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由艾伦•马斯科投资的电动汽车制造商特斯拉汽车公司（Tesla Motors）已经开始在官网上接受Model S的订单了，这款车型的起价为7万美元。这些车辆既可以运到这家公司拥有的30家商店里，也可以直接运到消费者的家门口。显然特斯拉并不怕挑战法律和传统。特斯拉公司的发言人莎娜•亨德里克斯说：“德克萨斯州的法律禁止厂商把汽车直接运到消费者家里，所以我们是通过第三方这样做的。我们并不是说我们永远都不需要经销商，但就眼下来说，那种模式对我们没有意义。”
密歇根州大布兰克市的Al Serra Auto Plaza汽车行的网络总监杰夫•琼斯表示，他的公司正在与通用汽车公司（General Motors）合作进行一项试点项目。用户可以访问通用官网来在线“制造”一辆车及其相关配置，但最后一步、也就是交易的过程仍然在经销商的门店里进行。他说：“要确保购车者的确具有贷款的资格，以及他是否选择了适合他的车型，人的因素仍然是必要的。”
For a century or so, the shopping ritual at dealer showrooms for new and used vehicles hasn't changed much, apart from more comfortable chairs and the addition of latte machines.
But the Internet is unraveling the essence of new-car retailing, arming shoppers with more information than ever about features and prices, as well as expert reviews. Will shoppers soon be able to take the next step and order new cars online, like books, laptops and shoes?
The debate over Internet vehicle sales rages, since automakers see it as a way to slash distribution costs by hundreds, and perhaps a few thousand dollars per vehicle. Dealers are aghast: They have shielded their franchises in every state with legislation. Many view Internet sales as a means of undermining them. Dealers assert that "cars aren't books or shoes" and are best sold in person by their sales staff, a process that allows the shopper to test the vehicle, as well as explore financing and trade-ins.
Tesla Motors (TSLA), the groundbreaking electric-vehicle manufacturer founded by Elon Musk, takes orders for its Model S sedan, which starts at $70,000, on its website. The cars are delivered either at one of its 30 company-owned stores or can be drop-shipped to a buyer's home. Tesla, clearly, is bucking law and tradition. "In Texas, where the law precludes delivering directly to customers, we do so through third-parties," said Shanna Hendriks, a Tesla spokesperson. "We're not saying we'll never have dealers; but that model doesn't make sense for us now.
Seth Berkowitz, president and chief operating officer of Edmunds.com, said "the current franchise system makes it difficult to imagine a time when consumers can order new cars online completely separate from a specific showroom experience." Berkowitz said Edmunds is offering a feature that would allow shoppers to know exactly what a specific car will cost before they come to the dealership.
Because the market for used cars isn't protected by new-car franchise laws, it may provide a more promising opportunity for online vehicle sales. eBay Motors, a division of eBay (EBAY), offers thousands of vehicles online for sales between private parties. Many used-car dealers also use the digital platform and pay a listing fee.
Carvana, a venture sponsored by DriveTime, one the nation's largest used-car operations, has begun selling late-model used premium and luxury models on its own website. Carvana operates for the time being only in Atlanta and its environs but hopes to expand nationwide. "What we've learned from our early experience is that shoppers like our on-line tools and money-back guarantee," said Ernie Garcia Jr., Carvana's chief executive officer. Barely in business for eight months, Carvana declines to specify how many vehicles it has sold, except to say that the rate is accelerating.
Garcia did say that the first hundred vehicles sold by Carvana reflect what he called a "promising" trend of high satisfaction among buyers. Four buyers of the first hundred weren't satisfied with their purchase and exercised their right to trade the vehicles they bought for another. Only one of the hundred demanded a refund.
Garcia said that sales of new and used vehicles at dealerships, in the conventional manner, reflect about "$2,000 a car" in sales, general and administrative cost. He regards that amount as margin that can and will eventually shrink as online attracts more vehicle shoppers.
Jeff Jones, Internet director for Al Serra Auto Plaza, a new-car dealer in Grand Blanc, Michigan, said his company is cooperating in an on-line pilot program with General Motors (GM). Visitors to GM websites can "build" a vehicle and equipment online -- the last step, the transaction, takes place at the dealership. "It still takes a human element to make sure the customer is eligible for financing and to see if the customer is choosing the right vehicle for him or her," said Jones.
New-vehicle sales online haven't arrived, and perhaps may never. Yet that day feels as though it's drawing closer, especially for consumers who will choose anything and everything -- including a spouse -- using keypad or mouse.


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ITS destinations are firmly Old World, rather than New World, and the MS Columbus is calling at Portsmouth International Port on its journey.
It is a cruise liner that takes its name from one of the greatest maritime explorers, and tomorrow she will be bringing her 384 passengers to the home of the navy.
The luxury cruise ship arrives at Portsmouth International Port at 8am, and the passengers will have the opportunity to explore.
MS Columbus’s stop at Portsmouth International Port is part of a round Britain and Ireland cruise, exploring the castles and wild beauty of the coastline.
The ship departed from Kiel in Germany on July 6, calling at Rosyth, Invergordon, Kirkwall, Portree, Stornoway, Greenock, Dublin and Fowey.
Martin Putman, port manager at Portsmouth International Port, said: ‘Cruise ships are becoming an important part of our business, and increasingly important to Portsmouth itself.
‘With more cruise liners booked to visit in 2012 it’s good news for the local economy.’

domain: news


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Organic farming may be going global, but southern Wisconsin organic farmers remain committed to locally grown organic food.
The New York Times reported recently that organic farms in the deserts of Mexico, supported by intensive irrigation, are exporting their harvest thousands of miles into the United States. While those products might be certified organic, the practice pushes the limits of traditional organic farming.
"I'm not sure the definition of organic in Mexico is the same as here in the United States," said organic vegetable farmer Janet Gamble of rural Delavan. "Does Mexico have the same organic standards? Are their standards vigorously enforced? And is there anything added to the product when it's shipped?"
Gamble farms 13 acres leased from the VDB Organic Farm owned by Bob and Beth Van De Boom.
"There are other issues such as labor costs and security," she said. "Lower costs in Mexico can drive down prices here while food security can be breached not knowing how strict inspections are conducted there, for example."
Bob Van De Boom raises organic grass-fed beef. Like Gamble, he emphasizes the local component of organic farming.
"Our cattle are organic grass-fed year round," said Van De Boom, whose farm is located on Pinnow Road in rural Delavan.
"In the warmer months, we feed the cattle from organic grass pastures. In the winter, they are fed organic grass we harvested and put into what is called baleage."
Van De Boom harvests the organic grass and puts it into 4-foot bales wrapped in plastic.
"We also make sure the animals are fed for at least 60 days on organic grass before they are harvested to ensure that the nutrients of the organic grass gets into the meat."
Van De Boom sells only to local customers.
"We have a very loyal local customer base," he said. "Most of them like to visit the farm to see how we operate an organic beef cattle operation."
Van De Boom said he doesn't think much about foreign organic farms because he believes local is a necessary component of organic farming.
"It's more than chemical-free," he said. "Organic is a culture that includes locally grown for local consumption."
VDB Organic Farm is part of a community supported agriculture network that delivers locally grown products and provides drop-off points for consumers to pick up the products.
"Here in the Walworth County area, we have a drop-off point in East Troy and one in Burlington," Van De Boom said. "We have found that the CSA (community supported agriculture) program helps the local producer get food to local customers."
Randy Hughes of Janesville, one of Rock County's veteran organic farmers, said he has always advocated for local organic farming.
Hughes farms about 1,000 acres of organic blue corn, peas, yellow corn, soybeans and wheat.
"I assume organic farming in Mexico is still organic farming, but it goes against the idea of locally grown," Hughes said. "If you buy local, you don't have to worry about preservatives and other factors associated with transportation."
But those transportation issues vary with the product, Hughes said.
"We send some of our organic crops to Japan, but it's a lot easier to store and transport corn, for example, than tomatoes," he said. "When we started out, Japan was one of just a few markets, so we have continued to be certified by JASS, the organic Japanese Agricultural Standard System, as well as our national standards."
The Hughes Farms organic blue corn is used in its Blue Farm chips.
"We only distribute the chips locally here in the Midwest," Hughes said. "One limitation we have is that we use not only organic corn, but we insist on working with processing plants that use only organic cooking oil to make the chips."
Hughes said he gets support for his organic chips from several local retailers.
"There's a growing interest and acceptance for locally grown organic food," he said. "We get great support here in Janesville from Woodman's and Basics Cooperative."
While he's an advocate of locally grown organic food, Hughes said organic is still the emphasis.
"I'd rather eat an organic tomato from Mexico than a non-organic tomato grown in Janesville with pesticides."
A dozen farms in Rock and Walworth counties are certified organic, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection:
-- Denny and Susan Wright, Wright Way Farm, 9002 W. County H, Beloit, grow soybeans, corn and vegetables on 39 acres.
-- Kyle Thom, Roots Down Farm, 4146 E. County N, Milton, grows vegetables on 1.2 acres.
-- Michael Scott, Scott Farm, 915 S. Sharon Road, Janesville, grows clover, soybeans and corn on 154 acres.
-- Randy Hughes, Randy Hughes Farm, 4031 S. Highway 51, Janesville, grows wheat, peas, soybeans and corn on 815 acres.
-- Steven Pincus, Tipi Produce, 14706 W. Ahara Road, Evansville, grows alfalfa and vegetables on 76 acres.
-- Altfrid and Sue Krusenbaum, KrusenGrass Farms, W3194 County D, Elkhorn, grow alfalfa and raises dairy cows, beef cattle and poultry on 304 acres.
-- Charles Palmer, Palmer Farm, W4211 Palmer Road, Lake Geneva, grows hay, wheat, soybeans and corn on 400 acres.
-- Ed and Jill Schoenberg, Ed & Jill Schoenberg Farm, N5064 Highway 120, Elkhorn, grow hay and barley on 164 acres.
-- John Pounder, Pounder Brothers Farm, N4734 County M, Delavan, grows hay, wheat, soybeans and corn and raises Angus beef on 202 acres.
-- Ken, Virginia and Karl Knuteson, Sunny Brook Farm, N9217 Duffin Road, Whitewater, grow alfalfa, grass, oats and soybeans on 90 acres.
-- Mike Peters, Peters Farm, N330 County K, Sharon, grows barley and corn on 240 acres.
-- Robert and Beth Van De Boom, VDB Farms, N5181 Pinnow Road, Delavan, grow alfalfa and raise beef cattle, sheep and poultry on 127 acres.


