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The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 360.65 on June 15, 2021 and a 52-week low of Rs 101.35 on July 27, 2020
Tata Motors share price slipped nearly 2 percent intraday on July 20 as ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala reduced his stake in the company to 1.14 percent (3,77,50,000 shares), the BSE shareholding pattern of June 2021 shows.
In the March quarter, his holding in the company stood at 1.29 percent (4,27,50,000 shares). This is the second Tata group company that Jhunjhunwala has reduced stake in. He cut his holding in Titan Company in the June quarter by 0.25 percent.
Tata Motors board has approved a proposal to raise up to Rs 500 crore through the issue of securities on a private placement basis.
A meeting of the duly authorised committee approved for subscription, on a private placement basis, up to 5,000 rated, listed, unsecured, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) E30-B Series of face value Rs 10,00,000 each aggregating up to Rs 500 crore, the auto major said in a regulatory filing.
The Mumbai-based company, however, did not share details as to how it plans to use the capital.
At 1351 hours, Tata Motors was quoting at Rs 304.50, down Rs 4.20, or 1.36 percent on the BSE.
The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 360.65 on June 15, 2021 and a 52-week low of Rs 101.35 on July 27, 2020. It is trading 15.57 percent below its 52-week high and 200.44 percent above its 52-week low.


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Finde einzigartige Unterkünfte bei lokalen Gastgebern in 1Ländern. Originally serving as the jump-off point to the other islands of Croatia, Split has since become known as a tourist destination in its own right. Yes, if you select the option to split the cost when you book your reservation.
The total reservation cost will be split evenly among everyone in your group.
Starting now, Airbnb users have the ability to split payments with their fellow travelers. Before now, one traveler was forced to front the cost of .
I have travel credit from the past. My friend just booked a place and used split the cost feature, so each one of us will be paying for their. One of the most requested features on Airbnb has been the ability to split payments among members of a group traveling together. Above: Airbnb adds feature that makes it easier for groups to split.
But now Airbnb has rolled out globally a bill- splitting feature.
Airbnb is globally rolling out the ability to split payments, a feature it began testing earlier this year. Airbnb today has announced that its new split payment feature that was first piloted this past summer is now rolling out globally. Airbnb released a new feature on November allowing groups to split the cost of rentals, alleviating the financial burden on one person.
It looks as though Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is making good on his holiday requests last year for product launch ideas. See a beautiful city on the Adriatic coast with this relaxing Split holiday for nights incl. After years of requests, Airbnb launches a new feature that allows travelers to split the payment when booking accommodations for group travel. Airbnb has launched a system for splitting payments between travelers, making it way easier to travel with friends.
If you are booking for a group, you can now split the payment.
Calling all group travelers: Airbnb just made planning that ten-person trip ten times easier. Zusammenklappbare Kinderwagen, jede Menge „ unverzichtbare“ Spielsachen und zahllose Klamotten „für den Fall der . The only downside is that it can be annoying to have to split up the bill afterwards. Now Airbnb has made it a lot easier to split the bill, thanks to . Answer of 12: Hi has anyone used Airbnb for Spilt and what was there thoughts on it , would you use again or recommend it ? You can finally split an Airbnb payment with friends.
With split payment, up to 16 . Find unique places to stay with local hosts in 1countries.
Belong anywhere with Airbnb. AirBnB continues the push to get more users on the platform. One of the ways they are doing this is to make it even easier for guests to book .

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April 20, 2014
European shares snap 4-day slide after stake sale
European stocks snapped their longest losing streak in six months today, boosted by Swiss food firm Nestle as it sold its Givaudan stake, potentially freeing up more than a billion dollars for buybacks or acquisitions.
Traders expected indexes to stay within a tight range and volume to be subdued until U.S. jobs data is published at 1330 GMT. This was expected to shed light on the state of the world's largest economy and, indirectly, on when the Federal Reserve's equity-friendly stimulus programme may be dialled back.
Nestle rose 1.5 percent, making it the single biggest contributor to the FTSEurofirst 300's rise, as it offloaded its 10 percent shares in fragrance and flavour maker Givaudan, worth 1.145 billion Swiss francs ($1.27 billion), fuelling bets it may use the money for share buybacks or bolt-on acquisitions.
"They don't need it and (shares) had a great rally so they might as well... make a better use of the capital, whether it's buying another business or buying back shares," Nick Xanders, head of strategy at BTIG, said.
L'Oreal, in which Nestle owns a 29.5 percent stake, rose 3.1 percent.
The two stocks added nearly a point to the FTSEurofirst 300 index, which was up 4.26 points, or 0.3 percent at 1,265.56 points at 0848 GMT. This put the index on track to end a four-day slide, longest reversal since June.


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("UPDATE: US Stocks Close Slightly Higher; Energy, Fincls Lead," at 5:04 p.m. EDT and an earlier version at 4:36 p.m. EDT, misstated the level oil prices closed above in the second paragraph. The correct version follows:)
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks ended slightly higher Monday as traders remained optimistic about the ongoing earnings season and lifted Bank of America and other financials, although a pullback in SanDisk and other technology firms kept gains muted.
In the second lightest volume session of the year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 20.86 points, or 0.21%, at 9885.80, marking its third-straight day higher and a new closing high for 2009. During the session, the Dow hit a high of 9931.82, within 70 points of the psychologically significant 10000 level. Aside from financials, the index' strongest sector was energy, as oil prices hit a seven-week high during the day and closed above $73 a barrel. Within the index, Chevron rose 91 cents, or 1.3%, to 73.67, while Exxon Mobil tacked on 86 cents, or 1.2%, to 70.13.
The Standard & Poor's 500 increased 4.7 points, or 0.44%, to 1076.18, finishing higher for the sixth straight day and marking its highest close since Oct. 3.
Also helping the broader market were a series of sturdy gains for banks, including Bank of America, up 53 cents, or 3%, to 18.03, and Citigroup, up 14 cents, or 3%, to 4.77. In the coming week, both firms will be posting their third-quarter financials, along with other industry bellwethers JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.
"This will be a very interesting earnings season as, given the rally, you are now coming in with moderately high expectations," said Karl Mills, manager of the Counterpoint Select Fund. "Our view is we are entering a recalibration phase where you can really separate the winners from the losers. This will no longer be a rising tide that lifts all boats."
Technology was one area weighing against the broader market on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite closing down 0.14 points, or 0.01%, at 2139.14.
While chip stocks were generally positive, SanDisk missed out after a UBS analyst downgraded the company's rating to sell from neutral. SanDisk closed down 42 cents, or 2%, at 21.02. Dell was also weak, losing 39 cents, or 2.5%, to 15.42.
Spurring a gain of 3.58, or 7.6%, to 5.82, Black & Decker posted better-than-expected sales and margins for the third quarter. That, coupled with a lower-than-anticipated tax, prompted the tool maker to sharply boost its earnings target for the period.
Ford Motor's European division said Monday that sales were up 12.3% on the year in September at 152,600 vehicles, with the company's market share rising to 10.1%. Ford closed up 50 cents, or 7%, at 7.62.
Biopharmaceutical company Dendreon (Nasdaq) gained 1.25, or 4.6%, to 28.73, after Securities and Exchange Commission filings indicated Genentech executive Ian Clark and ex-Eli Lilly executive Pedro Granadillo had joined its board.
Builder KB Home fell 1.29, or 7.8%, to 15.17, after the SEC issued a formal order of investigation regarding "possible accounting and disclosure issues."
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Sunday that will create a European-style above-market tariff, called a feed-in tariff, for small solar-panel generators. The decision helped lift the solar industry Monday, with Applied Materials (Nasdaq) up 40 cents, or 3%, to 13.62, and Suntech Power Holdings rising 26 cents, or 1.7%, to 15.81.
Also rising in the energy sector, Forest Oil rose 1.19, or 5.8%, to 21.90. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on the oil and natural gas company with a stock-investment rating of buy, saying the company's activities in 2009 have focused on generating significant free cash flow used to pay down bank debt.
Helping offset some weakness in technology, Advanced Micro Devices gained 26 cents, or 4.4%, to 6.14. UBS raised its stock-investment rating on the chip maker to buy from neutral, citing tailwinds in the personal computing market.
Gannett fell 36 cents, or 2.7%, to 13.24, after being downgraded to neutral from buy by Sidoti analysts, who said the shares of the newspaper giant will probably start sliding as second-half revenue falls, with 2010 also potentially weak.
Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch rose 81 cents, or 2.3%, to 35.63, as Pali raised its stock-investment rating on the company to buy from neutral, saying improved inventory positioning, increased fashion penetration, lower pricing and international growth will be catalysts.


