their state on items purchased online.
Americans overwhelmingly oppose an internet sales tax according to a poll conducted by Rasumussen earlier this month.
Fully 66 percent of respondents said they opposed a sales tax on items purchased online, even if the store is not located in their state.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 66% of American Adults oppose a sales tax in their state on items purchased online, even if the store they buy from is not in their state. Just 21% favor an internet sales tax, while 13% are not sure.
The survey comes as Congress debates whether small online retailers should charge sales taxes, even if the buyer and seller are from different states and the seller doesn’t have a physical location in the buyer’s state. This is the first public indication that Americans would look negatively upon any effort to expand internet sales taxes as part of a broader tax reform effort. The effort to expand the internet sales tax is being led by big companies like Amazon seeking to impose “a big burden” on their “smaller competitors.”
The poll, which survey 1,000 Americans and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent, found that a majority of Americans do some online shopping.


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Google is adding RCS (Rich Communications Services) messaging to its Google Fi mobile virtual network, making the next generation of texting available to compatible devices.
The internet giant announced its plans to focus on RCS within its Messages app last month, as it revealed it would be killing off its Allo chat app in favour of promoting the RCS standard. Now, we have been given the first glimpse into where the company is heading with RCS.
The rollout of RCS chat on Google Fi will see the messaging standard arrive on Pixel phones, the Motorola Moto G6 and Android One-based Moto X, as well as the LG V35 and LG G7. In addition, those with compatible Android phones and the Google Messages app set as default, will also gain access to RCS messaging.
The introduction of RCS by Google follows the rollout of limited support by the likes of Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the US, and Vodafone in the UK.
Elsewhere, Google is giving Google Fi subscribers faster 4G LTE coverage in 33 countries, including the UK and Ireland, most of mainland Europe, Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, and Kuwait.
RCS messaging has already become available to subscribers, while the faster network speeds will arrive ‘in the coming weeks’.


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The 12-year-old international digital book service’s CEO Michael Tamblyn addressed the Abu Dhabi book fair’s conference.
This year’s FutureBook conference event in London will seat 350 delegates in live session at 155 Bishopsgate, while others view a live stream.
The next Publishing Perspectives Talk at the 2020 Frankfurt Book Fair is on the digital-format usage by consumers during pandemic lockdowns.
The trio of Publishing Perspectives Talks this year brings together some of the sharpest players in their respective sectors for agile debate.
Rakuten Kobo discovered that its biggest hurdle was that most of its manufacturing was in China and Taiwan. And e-readers suddenly were selling fast.
Appealing to Amazon, Google, Apple, and other online book retailers, Richard Charkin asks for a change in how quickly publishers are paid in the pandemic.
Rakuten Kobo will use Shelfie’s tech to identify reader preferences for recommendations and to offer ebook editions of print books owned by users.
In the USA, BookExpo includes audiobook events. In Canada, ebook design is stressed in a competition. And in the UK, a bookseller features a self-published novel.
Entering a sector with a checkered track record, Canada’s Kobo and The Netherlands’ bol.com start an ebook subscription model for 9.99 euros a month.
Taking over from Deutsche Telekom as the Tolino alliance’s e-reading tech partner in Germany, Canada’s Rakuten Kobo enlarges its European footprint.


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SEOUL – Hyundai Motor Group mentioned on Tuesday it deliberate to speculate 24 trillion received ($18.14 billion) in South Korea’s electrical automobile trade by 2030, bolstering its presence in a section that’s set to dominate long-term international automotive demand.
The funding plan by the group, which incorporates Hyundai Motor Co, Kia Corp and Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd, got here as President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a groundbreaking ceremony for Kia’s first designated electrical automobile plant.
The brand new plant, the auto group’s first within the nation in virtually three a long time, is ready to start manufacturing in 2025.
The auto group, which homes luxurious model Genesis, in addition to Hyundai and Kia, additionally introduced that it plans to broaden annual EV manufacturing in Korea to 1.51 million models and international quantity to three.64 million models by 2030.
Kia mentioned in an announcement that it could make investments about 1 trillion received for the plant and plans to supply 150,000 models within the first full yr, with the potential to broaden consistent with future market circumstances.
Yoon pledged complete measures within the first half of this yr to assist South Korea’s auto trade higher put together for transformation to the “automobiles of the longer term”, the presidential workplace mentioned in an announcement.
It added that the federal government would broaden tax advantages for home EV facility funding for a five-fold enhance in manufacturing capability by 2030.
The South Korean auto group mentioned final yr it could make investments greater than $10 billion in the US by 2025 to reinforce collaboration with U.S. companies in superior know-how.
The U.S. funding plan contains its $5.5 billion funding for brand new electrical automobile and battery services within the state of Georgia.
Shares of Kia and Hyundai Motor closed up 4.9% and three.3%, respectively, on Tuesday versus an increase of 1.4% within the benchmark KOSPI index. ($1=1,323 received) (Reporting by Heekyong Yang; Extra reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Enhancing by Jason Neely and Muralikumar Anantharaman)


