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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The wife of a Northern California congressman died late previous yr just after ingesting a plant that is normally deemed safe and sound and is applied as an herbal treatment for a wide variety of illnesses, like diabetic issues, being overweight, and large cholesterol, KHN has uncovered.
Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, died from dehydration thanks to gastroenteritis — an irritation of the belly and intestines — that was triggered by “adverse consequences of white mulberry leaf ingestion,” in accordance to a report from the Sacramento County coroner that is dated March 10 but was not instantly produced to the community. KHN received that report — in addition to the autopsy report and an amended loss of life certificate containing an up to date bring about of demise — in July.
The coroner’s business office dominated her death an incident. The initial demise certificate, dated Dec. 20, 2021, detailed the induce of dying as “pending.”
Tom McClintock, a Republican who signifies a district that spans several counties in northern and central California, uncovered his 61-yr-outdated spouse unresponsive at their Elk Grove, California, home on Dec. 15, 2021, according to the coroner’s report. He had just returned from Washington, D.C., after voting in Congress the night just before.
It is unclear from the autopsy report no matter whether Lori McClintock took a nutritional nutritional supplement that contains white mulberry leaf, ate fresh new or dried leaves, or drank them in a tea, but a “partially intact” white mulberry leaf was observed in her stomach, in accordance to the report.
McClintock’s loss of life underscores the hazards of the extensive, booming market of dietary nutritional supplements and natural cures, which have developed into a $54 billion field in the United States — a single that equally lawmakers and wellbeing care authorities say desires extra governing administration scrutiny.
“Many men and women assume if that item is marketed in the United States of The united states, anyone has inspected it, and it will have to be harmless. Sadly, that’s not generally genuine,” U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Unwell.) claimed on the Senate flooring this spring when he introduced legislation to strengthen oversight of dietary supplements.
Daniel Fabricant, CEO and president of the Purely natural Solutions Association, which signifies the dietary health supplements sector, questioned whether or not McClintock’s demise was relevant to a dietary supplement.
“It’s fully speculative. There’s a science to this. It’s not just what a coroner feels,” stated Fabricant, who oversaw dietary supplements at the Food and drug administration throughout the Obama administration. “People regrettably pass from dehydration every single day, and there’s a whole lot of distinctive good reasons and a good deal of various causes.”
Fabricant mentioned it would have been best had the coroner or the relatives documented her death to the Food and drug administration so the company could have launched an investigation.
These studies are voluntary, and it is not crystal clear no matter if everyone reported her dying to the company. Fda spokesperson Courtney Rhodes explained the agency does not go over possible or ongoing investigations.
The Fda, Fabricant included, has a procedure in area to look into fatalities that may possibly be joined to a supplement or drug. “It’s casework,” he mentioned. “It’s very good, outdated-fashioned police operate that requirements to be completed.”
Tom McClintock has remained mainly silent about his wife’s loss of life because he introduced a assertion on Dec. 19, 2021, asserting it and gave a tribute to her at her Jan. 4 funeral. Right until now, the cause of death experienced not been noted.
Tom McClintock, contacted many periods by cellular phone and e mail Wednesday, was not promptly accessible for remark.
At his wife’s funeral, McClintock advised mourners that she was great when he spoke with her the working day in advance of he returned. She had advised a close friend that “she was on a roll” at a new task she liked in a Sacramento true estate office environment, he reported, and “she was carefully dieting.”
“She just joined a health club,” he said. “At household, she was counting down the times to Christmas, wrapping all the items and building all the plans to make it the most effective family members Xmas at any time, and it would have been.”
In accordance to the coroner’s report, on the other hand, the working day ahead of her demise, “she experienced issues of an upset abdomen.”
Sacramento County spokesperson Kim Nava stated via electronic mail Wednesday that the regulation prohibits the coroner’s business office from speaking about quite a few particulars of precise cases. As component of any death investigation, the office environment “attempts to track down and review health-related data and converse to family members/witnesses to set up activities major up to and surrounding a loss of life,” she mentioned.
If any remedies or dietary supplements are observed at the scene or if pertinent data is in the person’s professional medical documents, these are passed alongside to the pathologist to aid establish lead to of death, Nava reported.
“Any info the workplace obtains from medical data cannot be disseminated to a 3rd social gathering except by court buy,” she claimed.
The leaves and fruit of the white mulberry tree, which is native to China, have been utilised for hundreds of years in classic medication.
Academic scientific tests over the past decade have uncovered that the extract from its leaves can lower blood sugar ranges and enable with body weight reduction. People consider it in capsule or pill form, as an extract or powder. They can also brew the leaves as an herbal tea.
Lori McClintock’s reaction looks unconventional. No fatalities from the white mulberry plant have been described to poison management officials in the past 10 yrs, according to the American Association of Poison Management Centers.
Considering the fact that 2012, 148 instances of white mulberry plant ingestion have been voluntarily noted to poison regulate officers nationally, most involving accidental ingestion by kids 12 and less than, explained Kaitlyn Brown, clinical controlling director for the affiliation. Only just one case expected healthcare adhere to-up, she mentioned.
Even though poison command centers monitor exposures to the white mulberry plant, the Fda oversees dietary supplements, these as products and solutions that comprise white mulberry leaf extract. Given that 2004, two instances of individuals sickened by mulberry dietary supplements have been noted to the Food and drug administration, according to its databases that tracks “adverse functions.”
It relies intensely on voluntary reviews from wellbeing care industry experts and people. At the very least just one of all those instances led to hospitalization.
White mulberry leaf can have side outcomes, such as nausea and diarrhea, according to analysis. Impartial lab exams ordered by the coroner’s office environment confirmed McClintock’s overall body experienced elevated amounts of nitrogen, sodium, and creatinine — all signals of dehydration, according to a few pathologists who reviewed the coroner’s documents, which KHN redacted to take out McClintock’s identify.
White mulberry leaves “do are likely to result in dehydration, and component of the employs for that can be to aid someone reduce bodyweight, generally by fluid reduction, which in this case was just variety of extreme,” stated Dr. D’Michelle DuPre, a retired forensic pathologist and a former healthcare examiner in South Carolina who reviewed the files.
Dietary nutritional supplements, which include things like a wide selection of vitamins, herbs, and minerals, are controlled by the Fda. Nonetheless, they are labeled as food and never endure the arduous scientific and security testing the government demands of prescription medication and in excess of-the-counter medications.
Lawmakers aren’t proposing to put health supplements into the identical category as prescribed drugs, but some say they are alarmed that neither the Fda nor the field is aware how a lot of nutritional nutritional supplements are out there — producing it virtually unattainable for the federal government to oversee them and punish undesirable actors.
The Food and drug administration estimates 40,000 to 80,000 complement goods are on the marketplace in the U.S., and sector surveys estimate 80% of Us residents use them.
Laws by Durbin and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) would need manufacturers to register with the Fda and provide a general public list of components in their goods, two provisions that are backed by the Council for Liable Diet, an additional field group that represents dietary supplement makers.
But the council is lobbying against a provision that would have to have supplement makers to supply consumers with the component quantities — or the mix — in their items, anything they say is akin to providing a recipe to competitors. Which is proprietary facts only govt regulators must have accessibility to, stated Megan Olsen, the group’s senior vice president and typical counsel.
Olsen spelled out that health supplement companies are regulated just like other food businesses and are issue to rigid labeling specifications and inspections by the Fda. They also ought to advise the agency about any adverse outcomes noted by people or health professionals.
“Companies are testing items through the method, are reviewing how they’re remaining made and what is likely into them,” Olsen said. “All of that is overseen and dictated by Fda regulation.”
The dietary complement provisions ended up rolled into a bigger Senate wellness committee invoice that reauthorizes Fda courses, and senators are currently in negotiations with the Property of Representatives. The Pure Products Association opposes all of the dietary health supplement provisions.
Simply because nutritional supplements, teas, and other health supplements are controlled as meals products and solutions, makers just can’t advertise them as treatments or cures for health and fitness problems. But they can make promises about how the health supplements have an effect on the body. So a person who wants to get rid of pounds or get their diabetes underneath command may well get to for a bottle of white mulberry leaf extract simply because some nutritional supplement makers promote it as a pure treatment that can lower blood sugar stages and market body weight decline.
All those kinds of statements are pleasing to People in america and have been particularly strong during the pandemic, as men and women sought to boost their immune devices and fend off covid-19, reported Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietician nutritionist and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
But nutritional supplements can be risky and really do not influence absolutely everyone the similar way. Mixing health supplements and prescription medicines can compound the difficulty, in accordance to the Fda.
“I consider a lot of folks are wondering, ‘Oh, it is a plant.’ Or, ‘Oh, it’s just a vitamin. Undoubtedly, that indicates that it is not heading to hurt me,’” Petitpain said. “But there’s generally a risk for having everything.”
It’s not obvious why Lori McClintock was getting white mulberry leaf. Mates and loved ones who collected for her funeral described a vivid, pleased woman who cherished her family members and her get the job done and already had wrapped Christmas offers below the tree in mid-December. She was organizing to obtain a leisure motor vehicle with her spouse in retirement.
“We grieve the decline due to the fact of all the items she was hunting forward to undertaking and all the several years but forward,” Tom McClintock told mourners. “And we grieve for one thing else, simply because we have all lost a genuinely fantastic individual in our lives.”
This tale was developed by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent provider of the California Health Care Basis.


