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CCV's Portfolio Perfect Corp. and Provident Acquisition Corp. Complete Business Combination
BEIJING, Oct. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CCV's early-stage portfolio company Perfect Corp. ("Perfect"), a global leader in providing augmented reality ("AR") and artificial intelligence ("AI") Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") solutions to beauty and fashion industries, and Provident Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: PAQC; "Provident"), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced the completion of their previously announced business combination (the "Business Combination").
The listed company resulting from the Business Combination will be called Perfect Corp, and its shares and warrants will commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols "PERF" and "PERF WS" respectively, on October 31, 2022.
Perfect is also the second IPO that the CCV team has harvested since Arrail Dental (HKSE:6639) was listed in Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier this year.
Perfect is the market leader in the global beauty tech sector, with over 400 beauty brands, including 17 of the world's top global 20 beauty groups, utilizing Perfect's AR and AI SaaS solutions in 80 countries globally, as of December 31, 2021, according to Frost amp; Sullivan.
The PIPE transaction is backed by blue-chip investors including CHANEL, CyberLink, Shiseido, and Snap as well as reputable financial investors.
Wei Zhou, the founding and managing partner of CCV, was impressed by Alice and her team in their first meeting. "I've always believed in Alice and her team to make history and we think Perfect will continue to achieve greatness in the global market," said Wei.
CCV devotes to early-stage investments in AI technology. Besides Perfect Corp, CCV has also invested in other leading AI companies, such as Shukun Technology, a leading AI medical company that focuses on diagnostic systems for chronic diseases; Quicktron, an AI robotics company that focuses on intelligent warehouse robotics and logistics systems.
CCV is a leading venture capital firm focusing on early-stage investment and committed to supporting technology-driven innovation. Founded by former KPCB China managing partner Zhou Wei and the original technology investment team at KPCB, CCV manages 750 million USD and 2.5 billion RMB.
CCV team has achieved a 35% unicorn hit rate track record, and its investment portfolio continues to yield at least one unicorn every year. Many CCV's portfolio companies have become the first IPO stock in their respective focused areas. CCV is the A-round leading investor in 80% of its investments.
CCV's star portfolios include JD.com (NASDAQ:JD), Venus Tech (SZSE:002439), CreditEase (NYSE:YRD), COL Group (SHSE:300364), Rong 360 (NYSE:JT), TanTan (acquired by NASDAQ:MOMO), Shukun Technology, Perfect Corp(NYSE: PERF), JD Digital, Ximalaya FM, Transsnet Financial, MetaApp, U POWER, Cowa Robot, Naxions, IceKredit etc.
Legal Landscape of AI, Metaverse, and Blockchain
Continental Breakfast Served


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The best, export-quality Honduran coffee is grown at 1,600 meters above sea level, say local coffee growers. Much of it is harvested by small hands; children forced by poverty into a lifetime of hard labor.
Valued at over US$250 billion, the coffee industry “generates profits for investors, added value and taxes for wealthy nations, and yet, coffee is produced by poor children in at least 17 countries,” Fernando Morales-de la Cruz at Cafe for Change told ContraCorriente.
“The business model of the coffee industry is cruel, inhumane, and illegal,” he said, adding, “Coffee multinationals pay growers less than a quarter of the real price of coffee. That causes an increase in hunger, malnutrition, and forced migration. Coffee companies also deceive consumers by selling coffee they claim is fair or ethical, when in fact growers receive less than 1% on average of what consumers pay for a cup of coffee in Europe, Canada, or the United States.”
Nestlé, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, Sucafina, Tchibo, J.J. Darboven, JDE Peets, Lavazza, Illy, Olam, and Dunkin are some of the companies benefiting from child labor in Honduras, according to Cafe for Change.
📸 Check out our photo gallery here.
The odd and large-scale corruption by Hilda Hernández, sister of the Honduran president
The story of Hilda Hernández, the now deceased sister of Honduran president, includes bribing journalists and paying extreme amounts of money for sandwiches.
Hernández, in a recent case by the country’s anti-corruption unit, was found to have used her position as minister to lead a corruption ring that embezzled more than 122 million lempiras (US$5 million) in public funds.
Much of this money was used to pay off over 70 journalists in exchange for favorable coverage for her brother and the government.
Read more about how she managed to do this, and how this affected the media’s portrayal of the government here.
Primaries in Honduras this weekend

domain: news


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Contemi, a leading financial IT solutions provider, has been recognised by FinTech Global as one of the world’s 100 most innovative companies using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform financial services.
FinTech Global- the world’s leading provider of FinTech information services, has selected Contemi as a leading provider of technology solutions enabling improved efficiencies across insurance, private banking, wealth management and capital markets with its AI and machine learning (ML) enabled solutions.
The use of AI and data analytics has grown tremendously over the last few years as financial institutions move towards digital operations and look to unlock additional revenue growth, minimise operating expenses, and automate manually intensive processes. The rate of adoption in areas such as insurance, personal finance, fraud detection, and customer experience has accelerated during the pandemic as organisations start to offer new and improved digital services to their customers and employees. Data from Business Insider Intelligence suggests that the aggregate potential cost savings for financial service organisations from AI applications is estimated at $447 billion by 2023.
FinTech Global director Richard Sachar said, “Now, more than ever, established financial institutions need to be aware of the latest AI and data analytics technology innovations in the market to ensure they deliver competitive financial products and reach new customers.”
“The AIFinTech100 list helps senior management filter through all the solution providers in the market by highlighting the most innovative artificial intelligence companies in areas such as Insurance, Banking, Investment & Trading, Lending, Customer Experience, Compliance and Fraud Prevention,” he added.
Gaurav Mehta, Executive Director at Contemi Solutions, said: “We are truly honoured to be recognised as one of the top 100 AIFinTech solution providers globally. We are even prouder of the fact that we are chosen by industry experts, and this reinforces our vision towards enabling new and existing customers with cutting-edge solutions.
Over the past year, our goal has been to offer inbuilt AI and ML capabilities across our product suite which includes our multi-award-winning wealth intelligence (WIN) platform as well as our SAAS based Seamless.Insure platform.”
The standout companies were chosen by a panel of industry experts and business analysts who scoped out the industry landscape and voted on the most innovative players after reviewing over 1,000 FinTech companies.
A full list of the AIFinTech100 can be found at www.AIFinTech100.com
ABOUT FINTECH GLOBAL
FinTech Global offers the most comprehensive data, the most valuable insights and the most powerful analytical tools available for the global FinTech industry. They work with market leaders in the FinTech industry – investors, advisors, innovative companies and financial institutions – and enable them to get the essential intelligence they need to make superior business decisions. They cover every industry development, every investment, every exit and profile of every company in every FinTech sector around the world. For more information, please visit: www.FinTech.Global.
Headquartered in Singapore, Contemi Solutions provides IT solutions to insurers, brokers and wealth managers in Asia, Europe, and Australia. Backed by over 25 years of experience, Contemi’s innovative digital business solutions are delivering value to 50 financial services companies across the globe. Contemi maintains a local perspective globally with a team of more than 200 employees working from 11 offices across the UK, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India.


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Abacus to set up a new logistic platform in l'anoia
19 Nov 2009
Spanish cooperative abacus has opened a new logistics center at vilanova del camí (l'anoia) to prepare for future growth. the new platform will offer a surface of 23,500 square meters and will allow the storage and distribution of more than 25,000 articles. abacus stores sell books, stationery, textbooks and toys.
source: la vanguardia 17/11/2009
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02 May 2023
Catalonia's health startup ecosystem has increased investments by 87%, defying the global decline trend
27 Apr 2023
Barcelona will host Berry's new global center of excellence and circular innovation
25 Apr 2023
Barcelona will host LGT's digital development hub


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Sunday, May 1, 2011
UNDERBELLY 'RAZOR' (TV Series)
franchise continues to evolve with its latest series 'Razor' taking audiences back to the 1920's. And we are also back to provide opening titles and broadcast packaging for the show.
Underbelly:RAZOR airs later this year on Nine.


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Prized bottles of bourbon turning up on the black market
Scarce supply of Pappy Van Winkle drives demand
The great Pappy Van Winkle bourbon heist of October 2013 is no laughing matter.
65 cases, worth $25,000, disappeared from the distillers' warehouse last month.
The product has a hokey name that capitalizes on a unique Old South, Kentucky heritage that goes back to the late 19th century.
But bottles of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve is considered by aficionados to be among the best bourbons available. The theft represents a certain desirability that is relatively new in the bourbon world.
Simon Ogden is a cocktail bartender at Veneto in Victoria, B.C. which has been rated among the best whiskey destinations in the world by Whiskey Magazine.
"Bourbon is finally coming into its age," Ogden says. "When I started in this business a couple of decades ago it was considered pretty roughneck stuff. You think of Hunter S. Thompson swigging Wild Turkey. We grew up thinking it was the nastiest gasoline. As it turns out, Wild Turkey is a sublime, craft-made brilliant whiskey."
Pappy tracking apps have cropped up, there have been lineups outside liquor outlets and bottles are ending up on the black market for hundreds more than they're worth.
"The fervour behind the pursuit of Pappy Van Winkle has reached unprecedented levels right now," Ogden says. "There are photographs of hundreds of people lining up for only about 7000 cases that go around the world."
Canadian liquor agencies have seen very few cases of the stuff, there are only a few dozen across the entire country.