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J.E. Bonding: Mark Luckett Texarkana AR Bail Bonds (Bondsman)
1608 W 13th St
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Botanical garden celebrates 75 years with wedding prize
NORFOLK, Va.—Norfolk Botanical Garden will celebrate its 75h anniversary in 2013 by giving away another special occasion.
The botanical garden plans to award a wedding prize package worth $20,000 to one engaged couple.
The package includes a ceremony and reception at the botanic...
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Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and other venues will be competing for their attention.
Here’s what to look for.
AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC: A new gallery called “Wonders of the Deep” will debut May 24.
THE COVE: The 7 1/2-acre water park at Jurupa Aquatic Center will start its summer season on May 25 after a preview day for season pass-holders on May 24.
DISNEYLAND RESORT: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure will open at 6 a.m. May 24 for an “all-nighter.”
On May 25, Disneyland will launch a new attraction, a 25-minute stage show in Fantasyland called “Mickey and the Magical Map.”
That same day, both parks will launch “Opa! A Celebration of Greece.”
KNOTT’S BERRY FARM: Three new rides will have a soft opening in the park’s Boardwalk on May 25 in advance of the park’s official summer launch on May 30, when Timber Mountain Log Ride reopens with a total makeover.
SAN DIEGO ZOO: Koalas and other marsupials, birds and reptiles from Down Under will have a new home in Conrad Prebys Australian Outback, opening May 24.
Full Story: The Press Enterprise


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(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Overall UAE consumer spending rose by 13 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022, driven by a 14 per cent increase in the retail economy, a report showed on Thursday.
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According to Majid Al Futtaim's 'State of the UAE Retail Economy' Report, the highest growth in spend compared to 2022 came in the first half of 2023, due to the higher base effect from the previous year's Fifa World Cup, which had given impetus to consumer spending as a result of a surge in tourists in the second half of 2022.
“It's fair to say that the UAE has become synonymous with an unparalleled retail experiences, offering a diverse range of world-class shopping malls, luxury boutiques, hotels, restaurants, and experiences to an international consumer base. The country's vibrant retail landscape has long been on a steep growth trajectory and this trend continued in 2023 as factors including tourism and consumer confidence drove increased spending,” the report said.
Consumer spending in the retail economy displayed robust growth throughout the year, with the absolute consumer spend in 2023 split evenly across the first half and the second half of the year.
Overall, spending remained buoyant throughout 2023 but stood out in the final quarter16 (contributing to 27 per cent of all retail economy spend for the year), attributed to COP28, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the country, in addition to traditional seasonal spend, the report noted.
“The UAE's far-ranging social and economic ambitions continue to fuel the Nation's success in creating long-term prosperity for its people. Over the past 12 months, its proven resilience to external pressures, coupled with progressive policy-making and an investor-friendly business environment has seen the UAE further strengthen its position as a lighthouse for the Mena region,” Ahmed Galal Ismail, chief executive officer at Majid Al Futtaim – Holding, said.
In 2023, spending in the hypermarket/supermarket sector grew by three per cent. Spending in the first half of the year was up by five per cent on the year while in the second half, consumer spend came in line with the same period last year.16
Growth in the sector was primarily driven by a 19 per cent hike in e-commerce and digital sales, while spending in physical stores remained steady, mirroring the previous year's spend level.“Despite the digital surge, brick-and-mortar stores continued to dominate the market, accounting for 85 per cent of total sector spending,” the report noted.
Consumers have continued to prefer smaller basket sizes while making more shopping trips, following the previous year's pattern. Consumers were seen splitting their buying between in-store and online, looking for the best deals while limiting the number of products purchased on each trip, whether virtual or actual, data showed. Average spending fell by 2 per cent per basket
in 2023 while the number of transactions grew by 4 per cent.
Majid Al Futtaim's Happiness Lab data showed a growing appreciation for discount shopping. According to its latest survey,18 47 per cent of respondents preferred purchasing discounted items, while 20 per cent would switch to cheaper brands, in a continuation of the previous year's trend towards cost conscious purchasing. The survey also found 52 per cent of respondents consistently pay attention to fluctuations in prices, a 3ppt increase from 2022.
The retail general categories saw a considerable uptick in consumer spend through 2023, and a 16 per cent increase compare to the year before. The most significant year-on-year increases were in electronics (33 per cent), food & beverage (F&B) (25 per cent) and hotels (17 per cent). F&B contributed most to the sector's growth with 41 per cent, followed by hotels (35 per cent) and electronics (nine per cent).
The growth in electronics spending was spurred by a major reset in retail and wholesale prices.“There was also evidence of price stabilising and even falling below or matching 2022 levels as prices for high-demand smartphones launches from Samsung and Apple remained stable,” the report said. E-commerce's 13 per cent contribution to the sector's spending reflects a continuation of the broader momentum toward online purchases and spurred by dropping retail prices, enhanced digital literacy, and an increase in mobile orders, it added.
The first two quarters of 2023 made up 82 per cent of the year-on-year surge, including spending at the Dubai Shopping Festival and multiple sales. Tourist spending in the sector increased by 64 per cent compared to 2022.“It continues to grow as a percentage of total fashion spending and represents 23 per cent of the total, up from 19 per cent in 2022.
The growth outlook for 2024 within the sector looks promising as the region continues to be seen as a“haven of growth” for fashion.“t is expected that the luxury market will continue to expand thanks to the rising tourist numbers and a thriving e-commerce marketplace,” the report said.
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Billie Eilish, H.E.R. and Kid Cudi Are Teaming Up for Amazon's 'Prime Day Show'
They will head to Paris, the Dunbar Hotel and outer space
Published Jun 03, 2021Billie Eilish, H.E.R. and Kid Cudi are all coming together a new Amazon Prime Video project. It's simply being called the Prime Day Show, and as you might have guessed, the musical event will arrive for this year's Amazon Prime Days.
The three-part musical special will drop on June 17, with Amazon Prime Days running on June 21 and 22. To watch the special, though, you won't need a Prime subscription.
The Prime Day Show will be free to stream for 30 days. According to a press release, the special will "immerse customers in a unique experience that fuses performance and storytelling, transporting fans to worlds inspired by Paris [Billie Eilish], the Dunbar Hotel [H.E.R.] and outer space [Kid Cudi]."
Ryan Redington of Amazon Music said in a statement: "Watching these globally renownedartists create three shows from the depths of their imagination has been unlike anything we've ever done before. We're thrilled to bring fans along with us to celebrate these three remarkable artists and Prime Day."
Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, added: "These iconic artists have not only broken new ground in music but are inspired storytellers, culture creators, and visionaries. We're thrilled to partner with Billie, H.E.R. and Cudi to bring these authentic and deeply personal specials to fans around the world as we celebrate Prime Day."
Down below, you can see the breakdown of each episode:
Prime Day Show: Billie Eilish
Billie brings a timeless, Parisian neighbourhood to life with a series of cinematic performances. Set in the city known as the birthplace of cinema, it was directed by Billie Eilish and Sam Wrench, and features new music from Billie's upcoming album, Happier Than Ever. This breathtaking musical tribute was inspired by Billie's long-time admiration of a long gone era.
Prime Day Show: H.E.R.
Once known as the hub of Los Angeles Black culture in the 1930's and 40's, the iconic Dunbar Hotel hosted some of the most prominent figures of its time, including musicians Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, and many more. In a modern day musical tribute to this legendary and important piece of history and culture, H.E.R. imagines what the Dunbar Hotel would be like if it existed in 2021 featuring new music from her album, Back of My Mind.
Prime Day Show: Kid Cudi
As he embarks on his biggest mission to date, Kid Cudi departs Earth to establish a new community on the moon in this intercosmic performance. Featuring music from his album Man on the Moon III, Cudi collaborates with the International Space Orchestra, the world's first orchestra composed of space scientists from NASA Ames Research Center, the SETI Institute, and the International Space University as his backing band, in a musical collision defying sight, sound, and space.