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While investors pummeled CEO Thorsten Heins on Tuesday, anyone who wandered outside the main auditorium where BlackBerry's annual general meeting was taking place in Waterloo would have noticed something that looked a little out of place: An exhibit booth showcasing the Z10, the Q10, the Q5 ‑ and an iPad.
I wasn't on site to see it myself, but Heins actually urged attendees to go outside and talk to the employee holding the Apple tablet to see for themselves how BlackBerry is spreading its wings. While the official emphasis is on selling its own hardware and growing back its subscriber base, the firm's latest BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), which helps corporate IT departments manage devices, represents its best hopes for the future.
"We've gone from dismissing the BYOD trend to embracing it," Heins said, referring to the growing popularity of "bring your own device" policies that allow employees to use the smartphone or tablet of their choice, but with enterprise-level IT security. This has been a repeated mantra throughout BlackBerry's last few quarterly calls, as has Hein's insistence that a business transformation like this takes time and shareholders need to give him more of it.
That wasn't enough to satisfy Richard, who described himself as a "tiny investor" compared to others in the room during the Q&A. "I've lost money and for me, it was a significant amount of money," he said. He wasn't encouraged about the stock's future prospects when he was in the States late last year. "I watched personally the rollout of the Z10. I visited many points of sales. My sense is the rollout of the Z10 was a disaster. There were employees who were inadequately trained or not trained at all. There are marketing materials that were missing."
In response, Heins admitted that not everything with the Z10's debut went as planned but that the company learned a lot by the time the Q10 was released. Richard's comments, however, point to the critical challenge facing BlackBerry now. Heins has framed a portrait of BlackBerry's future that's presumably more services oriented, said Kevin Restivo, a mobility analyst with IDC. Whether or not BlackBerry can depend on services revenue from mobile device management (MDM) over the long term isn't a clear part of the picture though.
"This is still a company highly dependent on hardware shipments for the majority of its revenue so BlackBerry still very much needs to make BlackBerry 10 powered smartphones a success," he said. "Device sales underpin BlackBerry's foundation as we know it."
The implication at the AGM on Wednesday, however, is that hardware represents a sort of legacy business for BlackBerry, where it is experiencing considerable customer churn at the expense of Apple, Samsung and others. It is extremely difficult to manage a legacy business for profit while simultaneously managing an emerging-market opportunity like MDM for growth. It's like trying to be all things to all people in the short term while secretly planning to keep company with only a select few in the long term.
Heins has said the first phase of BlackBerry's turnaround involved bringing its costs down. That's done. The second phase was about investing in new products and services. That's now underway. Phase three is about driving profitability, which he warned would not come easily. That could mean asking for more patience than investors are willing to give. BlackBerry's new slogan is "Keep Moving." Heins had better hope they don't just move on entirely.

domain: news


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02 July 2020
Huawei's woes related to the United States government are not looking to end anytime soon and if anything, they are appearing to get worse. The trade ban on the company has already been extended to another year which means no Google apps and services on its devices for now. Additionally, authorities have introduced a new rule that makes it harder for Huawei to use processors that are a direct product of U.S. software and technologies.
A new report has emerged claiming that Huawei's subsidiary Honor has started considering MediaTek processors as a replacement for HiSilicon Kirin chipsets. The latter processors are from Huawei and can be seen in smartphones released by Huawei as well as Honor. The most recently released Honor X10 also features the chipset but if the report is correct, it could be the last Honor phone with Kirin processor for the time being.
MediaTek processors are widely used in smartphones from different brands around the world. The company has also collaborated with Huawei and Honor but that has been restricted to IoT products. If a deal is penned between the two brands, it will be the first time we will see an Honor phone featuring a MediaTek processor.
The deal is further said to cover 5G smartphones which means MediaTek Dimensity lineup of 5G processors will also be seen. We will keep you updated as further reports will surface or any official announcement will be made.


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Cost of LPG cylinders has been raised, with a Rs 50 increase for domestic consumers and a Rs 350 increase for commercial consumers.
On Wednesday, the prices of both domestic and commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders were increased. The cost of a 14.2 kg domestic cooking gas cylinder has been raised by Rs 50, while the price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder has increased by Rs 350.50. These new rates are now in effect.
As a result of this latest price hike, the price of a domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi has now increased to Rs 1,103, while the 19 kg commercial cylinder will cost Rs 2,119.50 in the capital.
The increased cost of LPG cylinders will add to the burden of the common man, who is already facing higher prices for other daily necessities.
In India, state-run oil companies revise the cost of LPG on a monthly basis. LPG is widely used for cooking purposes in Indian households, and the prices of domestic cooking gas can vary from state to state based on local taxes.


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Telecomms index down
Telstra today announced sweeping upgrades to its national Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), or cable, network which will see 1.8 million Melbourne homes receive Internet access speeds of up to 100Mpbs by years' end.
iiNet has rejected Telstra's claims it is not to blame for the closure of its Canberra exchange and subsequent disconnection of 42 customers from rival ISPs.
The NSW government has spent more than $5 million issuing police with portable digital fingerprint scanners to stop criminals weaseling out of fines, arrest warrants, court appearances and breaches of bail.
Telstra's dominance of the telco market will continue over the next four years despite losing CEO Sol Trujillo and its chance at the $10 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), company chiefs said Thursday.
Telstra announced today the company's much-publicised CEO Sol Trujillo will leave the company on June 30, 2009 and return to the US.
Telstra has released its Voice2Text service allowing customers to read their voice messages by converting voicemail to SMS text messages.
A three-month trial of mobile phone commerce technology by Telstra, the National Australia Bank and Visa has been hailed as a success with all three parties looking to deploy the technology extensively.
ZTE's latest MF662 data card supports download and upload rates of up to 21.6Mbps (megabits per second) and 5.76Mbps respectively, the company announced on Monday.
Telstra has launched what it claims is the world’s fastest mobile broadband service, with peak download speeds of 21Mbps and with the intention of increasing it to 42Mbps later this year.
The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has advised Telstra customers that services could potentially be disrupted from the weekend onwards due to five days of rolling stoppages.
Hyperlinks to Telstra-copyrighted AFL video clips on YouTube were unlawful, the Federal Court has ruled.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has received five access dispute notifications, four of which are between Optus and Telstra.
HTC today announced the launch of its latest smartphone in Australia, the Touch HD.
Telstra's top network chief Greg Winn has resigned less than a month after the telco was banned by government from bidding on the National Broadband Network (NBN).
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It’s been another active week on the advanced TV front.
Broadcasters continue to push hard to be able to deliver addressable at scale as quickly as possible — the latest development being ViacomCBS’s announcement that it’s successfully delivered addressable impressions within a live national broadcast, via Dish.
The networks’ determination to advance addressable linear isn’t tough to understand. All of the stats and buyer research continue to point to 2021 being a watershed year for connected TV and OTT.
In November, 60% of U.S. advertisers surveyed by the Interactive Advertising Bureau said they planned to shift some ad dollars from linear to CTV or OTT in 2021. Most — 81% — cited targeting and efficiency as the reasons, and 55% cited incremental reach benefits.
eMarketer projections illustrate the implications for advertising spend this year. In October, the researcher estimated that CTV advertising as a whole will increase by 40.1% in the U.S. alone in 2021, to reach $11.36 billion.
This week, eMarketer reported that U.S. programmatic CTV video ad spend rose by an estimated $1.16 billion in 2020, or 36.3%, to reach $4.36 billion. In 2021, the forecast calls for $6.73 billion. That’s an increase of 54.4%, or incremental spending of $2.37 billion — which will represent nearly 29% of all incremental spending on programmatic video ads for the year.
Meanwhile, an Integral Ad Science (IAS) survey of media buyers, publishers, ad-tech firms and other digital experts finds CTV and digital video/OTT by far the most-cited 2021 media priorities among buyers — cited by 69% and 64%, respectively, versus 54% citing social media and 23% the mobile web. (Chart at top of page.)
Interestingly, only a third of the sell-side sample in this research cited CTV as a top priority, although half cited digital video/OTT as a top priority. Seems that many publishers and their tech partners are more focused on mobile opportunities.
But 88% of respondents overall said that advancements in digital video/OTT and CTV technology will accelerate the shift of TV ad spending from linear to digital, and 82% said that such advancements will accelerate the shift in consumer consumption from linear to digital. Not surprisingly, 80% said CTV provides richer data insights for ad campaign optimization than linear.
Nearly two thirds (62%) of all respondents said that CTV, digital video and OTT have the greatest potential for innovation, with 20% saying they expect innovation in targeting this year, 10% in attribution and 9% in measurement.
The latter two percentages would seem to point to low expectations in the critical but particularly challenging areas of cross-platform attribution and measurement.
Further, 26% and 18% of respondents, respectively, said that CTV is more vulnerable to ad fraud and to brand risk than other media. In comparison, 12% and 18% said that desktop video is more vulnerable to ad fraud and brand risk.
The pros interviewed by eMarketer for its programmatic CTV report pointed to cross-platform measurement and a relative lack of addressability on CTV versus other programmatic channels as the biggest continuing obstacles to faster growth for the segment.
“Additionally, a significant portion of CTV advertising is not decisioned on a real-time, impression-level basis,” notes the report. “Large chunks of spending come from upfront or other long-term commitments as part of programmatic guaranteed deals. Those deals don’t provide the flexibility advertisers may be used to in other programmatic display channels.”
“Several people we spoke with on the buy and sell sides indicated they hoped for advances in technology that would allow a greater degree of addressability in CTV and a more sophisticated decisioning set-up for programmatic guaranteed buys in all channels. Advances in cross-channel identity and measurement should help here, and the IAB also recently rolled out a version of ads.txt and app-ads.txt for the CTV environment, which should help ease concerns about fraud and fragmentation in the market.”
Of course, measurement, ad fraud and other challenges are by no means limited to CTV and OTT.
Here are the biggest current challenges across the industry, according to the IAS survey respondents:
Which media are most prone to those challenges?
At least in the estimation of the IAS respondents, linear TV and social media are by far the most problematic, followed by mobile.
Far fewer pros indicated that CTV and digital video/OTT are the most challenged:


