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It ain't pretty and it never is. No one likes to hear that their bank, credit card issuer, transaction processor, or any of the merchants they've used who issue plastic has been hit with a security breach.
In the latest hack attack, which was revealed Friday, third-party credit card processor Global Payments (GPN) said that it believes up to 1.5 million credit cards issued in North America may have been compromised, with security thieves potentially stealing "Track 2" information such as the account numbers, expiration dates, and three-digit PINs on the back of customers' cards. Cardholders' names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, however, weren't pilfered, the company says.
While the scope of the Global Payments attack was not as wide as Sony's PlayStation Network attack last year that affected approximately 77 million account holders, or TJX Cos. massive data breach of 2005 and 2006 that affected upward of 100 million credit and debit card accounts, consumers would be wise to take security steps now, even if their card-issuing bank hasn't sent a notice that they were potentially among the Visa or MasterCard accounts that were hit, say security experts.
Before the Letter Arrives
Consumers who access their accounts online should be checking the transaction history of their bank-issued credit cards daily, says Julie McNelley, retail banking research director for Aite Group.
That way, you can catch any unauthorized transactions on the credit card quickly and give the bank a heads-up. (Banks will investigate and reimburse customers for unauthorized transactions on their credit card accounts.) "Consumers should be checking their accounts all the time, anyways, even when there isn't a security breach" in the news, she says.
And for plastic-using consumers who don't haven't set up online access to their card accounts, McNelley highly recommends they consider signing up -- pronto.
After the 'You've Been Comprised' Letter Is Sent
Once the dreaded letter arrives that your credit card account may have been compromised, be prepared: In some states, your bank will block the account and reissue a new credit card and number.
Consumers who have automatic payments set up using the affected credit card will need to get busy notifying merchants and service providers of the new account number.
"Usually smaller banks will do this, too, because they don't have the same level of analysts as the big banks do to keep an eye on potential fraud from the attack," McNelley says.
In some cases, state laws or a bank's own internal policy will call for providing free credit reports to help consumers monitor any illicit or unauthorized activity that crops up with the consumer's pilfered personal information. "Those services are useful, but they shouldn't be viewed as a silver bullet," McNelley warns. "There is always a lag in the data."
For example, thieves who have stolen a consumer's name, address and Social Security number may try to open a new credit card account with the information. But it will take some time before the additional credit card pops up on the credit report that the consumer receives.
Preventive steps: Credit or debit?
When given a choice between paying with a credit card or debit card at an unattended point-of-service machine such as a gas pump or video rental kiosk box, always go for the credit card.
Data theives have been known to station miniature cameras in strategic locations to catch images of people entering their debit card PIN numbers into point-of-sale machines. If they place a skimming machine over the real card reader, they can pilfer the account data from the debit card's magnetic strip too. Between those two methods, McNelley warns, they have all the data they need.
"If you use a debit card, they can withdraw the funds immediately from your bank account and you'll be out of those funds until the bank investigates and puts the money back in," he explains.
Motley Fool contributor Dawn Kawamoto does not own any stocks in the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of MasterCard. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Visa.


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Japanese automaker Honda has discontinued the Brio hatchback in India. Honda has confirmed that the Amaze compact sedan will be its entry-level car. Honda has also stated that the company has no plans to introduce the new generation Brio in the Indian market.
Speaking to PTI, Rajesh Goel, Senior VP and Director (Sales and Marketing), Honda Cars India said that the company has stopped the production of Brio. He also said that as of now, the company has no plans to introduce the new-gen Brio in India. Instead, Honda will focus on Amaze.
The Honda Brio was launched back in 2011 to cater to the growing entry-level hatchback segment. The Honda Brio was offered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine. The Honda Brio did not attract the Indian buyers and the hatchback failed to deliver the good to Honda. The Brio has faced fierce competition from the likes of Maruti Swift, Hyundai Grand i10 and Tata Tiago.
With the dwindling sales, Honda was expected to introduce the updated Brio in India. But the Japanese automaker has decided to discontinue the Brio in the Indian market. Honda has not revealed the reason behind not launching the new Brio in India. It looks like Honda is concentrating on the bigger models such as the upcoming new Honda Civic.

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BT’s deal to merge its sports broadcasting business with Warner Bros Discovery has been cleared by the UK competition watchdog.
In May, the UK telecoms giant sealed a joint venture (JV) deal with the Eurosport owner to create a combined sports broadcasting business in the UK and Ireland.
It agreed to the move, which could be worth up to £540 million, after a lengthy review of its BT Sport operation.
Last month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a probe into the joint venture deal, as it sought to assess whether the move could “result in a substantial lessening of competition”.
The CMA started with a Phase 1 investigation but has now confirmed it will not refer the deal to a more thorough Phase 2 probe, allowing the process to complete.
BT said it will now be able to complete the merger “in the coming weeks”, with its and Warner Bros Discovery’s assets being transferred into a new company.
It confirmed that BT Sport and Eurosport will initially retain their separate brands before being brought together “under a single brand” in the future.
Marc Allera, chief executive officer of BT’s consumer division and future chairman of the joint venture, said: “It’s great news that the CMA has approved the new JV that we are forming with Warner Bros Discovery, combining the very best of BT Sport and Eurosport UK, to create an exciting new offer for live sport programming in the UK.
“Today is a huge milestone, as we now look toward day one of the new business, which we hope to be in the coming weeks.”
Andrew Georgiou, future board member of the JV and president and managing director of Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Combining the capabilities, portfolios and scale of BT Sport and Eurosport UK will be a big win for fans in the UK & Ireland, offering a new destination that will feature all the sport they love in one place.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub Source : Radio News Hub


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Even if the New York Yankees don’t play better this season, they’ll look better on television.
In time for opening day, YES Network, the team’s 5-year-old regional sports channel, will launch a stand-alone channel carrying games and other programming in high definition.
Working with DirecTV, the network also is enhancing YES Interactive, which gives subscribers access to statistics, scores and extra camera angles via their remote controls. Those interactive features will be sponsored this season, generating extra revenue for YES and DirecTV.
Ray Hopkins, YES’ chief operating officer, said the network believes in staying on the cutting edge of technology to keep fans tuned in longer and boost ratings.
“In each of these areas, advertisers have been excited to jump on board with us,” he said.
Since current management of YES Network—led by CEO Tracy Dolgen, Mr. Hopkins and Michael Wach, executive VP of ad sales—joined the roster in 2004, the channel’s lineup of advertisers has grown more than fourfold to more than 400.
The new full-time HD channel launches Apri1 1, the day before the Major League Baseball season starts, via DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision. All Yankees home and away games will be in HDTV, as will studio shows, including pre- and post-game reports.
The channel will be promoted with spots featuring Yankees players including Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter.
Next basketball season, all home games of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets also will be shown in high definition on the channel.
YES and DirecTV began testing a bundle of interactive features in July; most proved popular. Mr. Hopkins said 42 percent of subscribers with access used the features one or more times a week. Within that group, 82 percent used them multiple times per game.
There was a large group of heavy users, with 43 percent using an interactive feature six or more times per game and 25 percent using it 11 or more times per telecast.
The most popular feature was the out-of-town scoreboard. Another popular feature was the bonus cam, which allowed DirecTV viewers a different view of the game.
This season, the bonus cam will be available during road games as well as home games, and will be offered as a picture-in-picture view rather than a stand-alone. Mr. Hopkins said he thinks viewers will stay with the feature longer in that format. Other features are being tweaked to make them more streamlined and efficient for viewers, he said.
Features being added include a “Rivals Alert,” which lets fans know of developments in games involving any team challenging the Yankees for the division lead, and real-time, in-game pitching statistics.
YES has offered the interactive service to cable operators as well, but there have been no takers this season.
“Sports is a key for us, and differentiating ourselves in sports is key to acquiring and retaining subscribers,” said Eric Shanks, executive VP of entertainment for DirecTV.
Mr. Shanks said YES Interactive is a template for other services, but no other regional sports network is set to come online this season. He said YES viewers use the service to get quick hits of information about the game, so this year the service is simpler and responds fasters.
The extra interactive services are factored into the license fee DirecTV pays to YES. DirecTV gets some revenue for creating the added available advertising space.
YES also has moved online as one of the first regional sports networks to make a deal with Google Video; it gets a dedicated channel on YouTube.com. The channel will carry clips from pre- and post-game interviews and shows including “The Marv Albert Show” and “YES Ultimate Road Trip.”
The network also has mobile programming. The local Toyota dealer group is sponsoring text-message voting for player of the game during Nets telecasts. A similar sponsorship deal for Yankees games is in the works. YES also launched a mobile score and news alert service with 4Info, a mobile technology company.