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How The Vision Of This Female Founder Has Created Unrivaled Access For Black Voices In Media
Morgan DeBaun has changed the world for Black millennials. In 2014 as a 24-year-old visionary, she saw the need for a platform and a media brand that would share authentic stories and news about underrepresented voices in America, and their achievements. She wanted this generation of young people of color to stay informed about the issues they care about, to be able to see and share examples of amazing people doing important things in the Black community and provide more opportunities to showcase humanity. DeBaun’s recognition of this need turned into Blavity Inc., the leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials.
At first, Blavity was a small venture as DeBaun was still working another full-time job in the tech industry. “I kept my full-time job at Intuit but was spending all my nights and weekends working on Blavity. We started with a curated video newsletter and eventually built a website, which was only the beginning. What ultimately spurred me to leave Intuit and commit to Blavity full time was the lack of coverage from Black media companies after Michael Brown’s death.” explained DeBaun. “There was a huge gap of information between what I saw happening on the ground in St. Louis and what I saw in the mainstream media. I wanted to make a positive impact on our community and build a brand that could help the voices of our generation push progress forward and tell our stories. Our momentum began in 2014 with a single Black news site that has now grown into a digital media ecosystem with a monthly reach of over 100 million people, and 100 corporate partners a year.”
DeBaun’s mission was to provide resources to Black millennials and since Blavity’s launch, the media platform has not only established itself as a leader in news and digital products but also as a valuable resource for Black entrepreneurs and small business owners. The unique business model combines an unapologetically Black media and tech company with branded digital content distribution and a social impact organization all focused on engaging Black Millennial and Gen-Z audiences. Additionally, Blavity has created space for Black thought leaders, innovators, and the Black community at large to see themselves reflected in the media and feel empowered to make change.
“We host a series of conferences and summits aimed at equipping Black founders with resources and a network of advisors, which have served over 15,000 individuals in the past year. We have championed Black small business owners through our Blavity Inc. news coverage and our creation of events for entrepreneurs to learn new skills, including AfroTech and Summit21. With every story, every activation, and every event, we have always made it our first priority to create something that supports our community in leveraging new opportunities for a better future,” DeBaun shared. “Our corporate mission is to advance Black happiness. We think about happiness in a variety of ways. One of which is economic freedom and self-empowerment, and being able to own your own destiny, own your own voice, own your own narrative. So for me, the stories that I’m the proudest of are when we are the first to cover a small business owner, a local hero, or anyone making important change. When we stand up as a community of their peers and say ‘We are with you, we’re rocking with you, you don’t need anyone else to tell you you’re incredible, you don’t need mainstream validation that you made it. We see you, we’ve got you, and we are going to sell out your business/services.’ We often make stories go viral, because people are using Blavity as the first source of information, which is how we were designed. That is why we built this company.”
Under the Blavity umbrella, DeBaun created AfroTech, the largest Black tech conference connecting a global community of 20,000+ Black tech innovators through a series of digital and in-person events filled with dynamic programming on emerging trends, networking opportunities with industry leaders and conversations with top tech recruiters. “This year our AfroTech conference is a multi-day experience bringing together leaders in entertainment and tech including the virtual AfroTech World and a series of in-person events in various locations. The digital experience includes multiprogramming stages, an Expo Hall with 100+ corporate sponsors and recruiters, networking events and activations. We will also have AfroTech Music and AfroTech Executive. AT Music brings together leaders in the entertainment and tech industries for a music and networking experience that focuses on growing our black tech community. AT Executive brings together corporate executives, venture capitalists, angel investors, startup founders and tech moguls for two days of programming and networking. We have seen entrepreneurs meet through AfroTech and later launch a business together, people meet recruiters and get hired for a job that changed the trajectory of their life, mentees meet their mentors, small business owners meet future investors, and products find their distributors. The connections that are made at this conference and the community that is created is truly one of a kind,” she explained.
She also created Summit21, the tentpole annual event for Blavity’s premier women’s lifestyle brand, 21Ninety. According to DeBaun, 21Ninety was born from the belief that it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to create a lifestyle, so the brand focuses on advising and inspiring their audience and followers to live their best lives. The two-day virtual experience will be offered free of charge this year, focusing on empowering entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners to work smarter, not harder, to master the elusive work/life balance for which we’re all striving while achieving their personal and professional goals. Speakers this year include Tyra Banks, Sarah Jakes Roberts, celebrity publicist Erica Tucker, entrepreneur Olori Swank and personal development coach Alena Conley, Danielle Cadet from Netflix, Ronne Brown, and Blake Gifford.
DeBaun also acts as an advisor to influential global brands and companies including Disney, American Airlines, CES, Pantora Bridal and Rosen Skincare, and often partners Blavity with big brands to help them authentically reach Black audiences. Recently Blavity collaborated with Sephora on a campaign to celebrate Black beauty & radiance, with Mastercard to co-host virtual activations to explore how to confront a financial system that has systematically disadvantaged and excluded Black communities and has proliferated the racial wealth and opportunity gap, with Hulu to share stories to continue the fight against racial inequality and with Amazon on a partnership to highlight careers in tech.
With no plans of slowing down Blavity’s growth, DeBaun has exciting plans for the future. “We are excited to continue to do what we do best: create community, tell stories, and drive Black economic empowerment. In 2020, we launched our own streaming site, Lunchtable, which features hours of live-streamed content per day, and hired a Head of Content Distribution and Partnerships to expand our production and storytelling capabilities,” she shared. “Our nonprofit, Blavity.org launched in May with the mission to drive Black economic advancement forward through entrepreneurial fellowship programs featuring grants, education & mentorship and I am so excited to continue to grow those programs and that organization. We are just getting started!”
This article was written by Yola Robert for Forbes.


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February 2, 2014 |
If Indian exporters say the biggest exports they do are within India, it would be only half in jest. It would be a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the red tape that has long plagued the sector, which requires them to ship tonnes of documents such as letter of credit, copy of proof of advance payment, print-out of application form, foreign inward remittance certificate etc to government offices, accompanied by numerous visits. Taken together, these documents would total a whopping 25,000 pages every month, never mind that they ultimately gather dust in storerooms.
January 23, 2014 |
In the past year, even as sustained cotton yarn demand from international markets lifted the fortunes of spinning mills companies, Vardhman Textiles, despite its size and presence, has turned in a good performance. In the year ending on September 2013 quarter , Vardhman Textiles' net profit jumped more than two times to Rs 177 crore — the highest in the last 60 quarters —while net sales rose by 1.2 times to Rs 1,279 crore. One of the main reasons for this performance is the company's conservative approach towards financial management.
January 21, 2014 |
JAMMU: Union Minister for Textiles K S Rao today extended 10 per cent rebate on yarn purchase, which was only available for handicraft sector, to purchase of woollen yarn as well to promote handloom sector in the country. "We announce 10 percent rebate on purchase of yarn, which was only available for handicrafts sector shall be now available on purchase of woollen yarn also so as to promote handloom sector in the country," Rao said here today. He said that need of the hour was to make these handicraft market driven conforming to the fast changing consumer tastes and liking.
November 18, 2013 |
KOLKATA: Spinning mills in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have landed in a crisis as powerloom weavers in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra are on the tenth day of a strike in protest against a power tariff hike. The strike comes at a time when there is a surge in fabric demand both from domestic and overseas markets, particularly the US. Bhiwandi has 10 lakh powerlooms and consumes 6 million kg of yarn per day. The strike has already pushed up fabric prices that are produced by Bhiwandi powerlooms by 3-4% in the last 10 days.
November 17, 2013 |
THANE: Godowns of the Birla Group owned companies at Bhiwandi near here were raided by the officials of the Controller of Legal Metrology and yarn worth around Rs 77 lakh were seized for want of proper packaging on the material, an official release said here today. The release stated that the raids were conducted under the direct guidance of the Controller of Legal Metrology, Ashok Dongre. The seized goods comprised yarn manufactured by Century Rayon of the BK Birla Group worth Rs 43,92,500 and Aditya Birla Nuvo worth Rs 33,00,000.
October 30, 2013 |
MUMBAI: Textiles and apparels manufacturer Mandhana Industries posted 27.5 per cent decline in profit after tax (PAT), at Rs 16.91 crore for the quarter ended September 30, compared to last year. The company's PAT stood at Rs 23.34 crore in the second quarter of FY13, Mandhana Industries said in a release. Net sales for the quarter under review registered growth of 25.83 per cent at Rs 402.13 crore as against Rs 319.58 crore in the same period last year. "Despite the competitive and obstructive macro- environment , we witnessed an improvement in both textiles and garments.
October 25, 2013 |
KOLKATA: Come November and Indian spinners will be in an advantageous position to compete with Pakistan in the Chinese market. Cotton prices are expected to cool off post-Diwali which will bring down yarn prices by at least 10% thus helping spinning mills to make further headway in China, which is one of the largest importers of Indian cotton yarn. Talking to ET, Saurin Parikh, secretary, All Gujarat Cotton Ginners Association, said, "cotton prices are now hovering around 44,000 per candy.
October 11, 2013 |
MUMBAI: Ministry of Textiles has sought restoration of incentives for cotton and cotton yarn exports and said despite challenges, the sector is poised for growth. "We will write to Commerce Ministry over the issue of restoration of export incentives under the Focus Market Scheme (FMS) given to cotton and cotton yarn exporters," Union Textiles Minister K S Rao told reporters after inauguration of a FICCI-organised conference here. Commerce Ministry recently withdrew FMS, which was for cotton and cotton yarn exporters, on the ground that India has already got surplus production.
October 9, 2013 |
NEW DELHI: The Textiles Ministry today said it will soon ask the Commerce Ministry to restore the export incentives under the Focus Market Scheme (FMS) given to cotton and cotton yarn exporters. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) was of the view that these products are on one hand availing export incentives under FMS, while on the other hand there are curbs on their exports. "We will be writing to the Commerce Ministry in this regard. It withdrew FMS which was given to cotton and cotton yarn exporters and it was based on the belief that we have already got surplus production in this country.
October 7, 2013 |
KOLKATA: Cotton yarn exports from India, which has touched 120 million kg per month, is likely to drop by 20% in the current fiscal following the UPA government's sudden decision to remove the exports benefits under focus market scheme (FMS) on cotton yarn. FMS is aimed at developing new markets across the globe for Indian products. Till date, Latin America and Africa were the focused markets for Indian cotton yarn exports. The move will also affect the spinning mills in Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh , Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Haryana as this will create an excess capacity of yarn in the country and affect the trade in the second half of current fiscal.