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As part of its anniversary celebration, the restaurant chain announced on Oct. 4 details of a nationwide rollout of upgrades and new menu items designed to enhance guest satisfaction. The leadership transition accompanies a shift in focus from the development of the vision for the new Boston Market toward attention to implementation.
Michel’s operations background will ensure effective execution of the nationwide rollout, said T. Scott King, senior managing director of Sun Capital Partners, a leading private-investment firm whose affiliate owns Boston Market. “We appreciate Lane Cardwell’s significant contributions in shaping the new strategy, and wish him well in his future activities. Now we turn our full attention to executing the plan for Boston Market under George Michel’s able leadership,” King said.


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We’ve been hearing speculations about an incoming Realme X3 Pro but the company is still staying silent on the topic. Earlier this year a device with the model number RMX2121 was spotted on TENAA and leaksters suggested this is the phone; today a different device codenamed RMX2083 shined on Geekbench with Snapdragon 855+, raising the question which one is the real X3 Pro.
Alleged Realme X3 Pro on Geekbench
The Realme X3 and the Realme X3 Superzoom both arrived with the Snapdragon 855+, so why wouldn’t the company keep it consistent?
However, a third model number RMX2170 was also suggested to be the X3 Pro
, rais ing the question which is the right one.
The Realme X3 had some good specs, while the Superzoom took the lineup to another level with 5x optical zoom in the telephoto camera, up to 12 GB RAM and a 32 MP selfie shooter.
If the Realme X3 Pro is going to try and become the king of the family, it better bring 65W charging to the scene, or why not even the 125W UltraDART standard, unveiled last month.
Source | Via


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Jobs axed as Vimto firm pulls plug
VIMTO maker Nichols is to farm out production of the famous soft drink in a cost-cutting drive in which nearly 200 staff will lose their jobs.
The listed group is closing the Vimto factory at Golborne, near Manchester with the loss of 60 staff. The plant also makes the Sunkist and Indigo brands. Production will be outsourced. Another 130 jobs will go with the closure of its packing operation at Stockport, with the business transferred to Nichols' site at Haydock on Merseyside.
Nichols said the shake-up would cost £10m. But the Stockport and Golborne sites were worth £8m, it added. The revamp would swell operating profits by more than £2m. Nichols would retain control of the sales and distribution for its soft drinks brands.
'We are confident the planned changes are absolutely the right ones for the business,' said chairman John Nichols. 'Having made them we will be well positioned to face the increasingly competitive market conditions and to grow future profits.'
The group added profits before tax and one-offs for the year ended December 2002 would be in line with market forecasts of about £5.6m. It will take charges of £6.2m for the shake-up, and a £4.9m goodwill hit.
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Betsoft is known for its 3D and video slots, which have become staple titles in the igaming industry, and the company was one of the first developers to fully feature cryptocurrencies as a viable betting option for its games.
As a result of the partnership, the entire Betsoft portfolio, including its signature slot and table games will be integrated with Stake.com. That means players will soon have access to Take the Bank, Red Dragon, Mr Macau, Wild Drops, 7 Fortune Frenzy and many others.
In an official statement, Betsoft Gaming account manager Anastasia Bauer said: “Betsoft Gaming is a byword for quality in igaming content. This brand recognition is a great driver of new business opportunities for our clients. Innovative platforms such as Stake.com are exciting to work with and offer us new opportunities. We are very much looking forward to a successful partnership.”
Stake.com CEO Mladen Vukovic added that the company was excited to integrate Betsoft's products, known as premium quality games among customers. “We anticipate a very positive outcome”, he added.


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Konami has announced that their super sneaky Mcsneaker prologue game, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, will be hitting the PC via Steam December 18th, 2014. They also confirmed the title will be 4K compatible and have increased model numbers, shadow resolution, and light sources, but who cares about light when you are supposed to be as sneaky as one can be, Konami? Make up your minds!
Ground Zeroes takes place in 1975, and sees Snake rescuing peeps in a Cuban prison base. The title is meant to be a prologue of sorts for the upcoming The Phantom Pain, and can be beaten in roughly ten minutes, minus looking for extra stuff and hour long cutscenes. No word yet on if The Phantom Pain is also going to get a Steam release, but my money is on “yes, because it would be dumb to just release the prologue on PC and not the main game.”
The post Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes finally gets a Steam release date appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.


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Nufarm Buys Ag Assets from Adama and Syngenta
Australian farm chemicals producer Nufarm has agreed to pay a total of $540 million to acquire a suite of crop protection products, known as the Century Portfolio, from ChemChina subsidiary Adama Agricultural Solutions and Syngenta.
Adama and Syngenta are divesting the assets in order to meet European regulatory requirements relating to ChemChina’s $43 billion takeover of the Swiss seeds group.
Nufarm’s purchase, consisting of $490 million in cash and an estimated $50 million for inventory, includes 50 crop protection formulations for herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments and plant growth regulators sold in 29 European markets.
Nufarm expects the Century Portfolio to generate revenues of roughly A$250 million ($195 million) and EBITDA of A$95-100 million in the 2019 financial year. The Victoria-headquartered group will fund most of the transaction (A$446 million) via a rights issue with the balance financed through existing debt facilities.
The transaction is expected to complete in early 2018, subject to European Commission approval of Nufarm as “a suitable purchaser” as well as regulatory clearance. Greg Hunt, managing director and CEO of Nufarm, said the deal strengthens his company’s presence in Europe and allows it to offer a more comprehensive portfolio in a number of very important crop segments.
“The products we are acquiring generate very attractive margins and are complementary to our existing European product range,” Hunt said. “They provide us with much broader offerings in the fungicides and insecticides segments and in our core European crops, including cereals, corn and trees, nuts, vines and vegetables. It also enables us to participate strongly in the important oilseed rape market.”
Nufarm will enter into transitional arrangements with Adama and Syngenta, including supply and toll manufacturing of relevant products, with longer term supply and production contracts to be put in place over a period of two to three years. This will include the transfer of production for most products to Nufarm’s existing facilities.
The company also disclosed that it is currently in exclusive discussions with another party to acquire a crop protection portfolio said to be highly complementary to Nufarm’s existing business and the Century Portfolio.
Nufarm is currently finalizing its due diligence and expects to complete the necessary transaction documentation in the coming weeks. The group said that if this purchase proceeds, it would be for a price of less than $100 million, with the business expected to generate revenues of approximately A$30 million ($23 million) in the 2019 fiscal year.


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NTT Docomo is the predominant cellular mobile operator in Japan, and the company always has had a knack for showcasing unique technology. It was one of the first to actually sell an IPTV service, which allowed smartphone owners to watch TV over their data connections.
This time the company is demoing sensor technology, which are sold as case attachments for your existing smartphone. For the health nut, there's a sensor that measures body fat and muscle percentage. Meanwhile, the weather sensor is presumably meant for those who need constant updates about outdoor weather conditions without having to rely on a data connection, as it measures atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. We're left a little puzzled as well as intrigued by the last sensor, as it measures breath odor and alcohol concentration.
According to the product demonstration, NTT Docomo is targeting consumers who would want to test themselves after a night out on the town. Though, this seems like it would have much more practical applications for police enforcement, since this would allow them to carry around a breathalyzer in the form of a smartphone.
We're unsure if there's a market here for devices like this in North America, but we certainly found these curiously interesting to play with.


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The nationwide bedbug scare has infested a lot more than beds. Frightened consumers have their heads filled with horror stories about entire families evacuated while their home is fumigated, clothing retailers and movie theaters — even government offices — shut down for treatments, and vacation websites talking about contaminated hotels.
The problem comes at an interesting time in the development of the American wellness consumer. Those with families or pets, or chemical sensitivities, have become more concerned over the use of pesticides and harsh chemicals; many now buy green household cleaners. The Natural Marketing Institute recently found that the natural/organic general merchandise category grew by 15% last year — the only segment of the six measured that recorded double-digit growth.
So how can such folks naturally handle these blood-sucking home invaders? Conventional bedbug treatments can pose a particular problem, and a number of bedbug experts and websites devoted to natural living have taken up the cause.
One site, Natural-Cures-For.com lists black walnut leaf tea, herbs like lavender, tea tree or eucalyptus, and food-grade diatomaceous earth as potential treatments. GrandmasHomeRemedies.com suggests insecticides comprised of natural organic compounds called pyrethrins, canola oil, steam treatments or dry heat.
Even Orkin, the national pest control service, offers advice on organic cures: “The oil of the aromatic cedar wood is sometimes placed around a bed to prevent bedbugs,” the site stated, though it went on to note that a professional consultation is often the best choice.
For itchy bedbug bites, retailers might want to have their in-store pharmacists ready for consultations and counseling.
The federal government is expected to release updated guidelines for eradicating bedbugs. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted a bedbug summit, and is now heading up a task force that includes other federal agencies with a stake in the matter, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture — even the Defense Department.