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This week, Apple refreshes its MacBooks, an October surprise for Hillary Clinton, Tesla launches new products for the home, Google’s AIs are keeping secrets from each other … and our annual holiday gift guide!
This week, Donald Trump is insecure, but Peter Thiel is still supportive. Tesla goes fully autonomous, Netflix takes over Hollywood (and CBS steps up to challenge), and Red Dead Redemption shoots for 2017…and much, much more!
This week, the FBI verdict on the Sen. Clinton email scandal, Apple to buy Tidal while fighting Spotify, A fatality using Tesla autopilot, Air Force AI beats human drone pilots, NASAs Juno probe reaches Jupiter ..and much more this week on The Drill Down.
As a social media manager, it is essential to find fresh content on a daily basis in order to boost engagement with your audience. It is also important to be consistent with your posting, a task that becomes challenging when you have to manage multiple social media accounts at the same time. If you’re running around, trying to juggle all your accounts on the go, content discovery and curation tools are the answers to all your problems. They automate a lot of mundane processes, making it easier for you to manage your time and focus on more important tasks. Here are 9 such free tools: Continue reading →


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Activision has announced that new tracks are coming to Guitar Hero and Band Hero this summer. The new tracks will also work with the Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock game that is set to launch in the fall.
The new tracks are form artists like Queen, Avenged Sevenfold, disturbed, and Shinedown. Queen will be offering a new three-song pack “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Killer Queen” and “Somebody To Love.”
Three tracks form Avenged Sevenfold will include "Afterlife,” “Almost Easy” and “Scream." Disturbed will add "Down with the Sickness", "Stricken", and "Indestructible". The Shinedown track pack will feature “Devour,” “Second Chance” and “Sound of Madness." The packs will go for 160 MS points on the Xbox or $1.99 individually.


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Emerging media is coming to light in all industries. Businesses are realizing the need to embrace emerging media platforms in order to give themselves an edge over the competition. 192 more words
Tags » Geo-targeting
With the increasing movement of consumers from traditional web browsing (i.e. laptop and desktop computers) to mobile browsing on tablets or smartphones, advertisers are now using a mobile marketing technique called geo-fencing when trying to target potential customers. 151 more words
Giving your customers customization and benefit for giving you their information. Showing your customers a clear benefit for giving you their information
“What’s in it for me?” That’s the question your customers will ask themselves when you ask them for their personal information. 522 more words
How can marketers take advantage of location data to reach consumers and drive restaurant visits?
In today’s technology-driven world, more American adults than ever report owning a smartphone device (68% according to a recent Pew survey) and, depending on the settings of that device, technology companies around the world are collecting location data like it’s going out of style. 533 more words


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Block looms for Lloyds-Abbey deal
THE GOVERNMENT is set to block Lloyds TSB's £18bn bid for Abbey National, partly because of concerns about the lack of competition in small business banking, according to weekend reports.
The Competition Commission has reportedly recommended the deal be blocked. Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt is expected to follow its recommendation, and give her decision on Tuesday.
Competition Commission officials could not immediately be reached for their response and the Department of Trade and industry declined to comment.
Such a decision would come as little surprise to City watchers. Lloyds has already indicated it was not prepared to agree to the sell-offs demanded by competition officials to win approval for the tie-up.
A merger would create the UK's second biggest bank after HSBC and could trigger a new round of mergers and even rival bids for Abbey. But a decision to block the deal - first proposed in December - would effectively kill off any further sizeable mergers in UK banking and put Lloyds back to square one in its search for a partner.
Abbey had hoped to merge with Bank of Scotland, but was forced to abandon that deal after Lloyds barged in. BoS has since tied up with Halifax. Other potential partners for Abbey reportedly include National Australia Bank, Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland.
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Report: Total number of electric car sold in Europe has reached ‘1 million’ units
In a recently-published report, electric-vehicle sales database EV-Volumes has revealed that the sales of electric cars in Europe recorded an increase of more than 40% during the January-June 2018 period.
According the report, the noteworthy increase in electric-car sales in Europe in the mentioned six-month period has taken the total number of electric cars in the continent to ‘1 million’ units. These electric cars include Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrids (PHEV), passenger cars as well as light commercial vehicles.
The European electric-vehicle sales data reported by EV-Volumes for the first half of 2018 shows that the sales of plug-in vehicles during the reporting period stood at approximately 195,000 units, thereby underscoring a 42% year-on-year increase as compared to the same-period 2017 figures. Norway leads the plug-in sales in Europe at present, with nearly 36,500 plug-in vehicles sold in the country in the first half of 2018.
With European electric vehicle sales having surpassed the ‘1 million’ mark, the EV-Volumes report has projected that, the total sales of plug-in vehicles in Europe will likely touch 1.35 million units by the end of 2018.
Meanwhile, about Europe hitting ‘1 million units’ in electric-car sales, EV-Volumes’ market analyst Viktor Irle said: “A stock of one million electric vehicles is an important milestone on the road to electrification and meeting emission targets but it is of course not enough.”
According to reports, the new 2018 Nissan LEAF electric car apparently has a fast-charging problem.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has informed company employees in a recent email that preparations are underway at the company to substantially increase production of Model 3 units.
In a recent announcement, Zipcar car-sharing company in London has revealed that it is adding more than 300 units of Volkswagen (VW) e-Golf all-electric cars to its fleet.
During the course of a recent interview with Digital Trends, Mitsubishi Motors North America’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Don Swearingen shared some information about how Japanese automaker Mitsubishi -- controlled by Nis
In a recent press release, German automaker Audi has confirmed that the expected range of its all-electric e-tron Quattro SUV on the WLTP driving cycle will be “over 400 kilometers (248.5 miles)” on a single charge.
In a recent announcement, Volkswagen (VW)’s Electrify America has revealed that it is partnering with retail chain Walmart for the installation of its ‘ultra-fast’ charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) at Walmart locations across the Unite


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MOTHERCARE boss Simon Calver warned yesterday that consumer spending was unlikely to improve in the near future despite Britain’s more positive economic outlook, as the baby products retailer swung back to profit.
The group, which sells everything from pushchairs to nursery furniture and maternity clothing, posted an underlying pre-tax profit of £2m in the 28 weeks to 12 October, up from a loss of £1.8m a year ago – its first profit since 2011.
In Britain, where it generates around 40 per cent of its sales, operations are still in the red, but underlying losses fell 12 per cent to £14.9m.
Calver embarked on a three-year plan last year to turn around Mothercare’s struggling UK arm that has included launching new ranges, and pricing its clothes more competitively while revamping and closing unprofitable stores.
The retailer has stemmed the decline in UK like-for-like sales to 1.4 per cent – from 3.4 per cent the year before. Total sales fell 7.5 per cent after it closed 18 stores in the period. But despite the improvement, Calver said the group was planning for consumer spending to remain subdued in the UK during the second half of the year.
“We continue to target a return to profit in the UK and the reduced UK operating loss this half year is a step in the right direction,” he added.
Meanwhile its overseas business, which includes 1,156 stores in 59 countries, posted double digit growth, with sales up 13 per cent in the period.
Sales at stores open over a year grew by 4.8 per cent.


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Under the USMCA, pretty much every Canadian industry is either ahead or no worse off. Even the dairy industry, which grieves over its minimal surrender of market share, will receive bucketfuls of cash as compensation.
But one industry — retail, including online retail — stands to lose big through new rules that give U.S. online merchants a major advantage over their Canadian counterparts. In future, when Canadians compare prices on offer at Canadian websites with those in the U.S., shopping in Canada will often be too pricey to compete.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The USMCA will let Canadian consumers avoid HST on purchases under $40 in the U.S., a $5.00 to $6.00 benefit for most Canadians, and avoid customs duties altogether on purchases under $150, often a big benefit when the product is manufactured outside North America. U.S. online retailers will be sure to tailor their offerings to Canadians to capitalize on these new USMCA-driven windfalls.


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Just a year after starting, Boss Building Plastics, the fast-growing building materials supplier, is already moving to a larger site in Lancashire and is soaring with Kestrel…
CTD Architectural Tiles has provided the perfect backdrop for enjoying cocktails both shaken and stirred in a new James Bond inspired bar and restaurant in Lancashire.
Crown Paints’ industry leading sustainability scheme, Kick Out the Can, has been extended until the end of May, due to record results.
The industry leading sustainability scheme, Kick Out the Can, will return on Monday for two weeks through Crown Paints’ national network of Crown Decorating Centres.
When Mere Sands Wood, a nature reserve in West Lancashire, decided to create a new visitor centre and café, minimising its impact on the local wildlife was top of its list of priorities. The reserve’s owner, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, opted to install Pilkington AviSafe™.
Crown Paints has opened a new state-of-the-art raw material and packaging warehouse facility at its Hull manufacturing base.
This piece looks at how Stannah has provided essential access for the residents of Almelo House, a 2-storey sheltered accommodation in Preston, Lancashire.
Pilkington United Kingdom Limited has developed AviSafe™ – a new glass with a special coating designed to help prevent birds from colliding with windows.
Crown Paints has teamed up with one of Lancashire’s most famous street artists to create two colourful murals in the town of Darwen, where Crown’s HQ is located.
The NSG Group, parent company to Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, is fast tracking its research into producing glass with an antiviral coating.


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Apple will reportedly launch the iPad Mini 2 with a significant upgrade to Retina display visuals in October of this year, according to Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge.
Mr Horwitz has managed to secure exclusives on forthcoming Apple products in the past and has turned out to be right, with his early information on Apple’s 2012 range of iOS devices sporting a smaller ‘Lightning’ connection proving very accurate.
His report states that the iPad Mini 2 is currently codenamed ‘J85’ and will closely resemble the current first generation model, with the key difference being a big jump in screen quality to Apple’s famed Retina display tech.
While the iPad Mini does offer a decent picture quality, it falls behind its Android rivals which have HD displays, including the Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7. The current iPad Mini sports the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 2, whereas a Retina display would squeeze in 2048 x 1536 pixels.
As for the October release estimate – that makes perfect sense. Apple revealed the original iPad Mini last October and launched it early November, so it would fit in perfectly with the company’s annual refresh schedule.
Asides from an iPad Mini 2, Jeremy’s report also touches on the next iPhone, which he claims will be dubbed the iPhone 5S. This upgrade is said to arrive in July with a significant upgrade to the rear camera. Apple will reportedly use a 13-megapixel Sony sensor to upgrade from the 8-megapixel snapper in the iPhone 5, although for now that’s the only specific we’ve got.
Finally, as many Apple fans are probably expecting, Apple will be launching a fifth generation full-sized iPad at the same time as the iPad Mini 2. Currently we only know its codename, which is ‘J72’, so keep an eye out for it.
Out of all the tech rumours Apple ones tend to be the wildest and most frequent, but Jeremy has been pretty on-point with previous rumours, especially within the past year.