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Nepal’s leading business conglomerate, IME Group has now entered the e-commerce market in Nepal. IME Group had proposed to invest a significant amount of money in Sastodeal which is one of the top eCommerce sites in the country. This has become official as Sastodeal has agreed to take the seed investment from the group on the 22nd of April.
The IME Group is a business conglomerate and has made its investments in banking, remittance, trading, IT, communications, energy, tourism, automobiles, insurance, and infotainment. Hem Raj Dhakal, Cofounder and Managing Director of IME Group stated that the decision to invest was made considering the view of Sastodeal’s brand identity, the company’s remarkable business performance, overall growth, and its future prospects.
“IME Group have witnessed Sastodeal grow from a humble startup to become a household name in Nepal. We have made this decision to invest in the company because of their exceptional team, the brand, the company’s historic performance, the overall industry growth, and the potential in the future. We also see that going forward, Sastodeal can bring great synergies to IME portfolio companies such as digital wallet, FMCG, remittance, automotive, logistics, banking, entertainment, hospitality, and others. The investment in Sastodeal also serves IME’s motive to promote socio – entrepreneurship and support the growth of microenterprise as Sastodeal provides the platform for thousands of SMEs to grow their business from across the country. We look to actively participate in Sastodeal’s growth as an investor and also a board member in the company.” – Hem Raj Dhakal, IME Group, MD
Similarly, Amun Thapa, Founder of Sastodeal said he was excited for this new venture with the IME group. He further stated that he wished to implement well-formulated plans for the growth of the company and the e-commerce industry as a whole.
“We are very excited to onboard IME Group and execute our growth plans together. IME Group has infrastructure and brand presence in all parts of the country; especially in Tier II & III markets. We have plans to leverage each other’s infrastructure, technology, and portfolio to provide superior services to millions of our customers and thousands of businesses pan Nepal. We are very confident that this investment and synergy will have a lasting positive impact on the ecosystem and the nation. I believe IME’s investment in Sastodeal will also encourage other businesses in Nepal and abroad to consider e-commerce as a lucrative investment opportunity.” – Amun Thapa, Founder of Sastodeal
Strategically, Sastodeal had also partnered with Flipkart, a Walmart-owned India-based company last year. In the same way, various investors such as Dolma Impact Fund and ICTC have also backed the firm. This investment could only lead to the further growth and progress of the company in the Nepali e-commerce market. However, the investment amount from IME Group is kept undisclosed in an attempt to attract other big potential investors.


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BOISE The Ada County Assessors Office says it can save homeowners a bunch of money if they need a copy of their property deed and property profile.
A Deleware company, Property Transfer Services, has sent out solicitations to homeowners who have recently recorded their deeds following a sale. The ad offers to provide the documents for $83.
The same documents obtained from the Assessors Office cost $1 per page.
Assessor Bob McQuade said people are under no obligation to purchase additional deed records. Most sales agreements include the deed and property profile as part of the closing process.
The company obtained publicly available information on the buyers name, address and sales price and used it to make readers think it was an official document, McQuade said. The county did not sell the information to Property Transfer Services, he said.
We encourage people to read the post card carefully before sending off for these documents, McQuade said.
While the solicitation is not a scam, the advertising can be deceptive, said Dale Dixon, chief executive officer of the Boise office of the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB has made several inquiries to Property Transfer Services, Dixon said, but the company did not respond.
Failure to respond to a simple request for information should be a caution flag to proceed carefully, Dixon said.


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Zacks: Analysts Expect Fred’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRED) Will Announce Quarterly Sales of $505.79 Million
Wall Street analysts expect Fred’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRED) to report $505.79 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Three analysts have provided estimates for Fred’s’ earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $519.57 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $498.60 million. Fred’s reported sales of $529.50 million in the same quarter last year, which indicates a negative year over year growth rate of 4.5%. The business is scheduled to report its next quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 29th.
On average, analysts expect that Fred’s will report full-year sales of $505.79 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $2.03 billion to $2.13 billion. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the business will post sales of $2.08 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $2.05 billion to $2.12 billion. Zacks’ sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of analysts that that provide coverage for Fred’s.
Fred’s (NASDAQ:FRED) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 6th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $532.32 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $520.28 million. Fred’s had a negative return on equity of 3.93% and a negative net margin of 4.94%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.03 earnings per share.
FRED has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Fred’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Deutsche Bank AG reissued a “hold” rating and set a $17.00 price target (down from $19.00) on shares of Fred’s in a research note on Saturday, June 3rd. TheStreet cut shares of Fred’s from a “c-” rating to a “d” rating in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. Finally, ValuEngine cut shares of Fred’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.00.
Shares of Fred’s (FRED) opened at 6.40 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $12.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.69. Fred’s has a one year low of $6.40 and a one year high of $21.77. The company’s market cap is $243.53 million.
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Fred’s by 32.8% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,126,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,761,000 after buying an additional 278,250 shares during the period. Highbridge Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Fred’s by 485.6% in the first quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 292,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,836,000 after buying an additional 242,781 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Fred’s by 5.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,254,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,630,000 after buying an additional 170,717 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Fred’s by 24.2% in the first quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 776,513 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,172,000 after buying an additional 151,144 shares during the period. Finally, Teachers Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Fred’s by 195.1% in the first quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC now owns 163,380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,140,000 after buying an additional 108,011 shares during the period.
WARNING: This article was originally published by American Banking News and is owned by of American Banking News. If you are reading this article on another publication, it was copied illegally and reposted in violation of United States & international copyright and trademark legislation. The legal version of this article can be viewed at https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2017/07/16/zacks-analysts-expect-freds-inc-nasdaqfred-will-announce-quarterly-sales-of-505-79-million.html.
Fred’s, Inc (Fred’s) is engaged in the sale of general merchandise through its retail discount stores and full service pharmacies. The Company sells general merchandise to its over 20 franchisees. The Company has approximately 660 retail stores, over 370 pharmacies, and approximately three specialty pharmacy facilities located in over 15 states mainly in the Southeastern United States.
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Coastal Walmart dispute goes to LUBA
Dec 12, 2012
By The Associated Press
WARRENTON, Ore. (AP) — The Warrenton City Commission has voted to send a dispute over a proposed new Walmart store directly to the state Land Use Board of Appeals.
The Daily Astorian reports that both sides intended to appeal whatever decision the city made on the store's site design and requests for variances.
The city Planning Commission has granted its approval. The city commission voted Tuesday to recognize that as the city's final decision, in the interests of moving the process along.
A group called Clatsop Residents Against Walmart has raised four objections, including the lack of a wetlands permit and the lack a demonstrated hardship in the request for a variance to reduce the number of required bike spaces from 67 to 28.
Information from: The Daily Astorian, http://www.dailyastorian.com
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Restless young ad-pups are probably up at dawn today as this is the first day of The One Show's creative week, which means there's portfolio reviews in the morning and afternoon, and an awards ceremony at the Metropolitan Pavilion in the evening.
The digital advertising billboards at Malmö Central station were hijacked yesterday, and instead of displaying ads and information, it showed sequences from Meatspin (Link goes to Know Your Meme, links there may be NSFW), a shock site showing
A long time ago as I walked through my local market, a fish literally jumped out of an ice-counter and on to a counter. The fish monger grabbed it, made a big show of smacking its head, then winked at me stating "we sell really fresh fish here".
On November 5th, 2015, the Fundão damn burst, destroying the region of Mariana in Brazil. It was the greatest environmental disaster in Brazil's history. Experts are saying the regional won't recover for another decade.


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New music festival comes to Saint JohnAfter a summer music festival was cancelled, an organizing committee in Saint John has announced it will go forward with a new event.
MTV Video Music Awards show shifts to Los AngelesLast year it was Las Vegas, this year it will be Hollywood for the MTV Video Music Awards.
Amazon going international with MP3 storeAmazon.com is ratcheting up pressure on Apple with the announcement it will compete with the iPod maker's online iTunes music store internationally this year.
Copyright © 2007 BuyTicketsPro.com. All rights reserved.
HomeTuesday, July 22nd, 2014


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My friend Hugo Miller, over at Bloomberg wrote this well-balanced article on RIM. The crux of the article is that RIM can't claim the top vendor status for smartphones in Canada anymore. According to IDC and Bloomberg data, Apple shipped 2.85 million units in Canada last year, while RIM shipped only 2.08 million units.
I have to admit that I love reading Hugo's articles because he's one of the journalists that works hard to get a good story. He presents the facts without kicking a company while they're down, as so many others seem to do.
While the headline of the story is clearly about RIM's loss of the top spot in Canada, there are some interesting data points that surprised me. For example, according to Interbrand's October 2011 ranking, RIM ranks 54th in a study of the world's top 100 brands. They're down only two positions from the year before. Only two positions? You'd think from all the horrible press RIM is getting that they wouldn't even make the top 100 anymore. Apparently that's not the case. Perhaps the fact that RIM is still growing its subscriber base (at a decent clip, too) is helping them remain one of the world's top brands.
The Bloomberg article also points out that RIM widely outsells Apple in Latin America and Middle East and Africa. And I do mean w-i-d-e-l-y outsells Apple. I'm as big of an Apple fan as the next guy (and it's my biggest stock holding), but I feel pretty good about RIM's position of being the affordable player in lower income markets.
Anyway, back to the topic of Canada. Should we really be surprised that RIM is no longer then #1 smartphone brand in the great white north?
Honestly, I don't think it should surprise anyone. Data from GfK shows that RIM was also the #1 smartphone brand in the UK for 2011. Much like Canada, the UK is a wealthy country with reasonably adequate carrier competition and pricing.
Right now, RIM does not have the portfolio of products (devices, software, and the supporting ecosystem) to justify owning the #1 position. We all know that 2012 is a critical year for this company as they rebuild their relevance and aim to recapture some of the lost market share.
It wouldn't surprise me if the next study shows that RIM isn't the #1 player in the UK, but if they can actually hold onto that position throughout 2012 I'll be impressed.
In other markets, like Indonesian and Venezuela, cost is a priority. I think RIM will hang onto its top spot just fine. But first world countries? We should not be surprised by reports that RIM isn't #1.
RIM doesn't need to be #1 to succeed as a company, as a brand, or as an investment.