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Partnership reflects shared commitment to providing a virtual conference accessible for individuals of all abilities
TUCSON, Ariz. – September 22, 2020 – AudioEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: AEYE), the industry-leading website accessibility software solution, announced today it has been selected as the digital accessibility provider for INBOUND 2020, which will be held online for the first time in its nine-year history. INBOUND, hosted with love by HubSpot, is anticipated to attract more than 28,000 global business decision makers passionate about learning new strategies for marketing and selling in order to grow their business.
“To prioritize the safety and well-being of our attendees, we knew this year we needed to shift our in-person experience to a digital platform,” said Kim Darling, VP & Executive Producer of INBOUND. “One challenge was creating a fully inclusive platform accessible for individuals of all abilities. We knew that a partnership with AudioEye would help us to create that all-inclusive virtual space enabling conversation and connection and allowing everyone to feel part of something bigger.”
Thousands of in-person events are transitioning to virtual in lieu of COVID, including Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, Microsoft IGNITE 2020, the Salesforce Dreamforce conference and more. Yet with only 1.9% of websites fully accessible to one billion individuals worldwide living with disabilities, creating a fully equitable event also requires an accessible virtual platform.
“The mass movement toward online events continues to elevate the importance of digital inclusion,” said David Moradi, CEO, AudioEye. “We applaud INBOUND and HubSpot for being on the forefront of prioritizing an accessible experience and are honored such a well-respected, leading organization has selected AudioEye as its event accessibility partner.”
In addition to code-level accessibility fixes, the AudioEye toolbar will be available on the INBOUND event platform. The toolbar enables individuals to customize their visual experience based on their specific needs. For example, if a user needs to adjust the color contrast, change the font or disable animation to interact, they can easily make those adjustments with the toolbar’s Visual Toolkit widget. All INBOUND attendees will also be invited to scan their website for free by visiting audioeye.com/INBOUND. The scan will instantaneously deliver AudioEye’s Accessibility Score, estimating a website’s level of accessibility based on WCAG 2.1 success criteria. From there, attendees can install AudioEye Pro for free to improve their Accessibility Score, which includes the same tools and technology AudioEye experts use to ensure ADA compliance.
“As a Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner, and an agency that prioritizes digital accessibility, we are thrilled HubSpot is collaborating with AudioEye for its flagship conference,” said Jon Sasala, President, Morey Creative. “AudioEye has given us the tools to not only remediate barriers our websites may present, but also teach us how to develop more inclusively from the beginning. Our hope is that this partnership provides much-needed visibility to the expansive problem of digital inaccessibility and introduces attendees to the products available to solve it.”
INBOUND takes place September 22 – 23. For more, visit audioeye.com/INBOUND.
About AudioEye, Inc.
AudioEye is an industry-leading software solution delivering trusted ADA and WCAG accessibility compliance at scale. Through patented technology, subject matter expertise and proprietary processes, AudioEye is eradicating all barriers to digital access, helping creators get accessible and supporting them with ongoing advisory and automated upkeep. Trusted by the FCC, ADP, SSA, Samsung, and more, AudioEye helps everyone identify and resolve issues of accessibility and enhance user experiences, automating digital accessibility for the widest audiences. AudioEye stands out among its competitors because it delivers human-in-the loop machine learning accessibility remediations without fundamental changes to website architecture, as well as, source code audits, browser-based tools, and continuous accessibility monitoring. Join our movement at www.audioeye.com.
HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is a leading growth platform. Since 2006, HubSpot has been on a mission to make the world more inbound. Today, over 86,000 total customers in more than 120 countries use HubSpot’s award-winning software, services, and support to transform the way they attract, engage, and delight customers. Comprised of Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and a powerful free CRM, HubSpot gives companies the tools they need to Grow Better.
HubSpot has been named a top place to work by Glassdoor, Fortune, The Boston Globe, and The Boston Business Journal. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA with offices in Dublin, Ireland; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Berlin, Germany; Bogotá, Colombia; Paris, France; Ghent, Belgium; and Portsmouth, NH.
Learn more at www.hubspot.com


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Yesterday, Apple rolled out iOS 4.3 beta to developers, and the first look at the latest iOS version yielded up some gems, including multi-touch gestures, hotspot functionality, a return of the orientation lock and new camera effects. Earlier today, MacRumors uncovered settings for a feature called...
We know that Apple has a propensity for patenting anything that moves, and most of them don't see the light of day. But Patently Apple has written, in copious detail, about a very interesting one called Concert Ticket+. I would bet money on the likelihood of this one becoming a reality. It all...
A new Apple patent is going around that offers up something called "iGroups" functionality -- it seems to be a kind of location-based social networking, including an ad-hoc currency functionality between a crowd of Apple devices. It's pretty interesting, though it sounds more like an idea Apple is...
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Royal Philips released the findings of its fifth annual Philips Global Beauty Index, surveying over 12,000 women from 12 different countries. The extensive international study explores the attitudes and perceptions of women from around the globe to uncover how they define beauty, the role it plays in their lives, and how the industry is supporting them.
This year, Philips gazed into the future, examining the evolution of beauty routines globally and the important role that technology and personalization are set to play. The findings reveal the developments women are most excited to see, in addition to how perceptions of beauty are being redefined. It further shows how technology is helping women to make more informed choices about products, influencing where, how, and when women are getting their beauty knowledge.
“This year marks our fifth annual Global Beauty Index, which is very exciting. Having five years of results to compare allows us to make some truly meaningful comparisons between past and present beauty trends, as well as make informed predictions about how the world of beauty is likely to evolve,” said Bianca Heiszwolf, business leader beauty at Philips. “These results are incredibly important to Philips and help us to realize our vision to empower women and provide them with efficient, advanced beauty solutions that respond to their personal needs.”
Women are most excited about receiving personalized beauty advice. This year’s index reveals that when it comes to future beauty technology, women are most excited about personalized advice on how to keep their hair and skin healthy (65%). Women in China and India are particularly eager for future developments in both these areas (85% and 81% respectively). Mobile apps are likely to play a particularly important role in women’s beauty routines, with over half of women surveyed (58%) welcoming an app that scans the skin to identify moisture, pores, lines, and wrinkles over time. Similarly, 57% of respondents would welcome a service or platform that takes hair type, hair structure, hair goals, and other preferences into consideration, applying the information to create an ideal ingredient combination.
Emotional balance and positive mindset are closely linked to feeling beautiful. The 2019 Index shows that 60% of women globally consider themselves to be beautiful. While this is lower than in 2018 (65%), this year’s figure is still 13 points higher than the first Index in 2015 (47%), showing a positive trend over time. This may be attributed to the more holistic approach that women are now taking to beauty, with a large majority of women surveyed believing that having a positive mindset (88%) and feeling emotionally balanced (84%) are the most important aspects of feeling beautiful.
Additionally, more than six in 10 women around the world are already taking a holistic approach to beauty, while 44% of women worldwide say they expect to see a more holistic approach, which connects health and beauty spread across the industry in the next five years.
Women now seek beauty knowledge from a range of sources. With the evolution of technology, there are now more places than ever to find beauty inspiration and knowledge. While many women are looking to online communities for advice, the 2019 Philips Global Beauty Index reveals that it is actually people closer to home whom women depend on most for information. Surprisingly, 49% of women still turn to their friends, family, or colleagues for beauty advice and this figure grows to 63% in Korea and 60% in Turkey. This is notably higher than the number of women who turn to social media, which is 37% globally, in comparison.
That said, one in four women globally (25%) now turn to bloggers or vloggers to discover new beauty brands or products – a far higher figure than those turning to traditional celebrities (15% globally), showing just how much influence these social-media-savvy individuals have garnered over a relatively short period of time.
In summary, while there is a continued trend of women finding information from a range of sources, and who are welcoming to different technologies, the most important development is that women seek personalized solutions that will help them to identify and solve their individual health and beauty concerns.


