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Ljubljana, 19 March (STA) - A stronger focus on new foreign markets, on investment, stable public finances and sector-based policies were highlighted in a panel debate in Ljubljana on Monday as key steps towards improving the situation of the Slovenian economy.
The debate, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and marking 20 years of the GZS's "Economic Boom Trends" bulletin, examined at the key challenges for Slovenia's economy two decades after the first year of the country's independence.
Looking at the situation in the car industry, Robert Žerjal of car parts maker Iskra Avtoelektrika, stressed the need for technological development that will enable the sector to keep up with international competition, especially in the field of environmentally friendly engine solutions.
Additional capital will be needed to secure this, but also forays into new markets, which is where Žerjal sees a similarity with 1992. However, while Europe was the focus area then, it is necessary to follow global players onto emerging markets.
The need for a sector-based approach was emphasised by Andrej Mate of the GZS's wood and furniture industry section. Mate believes that the wood industry will thrive if all of its segments focus on production for buyers determined in advance.
Tomaž Kmecl of Kolektor Etra, a maker of energy transformation systems, said the company's success abroad was a result of constant investment in development, the choice of the right sector and good products.
While highlighting green energy sources as a good focus area, he argued that too few Slovenian companies were producing finished goods or investing into building a brand name to secure higher added value.
The debate also touched on the transfer of production abroad, with Kmecl saying that the process was already under way at Iskra Avto Elektrika. Plans include China and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mate argued that knowing the buyer in advance will keep companies from moving production, as they will want stay close to clients and hold on to highly skilled workers. He on the other hand expects takeovers by foreign investors in certain sectors.
Kmecl said that all production segments that bring added value to Kolektor - development, final assembly and lab research - are staying in Slovenia, while the rest is produced by partners abroad.
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD), a government think-tank, Lejla Fajič mentioned the need to consolidate the banking sector, which would secure funding for companies, as well as public finances.
She also believes the government should shift its approach from horizontal support to more targeted support to specific sectors.
GZS head Samo Hribar Milic argued that sectors with good connections to research and development will tread better in the future, producing globally competitive products with higher added value. He called for the use of Slovenia's competitive advantages, such as large supplies of wood and its geostrategic position.

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From the New York Times:
Pavle Mircov and his partner Daniella nervously scan their e-mail in-box every 15 minutes, desperate for economic salvation: a buyer willing to pay €30,000 for one of their kidneys.
The parents of two teenagers put their organs up for sale on a local online classified site six months ago after Mr. Mircov, 50, lost his job at a meat factory here. He says that even his pleas to work as a waiter have been rebuffed.
When his father recently died, he could not afford a tombstone. The telephone service has been cut off and the family lives in the dark to save on electricity. One meal a day of bread and salami is their only extravagance. “When you need to put food on the table, selling a kidney doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice,” Mr. Mircov said.
With Europe roiled by financial upheaval, experts say that the black market for human organs — traditionally based in China, India, Brazil and the Philippines — is expanding to crisis-hit Western countries like Greece, Spain, Italy, and poor Balkan nations like Serbia. Vulnerable, desperately poor people are seeking to sell their kidneys, lungs, bone marrow or corneas, abetted by the Internet, unscrupulous organ traffickers and a global shortage of organs for transplantation.
To read the complete story, click here.


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Pasta lovers around the country will be celebrating their favorite cuisine this October as part of National Pasta Month and Pasta Lovers’ Week, which begins Oct. 24.
Consumers can get into the fun by experimenting with a new recipe or just indulging in an old favorite. Kids in particular might like trying an often-eaten sauce with a new noodle shape.
National Pasta Month is also a great time to learn a bit more about one of America’s favorite dishes. For instance, while the Chinese may have eaten pasta as early as 5000 B.C., last year, Americans consumed 1.4 billion pounds of it, likely because it is one of the most affordable dinners around.
The National Pasta Association (NPA) has created a National Pasta Month website at www.eatpasta.org, which offers pasta history, education and, most importantly, recipes.
The celebration is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalPastaMonth and Twitter at www.twitter.com/Eat_Pasta, and NPA is sponsoring an online sweepstakes at http://www.pastacooking.org/RecipeEntryForm.aspx for those willing to upload their pasta dish idea.
The North Dakota Wheat Commission also offers a number of resources for Pasta Month and Pasta Lovers’ Week, all of which are accessible at http://www.ndwheat.com/consumers/default.asp?ID=409.


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Co-op readies for competition in convenience
Peter Marks, the boss of UK retailer The Co-operative Group, yesterday (18 March) issued a “bring it on” rallying cry as the company prepares for competition from the likes of Sainsbury’s and Morrisons in the convenience sector.Speaking to just-food as the Co-op issued a 20% rise in annual profits this morning, Marks was unconcerned about the prospect of fierce competition in the UK convenience channel.
Last week, Morrisons, which is opening smaller stores than it has historically run, reaffirmed its expansion plans in the UK. Sainsbury’s, meanwhile, is looking to the convenience channel to help it meet a target of increasing selling space by 10% by 2012.
The Co-op chief executive was relaxed about the prospect of the company’s rivals looking to muscle in on the retailer’s heartland. “This doesn’t worry us at all. We are the biggest convenience retailer by a long way. Bring it on,” Marks said.
The company is also facing growing competition on ethical issues. The Co-op has long emphasised its “ethical” credentials, notably in the Fairtrade category, but its rivals are making similar moves. Last month, Sainsbury’s claimed to be the “world’s largest Fairtrade retailer”.
Marks, however, again adopted a bullish tone, dismissing claims from other retailers as “playground stuff”. He added: “We’re delighted that other people are following us.”
This morning, the Co-op reported a 5.5% rise in like-for-like sales on an annual basis, although Marks admitted the retailer’s sales were so far flat during the first two months of its first quarter.
Marks cited food deflation and the cold snap at the start of the year for the slowing sales growth, although he pointed out that the UK grocery market as a whole was flat.
The Co-op chief said the UK economy was “starting to recover” but was cautious on the economic outlook and said that, while there is “light at the end of the tunnel”, it was only “flickering”.
just-food is the world’s leading portal for the global pre-packaged food and retail industries. Its daily mix of breaking news, views, analysis and research serves over 100,000 food executives each month. http://www.just-food.com/


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More news on wide=spectrum hacking and the vulnerabilities of smart technology use by the automotive industry and the growing sophistication of hackers in presented in a recent article in Fox News Online and Wired magazine.
“Fiat Chrysler last week quietly issued a software patch for critical security vulnerabilities related to its “Uconnect” vehicle-connectivity system. The vulnerabilities were dramatically detailed in a Wired story that was posted Tuesday.
Two “white hat” hackers remotely connected to a Jeep Cherokee as a reporter drove it down a Missouri freeway. They made the radio blast at full volume and turned on the windshield wipers, but also cut off the transmission as a truck approached and, later, disconnected the brakes, sending the Cherokee into a ditch.
Owners of 2013, 2014 and 2015 models of Chrysler vehicles can download the new software update onto a USB stick, which then can be plugged into the car. Chrysler dealers will also install the update for free…”
More all this story can be found at:


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Jeff Bezos must be a well-known name all around the world. The man who was once known as Amazon founder is now the world’s richest person. Not an easy task to complete, but he managed it and is getting richer each day. As one such wealthy individual, he ought to spend some of that well-earned money. His latest purchase is a mega-yacht whose estimated value easily reaches the $500 million mark. Bezos is used by now to spend as much is needed for things he wants to own. If you recall, back in 2013 he cashed out close to $250 million to buy the Washington Post.
At the moment we do not know plenty about the yacht, as the purchase has been pretty secretive. But, a few details have been leaked and Bloomberg has reported that its size is staggering 417 feet. With this size, you’ll be curious to know that this yacht comes with its own smaller personal additional yacht and a helipad. It completely justifies the super-yacht moniker. A purchase like this one is something we could fully expect from a man of Jeff’s stature and wealth.
Truth be told, not many people can afford a product like this. The super-yacht in question goes by the code name Y721 and was developed and manufactured by Dutch company Oceano. This firm excels in yacht-making. Due to its size, it can easily fit a couple of decks and three massive masts. All of this info was gathered and first shared by the outlet we cited above. This is not a passionate move to acquire this yacht by Bezos. In fact, it was ordered two years ago. The interesting part is that it is not fully completed yet. The wait for Jeff goes on for a bit longer, as the deadline is in two months. Once it is completed it will officially be the largest yacht that ever came from the Netherlands.
We can only hope to make a purchase of this magnitude in our lives, and for many, it will remain only a dream. But, for Bezos, who is as we said the world’s wealthiest man, this is solely a pocket change. His current wealth stands at an unimaginable $191 billion. The best part, at last for the Amazon owner is that he amassed almost half of it during 2023. The year that was one of the hardest-hitting for most people was truly blissful for Bezos. During that one year, he managed to earn $75 billion.
The pandemic was fuel for his engine, as people turned to online shopping which highly benefited his Amazon platform. According to CNN, the stocks of his prestigious company jumped up by 75 percent. When you look at it, the old saying that if you want more money it is good to already be rich proved right once again. We say this because Bezos isn’t the only billionaire who became even richer during this period. If you take a look at a certain report published by the renowned Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax fairness most billionaires became even richer. The collective wealth of all American billionaires increased during the last year by $1.1 trillion.
But, don’t let the pandemic numbers fool you. Jeff Bezos ordered it before pandemic became a thing. It only benefited his wealth that the world that wrestled with Coronavirus needed his help. Regardless of it, he would still have his latest toy. It would seem that many super-rich people wanted to get a yacht despite the situation in which the world is, as according to Sam Tucker of VesselsValue, a company that excels in yacht research claim that supply is not enough for the demand the sector has.
It would seem that the super-rich minority values its privacy above all else. Thanks to the yachts and open seas they can get this at a premium price that they’re more than willing to pay. According to Aino Grapin of Winch Design who works in the design of yachts interior that yachts are ideal if you want this as they offer 9,000 nautical miles without a need to refill, which makes them ideal if you wish to get secluded from the world for a bit. A person of Jeff Bezos’s stature certainly sees a massive advantage of owning a superyacht worth $500 million, that also has another yacht within. We can see it also. It is privacy that matters.