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In the same week that Omnicom Group, WPP Group, and the Interpublic Group revealed plans to build an electronic platform for making media transactions, two smaller firms in the space have suffered serious blows.
AdFlight, a Belmont, Calif.-based start-up that enabled online buying and selling of online advertising, has apparently ceased operations; and eMadison, a New York-based venture aiming to create an electronic exchange for television and cable media buying, is reportedly in “hibernation” mode and seeking a buyer.
An executive at eMadison declined comment on the matter, but a source familiar with the firm says the company has reduced headcount by about two-thirds because of problems getting funding.
Officials at AdFlight didn’t respond to inquiries by press time, but a notice on the company’s site said: “Please be advised that at this time, AdFlight is no longer accepting new advertisers or publishers for our online banner network.” In February, when AdFlight’s founder, Albert Lopez, stepped down from the chief executive officer position and cleared the way for Susan Atherton to take the role, the company said it was doing fine.
The apparent ill fortune at the firms comes in the same week that the three advertising industry giants announced plans to tackle the media exchange problem themselves, hoping that they will succeed where so many others have failed or stalled.
Although both AdFlight and eMadison had appeared to be gaining traction in the marketplace — eMadison, for example, is said to have had contracts signed and at least one major agency on board — the volatility in the financial markets has made it very difficult for early-stage companies to find financing. A Los Angeles-based company in the space, AdExchange, apparently met its demise because of these conditions.
Other players, such as OneMediaPlace, MediaPassage, and BroadcastSpots.com have banded together to weather the storm, with the resulting company taking the MediaPassage name.
The difficulties of players like AdFlight and eMadison, however, might be to the benefit of the “big three” as they begin to form their new company. Both have made significant investments in their technology, and attracted well-known executives. Rather than start from scratch, the new as-yet-unnamed firm may get a head start by making some strategic acquisitions. But even without this head start, the three together have a big advantage — the clout that no young start-up could muster, which they can wield in convincing media companies to get on board.


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Emerald Media, an Asian investment platform created by KKR, has led a $65 million Series B funding round for Thailand-based online retailing services company aCommerce.
Existing backers Blue Sky Alternative Investments, MDI Ventures and DKSH also participated. The capital will be used to build out the company’s technology platform and expand activities across Southeast...
Bertelsmann India Investments has earmarked USD 500m, provided by its eponymous German parent, for investment in local start-ups. The VC unit’s total deployment since its launch in 2013 is USD 285m.
UK-headquartered incubator Entrepreneur First (EF) has raised USD 158m, targeted in part at investment in Southeast Asian start-ups and expanding its reach in the region.
CDH Investments has agreed to sell New Zealand-based supplements manufacturer The Better Health Company (TBHC) to Nestlé Health Science for an undisclosed sum.
India and Southeast Asia-focused Panthera Growth Partners has reached a first close on its second fund with commitments amounting to more than half the overall target of USD 250m.


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05 Nov Rotten Tomatoes
By Anjum Altaf
Rather than asserting that the military and the judiciary could be criticized if criticism was merited, a distinguished minister has taken the position that parliament is just as sacrosanct and hence above being challenged.
In anticipation of what is likely to follow, this being Pakistan, one cannot afford to lose any time taking to task another minister who has asked for the treatment. I am referring to a news item in which the Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment has informed the Punjab Assembly that there would be “no tomato import despite mafia’s manoeuvring.”
The minister is said to have elaborated that “now tomatoes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were being sold at Rs. 70 per kilo in the city and would continue to be sold till prices get further stabilized with supplies from Sindh arriving in the local market.” The justification for the policy is contained in a direct quote from the minister: “Why pass the advantage on to foreign farmers instead of our own?” According to the minister, “an influential mafia” was trying hard for resumption of import from India which would not be allowed to happen.
This minister needs to have a whole load of rotten tomatoes thrown at his head and the party chief responsible for his appointment to the ministry needs to explain the poor selection. Imagine a modern minister for commerce who can publicly state “Why pass on the advantage to foreign [producers] instead of our own?” Just follow through with the implications of the logic — it would put an end to all international trade because the only things traded are those that are made better or at lower cost by foreign producers.
There are a whole host of other problems with the argument. First, note the irony that the statement is coming from a minister in a country where even common pins are being imported from China and garbage collection is being contracted out to the Turks. There has not been a peep about the advantage being passed on to foreigners in these and a slew of other sectors.
Second, this new-found love of “our own” is confined to producers, setting aside entirely the welfare of consumers who vastly outnumber the former. Why? Are consumers not equally are own? And is the government not elected to enhance the welfare of the majority?
Third, what if someone extends the minister’s argument to the provincial level? Why pass on the advantage to producers in KPK and Sindh instead of our own farmers in the Punjab? Such a person would immediately be labelled an anti-national element even though the logic of the argument remains unchanged.
Fourth, who is this “influential mafia” trying hard for resumption of import from India? What does it have to gain from the import? And, if this is actually a resumption of something that was taking place earlier, why wasn’t this mafia hauled in for anti-state activities at that time? Could it not be a producer mafia trying to block imports? Would a producer mafia not be infinitely more influential than one of consumers?
The point of all these seemingly absurd questions is to highlight the mindlessness of the minister’s statement and the sheer vacuousness of the logic offered for his decision. The fact of the matter is that a blind nationalism is at the bottom of this ridiculous anti-trade stance that is hurting the budget of the vast majority of citizens who have to purchase essential commodities in the market.
At the time when tomatoes were selling for Rs. 300 a kilo in Lahore they were available at Indian Rs. 40 a kilo in Amritsar a mere 30 miles away. But a visceral Indo-phobia, shared by many of our influentials, stood in the way of consumers benefiting from the lower priced supply. It was then that another distinguished minister, the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research said that “the government will never allow import of any vegetables, including tomato and onion, from India despite record high prices of these kitchen items in local markets due to limited local supply.” He elaborated that “this step has been taken to encourage the local farmers to grow more besides saving huge foreign exchange.”
Our ministers are not alone in articulating such puerile logic emanating from their Indo-phobia. I recall a meeting in which an ex-chief of the ISI similarly railed against trade with India because it would destroy “our own” industry. The specific example he gave was of footwear that was being produced at lower cost across the border and whose import would put Pakistani producers “out of business.” During a break, a participant jokingly enquired about the make of the shoes the chief was wearing — it turned out they were Italian.
The point to note is that this India-centric anti-trade hysteria is shared by many who have no compunctions consuming products imported from all other countries and whose income brackets are such that commodities like tomatoes and onions are a miniscule proportion of their budgets. These are people who tell their car drivers to fill up the tank without ever asking the going price of petrol. They are indulging in the psychic pleasure of “hurting” India at no cost to themselves while pushing millions of people who can afford to buy only a litre of gas at a time below the poverty line.
The ultimate irony is that such callous and shallow prejudice does virtually nothing to hurt India. On the contrary, the gap between the two countries continues to widen while our leaders make fools of themselves trying to prove to a wide-eyed world that India is the “mother of all terrorisms.” It is a sad commentary on the state of affairs and a sign of the extent to which people have given up that nobody even bothers to point out these follies before the narrow window for questioning inevitably draws tightly shut.


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Burger King says creativity in its campaigns is what gives the brand “an edge”, and that marketers have to “walk the talk” in order to stand out in a cluttered media landscape.
The burger brand is being honoured at the Cannes Lions Festival this year as creative marketer of the year. And its head of brand marketing, Fernando Machado, spoke to Marketing Week this morning (19 June) about the brand’s “long-term commitment to creativity” and how it plays a crucial role in differentiating itself from competitors.
“There are always bigger players out there who will outspend us when it comes to advertising. But creativity is what gives us the edge; we’re really walking the talk and have a track record of really going for it,” he said.
Machado pointed to its 2014 ’Proud Whopper’ campaign, which saw it cover all of its burgers in rainbow coloured wrappers in support of the LGBTQ community, with the message ‘We’re all the same inside’ revealing itself when unwrapped.
“With going for it, I mean having the mindset that the biggest risk is taking no risks at all. The worst thing that can happen for any brand in any market, is to not be noticed – you waste a tonne of money on media and just become noise in the background. For us to win, we need to value creativity, push boundaries and make it happen,” he explained.
Machado believes this is inherently marketers’ biggest challenge – to be brave and “do things that will move the brand or industry forward”.
“There’s so much pressure to have a different run on things. The biggest challenge is walking the talk and to have the guts and the bravery to do things that stand out in terms of advertising,” he concluded.
“Having a brand positioning on issues requires courage, you need to have opinions on issues and you can’t be everything to everyone.”