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Chemical giant DuPont has divulged its growth strategies for its seed business. At the Eighteenth Annual Goldman Sachs Agribusiness Conference, Paul E. Schickler – president of DuPont Pioneer – highlighted opportunities in major global agricultural markets and the roll out of the Encirca services platform for farmers in the U.S.
Schickler, at the meet, emphasized the need for science-based, sustainable solutions for U.S. growers as an expected rise in population, urbanization and a fast emerging middle-class will require increased productivity.
Schickler added that, over the next five years, around half of the company’s growth in the Agriculture segment is expected to come from outside of North America, mostly in major markets such as Latin America, Eastern Europe, India and China where DuPont has a strong foothold and looking for continued growth.
DuPont Pioneer, the seed business of DuPont, plays a major role in the company’s focus on expanding its leadership in the science-driven segments of the agriculture-to-food value chains. It has been a leader in developing innovative decision services over the past ten years. DuPont Pioneer, over the past decade, has mapped over 20 million grower acres and helped customers implement variable rate seeding prescriptions on more than 1.5 million acres during the 2013 growing season.
The recent launch of the Encirca services platform, which represents a key part of DuPont Pioneers’ growth strategy, marks an expansion to DuPont’s whole-farm decision services offerings geared to help farmers boost their productivity and profitability. The company retains a differentiated approach to its whole-farm decision services as it offers farmers tailor-made services and personalized advice.
Encirca services will assist farmers in making planting decisions as well as more informed management decisions regarding nitrogen/fertility, irrigation and grain marketing throughout the year. These services have been developed through internal investment, strategic acquisitions and collaborations with leading innovators in agriculture.
Encirca services have been projected to deliver peak revenues of more than $500 million annually for DuPont Pioneer over the next decade. The company expects to launch additional services under the Encirca services moniker in 2015 and beyond. DuPont sees significant potential for these services in helping corn and soybean farmers in North America beef up productivity and further extend to a vast spectrum of crops and markets globally.
DuPont is witnessing strong momentum in its agriculture business, reflected by higher corn seeds and crop protection sales. Despite unfavorable currency impact, the Agriculture segment saw double-digit rise in sales in the fourth quarter of 2013 boosted by healthy insecticide sales in Latin America and earlier seed shipments, aided by the company’s acquisition of a majority stake in Pannar Seed (Pty) Limited.
DuPont is seeing healthy demand for its corn hybrids and expects continued strong growth in crop protection driven by new products. The company has numerous new products in its pipeline that are expected to create value for its customers.
DuPont launched 1,753 new products in 2013 and its key products including Optimum AQUAmax corn products and Optimum AcreMax insect control products are gaining significant market traction. The company gained more than a point in the North American corn market share last year driven by strong performance in its Pioneer seed business.
DuPont is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock.
Other companies in the chemical industry with a favorable Zacks Rank are The Dow Chemical Company , LyondellBasell Industries NV (LYB - Free Report) and PPG Industries Inc. (PPG - Free Report) , all with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).


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Intel plans to show Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 on tablets based on new Atom processors, and on ultrabooks, at both the Intel Developer Forum and Microsoft’s BUILD conference this week, according to a source familiar with Intel’s plans.
Intel will show off Windows 8 ultrabooks and other devices as it drums up developer support for the OS on the x86 platform. Windows 8 will work on tablets and PCs, and Microsoft has extended support for the OS beyond x86 to include the ARM architecture, which is used in most smartphones and tablets.
Microsoft also will hand out Samsung tablets running Windows 8 running on Intel chips at the BUILD conference, the source said. While Intel dominates the PC market, the company has virtually no tablet presence, and it hopes to lure tablet developers away from ARM. Intel will focus on the upcoming Medfield chips for tablets at IDF, and it is also expected to show off devices such as netbooks running on Atom chips.
Intel and ARM are fighting a two-way battle in the mobile device and PC markets. At IDF, Intel will provide further details about ultrabooks, which Intel has described as thin and light PCs with tablet-like features. Intel hopes ultrabooks will rejuvenate interest in PCs, which have been declining in shipments partly because of tablets.
ARM hopes to unseat Intel’s PC dominance by using the common platform of Windows 8 to expand the presence of its architecture from tablets to PCs. Chip makers Nvidia and Texas Instruments will be present at BUILD to drum up support for Windows 8 on their chips, which are based on the ARM architecture. Nvidia and TI have said they will put their ARM-based chips in laptops in an attempt to take PC market share away from Intel. Nvidia has confirmed that Windows 8 will work on its upcoming Tegra chips, code-named Kal El, which are due to ship by the end of this year for tablets and PCs.
Intel declined to comment. IDF will be held in San Francisco from Tuesday through Thursday, while BUILD will take place in Anaheim, California, from Tuesday through Friday.


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ATTENTION: The Covid-19 situation presents us all with new challenges. Due to the ban on holding major events in Germany, this year’s German Comic Con Dortmund will not take place on December 5-6, 2020.
All tickets that are currently valid for the December 2020 event will continue to be valid and will be pushed to German Comic Con Dortmund December 3-5, 2021. This applies to both the tickets postponed from April / May / August to December and the current December tickets and applies to both tickets bought via TicketPay and tickets bought via Eventbrite.
All previously confirmed star guests of the German Comic Con Dortmund 2020 will take part in the December 2021 event according to the current status 1:1.
The areas BLOOD DIARY, POP’S and ROSEWOOD REUNION are also postponed 1:1.
And another great news: Due to the high number of star guests, we will extend the event to THREE DAYS again next year, i.e. we will celebrate the start of the German Comic Con Dortmund 2021 on Friday, December 3rd, 2021 together with you!
Regardless of this, as a precautionary measure, we have also stopped the pre sales for the German Comic Con Dortmund Spring Edition on April 24-25, 2021 and will wait with the further ticket sales until a clear ray of light appears without worrying about that too this event has to be postponed again. This means that the April date will remain, but we will not be selling any more tickets at the moment.
Of course, the TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG vouchers will continue and the validity will be extended by one year. This means you can easily redeem the vouchers at our events next year as well as the year after that!