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Masan to close ineffective VinMart, VinMart+ stores
Masan Group intends to close up to 10 VinMart supermarkets and 150-300 VinMart+ convenience stores that have performed poorly and will open 20-30 new VinMart supermarkets and 300-500 VinMart+ stores this year.
Consumers shop at a VinMart supermarket. Masan will close ineffective VinMart supermarkets and VinMart+ convenience stores - PHOTO: VINGROUP
The group held a conference call with its shareholders to discuss its plans for VinCommerce, a consumer retail unit of conglomerate Vingroup, which has been merged with its retail subsidiary Masan Consumer Holdings, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported.
According to leaders of Masan, as of last year, VinCommerce had 134 VinMart supermarkets covering an average area of 1,500-5,000 square meters each and nearly 2,900 VinMart+ convenience stores covering an average area of 80-100 square meters each.
Although the company’s revenue in 2019 surged by 67% over 2018 to VND26 trillion, it recorded a loss of VND2.1 trillion.
The number of VinMart supermarkets and VinMart+ convenience stores in Hanoi accounted for 34% and 29% of the total, respectively.
This year, VinCommerce is expected to earn more than VND42 trillion in revenue, rocketing 64% versus last year. The revenue will include 24%-25% of revenue from existing VinMart supermarkets and VinMart+ stores, while the remainder will come from stores to be opened this year.
In addition, Masan will put its Meat Deli chilled meat on the shelves of VinMart supermarkets and VinMart+ stores to increase the proportion of revenue from the product, from the current 30% to 35% by the end of this year. SGT
Masan has announced that after the share swap deal with Vingroup, it now owned 83.74% of Vingroup’s subsidiary VCM Services and Trading Development Joint Stock Company (VCM) which operated Vinmart and Vinmart+ stores.
In less than a month, Masan Consumer, a consumer business of major conglomerate Masan Group, has initiated two deals to take its businesses beyond the food and beverage sector.


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The Pirate Bay is a website which gives access to copyrighted works such as hollywood movies. They have challenged the world ad won in many cases...now they search for their own island!
by Paul Glazowski on October 12, 2007
The Pirate Bay is continuing its search for an island to call its own. You have to hand it to brokep and the rest of the guys.
This is the team behind the most brazen (and arguably most chivalrous) anti-Big-Media effort known and celebrated by millions upon millions across the seven seas.
Not content with juggling raids, location shifts, development plans, and lots else, it is using what little free time it has to converse about such delicious things as its plans to continue searching for a solitary spot that it can call its own. With the help of a good sum of donations, of course.
Sealand Was A No Go
The Pirate Bay’s island shopping adventure seemed to come to a halt earlier this year when, upon inquiring about the possibility of the purchase of a purportedly sovereign piece of faux earth (if you can even call two pylons and a platform “earthly”), called Sealand, was met with staunch opposition by its proprietor(s).
And too bad, because those who had given funds to help pay for the “micro-nation” were promised automatic citizenship and the designation of “nobleman” or “noblewoman”.
Fortunately, however, those invested in the halted sale aren’t going to be seeing their green go to waste, promises brokep. TorrentFreak reports the man as saying: “The money will be spent on an island, but first…we need to focus on the upcoming court cases we have.”
Legal Cases To Win First
The Pirate Bay is currently pitted against the Swedish police, who, despite investigating the website for more than a year’s time, have only managed to keep hold of servers confiscated in a past raid; and they’ve also taken it upon themselves to pin just shy of a dozen media companies with the “attempted sabotage” of its trackers.
Clearly, brokep and clan have quite a bit on their plate right now, and it’s certainly worth getting to the conclusion of its bouts with Swedish authorities and Big Media before they resume their search for solitary bliss.
If all goes as is (supposedly) planned, the hunt for an isle of its own will be launched once again - in the foreseeable future. Apparently TPB is “on top of things, time-wise.”
I suppose it’s worth taking them at their word, too. After all, they are quite transparent for a rebel group, yes? That’s more than can be said of the forces they currently contest.
Paul Glazowski is a contributing author discussing the social networking world, his work can be found on Profy.com


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Italy's military and civilian police force, the Carabinieri, has taken delivery this week of two specially-modified Lotus Evora S sports cars.
Equipped with refrigeration units behind the front seats, the two police-blue Evoras will be utilised for blood and organ transport. The cars are on loan to the Arma dei Carabnieiri for the next two years, and will be based in Rome and Milan.
“Everyone knows that Italy has more than its fair share of high profile sports car manufacturers so it is a real honour for a relatively small British brand to be in this position," Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said.
The cars are trimmed with the force's usual blue-and-white scheme, along with red highlights a and roof-mounted light bar.
After an incident in 2009 that saw a Police-enhanced Lamborghini Gallardo written off in a non-fatal road accident, the Carabinieri will this time ensure that only Lotus-trained drivers are allowed behind the wheel of the Evora S.
"Not just anyone can drive these cars, we carefully selected some of our team to attend a driver training session at the new test track at Lotus’ headquarters in Norfolk, where they learnt all about the very special characteristics and incredible potential of the cars,” Carabinieri spokesperson Colonel Marco Minicucci said.
When the Evora S cars return to Britain from their two-year secondment, they may be headed straight for the company museum. The Lotus flagship is due to be replaced in the next few years, and a comprehensive engine and styling overhaul is expected before then.
- Interested in buying LOTUS ? Visit our LOTUS showroom for more information.


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Montana gets $260K from DirecTV to settle suit over advertising
HELENA - Montana has received $260,000 from DirecTV as part of a 22-state, $5 million settlement with the satellite television company, Attorney General Mike McGrath said Wednesday.
The settlement resolves consumer allegations of misleading and deceptive advertising.
McGrath said the multistate group focused on just a few problems consumers had complained about, including programs that were advertised but were not viewable; unexpected blackouts on sports programs in the Sports Package; bad reception; and local channels not available as advertised.
DirecTV denied the allegations, but agreed to the settlement.
"This settlement is a good one for our state," McGrath said. "Montana is a high-use area for satellite TV service. Many of our residents do not have access to cable."
Along with the financial settlement, DirecTV agreed that its advertising will be accurate, and that changes to advertised offers will be clearly noted so consumers will not be deceived.
DirecTV will make it clear to customers which channels will be available, and which nights it has to make programming and pricing changes. Sports packages will include clarifications about potential blackout periods.
The company also agreed to pay restitution to individual consumers. To receive restitution, Montana consumers must either have filed consumer complaints in the past about DirecTV, or file a complaint - either with the state Office of Consumer Protection or with DirecTV - before May 11.
interesting tidbit at the bottom.. some people in Montana can get a piece of settlement too if they complain.


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For a company built on advertising, Google typically applies a light touch with its own marketing efforts — relying more on buzz about its products than on advertising or direct marketing. That may be about to change.
Google is now seeking at least two senior marketers to be based in the United States. One of them — Vice President of Americas Marketing — will be charged with driving adoption of the company’s consumer and advertiser products in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
The purpose of the hires, some believe, is to respond to Microsoft’s recent momentum in the search arena. Another goal may be to support new and upcoming products, such as its Chrome browser and Google Voice.
In a spec sheet obtained by ClickZ, recruiting firm Russell Reynolds Associates describes Google’s need for a candidate possessing “excellent direct marketing skills with a focus on customer acquisition, retention and activation.” Notably, the job has responsibility for a significant portion of Google’s sales and marketing budget.
“This is a senior role that will own a $500+ million P&L as well as be the strategic driver for go-to-market activities in the company’s biggest businesses,” states the document.
On Google’s Web site, an open position — called Head of Marketing, Americas — appears similar to Russell Reynolds’ description. However it differs in key areas. For instance, it doesn’t mention P&L responsibility and focuses more on business products than consumer ones.
Google declined to comment on its open jobs, and Russell Reynolds said it doesn’t discuss clients’ hiring needs with media.
Google’s second noteworthy marketing job — Director of Marketing, Media and Platforms — will handle marketing for the company’s YouTube and display advertising products. Whoever is hired will focus on global expansion of the YouTube audience and will drive advertiser uptake of the company’s display ad platform.
It’s not yet clear whether Google intends to intensify its advertising and marketing activities. Doing so would mark a significant shift for a company that prefers to rely on good PR rather than traditional advertising to drive adoption. While Google has never been explicitly anti-advertising, its campaigns have been few, have been small, and have generally used a very light touch.
“Larry, Sergey, and Eric don’t really believe in advertising and marketing,” said one source familiar with the company’s plans. He added the company was “built on a senior-level disdain” for traditional marketing.
The strategy has largely worked. In Millward Brown’s annual brand ranking report, Google ranked first in brand value in North America, ahead of iconic brands such as Apple and Coca-Cola.
Yet management may be willing to swallow its disdain for old-school marketing, if doing so can help it answer Bing’s successful summer launch campaign. That rollout, driven by an $80 to $100 million ad blitz, helped Microsoft pick up several percentage points of share over the past four months. Bing has also captured the favor of many search marketers. According to two search agency reports, ad spending on Bing is on the rise.
Equally important is Microsoft’s search distribution deal with Yahoo, which will give it approximately 30 percent of the search market.
“Google continues to be successful, but they have a strong competitor for the first time from the launch of Bing and the combination of Yahoo and Microsoft,” said the source.
Another source, also with knowledge of the company’s hiring plans, said, “One of the big jobs there for a [marketing exec] is to keep the search business strong.”
Other products may also be slated for marketing investment. While Google’s product launches never fail to generate media hype, many have struggled to achieve consumer adoption. Among those that have arguably floundered are photo-sharing service Picasa and Craigslist competitor Google Base. Several others have been shuttered completely, including Google Catalogs and Google Answers. On the B2B marketing side, the company’s print and radio advertising programs failed to impress advertisers and media owners, and were shut down earlier this year.
The company also has a number of important products and initiatives that have either just launched or are about to, such as the Chrome Browser, Chrome OS, Google Voice, and its Wave communication platform. These might also be candidates for promotional spending.
According to Google’s 2008 annual report, expenses related to global sales and marketing activities totaled about $1.9 billion last year. Assuming no increase this year, whoever fills the North American marketing post will control 25 percent of that budget.
While Google does not have a chief marketing officer per se, its roster of top executive lists Nikesh Arora as president, global sales operations and business development, overseeing marketing. And, Lorraine Twohill is vice president, global marketing. The VP, marketing Americas position reports to Twohill.
Election 2016 is already like no presidential race before it, and one of the most striking aspects of this year’s race is the disparity ... read more
Can Snapchat make tech-enabled glasses cool? It’s going to try. Last week, it was revealed that the company behind the ascendant social app ... read more


