text:
Search results for : South Beach
Showing 121 to 140 of 1000 results
Although Atlantis is concerned about the global economy, the resort's chief says two strong avenues of business are keeping heads above water - group sales and the Latin American market.
George Markantonis, President and Managing Director of Kerzner International Bahamas Ltd., told Guardian Business he expects, by year end, group business will have risen 35 percent compared to 2010.
"The outlook is grim, but I can tell you our bookings are not," he said.
Markantonis said companies in the U.S. and elsewhere have enjoyed improved business over the past year.
That rise in the bottom line has spilled over into corporate trips.
Unlike past years, Atlantis decided to not close it's Beach Tower this summer. The decision has paid off, according to Markantonis.
"It looks like our September occupancy will be 50 percent to 51 percent," he added. "That compares to 33 percent last year."
Another important source of revenue has been the Latin American market.
As part of their push to attract tourists from South America, and harness its exploding middle class, Atlantis has hired representatives in Brazil, Panama, Argentina, Columbia, Mexico and Chile.
Special events, such as concerts, have helped drive interest in The Bahamas.
"There is an excitement there," Markantonis said.
"They have heard about us, but don't know who we are."
Exploring new markets and finding creative sources of revenue have been paramount for the Nassau mega resort. With layoffs in the past and the lingering $2.6 billion restructuring of the mortgage at Kerzner International, corporate clients and Latin American tourists have proven to be an effective boost.
Meanwhile, as the construction of Baha Mar continues, Markantonis said the company, as always, seeks to remain fresh and competitive in the market.
He felt Baha Mar and Atlantis can complement each other, rather than being perceived as rivals.
"A threat is the wrong word," he said.
"What we are talking about is 2015. A lot of water will flow under the bridge between now and 2015."
The main concern, he added, is to ensure there is a sufficient market share for all stakeholders.
Baha Mar will add thousands of luxury hotel rooms to the Bahamian tourism landscape. Markantonis insisted there needed to be a comprehensive plan in place to deal with this rise in rooms, and talks are already underway with the government and Baha Mar to make this happen.
In other words, more work needs to be done to create infrastructure.
"It's one thing to build roads," he said, "what we need is planes."
Palm Cay announced yesterday it has opened reservations for Phase 2 of its much anticipated luxury condominiums, The Anchorage.
The popularity of the 50-unit, 5-phase project that is the first condo offering in the community, situated on 69 acres sprawled along New Providence's calm southeastern shore, has surprised even the developers who are bracing for a flood of new applicants.
"The Palm Cay community started with townhomes and single family lots, planning to add other residential options later," said Palm Cay Director of Sales & Marketing Zack Bonczek. "But we had so many requests for single level condominiums with an open floor plan and an affordable price tag that we advanced the plans and launched Phase 1 of The Anchorage ahead of schedule. It was oversubscribed almost immediately."
Bonczek believes the product led to sales exceeding expectation and hopes Phase 2 follows suit. Phase 1 reservations were oversubscribed with 15 prospective buyers vying for 12 residences. Construction is now fully underway on those units. Phase 2 will consist of eight single level units.
"The product is unique - a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,476 square foot residence, including terrace, in a secure waterfront community with marina, restaurant, tennis courts, pools, and more for $359,000 pre-construction. I don't think there is anything that can compare to it in New Providence." Palm Cay Marina is the closest to Exuma and with 194 slips, is the largest in New Providence in terms of capacity. The community's restaurant, Billfish Grill, is set to open in March with indoor and al fresco dining.
Phase 2 is being sold as the first phase was - on a reservations basis with a reservation call event after the publication of the offer. Reservations accompanied by a fully refundable $5,000 deposit are processed on a first-come, first-served system.
"Our biggest problem now is one we're glad to have - being able to meet demand," said Bonczek.
While The Anchorage is the latest in Palm Cay's offerings, its success mirrors other facets of the community's sales. Developers reported that more than 80 percent of the single family residential lots have been sold and garden and beachfront townhomes are drawing substantial interest, with garden townhomes appealing largely to a local market and the luxurious Starfish Isle townhomes directly on the beach drawing a cross-section of local and second home buyers.
The high-end Palm Cay development boasts over 1,200 feet of white sand beaches and features a variety of residential options in the secure, family-oriented community.
Nassau, Bahamas - Executives
and Contestants of the Miss Gospel Bahamas Pageant pay courtesy call on
Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, on Wednesday, July 6, at
Government House. Seated from left: Ethlyn Hanchell, chief chaperone;
Gerissa Maurice, Miss New Destiny Cathedral; Minalee Hanchell,
executive director; Sir Arthur; Syviann Rahming, reigning queen;
Cedrika Knowles, Miss Life Line Family; and Candace Rolle, Miss Dash
Designer Shoes. Standing from left: Nehemie Louis, Miss V.C.C. Worship;
Amiee Ferguson, Miss Zion South Beach; Andrice Strachan, Miss Bethany
Assembly; Lavette Smith, Miss Lake View Church of God; and Melvin
Seymour, Secretary to the Governor General...
Good Friday without a hot cross bun is akin to a sacrilege, so right about now, bakers around the island are making preparations for next week's run on the sticky treats for fans who don't have the confidence to make their own and those who, quite plainly, won't feel like doing it. Word has it that one of the hottest bakeries with the best buns around is Platinum Pastry Bakery owned by Chef Bernard Bodie.
The man who is known for tweaking his bun offerings every now and then just to keep things hot and deliciously tasty will, this year, offer a whole wheat bun - for the seasonally-spirited health nuts - along with his crowd-pleasing, regular buns. Both will have the signature sugar cross topping.
Bodie anticipates he will have to bake at least 450 dozen buns to satisfy demands, as last year's 300 dozen were not enough to prevent the crowds from beating down his bakery's doors. However, unlike previous years, Bodie will not be taking orders this Easter, in hopes of avoiding past problems with customers who had placed orders requesting more buns at the last minute. This year, customers are free to walk in and purchase as many buns as they want. He guarantees people will want to walk away with more than just a dozen buns for their Good Friday meals, as they're just that good.
"You can try everyone else, but I can guarantee my buns are the best," said the chef. "Our buns are so light that they melt in your mouth."
He promises that anyone who tastes his buns will be back, and first-time patrons will love them so much that they'll already be looking forward to visiting his bakery next year. Encouraging the crowds to try for themselves, Bodie will be offering hot cross bun samples at his bakery on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"I'm the type of person who likes people to be able to try the product before they put their money down, because the proof is definitely in the taste, and if you don't like it you have the option to go somewhere else, but I guarantee they will be back once they've had our buns."
Platinum Pastry Bakery will open at 7 a.m. on Thursday, and will remain open until 8 or 9 p.m. that evening, to accommodate fans of the Easter buns, which will retail for $10 a dozen.
"As long as the people keep coming, we will still be here," said the chef.
A veteran of the pastry industry, Bodie worked in the kitchens of the hospitality sector for years before opening Platinum Pastry Bakery, six years ago. Since opening his bakery, his skills have made him known for swoon-worthy sweet and savory treats, such as his famous conch patties; "Off Da Chain" cake which he says people have to see to believe; "Sex on Da Beach" cake, which he says tastes just like the drink; the aptly named "Bodie" cake, a three-layer, red velvet, chocolate and vanilla concoction; and, of course, his hot cross buns. They're cakes he has developed in the last year and which have become top sellers for Platinum Pastry as well.
To try his hot cross buns or any of his best selling cakes, visit Platinum Pastry Bakery on Faith Avenue South (14th building on the left after crossing over Carmichael Road).
Saturday 23rd March 2013 7:40 AM
2013 Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend: Sprint Triathlon "This is our second year for the event, and the support from the community has been wonderful. We have a lot of prizes to give out and this year we have started early on promotion. To date we are far ahead of where we were last year in terms of registrations numbers, and we still have about 7 weeks left till the event," said Lee McCoy, managing director. "We have been advertising locally and abroad and the response has been positive, with registrations already in from Abaco, Nassau, Freeport, Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, Virginia and California to name a few. So far it looks like the women's sprint triathlon will be a hotly contested event, and I'm excited to see the level of competition and camaraderie that will take place throughout the weekend." The 2nd Annual Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend is almost here! Here are some quick links with pertinent information: Date: Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 Start Time: 7:40 am Venue: Treasure Cay, Abaco The Bahamas Transition: Coco Beach Bar & Grill Parking Lot Distance: 500m Swim 20km (12.4 miles) Bike 5km (3.1 miles) Run Course Information: The swim will be in the same location as the 1 Mile Open Water Swim. The transition area (both T1 and T2) will be the parking lot of the Coco Beach Bar & Grill. The bike course will take place within Treasure Cay and along the SC Bootle Highway. The run course will be within the boundaries of Treasure Cay. Teams/Relays are allowed for this course. Registration: Registration for this event can be purchased as part of the Weekend Pass or can be purchased individually. Please see the registration details for more information. Click HERE to view 2012 Results & Photos. Click HERE to view their website.
A man was airlifted to a South Florida hospital yesterday after being bitten by a shark off West End, Grand Bahama.
The United States Coast Guard said Jim Abernethy, 55, was on a diving excursion with the commercial diving vessel ‘Shear Water’ when he was bitten on the arm. The incident occurred 18 miles north of West End, the Coast Guard said.
Abernethy’s family-owned business (Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures) operates scuba dive charters from West Palm Beach, Florida, according to the company’s website.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater, Florida, deployed in support of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) locate ...
For the rest of the year, City Market will have just three locations in operation in The Bahamas, with the supermarket chain declaring the temporary closure of two locations in New Providence and the permanent closure of two properties in Grand Bahama.
The much-anticipated announcement - an exclusive to Guardian Business - will have major effects on consumers, distributors and
hundreds of employees
at several locations.
The staff at these four locations will be "allocated" to the stores remaining open.
"City Market announces the temporary closure of its South Beach and Sea Grapes Stores in New Providence and the permanent closure of its Downtown Store in Freeport, Grand Bahama and Eight Mile Rock Store in Grand Bahama," company said in a statement.
"The position takes effect at midnight Wednesday, September 14th 2011."
City Market added that the stores slated for renovation will be addressing "infrastructural issues and the many challenges that have plagued the refrigeration system and other equipment".
The work includes a "complete overhaul", and South Beach and Sea Grapes Stores are not expected to reopen before the end of the year.
With the permanent closure of the Grand Bahama stores, and the temporary closure of the New Providence locations, only three stores will be in operation for the forseeable future.
The company told Guardian Business that employees received calls telling them to no come into work today.
Meanwhile, City Markets in Lucaya, Grand Bahama will be converting to a 24-hour store, the statement added, in keeping with the New Providence formats.
Last month, Bahamas Supermarkets Limited - the parent company of City Markets - announced the closure of its Lyford Cay and Rosetta Street stores effective August 2. At its peak, City Markets had eight locations in Nassau and three in Grand Bahama.
The announcement by City Markets follows an intense week of speculation by both the business community and workers at the store.
Bahamas Commercial Stores, Supermarket and Warehouse Workers Union expressed extreme displeasure confusion regarding the fate of two City Markets outlets in New Providence, fearing closure could cause mass employment or severely reduced hours and wages.
Some local media outlets reported that the union received a fix from Mark Finlayson - the head of Trans-Island Traders and the majority stakeholder of City Markets - announcing the closure of the South Beach and Seagrapes Shopping Centre stores.