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Agency: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
On February 1, 2017 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered UniRush and Mastercard to pay $13 Million after preventable technological breakdowns in October 2015 left tens of thousands of RushCard users unable to access their money and without customer support.
In 2014, UniRush picked Mastercard as its new payment processor. Mastercard and UniRush spent 13 months preparing to switch to Mastercard’s processing platform, which ultimately took place Oct. 10-12, 2015. In the weeks following this service disruption, more than 800 complaints were filed with the CFPB against RushCard highlighting the devastating impact to the personal finances of RushCard users. The CFPB found that Mastercard or UniRush:
- Denied consumers access to their own money
- Botched the processing of deposits and payments
- Gave consumers inaccurate account information
- Failed to provide customer service to consumers impacted by the breakdowns
Mastercard and UniRush have been ordered to pay an estimated $10 million in restitution to tens of thousands of harmed consumers, create a plan to prevent future problems, and pay a $3 million civil penalty to the CFPB. Affected consumers are not required to take action to get restitution.
Details of the action can be found in the “Consent Order”.
Date of Action: 2/1/2017


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Do your kids and teens like sports drinks—those brilliantly-colored beverages that promise rehydration, calorie replenishment, and electrolyte replacement? If they do, be aware: The Washington Post reports that while these drinks may offer some benefits for elite athletes, who train vigorously and sweat profusely, the younger set doesn’t need them. If they do lose electrolytes from sweating, less common in the types of athletics done by kids and teens, it’s typically a loss of sodium, which is already plentiful in the American diet. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that sports drinks for kids and adolescents be avoided, or at a minimum restricted, and that water should be the drink of choice. Sports drinks may even be bad for children due to the sugar and chemical content that rivals amounts found in soda.
But, if your kids still require something other than water, and you don’t want to buy into the nutritionally questionable sports drink market, here’s a tip: Along with water, give them a sweet-tasting but nutrient-dense fruit like a banana or clementine. Hopefully, this will satisfy their sweet tooth and provide them with a dose of micronutrients, like potassium and vitamin C, at the same time.
Source: Washington Post


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OSLO, Norway—Aker BioMarine formally joined the GOED (Global Organization for EPA and DHA) Coalition at the steering committee level to help increase sales in the omega-3 market.
The coalition was formed to develop and execute an integrated consumer education, awareness and advocacy strategy, including a range of best-practice consumer engagement efforts to support consumer demand and strengthen the omega-3 category.
To maintain credibility with media and consumers, the program will be largely unbranded, focusing on growing consumer awareness of and preference for the important health benefits of omega-3 supplementation.
"Although krill sales are relatively stable, we believe it is the responsibility of all marine omega-3 players to come together for the good of the category," said Matts Johansen, COO, Aker BioMarine. "This coalition is exactly what the omega-3 market needs right now, so getting involved at the steering committee level was a straightforward decision for us."
A recent survey conducted by Aker BioMarine indicates that omega-3 supplement users want more alternatives to existing sources, helping the company further understand consumer behavior and demand.


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Investors are cheering the news that Apple Inc is increasing the output for its next lineup of iPhones. While it may seem like a positive signal for future demand, reality is a bit more complicated.
Bloomberg News reported that Apple has told its suppliers to make as many as
90 million next-generation iPhones for its initial run, a figure that would be an increase of up to 20% over the prior year. According to the report, the Cupertino, California-based company is expected to introduce four models in September with designs similar to 2020’s phones and incremental feature upgrades — including a faster processor, better camera and improved displays.
But beyond a forecast for greater iPhone demand, there are other reasons Apple may be asking for more production. First, the most obvious one is calendar shift. Last year, the smartphone maker delayed the release of its iPhones from September to October, which compressed the period for sales into the end of the year. With the return of a more normal schedule, there will be an additional month to sell the new models this fall and holiday season, which requires more inventory. Second, Apple could also be managing its suppliers to guard against component shortages. The semiconductor industry’s chip shortages have already started hurting sales of Apple’s non-iPhone products. During the company’s last earnings call, executives projected chip shortages for iPads and Macs were going to reduce its June quarter revenue by $3 billion to $4 billion. Forcing suppliers to increase their manufacturing capacity would be a prudent way to minimise the possibility of shortages for the iPhone.
Frankly, the success of the 2021 lineup is far from assured. Apple’s annual iPhone launches tend to alternate every couple years between large feature upgrades that spur strong demand and small improvements with similar designs. After the introduction of the iPhone 12 last year — which was the first model to incorporate higher-speed 5G capabilities — this year’s updates will be minor in comparison.


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Brentwood Mayor Accused of Using Debit Card Inappropriately - Joy Lepola
Updated: Monday, November 19 2012, 09:25 AM EST
A local mayor is under fire for allegedly using a city debit card inappropriately.
Brentwood Mayor Xzavier Montgomery-Wright is accused of using a city debit card without authorization in more than 50 questionable charges.
The allegations surfaced at a town hall meeting, when the treasurer gave a financial report that didn't add up.
Questions surround the mayor's $2,400 cell phone bill and a $300 plane ticket for a trip to Alabama.


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Cyber security is rarely out of the news these days.
With some companies paying £16m a year to protect themselves online, a recent study predicts four and a half million additional people will be needed by 2019 to identify cyber challenges.
Law firm, Moore Blatch, which specialises in the tech sector among others, and is a client of Carswell Gould’s, held a breakfast event in Richmond in April which I attended to learn about how businesses should be protecting themselves online.
The seminar centred around the what, why, who and when of cyber security breaches and the steps SMEs must take to stay safe.
We heard from David Emm, one of the UK’s leading experts on the topic of cyber security at Kaspersky Lab. He provided valuable insight into the key threats to SME businesses and described how 90% of cyber-attacks are completely random bots.
In 2015 alone, Kaspersky Lab discovered an astonishing 798,113,087 cyber-related attacks.
The vast majority of these came in the form of phishing, which is an attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
David explained how businesses need to recognise these threats, identify information they need to safeguard, and ensure they are under regular review to avoid cyber attacks.
After David, John Warchus, a partner at Moore Blatch and expert in commercial and technology law, spoke about the related legal aspects such as data protection and privacy.
John’s clients range from tech start-ups to multinationals and he emphasised the importance for SME’s to stay up-to-date with the ever-changing laws and regulation that play a pivotal role in protecting a business’ reputation.
His talk also focussed on how businesses need to make sure they have robust policies covering cyber security, data protection and IT and communications in place.
These policies should be communicated to employees who are made fully familiar with the rules and processes they are required to follow.
If you want to know more about how you can protect your business from this growing threat, contact Moore Blatch’s team of specialist solicitors: www.mooreblatch.com
If you would like to discuss how Carswell Gould could help, our team of experts are keen to chat. Fill in your details below and we'll be in touch shortly.


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Climate change expert says current climate change related economic models are misleading for policymakers
The economic models currently used to calculate the risks and costs associated with climate change adaptation and mitigation are "grossly misleading", Lord Stern has said. Writing in an article published...
North American alliance to underline plans for rapid deployment of clean technologies
For many green business leaders and policy makers the mood remains positive despite the turmoil unleashed by the vote to leave the EU
Building industry trade body launches new strategy to ensure all buildings have 'net zero' climate impact by 2050
New strategy aims to deliver cleaner air to the capital's busiest shopping district


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Indian cloths worth Tk 3cr seized
Task Force yesterday seized cloths worth Tk 3 crore smuggled from India from a godown at Sangkarpur in the town.
A team of BDR and Customs officials headed by magistrate Titon Khisha seized the Indian cloths from the godown of Ruhul Amin Traders.
Godown owner Ruhul Amin said he purchased the cloths in auction from the Khulna Customs and showed the purchase documents.
But Mjor Akram of BDR said Ruhul Amin was involved in selling cloths and goods smuggled from India by showing auction purchase documents.


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Minnesota credit unions are releasing results of a survey of over 600 Minnesotans. The survey was conducted August 30 - September 3, 2020, and measured consumer attitudes about credit unions.
Research shows fifty-four percent of Minnesota credit union members in Minnesota “love” their credit union while only 17 percent of bank customers love their bank. This rating for credit unions continues to trend upwards over the five years MnCUN has measured it, while those who “love” their bank has remained steady.
“Minnesota’s credit unions are committed to their members, in good times and challenging ones,” MnCUN CEO Mark Cummins said. “We are encouraged by the trends and continue our efforts to help consumers understand the advantages of being a credit union member.”
Additional findings from the survey indicate that fifty-two percent of non-credit union members age 18-34 year-olds are likely to consider joining a credit union. This percentage has also increased significantly since 2017, when Minnesota Credit Unions initiated a statewide Consumer Awareness campaign targeting this age group.
Additional findings include:
The full research results are available for MnCUN members only.
The Pulse is MnCUN's newsletter that keeps credit union professionals and board members updated on current news and information.


