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American Airlines is making a big change to its loyalty program that could impact thousands of travelers.
The airline announced this week that it will start limiting the ability for passengers to earn AAdvantage miles and loyalty points when they buy tickets through third-party sellers like travel agents or online booking sites.
Starting May 1, American Airlines will only give points for flights booked through certain partners and "preferred agencies," which will be named in a list coming out in April.
This is a big change from how things used to work and shows that the airline wants more people to book flights directly on its website, so it doesn't have to pay fees to other companies.
Scott Chandler, American's senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty, told The Points Guy: "We want to just make sure that customers understand what they're getting when they book with their specific agency... So it's really for the customer so they understand that there is a better way to find products and understand what they're buying."
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While business travelers and AAdvantage Business members will still be able to earn points no matter where they book their flights, regular travelers buying basic economy tickets will only get miles and loyalty points when booking directly through American Airlines.
This move by American Airlines is similar to what big hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott do. They also only give points for loyalty programs to people who book directly with them.
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This change could have a big impact on travelers who use credit card points that can be transferred, like those from American Express, Chase, or Capital One. It might mess up their ability to earn miles or status credits if these partners aren't on American's preferred list.
American Airlines made this decision at a time when costs for passengers are going up. They recently announced that they're raising the fees for checked bags on domestic flights.
This increase in fees, the first one in almost six years, has upset travelers. They've been expressing their frustration on social media platforms. One person on Twitter said the fee increase was a "reason to boycott" the airline. Another wrote: "American Airlines doubles down on everything that is wrong with passenger air travel."
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Home Depot: Hackers also stole 53M email addresses
NEW YORK | Hackers stole 53 million email addresses in addition to customers' card data, Home Depot said Thursday.
The nation's largest home improvement chain had disclosed the massive, months-long breach of 56 million debit and credit cards in September.
Home Depot's breach surpassed Target's pre-Christmas 2013 data theft, which compromised 40 million credit and debit cards and hurt sales and profits. Since late last year, Michaels, SuperValu and Neiman Marcus have been among a string of retailers that have also reported breaches, though they were smaller.
While shoppers appear to have grown numb to the hacks, the breaches have forcing changes in retailing. Target's breach pushed banks, retailers and card companies to increase security by speeding the adoption of microchips in U.S. credit and debit cards, which supporters say are more secure. Home Depot reiterated Thursday that it will be activating chip-enabled checkout terminals at all of its U.S. stores by the end of the year.
The file containing the email addresses did not contain passwords or other sensitive personal information, according to Home Depot. However, it said that customers should be on guard against phishing scams. Phishing attacks are sent through texts or emails and try to trap you into disclosing personal information.
The company is notifying affected customers in the U.S. and Canada.
Home Depot also explained how the hackers got into its system. It said that the hackers initially accessed its network in April with a third-party vendor's username and password. Home Depot said hackers stole information through malware installed on self-checkout systems in the U.S. and Canada. That's similar to what happened at Target where thieves hacked into the password of a third-party supplier.
Home Depot said that its investigation with law enforcement and efforts to further enhance its security measures are ongoing.
On Thursday it confirmed its sales growth estimate for the year and said it still expects annual profit of $4.54 per share. But unclear is how much Home Depot's future profits will be affected.