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Swire Pacific Cold Storage Langfang Awarded LEED Gold18 November 2015
Langfang, PRC, October 1st, 2015—Swire Pacific Cold Storage’s Langfang logistics center has achieved LEED Gold accreditation, according to company sources. The site’s LEED scorecard benefited from “optimized energy performance” in addition to other sustainability related efforts. Asia Clean capital provided a 300KW ground-source heat-pump system at the site to help reduce heating and cooling energy by an estimated 46% and C02 consumption by 49%, compared to traditional HVAC systems.
Langfang marks the second project undertaken between Asia Clean Capital and Swire Group, the first being the Swire Coca-Cola bottling facility in Luohe, Henan province. The Luohe project achieved LEED Platinum accreditation, the first Coca-Cola plant worldwide to achieve this milestone.
According to a spokesman, “ACC is delighted that our efforts have helped the Swire Group achieve LEED accreditation on multiple projects. We look forward to continuing and expanding this mutually beneficial cooperation in the future.”


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Chancellor Philip Hammond’s announcement today that the government will make available £435m to support businesses affected by the business rates relief revaluation has been dismissed as not enough by the retail industry.
Instead of introducing short-term relief measures, the government should focus on a serious reform of the business rates system, leading retail commentators said.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, described the £435m promised today as a “drop in the ocean” compared against the £25bn raised each year through business rates. ““We hope that the relief measures will help some of those businesses hardest hit by the revaluation, albeit only temporarily. However, more short-term relief measures continue to add complexity to an already impenetrable system. This is yet another sticking plaster on a chronically ill patient – an unsustainable property tax higher here than anywhere in the developed world.”
The government said today it’s £435m package meant “no small business that is coming out of small business rates relief will pay more than £600 more in business rates this year than they did in 2016-17”.
It added funding for local authorities would allow them to provide £300m of “discretionary relief to provide help to businesses most affected by the revaluation”.
In addition, pubs with a rateable value up to £100,000 would be able to claim a £1,000 business rates discount for one year.
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, welcomed the £300m discretionary fund but said it was disappointed no targeted relief would be made available to petrol forecourts “which are some of the hardest hit businesses as a result of the revaluation, but will support these stores in making a case to their local authorities for much needed help.”
He also stressed relief packages could not replace more substantial reform of the business rates system. “We, along with our business groups, have repeatedly called for a proper fundamental review of the rates system to ensure that everyone pays their fair share,” he said
“Businesses like rural petrol stations and convenience stores with cash machines providing an essential service to their communities should not be paying over the odds while internet distribution warehouses enjoy a decrease in their rates bills. We are disappointed that the government is not addressing these issues now, meaning the current inequities in the system will remain.”


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Music Expo SF (in association with Sound On Sound), the conference for music makers and the only event of it’s kind and caliber in Northern California, today announced its return to Ex’pression College, Emeryville on Saturday, 12th November 2016. Early bird registration and exhibitor/ sponsorship sign up for the 2016 event is now available.
This year’s Music Expo SF, the sellout annual conference for musicians, producers, engineers and taste makers, which launched in 2014, will have an exclusive media partnership with Sound On Sound magazine to bring attendees, exhibitors and sponsors alike an even bigger and better event. “ The past two years have been a resounding success for all involved with each Expo attracting over 400 attendees, as well as sponsors and exhibitors from all corners of the music industry. Thanks to the help of our renowned partner Sound On Sound magazine, this year we expect to double that number and put on an even more impressive day of music events for everyone in the music business. We are delighted to have the support of the world’s #1 music technology magazine,” commented Music Expo Founder and Executive Producer, Loic Maestracci.
There will be even more artist keynotes, more product demos, more masterclasses from the best in the industry, bigger networking opportunities and another remix contest that will give artists the opportunity to be heard by some of the most highly esteemed players in the industry. “ We’re excited to endorse and exclusively partner with Music Expo SF this year! It’s great to be even more involved in such a conference, which really brings the Northern Californian music industry together and gives people a place to learn, collaborate and perform,” said Nick Humbert, International Business Development Manager for Sound On Sound magazine.
All of the 2015 exhibitors plan to return in 2016, plus many more, bringing together some of the most prominent brands in the industry under one roof. And while the speakers and performers list is yet to be announced, attendees will no doubt have the opportunity to rub shoulders with and hear from some of the biggest names on the NorCal music scene. New exhibitors and sponsors who are interested in being involved in Music Expo SF 2016 can get 10% off on any package if they sign up before June 1st.
Back again this year by popular demand is the Music Expo SF Remix contest. Artists will once again get the opportunity to put their remixing skills to the test and have them reviewed by a panel of influential producers and musicians for the chance to win some impressive gear. Sign up at musicexpoSF.com to find out more.
Mark 12th November 2016 on your calendars now for what’s sure to be an unmissable Music Expo SF 2016 , in association with Sound On Sound magazine. Get ahead of the crowd and secure your spot now, early bird passes start at $15, but will go up to $25 on July 1st. To find out more visit www.musicExpoSF.com.