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BlackBerry Now Sells Unlocked Smartphones, but Who’s Buyin’?
BlackBerry started selling unlocked Z10 and Q10 smartphones directly online. But they aren't cheap, and now may not be the best time to invest in a BlackBerry, or the company, according to CIO.com's Al Sacco.
Unlocked smartphones mostly appeal to folks who don’t want to sign costly wireless service contracts and would rather pay the cost of the unsubsidized phones upfront. People who want to use exclusive devices on other carriers or who live in areas where certain devices aren’t available may also be interested in unlocked devices. And BlackBerry’s move may be intended to help it move as much existing inventory as possible before it finalizes a deal with Fairfax Financial Holdings, which is expected to acquire BlackBerry in November.
But if so, those prices seem slightly steep to me. And investing ~$500 in a platform with a future that’s, um, uncertain, at this point, probably isn’t the brightest idea.
Al Sacco was a journalist, blogger and editor who covers the fast-paced mobile beat for CIO.com and IDG Enterprise, with a focus on wearable tech, smartphones and tablet PCs. Al managed CIO.com writers and contributors, covered news, and shared insightful expert analysis of key industry happenings. He also wrote a wide variety of tutorials and how-tos to help readers get the most out of their gadgets, and regularly offered up recommendations on software for a number of mobile platforms. Al resides in Boston and is a passionate reader, traveler, beer lover, film buff and Red Sox fan.


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Under the FD&C Act, any product intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent a disease, and any product (other than a food) that is intended to affect the structure or function of the body of humans, is a drug. OTC drugs must be approved by the FDA or meet the requirements for marketing without an approved new drug application under federal law, including drug products containing CBD, regardless of whether CBD is represented on the labeling as an active ingredient or an inactive ingredient.
The FDA has not approved any CBD-containing drug products other than one prescription drug for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in human patients.
The FDA has previously sent warning letters to other companies illegally selling unapproved CBD products that claimed to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat or cure various diseases, in violation of the FD&C Act.
Products Listing CBD as Inactive Ingredient Cited for Unapproved Drug and Misbranding Violations
The products that are the subject of the warning letters issued today have not gone through the FDA drug approval process and are considered unapproved new drugs. There has been no FDA evaluation of whether these unapproved drug products are effective for the uses manufacturers claim, what an appropriate dose might be, how they could interact with FDA-approved drugs or other products or whether they have dangerous side effects or other safety concerns.
“The FDA continues to alert the public to potential safety and efficacy concerns with unapproved CBD products sold online and in stores across the country,” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D. “It’s important that consumers understand that the FDA has only approved one drug containing CBD as an ingredient. These other, unapproved, CBD products may have dangerous health impacts and side effects. We remain focused on exploring potential pathways for CBD products to be lawfully marketed while also educating the public about these outstanding questions of CBD’s safety. Meanwhile, we will continue to monitor and take action, as needed, against companies that unlawfully market their products — prioritizing those that pose a risk to public health.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to two companies for selling products labeled as containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Specifically, the warning letters address the illegal marketing of unapproved drugs labeled as containing CBD. The FDA has not approved any over-the-counter (OTC) drugs containing CBD, and none of these products meet the requirements to be legally marketed without an approved new drug application. The letters explain that, as CBD has known pharmacological effects on humans, with demonstrated risks, it cannot be legally marketed as an inactive ingredient in OTC drug products that are not reviewed and approved by the FDA. Additionally, the letters cite substandard manufacturing practices, including failure to comply with current good manufacturing practices.
The FDA issued warning letters to:
The FDA has requested written responses from these companies within 15 working days stating how they will address these violations or providing their reasoning and supporting information as to why they believe these products are not in violation of the law. Failure to adequately address the violations promptly may result in legal action, including product seizure and/or injunction.
Information from adverse event reports regarding cannabis use is extremely limited; the FDA primarily receives adverse event reports for approved products. General information on the potential adverse effects of using cannabis and its constituents can come from clinical trials that have been published, as well as from spontaneously reported adverse events sent to the FDA. Additional information about the safety and effectiveness of cannabis and its constituents is needed. Clinical trials of cannabis conducted under an IND application could collect this important information as a part of the drug development process.
16. What is FDA’s role when it comes to the investigation of cannabis and cannabis-derived products for medical use?
A. The FDA is aware that there are potential adverse health effects with use of cannabis products containing THC in pregnant or lactating women. Published scientific literature reports potential adverse effects of cannabis use in pregnant women, including fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and stillbirth. [1, 2, 3] Based on published animal research, there are also concerns that use of cannabis during pregnancy may negatively impact fetal brain development. [4, 5, 6 ] The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue cannabis use. In addition, ACOG notes that there are insufficient data to evaluate the effects of cannabis use on breastfed infants; therefore, cannabis use is discouraged when breastfeeding.  Pregnant and lactating women should talk with a health care provider about the potential adverse health effects of cannabis use.
Research and Expanded Access
23. What should I do if my child eats something containing cannabis?
“CBD is as effective as traditional medications in treating schizophrenia. This latest research supports earlier theories that CBD could be effective as an antipsychotic medication …”
This continues the FDA’s ongoing battle against unapproved CBD products. In April of 2015, the FDA issued six similar warnings to companies with varying amounts of CBD. Pain Bomb, one of the companies in question, was issued an FDA warning February 4th, 2016. Members of the FDA wrote “PainBomb violated the FDC [Food, Drug, and Cosmetic] Act by misbranding its products. The diseases for which PainBomb marketed its products cannot be self-diagnosed or self-treated by people other than health care professionals. For this reason, PainBomb’s instruction labels informing users whether and how to use its products violate the FDC Act.” The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, otherwise known as the FDC Act, requires scientific information to demonstrate that a drug is safe. Pain Bomb allegedly violated section 201(g)(1)(B) of the FDC Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)(B)]. The FDA gave Pain Bomb only 15 business days to correct all foregoing violations.
While the FDA did send letters to CBD oil manufacturers in February 2016, the letters addressed marketing and labeling claims that violated the FDC Act. In the letters, the FDA simply required that CBD oil manufacturers cease cited labeling and marketing practices, but didn’t “outlaw” the products nor demand the vendors withdraw their oils from the market.
The original article contained several links that readers might have presumed corroborated its claims. The first relevant link was to a 19 February 2016 article which in no way indicated that the FDA had banned CBDs; it simply reported on warning letters sent by the FDA to CBD oil manufacturers with respect to “impermissible” label claims:
Another commonly reproduced bit of verbiage held (without substantiation) that the impetus behind the FDA actions was a drug company’s interest in CBDs:
The FDA hasn’t banned the sale of cannabidiol oils because a drug company is interested in marketing them.
Warning letters dated 4 February 2016 were published by the FDA to their web site, and the manner in which the agency alleged the CBD manufacturers were in violation of the FDC Act (i.e., marketing their products as dietary supplements) was clearly described:
On 20 March 2016, the disreputable alternative health web site Natural News published an article claiming the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had “just” outlawed cannabidiol (CBD) oils by claiming that “all plant molecules now belong exclusively to Big Pharma”:


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On August 25, the Center for Creative Industries “Fabrica” hosted the Cheapcherrybooks market, a unique event where visitors could buy bestselling books for a low price. This year the event also included lectures and discussions with authors of the most popular books of the year. One of the discussions was centered around the popularization of science using comic books.
Denis Stolyarov, project producer and head Skoltech’s Student Department, told the audience about how the project originated, what it was like to collaborate with researchers, how the team challenged skepticism, as well as the creation of the book itself. Lina Aleksunaite, author of one of the comic strips, described the process of creating a fascinating story out of a scientific article. One of the project’s illustrators, Nikolai Ogarkov, shared his experience of turning raw scientific data into eye-catching art. The discussion was moderated by Danil Petrushin, the project’s art director.
During the discussion, Denis Stolyarov hinted at the project’s sequel, but did not share any details. He added that the first edition is already translated into English. At the end of the session, the team answered questions from the audience and awarded three copies of the book to authors of the best questions in three categories: the strangest, most difficult, and most skeptical.
+7 (495) 280 14 81


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Egyptian buyer purchases Mid-Eastern PE with decreases, no discount on PP
Meanwhile, the buyer also purchased some PP from the same producer at their initial December levels which stood at $1080/ton for PP injection with the same terms.
"Sellers are following different pricing policies and they offer discounts according to the purchase amounts. Meanwhile opening the letters of credit has slightly improved; however, players are still struggling with this issue due to the high exchange rates, "commented the source.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- Upsurge continues to wreak havoc on Turkey’s PP, PE markets
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- Polymer markets face one of most chaotic times
- Turnaround season set to get underway in Asia
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- Global shipping turmoil deepens, adding to the upheaval in plastic resins


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Solar company puts hold on $20M US investment following new tariff
U.S.-based solar energy company SunPower announced it’s putting a hold on a $20 million plan to expand factories and create hundreds of new jobs in the U.S. until it can guarantee an exclusion from the new federal solar technology tariff, according to Reuters.
SunPower’s decision to halt its growth in California and Texas follows President Trump’s announcement Monday that a 30 percent tariff would be placed on all imported solar technologies.
The administration said the decision would protect American manufacturing jobs but some solar companies, like SunPower, argued that it will hurt their bottom line and result in fewer jobs in the industry.
The tariff was seen as a major blow for America’s $28 billion solar industry, which gets about 80 percent of its solar panel products from imports.
While SunPower is based in San Jose, Calif., the majority of its solar technologies are manufactured in the Philippines and Mexico.
“We have to stop the $20 million investment because the tariffs start before we know if we’re excluded,” SunPower Chief Executive Tom Werner told Reuters. “It’s not hypothetical. These were positions that we were recruiting for that we are going to stop.”
The tariff goes into effect on Feb. 7; however, the U.S. trade representative will not announce the rules for requesting an exclusion until Feb. 22.