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The shape of things to come? M&S launch body-slimming underwear for men
Women have long turned to cleverly engineered underwear to improve their figures - but men feeling the effects of Christmas over-indulgence will be able to disguise their expanding stomachs soon too.
Marks & Spencer are launching a range called Bodymax, which will help men to hide their bulges and show off a slimmer silhouette.
Its first ever range of shapewear for males is designed to flatten and shape the torso using shaped seams and a hidden support panel.
Slimming: The M&S shapewear promises a reduction of 1.5in around the waist
M&S said trials conducted on the range reported a reduction in waist measurements of up to 1.5in.
Made from fine stretch cotton, the range comprises a vest and T-shirt style and is available in black and white, a spokesman said.
Priced at £12 for the vest and £15 for the T-shirt, the range will be available in 70 stores nationwide and online from January 7.
Dave Binns, head of buying for men's underwear, said: 'Men are becoming more conscious of their appearance. The fact that Men's Health is now the biggest selling men's magazine really highlights this trend.
'Our Bodymax range has been designed in response to this, giving men a quick fix solution for those lumps and bumps in the same way that shapewear does for women.
'I predict that in a few years' time, shapewear will be as much of an essential in men's wardrobes as ties and socks.'
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We are no longer accepting comments on this article.


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The Firm advises Web, Digital Media and Leisure corporations in all points of their company, strategic and licensing companies. Semua fitur ini dikemas dengan bentuk yang yang stylish dan sporty. Insurance coverage big Anthem is launching a brand new app that can assist folks schedule and pay for doctor’s visits on their smartphones. We provide access to systems, packages, data, computers, and computer assets. Assistant Professor Jun Li’s analysis targets community security, distributed techniques, Web protocols, and network simulation and efficiency evaluation.
College students will learn to create and maintain complex virtual computing environments. There are 4.39 billion web customers in 2019, a rise of 366 million (9 percent) versus January 2018. The team at Techrasa and local social media expert Niki Aghaei each concurred that annual consumer growth is well into double digits, and even official government sources have reported sturdy progress.
An info expertise manager career entails working with a wide range of individuals. With the rise of digital media, an increasing number of people in the leisure business realize the importance of the Internet. You will get 30 days from the Bip before you might want to charge it once more, whereas the Apple Watch lasts round a day and a half. For years, Meeker noted that advert spending was decrease proportionate to the amount of time people spend on the web, however that has now modified.
If It’s ‘MediaWikiGadgetsDefinitionRepo'(the default worth), the listing of obtainable gadgets is defined on MediaWiki:Gadgets-definition In another way, Gadget definitions defined on pages within the Gadget definition namespace when $wgGadgetsRepoClass is about to ‘GadgetDefinitionNamespaceRepo’. They turn this system designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can observe.
CoverCloud offers Gadget Insurance you may rely on. From smartphones to iPads and from laptops to digital cameras we give your gadgets the duvet you need. The investor safety agency alleged that Fb’s public disclosures didn’t offer sufficient warning that developers and different third parties may, in obtaining consumer data, have violated the social community’s insurance policies or failed to realize user permission.


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A LOCAL manufacturer, Murzah Soaps and Detergent Ltd, has introduced a new soap and detergent packaged in 210 litres for large scale users in industrial installations, hospitals and tourist hotels.
The company's Managing Director, Mr Haroon Daud Abdallah, popularly known as Zakaria, said during a brief ceremony to introduce the product that the company also intends to sell new and used plastic drums of 210 litres.
He said that this is the first time the product is manufactured in that volume which will help to reduce expenses for various companies and other customers including low income earners since it is economical. The MD called on companies, especially those specializing in cleaning, to make best use of the new product as it will offer a long term solution.
Mr Abdallah urged Tanzanians to cultivate the culture of buying local products so as to create employment opportunities in Tanzania, particularly for the youth. "The availability of soap and detergents in 210 litres will help our prisons and hospitals to meet their needs.
These areas are faced with various challenges when it comes to maintaining cleanliness and we have offered a solution," he said. "This is the only opportunity of improving cleaning services including for laundries and dry cleaners," the MD stressed. He added that the soap and detergent will be available through their agents.


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In response to a massive nationwide recall of fresh vegetables by Mann Packing Co. due to a risk of Listeria, Taher Inc. has recalled certain Fresh Seasons Kitchen Veggie & Ranch Cups.
This recall only affects the 7.5-ounce Fresh Seasons Kitchen Veggie & Ranch Cup containing cauliflower that was sold between October 30, 2019 and November 4, 2019 in cafeterias and vending machines in Minnesota.
The cup has a UPC number of 8 10106 020334 and a sell-by date of November 11, 2019.
No illnesses have been linked to the recalls by Mann Packing Co. or Taher, Inc. These vegetable products were recalled voluntarily “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the recall notice.
Infections with Listeria monocytogenes can be very serious and sometimes fatal. Pregnant women who are infected may show no symptoms, but suffer a miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery.
In healthy adults, the short-term symptoms of a Listeria infection may include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.


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Forbes: Kylie Jenner to become youngest self-made billionaire ever at 21
(CBS News) -- Kylie Jenner might be known to some as Kim Kardashian West's younger sister, but the social media star and cosmetics mogul's net worth is more than twice that of her sister's. Jenner, who graces the cover of Forbes for its annual list of richest self-made women, is on track to soon be the youngest self-made billionaire ever.
Jenner, who turns 21 in August, is the youngest woman on the list, making her debut along with West. Forbes reports that Jenner has built a $900 million fortune in less than three years thanks in large part to her wildly popular makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics. In contrast, Forbes pegs West's net worth at $350 million.
Jenner and West have both built their empires by harnessing social media -- Jenner has 110 million followers on Instagram. The young mom of Stormi has sold $630 million worth of makeup since she launched Kylie Cosmetics in 2016, including an estimated $330 million in 2017, Forbes reports. The magazine values her company at worth nearly $800 million -- and Jenner owns 100 percent of it.
She also earns money from endorsements for brands like Puma and PacSun. Forbes says she's "conservatively worth $900 million," and another year of growth will put her on track as not just the youngest female self-made billionaire ever, but the youngest self-made billionaire ever, period, beating out Mark Zuckerberg, who reached the billion-dollar mark at 23. (Forbes defines "self-made" as "any person who built her own fortune, and didn't inherit the money.")
Jenner's company only has seven full-time and five part-time employees. She credited social media with her success. "I have such easy access to my fans and my customers," she told Forbes.
Powerhouse stage mom Kris Jenner manages the business side of Kylie Cosmetics in exchange for a 10 percent cut, says Forbes. Kylie Cosmetics' overhead costs are very low, Forbes points out, making her profit margin very, very high.
Jenner said she got the idea to launch her signature "lip kits" because she loved putting on lip liner as a teenager. Her mother had the foresight to grow it into a full makeup line and ongoing business.
Jenner said she hopes to pass her business down to her daughter, Stormi: "If she's into it," she said.


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Regular alcohol consumption raises breast cancer risk, except for red wine, which has the opposite effect when consumed in moderation, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported in the Journal of Women’s Health. The authors explained that the chemicals in the seeds and skins of red grapes slightly reduce estrogen levels and raise testosterone among premenopausal females – thus reducing their breast cancer risk.
The authors stress that it is the red grape that has the beneficial compounds, and not just red wine. They suggest that women should consider red wine when choosing an alcoholic beverage to consume, rather than encouraging wine over grapes.
This study contradicts in part a widespread belief that the consumption of all types of alcoholic drinks raises a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer, because alcohol raises estrogen levels, which in turn encourages the growth of cancer cells.
However, the researchers found that premenopausal women who consumed eight ounces of red wine every evening for approximately a month, had lower estrogen and higher testosterone levels. They tried out the same with another group of women, but they had to consume white wine – it did not have the same effect.
Moderate female alcohol drinkers should perhaps reassess their choices, the authors suggested.
Study co-author, Chrisandra Shufelt, MD, wrote:
“If you were to have a glass of wine with dinner, you may want to consider a glass of red. Switching may shift your risk.”
There are over 230,000 new diagnoses of breast cancer each year in the USA – it is the leading type of female cancer in the country, the authors wrote. Approximately 39,000 adult females died from breast cancer in 2011, says the American Cancer Society.
The study involved 36 premenopausal females. They were randomly selected into two groups:
- The red wine group (Cabernet Sauvignon)
- The white wine group (Chardonnay)
For one month, they drank eight ounces of their designated wine every evening. During the second month they swapped groups, i.e. the women on white wine during the first one switched to red wine during the second month. Blood was collected from each participant four times, twice each month, to check for levels of hormones.
The scientists wanted to find out the ingredients of red wine might imitate what aromatase inhibitors do. Aromatase inhibitors are drugs that inhibit aromatase, an enzyme which is involved in estrogen levels. Aromatase inhibitors are used in breast cancer therapy.
They found that red wine lowers estrogen levels, which in turn should stem cancer cell growth. They added that test tube studies had indicated the same thing.
Co-author Glenn D. Braunstein, MD, explained that even though white wine (grapes) appears to lack the protective elements found in red wine (grapes), this does not necessarily mean that white wine raises breast cancer risk.
“There are chemicals in red grape skin and red grape seeds that are not found in white grapes that may decrease breast cancer risk.”
Braunstein added that a larger study is needed to determine how safe and effective red wine might be in reducing breast cancer risk.
Written by Christian Nordqvist