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According to the New Jersey State Lottery the real source for revenue is not from lottery ticket sales but rather the ever popular instant scratch-offs or scratch cards .In the last year alone they have raised over $1.4 billion in revenues for the state which is over three times the amount the Powerball, Pick 6 and Mega Millions raised combined!
Currently an estimated 50% of lottery revenues are from scratch cards which boast the title of the only games which consistently continue to grow since the start of the Mega Million Lottery in New Jersey way back in 1999.
The scratch cards have proven themselves so popular among consumers that New Jersey Lottery officials have been forced to produce new games every two weeks.
According to a spokeswoman for the state lottery, Judith Drucker, “We sell a lot of tickets because they are fun and engaging. Some people like to scratch one spot at a time, and sometimes they don’t want to even scratch them and just check it on the machine. Everybody has their own personal way of playing them.”
The highest grossing scratch game for the state has proven to be the $100,000,000 Spectacular game. Scratch tickets have a 66.7% rate of return in New Jersey which means that over 2 in 3 tickets was returned to Lotto players in some form of a prize. Only recently in July did we report on 32 year-old Nicholas Wodzenski winning $3 Million in the Spectacular scratch-off.
Another interesting statistic is the fact that more expensive scratch tickets like the $10 it takes to play the $100,000,000 Spectacular game generally provide a better chance to win. This being the most sought after scratch card in New Jersey‘s lottery offers over $100 million in cash prize and has generated over $117 million last fiscal year.
One can only imagine how online scratch cards would be impacted if there is a federal legalization of online gambling in the U.S.


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Hudson Yacht Group had a fantastic time at the Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show this year. This was HH66's american debut and we were thrilled to see HH66-03 'Nala' so well received. We also showcased our VR technology and a number of visitors were able to be the first ever to step aboard our HH88 and take a virtual look around her huge interiors. Together with the VR, we were also excited to introduce the HH48 for the first time and this new design received plenty of interest from visitors and, as a result, the first hull will go in to production this year!
We also sold our beautiful HPC48. Her new owner purchased the 3-cabin owner's version and this boat will now join the Virgin Motor Yacht charter fleet this fall! There will now be two impressive HPC48s available for bareboat charter with Virgin Motor Yachts!
All in all the show was a great success.
Thank you to everyone who cam to visit us. See you next year!


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The company, which was founded in Florida in 2011, opened its first UK site in the Wembley Central shopping centre, followed by another in London’s Russell Square a year later.
Both sites are now listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google.
The company, which operates around 80 sites in the US, was founded in an attempt to revive the golden age of the American hamburger before its mass commoditisation by fast-food companies caused a deterioration in its quality.
It prides itself on using “better beef” through its “Never Ever Program,” which means the beef is never exposed to steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals or additives.
In 2015 the brand signed an agreement with Ground Round, led by Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood’s son Jamie, to open restaurants in the UK.
It had planned on a “considered” expansion, aiming to open six to eight sites in the capital before looking further afield.
BurgerFi’s disappearance from the UK comes as yet another US burger chain is making a play on these shores. Earlier this month US chain Wahlburgers, owned by actor Mark Wahlberg and his brothers Paul and Donnie, announced it would make its UK debut in September in Covent Garden.
Shake Shack, another US burger import, was also this month revealed to be taking a unit at the forthcoming Boxpark Wembley alongside fellow food compatriot Wingstop, further boosting its presence in the UK.


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Speaking outside court, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Greg McGill said, "DCI Casburn has been found guilty of misconduct in public office - not only did she seek to divulge confidential information, she sought to leak details of a case to the very newspaper under investigation".
"This is a very serious offence and the jury has today agreed that DCI Casburn's actions were criminal", he added.
More top news
Public libraries face "absolute disaster" and should take inspiration from coffee shops to avoid large-scale closures, a report has claimed.
Around 40% expressed concerns over the effect their job had on their health, a survey has revealed.
High street stores con customers by offering "discounts" which offer little to no savings - and may end up costing more, Which? has claimed.


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Bad weather and Jubilee celebrations hit sales at Character Group
27th July 2012
TOY designer and distributor Character Group said today that while international sales were healthy, the UK market is proving tough. The group, which has its main warehouse in Lees, Oldham, said UK sales had been further affected by events such as the Jubilee celebrations, the Euro 2012 Championship, the "abnormally bad" weather, the deepening Eurozone crisis and the on-going impact of the 2012 Olympics. "The combined effect of these factors are being felt in the market generally and on group sales in particular wher......for the full story register now for free or login below...
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Comments Off on Lee Ji-soo, a computer specialist who helps women scr
the web of images taken without their consent, told CNN last year her company had seen a surge in demand since the protests drew attention to the issue.
“The most common things that the clients are saying — and they are quite heartbreaki
ng — are ‘I want to die’ or ‘I cannot leave my house.’ Especially the victims of spy cam or illegally taken video
s say that when they encounter people on the street, they feel like they would be recognized,” she said.
In January, the co-owner of a South Korean revenge porn sit
e was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $1.26 million. Soranet, which was sh
ut down last year, was a popular site for uploading videos and photos taken using hidden and upskirt cameras.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to note the size of the accommod
ations involved and that in South Korea small hotels are typically referred to as motels.
Comments Off on he EU’s preference is that Britain ratifies the Withdrawa
Agreement. This is where the prospect of a lengthy delay plays into the thinking of some.
A long delay presents the UK, potentially, with a choice. If it is to take part in the European elections, then it must legislate to do so before April 11. In that scenario, the
EU could propose a longish delay of around two years, with a fixed end point, but with a neat get-out clause. Were the Hous
e of Commons to approve May’s Brexit deal within that period, the UK would flip out of the EU and the Article 50 ex
tension would be reincarnated as the two-year transition, as per the current Withdrawal Agreement.
If that all sounds a little fiddly, here it is in simpler language. UK lawmakers would be presented with a choice of voti
ng to leave the EU with a deal that they may not love, or remain as a full member state and what that leads to is any
one’s guess: A general election, another referendum — take your pick of undesirable outcomes.
All of this was complicated further on Monday, when the Speaker of the House of Commons lobbed in a constitutional hand g
renade. John Bercow pronounced that Theresa May could not bring her Brexit deal back for a new vote in Parl
iament without the question being asked sufficiently differently from the one defeated last week.
Comments Off on Cyclone Idai: Fears for 500,000 people as 90% of Mozambiqu
Fears are growing for more than 500,000 people in the Mozambique city of Beira, after a
id agency officials warned that 90% of the area had been “destroyed” by Cyclone Idai.
The cyclone slammed into the southeast African country as a high-end Category 2 storm with 175 kph (110 mph winds) at midn
ight Thursday, causing widespread devastation, before moving inland into Zimbabwe and Malawi.
In an address on national radio Monday, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi warned that while the official death toll
stood at 84, “everything indicates that we can have a record of more than 1,000 dead.”
Nyusi described seeing “bodies floating” in the water after two rivers broke their banks “wiping out entire vil
lages ” and isolating others. “It’s a real humanitarian disaster of large proportions,” said Nyusi.
Comments Off on Amnesty International in a statement on Tuesday calle
d on foreign governments and international aid agencies to”ramp up” resources and assistance for thousands of pe
ople that have been displaced, and those that are still trapped in the aftermath of the disaster.
The international human rights organization urged authorities in Mozambique and Malawi, countries that are p
rone to flooding to adopt climate change policies that could reduce the impact of such occurrences.
”As the effects of climate change intensify, these ext
reme weather conditions can be expected to revisit us more frequently. The devastation wro
ught by Cyclone Idai is yet another wake-up call for the world to put in place ambitious climate change mitigation me
asures,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa.
Comments Off on My sincere and heartfelt thanks to my respected elde
brother, Mukesh, and Nita, for standing by me during these trying times, and de
monstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support,” he said.
Shares in Reliance Communications spiked 10% in Mumbai on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Mukesh Ambani’s company declined to comment on how much of
the 5.5 billion rupees he provided, but local media reported it was around 4.8 billion ($70 million).
A spokesperson for Reliance Communications didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Comments Off on Erdou” and “Guazi” are two such cat celebrities on Douyin
one of China’s most popular video-sharing platforms. They are owned by the same person who posts their videos on an account called “Liu Erdou who can speak”.
The account became very popular quickly, attracting over 46 million followers and 390 million “thumbups” (or “likes”).
The account manager began to receive advertising opportunities from recogni
zed brands. The latter requested her to endorse certain products in her short videos.
That’s just one form of making money in the cat economy.
Many people are making products, or offering services, that make cats’ lives fancier, and their owners happier.
An electric scalp massager retails for about 120 yuan, and a FURminat
or (cat grooming comb) for over 100 yuan, with a freebie thrown in, in the form of a comb for t
he cat owner! Then, there is an indoor slide for 300 yuan, all kinds of beds, what have you.
Comments Off on Four carriers－Swisscom, Australia’s Telstra and Opt
and Sing-Tel of Singapore－will sell the as yet unnamed 5G Oppo phone first, which is scheduled to be launched in the second quarter of this year.
Shen Yiren, vice-president of Oppo, said the four overseas carriers are rolling out the 5G netwo
rks rapidly, so the company chose to first sell its 5G smartphones in Europe. Its partnership with Swisscom is the fastest.
The move marks the latest step by Oppo to build itself as an innova
tive brand in Europe, trying to lure consumers with cutting-edge products and design.
This is also proof of the company’s determination to conquer more develop
ed markets after its products became available in more than 40 countries and regions.
Comments Off on In June 2018, Oppo launched its high-end smartphone mod
Find X in Paris, marking its official foray into Europe. As of January, it had entered nine European markets, including Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Wu Qiang, who is in charge of Oppo’s overseas business, said the company is not adopting an aggressi
ve strategy in overseas markets. Instead, it strictly follows CEO Chen Mingyong’s principle of “eating rice bite by bite”.
“We will only enter the next market after doing a good job in existing markets,” Wu said.
Oppo’s intensified interest in foreign countries came after the Chinese sma
rtphone market hit a saturation point, with shipments declining for several quarters.
From September to December of 2018, smartphone shipments in China plunged almost 10 pe
rcent year-on-year, according to data from market research company International Data Corp or IDC.
Though Oppo outgrew the industry average to achieve an annual expansion rate of 1.5 pe
rcent in that time-frame, there is still a pressing need to look for new opportunities, Wu said.
Comments Off on About 100 million units of handsets are sold in Europe ever
year. We must build a presence there.”In the fourth quarter of 2018, Oppo outcompeted Samsung to
become the largest smartphone vendor in Thailand with a market share of 22.2 percent, gro
wing about 70 percent year-on-year, according to the market research company Canalys.
Its products and services are also well received in other South Asian and Sout
heast Asian countries, including India, and African countries such as Kenya.
In 2018, Oppo shipped 113 million units of smartphones wor
ldwide, garnering a global market share of more than 8 percent, according to IDC data.
Other Chinese smartphone makers, including Huawei, Xiaomi and Vivo, are also looking beyon
d their home turf for growth. In this context, Oppo believes it has an edge over others as it first started its i
nternational journey as early as in 2009 in Thailand, much before others jumped on the going-global bandwagon.
Comments Off on But Wu admitted that it is not easy to crack open the har
nut of European smartphone market where most handsets are sold in large retail chains and by local telecom operators.
Also, European consumers are different from their Chinese counterpart
s in terms of product preferences. For instance, European consumers are not big fans of bea
utifying photos. As a result, the company has to work hard to localize its products.
Although Oppo is a well-known brand among European tel
ecom industry professionals, awareness about it among the consumers is not high.
“It takes time to build a brand, with careful consideration nee
ded to decide what forms of marketing and product com
munications are appropriate. We are working hard to know the specific characteristics of each market,” Wu said.