domain: news


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The days of an SSD being a luxury seem to be all but in the past. Not only that, but the SATA interface, being all but saturated, is starting to look a bit out dated. Sure, with technologies such as 3D NAND, the SATA interface is still very much used still. But, with more and more companies producing NVME, or Non-Volatile Memory Express, drives, it’s only a matter of time before SATA drives go the way of IDE. With the launch of their all new Hellfire NVME M.2 SSD, Patriot understands what enthusiast wants these days. They proved this with the launch of their first NVMe SSD, the Patriot Hellfire, based on Phison's PS5007-E7, PCIe Gen3x4 SSD controller. We recently tested their 240gb model of the Patriot Hellfire M.2. With advertised speeds of Up to 3000 MB/s Read and Up to 2300 MB/s Write, it’s hard to argue with them. However, in a market cornered by the likes of Samsung and Intel, can the Hellfire stand up to the competition? Let’s look and see how it held up.
In the age of growing technology, gone are the days where an SSD is a luxury. With how cheap SSDs are getting, they seem to me more of a necessity, at least for the boot drive. But what about general storage? Is it at all possible for the general consumer to move away from traditional mechanical drives? I’d say it more possible now than ever. With the launch of their SU800 2.5” SSD with 3D Nand Technology, and capacities up to 1 TB, I think ADATA would agree. However, with a market already dominated by a couple a big named companies, how does the SU800 hold up to the competition? We ran the SU800 through a number of benchmarks and stress tests. I’d like to that ADATA for making this review possible. Now, Let’s see how it did.
Data storage solutions are improving each year, getting faster and larger in capacities. PCIe SSDs used to be very expensive for an average gamer but not these days. OCZ has an SSD for enthusiasts and hardcore gamers, the OCZ RD400 NVM Express® M.2 solid state drive series. This SSD promises to outperform SATA SSDs by over 4.5 times! Let's find that out today.


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Last year, was registered a growth of 6.3%. In the first half of 2017, Portugal exported 43 million pairs of shoes worth a total of 960 million euros. If these numbers are confirmed by the end of the year, this will be the eighth consecutive year of growth of the Portuguese footwear industry in international markets. It seems that, in 2017, the Portuguese footwear exports will reach a new record.
Since 2009, the sales of Portuguese footwear in international markets have increased approximately 60%, rising from 1.200 million euros to nearly 1.950 million, by the end of last year.
In the first half of 2017, the Portuguese footwear grew in almost all relevant markets. In the European Union, was recorded an increase of 5.2%, as a result to good performances in countries, such as France (over 4% to 202 million euros), Holland (over 6% to 136 million euros) and Germany (over 8% to 181 million euros).
Outside Europe, highlights for the USA (over 7% to 35 million euros), Russia (over 32% to 13 million euros), Canada (a 30% growth to 12 million euros), Angola (over 126% to 11 million euros) and Japan (growth of 6% to 11 million euros).
As a last reminder, the Portuguese footwear exports nearly all of its production to 152 countries worldwide.


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According to Xbox executive Kudo Tsunoda, the Xbox One has "a lot more going on" than the PlayStation 4 and other competing platforms. In a new interview, Tsunoda talks about how Xbox One features like backward compatibility, as well as cross-play and cross-buy with PC, give the Xbox One the upper hand.
"For a long time we've had PC gamers and console gamers who weren't really able to play together," Tsunoda told GameIndustry International. "That's why cross-play is still such a powerful idea. You should be able to play what you love, and play together, regardless of what device you're playing on. It's about connecting people."
"It's a really unique value that only we can offer," he added. "You still need very gamer-focused values, but there's lots of things you can do with our technology. We've really got a lot more going on [than our competitors]. We're doing things that can't be done on any other console."
Tsunoda went on to say that allowing people to play games "wherever they want, on whatever device they choose, and making that easy" is Microsoft's long-term goal for the overall Xbox ecosystem.
On the subject of backwards compatibility specifically, Tsunoda said he's happy to deliver a feature that fans have been clamoring for.
"With backwards compatibility, it isn't something that we just think gamers might want," Tsunoda explained. "We know. We're looking for and soliciting that feedback. It was the No. 1 most requested feature for Xbox One by far."
For its part, Sony has said it has no plans to bring backwards compatibility to PS4.
Not only does the Xbox One have features and functionality that can't be found or delivered on competing platforms, but the console has a bigger lineup of exclusives than anyone else, Tsunoda said. "We've got a lot more exclusive games than any other platform," he stated.
Some of Microsoft's biggest upcoming Xbox One exclusives for this year include Halo 5: Guardians, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Fable Legends and Forza Motorsport 6. Looking into next year and beyond, Microsoft has Quantum Break, Sea of Thieves, Recore and Inside, among others.
Sony, on the other hand, has admitted that its first-party games lineup for this year is "a little sparse."
What do you make of Tsunoda's statements? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