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Article Last Updated: Thursday, Jul 28, 2005 - 10:58:44 pm PDT
Planners OK bottle distribution warehouse
By Jeff Mitchell
FAIRFIELD - City planning commissioners this week approved the construction of a massive wine bottle distribution plant on the 2600 block of Stanford Court.
Voting unanimously Wednesday, the panel approved Saint-Gobain Containers' request to build a 1.1 million-square-foot wine bottle distribution and warehouse facility on a 55-acre undeveloped parcel off Stanford Court near Air Base Parkway and Peabody Road.
The company currently operates two existing smaller distribution and warehouse facilities in the Cordelia area. The intent of the new project is to combine the operation under one roof. The operation primarily serves the West Coast wine industry.
Panel also says yes to coffee kiosk
FAIRFIELD - Red Top Road park and ride commuters will soon be able to perk up faster thanks to the Fairfield Planning Commission's approval this week of a drive-thru coffee and beverage kiosk.
The prefabricated kiosk will be called Cafe Xpresso and will be located at 120 Red Top Road on a 5,372-square-foot city-owned lot that will be leased to applicant and cafe developer Richard Bordeaux.
The commission voted 5-1 Wednesday to OK the project with Commissioner Stan Silverman casting the lone dissenting vote.
Silverman opposed the project out of a concern the business might encourage drivers to not fully concentrate on the road while consuming beverages purchased at the kiosk.
Biz Bits . . .
Copart Inc. officials this week announced the opening of its ninth salvage facility in the state of Florida. Located in Hialeah, the new yard is a 22-acre greenfield facility and will add needed storage capacity in Florida, a company spokesman said earlier this week.
Fairfield-based Copart is the largest provider of vehicle salvage disposition services in the nation.
Solano Community College officials recently announced that two introduction to biotechnology classes will be offered this fall.
The classes will start Aug. 22 and Aug. 25 at SCC's Vacaville Center and at the college's main campus in Fairfield. For more information or to register online, call 864-1006 or go to www.solano.edu.
Solano Community College's Small Business Development Center is offering a "Business Planning for Financing" seminar Aug. 4 to help existing, start-up and potential small business owners prepare to borrow.
The seminar will begin at
6 p.m. at the center. Cost is $25. Reserve a seat by calling 864-3382 or registering online at www.solanosbdc.org.
"Business Matters" is a column that runs Tuesday and Friday focusing on Solano County business affairs. If you know of a newsworthy item or event, please e-mail email@example.com. Please be sure to include a contact name and phone number.
Copyright Daily Republic. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 29, 2005
- ► 2007 (799)
- ► 2006 (662)
- Vallejo's Marine World profits up
- City of Fairfield Planners OK request to build a 1...
- Rush Ranch to receive $500,000 in improvements - R...
- Council OKs changes to Nut Tree development deal
- Bordoni project moving forward in Vallejo
- Necessary medicine - VacaValley to expand its ER
- Dixon ok near on homes plan with high school plot
- Unemployment rises in June, up half a percent in S...
- Big tasks ahead for new boss in Suisun City
- Weathering the weather - Forget the summer blister...
- Mariani Packing begins celebration
- Goat milk becomes goat soap in Vacaville
- High-traffic flow may be plus for Geri-Towne sale ...
- Wal-Mart nears deal on Mission Village locale in F...
- Development of Nut Tree site ready to begin
- Big tasks ahead for new boss in Suisun City
- Major retailers ready to ink local deals
- Fairground complex plans move ahead
- County housing-price increase leads Bay Area regio...
- High-traffic flow may be plus for Geri-Towne sale
- Suisun City names new city manager - former Pismo ...
- Solano County's jobless rate dips slightlyin May
- Fairfield to get furniture giant Ashley Furniture ...
- Travis AFB $5 million redesigned gate project to b...
- SF salami company to build facility in Fairfield's...
- Business space stays strong despite vacancy increa...
- Genentech to issue $2 billion in bonds -- Funds to...
- Travis continues lobbying, privatization plans
- Local chambers join forces, form an economic allia...
- Anheuser-Busch brewery donates $4,000 to restore C...
- Plans to base 13 C-17 at Travis AFB on schedule fo...
- Solano EDC courts biotechs at BIO for the county
- Study predicts healthy future for Solano business
- Plans afoot to make Solano a tourism hub
- School's out - Now building improvement can begin
- Lennar alters plans for Mare Island civilian use
- Bank of America will open in growing Green Valley
- Vallejo Home sales tapering off
- Trailblazing Vacaville's Buckingham Charter Magnet...
- New Dixon sign grabs attention along I-80
- Highway 37 project in Vallejo nears completion
- Solano County welfare new computer system called C...
- Vacaville Budget Benefit Residents
- New national cemetery slated for Dixon; some say t...
- Solano Housing Coalition Affordable Housing Awards...
- Solano County crime rate continues steady drop
- ▼ July (47)
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Nowadays, Smartphones are growing so fast that chiptechnology can even iterate every six months. Lithium battery technology hasnot been further innovated yet. Usually, after a cell phone used normally forabout a year, the battery capacity of the phone will drop to about 80%.
Yazami, a professor at Nanyang East University, said theinvention could restore the battery to around 95% in 10 hours. An additionalelectrode is added to each lithium ion battery, and the third electrodedischarges the residual lithium ion from one pole to the other, eliminating theexcess "impurity content" stored in the battery.
At present, the technology has been successfully tested on aprototype. Professor Yazami also said that the invention will not only benefitthe mobile phone industry, but also improve the battery industry of electricvehicles. At the same time, from the perspective of environmental protection,it can also reduce the environmental impact caused by over consumption oflithium batteries every year.


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India will receive euros rather than US dollars for the tea it sells to Iran, according to Tea Board of India chairman Basudeb Banerjee, who visited Iran for three days last January.
"In Tehran we met officials of Asian Clearing Union (ACU) headquartered there [and] it was decided that due to payment-related problems, Iranian importers would start dealing in the euro from January 15," Banerjee said.
Iran imports between 11-12 million kg of tea annually.
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Honeywell Heating Controls has launched a trade marketing campaign with Basingtoke-based Purple Agency.
With government figures showing that more than 8.5m UK households do not have any form of room thermostat, the 'Be an instant hero' campaign urges installers to turn to Honeywell for their customers.
The integrated campaign includes point of sale, co-branded campaigns with merchant chains, trade advertising, a microsite, direct mail and sales promotion. There are also competitions and giveaways.
Andrew Woodger, data and planning director at Purple Agency, said: “With energy prices rising, the Honeywell campaign highlights the hero role which the installers can play by showing homeowners how to reduce their heating bills by adding a thermostat or the latest thermostatic controls."


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Today Twitter updated its app on iOS and Android smartphones and also for the iPad.
The iPhone and Android apps now show profiles with header photos “so you can express who you are more meaningfully.” And now there are photo streams for profiles that display the images people have shared on Twitter, which can be swiped through like a slideshow.
The iPad version of Twitter now boasts fullscreen viewing off photos and videos. You can also see who has followed or mentioned you, as well as who as retweeted and favourited your tweets. Discover has also been revamped. Finally, the profile photos and photo streams you’ll see on smartphones will appear in the iPad as well.
Twitter elaborates on profiles, which seem to be the biggest update to the social network today:
Make your presence on Twitter more meaningful with new Twitter profiles. Upload an all-new header photo on mobile apps for iPad, iPhone and Android or Twitter.com, and the same image will appear whenever anyone views your profile on the web or these apps. You can upload your header photo, which appears above your Tweets, to express yourself instantly, anywhere.
Combined with the photo streams, it sort of feels like Twitter walked one step closer to Facebook. But it’s too early to be certain.


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Shares of Medical Action Industries Inc. fell to a 52-week low Thursday after the maker of disposable surgical supplies reported a fourth-quarter loss as a rise in costs outpaced an increase in revenue.
The shares fell 32 cents, or 8.3 percent, to close at $3.53 and went as low as $3.27 during the session. That’s 50 cents below the previous 52-week low, reched just the day before. The shares have tumbled from their 52-week high of $8.71, reached last July.
Thursday’s trading volume was already about three times the past three months’ normal daily volume of 59,000 shares.
The company reported a net loss in the fiscal fourth quarter of $2.5 million, or 15 cents per share, compared with a gain of $1.1 million, or 7 cents per share, a year earlier.
Medical Action said competitive pricing pressure cut into its earnings, as did a $1.2 million increase in resin costs, a tax-related allowance of about $800,000 and about $400,000 in higher costs of products from China.
Revenue rose 3 percent to $108.2 million.
More breaking news
- Top NY regulator issues final rules for bitcoin licenses
- NYRA chair takes abrupt leave of absence amid allegations
- Entrepreneurs bet on the smartphone to solve money problems
- Home Depot asks judge to dismiss data breach suit
- IRS failed to upgrade security ahead of cyberattack
- US trade deficit drops sharply to $40.9 billion in April
- Survey: US business hiring picks up in May
- American Pharoah flies into LI on “Air Horse One”
- New wave of pay raises at Wal-Mart
- Q&A: Ray Cooney, Firehouse Kitchen


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One third of manufacturing companies in the UK are considering redundancies as coronavirus restrictions continue to impact their ability to trade.
According to a survey by manufacturers’ organisation, Make UK, 33% of companies are contemplating making staff redundant within the next six months.
Only a quarter of companies surveyed said they were operating at full capacity, and more than a third believe it will take between six and twelve months before they can return to normal trading. Almost three in ten also think it will take at least a year.
Make UK CEO, Stephen Phipson, said: “As a country and an economy we are at a crossroads. Looking to the long term, we need to lift our horizons to how we can transform the economy.
“This will require a different mindset in government from believing we can achieve growth simply through diverging from EU regulations which have little or no economic significance in the bigger picture.
“Instead we need an industrial strategy and vision on a scale not seen since the Marshall Plan which identifies new technologies and market openings that will benefit from enterprise-friendly policies on taxation, research and development, infrastructure and regional investment.
“In particular, government must work with industry to harness our thriving, world-class academic science and innovation base and put in place a process whereby this can be commercialised, especially as we move to a net zero economy.”
The survey of 186 companies was taken between 13 and 21 January, and found that more than a third of manufacturing businesses have seen both sales and orders fall since the beginning of 2021.
Almost one quarter of respondents said the current lockdown is better than the previous two, however in contrast, more than ten percent of companies believed conditions for their business were worse.
When asked about the Budget and what measures they would like to see the government implement, well over half - 56% - of manufacturing companies said they wanted to see Business Rates waived and a fall in costs.
The survey revealed that 47% of companies would like to see the Job Retention Scheme extended to at least autumn, as almost two fifths still have up to 10% of their staff on furlough.
Almost half - 45% - of manufacturing businesses want a longer-term commitment to increase investment allowances, and 35% want to see more fiscal incentives for research and development, including doubling the research and development tax credit.
Watch: What could scrapping EU labour laws mean for Brits?