Since then, members of the union complained that Finlayson was not properly communicating with workers, and even threatened to take their case to the government and labor authorities.
For now, the matter seems to be resolved, although aftershocks of the announcement are expected to be felt for a long time to come.
Direct ferry service from the US to Bimini will miss its summer launch goal, but the necessary dredging project that would allow the ferry to access the island's government dock is now gearing-up.
Leslie Bethel, president of tourism and travel consultancy firm Notarc Management Group, told Guardian Business yesterday that stakeholders in the ferry project are investing several million dollars in the dredging project. A part of the management team assisting with the coordination of the ferry, Bethel said that while delays have hindered progress, Bimini - and its neighbor Grand Bahama - could have the additional access soon.
"The dredge work in Bimini is in the mobilization stage," Bethel said. "Balaeria is also progressing with its plans to launch ferry service into Freeport and Bimini within the next few months."
Balaeria Ferries will be the operator of the Balaeria Bahamas Express - the ferry lined up to service Bimini and possibly Freeport, Grand Bahama. Bethel said that the service into Freeport was looking "very strong". The ferry could accommodate up to 240 passengers and 80 vehicles per trip, according to an earlier press release from the company. With initial plans to operate excursion every day except Wendesdays, it translates into potentially ten of thousands of additional passengers annually accessing islands serviced by the ferry.
Bill Lee, general manager at Bimini Bay, the largest resort, marina and private residence development on the island, told Guardian Business that with the dredging "imminent", he's looking forward to the ferry service being up-and-running by the end of the year. Despite its geographical proximity to the US - just 48 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida - the ability of potential guests to access Bimini proves a challenge for all industry participants there.
"The developers do have an interest in creating more access to the resort," Lee said, referring to the resort's developers and initial management team - the Capo Group. "It's really why Bimini Bay and all the resorts on the island are underutilized assets. It's very difficult to get here - airfare is pricey."
Initial plans were for the ferry service into Bimini to launch in March, with subsequent postponements to April, and then the summer.
This year, however, Bimini has seen a number of new avenues open to bring more tourists to the island. The seaplane terminal is now active again, with Lee reporting that four seaplane companies now fly into the island from Watson Island off Miami Beach. In August, IBC Travel announced an expansion of service into Bimini with daily flights, including afternoon departures. The late departures were expected to increase the amount of visitors who could connect from other flights to get into Bimini.
The dredging of the channel that allows vessels to access the Government Dock in Alice Town, Bimini, is also an important feature to build access other boaters have to the island, according to Lee.
"We have the largest marina in The Bahamas here, but many of the vessels that could fill this marina up can't make it through the channel," Lee said, noting that any vessel over 80 feet in length would be unable to get in.
The Atlantis Resort and the Grand Bahama Yacht Club & Port Lucaya Marina also vie for the title of "largest" marina in The Bahamas, but regardless as to who has the most yacht slips, being able to facilitate larger yachts bodes will boost tourism in Bimini. Another marina on the island, the Bimini Big Game Club, would also be able to facilitate larger vessels once the dredging is complete.
Lee said that he has recently met with new management of Continental/Gulfstream Airlines in Fort Lauderdale. They will be offering special walk-on rates to Bimini for Bahamians, based on space availability, he said.
"We are doing all of that to get little Bimini on the map," Lee said. "We're getting there. I'm pretty happy with it."
Though the Boundaries Commission has made no final decisions, The Nassau Guardian understands that at least four of the proposed 23 constituencies on New Providence will have new names, while at least five existing constituencies will be folded into the redrawn boundaries of constituencies with existing names.
As it regards the Family Islands, Ragged Island, which is currently joined with Long Island, will be placed with Exuma for the creation of a new constituency.
In New Providence, the proposed 'Constituency 1', will reportedly be named Adelaide, reflecting the name of a similarly drawn constituency in 2002.
As proposed, Adelaide would be comprised of six polling divisions (and a portion of a seventh) from Golden Isles and four from Clifton.
As previously reported, it is proposed that the Clifton constituency will be no more, with the majority of its polling divisions being folded into Killarney (Constituency 12).
The proposed 'Constituency 16' will reportedly be named Nassau Village.
As it stands, that constituency would be comprised of seven polling divisions from Sea Breeze and seven polling divisions from Kennedy.
It is proposed that Kennedy will be no more, with its six other polling divisions being placed in what will become the newly drawn Bamboo Town constituency.
The proposed 'Constituency 17', which has eight polling divisions from Blue Hills, will also have a new name.
It was unclear what that name could be up to press time, but based on the system the government is using, the name would likely begin with the letter N, O, or P.
Under the current proposal, no constituency would be named Blue Hills.
The proposed 'Constituency 21' will reportedly be called St. Ambrose, named after the Anglican church that sits on the corner of Carmichael and Gladstone Roads within the constituency.
As it stands, the proposed St. Ambrose would include four polling divisions from Golden Isles, five from Blue Hills and two from South Beach.
It has also been proposed that the constituency of St. Thomas More will be no more, with 12 of its polling divisions being folded into what will become Montagu (Constituency 14), and its remaining four polling divisions being folded into what will be redrawn as Farm Road.
The Guardian also understands that either Lucaya or Eight Mile Rock will be no more when the commission completes its work.
The other constituencies on Grand Bahama will still be named High Rock, Pineridge, Marco City and West End & Bimini.
An analysis of the proposal put forward by the government appears to lump many areas in New Providence that overwhelmingly supported the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in the 2007 general election into fewer constituencies.
The PLP is reportedly hoping to combat this strategy by heavy campaigning in polling divisions where the Free National Movement (FNM) won by a slim majority in the last election.
The PLP is reportedly hoping that it can get enough voters to swing its way in order to upset some of the seats the FNM won in the last election like Sea Breeze, Bamboo Town (now in the hands of the Democratic National Alliance, and a contest in which the PLP did not run a candidate in 2007).
The PLP also reportedly believes it has a good chance of capturing the Adelaide seat when elections are held.
The Nassau Guardian understands that the Boundaries Commission will meet again on Wednesday with a view of completing its report by Friday.
By LARRY SMITH
THREE interesting environmental projects are in the works that could have a big impact on our landscapes and lifestyles - at the eastern, western and southern extremities of Nassau.
They are the proposed redevelopment of the 18-acre Botanical Gardens at Chippingham, the multi-million-dollar reorganisation and restoration of the derelict Montagu foreshore, and the possible creation of a model Bahamian township on 250 acres of undeveloped land at South Beach.
SOUTH BEACH TOWNSHIP
A public tender to design the township was won late last year by Nassau architects Alexiou & Associates, who linked up with TSW & Associates of Atlanta, a leading New Urbanist design firm. Lione ...
The Ministry of Tourism has announced a reduction in the price of tickets for the HBCUX football game at Thomas A. Robinson this weekend.
The tickets for the game have now been reduced to $10, $20 and $50. General admission is now at $10, while platinum tickets are just $50.
HBCUX, an American football game, is being held on September 12-14 at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.
Central State University (CSU) and the Texas Southern University (TSU), two historically black colleges, will square off in the first college football game ever held in The Bahamas.
Sports Tourism General Manager Virginia Kelly said fans would appreciate the dropped prices.
"We want people to know that this is their chance to see an official NCAA game. This is something you don't want to miss and so get your tickets at these incredible prices," she said.
Thousands of persons, including celebrities, sports legends, football players and fans, are expected to attend the weekend festivities being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and HBCUX Network, a new digital media network formed to showcase the unique and diverse experience at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The planned activities include a NCAA Division One Football game between Central State University (CSU) and Texas Southern University (TSU) and a star studded tailgate concert featuring The Bahamas' hottest recording artists as well as other internationally known Caribbean and American soca, calypso, hip hop and R&B musicians.
CSU's Invincible Marching Marauders band and TSU's, Ocean of Soul band and some of The Bahamas' award-winning bands will compete in a "battle of the bands" contest, while a freestyle Greek step show will culminate the tailgate experience.
Additionally, one of the activities surrounding the HBCUX Football Classic is the College Fair and Empowerment Workshop scheduled for Friday, September 12, 1-3 p.m., at the Melia Nassau Resort Hotel , Cable Beach.
Central State University and Texas State University along with The College of The Bahamas and Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute will be on-hand to disseminate information regarding attendance at their respective institutions. CSU and TSU have each donated three full four-year scholarships, inclusive of tuition, room and board, to their respective universities. The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Foundation will also be on-hand.
High school students, particularly 11th graders, are encouraged to come and participate in this opportunity to hear about attending these institutions of higher learning.
Freeport, Bahamas -
We are OPEN for LUNCH! Come
in and enjoy our waterside South-Beach style atmosphere. Perfect for
the business lunch meeting or a gathering with the girlfriends. Dine
inside in our cool a/c or outside in the breeze.
Flying Fish offers
LUNCH Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 2:30pm.
Mixing traditional and modernist cuisine techniques,
will certainly offer you something you've never had before.
City Market and the union representing the food store chain's employees announced yesterday that they have come to an agreement over how those workers will be handled as the company restructures its operations.
Members of the newly elected executive team of the Bahamas Commercial Stores Supermarket & Warehouse Workers Union (BCSS & WWU) met this week with officials of Bahamas Supermarkets Limited (BSL), which owns the City Market stores.
A joint press statement suggested that executive management is seeking to repair and re-open the South Beach and Sea Grape City Market locations that were recently closed and return their staff to regular working hours as soon as possible.
"Once the objective is achieved as far as our renovations are concerned we expect to absorb those transferred employees and return to a normal shift schedule," BSL President Mark Finlayson said in the press release.
City Market workers claimed recently that now that those two stores have been closed, they have been put on a six days per month schedule, which means they would make a mere $120 per month.
One employee's pay stubb seen by The Nassau Guardian during a recent protest by City Market workers reflects automatic deductions made by her bank, after which she took home just more than $2 for the month.
The staff members who gathered outside the front doors of the Harbour Bay location all agreed that they simply want to be separated from City Market and given their severance pay.
However, BCSS & WWU President Warfield Bain insisted that BSL has not breached the company's industrial agreement with regard to staff's current working hours and the company does not want to let any of its staff go.
"The meeting with Mr. Finlayson, his executive team and counsel cleared the air on a number of matters including recent staff concerns." Bain said.
"Tensions are high and maybe they (City Market employees) are heated because of all the other things that are going on also with other companies, but after we sat down with Mr. Finlayson, we assured him that the union will work with the company to save as many jobs as possible.
"We understand that these are hard times and City Market has been challenged for a number of years. In fact, Mr. Finlayson made it clear that he does not want to let anyone go."
Finlayson suggested in the release that part-time employees have been working on a week-by-week schedule, which he said is being done in other companies including several resorts across the country.
He said September and October are slow months.
The disgruntled City Market workers have also had concerns about the state of their pension fund, which is in the process of being audited.