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One of the biggest issues with a suede pair of Clarks is the simple fact that they instantly get dirty right out of the box. And don't get us started about water stains. Now, water-resistance has existed in the Clarks lineup, but those styles featured water-resistant liners, not uppers. Clarks Originals is now releasing a water and stain-resistant Wallabee with a scotch guard suede upper and we couldn't be happier. Here's hoping there's a matching Desert Boot down the line too.
Clarks Originals gets the Wallabee ready for winter
The new GTX model uses a waterproof GORE-TEX suede.
END. and Clarks Originals launch the Wallabee Artisan Craft Pack
The new collaboration is inspired by Native American footwear.
Barneys gets an exclusive trio of Wallabees from Clarks Originals
The icon is updated in Kudu Antelope leather.


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Andrew Johnston, who was two under par after two rounds at the United States Open, has endeared himself to fans with his good-natured personality.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
JULY 09, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - PB TRANSPORTATION INC.
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The BMW i3 will soon be available with a sport package that adds a few ponies, sportier wheels and a slightly different look to let other drivers know you’re serious about not using gasoline. The updated model is called the i3s and marks the first time the automaker added a dedicated sport package to the i3 or i7, though the i8 is already sporty enough. This package comes as part of… Read More


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How to avoid payday loan lawsuits with a quick payday loan affiliate
Payday loans are a big business in the U.S., and that’s not changing any time soon.
Payday lenders have been accused of bilking millions of consumers out of their hard-earned cash in order to boost their payday loans.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has found some payday lenders are even using payday loans to make quick payments to their own employees.
It’s not just the payday loan companies that are getting caught in the web of this scam.
And it’s not even the payday lenders that are doing it, but the people who work with them.
As Recode’s Robert Nelson reported in February, the payday lending industry has been accused by the CFPB of laundering money through a host of fronts, including a network of payday lenders operating in many states.
In the past year alone, a series of lawsuits have been filed by payday lenders and borrowers against payday lenders in California, New York, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Massachusetts and Nevada, alleging the payday loans are “predatory, abusive and fraudulent.”
The lawsuits, which are not yet filed, are all filed in the state of Michigan, which has more payday lenders than any other state in the country.
The CFPC also accused the industry of operating in violation of federal anti-money laundering laws, which the industry has denied.
“Our complaint alleges that payday loan lenders, as well as some of the payday lender affiliates, have knowingly failed to comply with the requirements of applicable state and federal anti money laundering laws,” the CSPB said in a statement.
The industry, which operates in many different jurisdictions, is trying to convince the CPDB to not only investigate the complaints, but also take action against the payday firms involved.
“The payday loan industry is attempting to exploit this investigation by claiming that the CPPB is looking into them in a way that is completely wrong,” a spokesperson for the CMPB told Recode.
“We don’t see that at all.
This is about consumer protection.”
What’s driving the payday industry’s efforts?
While the CPMB has investigated more than 1,000 payday loans in the past few years, it’s still not clear how many are in compliance with anti-fraud laws.
The payday loan crisis has seen consumers across the country struggle to make payments, and in many cases, have had to resort to using payday lenders to help them out.
The consumer debt crisis is one of the most significant challenges facing the industry.
The vast majority of payday loans that consumers have used are either payday loans or credit cards.
These types of loans can be incredibly risky for consumers, especially if they aren’t able to make the payments.
Some of the best payday loans can cost consumers as much as $300 a month.
They can also take a toll on borrowers’ credit scores.
The majority of the lenders are in the business of lending, but they also operate in other industries.
“These payday loans typically aren’t really the best value because you’re paying for a product that’s really a service, not a product,” Peter Belsky, a lawyer who specializes in consumer law, told Recoding.
“When you go to a payday lender, you’re actually paying for someone else’s services.”
The CPMC has found that more than 90 percent of the credit card companies that have loaned consumers have also filed lawsuits against the companies involved in their business.
In Michigan, a state that’s considered one of its most corrupt states, consumers are using payday loan affiliates to make their own payments and get the best deal on their credit cards in exchange for a loan.
In Florida, the CPLB has found at least five payday loan-related lawsuits filed against companies including Capital One, Capital One Money and Ally Bank.
And in Nevada, at least eight lawsuits have gone forward against Capital One and Capital One Mobile.
How can you avoid payday lawsuits?
When you’ve used a payday loan to make a purchase, be sure you understand the terms of the loan and that you’re aware of the risks associated with using the loan.
“Be sure you know the terms and the restrictions of your loan before you go in to take the money,” Belski told Recodes.
“You’re really paying for services.”
A payday loan has a very different experience from the other types of credit cards that you can use.
“It’s not like you’re using credit cards to pay for something.
It costs you money,” he said.
“But if you’re getting money for something, that’s pretty cheap money, right?
And so if you really want to pay the bills on time, you might be better off paying cash.”
In other words, if you’ve taken out a payday card to pay your rent, and then you’ve gone back and borrowed money to pay that same rent, you’ll probably end up with a higher interest rate on that loan.