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Three women have pleaded not guilty to impersonating murdered County Durham oil executive Carole Waugh to go on a shopping spree for designer handbags and perfume.
Elaine Perkins, 51, Deborah Burke, 49, and Susan O’Shea, 61, all deny committing fraud by pretending to be Miss Waugh.
She was reported missing from her home in Marylebone, central London on May 7 and had not been seen since mid-April.
Her body was found stabbed inside a car in a lock-up garage in Lime Court, New Malden, on August 2.
She lived in London but was originally from Haswell, a few miles outside Durham.
Three women pleaded not guilty to fraud charges at the Old Bailey yesterday.
O’Shea denied using a credit card in Miss Waugh’s name to buy Chanel and Mulberry bags at Selfridges, and at the Chanel store in Old Bond Street.
Burke is accused of using a different credit card under the victim’s name at the Apple store and a perfume shop at Westfield Stratford City in east London.
Perkins, who is alleged to have aided and abetted Burke, is also accused of claiming to be Miss Waugh during a bid to sell the woman’s British Aerospace shares and take out loans.
Rakesh Bhayani, 41, and Nicholas Kutner, 48, who also appeared at the Old Bailey today, denied murdering Miss Waugh at an earlier hearing.
Bhayani has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by concealing the death of Miss Waugh, attempting to dispose of her body and removing potential evidence related to her death.
He and Kutner also admitted conspiring to defraud Miss Waugh after withdrawing cash from her bank accounts and taking out loans and using credit cards in her name.
Kutner, who denies perverting the course of justice, admitted a further three charges of fraud after pretending to be Miss Waugh’s brother Christopher to charge rent for her flat.
Derek Eastham, 56, and Elie Khoury, 40, deny conspiracy to defraud, while Eastham has admitted possessing counterfeit money.
A trial date was set for October 7. The Crown decided to offer no evidence against Bhayani’s wife, Sheetal, who was accused of possessing £5,800 knowing it to have been obtained through crime.Since her mid-20s Miss Waugh spent time in Libya and London but she would always contact relatives, even while she was living in Tripoli.


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KALIHI (HawaiiNewsNow) – A city inspector has told the owner of a new tobacco shop on North King Street in Kalihi if he does not remove a large sign from an exterior wall, he may be fined for violating Honolulu's sign law.
The shop is called Smoke ½ Price. The two line sign may be best described as a banner that appears to be about '6 tall and '15 wide. It reads "Smoke ½ Price, 200 Smoke $29.99."
The city did not divulge the source of the complaint it receiver. Hawaii News Now also received a complaint, so it contacted the Outdoor Circle and various health oriented anti-smoking groups to get their take on the sign.
The group Real Hawaii Youth Movement Exposing the Tobacco Industry objects to the sign, not only because it is to large, but because it is less than a block from Farrington High School.
"The issue is that young people are walking by it on the way to school and on their way back from school so tons of young people are being exposed to the advertising of tobacco. That has a normalizing effect on young people. They believe that more young people are using tobacco than actually are," said Nicole Sutton, Project Coordinator for the organization.
The Outdoor Circle said based on its understanding of city law the sign has several flaws. First and foremost – it is just too big.
"A store that is a city block long can have a much larger sign than a store that's only a 15 foot store front. But all of them have to be permitted, and none of them permitted would ever look like that one," said Bob Loy, Director of Environmental Programs for the Outdoor Circle.
Loy said the sign is also illegal because it lists a specific price. And he said banners like that can only be hung from businesses twice a year for no longer than seven consecutive days.
Hawaii News Now spoke to the shop owner, Calvin Kim. He declined an on-camera interview, but said his employees ask every customer for identification to prove they are old enough to purchase tobacco. He said he would never sell to minors. And he pointed out that tobacco products are sold all over the neighborhood including at two establishments just across the street.
Kim said he did not know the sign violated city law and pointed to other shops in the neighborhood with signs he suspects are illegal.
While we talked with Kim city inspector Edgardo Endrina entered the store. Endrina had said the city had received a complaint about the sign just one day earlier. He came to check it out, and after a quick look asked Kim to remove the sign.
"This sign right here looks way too big to be permitted to have a sign permit. And the material that they use it's considered a wind sign (banner). And wind signs are not allowed," Endrina told Hawaii News Now.
While in the neighborhood inspector Endrina told other merchants their signs are illegal. Some were removed their signs immediately.
Kim said he will wait to receive written notice of violation from the city. He said once he does, he will take down his sign. If he does not comply with the city notice of violation within three days, he will be subject to a daily fine.
"The bottom line here is if anyone wants to put up a sign, they should check with the city … because it can be illegal," Endrina said.
Endrina said there are easily hundreds, and possible thousands of illegal signs on Oahu.


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New Vredestein tyres for road cycling segment, as tyre importance ‘increases’
Apollo Vredestein has introduced three new Vredestein brand cycle tyres for the sport segment at the Eurobike exhibition in Friedrichshafen. The tyre manufacturer said it was responding to road bike manufacturers’ production of increasingly stiffer frames and wheels to ensure better feedback, comfort and grip for riders. With these characteristics, the importance of tyres increases, since the feel of the road surface and grip contribute more to the overall cycling experience. Vredestein has introduced the Fortezza Duralite, Fortezza Tubeless Ready, and Fortezza Senso Tri, in addition to a new size for the Fortezza Senso Superiore.


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COOPERSVILLE — Betten Baker Auto Group plans to invest roughly $4 million to build a new, three-story facility in Coopersville.
The Muskegon-based dealer group’s new facility will include a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store and pre-owned “super center,” and will be located west of the company’s Chevrolet Buick store, near 68th street and I-96, according to a statement.
Betten Baker Auto Group plans to hire around 50 workers to staff the new location. The company also purchased five acres just north of the new facility to serve as additional overflow inventory space, said co-owner Chris Baker.
In addition to the expansion project, Betten Baker also aims to close acquisitions of three Grand Auto Family Services Inc. dealerships in Lowell, Grandville and Allegan early next week, Chris Baker said. Betten Baker inked a deal with Grand Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Lowell in January 2017.
The company also acquired Gary Trimarco Chevrolet Buick GMC of Big Rapids last month.
“I think we owe all of our growth to retaining the best talent in the industry and taking care of our employees and our guests,” Chris Baker said.


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Alcantara is re-opening its Nera Montoro production and research and development facilities north of Rome, to supply demand for its “Made in Italy” luxury material for customers in the fashion, home interiors, automotive and consumer electronics industries.
A partner to fashion brands including Max Mara, Swarovski, Adidas, LGR, Italia Independent (by Lapo Elkann), Billionaire and Larusmian, Alcantara voluntarily closed the facility, which has 500 employees, in late March in response to the COVID-19 crisis, even though it was an Italian business authorized to stay in production.
“Our decision to close the plant in March was based on a need to guarantee the safety of our employees,” Alcantara chairman and CEO Andrea Boragno said.
The facility has since undergone a deep sanitization process, and returning employees are being provided with masks, gloves and goggles as they enter the plant.
“It is evident that containment and social distancing measures currently in place will extend well beyond April,” Boragno said. “We don’t know how long the emergency will last, but a complete mid-to-long-term shutdown simply would not be viable.”
He noted that safety measures developed with trade unions and business associations will be in place for the long term. The company currently is implementing serological test programs in cooperation with trade unions and the Umbria Region to quickly identify individuals infected with the virus or who are asymptomatic but still contagious.
Suspected cases will undergo swab tests. The new controls will be coupled with the mandatory use of personal protection equipment (PPE), an increase in working distances, periodic deep sanitization of work areas and daily employee temperature checks.
A triage area has been set up outside the entrance to the plant where employees will receive a check-up when arriving at work or after finishing their shift. The employees will have their temperatures measured with a thermal scanner while in their cars. After signing a voluntary disclosure, consent and self-certification form, they also will receive a finger-tip blood test with results available within five minutes.
All data will be shared with the local health center and will help to form the basis for an epidemiological survey. Alcantara is one of the first companies in Italy to adopt voluntary anti-virus tests and procedures on top of those already prescribed by law.
Boragno added that Alcantara has developed various prototype face masks currently under review by government authorities for mass production at the Nera Montoro plant. The company’s trademarked material is lightweight and its benefits include durability, grip and breathability.
Among the brands and designers that have utilized Alcantara’s product lines are Adidas, Andrea Incontri, Cappellini, Ligne Roset, Y’s, Microsoft, Woolrich and Sennheiser.
The news of Alcantara’s opening comes as Italian denim mill Candiani is set to reopen next week, with the necessary precautions for workers’ health and safety. The mill, located outside of Milan, halted production in March when Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte issued a mandate to shut down all nonessential manufacturing activities in the country in an effort to slowdown the spread of the coronavirus.


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|Demand for cured meats from|
Europe (Italy) can help their
"This is a momentous event - one of the most important for the production and export of Italian salami and the result of 15 years of (lobbying) work," Italian industry association Assica said.
"Until now Americans have been forced to buy low-quality imitations of Italian cured meats," said farmers' organization Coldiretti.
Coldiretti estimates that the ban costs the industry more than 250 million euros per year in lost exports.
This could lead to some much needed economic stimulation in Italy.