Finlayson said when the audit is done the employees will know what the state of their pension fund is.
"There will be full disclosure and the chips will fall where they may," Finlayson said. "My hands are clean."
In addition to closing its South Beach and Sea Grapes stores in New Providence for renovations, the company has also closed its downtown Freeport and Eight Mile Rock stores in Grand Bahama permanently.
The Lucaya store is the only remaining City Market store on Grand Bahama and plans are being drafted to convert the store to 24-hour shopping, according to officials.
Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson said the union was very concerned that parliamentarians are seeking a review of their salaries.
"As hundreds of teachers wait for millions of dollars to be paid to them for correct salaries, back pay, confirmations and more, the Bahamas Union of Teachers is very concerned after the details of an interim report of the House select committee were revealed by Bain's Town and Grant's Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage in Parliament," she said in a statement.
Wilson said the union agreed that parliamentarians should be compensated for their work, but questioned the government's priorities.
"What is the priority, people or self," she asked.
"This should not take priority over the small man, teachers and workers of this country who are suffering."
A select committee of Parliament recommended the salaries of members of Parliament be reviewed, noting that MPs have not received an increase in 25 years.
The committee also called for the construction of a new Parliament within this term, an increase in constituency allowances and travel allowances, in addition to the introduction of grants to political parties represented in the House of Assembly.
Nottage, who chaired the committee, presented its report in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
Members of Parliament are paid $28,000 yearly.
Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, who was also on the committee, has defended the report.
"I know of no profession that anybody would have been in that would have not gotten an increase or a salary review in over 25 years," Grant said.
Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney blasted the government and opposition for seeking a review of salaries and benefits when everyday Bahamians are struggling financially.
McCartney said he was "amazed" and "disheartened" that a parliamentary select committee -- made up of government and opposition members -- recommended the salaries of parliamentarians be reviewed.
Nottage said the report received the unanimous consent of all members of the committee, which included Grant, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells, South Beach MP Cleola Hamilton, St. Anne's MP Hubert Chipman and North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly.
Global Atlanta: With lush brilliance evident even in watercolor, the green paradise shown in the artist's rendering includes a colorful town square, clean streets speckled with strolling pedestrians and a neighborhood of houses arrayed with neat white shutters.
This vision of a new town in the Bahamas belongs to Tunnell Spangler-Walsh & Associates, an Atlanta-based planning, architecture and landscape architecture firm. TSW was commissioned by the Bahamian government to design South Beach Township on New Providence Island, Bahamas...
The Minister of Labor and Social Development is in close contact with City Market to understand how it may assist workers as unease sets in over the recent store closures.
The Minister, Dion Foulkes, told Guardian Business yesterday he's in daily communication with Mark Finlayson, who along with his family owns 78 percent of the shares in City Market's
holding company Bahamas Supermarkets Limited.
According to Foulkes, the company is trying to hold onto as many staff members as possible.
"My understanding is that Finlayson is attempting to keep employees and reduce the work-week as opposed to layoffs," Foulkes said. "Their main concern is to try to keep as many persons engaged as possible."
Meanwhile, as the Minister lends his support, at least one wholesaler is hoping that City Market will pull through its ongoing challenges and see a return to the business it enjoyed in better times, however.
Vice president of Bahamas Wholesale Agencies, John Robertson, told Guardian Business yesterday that although any loss of business that results from further declines in City Market's business would likely be picked up by other customers, the
chain had been a good customer for years.
"We want to see City Market succeed and are disappointed they are struggling a little now," Robertson said. "We are hoping they can come out of this and expand to where they were."
This newspaper published City Market's announcement Thursday that it was closing four stores - two permanently in Grand Bahama effective midnight Wednesday the 14th, and two temporarily in New Providence for renovations.
Until at least the end of the year, there will only be three City Market locations in operation.
The company said yesterday that it was redirecting staff from its South Beach store to its Cable Beach location. Workers from the Sea Grapes store will join its Harbour Bay location in New Providence. In Grand Bahama, staff formerly working at Eight Mile Rock and Downtown Freeport stores were directed to report to the Lucaya Store, which City Market said would move to the chain's 24-hour format.
No layoffs as a result of the store closures were announced up to press-time. The government was, nevertheless, preparing to assist workers should layoffs ensue, according to the Minister.
"We have put several things in place to help in Grand Bahama, as we did with the layoffs at Our Lucaya, including facilitating and fast tracking the unemployment benefit. We are also facilitating as many as possible to apply for the [National Job and Skills Training Initiative] in Grand Bahama," the Minister said.
The employees converging on the remaining stores likely means drastic weekly reductions in how many hours line-workers are able to log. Barring an investment injection and new store openings, the current scenario may be unsustainable.
Guardian Business asked the question of how long the chain could sustain its current employment levels, but had no response up to press time.
According to the company, the renovations in the Nassau stores include an "overhaul" to fix infrastructural issues and address challenges it says have "plagued" the refrigeration system and other equipment. The company is reporting it does not expect renovations to conclude before the end of the year.
These most recent closures follow the closures of its Lyford Cay and Rosetta Street stores early last month.
At its peak, City Market had eight locations in Nassau and three in Grand Bahama.
Tuesday 1st May 2012 8:00 AM
New Providence locations for the Advanced Poll Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 8am - 6pm Kendal G. L. Isaacs Gymnasium Bain & Grants Town Centreville Englerston Fort Charlotte Fox Hill Golden Gates Marathon Montagu Nassau Village Pinewood South Beach St. Anne’s Mical College of The Bahamas Blocks B & T,Tucker Road Bamboo Town Rm 129C Carmichael Rm 111 Elizabeth Rm 125 Garden Hills Rm 112C Golden Isles Rm 130C Killarney Rm 113C Mt. Moriah Rm 131C Sea Breeze Rm 114C Southern Shores Rm 201A Tall Pines Rm 109 Yamacraw Rm 110C
Sunday 22nd April 2012
Time To Be Announced Under the Distinguished Patronage of Dr. Sandra Dean Patterson of the Bahamas Crisis Center CIA Monet Brings to you Beauties @ Brunch Saturday April 22nd 2012 The Bureau of Women’s Affairs celebrates the 50th Year of Suffrage of Women and the advances made by them up to the 21st century. Cia Monet embraces this opportunity through its brand to bring an awareness of the Movement to women of the Bahamas .We dedicate our 2012 Marketing Campaign to honor and commemorate some of our Great Bahamian Women with a 4 part Series called Beauties @ Brunch which Celebrates Fashion, Sophistication, Professionalism and Poise, by coupling Epic Beauty and Fashion with Premium Venues, Food and Wine. $50.00 red carpet affaif price includes your choice of stuffed Snapper, Cornish Hen or Shrimp/Chicken Alfredo part proceeds to the Bahamas Crisis Centre The venue for Nassau is confirmed at Compass Point Beach Resort It will be hosted by Phyllis Albury Garraway and under the patronage of Mrs. Sandra Dean Patterson with a donation going to The Bahamas Crisis Center. The event will include an option of 3 entrées (fish, shrimp or Cornish hen) plus entry as it is a ticketed Red Carpet Event. The 4 part series launches designer couture pieces from each fashion season: spring, summer-swimsuits, fall and winter .Each event will feature 4 segments to include casual, resort wear, career and social. Patrons are asked to dress to impress as the event will be recorded live and boast several media outlets. As it is a RED CARPET event. There are many ways you can become affiliated with the event i.e. Makeup Artist/Beautician/Nail Technician, D.J, Photographer, Media outlet or a Financial Sponsor. We welcome any suggestions that you may have as to how YOUR Company can mutually benefit while making this event a success. We will have flyers, posters as well as a large media wall for our RED CARPET walk. We will be marketing on Facebook, in newspapers, magazines and radio stations. Sponsorship Opportunities: Small Business Package: (At -home, New Business, Self Starter Programs): $200.00 for your logo placement ONLY on all printed marketing material. Corporate Business Packages: Beginning at $1,000.00 you will have your logo placement on all marketing material, as well as radio ad mentions. Title Sponsorship Package: $2000.00 or more: You will be tagged along with Cia Monet as a Title Sponsor. Your logo will be placed on all marketing material and you will receive 4 free tickets to the event valued at $50 each. We will also consider your location as a box office for event
Funeral Service for Cecil Rodney Anthony Butler, 63, Resident of South Beach Estates, Bougainvilla Blvd, will be held on Saturday 17th, September 2011, at 11am, at Greater Bethel Cathedral, Faith Way, Blue Hill Road South, officiating Diocesan Bishop Ellis Farrington, Bahamas State Council PAW, assisted by other ministers of the gospel, Interment will follow Southern Cemetery, Cowpen Road.
Left to cherish his memory is his loving & devoted wife, Betty Butler of 38 years, 5 daughters, Annette, Shelly, Gloria, Betsy & Tina Butler, 2 sons, Anthony & Rodney Jr. Butler, 17 grandchildren, Kishon, Brenay, Ragenna, T’liyah, Tnaj, Verchea, Vashtie, Dominic, Anthony Jr., Nikita ...
City Market workers were locked out of the Sea Grapes Shopping Plaza location yesterday and told by a security guard to report to the Harbour Bay location for work, several of them told The Nassau Guardian yesterday.
The ire built up as more and more of them reported for work only to find out there was no work to report to at their assigned store.
They said executive management did not let them know that the store would be closing, nor where they should report to yesterday morning.
"They need to inform the employees what they will do with us," said stock clerk Evette Robinson.
"They are not giving us any information on where we are heading, no meeting, nothing. It's not fair to us because we're being pushed around and up and down like yoyos.
"We're supposed to report to another store just by word (of mouth), nothing official from management."
However, management sent an official statement to the press Wednesday, stating that the South Beach and Sea Grapes Shopping Plaza stores would be closing temporarily.
The release also announced that City Market's stores in Freeport and Eight Mile Rock would be closing permanently.
"The position takes effect at midnight Wednesday, September 14, 2011," the release said.
"At the stores slated for renovation the company will be addressing infrastructure issues and the many challenges that have plagued the refrigeration system and other equipment.
"The renovations which have been described as a complete overhaul are not expected to conclude before the end of the year.
"City Market will also be converting the Lucayan, Grand Bahama, location to a 24-hour store in keeping with its New Providence 24-hour formats."
The release also gave directives for City Market's staff to report to other City Market locations. Those were the same directives staff told The Guardian they were not given personally by City Market executives.
"The staff complement at these stores have been redirected as follows: South Beach staff are to report to the Cable Beach store; Sea Grapes staff to the Harbour Bay store and staff at the Eight Mile Rock and downtown Freeport stores to the Lucaya store," the statement said.
"City Market appreciates the patience of its customers in this effort."
However, it is the staff who say they have run out of patience with the new owners of City Market. Bahamian businessman Mark Finlayson and other investors bought out the food store chain earlier this year.
Stock clerk for City Market's South Beach location Alberta Rahming said she simply wants management to give her the monies that are due to her so she can be done with the company. She said the management has strung the employees along for too long with no regard for them.
"He (Finlayson) hasn't earned my respect so I'm not giving it," she said. "We just want to move on, we're tired. We just want to move on, we want to go; enough is enough."
City Market now has only two locations left open in New Providence: Cable Beach and Harbour Bay.
Dairy and Frozen Food manager Kendra Bodie insisted employees wanted to hear from management yesterday.
"I feel as if we the employees have been slighted by our employers," she said.
"The employees here are hard working [and] dedicated. The employees give their heart and soul for the company and in turn get treated like this.
"When will you sit with us and speak with us?"