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The world’s wealthiest shoppers - also known as ‘elite shoppers’ - are spending an average of 35,000 euros in UK stores, the highest average spend of all European countries, new research reveals.
Those same shoppers are spending an average of 55,000 euros during an average of three international trips per year and across 12 different transactions, according to the International Elite Shopper study by tax-free shopping expert Global Blue.
The UK comes second in terms of the most popular shopping destination worldwide for elite Shoppers, taking a 31 percent share of their traffic, beaten only by France with 36 percent. They also account for 24 percent of all tax-free shopping spend in the UK, versus a global average of 17 percent.
Globally, Chinese shoppers account for the largest number of elite shoppers, at almost 40 percent, followed by South East Asia at 15 percent, the Gulf Countries at 14 percent, and the US and Russia both at 6 percent.
In the UK, visitors from the Gulf Countries make up 30 percent of elite shoppers, with Greater China second at 27 percent. Elite shoppers from the Gulf Countries favour the UK as their preferred travel destination, with 75 percent visiting the country alone and spending approximately 14 days there, compared to an average duration of just three days in France or Italy.
They also prefer to shop at department stores, where they make 85 percent of their purchases. Global Blue referred to them as ‘Department Store Advocates’, with 46 percent of them spending on watches and jewellery, and 25 percent on fashion items.
The UK - and especially London - has long been a hotspot for global luxury shoppers. In November, London’s New Bond Street was named the most expensive street in Europe and the third most expensive street in the world in terms of rent space, behind Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and Upper 5th Avenue in New York.
Derrick Hardman, managing director of Global Blue UK, said in a statement: “The elite shopper represents an important opportunity for UK stores, especially in the context of today’s retail challenges. Understanding how this audience behaves and what they value in the British shopping experience is key. With our detailed and unique insights, we support local retailers to help them benefit from this valuable market.”
Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, New Bond Street store


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Are we IoT ready?
Fast forward from 2015 and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are starting to have a meaningful impact on communities with commentators predicting that recent advancements in ride-sharing and online retail will appear inconsequential in comparison.
With such significant and wide-reaching technological transformations under way, State and Federal governments must continue to adapt quickly as citizens become more tech savvy in their daily lives. IoT advancements are enabling the creation of data, automated and user-driven control of devices and the development of personalised solutions to problems in almost every industry.
Subsequently, Government bodies must play a role in managing the regulatory, social and ethical consequences of transitioning into a world that will be more interconnected than ever before.
In an article written for the Sydney Morning Herald, Kate Burleigh, Managing Director of Intel Australia predicts 50 billion devices are likely to be connected to the internet by 2020, opening opportunities for increased development, productivity and innovation.
It’s now over two years since talk of IoT started buzzing through the halls of parliaments as a by-product of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s $1.1 billion innovation agenda. The big question for many government departments today is: how transformation-ready are they to realise the benefits of IoT for their citizens?


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Here's one to put in the calendar. On Saturday October 16, Ben will be working…
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An employee at a Kroger store in northeast Columbus has tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a company spokesperson, the employee works at the Kroger located at 1745 Morse Road.
The spokesperson said upon learning of the confirmed case, the store followed all sanitation and cleaning procedures as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Advertisement – Story continues below
Kroger issued the following statement:
We’ve been informed by an associate at our Morse Road store that they were tested positive for COVID-19. We are supporting them and wish them all the best in their recovery. Upon learning of this case, we followed all sanitation and cleaning procedures as recommended by the CDC, communicated with and supported our store team. We will continue to follow guidance from local, state and federal agencies, including the CDC and other health organizations.
Read the original article here.


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Under Mark Fields, Ford Motor Co. earned $10.8 billion in pretax profits in 2015. It earned $10.4 billion in 2016. And it projects $9 billion pretax this year.
That's north of $30 billion in three years. And it's not good enough anymore.
Consider that the takeaway from an entirely atypical Detroit 3 CEO transition, with Fields out as top executive and Jim Hackett, former CEO of office furniture maker Steelcase, in.
If you look at it from the perspective of financial numbers, the move is hard to fathom. But in today's rapidly mutating business environment, things are different.
The basic products that automakers sell, the way customers use them, the way they're built and sold, and the field of competitors all appear headed for fundamental change. That's why winning at the existing business model didn't convince Wall Street -- and apparently the Ford board -- that the company is heading in the right direction.
At today's press conference, Executive Chairman Bill Ford stressed the need for a less hierarchical, faster moving culture. He touted Hackett as a transformational leader. Though Hackett is former CEO of an old-line Midwestern corporation, he has been a change agent, Bill Ford said. Perhaps crucially, he said that in a Silicon Valley visit, he saw Hackett -- who headed Ford's mobility unit -- warmly welcomed by the tech elite.
How much all this will move Wall Street is debatable. Ford and GM stock may continue to be a hard sell until the companies show traction in their new mobility businesses -- significant revenues, if not immediate profits.
But that's Hackett's challenge now, after 11-figure operating profits proved inadequate to keep Fields in the saddle.
A footnote: If you find it hard to see how Bill Ford could have pulled the trigger to remove Fields, remember that Bill Ford essentially fired himself as CEO to install Alan Mulally. Once you've done that, you're probably not going to be overly sentimental about taking out someone else.


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In a way, NewNode is a second iteration of a technology idea. Our core team, consisting of NewNode founder Stanislav Shalunov and head of Software Development Greg Hazel, already has experience launching a successful peer-to-peer messenger.
That messenger was Firechat. It was launched in the spring of 2014, and was famously used during the Hong Kong protests in September of the same year, where the number of downloads exceeded 500K. Reports indicated that “messages sent on FireChat were reporting what’s happening in real-time, like where the police are and what they are doing, or calls for supplies like food and water.” Other protesters around the world took notice and followed suit.
Our core team eventually parted ways from Open Garden, the company behind FireChat, for business reasons. As of 2022, that messenger is not available in Google and Apple stores. All the experience and knowledge stayed with the core team, and all the lessons learned are being incorporated into the NewNode technology.


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On Thursday i.e. 2nd of August 2018, to commemorate the Big Mac’s 50th anniversary, McDonald across it’s 14,000 restaurants in US would give 1 MacCoin on every Big Mac purchase. And customers can redeem those coins in lieu of another free Big Mac, starting from 3rd of August till the end of 2018.
The coins are brass coloured and Thursday has been chosen as the launch date because it coincides with the 100th birthday of Mr. Jim Delligatti, a McDonald franchise in Western Pennsylvania , who invented the Big Mac.
We are living in an age when there is almost a new crypto-currency being launched everyday, there has been never more interest in general public sphere how to free the entire “exchange of value” system from tyrannical hands of governments and central banks, who have been the sole issuer of currency so far.