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Venice is cracking down on shops selling pizza by the slice in a blow to visiting fast food fans.
New kebab shops are also banned in order to preserve Venetian “decorum and traditions”.
It means guests wanting pizza will have to order one whole from Venice’s restaurants.
Only shops selling ice cream will be spared from the new restrictions of mayor Luigi Brugnaro.
Paola Mar, the city’s tourism chief, said the city was not opposed to eating outside or even fast food.
However the consumption of takeaway grub is already banned in the city’s main square, the Piazza San Marco.
Mr Mar told The Guardian: "The problem is that with a tourist city like ours, there is a risk of it losing its identity.
"We want to put the brakes on types of activities which are not compatible with the preservation and development of Venice’s cultural heritage.
"There are local products that we must try to promote, this would be better for the spirit of the city and, at an environmental level, would be more sustainable."
The city also plans to develop picnic areas, Mr Mar says, to deter visitors from eating takeaways near tourist hotspots.


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IKEA Motivational Mirror
With well over two-thirds of Britons claiming image insecurity and self-doubt, IKEA have today announced the launch of the ‘Motivational Mirror’ – bestowing personalised compliments to provide the nation with a much needed morale boost.
Head over to http://bit.ly/AtoZzz to discover the A to Zzz, 26 tips to help you start and end each day better.
Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/ikeauk
Like IKEA UK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IKEAUK
Follow IKEA UK on Instagram: h
07 Oct 2014


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IHG Hotels and Resorts has put pen to paper for its third Hotel Indigo in Saudi Arabia. Hotel Indigo Jeddah is expected to open in 2028, joining a Hotel Indigo resort also in Jeddah, opening in 2026, and a Riyadh hotel in 2025.
The hotel will be developed as part of the SIGMAC mixed use development on Prince Sultan Road. With 267 rooms and 173 serviced apartments, the hotel will feature a neighbourhood café, lobby lounge, health club and swimming pool.
Speaking on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, managing director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said: “With the signing of our second management agreement for Hotel Indigo in Jeddah, we look forward to being able to welcome more guests to visit this exciting and dynamic city in the coming years.
“We are greatly encouraged by the Saudi leaderships’ investment into the reinvigoration of Jeddah, under the Saudi Tourism Development Strategy. Joining our Hotel Indigo properties in Riyadh, and Hotel Indigo Durrat Al Arus here in Jeddah, this new agreement aligns closely with our ambition to deliver a truly unique urban lifestyle proposition to new guest segments in Saudi Arabia. It will continue to drive forward our vision of offering the perfect balance of local experiences and hospitality, complimented by the familiarity of our brands’ modern design and the latest technological advancements in the industry.”
Jason Addison, the CEO of SIGMAC, added: “We’re pleased to partner with IHG to bring a new Hotel Indigo to Jeddah with our iconic mixed-use development in the city. The Kingdom’s tourism offering is ever-growing and it’s exciting to be an integral part of that, while reassured by being partnered with one of the world’s largest hotel groups.
“We look forward to benefiting from both IHG’s global experience and expertise in the industry, but even more importantly, their knowledge of our market through their long-standing presence in KSA. When we open our doors in Q1 2028, we plan to offer our guests the unique experience of a Hotel Indigo, in a way that honours the hospitality so ingrained within the Saudi culture.”
Established in 2004, Hotel Indigo is currently present in more than 20 countries with over 120 hotels, with additional 100-plus hotels in the pipeline, across India, Middle East and Africa. IHG opened Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, its first Hotel Indigo in the region, last year. Hotel Indigo Jeddah joins a growing pipeline for the brand including properties in Doha and Oman.
Source: Hotelier Middle East