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The vehicle expo area of CES has been one of the most exciting parts of the trade show in recent years.
Given that attendees couldn’t see and interact with the real thing (or super-cool prototypes) this year, it just wasn’t the same.
But hopefully 2022 will bring the ability to gather in person again and experience new automotive technology close up. Because there are technological advances such as 5G and lidar that will make autonomous vehicles more than an aspirational concept within a few years. Many tech experts mentioned that the lack of latency, speed, and capacity of fully deployed 5G systems will make autonomous vehicles truly viable in the near future.
Mobileye, which was bought up by Intel in 2017, announced that it will use crowdsourced mapping, a camera-based computer vision system, and a lidar suite to safely put highly automated cars on the road by 2025. Pending regulatory approval, Mobileye plans to have test vehicles on New York City streets by the end of this year.
Just how complicated your car is going to get was highlighted by Bosch in a CES presentation. Chew on this … a typical car had 10 million lines of code in 2010. Bosch estimates there will be around 500 million lines of code in your car as autonomous and semi-autonomous technologies go into production. Nothing can go wrong, right?
In addition to exciting advancements in autonomous technology, the move to low-cobalt batteries, which will be better for the environment and less costly, is good news on the EV front.
Here is some of the cool technology that was on virtual display at CES 2021:
If you pop for a Mercedes-Benz EQS electric luxury sedan this year, you’re going to want to make sure everybody looks at your dashboard because it’s going to, well, impressive. You and your passenger will each get 12 x 3-inch personal screens with an 18-inch control panel screen in between. Mercedes says the Hyperscreen with its all-touch functionality will prevent distractions, although it’s kind of hard to imagine how with a 55-inch HD screen immediately under your windshield.
General Motors was all-in on CES this year, announcing lots of stuff that ranged from practical to concepts (flying taxi) that are likely to never see the light of day. One thing that will be showing up is BrightDrop, their electrified and connected delivery ecosystem. The EP1 delivery box can move up to three miles per hour, guided along by the touch of a delivery worker as he moves goods around the warehouse or delivers packages to homes. The box can carry up to 200 pounds of cargo. The EV600 is a light commercial delivery truck with a 250-mile range. Its sidewalk side opens up like the awning of a food truck for quick loading and unloading. Given the new reality that we’re shopping less in brick-and-mortar stores and ordering more online, technologies that make life easier on delivery workers is a very good thing.
Panasonic AR HUD
Panasonic’s new 4K-resolution head-up display (HUD) mixes 2D information such as vehicle speed, speed limit, and fuel range with 3D overlays of navigation directions, which appear to be cast spatially onto the road ahead. The system calls out bicyclists with a yellow symbol on the display and highlight objects in the road, as well as accidents ahead. It has a 180-degree field of vision and can see 90 meters ahead across three lanes, detecting and displaying new information in less than 300 milliseconds.
Sion electric car
Sono Motors’ Sion electric car is covered with 245 solar “pucks” combined with a 35-kWh battery that can be charged through a standard EV charger. Its maximum range is 158 miles, but it can recharge itself enough for up to 21.7 miles daily if it’s sunny. Built in Sweden, it will launch first in Europe with an anticipated list price around $26,000.
Let’s talk about how we can help move your business forward.


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PARIS: Research among long-distance commercial drivers in Australia has given weight to those who say coffee, tea or caffeine energy drinks or tablets help prevent dangerous drowsiness at the wheel
We spend hundreds of riyals on our weekly grocery bills, stuffing our food carts with fancy readymade sauces, salad dressings, dips and other processed food, most of which are ex
Applebee’s is one of the world’s largest casual dining chains with more than 2,000 restaurants.
Just a few tiny lifestyle changes can make you happier and healthier. Now is a good time to start in preparation for the summer.
Giving your toddler skimmed or semi-skimmed milk is unlikely to make inroads against the risk of obesity, a large study conducted among American children has found.
Jack Nguyen had sold 20 of his 30 containers of imported American grapes when a fresh round of rumors hit the Internet and state-run media: Chinese fruit on sale in Vietnam might look good, but it
People who have quit smoking have a lower chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke than current smokers, even if they put on a few extra kilos in the process, according to an international stud
I explained in the three earlier articles some of the causes of the unfortunate explosion of obesity in our country and in the US.
Binge eating means eating a large amount of food really quickly when you are not hungry. Binge eaters often carry on eating past the stage of feeling full.
The business lunch on offer at Noodles is perfect for those who have a one-hour break and wanted to spend it at a luxury restaurant and eat premium Chinese.
© Copyright of Arab News 2015


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Relevant news & expert insight
Latest products and companies to do business with
Tip & tricks for fashion & material business
Vietnamese leather and footwear exporters must comply with the EU-Việt Nam free trade agreement’s rules of origin and be prepared to deal with EU barriers and anti-dumping measures, speakers said at a seminar held in Ho Chi Mihn City.
Figures for US raw material exports from the US Hide Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) confirm the pattern that has prevailed all year. Exports of wet-salted hides between January and September are up in volume and value, while global exports of wet blue are down.
A new report from real estate company Savills has shown that Paris is the city with the highest number of luxury store openings so far in 2017, reports Leatherbiz.
Leather chemicals manufacturer reported a 25% increase in third quarter revenue to €2.4 billion, partly as a result of contributions from its new Chemtura group of businesses, as well as from higher sales volumes.
Italian outdoor footwear brand Aku is celebrating the award of official Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification for one of its products.
NEWS & BLOG


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The world must restore at least two billion hectares of land and ocean — an area roughly double the size of Canada — to prevent the planet from falling deeper into an ecological crisis fuelled by unchecked economic growth, warns a UN report released Thursday.
Deep in a remote B.C. valley, a prized Japanese vegetable grows wild, its carpet of tea plate-sized leaves a living testament to the internment of thousands of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War.
When Justin Milton moved to Ottawa five years ago from the Arctic community of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island, it was difficult to find his favourite fish, Arctic char. Plentiful in Arctic waters, the salmon-like fish is less common on southern supermarket shelves. Knowing if it was caught by an Inuk fish harvester — not an industrial fishing boat — was even trickier.
Years ago, the grandparents of Ando’ohl lax̱ ha (Nathan Combs) had fed friends and family from potato fields and smokehouses on a plot of land they tended by the Skeena River about 150 kilometres northeast of Terrace. Combs, who is Gitxan, wanted the land, which had been dormant for years, to again bolster his community’s food security.
Dan Gillis’s grocery dollars are bucking the trend. Instead of fuelling profits for a chain supermarket, Gillis is ordering food from a non-profit online food delivery service and helping his less well-off neighbours afford food.


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RYANAIR is scrapping its two-bag carry-on policy, saying passengers are bringing on board too much luggage to make it sustainable.
The low-cost airline said it made the decision because flights are being delayed because of a lack of space in overhead cabins.: “As too many customers are availing of Ryanair’s improved 2 free carry-on bags service and with high load factors (97 per cent in August) there is not enough overhead cabin space for this volume of carry-on bags, which is causing boarding/flight delays.”
From November 1 only “Priority Boarding” customers who have paid extra will be allowed two carry-on bags.
Regular customers will “only be allowed to bring one smaller carry-on bag on board the aircraft, while their second (bigger) wheelie bag must be placed in the hold (free of charge) at the boarding gate.”
Ryanair said in July it was considering changing its baggage policy, with Ryanair’s chief financial officer Neil Sorahan saying at the time: “I’ve seen two-year-olds wheeling a bag up to the plane as people try to take advantage.”
Ryanair also announced it is increasing its check-in bag allowance from 15kg to 20kg, and reducing the standard fee from £35 to £25 for a 20kg bag.
The airline’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said: “These bag policy changes will cost Ryanair over 50 million euros (£46 million) per annum in reduced checked bag fees.
“However, we believe offering bigger bags at reduced fees will encourage more customers to consider checking in a bag, which will reduce the high volume of customers we have with two carry-on bags at the boarding gates, which is causing flight delays due to large numbers of gate bag and cabin bag offloads.”
The changes will apply to all existing and future bookings.


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FL Studio Mobile, previously announced for iOS, is now available for iPhone, iPod touch, and, in an “HD” edition, on iPad 1 and 2. The biggest feature: if you’re an FL Studio user, you can take your projects and load them on the mobile version for on-the-go editing. That makes FL the first major, non-Apple […]Read more
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Shropshire-based wholesale brokers Millennium Insurance is set to massively expand into the retail market after joining forces with the Scottish mini bank Cheque Centre.
Millennium Insurance plans to open 50 insurance shops in the year by utilising Cheque Centre's 26 current shops in Scotland and the 24 further shops which the Scottish mini bank plans to open in the north of England during the year.
The two companies plan to open 150 new shops across the UK in the next three years.
Millennium Insurance, which is predominately a wholesale broker, sees this collaboration as an opportunity to launch itself in the retail market. But the operation will be tele-based. A hotline in each Cheque Centre will allow customers to receive an on the spot quote from Millennium's telesales force.
It will provide customers with a wide range of personal household and motor insurance for high street customers.
But Millennium will be prepared to accept other quotes for other forms of risks including commercial lines.
Most of the risk will be underwriten will by Lloyd's syndicates.
Chief executive Ben Fish said: "Our insurance service will help Cheque Centres' shops become retail insurance centres for household, motor and many other products, and gives us a very significant presence in the marketplace.
"We have resisted moves in the past to enter into retailing but we believe the conditions in the insurance market at the moment are right to enable us to take this step with confidence."
He added the company also plans to sell insurance over the internet and hopes to launch its own website for interactive insurance sales within six months.
Cheque Centre provides cheque clearing facilities for people who do not have an account or cannot wait for the bank clearing process, a salary advance facility, instant share cashing, foreign currency exchange and small unsecured no credit search loans.
The joint venture coincides with the fourth anniversary of the launch of Millennium during which time the company has rapidly expanded. It recently recruited a team of 32 sales consultants.
The first insurance outlet is due to be opened in Edinburgh in May.


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Emitrr raises $4 million to expand its automation offering for local businesses
By Editor - Tue Aug 02, 12:39 am
Large-scale and mid-sized enterprises and businesses are increasingly adopting — and offering — software-as-a-service platforms as they seek to increase their revenue and parlay their growth into greater efficiency. Now a young startup, Emitrr , is aiming to bring the benefits of this model to small and local businesses in the U.S. Emitrr claims to help small businesses by automating tasks such as appointment reminders and review generations. On Tuesday, the startup, led by two Indian co-founders, announced that it raised $4 million in a Pre-Series A round to widen its automation solution in the U.S. market. Bengaluru-headquartered Chiratae Ventures led Emitrr’s funding round, which also drew participation from Venture Highway, FortyTwo VC and Axilor Ventures.