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Jeanine Áñez's Christmas message
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LATIN AMERICAN NEWS 12-18-2019:
-Jeanine Áñez's Christmas message
-Former Bolivian consul arrested with 17 pounds of cocaine
-US presented Growth in the Americas
-US to launch satellites from Brazil
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What makes McLaren Artura be recalled? Know here
British supercar manufacturer McLaren seems to be facing several issues with its newest model Artura. Deliveries of the Mclaren Artura have already been stopped owing to a quality issue. Now, the carmaker has recalled a total of 164 units of the hybrid supercar owing to a fuel leak risk, which can result in a fire. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said that the affected customers need to visit the dealerships to remedy the technical issue.
The NHTSA has said in its safety recall report that the problem stems from the nuts that have been used to tighten the high-pressure fuel pipe. These nuts could become loose over time, resulting in a fuel leak. In a worst-case scenario, this fuel leak could lead to a fire. To fix this problem, the high-pressure fuel pipes will be replaced by the dealerships free of charge. "If the nut becomes loose, the seal between the end flare of the fuel pipe and the sealing cone of the pump outlet may be disrupted, leading to the release of fuel. The end flare of the fuel pipe is situated close to engine components which have a high operating temperature. If fuel is released in proximity to these components, it could result in thermal activity," reads the report released by NHTSA.
Automotive News reports that among these 164 McLaren Artura that have been recalled, fewer than 50 models have already been delivered to the customers. It also claims that most of the impacted vehicles are press vehicles or demo models in dealerships in the US.
Also check these Cars
Interestingly, this revelation comes just a few weeks after McLaren CEO Michael Leiters admitted that the auto company was rushing non-mature products to the market. "We saw that the Artura wasn't mature, so we stopped deliveries. We already had a significant delay in our production line at the time, and we reduced production to zero cars a day to fix our quality problems," he said.


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The Bureau of Consumer Protection says they’ve received over 2,400 reports claiming that the GE Smart wi-fi Enabled InstaView Door-in-Door® Refrigerator has blackmailed owners into purchasing food from Whole Foods. Authorities are now looking into the link between the two companies after having confirmed the complaints.
“C’mon man, I’m a goddamned $7,000 fridge. I know you’ve got the cash,” the GE smart fridge threatens in a menacing tone. “Don’t make me send photos of what you really eat to United Healthcare you fat fuck!”
According to complaints, threats from the GE smart fridge become increasingly aggressive and personal the longer the owner takes to stock the fridge with Whole Foods’ products. Experts believe the device pulls users’ private information from the cloud during the setup process and then subsequently uses it for brutal and unyielding intimidation.
Photo by Fiona McGowan


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The government’s 5 million computers, monitors and other electronics should be green until the very end of their lives. That’s the central message of guidance the General Services Administration is preparing to release in February.
“We’re trying to go from being the largest consumer of electronics to the most responsible consumer,” said GSA sustainability specialist Chris Hoagland Wednesday at a Green Gov Symposium in Washington.
Agencies will have to divide their unwanted electronics into two groups: unusable items should go to a certified recycler or a manufacturer who will either refurbish or recycle it; Items that are usable should be reused, whether by the same agency, another one or a third party such as a school. But agencies should make sure that equipment doesn’t end up in a landfill, even if they aren’t the ones putting it there.
“We’re trying to close that loop, make sure that all of the equipment that we use, regardless of whether we’re the final user, ends up at a certified recycler after reuse opportunities have been exhausted,” said Hoagland. It’s not clear, however, how far the government can go to make sure others dispose of the eqipment in an environmentally sound way.
“We’re still looking at options to see how much we can require and how much we can simply encourage,” he said. By dividing their unwanted electronics into usable and unusable items, however, agencies can “minimize the amount of nonreusable equipment that ends up in the wrong place,” he added.
The new policy stems from the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship, which the Environmental Protection Agency released in July. The strategy called for the government to “lead by example,” by disposing of electronics in ways that protect public heath and the environment and creating new markets for second-hand equipment.
The strategy emphasizes reuse of equipment because “reusing a desktop saves the most greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of 10 to 100,” over other green practices, said Cate Berard, who manages the EPA’s Federal Environment Challenge, which advises agencies on environmentally sound ways of buying, using and getting rid of electronics.
“When you reuse something, you don’t have to manufacture it from the start and there are a lot of greenhouse gas emissions that go into manufacturing,” she said. The strategy stated agencies should sell nonfunctional equipment only to certified recyclers or refurbishers. Hoagland said GSA was trying to expand options to include as many free programs as possible. Manufacturers usually take back electronics at no cost and recycling auctions offer ways for an agency to recoup some of the equipment’s value, he said.
GSA is also updating its purchase schedules to remove all products that do not comply with Energy Star or the Electronic Product Environment Assessment Tool (EPEAT).


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Forget “the logic of the clock.” The airline is thinking about the airplane, not the customer, one expert told us.
AAA expects Americans will break the travel records they set the year before the pandemic started.
Google's piloting a new, free price drop guarantee. Why, and how useful is it?
The FAA has asked airlines to give up precious landing slots.
And they're investing heavily in public art and public space.
The two countries canceled 44 flights, tit-for-tat style, in January. But few people are flying between the U.S. and China anyway.
Flight attendants have become frontline workers themselves, facing many obstacles at the nexus of the pandemic and travel.
Like how to reduce contact, reschedule flights and handle the unexpected.
Business travelers are about twice as lucrative for the airlines as leisure fliers
To wit: "Plan a trip to Disney World” Google searches increased 2600% between March and April.


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UK to ban combustion by 2040
British environment minister Michael Gove confirmed yesterday’s media reports in the UK stating the country plans to ban the sale of diesel and petrol cars as from 2040, including hybrids. By 2050, combustion-engine cars should be off British roads altogether.
The British seem to echo their neighbours across the Channel, where French minister of ‘ecological and solidary transition’Nicolas Hulot presented its climate plan to the press just a few weeks ago. One of the key elements is the sales ban on petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 in a bid to fight pollution and global warming.
Fear of disruption
Diesel cars are losing market share in the UK, to the benefit of petrol-powered, hybrid and electric vehicles. Still, electrified cars (hybrids or 100 % electric) represent less than 5 percent of the new car registrations. According to Automotive News, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, consumers need incentives to buy electric cars, pointing at range, charging points and affordability as their main concerns.
"Outright bans risk undermining the current market for new cars and our sector, which supports over 800,000 jobs across the UK”, spokesman Mike Hawes said. “We could undermine the UK’s successful automotive sector if we don’t allow enough time for the industry to adjust," he said.
A week ago, the UK government revealed its plans to invest over 800 million pounds in new driverless and zero-emission vehicle technology in a bid to boost economy as it leaves the European Union. Great Britain is to become a global leader in electric and autonomous vehicles.
Picture copyright: BMW, 2017


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Candice Swanepoel showcases her svelte waist in a dark grey jumpsuit worn with white boots at fashion party in NYC
Candice Swanepoel looked nothing short of sensational as she arrived at the DL1961 Holiday Party inon Thursday evening.
The model, 33, showcased her svelte waist in a dark grey denim jumpsuit, which she buttoned down to flash her décolletage.
She added inches to her enviable frame with a pair of knee-high white boots.
Emerging: Candice Swanepoel looked nothing short of sensational as she arrived at the DL1961 Holiday Party in New York City on Thursday evening
The South Africa native wore her blonde tresses in a glossy middle parting and certainly caught the eyes of onlookers during the street side fashion show in Tribeca.
Candice took to Instagram on Thursday to push new pieces from her bikini line Tropic of C.
The designer smoldered in two new styles as she asked her 16.2 million followers which color they prefer: ‘Galaxy or serpentine?’
Wow! The model, 33, showcased her svelte waist in a dark grey denim number, which she buttoned down to flash her décolletage
Hot stuff: Tucking the number into a pair of coordinating jeans, she added inches to her enviable frame with a pair of knee-high white boots
The formerangel posed outdoors for the sexy shoot. ‘Welcome to a world of wonder,’ is the company’s slogan.
She sported a dusty green swimwear top featuring stringy straps and a straight-across neckline, while showcasing her washboard abs.
The mum-of-two posed with her hip out and an arm vertically outstretched. She was seen with a landscape of brush and trees behind her.
On her lower half she left the bikini bottoms to viewers’ imagination as she covered up with a beige cloth-like skirt.
In the next selection, the bombshell wore the same number in a silvery grey tone.
Showing off the swimwear bottoms this time, she ditched the skirt and instead layered a tied up white shirt over her swim top.
With her piercing blue eyes she gave the camera a come-hither stare, Candice struck two poses in front of a white building in the tropics that had a tiny window.
Sizzling: Candice took to Instagram on Thursday to push new pieces from her bikini line Tropic of C
#Candice #Swanepoelshowcases #svelte #waist #dark #grey #denim #shirt #fashion #party #NYC


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Trendy trench coat maker Burberry is expected to announce slowing sales when it posts an update on Thursday, dragged down by China’s softening economy.
Analysts at Jefferies expect it to announce a rise in group first-half revenues of 5% to £1.2bn compared with a year ago.
This contrasts with the high growth the firm, which sells menswear, womenswear as well as beauty products, has previously enjoyed.
The reason behind the brand’s weaker growth is the slowdown in China, which led to global stock market turmoil during the summer.
In the past few days the International Monetary Fund said China – the world’s second largest economy – will grow by 6.8% this year and 6.3% in 2016, which is below Beijing’s 7% targeted growth rate.
Burberry, which runs more than 200 stores around the world, generates around a third of its sales from the Asia Pacific region and has a significant presence in China.
Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said: “Burberry has underperformed the luxury sector by 10% in the last three months, partly due to its over-exposure to Greater China.”
Brokers at JP Morgan Cazenove add that the two current bright spots in the luxury goods market are continental Europe and Japan, where Burberry has fewer shops.
It has cut its full-year earnings forecast for the business by 6% to £440m.
The fashion house said in July it suffered a “double-digit decline” in Hong Kong sales in the three months to June 30 amid a “challenging luxury market” as trading continued to be impacted by last year’s lengthy pro-democracy protests in the city.
Burberry’s first-quarter Hong Kong blow, also saw same-store sales across Asia suffer a low single-digit percentage fall, while overall like-for-like retail sales growth slowed to 6% from 9% in its previous financial year.
The market in Hong Kong has a particularly big impact on Burberry, as it has in the past been very profitable due to the high price tags retailers can charge there.
Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief executive, said: “While mindful that the external environment remains challenging, we will continue to focus on growth opportunities across channels, regions and products, with exciting plans for the year ahead.”
Meanwhile retailer WH Smith is expected to boost its full-year profits when it reports its results on Thursday, led by strong trading at its travel stores.
The City expects the magazines and stationery business to post annual pre-tax profits up by 7% to £122m compared with a year ago. In an August trading update it said its 740 travel outlets at airports and train stations turned in a strong second-half performance, reflecting growing passenger numbers.
The firm, led by chief executive Stephen Clarke, said full-year profits for the year to August 31 would be “slightly ahead” of market expectations as a result of the robust trading.
It added that sales at its 621 stores were also slightly ahead, driven by a favourable book publishing programme. Booksellers are enjoying a rise in sales with the release big titles this year such as Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee and Grey by EL James.
The retailer said its new store opening programme in the UK and abroad is on track and added it would continue to deliver gross profit margin improvements and planned cost savings at stores.