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The world's major TV vendors, including top brand Sharp Corp, will purchase more flat panels from Taiwanese suppliers in a bid to cope with fast-growing slim-screen TV demand, a Taipei-based researcher said yesterday.
To secure stable supply of flat panels, some leading TV vendors also manufacture liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panels, a key component for the sleek TVs, by building their own factories, or through joint ventures.
"But their capacity will not be able to satisfy the rising demand for LCD TVs as the market is set to boom after a two year brewing [period]," Lee Kuo-ting (李國鼎), an analyst with Market Intelligence Center (MIC, 市場情報中心), said yesterday on the sideline of an industrial seminar on flat-panel displays.
LCD TV sales are expected to jump to 36.48 million units this year and to 95.44 million units in 2010 around the world, compared to 19.73 million units sold last year as falling TV prices and the transition to digital broadcasting are spurring demand, Lee said.
"They need to look outside for sufficient supply. That will offer a boon for Taiwanese companies," Lee said.
Royal Philips Electronics NV of the Netherlands could set the clearest example of this trend, he said.
Royal Philips would start buying 32-inch flat panels for TVs from Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (
In addition, Sharp, the world's top LCD TV brand, said last November that it was in talks with a Taiwanese LCD panel maker for 32-inch panel supply to fill a shortfall as much as 30 percent.
Lee said Quanta Display Inc (廣輝), a flat-panel manufacturing arm of the world's biggest contract notebook computer, Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), was Sharp's first pick in light of its long-term ties with Quanta Computer, which makes TVs for the Japanese firm.
Sony Corp and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, which sells consumer electronics under the Panasonic brand name, face the same problem of looking for new TV panel supply from outside, Lee said.
"Sony now relies on panel supply from a 50-50 joint venture with Samsung Electronics Co, S-LCD Corp. But, S-LCD can only offer up to 40 percent of the panels Sony needs," Lee said.
Sony, which recouped part of its market share last year thanks to the launch of its lower-priced "Bravia" series, needs to source more mainstream 32-inch TV panels from outside suppliers to cope with rising demand, Lee said.
While, S-LCD would focus its strength on making bigger-sized and higher-margin products, he said.
Sony now buys TV panels primarily from AU Optronics Corp (
Matsushita Electric, which has stopped investing in LCD panel manufacturing, will have to seek mainstay 32-inch panels, he said.


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The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved separate agreements by Gelson’s Markets to acquire eight California stores being vacated by Haggen Inc. for $36 million; and by Smart & Final to buy 28 stores in the state for $56 million. The transactions involve 13 stores in San Diego County.
A Haggen Inc. statement said Encino-based Gelson’s has been cleared to buy three of the local Haggen stores, on El Camino Real in Carlsbad, Via De La Valle in Del Mar and Turquoise Street in La Jolla. Those will be the first San Diego County stores for Gelson’s, an upscale specialty grocer.
Commerce-based Smart & Final received the go-ahead to buy 10 local Haggen sites, which will add to the discount warehouse grocer’s 10 current stores in the region. The stores being acquired are on Carlsbad Village Drive in Carlsbad, East H Street in Chula Vista, B Avenue in Coronado, Camino Canada and Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon, Avocado Avenue in La Mesa, Magnolia Avenue in Santee, and San Diego stores on Tierrasanta Boulevard, Westview Parkway and West San Ysidro Boulevard.
The court as of Nov. 16 had not ruled on bids submitted for 12 other stores in San Diego County. Bidders in the running for those locations include Smart & Final, Carnival Supermarkets, Albertsons, RJS Investment Group, Good Food Holdings (parent of Bristol Farms) and Tawa Supermarket.


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Samsung steals show in Las Vegas for Bay stage exit
- January 7, 2014
High-definition TVs and wearable technology took centre stage ahead of the opening of International CES yesterday as companies jostled for space in(...)
iWatch this space: will Apple reinvent the timepiece?
- March 25, 2013, 06:36
Last week I was travelling in a different time zone, so to keep my bearings I tried to reset the time on my prized but cheap Casio watch – this(...)