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Looking for a spark, Toys “R” Us has shifted its focus to building a presence in the Indian market.
The toy store company announced Oct. 7 it has opened its first store in the country in Bangalore, through a franchise tie-up with Tablez India, a company that is part of Abu Dhabi-based Yusuff Ali MA-owned Lulu Group.
The partnership plans to open 65 more stores in India over the next decade, according to the company.
With an investment of $50 million, it will feature two brands of the American retailer, including Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us.
In September, the retailer filed for bankruptcy for its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries, citing online competition and sizeable debt as reasons. The filing does not include any countries outside the two listed, where its brand remains strong, according to a report.
With its growing and increasingly affluent middle-class, India is a promising market for retailers looking to sell toys and games to kids, especially as discerning parents up their spends on branded products, according to a Quartz India report.
Toys “R” Us plans to “bring a lot of organization to unorganized retail as well as wholesale distribution,” Adeeb Ahmed, managing director of Tablez India, said in the report.
The challenge, however, is that demand in India is shifting rapidly as kids get influenced by digital toys and tablets, according to the publication.
“It isn’t just about selling toys,” Ahmed said in the report. “We want to create a space where kids and parents can come and learn new, experiential and interactive things.”


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Bitcoin and cryptocurrency costs have swung wildly by Might as panic sweeps the market within the aftermath of a serious stablecoin’s collapse—with worrying doubts emerging over similar cryptocurrencies.
The bitcoin value has this month dropped to lows not seen since late 2020, sparking fears over the broader crypto market.
Now, the chief govt of Microstrategy, Michael Saylor, has predicted the bitcoin value will finally go “into the hundreds of thousands”—calling regulation that is now anticipated on account of the current stablecoin terraUSD (UST) wipe out “good for the trade.”
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“There isn’t any value goal,” Saylor, who started shopping for bitcoin in the summertime of 2020 when it was buying and selling at round $10,000, informed Yahoo Finance. “I anticipate we’ll be shopping for bitcoin on the native prime perpetually. And I anticipate bitcoin goes to enter the hundreds of thousands. So we’re very affected person. We predict it is the way forward for cash.”
Microstrategy, a enterprise intelligence software program firm that has pivoted to develop into a bitcoin acquistion automobile, has purchased nearly 130,000 during the last two years at a median value of simply over $30,000. The bitcoin value soared to nearly $70,000 late final 12 months.
Nonetheless, the bitcoin value and wider crypto market has been onerous hit by a downturn that is additionally weighed on inventory markets, triggered by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s plans to lift rates of interest and trim its yawning $9 trillion steadiness sheet.
The crypto market has been additional impacted by the collapse of the stablecoin terraUSD and its help coin luna. The stablecoin market is now braced for a regulatory crackdown that Saylor expects to be a constructive factor for the rising crypto financial system.
“That’ll be good for the trade,” he stated. “Over time, I feel as individuals get educated and as they get extra comfy, I feel we’ll get better from this drawdown.”
“I agree with Saylor, as an occasion of this magnitude forces governments to behave quick with offering regulatory readability,” Marcus Sotiriou, an analyst on the U.Okay.-based digital asset dealer GlobalBlock, stated in emailed feedback, including the UST collapse “will speed up rules of stablecoins and safety tokens, which could have a constructive impression on the trade.”
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Earlier this month, U.S. Treasury secretary Janet Yellen called for “pressing” stablecoin regulation to be created this 12 months on account of the UST meltdown.
Saylor continues to anticipate institutional traders to flock to bitcoin, arguing it is “superior” to different types of cash. Bitcoin’s dominance, a measure of bitcoin’s worth in comparison with the broader crypto market, has elevated in current months as merchants flee riskier belongings.
“As soon as individuals work out why bitcoin is superior to all the things else, then the establishments are going to return in with giant sums of cash, and we’re not going to need to wrestle by this huge rationalization of why we’re completely different than 19,000 different crypto tokens,” Saylor stated.


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Our worst nightmares have been realized.
Food delivery drivers really do touch your food!
And in this case, use their own hands to take toppings off a pizza, lick their fingers, and go back for… eighths?
Lately the subject of food delivery safety has been on the rise with more and more stories coming out from customers saying their food “didn’t look quite right” or “my drink was not full” – insinuating the driver is helping him or herself to some light snacking on the road.
This video posted by CNN in 2013 has us running for the hills! Or more fittingly, running from our delivery apps!
Here we see a delivery man in an elevator preparing to hand over someone’s anticipated dinner, only witnessing him do something we all have thought about and have hoped we never become the victim of “the hungry delivery man”.
This time, he decides this particular pizza looks too good to resist and helps himself to a few samples.
What’s worse is he licks his fingers, goes back for more, and continues to repeat this process many times over – covering the pizza in his saliva.
Don’t worry, this guy isn’t the only one enjoying a nice snack at the expense of other people’s food.
News.com.au shared an article only a few days ago revealing some pretty interesting information from the delivery drivers own mouths.
“I think on the way to my house, he helped himself to a chip,” Mr Mander said on his national radio show Collective Noun.
This was the spark that lite the flame, causing floods of callers to report their own deviant actions while they were delivering food.
Natasha said she delivered pizzas for Domino’s and would often snack on orders on the way.
“Every time I went for a delivery, I took bits of toppings off people’s pizzas,” she said.
“I also took at least one of their chocolate brownies, so they didn’t know. I once took someone’s churros and it fell out when I gave it to them because I didn’t close the box up properly. We pretty much all did it.”
According to Statista.com, the food delivery industry generates over $20 Billion annually, and expected to grow at a rate of 9.7% each year. That’s a whopping $29 Billion annual revenue projection by 2022.
Barry, who works for a major delivery service, said “it’s done all the time” and he so regularly sneaks food that he has figured out how chains rank on the chip front.
“Nando’s have the best chips,” he declared.
The show heard from restaurants that tampering with food has become so common that they have taken to stapling closed paper bags.
“Maccas is a little bit harder because they double bag their orders,” Barry said. “They do leave the straw in the frappés though.”
When asked if he had sipped on someone’s drink, he replied: “ yeah!”
My opinion, if the media continues to be an outlet for food horror stories there might not be much a future for some of these food delivery apps. All we know is something has to change, and it needs to happen now!
After all, none of us want to give up the convenience of enjoying a meal from our favorite restaurant delivered straight to our doorstep, right?
If you feel the same way as we do and demand these delivery companies take action against these drivers with “sticky fingers”, then please leave a comment below!


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It’s been two years since Google Music launched in November 2011 and until now there’s been no iOS app. Finally, according to tipster @evleaks, we can expect the app to arrive by the end of the month.
The Google Music iOS app, which @evleaks describes as “imminent”, was reported to be in its testing phase early in October. According to Matt Brian of Engadget: “We’re told that while employees have been invited to test the app, Google still needs to fix a few bugs before it’s ready for release.”
As if all that wasn’t enough Google’s very own Android head said at the D11 conference that Google Music would be making its way to iOS.
While Google Music is similar to Apple’s iTunes offering this version is cheaper and offers more freedom of use as it works on Android as well as any computer with a browser. It also offers scan-and-match access much like iTunes Match. Plus it’s available in a lot of Europe.
The app, which made Time’s 50 Best iPhone Apps list last year, also offers Google All Access paid streaming service at £7.99 month.


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Walmart's new pollinator health policy includes partnering with solar developers to establish pollinator habitats around solar panel arrays. (Photo courtesy Natural Resources Services/Fresh Energy.)
Walmart has revealed a comprehensive new pollinator health policy, which advocacy group Friends of the Earth characterizes as the most far-reaching of any U.S. food retailer so far. The new policy from the world’s largest retailer aims to help protect bees and other pollinators that are essential to one out of every three bites of food people eat.
The new policy requires that all global fresh produce and floral suppliers to Walmart U.S. adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, as verified by a third-party certifier, by 2025. Walmart is the first U.S. food retailer to adopt a timebound commitment to expand ecological farming methods in its supply chain.
The retailer will encourage fresh produce suppliers to protect, restore or establish pollinator habitats by 2025 on at least 3% of land they own, operate and/or invest in and report annual progress, and it will continue to avoid selling invasive plant species in retail stores.
Walmart’s policy also encourages non-organic produce suppliers to discontinue the use of chlorpyrifos and neonicotinoids and not to replace them with other products with a level I bee precaution rating. Other major U.S. food retailers have adopted policies encouraging reduction of these pesticides, including Aldi, Costco, Kroger and Rite Aid, but only Walmart has committed to track their use in its supply chain to boost transparency and assess annual progress.
Further, Walmart is asking suppliers to label pollinator-friendly plants as attractive to pollinators at its retail locations. Beginning this month, plants that attract pollinators will feature special tags to help customers grow their own pollinator gardens. A total of more than 1.3 million annual and perennial pollinator-promoting plants will carry tags in the chain’s stores this spring.
To address habitat loss, which leads to pollinator decline, the retailer now provides goals to protect, restore and establish pollinator habitats in pollinator migration corridors and on farms in its produce supply chain, as well as partnering with solar developers to establish pollinator habitats around solar panel arrays like the one at its distribution center in Laurens, South Carolina.
“Driving the scale of our collective pollinator commitments through our supply chain can create industry-leading changes and have a significant positive impact for the future of our planet,” noted Martin Mundo, SVP, general merchandise manager, produce and global produce sourcing, Walmart U.S., in a blog post. “It can also help prevent mornings without orange juice and summer picnics without strawberries — as long as we work together to protect the pollinators that serve the earliest roles in getting some of our favorite foods from farm to table.”
As a result of its new policy, the company has moved from an “F” to first place on Friends of the Earth’s Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard, which ranks top U.S. grocery retailers on how well they protect pollinators from toxic pesticides. Walmart’s commitment comes in the wake of a multiyear effort focusing on U.S. food retailers, led by Friends of the Earth and more than 100 environmental, consumer, farmer and farmworker organizations.
“Scientists across the world are sounding the alarm that we are in the midst of an ‘insect apocalypse,’ driven in large part by toxic pesticides,” said Kendra Klein, senior staff scientist at Washington, D.C.-based Friends of the Earth. “Walmart’s policy is a major step in the right direction, but with 40% of insect pollinators facing extinction, all retailers must accelerate a race to the top before pollinators lose their race against time.”
Without pollinators, grocery stores would run short of a broad range of fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and even chocolate and coffee. Additionally, since bees pollinate alfalfa and other crops eaten by cows, dairy and meat cases would be depleted without them.
Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart operates more than 11,300 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries, and e-commerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Walmart-owned Sam's Club ranks No. 9 on the list. Also in PG’s ranking are Cincinnati-based Kroger, at No. 3; Issaquah, Washington-based Costco, at No. 5; Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based Rite Aid, at No. 18; and Batavia, Illinois-based Aldi U.S., at No. 26.