text:
Coronavirus: Fitness industry crumbles as gyms shut down, livelihoods hit – It has been barely a week since gyms across the country shut shop and the industry is already crumbling under the pressure of.
Niu Result DeKALB – As local hospitality businesses struggle under the weeks-long closures mandated because of coronavirus concerns, For patients whose disease progresses following initial treatment, Niu
Matka App Glim Gurgaon 20-02-2020 · Great Lakes Institute of Management – [GLIM], Gurgaon, Haryana . Highest package is 17,02,000 . Our college organised the placement and invited

domain: news


text:
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s “Reader app” on the heels of clickable hashtags
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), the social media giant is purportedly working on a news service application. This application will gather all news that is shared on the website and will make it simpler to browse through iPad and iPhone applications.
Facebook’s ‘ Reader app’ is supposedly similar to ‘Flipboard’, a popular app through which users can create custom magazines by logging in via their individual social media accounts. Very recently, the company also launched ‘ clickable hashtags’, a feature via which it is possible for users to click on hashtags that lead them to feed that is related to that specific tagged topic and they get to view what other people are discussing.
Facebook says that it has been working on this new feature for over a year now but has no plans of releasing it anytime soon. However, additional hashtag features will soon be announced in the forthcoming weeks. Included in the list will also be trending tags. The entire reader landscape is under transition. Come July and Google’s Google Reader RSS will bite the dust and companies like AOL, Digg and Feedly are just waiting in the wings to grab the readership that the search giant will waving goodbye to.
Why is Facebook foraying into news read?
Facebook is the most visited site on the internet and its balance sheet is heavy with $10B. Why exactly is it then aiming its sights so low? News aggregation is all good in its own place and has been around for close to ten years now. It operates on the simple notion that if a company is able to find as well as curate the absolute best in content on the internet, it will be able to build a scalable and profitable business with very low overheads.
The only glitch in this notion is that this space has now become an excessively crowded one and the list of sites and companies who offer it is literally an endless one. If it continues to grow at the pace that it is growing at, the aggregation model will surely lead to an imbalance in the market. Facebook’s “Reader App” will in most probability be successful but what is perplexing is that a company with the kind of resources that FB has, should actually aim so low.


text:
This essay originally appeared in Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily tech newsletter.
Would it surprise you to know growth in startup companies in the U.S. not only has stagnated but has declined since 2000? Covering Silicon Valley as I do, it certainly surprised me. But that’s precisely what Fortune’s Geoffrey Colvin reports in the current issue of the magazine. In his article, “Startup Stagnation,” Colvin explains that headline-grabbing “unicorn” companies like Uber and Airbnb are the exceptions, not the rule.
The trend is disturbing. Startups exert a powerful influence on the economy because they generate a disproportionate number of jobs. Also, as Colvin writes, a decline in startup activity is “bad news because the rise of new companies is an important way in which capital and labor get reallocated from low-productivity uses to high-productivity uses.” One of the researchers Colvin cites recently gave a presentation called “Where Has All the Skewness Gone?” Clever, right?
A couple of other things surprised me about this report. The first is that Silicon Valley’s resilient startup scene doesn’t make that big of an impact on the macro-level numbers. The second is that the researchers don’t know what is causing the decline. That doesn’t stop Colvin from speculating on the outcome. “One can’t help imagining,” he writes, “that maybe these trends are contributing to several intractable problems in the U.S. economy: stagnating wages, long-term unemployment, low productivity growth, and overvalued unicorns as VCs compete for ever fewer high-growth startups.”
Startups and philanthropy.
Were this trend more widely known it could easily become a political football, especially in the hands of the anti-regulation crowd. And they might have a point. It isn’t likely Donald Trump would pay attention to something as nuanced and sophisticated and fact-based as academic economic research. But it’s quite possible this data explains the resentment of the voters who support him.
A healthy economy needs oodles of startup businesses, not just the mega-cap lottery-ticket winners of Silicon Valley. An economy without vibrant startups, no matter how attractive the headline-level data, harbors giant pockets of discontent.


text:
Under Rowley’s leadership, Lonely Planet is now seeking licensing agencies to represent the brand worldwide.
Lonely Planet's new CP department will identify opportunities and develop strategic partnerships to bring the brand into a variety of channels including merchandise for both adults and children.
“It’s a fantastic time for Lonely Planet to expand into consumer products when our books business is continuing to grow and our digital offering is accelerating,” says Shona Gold, chief marketing officer, Lonely Planet. “We believe there is a role for Lonely Planet to extend globally into multiple ranges of products that will further enable and enhance travelers’ trips.”
Prior to joining Lonely Planet, Rowley was director of global consumer products at NBCUniversal where he oversaw the television consumer
“Lonely Planet has been delivering content travelers can trust for over 40 years,” says Rowley. “I’m thrilled to be championing the new consumer products division. We aim to provide the world's best, essential gear to enable extraordinary adventures, whether you’re traveling abroad or close to home.”
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it’s completely free.