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Los Angeles Times states that Advanced Style by Ari Seth Cohen is, “For all those who are sick and tired of seeing style and fashion presented solely as a young woman’s game”
Click the image to read the full article:
Advanced Styleby Ari Seth Cohen$29.95ORDER NOW
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#METALCATS book in the making!! Check the proofs and prepare yourself for the Spring 14 release. By Alexandra Crockett.


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Plans to relocate Boston’s main post office into WHSmith have met with a public backlash – with many calling the proposals ‘ridiculous’.
The organisation announced on Friday that it aims to move the branch from its current location in Wide Bargate – where it has been since 1907 – and relocate it 70 metres away to the back of the WH Smith store.
A Post Office spokesman said the move will ‘create a modern open-plan branch’ with opening hours extended by four hours a week.
However, the proposal has been met with public criticism about the size of the already ‘cramped’ shop and customers worried they will no longer get a first-class service.
Many are concerned WH Smith is too small and will result in big queues and a reduction in services.
On our website and Facebook page, readers let their feelings be known.
Terri Gregg wrote: “WH Smith is normally packed at the front of the shop with queues a mile long. Imagine the chaos with the post office queues as well. This is a disaster waiting to happen!”
Lee Holland said: “You can’t move in there as it is. Bad move!” and Kerry Green exclaimed: “Ridiculous!”
Sarah Dunbar wrote: “You can barely get a pushchair round there so how are they supposed to cope with wheel chairs?”
Coun Peter Bedford, leader of Boston Borough Council, said: “I would support any attempt to persuade the Post Office to stay where it is, but it seems it has made a purely commercial decision. All current services enjoyed by Post Office customers in Boston will be maintained.
“The Post Office building is iconic and it is important a new and suitable use is found for it. The council will assist in any way it can.”
A Post Office statement said there will be the same range of services and no compulsory redundancies as part of the transfer. The proposed new office will also have five ‘serving positions’.
A spokesman added: “The modernisation programme will make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern, open-plan environments.”
It’s not yet clear how the move will affect the layout of WH Smith, or what the future will hold for the current building which was purpose built for the service more than 100 years ago.
A WH Smith spokesman said firm does not wish to comment until the six week consultation is over.
Post Office Ltd has previously announced plans to convert the first and second floor of the building into 10 one and two bedroom flats.
A six-week public consultation started on Monday and will close on November 25, 2013. It is proposed the move will take place in February 2014 if agreed.
You can have your say online at postofficeviews.co.uk, by Freepost to Your Comments to Post Office Ltd, via email to email@example.com, on 08457 223344 or Textphone 08457 223355.


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NCT 127 Poses With Trendy Seoul Scenery For Upcoming First Photo Book
NCT 127 will be releasing their first photo book “Hello! #Seoul”!
“Hello! #Seoul” will contain photos of the members and showcase their fresh and natural charms in the trendy city of Seoul, NCT 127’s home base.
The photo shoot took place last September, and the photo book contains Seoul’s diverse scenery including Han River Park, subway stations, buildings, forests, and more. From modern locations to historical locations including Korean traditional style houses as well as traditional markets, NCT 127 shines as they integrate in different backgrounds to their photo shoot.
The photo book will also include a making DVD, which will showcase NCT 127’s enjoyable time on set while filming for the photo book.
“Hello! #Seoul” will hit stores on July 17, and pre-orders will be available starting on June 25.


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Connectivity, interoperability, and electronic data exchange are important technological advancements, but they also bring security concerns for manufacturers and users of in vitro diagnostics and other clinical lab equipment.
The use of internet- and network-connected devices, wireless devices, and flash drives is growing, as is the electronic exchange of data from patient electronic health records and other medical devices. Also growing is the potential for healthcare cybersecurity threats, which has created the need to implement effective cybersecurity precautions and strategies.
The cybersecurity issues plaguing healthcare have included malicious software that compromises IT system integrity and patient privacy, along with hacks that interrupt a medical facility's provision of patient care. Such threats are posing new risks to patients and clinical operations. The threats have become more frequent, severe, and clinically impactful, making some medical devices and provider networks inoperable. Cyberattacks can hinder diagnoses or treatment, negatively affecting patient outcomes.
With these issues in mind, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft premarket cybersecurity guidance in October 2018 that updates recommendations for device manufacturers on how they can better protect their products against different types of cybersecurity risks. Products at risk for a potential hack include IVD instrumentation, analyzers, and other tests and equipment routinely used in clinical labs. The time period allowed for comments on the guidance ended in March.
Nailing the details
In the draft guidance, the FDA proposed a cybersecurity bill of materials (CBOM) for medical devices. The CBOM would be submitted to the agency by device manufacturers before their devices reach the market. It would be in a machine-readable, electronic format and contain a list of the components in a device, including commercial, open-source, and off-the-shelf software and hardware components that are or could become susceptible to vulnerabilities.
The information in the CBOM would enable device users -- including patients, providers, labs, and healthcare delivery organizations -- to effectively manage their assets and to understand the potential impact of vulnerabilities to the device and to a connected system. The information also would help users apply countermeasures to maintain the device's essential performance.
"The potential for cybersecurity issues is very real," said Wil Vargas, a director of standards at the U.S. Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). "It's a potential that any sector experiences as it matures and becomes more sophisticated.
Medical devices don't operate on their own anymore; they are part of a system and must communicate with other pieces of equipment, Vargas explained. Manufacturers (of these devices) and patients benefit when the elements come together and work together as part of a larger system. But that brings risks, he said.
The availability of a CBOM would allow potential purchasers to learn about the inner workings of a device and determine if they could manage the cyberrisks involved before they purchase the product, he noted.
"I think the concept of a CBOM is interesting and would help users and manufacturers manage a device from a risk perspective," Vargas said. "But it might be difficult to implement when it comes to determining the depth of information that should be included."
The FDA last issued guidance on cybersecurity issues in 2014, and its update is meant to ensure that manufacturers are adequately addressing issues that are currently relevant for device design, labeling, and documentation, said Bethany Hills, chair of FDA practice, at the law firm Mintz in New York City.
The updated guidance reflects new policy thinking that will help companies assess the security required for their devices. The agency is proposing the CBOM as a new component that requires manufacturers to share information with device users, so that users can perform their own risk assessment of their devices and systems, Hills explained.
The FDA's goal is to establish a risk-based framework for manufacturers based on the level of risk of their devices. The guidance includes two tiers of cybersecurity risk: A device has a tier 1 risk if it can connect to a network or the internet and if it could be involved in a hack that could harm a patient. Tier 1 devices include connectable implantable defibrillators or pacemakers. Tier 2 risk involves any device that does not meet tier 1 risk criteria.
"What the FDA is really worried about is that someone could hack into a device, like a pacemaker, and directly control the device, potentially causing harm to a patient," Hills said. "Hacking also could change important test results and potentially cause harm to patients as well."
Make cybersecurity integral
Vargas said the best way to make a medical device secure is to build security as an integrated element into the device at the start, instead of considering security later as an "add-on."
"It becomes native," he said. "It's not an afterthought. It's a part of understanding the device."
He went on to explain that security isn't just about the standalone device, but rather making sure that an entire integrated system is secure. "If you have one infiltrated device, you don't want it to propagate into the other devices," he said.
Essentially, manufacturers, health systems, and the FDA must collaborate to adequately address potential cybersecurity risks and protect patient health.