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Wii U Daily launched in the Summer of 2011, and over the course of the last 2+ years, we’ve become the biggest and most popular Wii U site in the world. And we’re showing no signs of slowing down, as we’ve recently passed our 2,000th news post milestone. We’ve even been picking up the pace over the past 6 months — it was only back in February that we passed 1,000 news posts.
Thanks a lot for supporting us over the past 2+ years. It’s been a great ride so far, and we’re looking forward to the future and all the awesome Wii U games that are coming out.
Wii U Daily team
- Is Nintendo delaying Zelda in order to releas
- Zelda Wii U game won’t be shown at E3 2
- The Legend of Zelda Wii U won't be out in 2015
- 1001 Spikes getting off-TV play patch next month
TAGS: wii u daily


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A new study has named online travel agent (OTA) Opodo as the company most capable of harnessing web 2.0 potential and providing the most usable website.
Usability consultancy Webcredible measured the sites of web-based travel firms and airline carriers themselves against multiple ease of usage criteria, with Opodo’s 67 per cent usability rating trumping not only airline homepages but also OTA rivals.
British Airways and Travelbag were the only other brands scoring above 60 per cent, as designated travel websites were found to be more usable than airline webpages, scoring an average 55 per cent compared with 48 per cent for carriers.
Offering flight booking facilities for more than 500 airlines, the Opodo.co.uk website has kept up to speed through passenger-friendly innovations such as offering Fare Alert emails for destinations passengers have searched for, while finding favour for its openness on pricing throughout the search process.
Ismail Ismail, Webcredible director, said: "Users need to have clear and accurate pricing displayed through-out their journey through a site. It’s not acceptable to add ‘hidden’ charges at the very end of a transaction process – this is something which a number of airline carriers are guilty of."


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Android Auto can be the future of driving.
CarPlay February 23, 2017
CarPlay gets small, but safer changes with iOS 10.3 update.
CarPlay February 16, 2017
Apple has rolled out its latest iOS 7.1.1, a minor update that brings bug fixes, security updates and general improvements to its platform.
CarPlay April 23, 2014


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The country’s trade deficit narrowed in February as exports contracted at a faster pace than imports, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday.
Data released by the PSA showed that the balance of trade in goods (BoT-G) posted a $3.88 billion deficit in February, lower than the $5.733 billion deficit in January and the $3.984 billion deficit in February 2022.
A deficit indicates that the value of a country's imports exceeded export receipts, while a surplus indicates more export shipments than imports.
Exports for the month stood at $5.078 billion, 18.1% lower than the $6.201 billion a year ago, and lower than the $5.254 billion in January.
The biggest decline was seen in the export of electronics which fell by $765.48 million to $2.678 billion, followed by coconut oil by $156.54 million to $70.99 million; other mineral products by $126.51 million to $129.03 million; cathodes by $68.03 million to $134.21 million; and travel goods and handbags by $25.96 million to $39.57 million.
Japan was the country’s biggest trading partner for exports during the month, accounting for $822.65 million. It was followed by the USA with $756.00 million, China with $611.59 million, Hong Kong with $526.86 million, and Singapore with $310.60 million.
Imports posted a 12.1% decrease to $8.954 billion from $10.185 billion the same month last year, and lower than the $10.987 billion in January.
The steepest decline was seen in the import of electronic products down $356.38 million to $2.134 billion; transport equipment by $166.52 million to $818.24 million; cereals by $165.84 million to $231.86 million; iron and steel by $104.80 million to $273.93 million; and chemical materials by $60.98 million to $125.19 million.
China accounted for the biggest share of imported goods to the Philippines with $1.93 billion or 21.6% of the total. Indonesia followed with $917.76 million, Japan with $788.35 million, the USA with $648.81 million, and South Korea with $593.22 million.
The latest figures brought the total external trade to $14.032 billion in February, down 14.4% from $16.387 billion in February 2022, and from $16.241 billion in January 2023. —VAL, GMA Integrated News


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SANDY — There is only one place where Sadee Thomas can eat anything she wants, and she looks forward to the Gluten Free Expo every year with her mother.
"Nothing is off-limits here," said her mother, Jody Thomas, of Tooele, who was lugging around at least one shopping bag full of wheat-free products purchased at the expo.
It's the largest expo of its kind in the United States, and people fly in from all over to get the latest and greatest information on going gluten-free.
Thom Kicinski, executive publisher of Simply Gluten Free magazine and a vendor at shows across the country, said he believes the Salt Lake City show is successful because it "exhibits a genuine care for all gluten-free and allergen-free people."
"They're putting on a show to really educate the people who come and to really entertain them," Kicinski said, adding that the crowds get bigger every year.
Studies he's seen and some published in his magazine have surmised that growth in the gluten-free community is not because of a greater awareness or detection of the disease, but because of changes in the American diet and the way foods are being processed.
"Food triggers the disease, and then food is how you solve the problem," said Mike Deaver, spokesman at the local expo.
Deaver's sister, Debbie Mudliar, 39, started the expo seven years ago to help people like herself gain access to valuable resources about having celiac disease and being unable to eat gluten. It has grown bigger every year, with more than 100 vendors and 8,000-plus attendees this year.
"Transitioning from a normal lifestyle to gluten-free was a struggle for me," Mudliar said.
She researched the disease and read every single label on foods, but has only recently seen restaurants complying with the restrictive rules.
"There's definitely room for improvement," Mudliar said.
Popularity of the lifestyle, including higher rates of diagnoses, has sent the gluten-free foods industry flying — going from selling $2 million in products annually to around $17 billion. The increase in availability of gluten-free foods has also helped decrease the prices, but many believe the restricted foods are still too expensive.
"I spoil (Sadee). I buy her whatever she wants to eat because I think she deserves it," Thomas said. But some of the other family members who eat gluten-free for the most part aren't allowed to eat the pricier foods bought just for Sadee.
Sadee, 14, was diagnosed with celiac disease six years ago, after nauseating symptoms — bloating, gas and diarrhea, among others — were reported during a routine visit with her doctor. She has Type 1 diabetes and is checked each year for celiac, an autoimmune disease, as it is sometimes more common in people with diabetes.
It is also more commonly diagnosed in women.
Mudliar said that as the years go by, more people are aware of it and are comfortable with the term gluten-free, even if they just see a special section in the supermarket.
"It's becoming more normal," she said. "And more options equals freedom for us."
For more information on the annual expo held in Salt Lake City, visit glutenfreeexpo.com.


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The BMA is celebrating the bathroom industry’s progress on environmental issues with the launch of its new Sustainability Awards.
The BMA says the launch of the awards – which will recognise the efforts being made by its members to reduce their impact on the environment – acknowledges the importance of sustainability as a priority topic within the industry.
BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds said: “This is about giving a well-deserved boost and celebrating all those who are changing things for the better, transforming the bathroom sector’s environmental credentials.
“It’s the first time we have organised an awards like this and we’re really excited to establish it and grow it in future years as the bathroom industry breaks new ground in terms of sustainability.”
The full list of categories is:
Carbon Reduction Award
Water Efficiency Award
Circular Economy Award
Workplace Initiative Award
The awards are open to full BMA members and affiliates. The deadline is 5pm on August 27, 2021.
Entrants are invited to complete a 400-word submission explaining their sustainability improvement, along with a short supporting video, which can be self-shot footage.
Entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts, which includes kbbreview managing director Andrew Davies, who will be looking for quality, impactful and inspirational examples of sustainability in action.
“I’m absolutely delighted to play a part in highlighting the importance of a topic like sustainability. What better way to do that than by recognising the efforts and commitment of our own industry to drive change,” said Davies.
For more information on the awards download the entry form here.


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ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – St. Louis County’s police chief says it’s “inappropriate” for cities to use their Prop P sales tax proceeds for road work instead of police.
We’ve been asking every mayor, every police chief we can in St. Louis county how they plan to spend the money from that half-cent sales tax approved in April. Chief Jon Belmar says all $46 million a year of the county’s share will go to his department.
“Other cities can make their own decisions, and I guess we’ll see what happens,” he says.
Belmar says it’s inappropriate in his opinion to use the money on other purposes. One mayor told us he thought the law was vague and the money could be used on potholes. Another said that roadwork could be considered public safety. Belmar says the bulk of the county’s money, though, will go toward police raises and new hires.