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No credet card local sex
That's because your entire monthly payment will be going toward the principal, not the interest, helping you become debt-free faster.If consolidating your credit card debt onto a zero percent interest card frees up some cash flow in your budget each month, you may be able to make "extra" payments on your debt and get rid of your credit card bills at a more rapid pace.He said when he went to fill up his car over the weekend, a few things jumped out at him right away."I noticed that all the security tapes were either pulled off or cut," Bloom said.Bloom called the Department of Agriculture, which sent out an inspector.Crime Stoppers will pay up to ,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects responsible for the robbery.Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.Voters are one step closer to deciding whether a fund should be set up to help victims of child sex trafficking.
Transferring one or more current credit card balances to a zero percent interest rate card can help you more quickly pay off your creditors.
“I think people have a hard time translating one website and what that actually looks like in terms of the number of young people affected by that negatively,” Troutead said. Coinciding with the event, Atlanta-based organization youth Spark is releasing a new study about the sex trade involving young males. Several adult entertainment clubs could soon sue the state over a new sex trafficking law. But that part of the legislation still needs voter approval. “They are illegitimate and they need to pay for the problem and the cancer they have brought to each community in our society."Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at Clark Atlanta University on Friday about battling human trafficking both around the globe and here in Atlanta.
In response to the outcry, has reportedly announced plans to stop charging users to post ads in its adult section, but it will not take the ads down. Now that the sex trafficking bill has been signed, attorney Alan Begner says one thing is for sure: “You can certainly guarantee the law will be challenged.”Under a measure passed Tuesday by the Georgia House, strip clubs would have to pay a new ,000 annual fee to help combat sex trafficking. Tom Weldon, R-Ringgold, said it’s time to send a message. Speaking to a crowd of students, the 39th president said the selling and buying of human beings is far from over.
This is the third time they've found the devices there in less than three months.
Authorities said the three credit card skimmers could have been used to steal financial information from countless customers."Does that worry you?
Balance transfers featuring zero percent offers are especially nice, but even a low-rate balance transfer can save you money if your current credit card interest rates are moderate or high.


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Say it with me: Prime by bedtime. Prime by bedtime. Prime by bedtime.
Soon, very soon, Amazon Prime customers across the United States will be able to purchase an item on Amazon.com and have it delivered later that day now that the online retailer giant has added free same day delivery to the benefits of Prime membership. Currently, the premium service is only available in a select few metro areas around the country, but Amazon aims to expand that delivery area very soon.
This move gives Amazon a big advantage over some of the recent competition entering the market. Large companies like Walmart, eBay, and Google, and smaller internet start-ups like Jet.com, Uber, Instacart, and Postmates are either venturing into the online logistics jungle or have already established secure fiefdoms. Free same day delivery is definitely an attractive feature that will keep current Prime members coming back and entice new customers to sign up.
Innovation isn’t a new concept at Amazon. They have previously offered Amazon Fresh, a grocery delivery service to New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, and parts of Los Angeles, and Prime Now, a one-hour delivery service that expanded to a number of metro areas. Amazon has also made headlines by announcing their intent to utilize drones to deliver items across the United States.
The new service area for same day delivery for Prime will encompass several areas:
The free, same-day service is available seven days a week in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles metro area, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Washington, DC, as well as San Diego and Tampa Bay, which previously didn’t have the option for same-day deliveries through Amazon.
Of course, customers will have to complete their orders before 12:00 PM to receive their items the same day. The option for same day delivery is still available to non-Prime members. They just have to pay $9.98 per order. That hasn’t changed. Prime customers can check to see if their Zip Code is serviced by same day delivery on the Same Day Website, and they can always check for the free same day delivery logo that will now accompany all eligible items.