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Author Archives: VSheree
2020 GOOD FOOD AWARDS ENTRY PERIOD NOW OPEN Accepting entries July 8-31, including new Grains category
July 8 marks the launch of a coast-to-coast call for entries of beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, elixirs, honey, fish, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, snacks, spirits and (new this year) grains. The Good Food Awards celebrates the kind … Continue reading
Judging to take place August 21-22, 2019
Entries are now officially open for the 9th annual New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC), taking place on August 21 and 22. This marks the second year with full ownership by The Tasting Alliance, … Continue reading
World-renowned chef Robert Irvine of Restaurant: Impossible wants to help struggling restaurants get back on their feet.
We are currently searching nationwide for restaurants for the next season of the show. If your staff, décor or menu are ready for a much-needed makeover, … Continue reading
Sonoma County Wine Industry Leaders Collaborate to Launch Innovative Student Program for Future Wine Industry Employees
Originally published on WineIndustryNetwork.com
The Family Coppola, including Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Virginia Dare Winery, join together with Sonoma County Vintners and Santa Rosa Junior College to offer a new entry-level, practical training course for students who wish to enter … Continue reading
Originally published on ShankenNewsDaily.com
With more than $4 billion in beverage alcohol sales last fiscal year, Costco has seen steady annual growth in wine, spirits, and beer, even from a huge base. New stores and new beverage alcohol departments have been … Continue reading
~ The future of food is female at annual five-day program empowering women in the culinary world
The James Beard Foundation today announced the 20 fellows participating in the 2019 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program, taking place October 27 to November 1 at Costanoa Lodge in Pescadero, CA. Now … Continue reading
— Scholarship and Awareness Program Supports Advancement of Women in the Wine Industry —
E. & J. Gallo Winery, through its Wine Dialogues platform, launched the Women Behind the Wine initiative to support professional development of women in the food and beverage business. This … Continue reading
Women of the Vine & Spirits Launches New Benefits to Create Pathways for Supplier Diversity and Market Share for Women-Owned Businesses
– Women of the Vine & Spirits, the world’s leading organization dedicated to empowering and advancing women in the alcohol beverage industry, announced today the launch of new Corporate Membership benefits that support women-owned businesses and supplier diversity programs.
Women of the Vine … Continue reading


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Top tourism policymakers of Korea, Japan and China have announced on Sunday that they will jointly develop the 10 best tourism routes by linking travel packages in the region.
The plan is part of their long-term strategy called “Tourism Vision 2020” to boost regional tourism and establish a risk management system, especially since natural disasters such as the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan have prompted worries in the region’s tourism industry.
Choung Byoung-gug (center), minister of culture, sports and tourism of Korea, Akihiro Ohata (left), minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism of Japan, and Shao Qiwei, chairman of National Tourism Administration of China, after a joint statement on enhancing the regional tourism industry, in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province on Sunday. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
Choung Byoung-gug, Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, Akihiro Ohata, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, and Shao Qiwei, Chairman of National Tourism Administration of China, have signed on the “PyeongChang Joint Statement,” after a tripartite meeting and a tour forum with civilian experts in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.
Under the agreement, the three will develop the 10 tourism routes and announce the progress and results at the next tripartite meeting in Japan next year.
Each country’s tourism authorities and related agencies will promote the 10 routes overseas in multiple languages including Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
The three countries also agreed to develop tourism exchange programs for teenagers and college students.
The three also said they will draw up “special promotion and risk management manuals” to minimize negative impacts of natural disasters on the tourism industry.
“Radiation levels in Tokyo are similar to those in Seoul and Beijing now. Japan is safe,” said Ohata, urging Korean and Chinese tourists to visit Japan, during a press conference in PyeongCheong.
The statement also said that Korea, Japan and China will later sign on a “Fair Tourism Initiative” to curtail dumping prices of travel agencies and excessive shopping requirements in tour packages.
More than 300 industry experts gathered from the three countries at the forum, to express opinions on the 10 travel routes to be developed based on three-shared cultural contents of food, history and cultural relics.
By Kim Yoon-mi (email@example.com