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Globally recognised lifestyle retailer MINISO has officially opened its third store in Northern Ireland in Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon earlier today (Friday), creating 15 new jobs as part of a major expansion plan supported by Ulster Bank.
It represents the third MINISO store opening in Northern Ireland this year, including Belfast’s CastleCourt in May and Ballymena’s Tower Centre in September.
With funding facilities provided by Ulster Bank, local franchise owners Stuart Dixon and Trevor Finlay recently revealed plans to open in five locations across NI by 2025.
A design-led lifestyle retail store for all the family, MINISO offers a wide range of toys, tech, stationery, accessories, homeware, food and cosmetics at affordable prices, and enjoys exclusive partnerships with many well-loved brands such as Disney, Sanrio, We Bare Bears and more.
One of the stores biggest draws is its blind boxes. An enchanting and suspenseful experience, these collectable items offer a delightful surprise, making it a whimsical and thrilling way for customers to explore and enjoy MINISO’s distinctive products and beloved ranges.
Ulster Bank senior relationship manager Leona McNicholl said: “We’re very pleased to be able to provide the funding facilities that are enabling Stuart and Trevor to scale the MINISO brand in Northern Ireland at pace. Initial response has shown it to be a real asset to the local consumer market and, crucially, it continues to sustain and create new employment opportunities in the retail sector.”
Stuart Dixon, co-owner of the MINISO franchise in Northern Ireland, added: “MINISO offers a truly affordable entry point to a wide range of licensed products from some our most beloved brands. As the holiday season gets underway, we’re really pleased to be able to bring this memorable shopping experience to even more consumers across Northern Ireland, thanks to the continued support of Ulster Bank.”
Fellow co-owner Trevor Finlay continued: “The opening of our third store in Rushmere is a milestone moment and rounds off a significant year for the MINISO brand in the local market. Our outlook for the future remains hugely positive and we look forward to building upon this success, with the backing of the team at Ulster Bank, to sustain momentum and push forward with our ambitious expansion plans.”


text: Federal-Mogul fdmlq posted second-quarter sales of $1.4 billion, up one percent. Excluding the effects of foreign currency and businesses divested in the prior year, second quarter sales increased four percent. Earnings from operations were $48 million or 58 cents per share vs. a loss from operations of $5 million or 6 cents per share last year. Earnings from operations for the second quarter exclude restructuring charges, impairment charges and expenses related to its bankruptcy proceedings. Shares rose a penny to 66 cents on Monday.


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If you'd tell someone almost 30 years ago that a single Pokemon card can be more valuable than a house, you'd be laughed at hard. But the times are changing with cards from different sports and niches fetching unbelievable prices in the market. Case in point, this 1998 Pikachu Illustrator Holo promo card that Goldin recently auctioned off for $900,000.
Final Sale Price: $900,000
An all-time record public sale for any Pokémon card. pic.twitter.com/BgO9yPA42I
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) February 24, 2022
In a tweet by the company known for auctioning various forms of memorabilia, it was revealed that the said Pokemon card encased in a PSA 7 slab just became the most expensive of its kind in the market. The previous record was also held by another Pikachu Illustrator Holo promo card encased in a PSA slab with a similar grade of 7.
According to the auction's official link, the said Pokemon card went through 34 bids until it finally landed on the price of $900,000. To those wondering how this simple trading card can reach such prices, it's described to be one of the most elusive cards from Pokemon's early years, and only 23 copies have been logged into PSA's records.
Another fun fact about this card that makes it rarer than other early Pokemon offerings in the market is that it is the only one of its kind to feature the word “Illustrator” on the heading. It also has a distinct “pen” logo on the bottom right corner with Atsuko Nishida's depiction of a Pikachu set amidst a colorful environment.
With this new Pokemon card breaking the record of most expensive of all time, there was one claim that came first, although with insufficient proof. That claim came from Logan Paul.
Logan Paul on his $1,000,000 Holographic Charizard Chain… 💸💎 pic.twitter.com/VxXxHbVtCO
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) June 7, 2021
As he made his way towards the ring to face Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match, Paul wore a Charizard Holo Pokemon card encased in a pristine BGS 10 slab. He claimed that the said card is worth $1 million. But without any solid proof, that said claim cannot be authenticated. In fact, it was just valued at around $200,000 during the time of the said match.
Now that the actual record of $900,000 has been established, it's safe to say that this 1998 Pikachu Pokemon card is safely in the lead. Of course, that can change down the road when another card of its kind with a better grade comes along. When that happens, expect a new record to be made in the card market.


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CMO Heather MacNeil Cox leaves Suja after three years with company; Harmless Harvest VP of Marketing makes jump to outdoor apparel industry; Target adds new grocery-focused executives; DPS shuffles executives following departure of Bai CEO
DPSG spent $40 million in expenses for Bai during the spring, the company reported, half of which went toward marketing. An additional $49 million spent toward repaying debt contributed to the company’s 28 percent earnings drop.
Three former employees have sued the company and its recently departed founder and CEO, Ben Weiss, for allegedly cheating them out of the fair market value of their ownership stakes in the company ahead of its $1.7 billion sale to Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) last November.
Parent company Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) did not cite a reason or provide any further details regarding Ben Weiss’s departure from the brand he founded in 2009, but included a brief statement from the former CEO in a press release.
BevNET has learned that Bai Brands founder and CEO Ben Weiss has left the company. Although sources close to the company confirmed to BevNET that Weiss has departed, it’s unclear at this time whether he was dismissed by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG), which acquired Bai in February, or if he resigned.
Bai CMO Michael Simon discusses the company's decision to move creative in-house; Twitter bans a fake RC Cola parody account after its political tweet goes viral; Nutrition Policy Institute members call for energy drink caffeine caps; Nostalgia helps drive a Clearly Canadian revival; USA Today reports on the rise of craft soda
Nestlé joins fellow beverage companies Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keurig Green Mountain in investing in the Closed Loop Fund, a $100 million social impact investment fund that provides municipalities with access to capital for projects aimed at improving recycling programs.
Investors have sought more details about DPSG's revised growth plan for Bai and on whether its management team can deliver on high expectations. On Tuesday, a report from Wells Fargo Securities offered a clearer analysis of the acquisition, the guidance revision, and the future of Bai, presenting optimism along with some explanations
Sales of carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks were up in April, according to a Wells Fargo Securities report detailing the latest Nielsen xAOC (expanded all outlets combined) and C-store non-alcoholic beverage sales data for the four-week period ending on April 22
Bai, which DPSG acquired for $1.7 billion in November, saw 80 percent volume growth over the quarter. While the company is optimistic for Bai’s flagship brand to grow, current predictions point to Bai Bubbles, Supertea, and Black having the greatest potential, particularly as the sparkling water category sees double-digit growth, according to DPSG CEO Larry Young.
Slow sales during last year’s Q4 launch of Monster Energy’s Mutant have weakened retailer expectations for the company’s new “super soda” Mountain Dew competitor, according to Wells Fargo Securities’ latest “Beverage Buzz” convenience store report.
DPS expects Bai to double its sales in 2017, projecting about $425 million in net sales this year, as well as adding an incremental $132 million to its existing overall net sales expectation.
Reuters Friday reported that coconut water leader Vita Coco is exploring a sale of the company, citing “multiple sources.” Vita Coco has hired investment bank JP Morgan to advise for an upcoming sale that could value the company at up to $1 billion.
Chuck Norris launches a bottled water company, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi talks about protecting the environment while growing a major company, Thrillist looks at sparkling waters to challenge LaCroix, and The New York Times profiles Rohan Oza in the wake of the $1.7 billion Bai sale.


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The Buckle Inc. stock plunged more than 10 percent following the company’s second-quarter earnings miss in early trading, only to reverse course and was lately rising by 3 percent to $27.86.
Investors decided to look past the dismal performance and focus on the 7 percent dividend yield and the bet that as overall apparel sales rise, Buckle will benefit.
Net income for the quarter was $15.5 million, or 32 cents a diluted share, up from $23.5 million, or 49 cents, a year ago. This was 2 cents below the 34 cents analysts projected.
Sales for the three months ended July 31 decreased 10.1 percent to $212.2 million from $236.1 million a year earlier. Comparable store net sales fell 10.8 percent.
Chief executive officer Karen Rhoads said, “Absent the impact of the new loyalty program, total net sales for the second quarter were down 8.7 percent and comparable store sales were down 9.3 percent.”
Online sales increased 1.4 percent, which slowed, but the company pointed out that it changed its web platform in May and they had some bugs to work through.
“Men’s merchandise sales for the quarter were down approximately 5 percent. Average denim price points decreased from $94.40 in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 to $92.80 in the second quarter of fiscal 2016,” said Thomas Heacock, vice president of finance. He also pointed out that the average men’s price points decreased approximately 1 percent from $50.75 to $50.25.
He went on to add that women’s merchandise sales for the quarter were down approximately 13 percent, with average denim price points decreased from $95.45 in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 to $87 in the second quarter of fiscal 2016. The average women’s price points decreased approximately 6.5 percent from $46.50 to $43.40. Overall denim sales dropped and tops remained flat.
Accessory sales fell by 5.5 percent and footwear sales dropped 9.5 percent. Average accessory prices rose, while footwear prices fell.
Buckle also said it brought down inventory levels 5 percent and that the new inventory is coming in at a lower price point. During the quarter the average unit retail decreased 3 percent and the average transaction value dropped 2 percent.
For the full year, Buckle expects to open five new stores and remodel 19 stores. The company does not give any sales or earnings guidance.