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THE HONEYMOON IS OVER.
The screw is turning and MTFs now have to prove their staying power. Mary Bogan reports
The tables have turned in the marketplace for execution venues in Europe. Caught on the back foot by the arrival of a pack of leaner, hungrier, techier and cheaper MTFs it’s not long since traditional exchanges looked like sleeping dinosaurs in the revolutionary new trading landscape created post-MiFID. More recently, however, it’s the alternative trading venues, not the exchanges, who have found themselves fighting a rear-guard action.
With business plans that were written for more buoyant times, many MTFs have found the going tough in subdued equity markets. In 2010, NASDAQ OMX Europe closed its doors for good while Turquoise, the trading platform set up by banks in competition to the London Stock Exchange (LSE), was bailed out by its arch rival. More recently, Chi-X Europe fell to BATS Global Markets then, in October, the Nordic-focused platform, Burgundy, was sold to Oslo Bors.
Even after this major consolidation the environment is still challenging. Over the last year, BATS’ market share in FTSE 100 stocks, for example, has fallen from 40% to around the 30% mark and, with indications that business is flowing back to the LSE, the young pretender has been forced to come up with new strategies to drive up revenues.
“What the new guys did was create a commoditised marketplace in trading equities,” says Hugh Cumberland, solutions manager with technology provider, Colt. “That worked when volumes were high but this is a new market scenario. The challenge facing all MTFs now is to figure out how they can innovate to make money out of a commoditised service, or how they can create or acquire new added-value businesses. But without deep pockets, that’s going to be tough. Diversification is a capital-intensive strategy.”
Innovate or die
Continued pressure on pricing, and innovation in the trade and post-trade space, will be key strategic goals for BATS Chi-X going forward, according to chief executive Mark Hemsley. But that hasn’t stopped the venue announcing effective price hikes in trading fees as it grapples with difficult conditions. From January, under changes to the “market taker” scheme operating on its two ‘lit’ books, BATS will no longer offer a rebate to customers adding liquidity to BXE, the old BATS Europe platform.
Traders taking liquidity will be charged a fee of 0.15 basis points, a removal rate which, BATS claims, is the lowest in Europe. Meanwhile, for adding liquidity to CXE, the old Chi-X order book, participants will receive a lower rebate of 0.15 bps while the 0.30 bp fee for removing liquidity remains the same.
Squaring the circle, says Hemsley, is about offsetting price increases with new ways to trade. “Whilst we do want a higher margin out of both books, we haven’t just raised prices. We’ve also been innovative in how the books are structured so we can put pricing pressure on different parts of the market. We’re proposing a different theory about how our books work and how customers interact with them,” he adds.
In tandem with pricing changes, BATS has also created new order types that allow traders to ‘sweep’ the two books. It means orders not filled on, say, BXE can be directed straight to CXE.
“What we’re saying is: try to get filled at 0.15 but, if you can’t, we will automatically send you straight to the other book and you will execute at 0.30. We were the first to offer this dual book structure but, before, they were just the original BATS and Chi-X books moved onto new systems. Now we’ve used pricing in an innovative way that not only differentiates between the books but also creates new order types to help customers access the books in a way they would logically if removing liquidity. The changes also leave posters of liquidity with an interesting decision too. They can either go for a rebate on CXE, or they can get a first look at liquidity on what maybe a less-busy BXE book, and stand a better chance of getting to the front of the queue to interact with the flow.”
Innovation in execution isn’t the only area of focus for BATS Chi-X. It is also in the post-trade space, following the introduction of four-way interoperability on its platform, is designed to drive down post-trade costs and make consolidation in the CCP market, easier, less risky and less costly to achieve. The firm has also turned its attention to the high cost of market data charged by the incumbent exchanges.
In October, BATS started charging for market data in a move some observers interpreted as another sign of a struggling firm. However, the change, says the firm, is more about provoking the argument on high data costs, a major barrier to a consolidated tape, than earning revenue. By showing it can charge a price for data that covers a significant part of the European market, BATS is hoping to exert pressure on exchanges to unbundle data packages and lower prices.
The decision though by BATS Chi-X to apply for a licence, and become a fully-fledged exchange, is probably the clearest sign yet that the writing is on the wall for the old MTF model. If given the go-ahead, BATS would be able to trade in derivatives contracts, compete for retail investors and challenge the LSE for listings business. It would also stimulate more flow from conservative fund managers whose mandates require they trade solely on licensed exchanges.
The jury is out
According to Peter Lenardos, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, this latest move, which is part of a series of growth initiatives undertaken by BATS since its failed IPO in the US in March, makes sense. “This seems like a natural progression for the company to legitimise its business,” he says, although he expects it to have little impact on LSE’s market share.
However, as BATS’s transitions from Young Turk to establishment player, the need for a new trading organisation that can kick up some dust again is pressing, says one of the men who led the MTF revolution, the former chief executive of Chi-X, Alasdair Haynes. Heading a new MTF, Aquis, which plans to launch next year, Haynes says recent price hikes are just one indication that competition is weakening.
“The duopoly has become the pervasive model in Europe’s markets. Over 95% of all business in the UK, Germany and Switzerland, for example, is shared between two venues – BATS and the national market. Duopolies may be marginally better than monopolies but it’s not what regulators or the MiFID regulations had in mind. What we’re offering is a brand new business model with a brand new pricing structure designed specifically for the austerity age.”
The big idea behind the Aquis model is to turn trading into a utility business. In just the same way as mobile phone companies charge different prices for different packages, so the Aquis plan is to charge a monthly flat fee for connection and then a set fee relating to usage only and not the value of the share traded. “There is no reason why what you pay is linked to the underlying value of the equity. Why should it cost more to trade a Glaxo than a Vodafone when the underlying cost of the message is the same?” says Haynes.
According to Haynes, the “revolutionary” pricing model will result in “a significant lift in volumes, attracting business from mainstream investment banks, high frequency traders and mid-tier brokers and, in time, innovation could spread to other underlying asset classes.
Whether there is room for a third player, and whether a new MTF can succeed where others have failed, remains to be seen, says Steve Grob, group strategy director at Fidessa.“What is evident to date is market participants don’t want five venues; so far, they’ve preferred one primary and one alternative. The interesting question now is, with BATS raising prices and starting to charge for market data, will the marketplace decide it wants three venues – a primary, a pan European and a small domestic MTF that makes sure the big guys don’t run away with themselves. Can a new venue do to BATS Chi-X what BATS Chi-X did to the LSE? My feeling is it won’t be easy and it will probably need more than just cheaper pricing. But it’s not impossible.”©BestExecution


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The Nigeria Customs Service on Monday announced an indefinite ban on importation and exportation of goods through the land borders.
This came as the Nigeria Immigration Service said it had stopped 1,111 foreigners from entering Nigeria since August 20, 2019 when the country’s land borders were partially closed.
Ali said, “For now, all goods, whether illicit or non-illicit, are banned from going and coming into Nigeria. Let me add that for the avoidance of doubt, we have included all goods because all goods can equally come through our seaports.
“For that reason, we have deemed it necessary for now that importers of such goods should go through our controlled boarders where we have scanners to verify the goods and how healthy they are to our people.”
The closure of borders is being enforced by the NCS and NIS, in collaboration with the Nigerian armed forces and the Nigeria Police Force. It is being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Ali said the aim of the exercise was to better secure Nigeria’s borders, address trans-border security concerns and strengthen the economy.
The customs boss said it was disturbing that some neighbouring countries were circumventing the ECOWAS protocol on transit.
He said, “For clarity, the ECOWAS protocol on transit demands that when a transit container berths at a seaport, the receiving country is mandated to escort same without tampering with the seal to the border of the destination country.
“Unfortunately, experience has shown that our neighbours do not comply with this protocol. Rather, they break the seals of containers at their ports and trans-load goods destined for Nigeria.”
Ali said the closure of the borders had curbed the smuggling of foreign rice into Nigeria and addressed the diversion of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.
According to him, 10.2 million litres of petrol had been stopped from being diverted out of the country since the borders were closed, while producers of local food were making increased earnings.
On security, the customs boss stated that so far, 317 suspected smugglers and 146 illegal migrants had been arrested.
He said, “Also, some items seized are 21,071 pieces of 50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice; 190 vehicles; 891 drums filled with petrol; 2,665 jerry cans of vegetable oil; 66,000 litre-tanker of vegetable oil; 133 motorcycles; 70 jerry cans of petrol and 131 bags of NPK fertiliser used for making explosives. The estimated monetary value of the intercepted items is about N1.43bn.”


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Selinsgrove, Pa. — A Sunbury woman is accused of stealing more than $1,100 of perfumes from an Ulta beauty store.
State police at Selinsgrove say Christine Brumbach, 59, was caught on Dec. 16 concealing three bottles of perfumes in her purse and walking out of the Selinsgrove Ulta store. Staff at the store called police around 1 p.m., saying Brumbach was in the store stealing the items. Staff told police Brumbach had been there two days prior stealing items.
Store surveillance footage showed that Brumbach had been to the store the morning of Dec. 14 and concealed several bottles of perfumes in her purse before walking out without paying, according to Trooper Derek Gill. Total value of items stolen that day was $683. Store surveillance video captured footage of Brumbach stealing the perfumes.
Total value of items taken on the Dec. 16 is $542.
Misdemeanor theft charges were filed at the office of District Judge John H. Reed. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 30, 2023.


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Daily deals site LivingSocial announced today it will sell LivingSocial Korea, the company that owns group buying site Ticket Monster (a.k.a. TMON), to Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) for $260 million in cash and shares.
That essentially means LivingSocial is giving up South Korea for the time being, and Groupon is up to bat. Any remaining non-Korean assets owned by LivingSocial Korea will be divested.
Groupon says Ticket Monster makes $800 million in billings, from which it takes a 10 to 15 percent cut according to a source cited in AllThingsD. That puts the revenue figure around $100 million.
LivingSocial acquired Ticket Monster in August 2011, although exact details were not disclosed.
LivingSocial has expanded to more than two dozen countries, while Groupon is available in nearly 50. The two US-based companies are each others’ biggest competitors globally.
(Editing by Steven Millward)


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Conti Removing Jobs, Operations from Puchov Site
At present Continental reports an overcapacity of more than two million truck tyres in its European markets, a situation that has developed due to a “drastic” fall in demand during the opening months of 2009. To remedy this, the company is further reducing European truck tyre capacity by eliminating a number of jobs at and operations its Continental Matador Truck Tires facility in Puchov, Slovakia.
Continental says it has decided to remove 75 positions will be removed from Puchov by November 30 at the latest. On top of this, following a detailed analysis of the company’s machinery business, Conti will concentrate this aspect of operations to its Hannover-Stöcken plant in Germany. This measure, reports Continental, will affect around 190 Puchov based Continental Machinery employees.
“We are a strong partner of the local community and this decision is very difficult for us to take,” declared Markus Korsten, Manufacturing Senior Vice President of Conti’s Truck Tires business unit. “The activities in Puchov are long-term oriented and we are making all efforts to master the crisis successfully.”
Production volume at the Continental Matador Truck Tires plant in Puchov had already dropped by close to 50 per cent before this latest decision was taken. These prior measures, notes Conti, automatically impacted upon the employment situation at the site: “We already implemented all available adjustment measures: we prolonged holidays, we reduced the time accounts, we stopped hiring, we introduced short-time working and we offered numerous employees an alternative position in the company,” commented Friedrich-Wilhelm Falkenreck, the Human Resources director for Conti’s tyre divisions. “Nevertheless further measures are necessary. At present we are in constant dialogue with the workers representatives, as our efforts are concentrating on giving the affected employees all the counselling, assistance and support we can.”
At present Continental employs around 4,400 workers in Slovakia.