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Go to the mobile version of the Covertise website
Written by Local Marketing on June 15th, 2013. Posted in News
Twitter gives marketers a gift by opening its analytics, Facebook finally adds hashtags, Yelp recommends nearby places and more social-media news.
Tags: Facebook, Marketers, Media News, Nearby Places, Twitter, Yelp


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Once again, another product has been found to contain Sulfoaildenafil, and once again the FDA has pulled the product off the market.
According to the official release by the FDA, “Prolatis’ is conducting a voluntary recall after being informed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that lab analysis has found Prolatis’ to contain Sulfoaildenafil, an analogue of Sildenafil, an FDA-approved drug used as treatment for male Erectile Dysfunction (ED), making Prolatis’ an unapproved drug.”
It wasn’t hard to find these guys. (No pun intended). According to the Prolatis website, “Prolatis™ was developed as a fast acting sexual performance enhancer.”
Giant red-flag-on-fire much?


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The new PEUGEOT 308 has been declared “Women’s World Car of the Year 2022”, after an astounding vote from the 56 female members of the WWCOTY (Women Worldwide Car of The Ye... Read more
The new Peugeot 308 will be reportedly the first model to have gasoline and diesel engines which have been designed to meet European Real Driving Emissions controls. Peugeot has said that it... Read more
Repairify debuts at Automechanika with intelligent technical solutions for repairers
Black Badge Cullinan Shimmers In Iced Brenner Green
Money saving tips for the everyday modern driver
Bridgestone’s Potenza Sport wins Auto Express 2022 Summer Tyre Test
New Lincoln Navigator Arrives In The Middle East
© 2022 Morjan Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.


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Saab owner Victor Muller’s bravura and charm turned out not to be enough to safeguard the future of the Swedish car maker after its much needed investment deal with China’s Hawtai Motor Group collapsed, again jeopardizing the future of Saab.
In its press release, Spyker, the owner of Saab, said Hawtai dropped out because it couldn’t meet certain conditions of the deal. However, media reports suggested the Chinese were dismayed after having visited Saab’s factory last week.
The fact there is no production can’t have surprised the Chinese; production has been halted for several weeks now as Saab wasn’t able to pay its suppliers.
But Mr. Muller’s track record does not speak in his favor. A business he was involved with called Unwired Concepts went bankrupt in 2001. And the Dutch regulator has fined Mr. Muller in the past for accounting irregularities and publishing misleading information.
In 2009, Mr. Muller’s much smaller Spyker cars, which has yet to make a profit, acquired Saab from General Motors in a move that was seen by many as adventurous, just like when Mr. Muller decided to purchase a Formula 1 racing team in 2006.
The way things look now, Saab may well face the same fate as Mr. Muller’s Formula 1 adventure, which Spyker had to sell amidst financial losses only a year after it was bought. Mr. Muller’s investor in the Formula 1 team, Michiel Mol, later admitted he had trusted Mr. Muller too much.
Spyker said today it continues to look for other Chinese parties with which to enter into a strategic partnership. Mr. Muller may have shied away from at least one of the parties he spoke to before: Youngman. This private Chinese car company was under the assumption it was exclusively negotiating an investment and production deal with Spyker over Saab and was reportedly on the phone with them just a day before Spyker announced the Hawtai deal.
A bankruptcy is looking increasingly likely—unless Mr. Muller manages to attract money one more time with his charm.


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B.C. Liquor Stores reduce hours to protect staff
Cannabis stores will also reduce hours this week
B.C. Liquor Stores are reducing hours to keep staff safer in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of people allowed in the store at once will also be restricted.
Effective Thursday, hours at B.C. Liquor Stores shift to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Reduced store hours at B.C. Cannabis stores also take effect March 20, when they will open 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. from Monday until Saturday, and opening an hour later on Sundays at 11 a.m.
Any stores not open on Sundays or that closed earlier will maintain the same closing time.
Stores will also be practising social distancing and keeping the number of people in the store low.
"[We] will encourage customers to keep a one-metre distance from one another while they await service at the till," said Viviana Zanocco, manager of corporate communications in an email.
Restrictions will be based on the size of the store, and each site's fire plan.
If you have a COVID-19-related story we should pursue that affects British Columbians, please email us at email@example.com.


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The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has reduced the price of Auto Diesel by Rs. 10 with effect from 10.00 p.m. today (01).
Accordingly, the new price of a litre of Auto Diesel will be Rs. 430.
However, the prices of all other fuel products will remain unchanged, the CPC said.
The fuel prices were expected to be revised today (August 01) in line with the fuel pricing formula.
However, only the price of Auto Diesel has been revised while the prices of Super Diesel (Rs. 510), Petrol Octane 92 (Rs. 450), Petrol Octane 95 (Rs. 540) and kerosene (Rs. 87) will remain the same.
Ceypetco further informs that it is mandatory for all filling stations to only issue fuel through the National Fuel Pass, also known as QR Code system, already introduced by the Ministry of Power and Energy.