text:
While the snow crab market is backed up due to an excess of Canadian product and a higher quota for Alaska opilio this season, supermarket chains are working to move red king crab that they bought at higher prices early in the season.
At the start of Alaska’s red king crab season in October, wholesale prices were pushed to record highs when Japanese buyers snatched up large portions of the anticipated yield. However, those higher prices… Read More
North Pacific Seafoods’ recent purchase of Yardam Knot’s Red Salmon processing plant will allow the Japanese-owned company to expand its product base from primarily frozen fillets and shellfish to canned product.
Seattle-based North Pacific, which is a subsidiary of Marubeni Corp. of Japan, purchased the Red Salmon facility — one of Alaska’s largest sockeye salmon producers — for approximately USD 47 million in late December. The… Read More
Seafood retailers are faced with one daunting challenge after another, but there is a bright spot. One of seafood’s positive growth areas is frozen seafood, a category that continues to spark product innovation and one that retailers continue to grow with additional space and merchandising techniques.
Consumer demand for frozen seafood products has risen because people are eating out less often and they are continuing to seek convenient and… Read More
Florida stone crab landings are higher so far this season compared to last season, pushing prices down.
The season began Oct. 15 and runs through mid-May. “There is good production this year. Supply is definitely going to outweigh the demand,” said one supplier. Landings in South Florida are stronger than last year, while north Florida is slower because of bad weather.
“Supply is better from the Keys to Naples than it is north of Naples at… Read More
U.S. seafood restaurants are pushing gift cards again this holiday season, boosting dining at their eateries both during the season and for months to come.
Legal Sea Foods is offering consumers who purchase USD 200 or more in gift cards from the chain this holiday season a complimentary lobster dinner.
Bonefish Grill is also taking a unique approach this year, offering guests who buy USD 100 worth of gift cards, a free USD 20 bonus card and entry… Read More
The Park Grill Steakhouse and Peddler, which is also a steakhouse, are longstanding restaurants in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Contributing Editor Christine Blank recently dined at The Park Grill, sampling seafood fare that included local farmed trout, the Shrimp and Crab Bisque, and the Smoked Trout Appetizer Cheese Spread. Blank talked to Dale Bright, director of operations for The Park Grill and Peddler, about the restaurants’ seafood purchasing and… Read More
Florida spiny lobster prices are strong this season, thanks to increased demand from China and somewhat lower production.
The spiny lobster season runs from August through March and is one of Florida’s top commercial seafood products in dockside value.
“The export market to China on live has been doing very well,” one producer told SeafoodSource.
“I understand that the price is up because China and other countries are buying it and… Read More
The live seafood market is exploding in stores across the United States as an influx of Asian customers has changed the landscape of traditional seafood retailing. While many Americans are still leery of buying live fish and shellfish from tanks, more consumers want to pick out the still-wriggling seafood themselves.
“It has grown by leaps and bounds with the changing demographics in the country. A lot of Asians are coming in, particularly… Read More
A recent survey shows that some consumers are still concerned about eating farmed fish. At the same time, they are willing to pay a little more for sustainable food and seafood when they eat out.
In a recent Mintel survey of more than 1,900 U.S. restaurant patrons, only 25 percent of consumers believe that farmed fish is the same quality as wild fish. In addition, only 33 percent agree with the statement: “farmed fish is as safe as wild… Read More
The significantly lower quota on this season’s Alaska red king crab fishery is expected to result in a shortage of product in the market and higher prices.
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game set the total allowable catch for Bristol Bay red king crab at 7.834 million pounds, compared to 14.839 million pounds last season. The season runs from Oct. 15 through Jan. 15, 2012.
“We are very concerned about the lower quota. There will be a lot… Read More


text:
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Remember getting your hair hot-combed over the stove and your mom accidentally burned your ear? Or sitting between your mom’s legs while passing her the aluminum foil to slide beads on your braids?
Well, The Black Hair Experience at the National Harbor brings back all of those nostalgic moments from your childhood.
The new Instagrammable pop-up museum in Prince George’s County has over 25 art installations. Each one pays homage to a Black hair experience. From the inside of a beauty salon to a huge ball pit filled with big orange hair rollers, it is all about celebrating Black women and their hair--a topic that is heavily politicized.
Co-founders Alisha Brooks and Elizabeth Austin Davis used their talents with photography and graphic design to create this one-of-a-kind experience. They built their first exhibit in Atlanta, Ga. and expanded to Maryland due to popular demand.
“We kept getting all kinds of comments and emails saying ‘Where are you going next?’ and believe it or not the DMV was our most requested area,” said Brooks.
The two Black women founders have been friends for more than 15 years and worked together to document the stories of Black women and their hair. They want their creation to further the message that all Black hair is beautiful.
“This message is something that still is relevant today and we really wanted to impact this area,” said Brooks.
Maryland passed a new anti-discrimination law that includes hair texture as an element of racial identity. The legislation called the CROWN Act, (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) prohibits discrimination that is based on natural hairstyles like afros, locs, curls and protective hairstyles like braids and twists. This is an attempt to bar discrimination against Black hairstyles by employers and others.
How can hair that naturally grows from the scalp of a Black woman’s head be seen as unprofessional, unkempt and unruly?
The struggle of trying to fit into the constructs of what other races view as acceptable has long burdened Black women who only want to be themselves. This societal pressure is known as “respectability politics”, and it plays a major role in social and systemic racism.
The Black Hair Experience exhibit serves as a sanctuary where Black women can feel safe and celebrated. It highlights a shared hair journey.
From getting box braids and it taking more than six hours to be done, or getting a roller set and sitting under the dryer for two hours only for your hair to still not be dry, or to asking your mom for straight hair but looking in the mirror to discover she still decided to bend your ends. These are the experiences that may have been frustrating at the moment, but it’s a shared experience amongst most Black women that have formed a community.
Although many Black women’s hair journeys have been traumatic, there are memories that may spark a smile that comes with those moments as well. And that’s what the Black Hair Experience exhibit leaves you with. Pure nostalgia.
Inside The Black Hair Experience exhibit
“Representation matters. One of the things that me and Alisha always say about when we were growing up, was that we didn’t really see ourselves in places, nor did we see ourselves celebrated,” said Davis.
Brooks and Davis took it upon themselves to make sure that other Black girls do not feel the way they did.
The Black Hair Experience is now open to the public Thursday through Sunday. Tickets can be bought online for $32.
“I think no matter where you are in your hair journey there is something in our exhibit for you," said Davis. "Even celebrating that our hair should be celebrated in the workplace in the 'My hair is not unprofessional' exhibit. We really wanted to target things that were meaningful and that could connect us."


text:
Food and Drink Federation publishes February food and drink trade snapshot
26 April 2021
Following the publication of ONS trade data earlier this month for February 2021, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has produced its second Food and Drink Trade snapshot this year, looking at trade between the UK and EU for the month of February 2021.
Discussing the snapshot, Dominic Goudie, Head of International Trade at FDF, said:
“While UK food and drink exports to the EU have improved from a 76% fall in January, they are still down nearly 41% in February 2021. Exports to our biggest market, Ireland, have also dropped more than two thirds. UK businesses continue to struggle with inconsistent and incorrect demands at EU borders, and small businesses have been hardest hit due to the collapse of groupage distribution into the EU.
“New EU import requirements for composite products entered into force this week, adding even greater complexity, cost and uncertainty for UK exporters. It is essential that the EU-UK Partnership Council and its Trade Specialised Committees are convened to urgently address problems with the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement to ensure small businesses are not shut out of trade by this trade deal.”


text:
Recently, there are reports that in 2017 China's power cable market capacity will be 8% -9% growth rate.
2017 China's cable industry in addition to promoting the positive impact of smart grid construction, but also because of the country's environmental protection, new energy and other increasingly attention to environmental protection cable will therefore be more updated market, mining cables, high-temperature superconducting cable, Halogen environmental cables and some other high-tech cables will also be sought after by the market further.
The wire and cable industry, the emergence of new industries will inevitably lead to new cable needs. To the new energy cable, for example, it is only a general term, specifically can be broken down into photovoltaic cables, wind power cables; which photovoltaic cables in accordance with the use of the environment will be derived from different needs, and some need high anti-aging to cope with poor Weather (PV power plant), and some need high flame resistance to ensure transmission safety (home PV). 2017, the emergence of these market segments, the cable industry, means that one after another blue ocean waiting for the cable companies to develop.
2017, China's wire and cable companies, is still in the transformation and upgrading of the "labor pains" being. This year, new challenges have come, while the domestic wire and cable industry is still facing a large but not strong, low concentration of industry, a single product, low-profit dilemma. According to statistics, in 2016, China's wire and cable industry in the above-scale (the main business income of 20 million yuan and above) the number of enterprises over 4500, while the top 10 companies in the market share of less than 20% Products, on the one hand is the backlog of low-end cable products, enterprises vicious competition for this, on the other hand is high-end cable products still rely on a large number of imports, the data show that cable products, the average import price of about 21 US dollars / While the export price of cable products is only 9.5 US dollars / kg. The face of aggressive foreign cable companies and the ever-changing cable market environment, China's cable industry has no time to adjust slowly, can only rise to "meet" in the competition gradually out of the past "burden."
The cable industry is notoriously heavy-duty light industry, the impact of raw materials, especially copper prices on the cable industry is almost decisive. In 2017, the price of copper in the end will produce what kind of change is no one can expect. In recent years, the ups and downs of copper prices, it is difficult not to man-made 2017 copper pinch. In 2017, China's wire and cable industry, how copper prices are absolutely unavoidable factors.


text:
today announced that it has installed 5,000 EV charging stations across 200 cities in India. The company has achieved this milestone by installing a 200 kW charger for Tata Power at the DTC (Delhi Transport Commission) depot in Delhi.
Approximately 3600 AC and 1400 DC fast chargers have been installed in multiple locations, such as fleet operators, bus depots, public charging stations, households and residential communities, the company said.
On this achievement, Anant Nahata, MD and CEO of Exicom Group
added, “ We are immensely proud to achieve first of our many milestones in such a short span of time. Deployment of 5000 EV chargers across the country, is just a stepping stone towards achieving the bigger vision of supporting charging network for EVs in India with products that are future proof, reliable and are industry leading in terms of performance.”
Exicom chargers are used to charge four-wheeler electric vehicles from niche automakers such as Audi, MG Motors, Audi and more. The brand has its manufacturing facility located in Gurugram, Haryana. Moreover, it is intending to establish a new greenfield production unit by 2023 to multiply its output by roughly three times. In FY23, Exicom expects to install over 20,000 EV charging facilities abroad.
According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations
(FADA) report, EV sales in India grew 296% to 2,352 units in February 2022. From October 2021 till date, around 940 public EV charging stations have been installed in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Pune, Surat, Hyderabad and Mumbai out of 1,640.