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The Savings Catcher launched nationwide Monday. Shoppers can head to the website or download a smart phone app to enter a code on their receipts. The program compares the prices of items bought at Walmart to weekly advertised prices of other retailers. If the it finds a lower price, Walmart will give customers the difference on a Walmart eGift Card.
The company began testing the app back in April in seven of the retailer's biggest markets. At its launch, Savings Catcher compared approximately 80,000 grocery items but the Walmart plans to add produce and general merchandise in the coming months.
Find more information https://savingscatcher.walmart.com/
Copyright 2016 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Melanesia Digital TV News
MediaKind provides compression and transmitter infrastructure to Digicel in PNG
Sep 4, 2018 – MediaKind is supporting Digicel, the leading provider of digital TV in Papua New Guinea (PNG), to evolve its service, adding 48 new channels through deploying MediaKind’s compression headend technology and expanded transmitter infrastructure.
News categories: MediaKind, Digicel, Ken Yap, Alan Constant, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IBC2019, Melanesia, Terrestrial
Techtel installs new DVB-T2 transmitter in Papua New Guinea
Jul 10, 2018 – Techtel has commissioned a transmitter system for digital terrestrial TV in Papua New Guinea for a local service provider, enabling the delivery of more than 30 additional services in Port Moresby via two newly added transport streams.
News categories: Techtel, Egatel, Mal Chandler, Content Distribution, Digital TV, DVB-T2, Melanesia, Terrestrial
Fiji selects EUTELSAT 172B to provide universal TV access
Nov 23, 2017 – Walesi, the Fijian Government’s Digital Television infrastructure management company, has signed a multi-year agreement with Eutelsat (Paris: ETL) that will for the first time expand free-to-air television throughout Fiji.
News categories: Eutelsat, Michel Azibert, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Melanesia, Satellite, Set Top Box
Amazon Prime Video launches globally
Dec 14, 2016 – Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has announced that Amazon Prime Video is now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe. Customers can watch on Android and iOS phones and tablets, Fire Tablets and LG and Samsung smart TVs.
News categories: Amazon, Tim Leslie, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Chile, Colombia, Congo-Brazzaville, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Digital TV, Dominican Republic, DRC, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Melanesia, Mexico, Micronesia, Mobile, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, OTT, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Polynesia, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Worldwide, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Fiji plans National Platform for conversion to digital TV
Aug 3, 2014 – At the the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), Fiji's Prime Minister announced plans for a National Digital Television Platform as part of the country's conversion to digital television broadcasting.
News categories: Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Melanesia, Terrestrial
Digicel set to launch pay TV in Papua New Guinea
Jul 8, 2014 – Digicel Papua New Guinea (Digicel PNG) has said that it plans to launch a terrestrial pay television service in November. The new TV offering, which is expected to grow to 30-40 channels, would be both free-to-air and prepaid.
News categories: Digicel PNG, Digital TV, DVB-T2, Melanesia, Set Top Box, Terrestrial
Fiji TV Chooses Intelsat for DTH in the Pacific Ocean Region
Oct 31, 2012 – Intelsat has announced a long-term agreement with Fiji TV. The programmer will use capacity on the Intelsat 19 video neighborhood, located at 166°E, to offer direct-to-home (DTH) services to customers across the Pacific Ocean region.
News categories: Intelsat, Fiji TV, Content Distribution, Melanesia, Satellite
Anevia and Elemental Provide Over-the-Top TV Solution for Can'L
Mar 20, 2012 – Anevia and Elemental have announced that Can'L has deployed its over-the-top (OTT) TV solution for New Caledonia. Can'L chose to work with Anevia and Elemental to build a new 30 channel French-language OTT TV service for its customers.
News categories: Anevia, Elemental Technologies, Can'L, Content Distribution, Content Protection, Melanesia, Middleware, OTT
- Roku OS 9.2 to begin rollout
- Roku announces new streaming player line-up for UK
- Eros Now to develop online video platform with Microsoft
- FourthWall Media introduces Reveal 5 TV analytics and optimization platform
- Hearst Television moves to impressions-based selling of Local TV ad inventory
- Roku releases U.S. cord-cutting study
- Facebook introduces Portal TV set-top box
- CTA launches 8K Ultra HD logo program
- SVOD subscriptions soar by 38% in 2018
- Subscriptions now account for nearly 86% of US internet TV and movie spending
- NBCUniversal streaming service to be called 'Peacock'
- Vizio adds additional Alexa capabilities to SmartCast TVs
- LIWEST latest Austrian operator to deploy IPTV with Verimatrix and Ocilion
- Channel 4 to use Sky's AdSmart technology
- TV penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa still low
- Amazon Prime Video to be made available on Altice One
- NEOTION renews partnership with Irdeto
- Online video viewing to reach 100 minutes a day in 2021
- Irdeto secures Airtel Xstream 4K set-top box
- Netgem and Sharp release smart soundbar for telcos


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NORWOOD, Mass. (AP) -- Chipmaker Analog Devices Inc. said its fiscal third-quarter profit fell 23 percent, hurt by double-digit revenue drops at three of its four business divisions, and issued weak guidance for the current quarter.
For the quarter ended Aug. 4, the Norwood, Mass.-based company said late Tuesday it earned $169.8 million, or 56 cents per share, down from $219.9 million, or 71 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.
Revenue fell 9.9 percent to $683 million from $757.9 million.
The profit matched Wall Street predictions, while the revenue fell slightly short. Analysts, on average, expected a profit of 56 cents per share on $691.2 million in revenue, according to a FactSet poll.
Industrial revenue fell 12 percent to $322.3 million, while consumer revenue dropped 19 percent to $108.9 million and communications revenue decreased 11 percent to $137.2 million. The company's automotive business was its lone bright spot, posting a 12 percent increase in revenue to $114.7 million.
Analog devices said it expects that its fiscal fourth-quarter revenue from industrial, communications and automotive end markets will be similar to that of the third quarter and in line with typical seasonal patterns.
But the company said it expects revenue from its consumer customers to be up from third-quarter levels, which is typical for the fourth quarter, but also as a result of demand for its new products.
As a result, Analog Devices said it expects its overall fourth-quarter revenue to total between $685 million and $715 million, below average analysts' predictions of $713.5 million. The company also projected a fourth-quarter profit of between 54 cents and 60 cents per share, while analysts expect 60 cents per share.
Sterne Agee analyst Vijay Rakesh backed his "Neutral" rating for Analog Devices, calling the third-quarter results "respectable" given the current economic climate.
But Citi analyst Terence Whalen backed his "Buy" rating for the company, saying that its next quarterly results could beat expectations if Apple Inc. decides to use a microphone developed by the company in the next version of its iPhone set to hit the market this fall.
Analog Devices also said late Tuesday that its board declared a dividend of 30 cents. The dividend will be paid on Sept. 12 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 31.
Shares of Analog Devices fell 45 cents to $39.89 in afternoon trading.


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It's easy enough to know what kind of fuel economy a new car gets - it's printed right there on the window sticker. Finding out how much pollution it emits is a little harder if you don't know what terms like LEV, SULEV and PZEV mean.
The California Air Resources Board is making it easier to identify "greener" cars by requiring new vehicles to display window stickers indicating how much smog-forming and global warming pollution the car produces. The label will note the vehicle's "smog score" and "global warming score" on a 10-point scale, with cleaner cars getting higher scores.
"It's a translation of the old terms, which were very cryptic," says board spokesman Dimitri Stanich. "Consumers can immediately look at these labels and know where the car ranks."
Automakers must affix the labels to all new cars beginning Jan. 1, but Stanich says they could begin appearing on some models as early as this month. And although the rules apply only to those cars sold in California, the information is only a mouse click away so anyone can see it.
California accounts for about 10 percent of the domestic auto market, with about 1.5 million new vehicles sold each year. The labels will help consumers nationwide because the smog and global warming scores will be available at www.DriveClean.ca.gov. The Environmental Protection Agency has a voluntary program for providing such information, says Spencer Quong of the Union of Concerned Scientists, but automakers tend to include the information only for their cleanest models.
"These labels are simple and straightforward and will make identifying a greener car easier than ever," Quong he says, adding that the labels will "cut through industry greenwashing by making the automakers accountable. Hopefully, the labels will help prod them to clean up their fleets."
The Air Resources Board assigns the scores according to each vehicle's measured emissions. The average new car receives a score of 5 for both smog and global warming. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, sample scores for some popular vehicles include:
- Honda Civic Hybrid: smog 8, global warming 9.
- Toyota Corolla sedan: smog score 5, global warming 7.
- Saturn VUE: smog 6, global warming 4.
- Dodge Caravan: smog 5, global warming 3.
- Ford Ranger: smog 5, global warming 4.
- Nissan Titan: smog 4, global warming 1.
Stanich says the Air Resources Board will continue using the more arcane low emission vehicle, super low-emission vehicle and partial zero-emission vehicle designations.
Graphic by California Air Resources Board.