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Mobile sneaker marketplace GOAT continues to flourish in 2017, announcing yesterday an additional $25 million in funding.
The funding is led by Accel, whose partner Ryan Sweeney has also been appointed to GOAT’s Board of Directors. Other entities contributing to the latest round of financing include existing investors Matrix Partners, Webb Investment Network and Upfront Ventures.
“We have been tracking GOAT for a long time,” Sweeney said. “It is hard to build both sides of the marketplace simultaneously, yet GOAT has scaled both buyers and sellers at a remarkable rate. This is a testament to the company’s focus on the sneaker vertical and its passionate users. We’re thrilled to partner with the team and help them better serve their customers going forward.”
According to GOAT, its member count has grown to 1.5 million since August’s Matrix Partners-led funding of $5 million. On average, marketplace order values have reached more than $330, and the company’s monthly gross merchandise volume has increased tenfold since spring 2016.
“While we weren’t looking to raise another round, we were excited about the opportunity to work with Ryan and Accel,” said Eddy Lu, co-founder and CEO of GOAT. “Ryan is an exceptional investor with a very successful track record. He’s also a sneaker enthusiast, so he understands our market well. With Accel as well as our other top-tier investors, we not only have the capital, but the guidance to strategically expand our business.”
GOAT plans to use the new funding to increase its domestic and international growth by hiring new engineering, operations, product and marketing specialists. It will also invest in new facilities to bolster its operations and logistics.
Founded in 2015, GOAT is a mobile-based sneaker resale marketplace that specializes in what it calls a “ship to verify” model. By acting as a middleman between buyer and seller, GOAT protects both parties by holding funds in escrow until the sneakers have been inspected and authenticated. To date, the company has raised a total of $37.6 million in funding.


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Friday 30th May 2014
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Synlait Milk, the dairy processor which counts China’s Bright Dairy as a cornerstone shareholder, cut its full-year earning forecast for the second time this year as a strong currency and an unfavourable product mix weighs on the exporter.
The Rakaia-based company said profit will be $17.5 million to $22.5 million in the year ending July 31, down from a March estimate of $25 million and, 30 million, and a January forecast of $30 million to $35 million. Its prospectus forecast profit of $19.8 million.
"A reduced advantage from a favourable product mix in the second half of the year, and a consistently high New Zealand foreign exchange rate has resulted in a reduction in forecast net profit after tax of approximately $7.5 million for the financial year," the company said.
Synlait lowered the bottom end of its forecast milk payment to suppliers for the full-year to $8.20 to $8.40 per kilogram of milk solids from a previous forecast of $8.30 to $8.40/kgMS, and said it expects to pay a lower price for the upcoming 2015 season of $7.00/kgMS, matching the forecast made earlier this week by its the nation's dominant dairy company Fonterra Cooperative Group.
In January, Synlait said it expected sales of baby formula to fall below its 10,000 metric tonne target this year because stricter Chinese regulations had caused “considerable disruption” in that market. Earlier this month, the dairy exporter missed out in the first round of approvals under new Chinese regulations, preventing it from exporting infant formula to that market. The dairy processor is spending $21 million expanding its laboratory and administrative facilities, in part to increase its testing capabilities.
The shares last traded on the New Zealand All Ordinaries Index at $3.40, valuing the company at $497.6 million, and 55 percent above its $2.20 listing price last July. The shares climbed as high as $4.11 in mid-January.
The company expects to publish its full-year earnings on Sept. 24.
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Wrightson showcases Fruitfed Supplies as horticulture stands out
Fonterra rivals fear dairy giant will get leg up from law overhaul
Wellington Drive remains in the black as it raises operating forecast
OMV plans further maintenance at Pohokura
Sky continues sports drive with extension to netball rights
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Fonterra lifts payout forecast on improving global dairy prices
22nd October 2019 Morning Report


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Walmart workers and supporters took part in a nationwide day of protests in 15 cities, including Miami Gardens, to call for better jobs and higher wages.
About 30 workers, former employees and supporters marched at 4 p.m. at the Supercenter at 19501 NW 27th Ave. in Miami Gardens.
Walmart workers say the march is the largest mobilization since Black Friday.
The protests arose after Walmart “failed to meet a Labor Day deadline to reinstate illegally fired and disciplined workers, publicly commit to improve jobs and end the company’s aggressive violations of workers’ rights,” according to a statement by Making Change at Walmart.
"Walmart says we're family, but where I'm from, family don't do family like that," Walmart worker Samuel Maxwell said. "I have to do things on the side, you know, like part-time work just to make ends meet. I have bills to pay, I have to feed children, I have children who're going to college, and it's kind of rough to do all that on $9.80 an hour."
Across the country, other workers echoed similar feelings.
“Walmart, we cannot wait any longer for you to do the right thing for American workers,” said Cindy Murray, a Walmart worker who was recently arrested for protesting at Walmart’s Washington, D.C. offices. “Our jobs should not be at risk when we speak out about improvements that would help our families and Walmart customers.”
Workers said the company made $16 billion in profit last year while workers earn “poverty wages of $8.81 an hour.”
Protestors are demanding Walmart pay workers a minimum of $13 an hour.
A Congressional report released earlier this year calculates the Walmart workforce reliance on public assistance including food stamps, healthcare and other needs is estimated to utilize $900,000 per year of taxpayer funds at just one of the company’s 4,000 stores, workers said.
“As the nation’s largest employer, Walmart and the Walton family should be raising standards, not lowering them. To whom much is given, much is expected,” said Kim Bobo, executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice. “Walmart should share its prosperity with workers and publicly commit to paying workers $25,000 a year for full time work. If Walmart workers earned living wages the entire economy would benefit.”
Kory Lundberg, a Walmart spokesman, said the protests are "a show."
"With very few exceptions, the cast members in this show don't work at Walmart and are not affiliated with the company in any way," he said.
He added that Walmart has more than 300 retails facilities in Florida and 97,000 associates in the state. What is being expressed is not representative of Walmart employees, Lundberg said.
"There is opportunity to grow and advance with this company," Lundberg said.
Cart collector Harry Johnson agrees that the company will grow, and he said he expects his pay to grow as well.
"In the future, I know I'm going to be getting more," Johnson said. "I mean, that's why I think I'm here."