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The Galaxy S10 5G mobile phone will be officially launched on April 5, "said an executive at the phone manufacturer. However, he added that no booking has yet been made for consumers.
"For this 5G smartphone, Samsung will add a 50% discount coupon for its Galaxy Buds brand series of wireless headphones and wireless charging suites, as well as for its screen replacement service," Samsung Electronics said.
Samsung launched four "Galaxy S10" smartphones in February, but the launch of 5G phones was delayed. As for the reasons behind, at that time, people in the industry who knew the situation said that Samsung Electronics seemed to need more time to test its first 5G mobile phone.
On Monday, Samsung's 5G smartphone "Galaxy S10 5G" finally passed the EMC test of Korea's National Radio Research Institute. This is an important process for the manufacturers of telecommunication terminal equipment to release and officially launch their products on the Korean domestic market.
According to the official introduction, ZTE's first 5G flagship Axon 10 Pro 5G version supports 5G full-band coverage and Sub 6G band, which can achieve ultra-high-speed experience several times that of 4G.
In terms of core configuration, ZTE Axon 10 Pro is equipped with 6.47-inch full-surface screen, 19.5:9 FHD+resolution, AMOLED material, 3-D deep-curved quadruplex glass, Axon Vision independent visual engine, supporting fingerprint identification on screen; Qualcomm 855 flagship processor, Android Pievor 9.0 system, officially called a 20-month non-cartridge light experience.
In terms of photography, ZTE Axon 10 Pro carries 48 million HD 3-camera, 48 million (4 in 1) main camera, 20 million distortion-proof ultra-wide angle, 8 million telephoto camera, and supports up to 5-fold triple zoom and 10-fold digital zoom.
It is worth mentioning that ZTE is one of the few global manufacturers with end-to-end capabilities and advantages in the 5G field. According to official data, ZTE invests 3 billion yuan annually in 5G research and development, and has accumulated more than 2,000 patent applications. In the 5G NSA and SA networking test, ZTE maintained the lead with excellent results. In the future, we will continue to invest in research and development of 5G, and accelerate the promotion of 5G commercial landing and industrial cooperation.


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Member of Meadow Brook's Founding Family Not Bitter About Plant Closing
Meadow Brook Dairy, a company founded in Erie 86 years ago, will be going out of business by the end of the year. 120 people may be out of work, as early as September.
The news came as a surprise to employees, who were notified this morning. The dairy, on Buffalo Road in Erie, is being closed by its parent company, Dean Foods, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It's easy to blame an out-of-town company for closing an Erie plant, but that's not what a member of the founding family of Meadow Brook is doing.
Reverend Keith McGarvey's grandfather founded Meadow Brook Dairy in 1932. Reverend Keith's father took over the business in 1959, and Keith, himself, became president of the company in 1988. Meadow Brook was sold to Dean Foods in 1993.
McGarvey says there were feelings of sadness today when he heard the news about the upcoming closing. He said there's sadness because of all the memories he has from the plant throughout his life. But, he says there's no bitterness towards Dean Foods because, he says, Dean Foods was able to keep the plant open much longer than his family ever could.
McGarvey says his family established the Country Fair chain of stores as a place to sell Meadow Brook milk because home deliveries were becoming a thing of the past. He says today, markets such as Walmart are opening their own dairies, and it's tough for even a big corporation like Dean Foods to keep up.
"It was pretty clear the industry and the world were changing. I'm just delighted that Dean was able to keep it in operation here for as long as they did. I am sorry for the jobs that are being lost. I'm sorry for the economy. I'm sorry for the memories. But, I was glad they kept it going for as long as they did," says McGarvey.
Employees were told not to speak to the news media about the closing. A of late Tuesday afternoon, Dean Foods has still not issued a news release to Erie News Now, and have not answered phone calls.


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Join us on a journey through the gigantic vinyl archive each weekday on-air at 9:45 a.m. & 3:45 p.m. If you miss an episode, you can catch them on Facebook and Twitter at 9 p.m. each weeknight, or on Indie88.com.
The Cure – “In Between Days”
The Cure have announced that they’re going to auction off one of frontman Robert Smith’s shirts that he wore during the band’s Disintegration era for charity. The iconic black shirt is set to be auctioned off next month, and is anticipated to sell for somewhere between £600 and £800, which is around $900 to $1200 CAD. The shirt was worn during The Cure’s Prayer tour in 1989.
Rick Astley – “Never Gonna Give You Up”
Yup, we’re Rick Rolling you. Rick Astley has just released a sad, slowed down piano version of his legendary hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and what better way to celebrate than by revisiting the original? Listen to the new rendition here!
Social Distortion – “Story Of My Life”
Southern California punk outfit Social Distortion have revealed that the band is in pre-production. In an interview with OC Register, frontman Mike Ness explained that they’re set to start recording next year.
The Clash – “London Calling”
There is a new exhibition in London that celebrates punk icons The Clash. In honour of the 40th anniversary of London Calling, the Museum of London is boasting an exhibition that’s packed with items that played a role in the band’s history. From Paul Simonon’s broken bass guitar to Joe Strummer’s notebook, there’s tons of great memorabilia for fans to gawk at.
The B-52s – “Rock Lobster”
Archie Comics is releasing a one-shot crossover with none other than the B-52s. The story will see Archie and his friends taking part in a rock and roll adventure as their paths cross with the B-52s. In the comic, Archie will try to get his band back together in time to jam out with the “Rock Lobster” stars.


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Indian phone company Micromax is gearing up to launch three new smartphones in the country soon. Out of the three smartphones, one smartphone will reportedly arrive with premium features and will get a modern look.
Micromax last launched its iOne Note smartphone in India in October and it comes with a price tag of Rs 8,199.
As per a report of Gadget360, Micromax is planning to launch three new phones in total in the country next month. These smartphones will cost under Rs 10,000, suggests the report.
Micromax has already started teasing the upcoming launch via its official Twitter handle. In response to one of the users asking their plans about the next Micromax phone launch, the company replied “We’re working hard internally and soon we will come up with something big. Stay tuned!” Micromax tweeted in response to one of users asking for producing an alternative to Chinese phones.
In a separate tweet, the company said that it has a new device in development with premium features, “thoroughly modern look and budget friendly.”
Micromax is using hashtags #MadeByIndian and #MadeForIndian in its tweets to support the boycott products by Chinese companies in India. However, the company has not stated if they are manufacturing the models in India or outsourcing from a Chinese manufacturer.


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Councillors are looking at bringing in experts to sort out their bickering Dartmouth market traders and hammer out a set of rules they can finally enforce.
The various groups of market shopkeepers and market stallholders have been arguing among themselves over pitches and other issues for years, the council, which owns the town centre market complex, has been told.
The council itself is fed up with stallholders cherry-picking the market days they decide to show up on and the shopkeepers operating reduced opening hours.
And there are also concerns about who has the right to park on the market car park on the Tuesday and Friday market days.
Now the councillors want to bring in market experts from the National Association of British Market Authorities to help advise them on how the town’s money-spinning market should be run and marketed – including the possibility of launching extra market days.
Read more >>
Feb 17, 2019 0RLI Clearbell Property Partners II LP (Clearbell), a fund managed by Clearbell Capital, today announces plans to create a new street food market hall offering at The Riverwalk, the £30 million...
Jan 14, 2019 0
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Feb 05, 2019 0Coventry Telegraph By Claire Harrison But the long term future of the market, including ‘externalising’ plans, remain unclear. Nuneaton’s Christmas Eve market will be held this year – but the future of the market has still not been clarified. Calls were made for Nuneaton and...


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Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), along with Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), today sent a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure consumers can purchase sunscreen products that are safe, effective and offer the strongest possible protection.
This is the first summer in which the FDA's new rules governing sunscreen testing and labeling are in effect. Though this is an important step, the senators urged the FDA to implement standards for newer products such as sprays, increase labeling standards and approve new ingredients that could provide greater protection against the sun’s harmful rays.
Text of the letter to the FDA follows:
The Honorable Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Dear Commissioner Hamburg:
We write to urge you to complete action on parts of the monograph pertaining to the testing and labeling of sunscreen sprays and use of sun protection factor (SPF) numbers higher than 50. We also want to share our concern that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed the approval of critical ingredients used in sunscreens.
As you know, FDA first looked into the deceptive practices of sunscreen products over 30 years ago. Since then, the rate of melanoma in this country has doubled. According to the American Cancer Society, over two million individuals will be informed that they have a preventable form of skin cancer in 2013. Yet, with the summer months soon upon us, millions of Americans will be spending time outdoors and may not be adequately protected from the sun.
We appreciate the action taken by the FDA in 2011 to finalize components of the sunscreen monograph related to the testing and labeling of sunscreen lotions. This was an important step, and one we had long urged. However, more action is needed.
When Americans purchase and use over-the-counter sunscreen products they assume they are protected from harmful UVA and UVB rays, but the current protection that they are afforded could be misleading or worse inaccurate. For example, aerosol-based products are becoming more popular among consumers, but may not provide the same level of protection from the sun as lotion-based products. In addition, there are some sunscreen lotions and sprays that continue to use increasingly higher SPF numbers even though researchers have found higher numbers do not always correlate with proportionately stronger protection. For instance, one product with an SPF of 30 was found to protect against 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, while a product labeled with a SPF of 100 may protect against 98 percent of the sun’s rays. Lastly, it is our understanding that the FDA has yet to approve, let alone review, new ingredients for sunscreen that may offer stronger protection against the sun’s rays.
It is critical that consumers have access to sunscreen products that are accurately labeled and contain ingredients that offer the strongest possible protection from the sun. In an effort to understand what is delaying action on these critical issues, we request answers to the following questions:
1. How many comment letters did the FDA receive in response to the proposed rule regarding the use of SPF numbers greater than 50 and in response to the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking regarding sunscreen sprays?
2. When does the FDA plan to publish a final rule with respect to the use of SPF numbers greater than 50 and a proposed rule regarding sunscreen sprays?
3. What type of enhanced protection from the sun’s rays could individuals receive from ingredients that have yet to be approved for use in sunscreens?
4. What action has the FDA taken to review these ingredients?
5. Does the FDA plan to develop a process to approve these ingredients? If so, when?
Once again, we urge you to do more to ensure that consumers can purchase sunscreen products and products containing sun protection with the knowledge that they meet the FDA’s enforceable standards and offer the strongest possible protection.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt reply.