text:
Digital TV News: Digital TV Group
UK's DTG publishes 'State of the Nation' report
May 10, 2022 – The Digital TV Group (DTG) has published findings from its annual ‘State of the Nation’ report. The report considers the key trends in the TV ecosystem and the consumer pain points that need addressing.
News categories: DTG, Richard Lindsay-Davies, Digital TV, Market Research, UK
DTG publishes 'State of the Nation' report
May 13, 2021 – The DTG has published its annual 'State of the Nation' report for the UK. Including sales figures and subscription trends, the report covers trends in the TV ecosystem and consumer painpoints that need addressing.
News categories: Digital TV Group, Richard Lindsay-Davies, Digital TV, Market Research, UK
DTG plans ‘Secure by Design’ scheme to strengthen cyber security in TV products
Sep 12, 2019 – The Digital TV Group (DTG) has announced plans to launch a cyber security conformance scheme. The aim of the scheme is to provide consumers and retailers with the confidence that their connected devices are protected against cyber-attacks.
News categories: Digital TV Group, Richard Lindsay-Davies, Dr Ian Levy, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, UK
Mobile Video Alliance launches in the UK
May 20, 2014 – Participation in the Mobile Video Alliance is open to any organisation that is a member of the UK's Digital TV Group (DTG). The DTG will provide a forum for interested parties to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with the delivery of audio-visual content to mobile devices.
News categories: DTG, George Robertson, Matt Stagg, Michael Winterson, Digital TV, Mobile, UK
DTG Testing scheduled for Freeview Tablet TV UK
Apr 10, 2014 – Motive Television has announced that it has received confirmation that testing of its technology for Freeview Tablet TV by the Digital Technology Group will begin on 28 April.
News categories: Motive Television, DTG Testing, Leonard M Fertig, Tablet, Terrestrial, UK
Digital TV Group launches the UK UHD Forum
Aug 1, 2013 – The Digital TV Group has announced the launch of the UK UHD Forum. The group will co-ordinate UK requirements to build a knowledge base for the future interoperability of Ultra HD, and will work hand-in-hand with FAME and other European standards organisations.
News categories: Digital TV Group, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, UK
DTG updates Freeview HD specification
Mar 28, 2013 – The Digital TV Group (DTG), the industry association for digital TV in the UK, has published an updated version of the 7th edition of the 'D-Book'--the technical specification for UK digital terrestrial television (Freeview and Freeview HD) and Connected TV.
News categories: Digital TV Group, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial, UK
DTG Testing test centre tests its first HbbTV product
Nov 23, 2012 – Following registration as an HbbTV test centre, DTG Testing, the digital TV industry's test centre operated by the Digital TV Group (DTG), has successfully tested its first HbbTV product.
News categories: DTG Testing, HbbTV, QoE, Set Top Box, UK
DTG Connected TV specification now openly available to industry
Sep 28, 2012 – The Digital TV Group (DTG), the industry association for digital TV in the UK, has released the second version of D-Book 7 Part B (the technical specification for UK connected TV products and services) to both members and non-members of the DTG.
News categories: Digital TV Group, Digital TV, HbbTV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, Terrestrial, UK
- Infovista enables user experience testing for OTT and 5G apps and services
- UAE TV viewership research launched at CABSAT 2022
- Another record month for U.S. streaming in April
- Global OTT revenues to grow to $224 billion in 2027
- Conviva data shows double digit streaming growth worldwide
- Nielsen deduplicates audiences across Smart TV and streaming providers
- 605 extends agreement to use VIZIO ACR data
- Pluto TV launches in the Nordics
- U.S. home entertainment spending up 10.9% to $8.7 billion in 1Q 2022
- Major U.S. pay TV providers lost 1,956,000 subscribers in 1Q 2022
- 3SS and ContentWise to use AI to power personalized user experiences
- NOS shows international holographic transmission using 5G
- Telestream acquires Encoding.com
- Hisense unveils its first Smart TV with Fire TV built-in
- Conviva announces streaming audience measurement standard
- iWedia launches ATSC 3.0 software stack
- SVOD reaches saturation in Sweden
- CTV surpasses mobile's share of global video impressions
- Global SVOD subscriptions to grow by 485 million from 2021 to 2027
- European VOD Coalition officially inaugurated


text:
Rolls Royce Builds One-Off Ghost For Charity
British luxury carmaker Rolls Royce has donated a one-off Ghost in support of Together for Short Lives, a children’s palliative care charity based in the U.K. The car was handed over at the charity’s Midsummer Ball in central London, where Rolls also revealed its plans for a yearlong initiative to support Together for Short Lives in its work to help seriously ill children and their families.
“We’re proud to be able to support Together for Short Lives and the remarkable work they do,” said Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Chief Executive Officer at Rolls Royce Motor Cars. “I am certain that the funds raised on the evening and the activity planned throughout the next 12 months will have a lasting impact on the charity, allowing continued support for thousands of children and their families throughout the U.K.”
The car, a Ghost Series II draped in the charity’s bright purple color scheme and finished with Together for Short Lives branding, will be used to help raise funds during a non-stop “Rolls Rally” campaign that will see the sedan visiting all four corners of Britain over the course of the next year. The charity’s patron, television talent judge Simon Cowell, personally delivered the keys during the ball, symbolically cementing the partnership between Rolls Royce and Together for Short Lives.
“[The car is] stunning, and it’s so exciting to see our name and the vibrant purple color of our brand,” said Barbara Gelb OBE, CEO for Together for Short Lives. “Over the coming year, we have the most amazing venture with Rolls Royce to raise awareness of the fantastic children’s hospice and palliative care services across the U.K., and, importantly, to raise money to help families get the care and support they need.”
Continue reading for the full story.
Why it matters
It’s always nice to see luxury carmakers making one-offs for the force of good, rather than pure marketing purposes. What’s more, it’s nice to see the wealthy out there partying to help others, rather than just to feast on caviar and champagne. The ball, which was hosted by British stars Marvin and Rochelle Humes, featured a slew of entertainers, and also included a charity auction. In total, Rolls and Together for Short Lives raised £400,000 (or $611,012), which will go to support over 49,000 British children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
This isn’t the first time Rolls has created a one-off Ghost for charity. Back in 2013, the automaker created a unique version of the four-door, called the FAB1, and made it available to hire for one year in the hopes of raising a million pounds ($1.53 million) for the U.K. charity Breast Cancer Care. That particular vehicle came decked out in a pink paint job, plus pink carpeting, pink leather upholstery, pink center caps, and even a pink umbrella in the door.
Revealed early last year at the Geneva Auto Show, the Ghost Series II received relatively minor updates over the preceding model. Up front, there are reshaped LED headlights, a new “wake channel” hood design, and updated bumpers. Inside is the sort of luxurious appointments you’d expect, including a WiFi hotspot, premium infotainment, and acres of the finest materials available.
Motivation comes from a 6.6-liter V-12 engine boosted by two turbos to 562 horsepower and 573 pound-feet of torque, good enough for a sprint to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. Pricing starts at $263,200. Hey, if you’re out looking to raise money for charity, you might as well be rolling in a Ghost, no?
Read our full review here.


text:
Let war ring true.
Free to play online first person shooter Warface is one step closer to global domination, as developer Crytek has revealed that it will be launching the game across the UK and Europe on October 21st. A new trailer for the game has since been revealed, which you can check out above. Those who wish to sign up for Warface can head to Crytek’s official page for the same.
First launch in Russia, Warface has been developed using CryEngine 3 and found an immensely strong following across the continent when it first launched. Demands were made to bring the game to Western audiences, with rumours also suggesting that it would be heading to consoles. It has since been confirmed to be arriving on the Xbox 360 in 2014 with CryEngine 4 powering the game.
Trion Worlds will be publishing Warface in Europe, with a release date for the United States to be revealed shortly. Stay tuned for more details.


text:
The OOH specialist firm, Katha Mediatix has recently acquired the rights to market spaces inside the popular hair and beauty salon chain, Jawed Habib. This tie-up is for a period of five years, and branding will be offered to advertisers across all 221 Jawed Habib Centers across the country, including the latest salon at the Mumbai Airport.
He adds that Katha has been working on acquiring new mediums that work for clients, enabling them to reach specific target audiences.
On the captive audience in the salons, Sen says, "On an average, a customer spends 30 minutes in a salon; and there are many ways an advertiser can cash on this. Thus, salon branding provides advertisers with a platform that captivates and entertains consumers. It helps get the relevant message in front of the right audience at the right time."
Katha is marketing the spaces inside the salons to a variety of brands and services. This includes TV channels - wherein only that channel will be played on TV screens inside; magazines and newspapers -- where only specific publications will be available to inside the salons.
Katha is also in talks with telecom service providers to set up branded charging kiosks; and also an energy drink brand that's entering the Indian market, as these salons usually offer patrons a welcome drink. Besides this, spaces available include scrollers, posters, magazine racks, tent cards, neon signs and LCD screens, adding up to about 200 sq ft of branding space.
While he chooses not to reveal the price tag that comes with advertising in these salons, Sen points out that it is "not as expensive as a hoarding site". The company plans to roll out the in-salon advertising by mid-October.


text:
1 of 3Image
Nokia has unveiled the N8, the first of its smartphones to use the open-source Symbian^3 operating system.
The Nokia N8, announced on Tuesday, will become available in the UK in the third quarter of 2010, with an estimated retail price of €370 (£321) before taxes and subsidies.
However, the N8 still looks very much like recent Symbian handsets. Symbian Foundation chief Lee Williams told ZDNet UK in February that the next release, Symbian^4, will be the first to adopt a new graphical approach to the user interface. Handsets using Symbian^4 are only expected to be on shelves in the first half of 2011.
New features in Symbian^3 that were missing in its predecessors include multitouch and flick-scrolling, along with a new 2D and 3D graphics architecture.