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- (Note - This is a criminally-negligent practice which
must be stopped. HIV, Hep-C, CJD and many other potentially fatal viral
and bacterial diseases could be spread this way. Sterilization practices
are NOT always applied properly. Furthermore, if CJD is indeed caused
by prions, as is its bovine sibling, Mad Cow, it is important to note that
temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees F. are needed to destroy them.
In other words, no normal sterilization procedure, even if done letter-perfectly,
can inactivate CJD prions. And how many prions does it take to become
infected? Also, keep in mind the long incubation periods of these diseases.
If you have a procedure done with a non-sterile, contaminated and reused
needle, catheter, or other internal medical device...and you become ill
a year or several years later, who would know, or who could prove, that
tainted medical device was responsible? As is the case with HIV, Hep-C,
and CJD, the symptoms likely wouldn't show up for up to 10 years later.
- NEW YORK (Reuters) - In hospitals and clinics around
the United States, biopsy needles, catheters and other internal medical
devices frequently are being reused despite labeling that stipulates ``single-use
only,'' the New York Times reported Wednesday.
- The practice of reusing such devices is not necessarily
dangerous, experts told the Times, but it generally violates federal regulations.
- So far, the federal government has not asked the companies
that reprocess the devices to show evidence that they are safe and effective,
but under pressure from device makers it is now reconsidering its approach,
the Times said.
- ``We have used what we call enforcement discretion not
to go after them,'' Larry Kessler, director of the office of surveillance
and biometrics at the Food and Drug Administration, told the Times. One
reason is that the agency has little evidence of a safety problem, Kessler
said, although it is believed that research is urgently needed.
- Some doctors and federal officials say the issue is more
about economics than safety, as device makers make less money when single-use
devices are cleaned, sterilized and reused, the Times said.
- Doctors say the devices cost so much that they often
cannot afford to use devices just once, but device makers contend that
hospitals are putting patients at risk to save money, the Times said.
- The FDA is considering requiring the device-reprocessing
companies to show safety and effectiveness of the resold products, and
requiring that device makers label their products with the risks from reprocessing.
The agency is posting the proposal on its Web site, and will hold a satellite
teleconference Wednesday in which the device makers, reprocessing companies,
doctors, hospitals and ethicists can comment, the paper said.


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'Stop milking consumers or face action'
State govt apprises cooperative milk federations and agencies about the stringent measures of centre's new food safety Act; warns them against adulteration
It’s an aspect, which has been raised on umpteen occasions by cognisant citizens that as fundamental an issue as food safety has not received the kind of observance it deserves from the government. Many hope that with the regime of the centre’s Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 about to take full effect, their meals will be more palatable in the days to come.
The government has made it clear to milk procurement agencies, which sell the product under a brand name, that they will have a lot to answer for supply of adulterated milk rather than shifting responsibility to suppliers, officers of Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and police. Addressing representatives of cooperative milk federations and private agencies engaged in the dairy business, minister of state for FDA Satej alias Bunty D Patil apprised them of the consequences in a meeting at YB Chavan Centre on Thursday. Provisions from the new Act are stringent and punishment for adulterated milk supply is from six months to a life term, warned the MoS to the gathering. Also present were his seniors Manohar Naik and dairy development minister Madhukar Chavan.
In black and white
As an effective measure to control the supply of adulterated milk, a suggestion was made to destroy tankers carrying the spurious product at entry points of Mumbai. The idea was accepted by the ministers present. Patil directed FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagde to devise a workable plan for this. The meeting was organised as part of a sensitisation drive for the new Act. A meeting of milk suppliers and agents from Mumbai will soon be called to create awareness, along with the plan to observe June as the ‘awareness month’. The dairy development minister announced a census of the milch and non-milch cows and buffaloes to discern the exact statistics pertaining to milk collection and the extent of adulteration in the state.


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The fight against fake news is causing social networking sites and news aggregators to take a look in the mirror and develop practices to keep their users better informed. That means properly vetting stories and conducting rigorous fact-checking. Tech firms that used to simply link users to content are now tasked with curating it as well. According to Politico, Apple is ramping up its efforts in the crusade by hiring a big name.
The iPhone maker has added Lauren Kern, formerly of New York Magazine, to its team. Kern will serve as Apple’s first Editor-in-Chief, in a move that demonstrates an interest in bolstering the Californian company’s news service. Although Apple doesn’t produce original journalistic content, it does hand-pick stories to promote, so it can be assumed Kern will factor heavily in that decision making.
Kern previously served as executive editor at New York Media, and before that deputy editor at the New York Times Magazine.
Today’s news follows previous statements by Apple CEO Tim Cook, as well as the company’s senior vice president of software and services, Eddy Cue, relating to stemming the spread of clickbait. Back in February, Cook called it “one of today’s chief problems,” noting the dilemma of “filtering out” malicious content while preserving the “great openness of the internet.”
A week later, at this year’s Code Media conference, Cue called upon other tech companies to stand up, saying “we all have a responsibility” to eliminate fake news.
“We’re very concerned about all of the news items and the clickbait from that standpoint, and that driving a lot of the news coverage,” Cue said. “We’re trying to do some things in Apple News, we’re learning from that and we need to share that together as an industry and improve it.”
Apple’s not the only one. Earlier this year, Facebook began flagging illegitimate stories, with the help of fact checking organizations like First Draft. It followed that up in April by releasing resources and links in its Help Center designed to educate users on how to spot fake news.
- Apple seems to have embarked on new purge of neglected apps
- Apple customers spent record amount on apps on New Year’s Day
- Apple lets Epic gamers continue using ‘Sign in with Apple’ for now
- Epic Games is suing Apple over Fortnite, App Store policies
- Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store