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Higher quality, a diverse array of cuts and ethnic flavors are among the trends grocers should expect shoppers to come searching for during the summer grilling season.
From beef and pork to poultry, consumers are looking for variety.
“The most popular summer grilling cuts are middle meats, such as ribeye steaks, strip steaks and T-bones,” said Autumn Velez, manager of media relations at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Beyond the middle cuts, an on-trend summertime cut is top round first steak, more commonly merchandised as London broil.”
Emerging grilling season favorites include hanging tenders and hanger steaks. But three cuts in particular tend to sell more during the summer than any other time of year, Velez noted: kabobs, coulotte roasts and bottom sirloins. “To put this into context, 58 percent of dollar sales from kabobs happen within the 15- week grilling season, which comprises only 29 percent of the year,” she said.
With current beef supplies and pricing options, retailers are capitalizing on opportunities to provide a wider variety of grilling cuts and bring new items to customers, said David O’Diam, director of retail for Wooster, Ohio-based Certified Angus Beef.
“Some retailers are looking to end meats, like chuck eye and top sirloin steaks, for price advantages. Others are adding ground beef items with different packaging, including brick packs, and the convenience of ready-to-cook burgers from frozen foods,” O’Diam said. “At the same time, retailers are targeting more cuts for Hispanic and Asian-style cooking methods.”
Despite the growth in plant-based proteins and the popularity of grilled veggies, the meat department is still the core of summer grilling features and promotions.
“We assist our retailers in developing campaigns for burgers and grilling, just as we do year-round for their marketing needs,” said Tara Adams, Certified Angus Beef’s director of account strategy and key accounts. “We’re seeing greater interest in promotions for beef cooking and grilling tips. Social media, magazine articles, cooking classes and retailers’ chefs help satisfy shoppers’ interests in food and guide their purchases. We are providing retailers with more videos, recipes and our own chefs’ cooking tips to support retailers in this area.”
While beef remains a favorite, and stabilizing prices over the last couple of years have made beef more accessible even to price-conscious consumers, pork is bragging on its own prowess to drive basket ring.
As the Des Moines-based National Pork Board reports, according to 2017 Nielsen Perishables Group data, one key retailer who widened and promoted its selection of pork ribs and chops saw increased sales of 9.3 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively.
For retailers who promoted these cuts, sales were incremental. For retailers who do not program around these key cuts, an average of 35 percent of chop and rib sales are leaked to competitive retailers – resulting in $46 million in missed sales opportunities.
“Pork is a basket builder and a huge opportunity for retailers during grilling season,” said Stephen Gerike, assistant VP of channel marketing for the National Pork Board. “There’s a substantial benefit to the retailer because consumers don’t eat ribs or chops by themselves. They need all the fixings like side dishes, sauces and rubs – resulting in an average basket worth more than three times as much.”
Pork Board research indicates consumers are prepared to pay more for pork during grilling season, spending an average of $1.10 more on ribs and 12 cents more on chops. Typical consumers shopping for chops and ribs to grill at least once a month will spend an average of $88.63 more per trip. A basket with ribs and chops is worth $121.47 or 3.7 times more than a basket without, according to recent Nielsen data cited by the board.
Suppliers like Tyson Fresh Meats have responded to consumer demand for both on-trend and traditional cuts for summer grilling. Tyson, under its IBP Trusted Excellence brand, launched three innovative pork cuts that are popular for barbecuing: Frenched Pork Spareribs, Contemporary Petite Pork Rack and Petite Porchetta.
Additionally, Tyson recently introduced beef and pork tomahawk cuts that have also been well received, said Kent Harrison, VP of marketing and premium programs for Tyson Fresh Meats. “But classic steak cuts like ribeye, strip steaks and filet mignon, as well as traditional pork cuts such as ribs, shoulders and pork chops, remain summer grilling and smoking favorites,” Harrison declared.
Shoppers want solutions to every eating occasion, and summertime grilling is no exception. Key to delivering on these need-states is effective cross-merchandising.
“One of the easiest ways to cross-merchandise is to highlight beef’s best friends – sauces, rubs, marinades and salsas,” NCBA’s Velez said, noting the association’s website, BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com, offers a variety of resources that can help retailers with cross-merchandising initiatives.
Keep in mind that cross-merchandising can happen beyond the meat department.
“Retailers with coffin case or upright case space can display beef items in prime locations for added convenience to the consumer,” Velez said. “Think of a burger bar that could be merchandised in the deli department with a tie-in to the bakery (buns) and non-perishables (toppings/seasonings).”
It’s a great opportunity to, for example, leverage the condiment and seasonings aisle by bundling the ingredients for easy-to-prepare meat rubs.
To put a fresh spin on cross-merchandising, Velez continued, “consider highlighting how a few items from the produce department can be used to create a delicious grilled vegetable salsa. The options are endless when it comes to cross-merchandising for the grilling season.”
For its part, Tyson’s Star Ranch Angus brand markets its beef products along with produce, dry goods or dairy products on “shelf talkers” during seasonal promotions, Harrison said.
“The shelf talkers act as meal thought starters, driving shoppers from other parts of the store to the meat department to purchase beef, which increases the overall value of the basket. This added value also boosts total store profits from increased sales of produce and dry goods,” he said.
Of course, targeted pricing continues to be effective for driving sales.
For example, Certified Angus Beef brand T-bone and porterhouse steaks were featured in some markets at $5.99 per pound the week before Memorial Day, O’Diam noted. “It was a great start for summer ad activity, giving quality-focused retailers an avenue for driving traffic to the meat case and beyond for a complete meal,” he said.
Social media marketing, grilling tips, events and giveaways also are popular this time of year, CAB’s Adams said, “so we’re also helping retailers elevate these promotions. Retailers continue to be successful in building their summer promotions around grilling and the meat department. It’s a great opportunity to tie in so many other departments and accompaniments, from produce to center store to dairy.”
Organizations like the National Chicken Council offer cooking tips and recipes that grocery retailers can leverage, to provide more guidance for their shoppers when merchandising poultry for summer grilling.
Online initiatives also supplement grocers’ in-store education efforts to help shoppers better understand the category.
“Differentiating loin chops using nomenclature, like porterhouse and ribeye, and educating consumers on the proper end-point cooking temperature of 145 degrees will provide a positive eating experience that delivers repeat purchase,” the Pork Board’s Gerike said. “The National Pork Board has how-to grilling videos available online to answer those questions consumers are asking Google, and point-of-sale kits available for retailers looking to educate consumers at the meat case.”


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New Ultraman Regulos: First Mission Special Coming in 2023December 18, 2022
Following previous announcements for an Ultraman Regulos spin-off series, Tsuburaya Productions has announced a new special...
Ultraman’s Takeshi Yagi to Hold Online Tokusatsu Production CourseDecember 14, 2022
Ultraman series director Takeshi Yagi will hold a tokusatsu production course featuring his original production AKARI...
TTFC Online Fan Event to Feature Nashiko Momotsuki and Angela MeiDecember 14, 2022
A new TTFC Online Fan Thanksgiving event will feature a talk show with Angela Mei, Nashiko...
Shin Ultraman Coming to US Theaters in 2023December 14, 2022
The 2022 film Shin Ultraman is set to be released in US theaters in January 2023.
Shout! Factory Announces Kamen Ryuki Blu-Ray ReleaseDecember 14, 2022
Shout! Factory has announced the release of the complete season of Kamen Rider Ryuki on Blu-Ray,...
Toei Celebrates Metal Hero Series’ 40th AnniversaryDecember 14, 2022
The official Metal Hero Twitter account has opened in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the...
Toei Announces Donbrothers x Hurricaneger SpecialDecember 8, 2022
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ninpu Sentai Hurricaneger, Toei announced a crossover special with currently...
Gridman Universe Trailer Reveals 2023 Release DateNovember 20, 2022
Studio Trigger released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming crossover mecha anime film, Gridman Universe,...
Gamera Returns in Brand New AnimeNovember 19, 2022
Kadokawa has announced the return of Gamera in an upcoming Netflix anime titled Gamera -Rebirth-.
Toho Announces New Godzilla FilmNovember 19, 2022
A new Toho Godzilla film has been announced for a November 3, 2023 release date.
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The digitalization of local businesses could add as much as $28 billion to the Philippine economy by 2024, a study commissioned by global technology firm Cisco revealed.
According to Cisco managing director for the Philippines Karrie Ilagan, the additional input could be realized in the next four years if half of the small and medium businesses (SMBs) shift to being "digital challengers" from "digital indifferent."
"The SMB sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the country's SMBs have shown great resilience, and have leveraged technology to continue to operate and serve their customers during the period," she said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.
"As the Philippines continues to overcome the current situation, and consumer and business activity starts to pick up, digital transformation of SMBs will play a pivotal role in their recovery and contribute to the country's overall economic growth," she added.
Results of the study showed that 73% of local businesses are currently digital indifferent or companies that are reactive to market changes, and digital efforts do not exist.
Meanwhile, 26% are digital observers or companies whose digital efforts have started but remain tactile and in bite-sized initiatives, and the remaining 1% is made up of digital challengers or companies that have a strategy for the use of digital technologies.
The same study found that among the main challenges to digitalization efforts are the lack of budget or commitment from management (15%), the shortage of skills (14%), and cultural resistance to change (12%).
"SMBs are the backbone of ASEAN economies, accounting for over 85% of total business establishments and making up the main contributions to private sector employment in the region," said Raz Mohamad, director for Small Business and Commercial for ASEAN at Cisco.
"While they are currently facing the biggest challenges to their operations, they also have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate their digital transformation. Technology can not only help solve some of their key challenges and revitalise their operations, but also help them sustain their growth in the long term," he added.
Latest data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) show that MSMEs account for 99.52% of the total 1.003 million business establishments in the country in 2018.
Micro enterprises are defined as those with total assets worth less than P50,000; cottage enterprises with assets worth P50,001 to P500,000; small with P500,001 to P5 million; and medium from over P5 million to P20 million.
In May, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said over 525,000 or 52.66% of MSMEs in the country had to stop operations due to the lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19.—AOL, GMA News


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Pokémon fans in Japan will be happy to know that some special Nintendo 2DS units will soon be coming to their country. These clear plastic 2DS units sport a colorful retro look and will be Pokémon themed.
Some of these already have a U.S. release, but those don’t come packing Pokémon. These new Japan releases will be pre-bundled with Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, hence the colors. You’ll also get a download code for Mew, which can be used in Pokémon XY, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
These should excite Pokémon fans in the land of the Rising Sun. Folks in that area can expect them on February 27 for 9,980 yen (~$83 USD). There is no info on when these might show up in our neck of the woods here in the U.S.