text:
Steakholder Foods reduces cost of growth media by 75% in two years
Steakholder Foods has announced that its biology team has successfully reduced the cost of its in-house growth media for bovine cell cultivation in suspension by more than 75% from prices two years ago.
With the high cost of growth media being a significant challenge across the industry, hindering scalability and affordability, Steakholder Foods hopes to optimise growth methodologies, creating scalable solutions and paving the way for industrial-scale cell production.
The increased affordability of growth media is significant as it is widely believed that technological challenges to the commercialisation of cell-based meat will be overcome before the economic challenges are met. In a statement Steakholder Foods said: “Every cost reduction in materials can be another step towards putting cultivated meat on people’s tables one day soon”.
While reducing costs is essential, maintaining the highest yield and product quality is equally crucial. Steakholder Foods says it has dedicated R&D efforts over the years to focus on both cost reduction and on optimising growth media in suspension to ensure that yields remain consistently high.
The company’s R&D teams achieve this by testing replacements for individual growth media components to optimise the formulation for beef cells without compromising the quality and quantity of the cells.
Dan Kozlovski, CTO at Steakholder Foods, said: “Our ability to achieve a significant cost reduction in growth media is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our biology team. It propels us toward our goal of making cultivated meat a viable, sustainable and cost-effective solution for the future.”


text:
The group of hackers responsible for the attack on Sony Pictures "got sloppy" and revealed the North Korean IP addresses of the computers they were using, an FBI director has revealed.
FBI director James Comey made the statement as part of his speech to a cybersecurity conference in the US this week, Wired reports .
While there has been much debate over whether the group, known as "The Guardians of Peace", has ties with the Kim Jong-Un led nation, Mr Comey said he has "very high confidence" in the US government agency's determination that they do.
Related: Sony hack an inside job
In pictures: A timeline of the Sony leaks
"In nearly every case, (the hackers) used proxy servers to disguise where they were coming from in sending these emails and posting these statements," Wired quoted him as telling the conference.
"But several times they got sloppy.
"Several times, either because they forgot or because of a technical problem, they connected directly and we could see that the IPs they were using … were exclusively used by the North Koreans."
He said the hackers "shut it off very quickly" but not before the FBI was able to see where it was coming from.
He added that while he would like to share more information about his knowledge on the hacking, much of the information will remain secret for security reasons.
“I want to show you, the American people, as much as I can about the why, but show the bad guys as little as possible about the how,” he said.
“This will happen again and we have to preserve our methods and our sources.”
On November 24, "The Guardians of Peace" leaked an unknown quantity of confidential Sony information online, including staff salaries, executive emails, personal details of celebrities and film scripts.
Sony was singled out by the group over its Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy The Interview, in which their characters are hired to assassinate Kim Jong-un.
After vowing earlier this month to never release the film, Sony provided the movie for release on Christmas Eve through its own dedicated website, YouTube, Google Play and Microsoft Xbox.
The Interview has since become Sony's highest grossing online release of all time, earning more than $18 million in online sales in its first week. At last count, online sales had topped $38 million.


text:
Prepare your fingers: BlackBerry’s new Android-meets-physical-keyboard phone, the KEYone, is now available for purchase in the U.S.
You can get it on BlackBerry’s website, Amazon, and Best Buy online, or at select Best Buy stores, for the price of $549.99.
SEE ALSO: 11 reasons why you should dump your iPhone for the BlackBerry KEYone
The phone is available in two unlocked variants in the U.S. — one optimized for GSM networks, which includes AT&T and T-Mobile, and one optimized for CDMA networks such as Verizon. Carrier-bound versions of the phone will become available this summer.
The KEYone is probably the last chance to revive BlackBerry’s nearly non-existent market share. The phone will likely polarize customers — like it did us — as it’s a mix of cool features and annoying quirks. Read more…
More about Android, Blackberry, Keyboard, Keyone, and Tech


text:
According to the judge, no reasonable jury could reject the SEC's claim that LBRY offered the credits as an investment in its content distribution network.
Binance has stopped accepting FTX's FTT tokens on its platform after the latter's bankruptcy filing.
SK Telecom and Japan's NTT Docomo team up to create metaverse services and develop 5G and 6G technologies.
Korea Seven sets up a metaverse store where customers can visit to enjoy events such as music festivals.
Nike unveils its .Swoosh Web3 marketplace where it will sell NFTs and digital assets featuring its brand.
Yuga Labs acquires WENEW and 10KTF NFT collection, expanding its portfolio of popular digital tokens.
Crypto and blockchain industry stands to welcome legacy powers like the Rothschilds, braces for tokenized future
Recently, reports floated in the media about the Rothschilds developing their own cryptocurrency ‘IMMO.’
While major financial institutions world over have been embracing blockchain technology, recent reports suggest that they are also planning to go big on cryptocurrencies. But the Rothschild & Co is not just any other financial institution; it is a 200-year old banking dynasty.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin questioned the relevance of the Rothschilds in present times, adding, “If old-money-type high society people want to make their own currencies, go ahead, more power to them; see you in the moderately-free market.”
If the reports on the European banking dynasty’s cryptocurrency project hold any truth, crypto experts see it as a positive sign for the crypto market and expect more “legacy powers” to soon follow suit.
“As the industry matures, it will increasingly catch the eye of legacy financial powers. Investors at all levels are watching the developments in this space closely, and I fully expect more major players to take similar moves to the Rothschilds as it becomes even clearer that cryptocurrencies are here to stay,” Rob May, CEO of BotChain, a decentralized identity registry for bots, said.
Charles Michael Yim, CEO and Founder of Cointopia, believes that the cryptocurrency space can greatly benefit from the involvement of the Rothschilds, which would help with “maturation of the space and bring it more mainstream.” He said that “they can build real value because they are one of the oldest families in the financial space,” adding that his “attitude is a hedged 'wait and see’.”
Legacy Powers Entering Crypto Space – Driven By Fear Of Being Left Behind?
Crypto and blockchain space experts also see these reports as a sign of the evolution of the banking sector in general. They also consider this to be a sign of cryptocurrencies going mainstream.
Dominik Zynis, Co-founder of WINGS Foundation, said that the Rothschilds’ entry into crypto space is “sure sign” that “the centuries old banking system we have in the West is on the verge of crumbling.”
“With Italy practically shaking the markets with the possibility of nixing the failed Euro experiment, it is only practical a European banking institution like the Rothschilds would consider blockchain technology should the unthinkable happen in the Eurozone,” Zynis added.
Jena Binderup, Chief Communications Officer, Blocksafe, said that cryptocurrencies “are becoming items of interest in the mainstream,” adding that “now legacy finance circles and the Rothschilds' launch of their own cryptocurrency is their response to the evolution of traditional banking."
Duane Jacobsen, CFO at Blocksafe, said, "The Rothschilds are moving with the technology before they get left behind, which is also evidence that the market is here to stay."
Crypto Industry Incumbents Stand To Welcome Legacy Financial Powers
Existing players in the crypto and blockchain industry are welcoming such initiatives from the traditional banking sector and believe this is just the beginning to a “tokenized, distributed ledger enabled future.”
“It’s a great testament to the momentum of the crypto and tokenization space. The more that ‘traditional players’ enter the market, the more it validates what those of us in the space already know - it’s a tokenized, distributed ledger enabled future,” Nate D’Amico, CPO of TechBureau North America.
“This is only further validation of distributed ledger technology. It’s very encouraging that the market is now scaling beyond a developer community and is including more traditional investors, syndicates and venture capital. These are exciting times. It’s thrilling to be part of the advancement and overall transformation in the Fintech arena,” Tom Beno, CEO of TechBureau North America.
Miles Paschini, Co-founder of B21, a personal wealth management platform for cryptoassets, is not too surprised by the entrance of elite wealth holders into the cryptocurrency ecosystem and expects cryptoassets to eventually replace traditional assets classes.
"More broadly viewed cryptoassets, whether they be currency, digitized physical assets or something we have not envisioned yet, will likely replace existing assets classes. This is because tokenized cryptoassets will be far more fungible. Imagine trading tokenized gold for tokenized real estate, across borders and instantly,” Paschini said.
"The banking industry is overdue for disruption. The blockchain community welcomes anyone driving technology to affect real change, and help those marginalised. Whilst it’s great these guys are coming to play, it only serves as validation of the threat to their unfair, exclusionary, biased industry. Banking should be accessible, equitable and easy, yet incumbents continue to prevent this,” Reuben Coppa, CEO, intimate.io, said.
Areas Of Concern
Adam Koltun, Lead Evangelist for the Quantum Resistant Ledger, cautioned that with the influx of more value in the blockchain sector, the security stakes will also go up.
“It's exciting to see more institutions adopting cryptocurrency as a viable technology. However, we must all recognize that as more value continues to flood into the blockchain sector, the security stakes grow much higher. In the blockchain space, the bigger the prize, the more actively it must be secured,” said Koltun.