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According to the new research report published by The Insight Partners, titled “Airline Retailing Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2027”, the global airline retailing market is expected to reach US$ 27.66 Bn by 2027, registering a CAGR of 16.4% during the forecast period 2019-2027.
In 2018, North America the global airline retailing market accounted for the largest share, growing at a CAGR of 11.0%
North America comprises of the US, Canada, and Mexico. North America has a developed aviation market and is the most influential region in the world, and so is its aviation industry. The US has a wide array of airlines with extensively large fleet size connecting across the globe. The federal government is constantly supporting the aviation industry to gain revenues from the market. Pertaining to the continuous support, the industry is experiencing huge growth in aircraft fleet, which is increasing and associated services as the airlines operating in the region are continuously emphasizing on airline retailing services in order to improve the passenger travel experience.
North America is one of the most influential regions in the world, and so is its aviation industry. In the year 2017, the region had primed its contribution to the global airline industry. However, the region is expected to experienced shrinkage in its profitability in 2018 due to the cost pressure pertains to grow. Despite, in the coming years, North America would continue to generate relatively higher profit, contributing to the growth of the global airline industry.
High per capita income of people in the region is driving the growth of the regions aviation sector, so as the airline retailing market across the region. Increasing disposable income especially in the US and Canada along with rising time constraints among the US and Canadian individuals has led the region to witness substantial growth in the demand of post-boarding as well as pre-boarding retailing among the passengers. But the major US airlines namely: American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Airlines announced that they are stopping ceasing of their inflight duty-free retailing. This has led to downfall of airline retailing market in the US, which resulted in 10-12 sales on a short-haul flight as well as 30-40 on a wide-body long haul flight. The airline industry in North America is not only growing monetarily but also technologically. The investment in the industry towards technological development is expanding at an exponential rate, where connectivity technologies play a significant role. These advanced technologies play an essential role in airline retailing to booking the items for purchasing of products by using smartphones, and tablets among others. This trend prevails in the North American market for quite a while now and have been already adopted by several airlines individuals of different age groups. The trend has enabled the region to focus on the development of airline retailing which also includes post-boarding shopping as well as pre-boarding shopping option to the passenger.
Among global regions, Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the global airline retailing market. The aviation sector in the Asia Pacific region is experiencing stupendous growth in the current scenario. Most of the countries in the region are observing tremendous growth in passenger counts, aircraft fleet, and revenue generation from aeronautical resources as well as non-aeronautical resources. According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), Asia Pacific is anticipated to be maximum revenue-generating region worldwide, attributing to the huge rise in air traffic in countries namely China, India, Singapore, and Japan among others. China is foreseen to outpace the United States by 2024, owing to the stupendous growth in air traffic in the nation. India is expected to displace the United Kingdom to become the third-largest commercial air carriers in the world.
Developing and growing regions such as Middle East and Africa and South America are expected to offer substantial growth opportunities for market players operating in the global airline retailing market.
Key findings of the study:
In order to operate in a customer-centric environment, airlines are focusing on implementing intelligent retail solutions and are creating potential demand for intelligent technology infrastructure. The intelligent technology infrastructure combines artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), sophisticated operations-research (OR) models, and customer data to provide relevant insights. The customer data enables airlines to identify, analyze, and predict consumer behavior.
Intelligent technology also empowers department to schedule synchronization, deploy schedules faster to increase revenue and reduce recommendation costs, monitor and analyze fares automatically, deliver persona-based, flight-plus-ancillary bundled offers, provide pricing recommendations that use multi-channel availability and are buffered from abrupt market changes, and provide personalized offers and services that are consistent across all channels. It is expected that the airline retailing market will witness a considerable demand for intelligent retail solutions during the forecast period.
Some of the key players operating in the global airline retailing market are Air France/ KLM, AirAsia Group Berhad British Airways Plc, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Easy Jet PLC, Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd, Qantas Airways Limited Singapore Airlines Limited, Thai Airways International Public Co., Ltd, and The Emirates Group.
Contact Person: Sameer Joshi
Email Id: email@example.com


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Nexo is the latest company to launch a venture fund aimed at investing $150 million in Web3 and other crypto-related sectors.
Attention to Web3 continues to grow as more and more companies race to invest in this technology.
Nexo – a leading digital asset service provider – revealed today that it is launching a new fund aimed at investing in projects. focus on Web3.
This fund is called Nexo Ventures and launched with an initial investment of 150 million dollars.
Key areas the Foundation will focus on include Web3, DeFi, NFTs, GameFi, metaverse, compliance, payments and transaction infrastructure.
Nexo Ventures is led by Tatiana Metodieva, head of Nexo's Corporate and Financial Investments.
At Nexo, we believe blockchain technology will change the way we connect and use financial services. […] Our mission is to help entrepreneurs who are driving the crypto revolution forward. Nexo Ventures aims to drive continued adoption of digital assets and expand the Web3 ecosystem.
Most recent, Bain Capital - a veteran and well-known asset manager based in the US - has launched a new fund worth 560 million dollars.


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Today, Universa Blockchain announced their strategic membership agreement with DMCC and Al Khaleej Sugar. The signing ceremony was held during the Dubai Sugar Conference in Dubai on 10 February 2020.
It was attended by Feryal Ahmadi, the Chief Operating Officer from DMCC, Jamal Al Ghurair, Managing Director from Al Khaleej Sugar and Alexander Borodich, Founder and CEO from Universa Blockchain.
The platform using the Universa Blockchain as a tool facilitating digital trading in sugar is a great example of how blockchain can be used for increasing efficiency and transparency. Under the agreement, the parties will jointly implement DMCC’s blockchain strategy connected to the UAE government’s Blockchain Strategy UAE 2021.
The Universa Blockchain is a digital infrastructure which provides cheap, fast and secure transactions through a distributed network. And from today on, sugar is also represented on the Universa Blockchain Protocol.
“Establishing a new sugar platform is a perfect example of how blockchain can be used to increase efficiency and transparency on an already secure platform.»Alexander Borodich, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Universa
Powered by the Universa Blockchain, clients can trade, sell and store tokenized sugar due to the integration with the DDMC TradeFlow.
“It is encouraging to see such a prominent player in global trade implementing the next generation of technology. I look forward to seeing the platform grow with the aid of our fully scalable blockchain platform.»
With this trading platform it will be the first time in history that we’ll be able to trade sugar 24/7 with a spot price as a new benchmark. This is all legally possible through the licence of DMCC. It’s the first time in the whole globe to have this spot price for sugar. You can buy or sell any amount of sugar in Dubai instantly. For this, Al Khaleej Sugar is part of this strategic agreement.
The sugar trading platform is built upon the Universa Blockchain. “Any transaction that ever happens, needs UTN (and the internal “U” units) for the fees.”
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)
DMCC is the world’s flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.
DMCC has firmly established Dubai as a leading centre for trading international commodities and the world’s fastest-growing Free Zone. They regulate, promote and facilitate trade across a range of goods from gold, diamonds and precious metals to tea, food and industrial materials. In this case, they signed a strategic membership agreement with Al Khaleej Sugar and Universa Block Chain that sees DMCC Tradeflow support the development of a new sugar trading platform in Dubai.
Today, as home to major multinationals and start-ups, DMCC connects more than 17,000 businesses with the world-class services, leading infrastructure and vibrant community they need to thrive and succeed.
The platform under development will enable traders to purchase, store, and trade the sugar of Al Khaleej Sugar through smart contracts on a blockchain technology provided by Universa. The DMCC Tradeflow platform will act as the central registry of ownership of the sugar through enforceable warrants to prove existence of reserves, and enable secure and transparent international trade.
“This is an exciting agreement, and DMCC is supportive of any initiative that enhances the transparency, speed and security underpinning commodities trade. This partnership will come as welcome news to investors, businesses and the international sugar trade as a whole. We are confident that when complete, this new platform will help drive significant international sugar trade volumes through the emirate of Dubai.»Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC
Al Khaleej Sugar
Sugar is the third most traded commodity in the world, after oil and steel. This industry is created a century ago and it’s still working like it did a hundred year ago. There’s no possibility to trade it 24/7 and it doesn’t have a spot price at all. The third partner in this sugar-trading-picture is Al Khaleej Sugar.
Al Khaleej Sugar – literally meaning The Gulf Sugar – appropriately derives its name from the fact that it is the first sugar refinery in the Arabian Gulf Region.
Al Kaleej Sugar was established in 1992 and based in Jebel Ali in Dubai, with a production capacity of 2400MT. Since the commencement of production in July 1995, it made remarkable progress to achieve the status of the largest standalone sugar refinery in the world, which was achieved during last few years, with a production capability of more than 7000 tons per day.
The tokenization starts with 1,6 millions tons digitially, but if this amount is not enough, more sugar can be added to it thanks to other sugar providers, especially from Brazil.
“As the largest standalone sugar refinery in the world, with capacity to hold more than 1.6 million tons of sugar, we are delighted to be able to set up a sugar platform on such a robust and established platform as DMCC Tradeflow. And as the world leading commodity trading hub, we look forward to working with DMCC to further boost the sugar trade in Dubai.»Jamal Al Ghurair, Managing Director, Al Khaleej Sugar
DMCC Tradeflow is an online platform that offers a secure and transparent central registry of ownership for commodities stored in Dubai. The title of stored commodities can be transferred or pledged through DMCC Tradeflow’s robust legal and Sharia compliant framework. This unique commodities receipt platform addresses the gap in trade finance in the MENA region, by offering enforceable collateral-based trade finance solutions for all participants in the value chain.
DMCC Tradeflow allows physical inventories that are stored in DMCC certified and rated warehouses around the UAE to be converted into electronic negotiable instruments, ‘DMCC Tradeflow Warrants’, governed by a strong and transparent regulatory regime and administered by DMCC.
The platform can be used from digitalsugar.io, but for trading sugar you need to register with an invitation code which is handed out at the private conference. Check out the video below to see the first interview about this news with Alexander Borodich.
Universa doesn’t want to stop just with sugar. Sugar is just one of the partnerships that will be launched this year. «If we can trade sugar, we can probably also trade something else. We have a huge pipeline». In the video above Alexander Borodich hints to watch his previous reports to learn more about future possible opportunities (or check the video yourself to get some dots to connect). «Will it happen or not, we will see» adds Borodich in the interview with Dr Sinsen Joseph.