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January 25th is celebrated as National Tourism Day in India but not many of us knew about the day. The day was marked by the Indian government to create awareness and the importance of travel and tourism for India’s economy.
India has various tourism opportunities, within the fields of heritage, culture, education, nature, sports, rural, etc. Ministry of Tourism is that the apex body that manages various policies, rules, regulations, and formulation of laws for the general development and promotion of tourism in India.
India also engages in commemorating UN World Tourism Day and even hosted an occasion in 2008 with the theme “Tourism Responding to the Challenge of global climate change and Global Warming”.
The Ministry of Tourism on this occasion has started a unique initiative and invite people to take a pledge to visit at least 15 destinations by 2022.
Come let’s be a part of our Prime Minister’s vision of ‘#DekhoApnaDesh’ & take a pledge to visit at least 15 destinations by 2022 and dive deeper into India’s art, culture, history & heritage. Ministry of Tourism Twitted.
Come let’s be a part of our Prime Minister’s vision of ‘#DekhoApnaDesh‘ & take a pledge to visit at least 15 destinations by 2022 and dive deeper into India’s art,culture,history & heritage.— Ministry of Tourism (@tourismgoi) January 24, 2020
Take a pledge : https://t.co/S6P8fxfome#EkBharatShreshthaBharat #IncredibleIndia (2/2) pic.twitter.com/MQvmM6cLCf
We at travelobiz has also taken the pledge to visit at least 15 destinations by 2022, we request all the travelers and travel agents to be a part of this imitative.
National Tourism Day History
After India’s Independence, in 1948, For the first time, the Tourist Traffic Committee was formed to promote tourism & travel in India. Delhi and Mumbai were selected to established Its first regional offices which are followed by two other offices in Kolkata and Chennai in 1951.
However, in 1958, a department for tourism was created under the govt for the first time which came under the Ministry of Transport and Communication which was headed by the Deputy General in the rank of Joint Secretary.
Tourism in India Important Facts
The tourism industry generated 247.3 billion dollars in 2018, contributing to 9.2 percent of the country’s GDP, according to a FICCI-YES Bank report of 2019.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, tourism supported 39.5 million jobs or 7.7 percent of its total employment. Every year, the country is visited by millions of foreign tourists.
Visa Policies in India
To visit India, a non-resident who holds a legitimate passport can consult their local Indian embassy. Application for a visa also can be made via mail, visiting face to face or by consulting an agent. Earlier, India had released an inventory of 40 countries who can apply for an e-tourist visa.
An e-tourist visa gives the accessibility to travel on a visa-on-arrival status for various tourists and business visitors in 16 specified international airports.
International Tourism day
Since 1980, September 27 is widely known as World Tourism day. The United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27.
This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
Also Read, Ministry of Tourism: Year End Review 2019


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Late last week, Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare announced that it will soon begin to process applications for the licensing of cannabis production, industrialization, and commercialization—strictly for medical and research purposes.
The move comes on the heels of the establishment of a national program in 2017 (that was not regulated until 2018), through which qualifying participants were guaranteed free access to “hemp oil” and other cannabis derivatives. In addition to the national program, a few individuals were granted “exceptional authorizations” to import cannabis-based products for medical purposes, including an adolescent with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a rare and severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy.
The production of cannabis products in Paraguay has the potential to help patients avoid the need to import costly products from abroad.
At a press conference in Asunción on Thursday, the Ministry indicated that all interested applicants must submit their paperwork between October 1 – 31 to the National Health Surveillance Agency. Among other things, applicants will be expected to supply a certificate of good manufacturing practices; cultivation, transportation, and security plans; and, if applicable, a plan for exports.
The country’s Secretary of State also signaled that 2% of the selected companies’ production will go directly to the Ministry. This will be utilized to provide cannabis to patients with a “scientifically-proven” need free of charge. Thus far, the medical use of cannabis has been approved to treat refractory seizures, as well as for patients who suffer from epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and pain that has “some scientific support.”
According to Julio Mazzoleni, who heads the Ministry, the companies that receive licenses will be obligated to use them within 24 months.
It is very important, he added, that the domestic production of cannabis be carried out for “medical indications that are scientifically proven.” The products that will ultimately be in the hands of the Ministry, Mazzoleni added, “will be of great benefit to Paraguay,” which has a population of about seven million people.


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Mr. Karvin Mendis - Head of Product Development/ Bhasha, Mr. Sanoj Siriwardana - Head of Marketing & Operations/Bhasha, Mr. Dhanika Perera – Founder and CEO/ Bhasha, Mr. Prabhath Dahanayake - Chief Marketing Officer/SLT, Mr. Charles Ranaweera – DGM-Digital Products/SLT, Ms. Hancy Wickramarathne - Manager Marketing/SLT.
.Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the leading ICT and digital solutions provider in the country entered into a landmark agreement with Bhasha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the pioneer consumer digital services provider in Sri Lanka, to increase convenience to the general public in finding essential services online.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two companies was signed recently at SLT head office premises in Colombo Fort, by authorized signatories: Mr. Dhanika Perera – CEO and Founder of Bhasha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Prabhath Dahanayake- Chief Marketing Officer of SLT. Some officials from both companies were also present to witness the signing of the MoU.
Under the MoU, SLT will facilitate their customers to subscribe for Bhasha’s digital services and pay via “PaywithSLT” online cashless payment option. Using this payment option, SLT customers are assured of subscribing and paying for services of Bhasha delivered through their flagship Mobile App Helakuru, in the most convenient and secured manner.
This partnership is in line with SLT’s vision of becoming Sri Lanka’s preferred digital lifestyle partner and is part of a series of endeavors embarked on by the company to introduce innovative digital services to enhance living standards of citizens of Sri Lanka. The Chief Marketing Officer of SLT, Prabhath. Dahanayake gave his comments concerning the MoU saying, “We keep and act upon our promise to be the national ICT and digital services provider to the nation. This is one such initiative that we have embarked on to fulfil our promise to the nation, by enabling and facilitating digital lifestyles for the citizens of Sri Lanka. SLT invites start-ups, students and educational institutes as well as others with innovative and creative ideas to partner with us so that we can support and empower you to take your innovative ideas to the nation.”
Dhanika Perera, the Founder & CEO of Bhasha also gave his comments saying, “This partnership will provide us access to SLT’s large customer base that spans across all parts of Sri Lanka, which will enable us to successfully expand our services to consumers across the country, enabling us to serve & empower more people in Sri Lanka, no matter what part of the island they live in.”
Bhasha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd is an award-winning software product company which innovates, designs, develops & market home-grown software products & deliver localized digital services for local masses through those products. Bhasha’s flagship product is Helakuru, which currently empowers more than 5 Million Sri Lankans to write Sinhala digitally. Helakuru is now evolving further as a digital services hub delivering many lifestyle digital services through a single app, further empowering the day-to-day lives of their massive consumer base with more digital services.


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The high-profile California lawyer Michael Avenatti, who just two years ago mulled a run for president, today was found guilty in New York federal court of trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike, Oregon's sportswear giant.
He was convicted of transmission of interstate communications with intent to extort, attempted extortion, and honest services wire fraud.
Avenatti was previously representing youth basketball coach Gary Franklin, who said Nike executives bullied him and "forced him to make the illicit payments to top high school basketball players and their families," CNN reported.
Avenatti said he would publicly accuse Nike of illicitly paying amateur basketball players if the company did not pay him significantly. According to CNN's report, Avenatti told lawyers that Nike would have to pay Franklin $1.5 million for each of his claims, "immediately" pay Avenatti and another attorney $12 million, and another $15 to $25 million for an internal investigation.
Prosecutors argued that Avenatti was in "crushing debt" at the time he was hired to represent Franklin, CNN reported, and that he used Franklin as a "meal ticket" with which he could extort millions.
Nike attorney Benjamin Holmes testified that the demands from Avenatti "evolved into really a shakedown," CNN reported.
Avenatti's allegations against Nike were one of several scandals the sportswear giant has battled over the past two years—and probably the least damaging.
Nike issued a statement following today's ruling: "The verdict speaks volumes. We thank the jurors for their time and service which is the bedrock of the American judicial system."
Avenatti's sentencing is scheduled for June 14, 2020.