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An investor in the now-defunct Snow Brand Foods Co., which was at the center of a beef mislabeling fraud last year, filed a 30 billion yen restitution suit Monday against 13 former executives, accusing them of ruining the company through mismanagement.
The suit, filed with the Tokyo District Court by a man who holds 1,000 Snow Brand Foods shares, claims that decisions made by the executives led to the firm’s downfall.
The plaintiff is demanding that these executives, including Shozo Yoshida, former president of Snow Brand Foods, pay the company 30 billion yen.
“The company had to be dissolved and there is no doubt the amount of damages it owes are more than its earnings of the last three years,” the plaintiff said in the lawsuit.
Snow Brand Foods falsely labeled 30 tons of imported beef as domestic meat in fall 2001, seeking to benefit from a government buyback program introduced after the discovery of mad cow disease in domestic cattle.
Some of the executives were arrested and convicted of fraud after the scam came to light in January 2002.
Snow Brand Foods, a subsidiary of Snow Brand Milk Products Co., was dissolved April 30 and is now undergoing liquidation procedures.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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“For a while THG was a stock market darling with investors clambering to own the stock in the belief it would play a key role in helping product manufacturers sell direct to consumers. Now it is losing fans at an incredibly rapid rate,” said Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The shares peaked at nearly 800p at the start of the year, and today they briefly traded below 200p amid chatter that BlackRock is trying to dump a block of shares.
“Asset managers rarely sell after a stock has already fallen so much unless they’ve lost all confidence in the business and/or found something that completely changes the investment case.
“The backlash against THG seems to centre on the fact that people bought into the hype without paying attention to valuation.
“Now that difficult questions are being asked about costs and more, particularly if the business is broken up into three as per the suggestion from THG, investors aren’t getting the answers they want – or they are not liking what they see.”


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"Is the world ready for a toilet with its own foot warmer, heated seat, bidet washlet and built-in music system, all controlled by a touch-screen remote?" That's the question being asked by American company Kohler as it launches its Numi luxury toilet on a market dominated by Japan's TOTO. We talk about the PR blitz to woo affluent customers away from the analog loo, and hear how this fits into visions of the Future City at Little Tokyo Design Week.
FROM THIS EPISODE
The sponsor for the "Future City" Pecha Kucha was the Japanese bath manufacturer TOTO, who displayed its new Neorest 550, a high-tech luxury toilet which includes features like an automatic lid, remote control, duel flush, and bidet. Frances hears from TOTO's Allan Dallatore on the company's strategy, then visits with Little Tokyo Design Week co-creator Hitoshi Abe on why the fancy toilet is so prized in Japanese culture.
The Neorest 550 by TOTO with its nightlight to welcome evening visitors
The Neorest's sculptural profile
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin-based company Kohler has created its own luxury toilet, the NUMI, which debuted last month at a party in West Hollywood. Kohler product manager Michael Marbach and executive creative director Tristan Butterfield explain the NUMI's features, while Frances hears some first reactions from party guests Cameron Silver, the owner of the vintage shop Decades, and Frances's daughter, Summer.
The NUMI by Kohler features square, untoilet-like edges
Ads for the NUMI were photographed at the iconic Pierre Koenig-designed Stahl House
Allan Dallatorre, Senior Coordinator for TOTO
Hitoshi Abe, University of California, Los Angeles
Michael Marbach, Product Manager, Toilets and Bidets, Kohler
Cameron Silver, Decades
Tristan Butterfield, Executive Creative Director, Kohler
With Carmageddon behind us, and many people now on vacation, it's a great time to get out and explore the many design events happening across Los Angeles. Frances speaks to brand consultant Sean Yashar to find out his picks for what to see in L.A., from architect John Lautner's 100th birthday to an upcoming exhibition that reimagines Los Angeles without cars. View all Yashar's picks over at the DnA calendar.
Sean Yashar, Brand Consultant
More From Design and Architecture
Designing in the fire zone, LACMA's bridge Fires in Southern California have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Author and designer Wade Graham says we are "enmeshed" in fire-prone landscapes and need to respond through smart design and policy. And LACMA’s proposed expansion by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor is nearing reality. Will the gallery spanning Wilshire Boulevard feel like a freeway overpass, or a sculptural work of art?
Skirball Fire threatens Getty Center The Skirball Fire east of the 405 freeway has made the commute through the Sepulveda Pass a scary experience. And the nearby Getty Center has closed because of outside air quality. But management is confident the buildings -- and the art -- will come out unscathed.
Wedding cake, Museum of Failure, Syd Mead We love a good success story, but we love an epic fail even more. DnA visits the Museum of Failure. We also talk to "visual futurist" Syd Mead and architect Craig Hodgetts about creating a "plausible reality." And we hear about the art of cake-making from a West Hollywood baker.
Lights out for Vermonica The sculptural installation Vermonica is an "urban candelabra" of 25 Los Angeles street lamps installed in an East Hollywood parking lot in 1993. Artist Sheila Klein's project was supposed to only last a year, but this month, after 24 years, it was removed at the insistence of the developer, who plans to renovate the shopping center.
LATEST BLOG POSTS
LACMA builds a bridge to the future. Eyesore or icon? LACMA’s redesign is undergoing environmental review and you can add your comments through Friday. But the Draft EIR doesn’t accept notes on the design itself, which contains a controversial bridge over Wilshire Boulevard. DnA reports. Read More
Designing homes for the fire zone Fires in Southern California have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Author and designer Wade Graham says we are “enmeshed” in fire-prone landscapes and need to respond through smart design and policy. Read More
5 design things to do this week This week you can: revel in Bellini’s religious paintings at the Getty; find out more about Lauren Halsey’s Crenshaw District Hieroglyph Project; listen to Thelma Golden and Gary Simmons talk about their careers in art; witness the power of political posters; and learn the technique of ‘light painting’ landscape photography, by night at the Arboretum. Read More


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US magazine Newsweek says it has found Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of the online currency bitcoin.
Survey find most institutional investors on China's mainland believe the yuan will eventually surpass the dollar as a reserve currency.
Australia posted a large $1.4 billion trade surplus in January, its best in two-and-a-half-years.
Dr John Lee and Laurie Pearcey analyse the economic path set out by China's National People's Congress.
Paul Gruenwald, Asia-Pacific Chief Economist at Standard & Poors looks at the economic outlook from China's National People's Congress.
By Will Ockenden
An Australian investigation shows how Apple paid only $193 million tax on $27 billion in local sales.
Alan Joyce has described Qantas as "healthy", backing away from the necessity of a debt guarantee.
Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the GDP figures were improving, but need to get better.
Anthony Albanese is wrong to say eight out of the world's top 10 airlines are majority government-owned.
Removing union vetos on new projects would encourage job growth, writes Alexander Philipatos.
Australian producers are targeting the world's biggest pork market, China, as they seek to expand.
Despite a high dollar and problems with its main domestic retailer, Maton is striking a chord in China.
Qantas says many factors have contributed to an "unlevel playing field". ABC Fact Check investigates.
|ASX All Ordinaries||5477.00||+17.3||0.3%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary||1906.20||+14||0.7%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Energy||14068.10||+174.1||1.3%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Financials||5971.30||-3.6||-0.1%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Health Care||14823.00||+134.7||0.9%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology||810.00||+9.3||1.2%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Materials||10439.50||+21.3||0.2%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Industrials||4150.30||+30.3||0.7%|
|S&P/ASX 200 CONSUMER STAPLES||10139.80||+85.5||0.9%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Telecommunication Services||1770.20||+2.6||0.1%|
|S&P/ASX 200 Utilities||5626.20||+15.3||0.3%|


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Huawei has announced that its Ascend P2 smartphone will be released in the UK next month. The Chinese firm unveiled its flagship Android device at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, touting it as “the world’s fastest smartphone”.
Boasting a 4.7-inch HD display, the handset runs off a 1.5GHz quad-core processor backed up by 1GB of RAM and Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.
Other features include a 13-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera, a 2420mAh battery and 4G connectivity.
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei consumer business group, said: “Ascend P2 is the perfect combination of elegance and power, and further proof that there’s no need to compromise when desiring a perfect smartphone.
“It is evidence of the outstanding smartphone experiences and great technology that we are committed to bringing to consumers globally.”
The Ascend P2 will compete with the Apple iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, and is expected to be priced between £350 and £400.