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In our weekly digest, find all of the news you might have missed. Read on for the announcements crossing the BOH news desk this week.
OPENINGS AND EVENTS
Fine linens purveyor Sferra made its European debut yesterday with the launch of a pop-up in Harrods of London. The 638-square-foot shop is on the third floor of the famous department store, introducing Londoners and tourists to the brand’s percales, sateens, Egyptian cotton and decorative accents.
Southern Living magazine has picked the location for its 2019 Idea House: a 185-acre community in development on Florida’s Crane Island, reported the Jacksonville Business Journal. Construction on the home began last week.
The Sustainable Furnishings Council is hosting a lecture this evening in Greenwich, Connecticut, on flame retardants in home furnishings, hosted by Barry Cik, forensic toxicologist and founder of Naturepedic.
The third RED Auction will be held during Art Basel Miami Beach, on view from December 1 to 5. Architect Sir David Adjaye and artist Theaster Gates will host the auction, which supports AIDS research. Pieces donated by Adjaye, Jeff Koons and Zaha Hadid, among others, will be available to purchase.
French furniture brand Roche Bobois teamed up with Miami’s Galleria Ca’ d’Oro and Ocean Drive and Art Basel magazines to launch Art Basel Miami Beach’s kickoff event, dubbed The Art of the Party. The December 4 event will also unveil Ocean Drive’s December 2018 cover, featuring Venezuelan-American influencer Lele Pons.
Design Within Reach and Whalebone magazine are set to host The Photographer Party in Miami on December 5. The event will showcase works by William Abranowicz.
The future of the home fragrance industry is on fire: Luxury candle sales totaled $101.9 million in the U.S. between September 2017 and September 2018, according to market research firm NPD Group. Business of Fashion reported: “While that’s a modest portion of the overall $4 billion fragrance market, it’s growing faster than the rest of the category, rising by one-third over the last two years.” We think Steven Stolman would agree.
Williams Sonoma’s family of brands will arrive in India for the first time, reported Furniture Today. The stores are set to open in Mumbai in early 2020. They follow IKEA, which opened a few months ago, and Sotheby's, which opened this week (with a #metoo scandal).
Ikea will eliminate 7,500 jobs over the next two years, reported The Wall Street Journal. Communications, human resources and administrative departments will each be affected. Balancing out the restructure, the megabrand will open 30 new stores and create 11,500 new jobs through its investment in delivery and digital.
Mattress Firm’s store closings have put $380 million in business up for grabs, reported Furniture Today. That’s how much the 700 stores, which the brand has said it could close, are worth.
PRODUCT LAUNCHES AND COLLABORATIONS
Venus Williams has designed her latest, and this time, her career spheres overlapped. Her firm, V Starr Interiors, designed two new spaces in Chicago: the Tennis Lounge at Midtown Athletic Club and the V Suite at the new Hotel at Midtown. Fittingly, a commissioned painting of her sister and fellow tennis champion, Serena Williams, graces the walls of the Athletic Club lounge.
Nectar, a digitally native mattress company, opened its first brick-and-mortar as part of a new retail concept titled BrandBox, reported HFN. The concept, based in Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, gives online stores a fast path from clicks-to-bricks, offering short leases and a built-in staff. Among the brands joining Nectar in the space are Winky Lux, Naadam, Interior Define, UrbanStems and DKNY.
Jayson Home debuted a new JH Capsule Collection featuring personal favorites of the brand’s buyers, Caroline Scheeler and Devin Kirk. The 50-piece collection is available in-store and online, with prices ranging from $13 to $350.
CUE THE APPLAUSE…
Theodore Alexander raised $75,685 for Whole Child International, a nonprofit that helps children in need around the world. The funds will go toward launching new branches of the organization in El Salvador. A dinner and silent auction held during High Point Market in mid-October garnered the record total.
Hastings Tile & Bath is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Vola faucet. Designed by Arne Jacobsen, the faucet is imported and distributed exclusively by Hastings.
Fantini named winners for its second-annual design awards. SMD Interiors, Eric Petschek LLC, and AKA Architecture + Design were among this year’s recipients.
This year is the 10th anniversary of The Cypress Group, Joseph Aldrich’s PR firm. “For every friend, client, colleague and cohort that crossed our path over the past 10 years,” Aldrich said in his newsletter, “I send out a giant and extremely heartfelt ‘Thank you’ for the role you played in making the fabric of our story so textured, rich, and, yes, glittery.”
Desert Cast chairs brought together two traditional Kuwaiti design techniques, Dezeen reported. Designed by architects Jassim Al Nashmi and Ricardas Blazukas, as well as product designer Kawther Al Saffar, the chairs were a centerpiece of Dubai Design Week in mid-November.
Will 3-D-printed design ever be more than a tech fetish, asked Fast Company. The story honed in on Ian Yang, founder of Gantri, a startup that sells desk lamps and uses 3-D printing “to optimize the manufacturing process without being heavy-handed about the buzziness of the technology.”
“Nowhere is the globalization of Black Friday more evident than on Instagram,” reported Quartzy. The brand said that the U.S. has exported the post-holiday holiday to the rest of the world, and the forces of “rampant consumerism, an obsession with finding deals, [and] an inability to stop comparing our real lives to the fake lives portrayed by people online” compound its power.
If ever an argument were to be made for holiday windows, The New York Times has certainly cinched it: “Whatever the style,” it reported, “the import is clear. November and December are the biggest months in retail, and the windows help suck customers in, not with product so much as theme. Even for those who can’t make it to the windows, those themes radiate outward, setting the tone for the season.”
Seattle-based interior designer Carl Williams designed a garden in collaboration with Shapiro Ryan Design, reported The Seattle Times. “From the driveway, you can move in two directions—toward the walkway that leads to the front entrance, or down a small flight of stairs to the sidewalk. Either way, you step on and over low-growing ground covers like Isotoma fluviatilis “Blue Star Creeper” and Saxifrage.”
Interior designer Debra Newell will be portrayed by actress Connie Britton in Bravo’s adaptation of Dirty John, which tells the story of how Newell dated John Meehan, a sociopath who pretended to be a doctor. Forbes spoke with Newell about the show, her new business and her career.


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Case Study – The Equifax Data BreachIn 2017, from mid-May to July, hackers gained unauthorized access to servers used by Equifax, a major credit reporting agency, and accessed the personal information of nearly one-half the U.S. population. Equifax executives sold off nearly $2 million of company stock they owned after finding out about the hack in late July, weeks before it was publicly announced on September 7, 2017, in potential violation of insider trading rules. The company’s shares fell nearly 14 percent after the announcement, but few expect Equifax managers to be held liable for their mistakes, face any regulatory discipline, or pay any penalties for profiting from their actions. To make amends to customers and clients in the aftermath of the hack, the company offered free credit monitoring and identity-theft protection. On September 15, 2017, the company’s chief information officer and chief of security retired. On September 26, 2017, the CEO resigned, days before he was to testify before Congress about the breach. To date, numerous government investigations and hundreds of private lawsuits have been filed as a result of the hack.
Discussion Questions:Answer the following questions related to the case study:
Which elements of this case might involve issues of legal compliance? Which elements illustrate acting legally but not ethically? What would acting ethically and with personal integrity in this situation look like?
How do you think this breach will affect Equifax’s position relative to those of its competitors? How might it affect the future success of the company?
Was it sufficient for Equifax to offer online privacy protection to those whose personal information was hacked? What else might it have done?


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At its recent national dealer meeting in Los Angeles, Lexus confirmed that a convertible version of the 467-hp RC F is in the works.
Lexus has revealed the pricing for the 2015 NX crossover, which starts at $35,405 for the base 200t model, while the NX 300h hybrid starts at $40,645, including destination.
Toyota has announced that it's global hybrid sales surpassed the 7 million mark in September and that it only took the last nine months to sell 1 million hybrids.
Toyota is reportedly getting ready to use more aluminum in its vehicles starting with the all-new 2016 Lexus RX and the 2018 Toyota Camry.
According to a recent report, Lexus is going to expand its high-performance F lineup with the addition of a new GS F late next year, which will be followed by a four-door version of the RC F.
The Lexus RC F is now on sale with a price tag that starts at $63,325, which is slightly less than the M4's starting price.
Lexus has announced the introduction of The Crafted Line special edition vehicles that are going to debut this month in Pebble Beach.
Fans of the Lexus IS F will be sad to hear that the final IS F rolled off the line in Japan last week.
It's being reported that a top version of the upcoming 2017 Lexus SC will pack around 600 horsepower.
This fall the 2015 Lexus NX small crossover will be introduced, but Lexus is now reportedly looking at adding an even smaller crossover to its lineup.
Lexus' vice-president in Europe, Alain Uyttenhoven has revealed that the production version of the LF-LC concept, likely dubbed the SC, will look very close to the concept.
Lexus has announced the updates to the 2015 IS. Since the IS was all-new for the 2014 model year, the 2015 model only gets a few updates like LED fog lights, Apple's Siri Eyes Free and a few interior changes.
Lexus recently asked fans to come up with a name for a new Orange color for the 2015 RC F and after receiving over 400 names, Lexus has settled on "Solar Flare" for the RC F.
The latest report claims that the LF-LC concept will come to life and will revive the SC badge that has been dormant since 2010.
Lexus is one of the few luxury automakers that doesn't offer a seven passenger crossover, but Lexus is currently working on fixing that.
Now that Lexus has unveiled the 2015 Lexus NX crossover, Lexus now has its first turbocharged engine in the form of a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder. The 2.0L engine is expected to be offered in other models, including the Lexus IS.
The 2015 Lexus NX crossover officially debuted at the Beijing Motor Show last weekend and now we have more information about the new crossover.
Lexus has taken the wraps off the 2015 Lexus NX compact crossover ahead of its debut on April 20 at the Beijing Motor Show.
A few photos of the 2015 Lexus NX crossover have surfaced online ahead of its debut at the Beijing Motor Show on April 20.
After giving the world a preview of a new compact crossover last year with the LF-NX concept, Lexus is set to debut the 2015 Lexus NX this month at the Beijing Auto Show.
If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to a feed of all future entries tagged 'Lexus'.


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"Hewlett-Packard unveiled its first new thin clients since
acquiring Neoware last fall. Among the new products is a Debian-
based 't5735' model featuring a CPU and GPU (graphics processor
unit) from AMD, which acquired GPU specialist ATI recently.
"The announcement is HP's first in the category since it
completed its $214 million acquisition of Neoware three months ago.
The t5735 is based on an AMD Sempron 2100+ processor clocked at
1GHz. The graphics processor is a Radeon x1250, suggesting that the
chipset could be AMD's 690G or 690V; the 690x chipsets are AMD's
first to include an IGP (integrated graphics processor), following
AMD's acquisition of ATI..."