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Developers are skeptical about the ability of the Wholesale Applications Community to compete with the established platforms from Google and Apple.
Microsoft plans to increase China R&D staff numbers by 10% to boost its position in the smartphone segment in the country.
Fresh antitrust action has been launched against Google in Europe by legal search engine Ejustice.fr, which accuses the firm of search-related breaches, and 1PlusV, which claims Google has abused a dominant position in the region.
Mike Quigley, chief of Australia's NBN Co, claims fixed-line networks will remain the “workhorse of data download,” despite the rise of 4G technologies.
Online music service Spotify has raised about $100 million (€72.9 million) in a new financing round that values the company at $1 billion.
US regulator FCC has ordered Verizon to provide a full assessment of the error that caused connection failures for around 10,000 emergency services calls in the state of Maryland during a January snowstorm.
Conflicting rumors claim Apple will unveil the successor the iPad on March 2, or delay the launch until June.


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While social media was initially identified by industry as a great marketing tool, today's EMBAs are learning how to integrate social into many more facets of business operations.
Even with the latest improvements in China's patent-protection regime, risk of IP compromise remains high -- as does the risk of getting sued by Chinese firms.
Slyce has been developing an e-commerce platform that will allow users to scan a physical product in-store using their tablet or phone’s camera and purchase the item immediately without having to go through a traditional point-of-sale
Students at York University’s Schulich School of Business who want to launch a startup will now be able to do so with the help of innovation consulting firm Kinetic Café
A surge in consumer and student demand in making business more sustainable and responsible has spurred a widespread movement among business schools toward comprehensive CSR programming.
A new initiative to build Canada's largest solar farm in Ontario will put Canada in the same league as leading global solar producers and highlights the evolution of the technology's cost efficiencies.
Ryerson University's interim dean of continuing education says universities can help stem the tide of youth underemployment by nurturing more entrepreneurship and coupling degrees with certificate courses.
How a Schulich grad gave Canadian startups new means of cultivating the business concepts by proliferating Startup Weekends across Canada.
York University's 12-year-old EMBA program at the Schulich School of Business gets its first nod as the the #1 program in the world.
Many professionals wait for a 'quiet period' to begin an EMBA program, but with work becoming more demanding and life stages growing increasingly unpredictable, many prospective MBAs may have to resolve that there's no ideal situation in which to go back to school.
The new iPhones went on sale today in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, France, Germany and the U.K., before rolling out in Puerto Rico, Canada and the U.S.
Alibaba.com has been known to sell well-disguised counterfeit goods, but a lot of stuff is straight up bizarre
A study from Oxford Properties, one of the largest landlords in Canada, finds the city is leading the pack in LEED certified buildings
Auditions for Shark Tank are usually held in major cities including Chicago, L.A. and New York. But this year the show was more 'Shark Tank Meets Main Street'
Six years after TransCanada filed its application, the 1,900-kilometre pipeline has yet to be built and instead has become a symbol of deep ideological divisions


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PRIME MIX EXPAND STRATEGIC MARKETING SERVICES
2 years ago
Worcestershire based full services Marketing and PR agency Prime Mix, are expanding their range of services to help increase exposure for local businesses as part of their digital marketing strategy. The agency is increasing their services to include social media platforms such as TikTok to the business-to-business environment with creative videos, graphics and strategy content planning, plus a new award writing service, Prime Mix grows from strength to strength.
If there is one thing that COVID-19 has taught us is that adaptability is the key to survival for any business. In the business world, online exposure has been critical in ensuring every opportunity can be grabbed with both hands to increase sales. Prime Mix, who were established in 2013, have seen many changes in the way businesses promote themselves in the last few years, and even more so since COVID-19 has dominated our lives in 2020. The recent lockdown has blurred the lines between ‘business to consumer’ (B2C) and ‘business to business’ (B2B) marketing strategies, with more people working from home and engaging in online communications. Customers crave good news and communicating the way forward through positive public relations is critical in helping businesses standout from the crowd.
Christina Darling, Managing Director and Founder of Prime Mix explains, “Since COVID-19 hit at the end of March we’ve worked tirelessly with local businesses to rethink their marketing strategies, in what can only be compared to a ‘wartime’ crisis. Social media has become even more important in our service offering and now we are taking it to an even higher level to expand the reach for our clients. Social media management of TikTok for businesses is a new service we have added to our creative mix of support, backed by over 20 years’ experience in strategic sales and marketing activities”. She adds “We have also seen a sharp increase in requests for press releases, particularly around national and international awards. Our new service encompasses writing award entries for businesses and PR support once they have won. There’s nothing more positive than winning awards!”
Award-winning themselves, Prime Mix provide an integrated mix of strategic marketing services including marketing planning and consultancy, to full marketing and PR management. With many long-standing clients in the Worcestershire area, adapting to external changes such as COVID-19 has meant a new approach to increasing exposure for businesses using every ‘tool’ in the marketing tool box!
For more information regarding the new services offered by Prime Mix, please contact Christina Darling on 07719 430267 alternatively email email@example.com.


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Marvel has officially revealed its first AAA team-based shooter, Marvel Rivals, an Overwatch-style multiplayer game developed by NetEase Games with some release date details.
It isn’t the multimedia comic juggernaut’s first foray into the arena battler space. Marvel dipped its toes into that scene with Marvel Super War for Android and iOS, developed by NetEase. Although it’s far from an AAA-quality release, fans loved playing as iconic Marvel characters in what was essentially Marvel’s version of League of Legends: Wild Rift.
Still, with how big Marvel has gotten thanks to the MCU, it was only a matter of time before the company set its sights higher. Valorant and Overwatch 2 can attest that there’s still a big market for hero shooters despite the best efforts of their publishers. The announcement trailer for Marvel Rivals showcases just what the game has in store alongside some release date info, and it should look strikingly familiar for many.
What is Marvel Rivals?
Marvel Rivals is a third-person team-based shooter that pits iconic Marvel characters against each other in 6v6 combat.
The setting for the game centers on Doctor Doom feuding with the Doom 2099 version of himself, which caused a collision of countless universes in the timestream. Notably, the art style is much closer to fellow Marvel-filled shooter Fortnite than the typically “realistic” MCU aesthetic that other AAA Marvel titles go for, such as Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man.
The official site also reveals a lot more gameplay elements not elaborated upon in the action-packed trailer. The developers confirm synergies between different characters, such as Rocket Raccoon being able to ride Groot’s shoulder, or Hulk overcharging Iron Man’s armor with Gamma energy. There will also be destructible environments that add a strategic layer to Marvel Rivals.
When is Marvel Rivals’ release date?
Marvel Rivals will launch on PC with a closed alpha test in May 2024. No release date for a general release was given.
Unlike Marvel Super War, Marvel Rivals is a full-fledged AAA release. Kurakasis, a leaker who accurately reported Marvel Rivals’ title before its announcement, claimed there would be mobile and console ports. However, Marvel Rivals is only confirmed to be releasing on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Still, given how popular team-based shooters are on those platforms and NetEase’s experience with past games, these will likely come in the future. NetEase has an enormous stable of developers under its umbrella including Detroit: Become Human developers Quantic Dream and Halo: Infinite co-developer Skybox Labs. Both precedent and industry trends suggest a release on as many platforms as the company can manage.


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Posted August. 04, 2009 08:58,
The government will devise policies to preserve traditional Korean liquor, which has almost disappeared from the domestic scene.
Regulation on traditional liquor came a century ago in the form of the Liquor Tax Law, but the government will deregulate traditional liquor and promote it on the global market.
A high-ranking official said yesterday, For the first time, the government will set up a legal system under which traditional Korean liquor will be nurtured as an industry. The Strategy and Finance Ministry, the Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, and the National Tax Service will cooperate to create measures to strengthen the competitiveness of the traditional liquor industry.
The government also seeks to end turf battles among agencies that have stood in the way of the sectors growth. The tax agency and Finance Ministry will continue to deal with the Liquor Tax Law, which covers the tax rate, licensing and safety of liquor.
Tasked with fostering the industry is the Food Ministry, which has long been at odds against the tax office over management of the sector. The ministry says it should get full responsibility of managing the industry but the tax office says the sector should be subject to the Liquor Tax Law system.
Deregulation is seen as the key to raising the competitiveness of the traditional liquor industry. To this end, the government will tentatively establish the Act on Promotion of the Traditional Liquor Industry and discuss law revision if necessary.
According to the Enforcement Decree of the Liquor Tax Law, licenses to brew traditional liquor are given to breweries with gukshil (a fermentation room) of six square meters or larger and damgeumsil (liquor brewing facility where raw ingredients are mixed with water) of 10 square meters or larger.
Under the decree, traditional liquor made by small farms and villages without legitimate facilities is considered illegal. Through deregulation, the government wants to nurture traditional liquor breweries.
Liberalization of liquor distribution is also under consideration. Consumers now can only buy up to 50 bottles of traditional liquor per person at post offices.