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Get ready for super-fun Amazon Prime Day! Prime Day is the biggest online shopping day of the summer! Last year, according to Market Track and Qualtrics, about 30% of US internet users participating in the Amazon Prime Day sale. The web site eMarketer expects this year’s Prime Day to surpass out last year because of the surge of Amazon Prime memberships, which grew from 50.8 million in 2015 to 67.7 million so far this year. Amazon Prime customers, are nearly half of its U.S. customer base. Prime customers spend, on average $1,200 on Amazon compared to non-Prime customers who spend approxiamately $700.
Amazon to Buy Goodreads (GalleyCat) Amazon has just revealed that they will acquire Goodreads, the social network for readers which was also a TechBFF on this blog way back in 2010. The online retailer did not share the terms of the deal and expects to finalize the acquisition by the second quarter of 2013. Publisher’s Weekly writes, “The purchase comes amid mounting rumors that Goodreads, which CEO Otis Chandler launched in 2007, might start selling books directly from its site.” paidContent explains, “In an interview Thursday, Chandler and Amazon’s VP of Kindle content Russ Grandinetti stressed that Goodreads will not change for the worse following its acquisition by Amazon.” AppNewser reports, “Twitter users are already lamenting the news.” TechCrunch predicts, “This type of social integration could give Amazon a major advantage over e-sellers like Apple, who have no social components to their product whatsoever. With people actually discussing and sharing the books that they’re into, having an Amazon direct connect makes complete sense. The site can offer special deals to Goodreads users, which in essence is now Amazon’s book-reading social network.” ~content via MediaBistro


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1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-dr hard top
Sold at $56,000
RM Sotheby’s, Phoenix, AZ, January 18-19, 2018, Lot 219
One of the more controversial moments of this year’s ACC Insider’s Seminar at Barrett-Jackson came when Carl Bomstead called out Chevrolet’s Tri-Five cars as one of his two “Sell” picks in the current market.
There’s probably no more iconic classic American car than the 1957 Chevrolet, and for years, they’ve been safe bets in terms of value. But as Carl pointed out, the market is changing, and despite the icon status of those ’57 fins, prices aren’t moving up. The buyers who used to chase these cars are thinking more of selling than buying these days, and the next generation collector doesn’t have the sentimental memories of poodle skirts, sock hops, and drive-ins that initially pushed prices up on the ’55s, ’56s and ’57s.
Case in point is this 1957 Bel Air sold at RM Sotheby’s. The car had been restored by a noted Tri-Five expert and presented really well with a number of rare options. It had the dual-carb 270-hp 283, a 3-speed manual, and had been fitted with factory Chevrolet-built Continental Kit components. Overall, it was a great car and a fantastic presentation, yet it sold for $56,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $70,000 to $100,000. That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement of the model.
The market spoke here at RM Sotheby’s, at least for this car, and I do think we’ll see more of this happen in the future as the market continues to shift to a younger demographic. But I don’t think that spells doom for the Tri-Five — I’ve always wanted one, and I know I’m not alone. There’s a group of buyers who have been waiting for these cars to become a little more affordable, and they’ll be jumping on them as prices come down from the clouds, as was the case here.
For now, this was a lot of car for the money, and I’d say that makes it very well bought.