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The Bank of the Cascades said Thursday that it would buy Nampa's Home Federal Bank for an estimated $265.7 million, more than Home Federal shareholders would have received under Home Federal's previously announced sale to Banner Bank.
The purchase would double Cascades' presence in the Treasure Valley.
The announcement comes less than a month after Home Federal announced it was selling to Banner Bank for an estimated $197 million. The terms of that agreement provided a 30-day window for other banks to submit bids for Home Federal, which has 26 branches in Oregon and Idaho, including 11 in the Treasure Valley.
Bank of the Cascades is based in Bend, Ore., and operates on an Oregon state charter.
If the deal is completed, Bank of the Cascades will have about $2.4 billion in assets. The transaction provides for payment to Home Federal shareholders and option holders of $120.8 million in cash and more than 24 million shares of Cascades' common stock, according to a Bank of the Cascades news release.
Zach Kyle: 377-6464


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Each ‘Pole Whacker’ IPA can has a QR code that points people to a free avalanche awareness program.
ARVADA, Colo. — A business in Olde Town Arvada found a creative way to get people talking about avalanche safety. It starts with a nice, cold beer.
New Image Brewing released a new beer called ‘Pole Whacker’ that raises awareness about adventuring in the backcountry.
Each can has a QR code on it that people scan with their phones. The code brings people to the Know Before You Go website. It’s a free program that educates people about avalanche safety.
“What I’m hoping is that if we can provide a more positive, more informative way to reach people outside of this community of awareness so that it’s not exclusively via people calling other people out on Facebook or an article about someone’s death,” said Brandon Capps, the owner and founder of New Image Brewing. “It would be cool if there was a catalyst other than tragedy to point people toward these resources to prevent that from happening.”
Capps, a longtime skier and snowboarder, partnered with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and Neature Caps on the idea. Neature Caps is a Denver-based company that makes 80s and 90s style ski hats.
“We have this platform, beer’s fun, it’s approachable, it’s cool,” explained Capp. “Avalanche danger is not necessarily fun, approachable or cool. Backcountry skiing is. Retro, dope hats are cool. Can we combine these things that people want to talk about.”
The businesses came up with the collaboration in January. Four people had died in avalanches in Colorado at that time. Since then, seven more people have died in slides in Colorado. 11 deaths in a season is the most since 2012-2013.
Capp said he hopes to bridge any disconnect between people who don’t know they need to be aware of backcountry safety and all the resources for education. He thinks the nature of his industry will help start that conversation and serve as a unique platform.
“The openness and candor of the beer industry tends to resonate with people,” said Capp. “People see craft beer as very relatable and human to begin with and they’re more candid with their personal experiences. It hits people a different way than just an influencer throwing something on Instagram.”


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As the debate over the impact of cryptocurrency on the traditional financial system continues to gain traction, a former bank executive has debunked fears that digital assets could hamper TradFi. A former Hong Kong central bank chief believes that crypto will not destroy the mainstream finance sector and that increased volatility will hinder some crypto assets.
No Value To Offer
In a recent interview, Norman Chan, a former senior official at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), stated that digital assets like Bitcoin could not be deemed as currencies because they offer no essential value and their prices fluctuate frequently.
According to him, Bitcoin can only be used for speculation because it does not meet the requirement to become a currency. Speaking of stablecoins, Chan noted that they have more use cases as they can be utilized to reduce transaction fees and improve trading efficiency.
However, the executive added that stablecoins could no longer replace the traditional fiat currency. Furthermore, the former central banker explained that decentralized finance (DeFi) is not up to par with the centralized financial system as DeFi offers no investor protection.
He cautioned against using stablecoins by stating that they would affect the efficacy of the fiat-based monetary strategy. He believes that the increasing adoption of stablecoins would compromise the steadiness of the financial system by displacing the regulatory models along with the trusted intermediaries.
However, Chan conceded that crypto and Web3 have the potential to change the way transactions are done, as evidenced by the rapid adoption of the technology by both startups and established traditional finance brands. For this to happen, the former banker explained that all crypto assets in circulation must meet regulatory conformity and have some degree of user protection.
Joining The Digital Yuan Movement
After the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) announced the launch of the pilot project for the digital Yuan, Hong Kong emerged as the first region to kickstart the test of the cross-border virtual currency. During the November announcement, the HKMA’s deputy chief executive, Howard Lee, revealed that the technical testing is in the second stage.
He noted that HKMA has expanded the scope and scale of the test with the number of commercial banks increased to four. With the digital Yuan, the PBoC aims to connect the pilot phase to the economic nerve centers of the nine Chinese southeastern cities dubbed the Greater Bay Area.
Hong Kong is also part of the nine cities despite not being in mainland China. However, it still has a special administrative status in the region with its political and economic system and currency.
The HKMA testing round, according to Lee, will see Mainland China and Hong Kong’s bond market connected with a possible adoption of the digital Yuan for transactions between the two jurisdictions.
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Automotive Ventures teams with Shell Lubricants for latest contest to help startups
Automotive Ventures knows how to orchestrate contests to help startups and other blossoming industry firms, as shown by the success of the NAVIcon Cup at Used Car Week.
The latest endeavor from Automotive Ventures surfaced on Wednesday, as the automotive technology, venture capital and consulting firm announced a call for contestants for the Shell Startup Showdown.
The showdown is a joint effort between Automotive Ventures and Shell Lubricants, one of the world’s top lubricants suppliers for the past 15 years. The contest will award grants to top early-stage automotive technology startups that are innovating in the areas of mobility, customer experience, net-zero emissions and new energies.
The competition, which aims to recognize and reward automotive technology companies that best align with Shell’s goal to power progress through more and cleaner energy solutions, launches on Feb. 15 and finishes with a Demo Day to Shell Lubricants executives on March 29.
According to a news release, Automotive Ventures and Shell Lubricants will jointly select five startup finalists to meet periodically over six weeks with mentors from both Shell’s leadership team and Automotive Ventures to strengthen their business pitch before Demo Day.
The companies explained this preparatory program was developed to help finalists improve their story and value proposition, optimize their presentations and network with industry experts in advance of the competition.
A winner and runner up will be selected by Shell Lubricants executives on Demo Day to receive $35,000 and $15,000 grants, respectively.
“Shell Lubricants and Automotive Ventures partnered to demonstrate our collective and ongoing support of automotive technology companies that improve global mobility and energy sustainability,” said Steve Greenfield, founder and chief executive officer of Automotive Ventures.
“With the help of expert mentors, the Shell Startup Showdown empowers companies to finetune their pitch and successfully showcase their product, service and growth potential,” Greenfield continued in the news release. “Additionally, the competition connects entrepreneurs with Shell Lubricant’s executives for prospective business opportunities going forward.”
Shell is a global energy company with around 84,000 employees across more than 70 countries. Shell said it has pledged to advancing technologies and taking an innovative approach to help build a sustainable energy future.
“We are committed to entrepreneurs who know that sustainable energy and efficient mobility can, and should, successfully coexist with the financial and physical health of our business and customers. Shell Startup Showdown is just one example of the many ways we are improving our future,” said Steve Reindl, SVP of Shell Lubricants Americas.
Shell Startup Showdown is designed to spotlight early-stage companies that closely align with Shell’s growth and sustainability goals across various aspects of the automotive industry — those that best improve business operations and consumer experiences in the areas of mobility, net-zero emissions and new energies.
Interested pre-seed and seed stage automotive technology startups can apply via this website.


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NEXT Studios is excited to welcome Nida Ansari as the new Innovation and Entrepreneurship Executive to the innovation studio.
Nida is responsible for expanding the Studio work in corporate innovation, as well as startup company creation. We are looking forward to leveraging her background in innovation management, hardtech and early stage entrepreneurship to advance this work.
Most recently, Nida has worked in venture capital and set up an early-stage hardtech accelerator. Prior, Nida worked in strategy and innovation with startups for companies like Georgia Pacific (Koch Industries) and Westrock. She is now CEO of Karmic Partners, a consultancy that works with innovation districts, startups, and corporate innovation to connect much needed resources in the hardtech space. One of her clients is 16 Tech, the largest innovation district in Indiana, where she serves as a Fractional Chief Innovation Officer.
“Startups, mid-sized corporations, and innovation districts are at the forefront of growing the economy,” said John McDonald, Managing Entrepreneur of NEXT Studios. “We are excited to work with Nida to help them with ideas, plans, and programs to help our communities grow.”
Her work has included managing P&L of product lines globally, leading engineering and operations teams to launch products for large multinationals, some of which are in upwards of 50+ countries.