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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Flagler County resident has claimed a $1 million top prize from “The Fastest Road To $1,000,000″ scratch-off game at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
William Martin purchased his winning ticket from RaceTrac, at 301 Palm Coast Parkway. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.
Martin chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $790,000.
The $30 game, launched in February 2020, features 155 top prizes of $1 million and over $948 million in cash prizes. The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.79.
Scratch-off games comprise approximately 75% of ticket sales and generated more than $1 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund in fiscal year 2019-


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Australia’s major beer companies have called for pregnancy warning labels to be adopted across all alcohol products as a matter of urgency.
The Brewers Association of Australia has stated that too many have been too slow to do this, with CEO Brett Heffernan making the following statement.
“Our members are leaders in responsible marketing practices, including pregnancy warning labels. All have been 100% compliant in carrying the warning symbol on all beers they make for years. And, as they acquire new brands, those labels are brought up to speed. But the whole alcohol sector needs to step up.
“A voluntary system is an opportunity for industry to demonstrate that it is responsible and responsive. After six years of voluntary pregnancy labelling it is bewildering that so many are still dragging their heels and giving the whole industry a black eye. Any alcohol produced in Australia since 2012 could, and should, bear the warning label by now.
“There is simply no excuse for any further delay in adopting pregnancy warning labels on all alcohol products made in Australia. We are calling on all industry players to fix it. That said, the current pregnancy warning labels are having an impact. Research commissioned by DrinkWise Australia shows that 89% of the young adult population recall the warnings on product labels and packaging.
“According to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 55.6% of pregnant women in Australia do not drink alcohol at all. The data points to an encouraging trend of continual improvement, up from 40% in 2007. Among the 44.4% of women who did consume alcohol while pregnant, 97.3% were having no more than one to two standard drinks over the course of their pregnancy. While the trends are very positive, there is still more to do.”
Heffernan also stresses that the industry, government and community must commit to tackling Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FACD) collaboratively.
“We take FASD seriously and we are keen to partner with the Australian Government, the rest of industry and community on practical, workable solutions,” he states. “Making further inroads into the incidences of FASD will take a long-term commitment and, to be effective, evidence-based, targeted interventions for at-risk groups will require a combination of education resources and effort from governments, industry and the community. Australia’s major brewers are willing to do their part.”


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1st Circ. Revives Ex-Walmart Greeter's Disability Bias Battle
By Anne Cullen · September 16, 2021, 12:09 PM EDT
The First Circuit reinstated a former Walmart greeter's lawsuit alleging the retail giant sacked her for taking time away to manage an injury she suffered on the job, finding "ambiguous job...
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Publish in Special Reports - Wednesday, October 21, 2015
LEGO Group is the longtime leader in the construction toy category for Latin America and has maintained double digit growth in sales for multiple years. (Photo: Alan Chia)
Construction toys, led by LEGO, and video and mobile games help drive growth in Latin America’s toy and game market.
BY ALIXA SHARKEY
While sales of
traditional toys and games in Latin America are strongly correlated with
economic performance and changes in disposable income, sales of video games
seem to play by a different set of rules.
Sales of toys and games grew in 2014 buoyed by significant growth in video game sales while traditional toys and games sales floundered. In spite of stagnated economic growth this year, sales of toys and games are projected to grow in 2015 and beyond.
SLOWDOWN HITS TRADITIONAL TOYS
Traditional toys and games (e.g., action figures, dolls, games, plush toys) are not viewed as basic necessities and therefore sales of these products in Latin America are strongly dependent on each country’s economic performance and changes in disposable income. In 2014 we witnessed varied performance in this industry across the region. Latin America as a whole experienced real GDP growth of 1.3 percent, significantly lower than the 2.9 percent growth of 2013. This slowdown in economic growth and decline in disposable income led to a negative performance for traditional toys and games in the region, posting a decrease of 1.8 percent in constant US dollar sales.
Brazil’s stagnant economy in 2014 was reflected in traditional toys and games sales, with flat growth in constant terms. The drop in the Brazilian Real against the US dollar further exasperated the situation, raising prices for toy importers and domestic toy manufactures who import parts from abroad. With rising prices, consumers turned to less expensive toy options, with low and mid-priced toys faring better than more expensive price bands. Brazil’s real GDP is expected to contract 3 percent in 2015 with energy shortages, waning exports, and cutbacks in public spending. This will result in further decreases in spending on toys and games.
Consumer spending in Argentina has been adversely affected by incredibly high inflation which has eroded disposable income. Prices of toys and games increased dramatically in 2014 due to the increased price of imports, costs of local manufacturing, and reduced product availability due in part to import restrictions. For these reasons toys and games value sales decreased 0.9 percent in 2014 in constant terms. Sales are expected to decline even further in 2015 as the adverse economic environment remains unchanged.
Mexico, on the other hand, showed a positive performance in 2014 due to improving economic conditions. Consumer confidence returned as the real GDP grew 2.1 percent. Traditional toys and games sales saw the largest year on year increase in recent years, with an increase of 3.6 percent in constant terms. Continued positive economic performance is expected to buoy traditional toys and games in 2015 and through the next few years.
Through 2015 and the following years growth in toys and games sales will remain muted as economies continue to struggle and recover. The economic forecast remains dubious for Argentina, Brazil and several other countries in the region; while Mexico is showing a positive outlook.
CONSTRUCTION TOYS GROW
The birthrate in Latin America has been declining steadily with a 7.2 percent decrease in births per 1000 people between 2009 and 2014. Due to the decline in birth rate, the proportion of the population between the ages of 0 and 14 years has also been decreasing; while this age group accounted for 28.4 percent of the population in 2009, it only accounted for 26.5 percent in 2014. With fewer children to buy toys for and with increased knowledge about child development, parents, grandparents etc., are choosing to spend money on toys and games that will not only serve to entertain but will also educate and help develop skills.
This trend can be observed in the increased spending on construction toys and education and scientific toys, the traditional toys and games categories with the highest growth in Latin America in 2014. With an increase in constant value sales of 13.6 percent according to Euromonitor International, growth in construction toys sales was significantly higher than any other traditional toys and games category in 2014. Despite the difficult economic conditions discussed above, consumers continue to invest in this category, while growth in other categories stagnates or declines. It is believed that construction toys will foster creative play and help develop problem-solving skills and fine motor skills and therefore consumers are more willing to invest in these toys.
LEGO Group is the longtime leader in the construction toy category for the region and has maintained double digit growth in sales for multiple years. 2014 sales were propelled by the release of The Lego Movie in February of that year. In 2014 LEGO group expanded the production capacity of their factory in Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, which supplies both Latin America and North America. Local production in Mexico helps lower costs for local consumers and increases brand awareness. While Lego is not manufactured locally in Brazil, margins are kept low to ensure the product is accessible to a larger demographic. In Brazil, Lego benefits from a wide distribution network and strong brand awareness that is reinforced through Lego’s global advertising partnerships with films and the video game industry. In Argentina the construction toy category is led by Dimare SA, a local producer, with its brands Blocky, Rasti, and Armatron. Due to this local production, construction toys is the category least dependent on imports and therefore least affected by the rising costs of imports in Argentina.
This trend is not expected to change in the coming years. Euromonitor International expects that construction and science and education toys will remain the highest growth categories within traditional toys and games through 2019 with respective compound annual growth of 8.3 percent and 3.2 percent expected for Latin America.
NEW CONSOLES SPUR VIDEO SALES
Video game hardware and software sales seem to play by a different set of rules than traditional toys and games. While sales of traditional toys and games declined in constant terms in 2014 due primarily to poor economic performance, video game sales showed strong growth propelled largely static video game console sales.
As in many other parts of the world, the gaming population in Latin America has expanded. The demographic shift can be seen in the increased average age of gamers and the increased number of female gamers. As the gaming demographic has aged, it has also developed greater purchasing power. As a result, gamers are able to seek out the latest technology and games as soon as they reach the market. The time lag between international launches and availability in Latin American countries is decreasing, allowing consumers to purchase products more quickly and further driving demand for the latest products. The release of the latest generation game consoles at the end of 2013 led to 22.9 percent growth in constant terms for static video game consoles in Latin American in 2014.
Video game sales in Brazil were strong in 2014, despite the decline of the Brazilian Real against the strong US dollar which led to increased unit prices for both video game hardware and software in 2014. Increases in unit price occurred in Argentina as well due to high inflation and import restrictions. Video game sales in Argentina in 2014 were primarily driven by demand for video game hardware. Import restrictions in Argentina on game software resulted in growth for PC and console game downloads, though PC and console game downloads remain a small percentage of total game sales.
Despite difficult economic conditions in 2015, Euromonitor International forecasts continued growth for video games in Latin America through 2019. Short term growth will be driven by innovations in software and new game launches. Growth in console sales will wane as we move further from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch dates and these consoles reach market saturation. Forecasted growth for Argentina remains low as the country enters recession in 2015 and gamers have decreased purchasing power.
Though mobile gaming only accounted for 4.9 percent of video game sales in Latin America in 2014, it is the fastest growing video game category with significant room to grow as mobile device penetration continues to expand. Household penetration of smartphones has risen exponentially in Latin America over the past few years, Brazil, for example, has seen household penetration of smartphones increase from 35 percent in 2012 to 130 percent in 2015. While household penetration of tablets remains lower across the region, it is also experiencing significant year on year growth.
With increased smartphone and table penetration, the potential mobile gamer population continues to expand. The gaming population has expanded to include all ages and more females. This expansion contributed to the 25.4 percent constant value growth seen in 2014 and will continue to play a role over the next few years as the category continues to growth with a 17.7 percent CAGR through 2019.
Alixa Sharkey is an analyst at Euromonitor International. This article was written for Latinvex.
© Copyright Latinvex


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The construction of the new engine plant of Jaguar Land Rover in the UK following the planned pace. Located in the city of Wolverhampton, the plant, which occupies an area equivalent to 14 football fields, will ride his first block in 2015.
The Datsun, low cost brand resurrected by Nissan in 2012, took the Hall of New Delhi, India, to show the concept redi-GO. It is the preview of a model that will hit the Indian market and other developing countries.
Cadillac plans to produce a variant of ATS with the longer chassis exclusively for the Chinese market, according to recent news reports indicated. Chinese buyers have a greater attraction for versions LWB (long-wheelbase), so it's not a surprise that Cadillac has decided to lengthen the wheelbase of the ATS in the Chinese market.