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Stay up to speed with the latest people moves in agrifood and tech with AgFunderNews’ monthly column of the industry’s biggest leadership changes. This month, AeroFarms CMO steps down shortly after the company emerges from bankruptcy, agtech startup Regrow welcomes a new CTO and Starbucks’ former boss says goodbye.
Are you in a new role or company? Know someone who has left? Drop me a line to share the details: [email protected].
AeroFarms CMO steps down
Oshima, who co-founded the company, wrote on LinkedIn that he is “proud of the work” AeroFarms has done over the years to “help advance the overall industry.” He hasn’t yet said where he’s next headed.
AeroFarms has gone through a turbulent year that’s included filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, closing up its New Jersey facility and, recently, emerging from bankruptcy to focus solely on commercial production at its Virginia farm. The company says it is nearing profitability at that farm.
Oshima’s departure follows that of cofounder and CEO David Rosenberg, who left the company around the time of the bankruptcy filing.
Howard Schultz resigns from Starbucks board
The resignation comes not long after he stepped down from his third stint as the company’s CEO earlier this year.
Food Dive reports that Schultz recently faced off with Starbucks Workers United Members around alleged unfair labor practices; Schultz denied that Starbucks violated any labor laws. Even so, Starbucks Workers United Members “celebrated his departure as a chance for the company to alter the strategy it has used against the union.”
Starbucks said there would be “little to no impact to fundamentals” as a result of Schultz leaving the board, though he may take the brand’s “magic touch” with him on the way out.
As for Schultz, he’s said he plans to spend his retirement on “philanthropic ventures.”
Regrow hires MongoDB vet as CTO
Tech is a critical part of Regrow’s offerings for farmers, producer and CPGs. Pasette will guide the roadmap for this, helping to ensure that IT investments fit within the Regrow Ag mission of helping companies along the food supply chain farm more sustainably.
Pasette brings more than two decades of tech and engineering experience to the Regrow table, including 11 years at data developer platform MongoDB.
“One year ago, I set my sights on finding a way to apply my tech world experience towards addressing climate change. I think I’ve found the perfect fit here at Regrow Ag,” Pasette wrote on LinkedIn.
More people moves
🥬 Western Growers hires Joelle Mosso as associate vice president, science programs. Mosso joins from the Organic Trade Association, where she served as senior director of technical and regulatory affairs.
🥩 Cultivated meat company Omeat promoted Pavle Stojkovic to chief strategy officer. Stojkovic previously served as the company’s chief people officer and will focus on Omeat’s commercialization process.