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'So degrading': City barber targeted by burglars in dead of night
- Credit: Brittany Woodman/ Archant
Two hard working barbers feel their salon has been "degraded" after it was targeted by burglars who stole £3,000 in equipment.
Camden Blackett arrived to work at Rival, in Ber Street, on October 28 to find the site in disarray.
Mr Blackett immediately noticed items from his and owner Sanger Saed's - who opened the shop 18 months ago - stations missing.
He said: "It just feels so degrading. It wouldn't matter if it was £10 worth of stuff or a million - it's the fact that someone thinks it's okay to break in here and take the stuff we've worked so hard for.
"I've only been self employed for about nine months and Sanger has been working towards opening this shop for years.
"About £250 worth of my stuff was nicked and about £2,500 of Sanger's items were taken."
Mr Blackett, who lives in Great Yarmouth, added: "Sanger has worked towards opening his own place for years. It's so disheartening to see someone you look up to and aspire to be have it taken away in a heartbeat.
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"Because of the theft we've had to pause plans to expand. We were going to have another couple of chairs put in but because we've got to replace the equipment those plans have got to be put on hold."
Luckily regulars are already helping the pair get back on their feet and have handed over hundreds of pounds worth of clippers and trimmers.
And Mr Blackett is also trying to help his boss out by raising cash through a Go Fund Me - it can be found by searching for 'Sanger' on the site.
He said: "We work long and hard hours to try and build this place up and someone's tried to take that away.
"We're determined that this won't be a set back but a bounce back."
A spokeswoman for Norfolk police said: "We received a report following a burglary in Norwich.
"The incident happened overnight between 22 October and 23 October 2021 when a business premise in Ber Street was broken into. Unknown suspect(s) stole approximately £2,000 worth of equipment. Enquiries are ongoing."


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Rejection from job interviews for more than a year surely frustrated Mohammad Imran Hossain, a fresh graduate from Chattogram's BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology. And then came the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Imran did not give up.
He set up a factory of ready-made garment products with two friends – Fuad Ahmed and Mohammad Mahbub, who were in the business – in September, investing Tk30 lakh to produce knit and woven items.
The factory named Max Quality Fashion started with only 30 workers, but the number has now increased to 100. The company has the capacity to produce 30,000 garments a month.
Initially, the trio started working on sub-contracts and local orders through buyers, but now it is moving ahead with the plan to collect direct orders.
"For the first time in November, we received two direct orders," Fuad Ahmed, another director of the company, told The Business Standard.
One is from a buyer from the US – 12,000 pieces of Joker pants, and the other from the Middle East.
"If the order can be successfully shipped, there is a possibility to get orders from the buyer every month. Besides, the work of making 10,000 pieces of night wear for the Middle East is also going on in parallel," said Fuad.
In three months since its inception in September, the company has produced about 1.5 lakh garments worth about Tk18 lakh.
Further, it has orders worth around Tk45 lakh from the US and the Middle East this month.
In a recent visit to the factory, located at A block in Halishahar of the port city, our correspondent found the workers busy on two floors encompassing 4,000 square feet of a commercial building.
The sewing section is on the sixth floor while the cutting and finishing sections are on the seventh floor. The office of the factory is also on the seventh floor. There is a small table and three chairs in one corner of the floor. Imran talked to The Business Standard sitting in the tiny office.
He seems confident now though he is not claiming that he has become successful. He believes that he is moving forward in the right direction.
Asked how the company started, he said, "We wanted to make T-shirts and children's clothes on a small-scale and sell them on the local market in Chattogram. Later, one of us suggested starting the business on a large scale."
"Since he had some experience in this sector, we took the challenge. Our goal was to keep the factory running until at least January. We were determined that we would not close the factory even though we had to incur losses. We are doing well for such a bold step. Our organisation has not seen any losses as yet," he added.
However, their journey was not easy. In the beginning, there was some crisis of capital, but the youths got the support of their families.
Although Imran studied in the field of RMG, he did not have any real life experience. However, the previous experience of his two friends in this sector helped in this case. Fuad and Mahbub were involved in the sector a couple of years ago, but they became unemployed after the pandemic hit.
Imran thinks trust between the three friends is the main capital rather than financial capital. He said that many good initiatives are ruined due to a lack of trust and confidence among partners. The mutual trust and confidence between the three of them has inspired them to take on such a challenge despite the limitations of financial capital.
"Our goal is to transform the factory into a 100% export-oriented organisation ensuring compliance with BGMEA [the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association]. That is why we have taken the issues related to the interests of the workers seriously from the very beginning. We are paying the workers within the stipulated time every month no matter whether the organisation faces losses or makes profit. We want to continue this in the future," said Imran.
Workers at the company said they lost their jobs during the novel coronavirus pandemic and then joined the company two months ago. Though this company is small and the salary is a bit low, they are happy as they get paid on the 10th of every month. Besides, the work environment at the factory is better than that of other organisations, they said.
Jahanara Sultana, a worker of the factory, said, "I used to work for a big company. We did not get salaries regularly. However, I have not faced such a situation here."
Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, former vice-president of BGMEA and president of Chattogram BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology, sees the emergence of young entrepreneurs in the garment industry amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic in a positive way.
He told The Business Standard, "We feel very proud of such an initiative taken by the students of our institution. Our main objective is that the students become entrepreneurs rather than run after jobs so that they can generate employment for other people. BGMEA will extend all possible cooperation to ensure proper compliance of the factories, which will be 100% export-oriented."
Tipu Sultan Sikder, president of The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Chattogram Cosmopolitan, said that educated young people are coming forward with new initiatives, which will definitely inspire others.
"We plan to work in coordination with the government and non-governmental bodies to develop the skills of young entrepreneurs in Chattogram," said Tipu.


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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Walt Disney World annual passes will be available for the first time since the purchase of new passes was abruptly halted last year.
On Thursday, Disney announced that fans will be able to buy new passes on April 20.
“We are so grateful for our Passholders who have a deep, strong connection to Walt Disney World,” according to a Disney blog post. “And we are looking forward to welcoming more of you to the Annual Passholder family, just in time to experience the feelings of a Disney Thrill this spring and summer.”
Disney also announced new changes to the passholder program. Annual passholders will have access to certain Disney PhotoPass services. Passholders will also be allowed to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation (except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom), starting on April 18.
The following annual pass tiers will be available April 20:
- Disney Pixie Dust Pass (Florida residents only) – $399
- Allows entry on most weekdays, but is subject to blackout dates, including peak and holiday periods
- Disney Pirate Pass (Florida residents only) – $749
- Allows entry on most days, but is subject to blackout dates, including peak and holiday periods
- Disney Sorcerer Pass (Disney Vacation Club members and Florida residents only) – $969
- Allows entry on most days, but is subject to blackout dates on select days, during select holiday periods
- Disney Incredi-Pass (All guests) – $1,399
- No blackout dates apply
The blog post said the “quantity of passes will be limited and passes, or a pass type, may become unavailable for purchase at any time.” Eligible Disney Vacation Club members will be able to purchase the Sorcerer Pass beginning April 13.
For more information, visit the Disney Parks Blog.


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Meijer celebrated the completion of this year’s 22nd newly remodeled supercenter in Rockford, Mich. Company officials said the updated store has been designed to adapt to the needs of today’s customers.
Key updates also include lighting, heating, refrigeration and parking lot improvements. The remodeled 192,000-square-foot Rockford store also provides the Midwestern retailer another flagship location, where the company can test new innovations and programs for consideration at other stores.
Before and After
“We continue to focus on updating our stores to bring the best retail experience to our customers,” Meijer president and CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. “This was a major remodel, and we are very pleased to make this investment and renew our commitment to Rockford and the Algoma Township community.”
The company celebrated the new store’s completion with a ribbon-cutting event, followed by remarks from Meijer officials and State Sen. Peter MacGregor, State Representative Rob VerHeulen and Rockford Mayor Steve Jazweiec. The Rockford High School Pep Band also performed for the crowd before and after the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Ahold Delhaize invited Winsight Grocery Business to tour The Giant Company’s flagship Riverwalk store in Philadelphia. Though opened back in March 2021, the 65,000-square-foot, two-floor store remains a tour de force of how supermarkets can cater to today’s consumers seeking convenience, wide and deep selection, meal solutions, value and an engaging food shopping experience—and convey it all with astute merchandising.