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Washington, DC: Senate lawmakers have introduced legislation in Congress to allow for the commercial production of industrial hemp. It is the first time in modern history that such legislation has ever been before members of the United States Senate.
Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are sponsoring Senate Bill 359, which seeks to amend the US Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana. The measure grants state legislatures the authority to license and regulate the commercial production of hemp as an industrial and agricultural commodity.
"I am convinced that allowing [hemp] production will be a positive development for Kentucky’s farm families and economy," said McConnell, who is the Senate minority leader. "The utilization of hemp to produce everything from clothing to paper is real, and if there is a capacity to center a new domestic industry in Kentucky that will create jobs in these difficult economic times, that sounds like a good thing to me."
Senate Bill 359 awaits action from the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is the companion bill to House Bill 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013. That measure has 28 co-sponsors.
Eight states — Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia — have enacted statutory changes defining industrial hemp as distinct agricultural product and allowing for its regulated commercial production. Passage of HR 525/S 359 would remove existing federal barriers and allow these states and others the authority to do so without running afoul of federal anti-drug laws.
According to a Congressional Research Service report, "The United States is the only developed nation in which industrial hemp is not an established crop." Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa that contains only trace (less than one percent) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.
For more information, please visit: http://www.votehemp.com. Additional information regarding S 259/HR 525 is available from NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ at: http://www.capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=62399531.


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Nintendo has published a new trailer for the next batch of new units heading for Fire Emblem Heroes.
This time, the banner features three new units from the Fire Emblem Three Houses Cindered Shadows DLC and one new Fire Emblem Heroes original character:
- Yuri: Ashen Valiant
- Constance: Fallen Noble
- Hapi: Drawn-Out Sigh
- Múspell: Flame God
The banner will run starting from September 17th UTC, a new story chapter “Deceit” will also be added. In addition, Balthus: King Of Grappling will also be added as a non-focus 3/4* unit.
Check out the trailer below for an overview of their skills and more:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.


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For one of the first times since its invention, lighting is taking center stage. One of the keys to developing a more energy efficient, “greener” world, lighting technology has become highly efficient. Where as other forward-looking measures to save energy, such as bio-fuels and wind farms, are still developing, effective lighting technology is available now. Yet, 85% of existing buildings are still being lit by dated, inefficient systems.
This is just one of the focuses of Lightfair International 2009, the world’s largest lighting trade show and conference. This event, which kicked off on May 5th in New York City, is focusing not only on the need for more efficient lighting and lighting innovation, but also how the latest U.S. government stimulus package will effect this green initiative and the lighting industry as a whole.
At the center of this discussion is Philips, the world’s largest lighting company and the company leading the way in solid state and other energy efficient lighting, as well as assisting governments around the world in the establishment of minimum lighting standards.
For more on Philips at Lightfair International 2009 please visit inr.mediaseed.tv/Philips_36509.


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Yesterday we informed you about the next Metro game that was reported to be coming in 2017. As we said in our article, that seemed unlikely. After all, we haven’t seen anything yet about this Metro game. And it appears we were right.
Deep Silver issued a statement, claiming that a new Metro game is indeed under development. And as we predicted, this new Metro game won’t be released next year.
“As the exclusive rights holder to videogames set in the Metro 2033 universe, Deep Silver has ambitious plans for the hugely successful Metro series.” reads the statement and continues:
“But just to manage our fans’ expectations – releasing the next Metro game in 2017 is not one of them.”
Deep Silver concluded that it will share more news in the future about this Metro game.
And there you have it everyone!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”