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Managing Director of Hatteras Discovery and Venture Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners
Professor, Michigan State University
Founder and CEO of Brooks Bell Inc.
President & CEO, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Chair, Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute; Co-director, Center for Physiological Proteomics, The Scripps Research Institute
Founder and CEO, Acme Packet
Co-Founder and CEO, DNAnexus
Partner at New Enterprise Associates
Christina Lomasney, the CEO of Seattle-based Modumetal, will be the featured speaker along with Modumetal chief scientist John Whitaker, at the Technology Alliance’s Science and Technology Discovery Series meeting on May 14. The Technology Alliance asks attendees to register by Noon on May 10. For more information, contact Amy Bell at firstname.lastname@example.org or (206) 389-7261.


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Patrick Murphy (Transport Management, BSc) has been appointed managing director of Ponsse Plc’s subsidiary in Ireland starting from 24 April 2019. Murphy will be in charge of the operations of Ponsse Machines Ireland, and he will be stationed in County Laois, Ireland. Murphy will report to Ponsse Group’s sales and marketing director Jarmo Vidgrén.
Patrick Murphy will transfer to his new position from sales of heavy vehicles. He also has vast experience in forestry, logging and timber transportation.
Ponsse Machines Ireland is one of Ponsse Group’s 12 subsidiaries, and it started operating in January 2017. Until now, the company has been led by Ponsse Group’s area director Gary Glendinning who is in charge of Ponsse’s services in Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary.
Vieremä, 9 April 2019
Sales and Marketing Director
Jarmo Vidgrén, Sales and Marketing Director, tel. +358 40 519 1486
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd
Ponsse Plc specialises in the sale, production, maintenance and technology of cut-to-length method forest machines, and is driven by a genuine interest in its customers and their business operations. Ponsse develops and manufactures sustainable and innovative harvesting solutions based on customer needs.
The company was established by forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén in 1970, and has been a leader in timber harvesting solutions based on the cut-to-length method ever since. Ponsse is headquartered in Vieremä, Finland. The company’s shares are quoted on the Nordic list of the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.


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Christmas shoppers face police checkpoints and a huge security presence in Belfast in the coming weeks as the authorities battle to prevent dissident republican terror attacks.
oadblocks, a familiar sight in the city during the Troubles, are being positioned on arterial routes across Belfast.
Senior police sources have indicated that they believe dissidents will attempt to target the city centre during the busiest shopping period of the year.
More than 1,000 vehicles have been stopped by the PSNI in the past week against the backdrop of the ongoing severe terror threat.
Business owners and shoppers have been urged to be vigilant but not deterred from the city centre.
PSNI Chief Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw said police are taking a robust approach to security.
"Our security operation around the city centre has already kicked-off," Mr Grimshaw said.
"We want to do that in a balanced way, in a way that makes people feel safe but as well as that ensures people with more sinister intent don't get to bring something into the city centre.
"We should see more police on the street, that will include officers on the beat out interacting with the public, interacting with shoppers and that's how it should be.
"We will also, of course, be taking steps checking what traffic is coming in and out of the city centre.
"But we want people to come in and enjoy themselves."
The heightened security presence follows an upsurge in dissident republican terrorism in the run-up to last Christmas.
A senior security source last night told this newspaper there was no intelligence of a specific threat but police were basing operations on terror actions last year.
The source said given the series of high-profile police successes against dissidents in the past year, they may be more eager to attempt to bring disruption to the city.
They also told of an increase in dissident activity in recent months.
Attacks last Christmas included a car bomb at Victoria Square, an incendiary device in a golf outlet and an explosion in the Cathedral Quarter area on a Friday night when it was thronged with revellers.
"Of course we look at what happened last Christmas and I don't want to see that in the city centre and nobody I'm sure in the community wants to see that happen," said Mr Grimshaw.
"So we need to put the policing operation in place to ensure we keep Belfast safe.
"You will see officers on foot in the main economic centre of the town and also you will see vehicle checkpoints at various points around the city.
"That's something we feel is necessary but we will try to do it in a balanced way to make sure it doesn't absolutely bring Belfast to a stop and discourage people from coming in.
"There is a balance there where people feel safe when they see a policing presence and that's what we want to achieve."
Paul McMahon, president of the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said business owners have been well-trained in how to ensure their premises and staff are vigilant to any threat.
"Any attack on retail is not good for the city and not good for business but there are steps retailers can take and I think police have been very proactive in making sure the information is available.
He added: "It's a common-sense approach.
"Anything which looks unusual they need to take steps to make sure they check out what that is and report it as appropriate.
"I think these measures are reassuring and that's what they are there to do and with that reassurance we are confident that people will be able to trade or visit without any distractions."
David Dornan, assistant operations manager, Belfast City Centre Management, added: "Belfast has a diverse offering of retail and leisure experiences which appeal to a diverse range of visitors and tourists.
"There are some simple steps outlined below that individuals can take when they are out and about to help keep themselves and their property safe."


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Honda recently opened a new Research and Development facility in Silicon Valley, California. To celebrate the occasion Honda’s engineers uploaded some pictures onto Twitter.
Interestingly in the background of one of the pictures that was uploaded, a model of a compact sportscar is parked which could be the miniaturised version of the Acura NSX, that the auto media is calling the ‘Baby NSX’.
Seen tucked away in the corner of the photograph, the alleged Baby NSX has been given a grey paint scheme with sporty orange highlights for the air intake. Also seen in the picture is a Honda engineer testing, what could be a new version of the UNI-CUB personal mobility device.
Reports about the development of a smaller sportscar based on the Acura NSX had surfaced earlier in the year, with Honda not confirming any plans. It is said to share the platform with the bigger NSX while the engine and drivetrain will be toned down to keep the costs in check.
It could feature a 2.0 litre Turbocharged engine sourced from the Honda Civic Type-R, paired to an electric motor, and could also feature the manufacturer’s SH-AWD all wheel drive system. Reports suggest that the car will be unveiled, if not launched, in the USA next year.
[Source – Twitter]


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It’s been a great couple of months for Northeast Ohio! The Cavs won the NBA finals, the city of Cleveland nailed the hosting gig for the RNC and now a brand new television show featuring our homegrown entrepreneurs has made its big debut on CNBC.
The show is called Cleveland Hustles, and it’s produced and promoted by none other than the reigning NBA finals MVP, LeBron James. Not only does the program bring together four established NEO entrepreneurs (including local food icon Jonathan Sawyer) to serve as mentors/investors for a group of up-and-comers—it also puts our region’s scrappy, hard-working culture on full national display.
Here’s a segment focusing on the rise of Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The video also profiles Cleveland craft soda startup, Old City Soda.
As part of the run-up to the big premier, JumpStart CEO Ray Leach also spent some time with visiting reporters, where he discussed Cleveland’s entrepreneurial resurgence.
Here’s a segment featuring Ray and Cleveland Whiskey founder Tom Lix .
And here is a segment profiling JumpStart’s new Focus Fund, which invests seed capital in tech-based companies led by minority or female entrepreneurs throughout Ohio – as well as those willing to move to the state.
Cleveland Hustles airs Wednesdays at 10pm on CNBC.


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What Could Turn Cable Around?
On Friday, the UK will release some key data that is likely to disappoint cable bulls. The currency pair has been declining for months at this point, with the trend accelerating recently. Is it possible there will be a turn around at some point? And what data could give us an indication that the downward trend could come to an end? Or should traders keep their hands on the sell button?
The UK will publish its final reading of Q2 GDP on Friday, which is normally a quiet event. That’s because the final number often is the same as the initial number, so nothing much changes for the markets. But, in light of what the BOE did last week, it opens the discussion for what could happen with the pound going forward.
There is no more room
The BOE said it was essentially done with hiking, largely because the economy wouldn’t allow for more tightening. As interest rates go up, the economy is expected to slow. With the UK economy barely staying afloat, further tightening would likely cause a recession. At least in the estimation of the BOE.
The price of the dollar-pound pair is influenced primarily by the differential interest rates. Meaning, how much money investors can expect to receive if they buy dollar debt as opposed to pound debt. In the US, the interest rate is above the inflation rate, meaning that investors in America will get a real net profit in dollars. Investors in the UK will get a real net loss, because the interest rate is below the inflation rate.
Follow the money
Although that situation might change if BOE Governor Andrew Bailey is right about inflation coming down, at least for now it’s worthwhile to sell pounds to buy dollars. That will naturally push cable down.
Especially if we consider that the Fed says it will raise rates once more this year, while the BOE will not. That will simply exacerbate the profitability of buying dollars and selling pounds. The Fed can keep hiking to bring down inflation because the US economy is still growing. In fact, the Fed itself estimates that the current quarter will see an annualized growth of 4.1%. Compared to the UK, where annualized growth for this quarter is expected to be just 0.8%.
It’s now all about the economy
If the UK tips over into a recession, then that might bring down inflation. Initially, that might be good for the pound; but it also would put pressure on the BOE to cut rates. The market is pricing in a higher chance that the BOE will cut sooner and more than the Fed. That means holding UK debt going forward will be less profitable than holding US debt, which means more selling pressure on the pound to buy the dollar.
Of course, if the UK manages to scrape through without a recession, then the decline in the pound can be halted. This means traders should pay close attention to signs of economic activity, such as PMIs, job numbers, and retail sales. The flip side is also possible: That the US enters a recession, forcing the Fed to cut rates. A market crash inspired by a Moody’s downgrade of US debt if a government shutdown happens, could precipitate such a situation. But, that’s betting on an uncertain event. For now, the forces seemed to be aligned against the cable bulls.