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Paul Sawers was a reporter with The Next Web in various roles from May 2011 to November 2014. Follow Paul on Twitter: @psawers or check h Paul Sawers was a reporter with The Next Web in various roles from May 2011 to November 2014. Follow Paul on Twitter: @psawers or check him out on Google+.
Steve Jobs’ authorized biography was scheduled for release on November 21, but with pre-orders of the Walter Isaacson book, entitled ‘Steve Jobs’, rocketing after news of his death broke overnight, the publisher is bringing the release date forward by a month.
As reported on Associated Press, Simon & Schuster have announced that the biography will now be released on October 24, with the book already holding top spot on Amazon.com and No. 3 on Barnes & Noble.com.
Isaacson’s book includes a series of interviews with the Apple Co-founder and those who knew him, and demand for the book saw a 41,800% increase in pre-orders today. The biography will also be available through iBooks to read on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and on a desktop with iTunes.
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Latest News Canada Expands eTA Program, Unleashing Travel Opportunities and Economic Growth The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) was Re-opening Home Canada Expands eTA Program,
On September 14, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a historic announcement, unveiling a comprehensive set of measures aimed at tackling two pressing issues: the housing crisis and the rising cost of groceries. These groundbreaking initiatives signify a proactive approach to improving the lives of Canadians by fostering economic stability and affordability. In this blog post, we will delve into the details of Trudeau’s intervention and its potential impact on the nation’s economy.
The Housing Crisis: Affordable Living for All
Canada’s housing crisis has been a growing concern, with skyrocketing rents and limited affordable accommodations. To address this issue, the Canadian government is taking bold steps:
- Eliminating GST on New Apartment Buildings:
One of the key measures involves the introduction of legislation to eliminate the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on new apartment buildings designed for renters. This move aims to incentivize the construction of rental units, making them more accessible to Canadians.
- Housing Accelerator Fund:
Additionally, the Housing Accelerator Fund will be deployed in areas that abolish exclusionary zoning practices and promote the construction of flats near public transportation. This initiative not only addresses the housing shortage but also encourages environmentally sustainable urban planning.
Supporting Small Businesses: Strengthening the Backbone of the Economy
Small businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, and Canada recognizes their importance. To provide support, the government is making vital adjustments to the Canada Emergency Business Account program:
- Extending Loan Repayment Terms:
Small business owners will benefit from a one-year extension on loan repayment terms. This extension is particularly crucial for those who relied on this program during the pandemic to keep their businesses afloat.
Curbing Rising Grocery Prices: Promoting Fair Competition
As grocery prices continue to rise, the Canadian government is determined to address this issue by making legislative amendments to the Competition Act.
These changes empower the Competition Bureau to:
- Effective Market Analyses:
The Competition Bureau will have the authority to require the submission of necessary materials for conducting a comprehensive market analysis. This ensures that competition remains fair and transparent.
- Eliminating Efficiencies Defense:
The “efficiencies defense” that allowed anti-competitive mergers to proceed will be eliminated. This move prioritizes consumer welfare over corporate interests, preventing higher prices and limited choices for Canadian consumers.
- Encouraging Competition:
The Competition Bureau will also be empowered to take action against alliances that hinder competition and consumer choice, particularly when large grocery chains obstruct smaller competitors from establishing themselves nearby.
A Brighter Economic Future for Canada
These measures represent a significant stride toward addressing some of Canada’s most pressing economic challenges. By fostering affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and promoting fair competition in the grocery industry, Justin Trudeau’s government is committed to improving the lives of its citizens. This groundbreaking crisis intervention not only promises economic stability but also underscores Canada’s commitment to equitable growth and prosperity. As these initiatives take shape, Canadians can look forward to a more affordable and prosperous future.
Updates Canada Expands eTA Program, Unleashing Travel Opportunities and Economic Growth The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) was Re-opening Exciting Changes in Canada’s Start-up Visa
Navigate the Global Opportunities with Canada, the Prime Destination for Investment-Based Immigration.
Immigrating to a new country is undoubtedly a life-changing and exciting prospect as it is filled with many exciting opportunities, including personal growth, professional development,


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DELAND, Fla. – A monthlong holiday celebration awaits those in downtown DeLand.
Winter Wonder DeLand begins on Friday, Dec. 2, and is an initiative to help downtown businesses during the holiday season.
“This is a wonderful example of the city partnering with our community businesses to brighten our city and make it even more of a destination for the holiday season,” Mayor Chris Cloudman said in a release. “We invite people to spend part of their holidays in DeLand and do their holiday shopping at our local businesses, too.”
Following the start of Winter Wonder DeLand, there will be a Christmas parade on Dec. 3. There will also be a “Walk through Christmas at Earl Brown Park” that transforms the park into a “European style Christmas market.”
Throughout December, Santa Claus will be riding the city’s antique fire truck to spread Christmas cheer.
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Grand Idea? BMW Concept Gran Coupe Gets Production Nod
We suspected as much, but BMW has made it official: The German automaker plans to produce a version the Concept Gran Coupe that debuted at the recent Beijing auto show, no doubt to combat the growing number of similar offerings from its arch rivals.
The production version of the Gran Coupe, expected to hit showrooms sometime in 2012, will be aimed at the luxury "four-door coupe" competition including the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Porsche Panamera, and the upcoming Audi A7. Pricing for the new car is expected to start somewhere in the neighborhood of the 6 Series coupe, which is roughly $80,000 to start.
BMW is also coyly hinting at the possibility of a hybrid version of the car as it continues to push its Efficient Dynamics program, aimed at developing alternative powertrain technologies designed to decrease emissions and increase MPGs, all while maintaining the brand's sport-themed DNA.
"We are in position to bring out an additional hybrid version since we are using the same powertrain architecture as the 5, 6 or 7 series," BMW development chief Klaus Draeger told Automotive News Europe.
If BMW's history of showcasing concept cars that preview future design trends is any indication, we suspect several of the Concept Gran Coupe's styling cues will find their way onto the next-generation 6 Series, which has been caught testing several times recently and is due to hit showrooms next year.
With the news that Lamborghini may also produce a four-door model, is a four-door coupe a good move for BMW? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)


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Barr Hill Gin, $39.99
The back story
Some of you may be familiar with the expression, “You’re the bee’s knees.” But what about the Bee’s Knees cocktail?
The classic Prohibition-era drink — a mix of gin, honey and lemon — has been finding fans of late. Trendy bars are featuring it on their menus. A popular booze-centric site ranks it the 30th most popular cocktail, ahead of such other trendsetters as the Cosmopolitan and the Dark ‘n’ Stormy.
And now, there’s even a whole week devoted to celebrating the sip.
Credit Caledonia Spirits, a Vermont-based distillery whose roots go back to 2011, with the idea for Bee’s Knees Week, which kicked off on Sept. 22 and runs through Oct. 1. It makes sense when you consider that Caledonia was started in part by Todd Hardie, a beekeeper and farmer who used raw honey in his small-production winery. He partnered with Ryan Christiansen, who had been in the homebrewing business.
Their idea? To create a distillery that would honor the bees so important to our food systems. As Christiansen, who now owns the distillery, told MarketWatch, “They are essential to biodiversity and they produce one of the most unique and complex natural ingredients — raw honey.”
Sure enough, honey finds its way into one of Caledonia’s signature products, Barr Hill Gin — specifically, the spirit is finished with locally sourced raw wildflower honey, which Christiansen said serves as the perfect balance to juniper, the key botanical in gin. Christiansen added that 2,600 pounds of raw honey is used in every batch of Barr Hill.
This beehive of gin-making led to the establishment of Bee’s Knees Week a few years ago. Christiansen said that almost 2,000 bars, restaurants and spirits shops participated in the efforts to celebrate the cocktail last year.
What we think of it
I love a good classic London Dry gin, but Barr Hill is in the style of what’s dubbed a New American gin — a style that tends to be more eclectic. In Barr Hill’s case, it’s the addition of honey that’s so fascinating and critical, resulting in a gin that’s slightly sweet in a very appealing way. In short, it’s well worth trying.
How to enjoy it
If there was a cocktail that’s tailor made for Barr Hill Gin, it’s the honey-flavored Bee’s Knees. But you can experiment with the gin in other cocktails — and it works well on its own, kinda like a martini with a hint of honey.


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Meat Loaf has thrown his support behind veganism, but says he absolutely will not change his name to Veg Loaf.
The 72-year-old I’d Do Anything For Love singer partnered with Italian-American restaurant Frankie & Benny’s to promote their new vegan menu throughout ‘Veganuary’ (Vegan January).
Their new menu features a ‘no cheese cheesecake’, a vegan hot dog and a garlic pizza bread (with vegan mozzarella, of course).
In a tongue-in-cheek new video, two restaurant employees approach the American singer with an idea for a partnership and rebrand from Meat Loaf to Veg Loaf.
He’s not convinced by the latter and bluntly responded: ‘I’m not changing my name.’
But in a statement, Meat Loaf – real name Marvin Lee Aday – threw his full support behind the campaign.
‘When Frankie & Benny’s first approached me to rebrand to Veg Loaf I said no way in hell – I won’t do that,’ he said. ‘But, I’d do anything for our planet and dropping meat for veg.’
(You took the words right out of our mouth, Meat Loaf!)
He added: ‘Even for just one day a week, can make a huge difference – which is why I’m backing Frankie’s new vegan menu.’
Clearly all over Greggs-gate last year, Meat Loaf said: ‘I’ve had a sneak peek at the new menu, and after hearing you folks went crazy over a vegan sausage roll last year, I know you’ll love this.’
We wonder how Piers Morgan will feel about Meat Loaf’s support for the vegan movement…
Famously against Greggs’ vegan sausage roll last year, Piers raged and ranted against the move, slamming the chain as ‘PC-ravaged clowns’.
After making a huge fuss over it, he tried one live on air and remarked: ‘They stink!’
As he placed it in his mouth, he gagged: ‘Ugh, God… God’.
He then picked up a bin and spat the baked goods out: ‘Why would anyone eat this?’
Maybe because they want to reduce their carbon footprint, Piers.
Got a showbiz story?