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Jeff Berman is one of a rare breed of AV industry writers who focuses on the business side of the market. In addition to a rich history of working in retail, he has written for M&E Daily, Smart Content News, Smart Screen News, and CDSA Cyber Security News, and also worked for six years as a contributing editor for the Consumer Technology Association's annual Digital America publication.
The main TV stories at this year's CES were the increased presence of Dolby Vision among sets using High Dynamic Range (HDR), Sony joining LG in the OLED TV space, Samsung's new QLED line of 4K TVs, and LG's wallpaper-thin OLED models. While each of those developments may boost consumer interest in Ultra High-Definition (UHD) TV to some degree, not a single one of them is likely to drive 4K TV sales as much as the continued decline in pricing.
"Generally speaking, the main thing that will drive TV sales in 2017 will be the continued decline in cost per inch of larger TVs, which will entice consumers to upgrade," said Paul Gagnon, director of TV sets research at IHS Markit. "Price compression always drives consumers to replace their TVs for bigger and better ones, much more so than the introduction of new TV features." He added that IHS Markit is "expecting less price erosion in 2017 than in 2016, due to some increased costs associated with the supply chain for LCD TVs."
That said, the average unit sales price of a 4K TV in the U.S. this year is projected by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) to decline to only $935, breaking the $1,000 price point for the first time. That will be down from an estimated $1,023 in 2016, according to the CTA, which noted in its January 2017 Sales and Forecasts report that average 4K TV unit pricing had already tumbled from a whopping $22,000 in 2012 to $4,026 in 2013, $1,564 in 2014, and $1,048 in 2015.
The CTA projected that U.S. 4K TV sales will increase to 15.6 million units in 2017 from an estimated 10.4 million in 2016, 7.3 million in 2015, and 1.4 million in 2014. It also projected that U.S. 4K TV revenue will grow to $14.6 billion in 2017 from an estimated $10.6 billion in 2016, $7.7 billion in 2015, and $2.2 billion in 2014.
The CTA's consumer research has "consistently shown purchase drivers for TVs principally revolve around price, picture quality, and screen size," Steve Koenig, senior director of market research at CTA, told us. Despite the increased 4K TV sales performance last year, sales volumes "under-performed expectations" and, as a result, total U.S. TV sales fell two percent from 2015 to $19 billion, the CTA said in its report.
What caused the weaker-than-expected 4K TV sales is open to debate, but one possible culprit is the lack of adequate broadcast UHD content available from TV service providers. Whether consumers get their TV service from a cable company, a satellite company, or a telco/fiber-optic provider, some of them might not see a reason to rush out to replace the HDTV they own with a 4K model when there is so little content available in 4K through any of those service providers.
The CTA's Koenig predicted that "we will inevitably see more 4K and HDR content this year and next, and even more once the ATSC 3.0 standard gets deployed by broadcasters." But he also didn't think that 4K TV sales were "strongly correlated with 4K broadcast" availability, thanks to streaming 4K content and UHD Blu-ray. It does seem, however, that streamed 4K content from Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and other companies isn't enough of an attraction for some consumers, and UHD Blu-ray players are still too high-priced for the average consumer to rush out and buy one. After all, many consumers still own DVD players rather than Blu-ray players, and some people even still own VCRs ... with clocks still flashing 12:00.
It's possible, therefore, that mass adoption of live broadcast 4K will be the only major driver of 4K TV sales other than obscenely low pricing, no matter how great the picture quality is on those new TVs and how thin they are.
"Live broadcast of 4K is nearly non-existent, but it will be one of the key drivers for the future, especially around sports," Gagnon said, noting that the next generation of ATSC 3.0 broadcast standards will support UHD, but the current ATSC 1.0 doesn't. For now, "streaming media is continuing to lead the way in delivery of 4K content," he said.
Gagnon believes that consumers "understand the value of 4K, in that more pixels is better. Even if they don't have as many content options yet, they expect them to come and are buying 4K today to future-proof themselves." On the other hand, "many of the improvements to picture quality, such as HDR and wide color gamut, ... won't drive consumers into stores on their own, although they may affect the purchase decision."
Content and pricing will be significant drivers of 4K TV sales this year, predicted Tom Campbell, CTO and senior technologist at California retailer Video & Audio Center. "The prices are very tempting" now, he said, but he also believes that the HDR featured on the latest 4K TVs, including the Samsung QLED line that his company recently held a launch event for at its Woodland Hills location, will help drive sales, too. That's especially the case if consumers actually go to a store and see how great the sets look, he explained.
Potential Consumer Confusion
In the meantime, the 4K TV market could be hurt to some degree by the growing alphabet soup of new technologies and their assorted acronyms and abbreviations that are being foisted on consumers. "There is significant confusion around these technologies, especially HDR and the multitude of formats and lack of a common way of measuring performance," Gagnon said.
He added: "When it comes to TV features and technologies, confusion is a persistent problem. Often the problem stems from brands using proprietary names for similar technologies, or lack of industry consensus around nomenclature or performance measurement." As an example, Gagnon noted that QLED is Samsung's latest proprietary term for using quantum dots in LCD TVs with an LED backlight. Previously, Samsung's high-end UHD TVs were called SUHD. Admittedly, the new QLED TV line is different, featuring an improvement to the quantum dot formulation designed to boost color performance and achieve higher brightness, Gagnon pointed out.
This is happening as many consumers are still in the dark about just what UHD and 4K are to begin with. The average consumer who walks into a home theater specialty dealer likely knows what these terms mean, but it's a pretty safe bet that many of the customers who walk into a BJ's, Costco, Sears, or Target electronics department don't know what 4K, UHD, HDR and OLED are yet.
Customer confusion over TVs doesn't seem to be a major concern for Abe Yazdian, vice president of merchandising at Nashville-based retailer Electronic Express, which has 14 stores in Tennessee and one in Alabama. "I really don't know" if consumers will be confused by QLED and the other new technology terms, he said. "Maybe some," but Yazdian added that he didn't think HDR was all that confusing to customers. They understand it means better picture quality, he said.
Yazdian expects that a combination of forces, including pricing, will help drive 4K TV sales this year. After the price decline on 4K TVs last year, the continued price declines that are expected on them in 2017 will "cannibalize the 1080p market," he explained, adding that he hoped it would allow the average selling price of TVs overall to increase. (The CTA has projected that the average unit selling price of TVs this year will grow to $474 from $465 in the U.S.)
In the case of Electronic Express customers, however, Yazdian guessed that it will be an interest in 4K in and of itself that will be the largest factor that drives 4K TV sales this year.
The CTA projected that total LED-backlit LCD TV sales will start declining by single digits in 2017, while OLED TV sales will start growing slowly, "breaching the two million unit mark by 2020." It predicted that OLED "will eventually unseat LCD as the top display technology." However, 4K LCD models will outsell OLED TVs for several more years, the association predicted. The CTA projected that U.S. 4K LCD TV unit sales will grow to 15 million units in 2017 from an estimated 10 million in 2016, and that sales will expand to 20.5 million in 2018, 22.5 million in 2019, and 24.5 million in 2020. In stark contrast, it projected that U.S. OLED TV unit sales will grow to 451,000 in 2017 from 181,000 in 2016, and that sales will widen to 903,000 in 2018, 1.5 million in 2019, and 2.1 million in 2020.
OLED will "have a bigger impact" on TV sales in 2017 than last year, in part because Sony is now making OLED TVs and that will "give more credibility" to the technology, Yazdian predicted. The thinness of LG's new wallpaper-thin OLED TVs should only help drive sales of OLED models, he added.
OLED "really drove" the average selling price of TVs at Electronic Express stores up in 2016 from 2015, he said. Even when OLED TVs were being promoted, they were still about $2,000 for a 55-inch model and about $3,000 for a 65-inch model.
UHD in general--whether it's an OLED model or an LED-backlit LCD model--gives consumers a reason to come back to Electronic Express stores to look at TVs, he said. More consumers visited the company's stores looking specifically for 4K TVs in 2016 than they did a year earlier, and he predicted that trend will grow a lot more this year.
He agreed that more broadcast 4K will "absolutely" significantly drive 4K TV sales further, adding that the more 4K content that's available--be it through Netflix or DirecTV--the better it is for 4K TV sales. "Consumers like more choices," he said. "I don't care what anybody says. Whether they use it or not, they just like to have more. It's human nature."
After the elimination of 3D from most, if not all, TVs over the past year, the curve could end up being the next once-promising feature that is in danger of extinction. At the very least, it's hard to see it driving much TV sales this year.
"At this point, curved is still a very small subset of even Samsung's own TV shipments, accounting for" just nine percent of the company's North American TV shipments in 2016, Gagnon told us. In total, curved TVs amounted to only three percent of all TV shipments in North America during 2016, although that was an increase from two percent in 2015.
Gagnon added: "For 2017, at least in North America, Samsung will again be the only major brand with curved TVs in the market, now that LG has transitioned all of their OLED models to flat only. It is up to Samsung to promote the curve, but in many of their model series, they offer both curved and flat options."
According to Yazdian, Electronic Express did well with curved TVs last year, especially when the price of a curved model was exactly the same as a comparable flat model. When that happened, "there was a significant bump in sell through" of curved models, he told us. Barring that, the price of a curved TV tends to now be about $100 more than a flat TV that otherwise has all the same features.
On the other hand, citing one common knock against curved TVs, Yazdian noted that when a customer wants to mount a TV, they generally want a flat model rather than a curved one. He predicted that curved TV demand will remain about the same in 2017 as last year, although how it does will depend mainly on Samsung's promotions.
Are you thinking about buying a 4K TV this year? What are the main factors that would convince you to take the plunge? Let us know in the Comment section below.
• Dolby Vision Takes Center Stage at CES at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• High-End Audio at CES: A Post Mortem at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Emerging Technology Stars of AV at CES at HomeTheaterReview.com.


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Switzerland-based secondary ticketing company viagogo has sold its StubHub International business – the business outside North America, including in the UK – to Digital Fuel Capital LLC for an undisclosed sum.
The sale was approved by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and closed on September 3, after viagogo was forced to sell the business outside of North America due to competition concerns.
viagogo acquired eBay’s ticketing division StubHub for $4.05 billion in cash in February 2020. An investigation carried out by the CMA concluded that the proposed merger between the two firms would “lead to a substantial reduction in competition in the secondary ticketing market in the UK”.
The sale to Digital Fuel Capital LLC now brings the merger investigation to a close, says the CMA.
Founded by President Carson Biederman, Digital Fuel Capital is a Massachusetts-based investment firm focused on the eCommerce market, providing both capital and in-house strategic and operational resources, according to its website.
The company says that its investment strategy is to acquire “leaders in defensible e-commerce segments”.
Digital Fuel’s business portfolio also consists of Artifact Uprising, Boutique Brands, BuyAutoParts, Guild Brands, National Tree Company, Outdoor Adventure Brands, Renovation Brands, RugsUSA, and Seattle Coffee Gear.
In June 2020, after completing an initial Phase 1 investigation into the merger, the CMA raised concerns about the loss of competition in the country’s secondary ticketing sector that could be brought about as a result of the merger.
At the time, the CMA said that the merger “could result in [UK-based] customers who buy and resell tickets losing out as a result of higher prices and fewer options”.
“This brings to an end the investigation into the much-anticipated merger of viagogo and StubHub North America, which is now cleared to proceed.”
Cris Miller, viagogo
Cris Miller, Vice President of Business Development, viagogo, said: “We are pleased to confirm a buyer for StubHub International has been approved by the UK Competition and Markets Authority. This brings to an end the investigation into the much-anticipated merger of viagogo and StubHub North America, which is now cleared to proceed.
“We appreciate the CMA’s role in bringing the merger to this conclusion, and we look forward to sharing more details about the integration of the two businesses with our loyal customers and partners very soon.
“As the live events industry emerges from the Coronavirus pandemic, robust competition in the ticketing market is needed more than ever and viagogo will continue to take its’ essential role in the live events industry very seriously.
viagogo and StubHub will always remain committed to working with regulators, while providing safe and secure platforms for people to buy and sell tickets to events all over the world.”Music Business Worldwide


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If you wondered what Saul Goodman did after Breaking Bad ended, maybe you’ve got your answer. And you probably weren’t thinking down the lines of “is now writing romance cards”.
The trailer has been released for Girlfriend’s Day, a film starring Bob Odenkirk as a depressed romance card writer who gets caught up in a web of murder as writers battle to create a perfect card for the titular brand new Californian holiday.
It sounds absurd, sure, but the trailer suggests a slightly more brooding, blackly-comic vibe, almost strangely reminiscent of those first season Breaking Bad episodes. Odenkirk has always been an underrated actor and director that excels in odd indie films like this one.
The full synopsis is as follows:
“Ever wonder who penned the perfect words to the Mother’s Day card you sent last year? Or the hilarious birthday card you gave your best friend? A master of words, that’s who. In the Netflix original film, Girlfriend’s Day, director Michael Paul Stephenson (The American Scream) invites you to experience a clever and quirky story about love, loss and the worst place to get a paper cut.
Meet Ray Wentworth (Bob Odenkirk), once a king of the wordsmith world, and now a down-on-his-luck romance card writer. In an effort to recapture the feelings that once made him the greatest, he gets entangled in a web of murder and deceit as writers vie to create the perfect card for a newly crowned holiday: Girlfriend’s Day”.
Girlfriend’s Day will aptly premiere on Valentines Day on Netflix – who seem to be releasing masses of trailers and info over the past few weeks – and alongside Odenkirk also stars Amber Tamblyn, Natasha Lyonne and Ed Begley Jr. It looks good, but let’s hope it’s not too successful or who knows, the cash-grabbing holiday may become a reality.