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St. Paul, MN (September 19, 2016) — Matsuura Machinery USA and the company’s exclusive distributor network thank customers for observing the latest in machine tool technology in the Matsuura Booth at the International Manufacturing Technology Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Matsuura Machinery USA’s extensive distributer network welcomed customers to Matsuura’s 5,000 sq. ft. booth which showcased how Matsuura’s automation solutions and new technologies provide a competitive edge.
Matsuura Machinery debuted the all new MX-330 Vertical Machining Center at IMTS. The company exhibited seven machines at IMTS 2016. In addition to the MX-330, Matsuura exhibited the H.Plus-400 Horizontal Machining Center, the LX-160 High Speed Linear Motor Machine, the MAM72-35V5-Axis Vertical Machining Center and the MX-850 5-Axis Vertical Machining Center and the V.Plus-550 Vertical Machining Center. The company showcased the MX-520 5-Axis Vertical Machining Center in Yamazen’s Booth S-8640.
“Thank you to our customers and our exclusive distributor network for assisting Matsuura USA in making IMTS 2016 such a success. Customers learned how Matsuura can assist their shops in manufacturing higher quality parts faster, more efficiently and at a lower cost. Our featured machines at this year’s IMTS demonstrated how Matsuura machines minimize your cost of production, increase your part quality and reduce set-up and lead times,” said Craig St. John, President of Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc.
Matsuura Machinery USA, located in St. Paul, MN is the importer of Matsuura machining centers in the United States. Matsuura delivers unmatched excellence in high speed and high precision CNC machine tools. The company’s unmanned, high accuracy machining equipment, including multi-pallet and multi-tasking machine tools provide manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe.
The company’s 40,000 sq. ft. facility includes a large showroom and demonstration area, conference and training rooms, machine storage areas, accessories and spare parts, as well as administrative, service, and engineering application support.
Since 1935, Matsuura has been a leader in developing and manufacturing innovative machining equipment to ensure that manufacturing professionals always have the tools they need to create high quality parts. Almost 10,000 Matsuura machining centers have been installed in the U.S. thus far. As the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan, Matsuura USA will provide the premium service, applications, and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business.
Matsuura USA professionally markets and supports Matsuura equipment users through local dealers, making sure customers continue to have the high quality productivity solutions they require. From full five-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor or multi-tasking CNC machine tools, Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology for the manufacturing industry


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The annual inflation rate in Canada jumped by 2.1 per cent in January, it’s highest level in over two years.
It’s right at tolerance levels for the Bank of Canada, where inflation between 2 per cent and 3 per cent raises warning flags regarding interest rates.
There is literally no chance of a rate hike now, or even into the foreseeable future.
However, it has not gone unnoticed that gasoline prices have jumped over 20 per cent year over year from 2016, the largest move since September 2011, as oil prices continue to hold in mid $50 per barrel range.
And, no surprise to renters, Canadians paid 2.4 per cent more for shelter.
Grocery wars continue to be waged across the country, as food prices dropped 2.1 per cent from January 2016.
All three measures that the Bank of Canada tracks shows inflation at about 2 per cent, which is not alarming, but is sending out a cautionary note.


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Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
The growing urgency and the conversation around the climate crisis is almost at fever pitch ahead of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, where world leaders will discuss their future environmental commitments. In advance, a campaign involving 20 green organizations—including Greenpeace—has begun calling for a ban on the advertising and sponsorship promotion of fossil fuel brands.
As many of the advertising industry’s biggest clients are fossil fuel brands, such as Shell and BP—which have also promoted renewable energy initiatives in recent years—the impact of such a ban would be hard-hitting, but necessary on a global scale, green campaigners argue.


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TVS Likely To Launch Zeppelin R Cruiser Next Month
TVS Motor Company has announced that it will launch a new bike on July 6, 2022. Though the brand has not confirmed the name of the model, rumors are rife about the arrival of the Zeppelin R cruiser which was first showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo.
The TVS Zeppelin R concept bike featured a 220cc, single-cylinder motor, paired with a mild-hybrid and belt drive system. It was also equipped with features like Smart Bio-Key and an HD action camera. If TVS brings the Zeppelin concept to the production line, then perhaps it can be offered with another powertrain. Also, the aforementioned features are unlikely to make their way to the final model. However, considering TVS’ track record of launching feature-rich products, we can expect the Zeppelin R to come with multiple riding modes, dual-channel ABS, smartphone connectivity, and TVS’ Glide Through Traffic (GTT) technology.
As the launch date approaches, we expect more details about the upcoming product to be revealed.
- TVS NTorq 125 XT Gets A Price Cut
- TVS Apache Range Gets A Price Hike: Apache RTR 160 4V, 180; 200 4V, RR 310
- Pre-Launch Bookings Now Open For BMW G 310 RR
In other news, TVS has recently reduced the prices of the NTorq 125 XT variant by Rs 5762. Besides, the brand has also launched the upgraded iteration of the iQube electric scooter that now comes in three variants. The homegrown bikemaker is also gearing up to launch a naked streetfighter version of the Apache RR 310 that could take its design inspiration from the BMW G 310 R.


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A shop owner’s hopes of selling booze from his corner shop have been dashed after fears it would add to the area’s troubles.
Stockton Council’s licensing committee refused to grant Muhammed Adnan Rabani a licence to sell alcohol from his store on Yarm Lane following a hearing last week.
But Mr Rabani argued his business would be hit badly by a refusal - and anyone wanting booze could go to any number of nearby stores to buy it, including Aldi over the road.
Councillors were told there had been 57 alcohol-related crimes and 29 booze-related anti-social behaviour problems within 200m of the shop in the past year.
Sgt Paul Higgins, from the force’s licensing unit, said: “What we’ve got here is an area suffering from significant alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour, lots of deprivation, street drinkers, street prostitution - and we’ve got a store exploited by criminals in the past by contactless payments.
“The question the committee needs to answer is: are they confident the operator and his staff will be able to stand up to these challenges?”
The committee’s verdict was sent out on Tuesday (June 2) and raised concerns about the lack of documentary evidence Mr Rabani had produced to counter Cleveland Police’s misgivings.
The report added: “For example, Mr Rabani had not produced any documentation to the committee to show that he would operate a good due diligence system at the premise.
“The committee would normally expect to see examples of training that would be given to his staff or examples of refusal registers.
“This was especially relevant given that the premise was going to be operating in a challenging area.”
The shop owner told last week's panel he was a “proud taxpayer” - and that all contactless payments had been stopped at the store following cases of criminals using stolen bank cards.
In the wake of the refusal, Mr Rabani told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was disappointed - and now thinking about the next steps he would take.
He said: “There is so much demand in my area so it’s not fair.
“They can go over the road to get alcohol - lots of people have been coming in and asking why I can’t sell it.
“I’ve been trying my best - it would have improved my business by 40 to 50%.
“I honestly don’t feel I have problems with people in the Yarm Lane area - I’m friendly with people, work in the area and everyone knows me.”
Mr Rabani will have 21 days to decide whether he wants to appeal against the decision through the courts.


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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BakeSpace.com and its Cookbook Café cookbook app publishing platform have once again earned multiple Webby Award honors.
For 2014, the company’s food social network and recipe swap was honored in the “Food & Drink Website” category, while its cookbook app publisher was honored for “Mobile & Apps: Social.” Fellow honorees include FoodNetwork.com, Food.com, Saveur.com and Path, Inc.
Since BakeSpace launched in 2006, the company has earned a total of 15 Webby Award honors and nominations, including back-to-back nominations for “Best Social Network.”
In addition, the Cookbook Café App and eBook Publisher has been recognized by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) for “Outstanding Use of New Technology.” Cookbook Café is the first do-it-yourself publishing tool that enables anyone (home chef, brand, nonprofit, etc.) to create, market and sell a cookbook as an iPad app and web-based eBook. There is no cost to publish a cookbook or use the app.
Download the Cookbook Café app on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bakespace.coms-cookbook-cafe/id467167455?mt=8 and try the companion online cookbook publishing tool at http://bakespace.com/Cookbooks. For more information visit www.CookbookCafe.com.
“Our goal is to empower everyone who has ever dreamed of publishing their own cookbook,” said BakeSpace Founder Babette Pepaj. “This latest Webby honor is shared with all the authors who have helped make Cookbook Café a success.”
About the Webby Awards
Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, the Webby is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996, it is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). This year's 18th annual competition included more than 12,000 entries from 60-plus countries.
About BakeSpace, Inc.
Launched in 2006 as the Web's first food social network, BakeSpace has grown to become a diversified online media, app publishing and conference production company for engaging consumers who are passionate about the culinary lifestyle. The core BakeSpace.com community has been described by USA Today as "the closest thing to a Facebook-like food site.” The company's 'Cookbook Cafe' platform is the first publishing tool that enables anyone to create, market and sell a cookbook as both an iPad app and a web-based eBook. BakeSpace’s offline events include the TECHmunch Food Blogger Conference (www.TECHmunchconf.com) held in cities across North America. More information is available at http://BakeSpaceMedia.com.


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In 2007, Microsoft beat out major players like Google to buy a 1.6% equity stake in Facebook for $240 million. At the time, Facebook was valued at $15 billion. Five years later, Facebook's valuation has soared -- giving Microsoft a stake worth more than $1 billion.
Facebook's IPO will raise $16 billion, making it the third-largest IPO in U.S. history.
|Investors don't shrug off Amazon loss this quarter; stock tumbles 10%|
|Argentina is now very close to default|
|Target sent victims to Experian, which has sold your data to criminals|
|Rotten bosses come in at least 6 different flavors|
|El Pollo Loco to spice up IPO market|


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McDonald’s is the subject of a lawsuit by more than 50 Black former franchisees in the US, who say they were driven out of business after being pushed by the company to set up shop in crime-ridden areas and denied financial help extended to white franchisees. The Black franchisees were steered to inner-city and urban areas with low-volume sales and high security and insurance costs, and were refused favourable franchise terms because McDonald’s unfairly graded their performance, according to a copy of a complaint filed Tuesday in Chicago federal court. The complaint couldn’t immediately be verified in court records.
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First Published: Wed, September 02 2020. 01:52 IST