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The photo industry hasn’t seen a 1.0 version of a RAW software for years, so with the launch of ON1 Photo RAW coming in the fall, the company is taking a new approach — crowdsourcing.
ON1 developers are using the new Photo RAW Project as a way to find out, pre-launch, what they could be missing. Instead of managing suggestions through email and online forums, the project allows users to rate suggestions. The ideas that see at least 200 ratings and an average rating at or above 3.5 stars will be reviewed by the ON1 team.
The crowdsourcing method allows potential users of the new software to offer suggestions, while the voting pushes the ideas that are most in demand in front of developers. Users can also share their suggestions, as a way to help get more votes.
So what are photographers looking for in a brand new RAW processor? Some of the top suggestions include auto aligning layers for focus stacking, Fujifilm RAW conversion and film simulations, intelligent lens correction, file compression, dual-monitor support, and noise reduction, just to name a few, though some suggestions on the site are a repeat of features already set to be included.
The ON1 team is already reviewing suggestions to create virtual copies (to try different approaches on the same image) and to introduce compatibility with Lightroom presets. ON1 is also now working on another addition that allows adjustments to be easily copied and pasted to other images, thanks to one suggestion.
With the fall release, the bulk of Photo RAW is already largely in place. One of the biggest perks the developers are aiming for is speed, with quick loads of big file sizes and effects in real-time. Photo RAW will also use nondestructive editing.
While Photo RAW is a stand-alone program, it can also be used as a Lightroom or Apple Photos plugin, so users can easily swap between different programs.


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Dodge’s V8-powered muscle cars are nearing the end of the assembly line.
The automaker has announced that production of the current Challenger and Charger will end in December 2023 before they are replaced by a
new electric vehicle platform
The Charger sedan and Challenger coupe began production in the automaker's Brampton, Canada, facility in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
Since then, automobiles with almost three billion horsepower have been produced.
With a bevvy of unique editions and extras as well as the addition of a commemorative "Last Call" emblem beneath the hood of each 2023 car, Dodge is holding a blowout party for both models.
Seven additional iterations of the pair will be released over the next several weeks, with the eighth making its premiere at the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas in November.
Although no information has been made public about any of them, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis claimed that the seventh will go down in history,
hinting that it would surpass the 808 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon as the most potent internal combustion engine muscle vehicle ever produced.
Dodge is also adding the basic 717 horsepower Hellcat engine to its highly customised Jailbreak ordering option,
which was introduced last year with the 807 hp supercharged V8-powered Challenger and Charger Hellcat Redeye vehicles.
Customers may combine paint colours, trim, and aesthetic packages in almost any way they can conceive of using The Jailbreak.
B5 Blue, Plum Crazy Purple, and Sublime Green, three vintage Dodge paint colours, are being reintroduced back to the palette this year along with the more contemporary Destroyer Grey.
You can visit our website to read more such stories and articles.


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Study: Gen-Xers Like Ford Explorer Sport About as Much as They Like Radiohead
Ford loves selling vehicles, commissioning and reporting the results of various studies related in some way to vehicles, and connecting the reported results of those various and sundry studies to the popularity of the vehicles that it sells. If you don’t believe us, Ford on Thursday pointed to the results of a vehicle customer study from MaritzCX as an indicator of the popularity of its 2017 Explorer Sport among Gen-Xers.
According to the study, the Ford Explorer Sport is the most popular non-luxury SUV among Gen X buyers in the United States. This isn’t because Ford sells each vehicle with complimentary copies of Empire Records, Singles, and Reality Bites on DVD, but because shoppers from that particular generation just love its 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6. It’s almost as powerful as Steve Perry’s vocals.
According to Jim Mulcrone, director of research services for MaritzCX, 40% of people who buy Explorer Sports today qualify as Gen-Xers compared to the average of 23% for other mid-size SUVs.
“Ford has a very interesting customer with this product, and what’s unusual is that many are buying it without trading anything in,” he says. “Our study shows that while 17% of all non-luxury SUV buyers classify themselves as ‘specialty professionals,’ that number is closer to one in four with Explorer Sport. It seems this product is breaking through.”
Breaking through, just like David Hasselhoff and his unforgettable piano tie at the fall of the Berlin Wall. When it comes to “specialty professional” Gen-Xers shopping for a non-luxury midsize SUVs, they, like The Hoff, are just Looking for Freedom.
According to the study, the average household income for Explorer Sport buyers is $175,000 compared to the average of $112,000 for buyers of other midsize SUVs, which suggests that Ford is attracting more customers away from premium brands. MartizCX confirms as much by showing that new Explorer Sport customers are twice as likely to trade in a premium vehicle than buyers of other midsize SUVs. RADICAL! TUBULAR! BODACIOUS! JNCO!
“When consumers look at Explorer Sport, they see all the style and performance of a luxury SUV, but at roughly $20,000 less,” says Omar Odeh, Ford Explorer marketing manager. “Our surveys show Explorer Sport owners highly rate such attributes as ‘power and pick-up,’ ‘fun to drive,’ and ‘overall performance.’ The best part is they represent incremental buyers for us, in that some don’t even set out looking at the Ford brand. Explorer Sport is proving it can stand on its own.”
Standing on its own among Gen-Xers, much like how Nirvana’s Nevermind stands on its own as one of the greatest and most important albums of all time. That baby swimming after the dollar bill really knew what was up.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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Dear President Trump: America is in for a Rude Awakening in January
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People are stashing irrevocable child porn links, dox, copyright infringement, and leaked state secrets in the blockchain
By design, data placed in the blockchain is visible to everyone in the world and can never be removed; everyone who mines bitcoin makes a copy of the blockchain, and so any illegal content stashed in
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Inspired by the European passport, Sneakerness has teamed up with ASICS Tiger to release an extremely limited ASICS Gel Lyte V.
Completely dressed in a Burgundy suede upper with Gold detailing to mimic the UK’s passport sitting atop a White midsole and Gum rubber outsole. Other details include “Sneakerness” printed on the laces, stamped graphic insoles that comes housed in a themed wooden box.
Limited to only 100 pairs, look for the Sneakerness x ASICS Gel Lyte V Passport to release on September 9th and 10th via Sneakerness Paris.
Source: sneakers addict


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For years, the strong euro has put off some travelers, not anymore, say travel experts, these days, the weak euro has been a boon to the European hospitality industry;Â
The euro, which recently dropped to an 11-year low against the U.S. dollar, helped draw 413 million people last year to the continent to stroll the Champs ĂlysĂ©es, bask under the Greek sun and visit other popular spots, according to the ITB World Travel Trends Report conducted by IPK International. That was a 4.2 percent increase compared to 2013.
"The weak euro helps certain markets, for example the United Kingdom and United States market,â said Sofia Vaimakis,Â sales director at Chandris Hotels & Resorts, a chain of four and five-star hotels in Greece, at the ITB Berlin Convention.
âFor UK and US travellers, Greece is not an expensive market. More tourists are coming from non-euro countries.â
The ITB report backed up Vaimakis. It forecast growth of 3 percent in the European tourism market this year, with strong inbound traffic from North America.
âThe US outbound market is still very solid and is expected to continue growing in the next few years, as is Canada,â said European Travel Commission researcher Valeria Croce in the report.
Social media and the sharing economy is boosting North American travel as the so-called millennial generation of travelers aged 13 to 33 are using the Internet to book rooms and plot their vacations and business trips.
âThey have confidence in technology and trust social media which they see as an enabler of positive travel experiences rather than an interruption,â said Suzanne Cook, president of Suzanne Cook Consulting, in the report.
Cook added that wealthier older Americans were also eager to travel while the U.S. dollar remains strong compared to the euro, magnifying their purchasing power still more. âAmong affluent AmericansâŠtravel is a high priority and there is a favorable outlook for this consumer segment,â Cook said.
Visits to Southern Europe and Northern Europe each grew by 7 percent in 2014, were the two fastest-growing regions for tourism on the continent, the ITB report found. Greece, Spain, Turkey, Germany and the UK were the leaders in those regions.
Western Europe saw slower growth but, at 3 percent, it was still healthy.
âEuropean growth is still well above the long-term growth trend,â said John Kester, director of the United Nations World Tourism Organizationâs Tourism Market Trends Programme, in the report. âMany countries are doing well and itâs fairly across the board.â
China, India and the United Arab Emirates have especially been fueling that increase, the report said, reflecting the growing wealth of those countries.
Three European cities were among the top urban destinations in the world. Paris was the worldâs top metropolitan destination, with 18.8 million. London was third, with 16.1 million. And Barcelona, Spain was the fifth most popular city, with 12.4 million. New York, Bangkok and Singapore were the second, fourth and sixth most popular cities, respectively.
Some European destinations didnât see stellar growth, however. A drop-off in Russian visitors to Eastern Europe â" largely due to the weak euro â" caused overall tourism in that region to sag by 1 percent.
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Coca-Cola Amatil has posted a 82.5 percent slump in net profit after tax, representing the company’s worst result in 21 years.
The drop in profits equates to a net profit after tax of $79.9m for the year to December 31, 2013 – the weakest result since 1992, ABC News reports.
CCA took a $400m hit related to write-downs from struggling food processor SPC Ardmona, which was on the verge of closing due to increased competition from cheap imported produce.
CCA had requested a $25m assistance package from the federal government to get the processor back on its feet. The application was rejected on a federal level, however the Victorian state government last week pledged $22m, coupled with a $78m investment from CCA over a three year period.
The company also lost market share in the beverage sector last year to due to aggressive discounting campaigns by competitor Schweppes.
Excluding the one-off write-downs, CCA's profits dropped 9.6 percent to $502.8m and revenues slid 1.1 percent to $5.12b.