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With great home automation comes the potential for great fatigue, stemming from different brands of devices each requiring different hubs and apps. Smart home platform-provider Zonoff announced a partnership with Staples last year to offer a solution that problem with the Staples Connect home automation kit. The initial announcement declared support for several smart home device brands, provided they transmitted over Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or the Lutron Clear Connect wireless standard. Staples and Zonoff are now announcing large-scale expansion at this year's CES.
Plans include new partnerships with ecosystem devices like Goji smart locks, Koubachi garden sensors, and Radio Thermostats' Wi-Fi-connected products. The duo also announced that the Connect will soon support ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Insteon-based products. Frosting the cake, you can experience the platform first-hand at a new in-store display in Manhattan.
Tacked onto the list of existing partners, such as Philips, Honeywell, GE, and Linksys, both the expanded smart home product support and the strong retail presence give Staples Connect and the Zonoff technology inside it a strong competitive message next to competing hubs like
Among other announcements just this week, Revolv said its eponymous hub will be available for purchase the Home Depot, Lowe's expanded its own Iris home automation kit, and SmartThings demonstrated an entire connected home, with new support for Philips Hue bulbs, the Jawbone Up fitness tracking wristband, and Belkin's WeMo devices.


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Honor has announced what deals they’ll be running for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and anyone that’s in the market for a new device should definitely be taking a look at what’s on offer. Both the Honor View10 and Honor 7X will be discounted from November 23rd to the 26th, covering the entire weekend through Cyber Monday’s deals.
The Honor View10, which is typically priced at $499, will be $150 off. That gets you an excellent device with a Kirin 970 CPU, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and a dual-camera system, plus EMUI 8.0 and all of the extra software and AI features that brings. You’ll be able to find this deal on Amazon and Newegg, plus B&H.
The cheaper Honor 7X is also getting a $50 discount from its original $199 price tag. It’s still a pretty great phone for the price that packs a Kirin 659 CPU, 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a spacious Fullview FHD+ display. This deal will also be available on Amazon and Newegg.
Be sure to check out our holiday gift guide for some of the other excellent deals you can snag this year.


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Raising retirement age could help Bank of England fight next recession, according to top official
Raising the retirement age could help the Bank of England fight the next recession, according to a top official.
Gertjan Vlieghe, who is on the monetary policy committee (MPC), said people save more as they approach retirement, which pushes down borrowing costs on financial markets.
Pot luck: People save more as they approach retirement, which pushes down borrowing costs on financial markets - this makes it harder for the Bank to stimulate the economy in a slowdown
This makes it harder for the Bank to stimulate the economy in a slowdown because cutting interest rates has less of an impact.
In his final speech as an MPC member, Vlieghe argued for 'reducing the time spent in retirement'.
He added: 'Many countries, including the UK, are slowly raising their retirement age, though it is by no means keeping up with the increase in longevity.'
He said not all jobs could be done by older staff, adding: 'One might at least consider removing policies that compel workers to retire before they want to.'
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Does your small business have a website? It may be your only hub, or may complement a bricks and mortar outlet?
But a surprisingly large number of small businesses in the States still don’t.
That’s according to a recent survey by Clutch, ‘a leading B2B ratings and reviews firm’, as reported over on Small Business.co.uk.
Though this looks at the state of affairs in the States, it may have resonance here too.
‘A third of small businesses choose to use social media profiles rather than a dedicated website to cultivate a web presence’, says Small Business.co.uk.
According to the Clutch research, this accounts for 31 per cent, while 23 per cent ‘cite a lack of industry relevance as the primary reason for not having a website’.
But ‘experts’ don’t agree, says Small Business.co.uk.
They ‘stress that a website is not only beneficial in every industry but also necessary’.
‘In the digital era, Internet searches are increasingly replacing cold calls and other non-digital lead generation. Without a web presence, it is difficult to compete for the Millennial and Gen-Z market.’
‘In the old days, it was mainly entrepreneurs that were coming to the Internet’, Small Business.co.uk quotes Alan Dale, Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles Web Design.
‘Now, more traditional businesses – brick and mortars – are saying ‘We should get this figured out. Everybody else is on the Internet. I guess we need to be too.’ A lot of it is an education process and crossing the digital divide.’
One reason small businesses are sceptical might be ‘they tend to view websites as a waste of time, since traditionally, their leads come from word-of-mouth referrals’, says Small Business.co.uk.
‘But experts say websites can help small businesses in several ways and point to five key benefits’.
1. Your potential market shifts from a local to global reach – extra good for niche products?
2. Making sales online takes less time and work
3. ‘An elevated brand and greater utility to manage web aesthetic’ – you can look after your image carefully
4. You save on ‘bricks and mortar’
5. Working online gives you access to easy tracking and ‘business analytics’ tools
‘Those small businesses that do build websites place an emphasis on mobility and search engine optimisation (SEO)’, says Small Business.co.uk. ‘Nearly 80 per cent of small business websites are now mobile friendly, one of Google’s major requirements for websites attempting to rank highly in their search algorithm.’
For more on the Clutch survey, and detail on the US picture, see the full piece over on Small Business.co.uk.
Meanwhile, time to get building that website?