text:
Today, Christie's announced that it would sell the collection of Lee Bouvier Radziwill at an auction this October. Radziwill, the famous sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and a former princess in her own right, died this past February at the age of 85. Earlier this year, news broke that Radziwill's Manhattan apartment had been sold. Yet for Bouvier and interiors aficionados alike, questions likely lingered as to what would become of the various classic (and often pink) pieces of furniture and personal possessions that populated Radziwill's esteemed interiors, in both New York and Paris.
"It's a real biography of objects," Jonathan Rendell, Christie's deputy chairman, explains to AD PRO, noting that Radziwill's homes communicated a real feel for its inhabitant. Rendell adds that Radziwill was known for working with famed Italian Oscar-winner, architect, and interior decorator Renzo Mongiardino—and that a few watercolor maquettes of the interiors made by the designer will be included in the sale. "He was very influential on her, and she was too on him," Rendell explains of the pair's relationship. "I’m still going through the archives, but certainly there's some furniture supplied by him…."
Sketches and pieces with such interior design pedigree are likely to pique the interest of many a potential buyer. However, Rendell emphasizes that it's too early in the research process to determine the sale's potential highlights. In all likelihood, those eventual standouts will have at least something to do with the fact that Mongiardino is, according to Rendell, having something of a moment in his own right. Asked why exactly he believes individuals still "hold a torch" for a man who passed away over twenty years ago, Rendell responds, "I think it’s the move away from minimalism, and towards layering pattern. People are trying to build a visual experience."
Even if Mongiardino's maximalist label is difficult to completely apply to Radziwill, she did indeed create such experiences. "You feel her there very much," Rendell says of Radziwill's now former home. "Little things, boxes, tell you that's someone who understood French design in the 1950s." It's also clear, he adds, that small gifts from friends were just as important as works by well-known artists. But what of Radziwill's decorating style—if one was not to completely define it, but at least to pin it down somewhat? "It's interesting to look at the way she decorated," Rendell says, no doubt casting his mind to the various items destined for Christie's Rockefeller Center headquarters. "There's a standard New England plainness, with the exotic layered [in.]" Those supplementary elements, which helped create what Rendell calls "sophisticated" final scenes, can be attributed in large part to Radziwill's travels, he says.
Asked how exactly Christie's landed this collection, Rendell points to other such small tribute sales that the auction house has done in recent years, citing the Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Rivers auctions especially. "People are really fascinated by how [others] live and how they put things together," he says. Reflecting on Radziwill's home, Rendell muses, "When there's interaction between the decorator and client, that's when it really works."


text:
'India must tap global demography'
With a right blend of IT, biotech and pharma, India could be the key destination for KPO, EPO and BPO.india Updated: Apr 06, 2006 11:33 IST
India must tap the vast potential being created by the changing global demography where the developed world faces ageing population and younger workforce is coming from developing nations, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said Wednesday.
"With the greying of populations in the developed world, the workforce, not just labour, but also skilled and technologically qualified manpower, will come from developing countries," the minister told students of global trade policy here.
"This is an opportunity for India that in 10 years will have a workforce larger than even China's," Kamal Nath told the 40th annual convocation of the commerce ministry-promoted Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
"With a right blend of IT, biotech and pharma manufacturing, India could be the key destination for knowledge process outsourcing and engineering outsourcing, along with business process outsourcing (BPO)," Kamal Nath added.
The minister said India was becoming a major global trader with its merchandise exports touching $100 billion last year, up from $63 billion in 2004 - a growth of about 26 per cent.
"Our total economic engagement with the world today, including imports, tops 350 billion dollars that reflects our growing significance in international trade," he said, adding that there were fresh challenges to sustain the momentum.
He said the developed world was creating subtle non-tariff barriers to trade in the subtle guise of addressing health, environment or social concerns that countries like India must fight against.
The minister, however, assured that the country's primary concerns and interests had been addressed at the Hong Kong meeting of the World Trade Organisation with enough space for future negotiations.
"Government will continue to engage various stakeholders in each of the areas to ensure the best result which will fully protects our farmers, industry, and our overall national interests," he added.
According to institute officials, campus placement has been good this year with not only the entire batch being recruited but also walking away with an average annual domestic salary of Rs 810,000 ($18,500).
There was also a record high domestic salary offer of Rs 1.05 million per annum and an international salary of $100,000, with several firms in pharmaceuticals, banking, consumer goods, IT and trading participating in the recruitment drive.
The institute's director, Prabir Sengupta, said the Kolkata campus would start functioning from July this year with a business administration programme at the master's level.
First Published: Apr 05, 2006 18:09 IST


text:
As a result, net profit of “Rosneft” in 2015 amounted to 355 billion rubles, said in the report. This was above analysts ‘ forecasts.
MOSCOW, 31 Mar. Net profit of Rosneft under IFRS by the end of 2015 increased by 2% compared with 2014 year and amounted to 355 billion rubles, said in the report.
Net profit came in better than the consensus forecast in 351,5 billion rubles, is composed on the basis of poll of analysts. Revenue of Rosneft decreased by 6.4% to 5,15 trillion rubles, but also was higher than the forecast (5,027 trillion rubles).
“Despite worsening market conditions, the company increased the volume of high-margin oil supplies in the Eastern direction (+18,5%), increased volume of gas sales (3,8%) and products of oil refining and petrochemistry (+1%). Rosneft managed to limit the negative effect of the decline in oil prices by 16.3% in rubles and by 47,3% in dollar terms in 2015,” notes the company.
In connection with strengthening of control over costs EBITDA last year increased by 17,8% and amounted to 1,245 trillion rubles. “EBITDA growth was helped by the cost control and effective management of the sales structure, quality improvement of the basket of manufactured products, and reduce the negative effect of time lag on export duties,” says the company.
Net debt of “Rosneft” in 2015 decreased by 47% and by the end of the year amounted to 23.2 billion dollars. “The decrease was due to repayment of a substantial part of short-term debt as a result of generation of operating cash flow and receipt of funds under long-term contracts for the supply of oil. Despite challenging market conditions, the financial position of the company remains stable. The ratio of net debt to EBITDA by the end of 2015 is 1.12 in dollar terms,” says the company.
For the fourth quarter of 2015 net profit “Rosneft” has decreased compared to the previous quarter by 2.1 times, up to 53 billion rubles. Revenue fell 7.7%, to 1,196 billion rubles due to the decrease in oil prices in ruble terms, as well as reducing the volumes of petroleum products. EBITDA in the period fell 6.4% to 278 billion rubles because of the accelerating rate of decline of oil prices (-11,1% in ruble equivalent).


text:
The numbers compiled by The Rest of the Story reveal that during 2011 and the first two quarters of 2012, anti-smoking groups received at least $2.8 million from Pfizer:
American Academy of Pediatrics: $720,800
American Cancer Society: $252,750
American Heart Association: $136,000
American Lung Association: $190,250
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: $100,000
American Medical Association: $857,500
American Legacy Foundation: $300,000
Action on Smoking and Health: $200,000
In addition, the 2012 National Conference on Tobacco or Health was sponsored by Pfizer.
And astonishingly, even the CDC is partnering with Pfizer.
I have already questioned these partnerships on the grounds that they undermine the scientific credibility of the anti-smoking movement, destroying the scientific objectivity of these groups' conclusions and recommendations regarding strategies to promote smoking cessation. Today, however, I question these partnerships on public health and ethical grounds.
The Rest of the Story
Since most, if not all, of the anti-smoking groups above have argued that electronic cigarettes should be banned because they contain detectable levels of a carcinogen - to which there is no safe level of exposure - these anti-smoking groups should jump into action with today's revelation that a substantial proportion of the nation's rice supply is contaminated with a carcinogen - arsenic - at levels that are considered to be unsafe for drinking water. Moreover, since arsenic is a carcinogen, these groups would argue that there is no safe level of exposure to arsenic to begin with. Certainly, they should view the finding that our nation's rice supply is contaminated with arsenic as a huge public health catastrophe.
The fact is that arsenic - a proven, human carcinogen - has been detected in rice at levels that exceed levels that are considered to be acceptable for drinking water. This is a particular problem in the southern U.S., especially in Arkansas, where rice growers have filed a lawsuit related to the high levels of arsenic in water used to grow rice. They argue that the arsenic contamination has resulted in levels in rice that may not be safe for children.
Where is the arsenic coming from and who is responsible?
The answer is ...
Up until last year, Pfizer marketed and sold a drug - Roxarsone - that when added to chicken feed helps spur chicken growth and produce a more attractive pink color which helps sell more chickens. The problem is that Roxarsone contains arsenic. And although it is organic arsenic, which is not hazardous, the drug is apparently converted to inorganic arsenic in the intestinal tract. Chicken litter therefore contains inorganic arsenic. Rice growers then use the poultry litter to fertilize their fields.
Thus, it is Pfizer which is apparently responsible for the high levels of arsenic that are being found in rice grown in the southern U.S. and which could potentially be threatening the health of children consuming that rice.
According to an article in Food Safety News:
"Arkansas rice growers say chicken industry practices promoted by industry giants like Pfizer, Tyson Foods Inc. and other big chicken producers are responsible for the high arsenic levels being detected in their crops. The growers have asked the Circuit Court for the Southern District of Arkansas for a jury trial to decide whether their claim that Pfizer, Tyson and half a dozen other poultry companies is justified. The growers blame those defendants for the high levels of arsenic found in rice grown in Arkansas waters. The federal lawsuit was filed just a few days after both Consumer Reports and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released data showing that white rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas may contain arsenic at levels that are too high for some, especially children. ... Pfizer Inc.’s animal feed additive business, known as Alpharma, is accused of selling arsenic-containing compounds such as a product called “3-Nitro,” used in chicken feed to spur the growth of chickens and prevent an intestinal disease called coccidiosis. The product contains organic arsenic that the rice growers’ say passes through chickens into their litter. ... ‘Most scientists and government agencies recognized “3-Nitro” to be highly toxic to humans and to be a recognized source of arsenic poisoning which can lead to various human health diseases and complications,' says the rice growers’ complaint."
Although one might expect that Pfizer has reformed itself after the revelation that it may be responsible for poisoning much of the nation's rice supply, the company - in 2012 - continued to lobby against legislation that would ban arsenic and arsenic-containing drugs from chicken feed.
Sadly, through their partnerships with Pfizer, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Medical Association, American Legacy Foundation, Action on Smoking and Health, and CDC all share in the complicity that led to this public health disaster. These organizations should renounce their partnerships with Pfizer immediately.
Post a Comment