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Nestlé has started using its brand new £55 million state-of-the-art warehouse dubbed the 'digital distribution centre of the future' near to East Midlands Airport.
XPO Logistics has started operating the site at the SEGRO East Midlands Gateway warehouse park, which is on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border next to the Castle Donington airport, for food and drinks manufacturer Nestlé, which has a factory in Hatton.
It has taken more than two years to set up the flagship distribution centre with technology partner Swisslog Logistics Automation.
The centre will handle Nestlé goods made by 11 of its 14 manufacturing sites, as well as products imported from abroad.
It has thousands of extra square feet set aside for growth and new machines as the volume of goods handled increases, reports BusinessLive.
The 638,000 sq ft facility uses robotics, automated sorting systems and XPO's intelligent analytics to deliver fast, efficient distribution of Nestlé products, including KitKat, Quality Street and Nescafé.
XPO said it has been ramping up operations on site since mid-2020, as part of a phased opening, and said it has used its global experience dealing with Covid-19 and extensive safety protocols to keep workers safe.
As well as handling Nestlé’s food, dairy, nutrition, drinks and confectionery ranges, the site also manages online orders for the Nespresso brand – promoted by George Clooney – and supplies Nespresso Boutique stores.
Andrew Shaw, supply chain director for Nestlé UK and Ireland, said sustainability was also a key part of the new operation, with deliveries into the London area all going via rail.
A liquified gas refuelling station is also being built to enable Nestlé to operate energy-efficient gas trucks instead of diesel.
Mr Shaw said: "I'd like to offer a huge thank you to the many people at Nestlé and XPO who have worked so hard to bring our vision to life in this magnificent facility.
"Our digital distribution warehouse is an important step forward for our business and our customers.
"We can now be faster, more responsive and more agile in how we supply our products under all conditions, and we can provide a bespoke, personalised service to our customers.
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"This truly is a digital warehouse of the future, with advanced technology that will give Nestlé the flexibility to meet customer and consumer requirements for many years to come."
The site includes an innovation hub that also functions as an incubator to test new ways of addressing logistics needs. It will help XPO conduct real-life operating trials of promising technologies and showcase innovations to customers.
Malcolm Wilson, XPO's chief executive for Europe, said he was delighted that the site had officially launched.
He said: "Nestlé and Swisslog are trusted strategic partners of XPO, and they believe, as we do, that the best way to deliver excellence in the present is to maintain a strong focus on the future.
"We're pushing the boundaries of supply chain thinking and disrupting the industry in the most positive sense."
SEGRO East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park is next to the M1 and East Midlands Airport, and its onsite rail freight terminal connects with Southampton, Felixstowe, London Gateway and the Channel Tunnel.
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Californian Almond, March 2023 Report
The almond industry is experiencing supply-side constrictions due to a decrease in inventory, with a computed inventory of 1.5 billion pounds which is behind last year’s figure by -13.58%. Committed shipments are also lagging behind last year’s figure by over -22%. The uncommitted inventory figure, however, remains below last year’s mark by -5.89%.
This implies that the industry has less to sell moving forward, with fewer orders on the books than it did a year ago. The current supply-side conversation has quickly changed from an oversupply scenario to one where supply tightening has rapidly developed and continues to constrict.
The total shipments for the current crop year have approached 1.8 billion pounds, which is +6.85% ahead of this time last year. Assuming that the industry continues its growth rate of +6.85%, total shipments for the year would project around 2.7 billion pounds, and the carryforward would dwindle to 500 million pounds. This growth rate may be overly optimistic, so if instead, the industry simply shipped what it did last year through the end of the crop year, the industry project roughly 575 million pounds as a carryforward. The current projection is closer to a 600-700 million pound carryforward, but it is still a loose forecast.
It is important to note that price stability generally occurs when the carryforward target is 20% of annual shipments. Too much below that, prices rise, and above that, prices fall. The rough math suggests that we are within reach of a stable 20% scenario where supply is in balance, at least for the current crop year. This does suggest that future crop expectations could have a profound influence on commodity prices as crop conditions become clearer should they swing significantly one way or another.
The weather has brought significant uncertainties to the market, particularly concerning the strength of the next crop. Handlers had completely left the market in mid-February and have only recently re-entered, having been so concerned with pollination viability. A clearer understanding of how severe the weather impacts will begin to materialize next month with the publication of the subjective forecast, but for now, significant concerns remain regarding future yields.
Export markets grew +24% over last March and are now ahead of last year at this time by +12.44%. China imported over 24 million pounds in March, surpassing last year by +275%. India imported 27.5 million pounds in March, up 15% YoY. Western Europe has slowed a bit in recent months from its strong growth-oriented pace of buying earlier in the year. However, the region is still ahead of last year at this time by +1%.


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Nitro lift has come a long way in selling their famous and effective stainless steel gas strut that is mainly catering gas struts Australia but can also accommodate orders worldwide such as in car gas struts UK and gas struts America. Initially available on Ebay, Nitro lift is now diversifying its availability by putting up its own online store. This way, Nitro Lift can now offer more competitive prices for normal car struts and even for heavy duty gas struts online.
In the new online store, customers can easily find their needed gas springs whether bonnet or tailgate struts as they have a streamlined search function by car manufacturer through its make and model. To top it all, each product has its own image posted on the online store for the customers to check its appearance and they don’t need to actually see the product itself.
Nitro lift has been initially selling all their products on Ebay, and now with putting up their own online store, more reach can be catered as more competitive price is offered as shipping is now offered from $9.95 to any point of Australia and a reasonable shipping fee for countries such as the US and UK. And through this new online store as well, the option for direct purchases for bonnet struts is now offered will be easier for customers as they don’t need to worry about putting up an Ebay account in buying industrial gas struts because they can now go directly to the new online store and contact Nitro Lift with ease.


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ROOTSTOWN, Ohio — Picking up your prescription may take some serious time management come March. That's when CVS says it will cut hours in about 9,000 stores, and Walmart plans to close pharmacies at 7 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. at 4,600 stores.
The chains blame the nationwide pharmacist shortage, which started before the pandemic. However, some pharmacists say many are leaving the profession or finding work elsewhere because of being stretched too thin.
The added workload of COVID-19, vaccinations, testing, and medications — as well as drug shortages, price increases, and customers with short tempers — made working conditions difficult for some. But there's another reason, too.
Dr. Jaclyn Boyle is an associate professor at NEOMED in the department of pharmacy. She says job opportunities for pharmacists are diversifying and now there are pharmacists working where they didn't before, such as a primary care physician's office.
"There are actually 90 different practices a pharmacist can work in," Boyle told 3News.
If the shorter hours impact you, there are a few things you can do now to plan ahead. If you use CVS or Walmart, ask if your location plans to cut back hours.
Check to see if your prescription plan has a mail order option. Most mail order pharmacies require three-month prescriptions, but you can manage it online and get many medications refilled automatically.
Ask your health care provider and pharmacist for other options or locations. Shop around for different pharmacies, and don't forget: Places like Costco, Sam's Club, and even Amazon have pharmacy services.
Whatever you choose, make sure your pharmacy and health care team are in direct contact so potential medication errors or interactions can be flagged.


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Ford Mustang Mach-E: Online Reservation starting 17 Nov | Compare Variants, Specs
"IT’S OFFICIAL: MUSTANG MACH-E IS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE MUSTANG FAMILY; RESERVE ONLINE STARTING SUNDAY, NOV. 17"
The all-electric Mustang Mach-E will make its debut Nov. 17 at an event in Los Angeles that will be streamed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Autohome (China). Special guest, actor Idris Elba, will help introduce the latest addition to the Mustang family. Immediately following the broadcast – which ends at approximately 6:30 p.m. PST (9:30 p.m. EST) – reservations will open for the Mustang Mach-E at Ford.com.
Customers can reserve their spot in line for the Mustang Mach-E by making a $500 refundable reservation deposit.1 Timing will be critical, especially for a limited First Edition, details of which will be announced as part of the Nov. 17 event.
Customers in the U.S. and Europe who wish to reserve a vehicle can select their desired specification of the Mustang Mach-E, create a Ford account, select their preferred Ford dealer, and enter their credit/debit card details and address.
Customers who reserve a vehicle will be able to finalize their configuration next year when the ordering window opens.
Reservation timing for China will be announced at a later date.
Learn more about the Mach-E name by watching this video.
Here’s the comparison between the recently launched Tesla Model and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Mustang Mach-E Variants and Specs
Let’s start by comparing the least expensive versions of each Mustang Mach-E vehicle:
Now a comparison of the Mustang Mach-E variants with a bigger battery pack:
AWD version based on the performance variants comparison:
For more reviews, news, and articles click to reviews.com.np
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