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With protecting retail now a pressing priority in Palo Alto, members of the City Council wrestled on Monday with the questions of what exactly constitutes "retail" and how exactly to preserve it.
The discussion took place during the council's consideration of its update to the Comprehensive Plan, the broad land-use document that establishes the city's goals and policies for future development. Though typically the Comprehensive Plan (commonly known in other communities as the General Plan) serves as the basis for new zoning changes, Palo Alto's update has taken so long that officials are now thinking of changing some zoning rules in advance of the update.
On Monday, in the first of two meetings on the subject, council members considered what these near-terms changes should be. Though there was no clear consensus, and no votes were taken, much of the discussion centered on retail, particularly in the city's two primary commercial districts: downtown and California Avenue. Planning Director Hillary Gitelman had identified retail preservation and the elimination of remaining parking exemptions as two areas where changes can be made in advance of the Comprehensive Plan update, which the council first agreed to undertake in 2006 and is now scheduled to be completed in early 2016.
Much of the heavy lifting on the new document will begin in January, when planning staff kicks off a series of public meetings on the complex and politically touchy subjects of growth and development. These meetings will help the city formulate a land-use vision that will be in place until 2030 and guide Palo Alto's policy on issues like parking, traffic and new development. In addition to exploring various growth scenarios, Gitelman recommended using this time to consider the city's policies on major infrastructure projects such as Santa Clara County's plan to expand expressway capacity and the possible trenching of the Caltrain tracks.
But as Monday's conversation indicated, even the low-hanging fruit of retail preservation and parking exemptions won't be all that easy to pluck. While Council members Karen Holman and Greg Scharff continued to advocate for new policies to encourage retail, Councilman Larry Klein wasn't as convinced.
"I don't see the evidence yet that there is a problem," Klein said. "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't."
Klein also sought more clarity on the word "retail." Does it include, he asked, establishments like restaurants and banks?
"What are we really talking about when we talk about retail preservation?" Klein asked.
The answer to the question of what is "retail" came from council watchdog Herb Borock, who read to the council a section of the zoning code that explicitly describes the types of establishments that fall into that category (the long list, as defined, includes food, apparel, jewelry and many other consumer items). Borock also noted that one of the problems that the city's land-use critics are concerned about isn't that the city's Comprehensive Plan is outdated but that it's not being followed by the City Council.
"It doesn't make much sense for the council that's going to be elected tomorrow to go to a lot of trouble in creating a new Comprehensive Plan if it's going to ignore it," said Borock, speaking one day before the council Election.
Holman argued that the city should zone for what it wants, which means more retail. She cited a number of businesses on California Avenue that have recently left after being priced out by high rents. In addition, several downtown restaurants have recently closed and converted to office use, which fetches higher rents (Zibibbo and Rudy's Pub are two such examples). Scharff continued to advocate for more ground-floor-retail requirements downtown and for amortization of buildings that don't have retail use, including the Wells Fargo building.
"We should figure out not just how to protect existing retail but how to expand retail downtown and have more choices," Scharff said.
One proposal that staff will be exploring is a new restriction on chain stores on California Avenue, a proposal that has become popular in recent months. A petition by area merchants to create a limit (though not a complete ban) on chain stores has gathered more than 100 signatures and has won the support of Mayor Nancy Shepherd and most of the candidates in the Tuesday council election.
While most council members talked about retail policy and reducing density in commercial areas, Councilman Greg Schmid suggested focusing the city's energy on the big issue of growth and determining how much development the city should allow.
"If seems to me we ought to deal with the base issue," Schmid said. "The base issue that is on everybody's mind in the city is growth. We should start with the guidelines for growth."
That topic will come up in January, when the council holds a special work session to consider the city's growth management program for commercial development. The broader public conversation about the Comprehensive Plan will stretch throughout spring and will consider future housing sites, new goals and policies to be included in the document and a series of planning "scenarios," some of which include trenching Caltrain and having greater expressway capacity.
Klein argued against studying the trench alternative, noting that the price tag of this design would be between $500 million and $1 billion and that the city isn't likely to get this kind of funding any time soon. Pat Burt and Gail Price strongly rejected this logic, with Burt noting that some of the funding could come from a tax increase that Santa Clara County's business leaders are contemplating to fund a broad range of transportation improvements. Price also said the option should be studied.
"If we were not to do it, we'd be limiting our options and we'd not be doing the city and the community members a favor or the businesses a favor, because it is in fact our responsibility to look at these scenarios," Price said.
The Monday discussion was the latest step in a Comprehensive Plan update that has taken multiple twists in recent years. Originally intended as a modest revision of the current plan, the process morphed into a far broader overhaul in the past two years, with planning commissioners editing the plan's list of goals, policies and programs and planning staff proposing four different growth scenarios for exploration in the update process. In a September discussion, several council members rejected the list of scenarios and suggested less significant revisions to the land-use document.
Though the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan attained some momentum earlier this year, when the city hosted a series of community meetings as part of an outreach initiative called Our Palo Alto, Monday's discussion was a subdued affair. Vice Mayor Liz Kniss said she found it "disappointing" that so few people are engaged in the process, as witnessed by the sparse attendance at Monday meeting.
"We're talking about no dramatic changes, but we are talking about some," Kniss said. "I just find it puzzling that there isn't a group that's here, and for far lesser reasons we'd fill the Chambers."


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Beware fire risk in hybrid electric cars
A serious fire risk in electric cars has been highlighted in the past week.
Posted on 19 October 2020
Fires particularly in hybrid models have hit the headlines as it has become clear that battery packs situated close to fuel tanks present a serious risk.
Autocar has reported that BMW and Mini are recalling every plug-in hybrid variant. This includes the petrol-electric versions of 3, 5, 7 series, the X1, X2, X3 & X5, 2 Series Active Tourer and Mini Countryman PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), built between 20 January and 18 September 2020, as well as the I8, built this year up to the end of April. Owners should visit the BMW RECALL site and carefully enter their VIN or registration number to check their vehicle. The recall relates to contaminants in the batteries which can lead to fires breaking out.
This Is Money also reported that Ford is recalling its hybrid Kuga SUVs , another Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, sold in the UK, (which affects 1,800 owners) The Kuga only went on sale in April. The recall relates to the danger of fire, as a result of the high voltage battery pack overheating, which is in close proximity to the fuel tank. Again owners should visit the Ford RECALL site to make certain their vehicle is not affected.
A research article published in Fire Technology in January this year titled A Review of Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles (Sun, Bisschop, Niu and Huang), focused on “the fire safety issues of EVs related to thermal runaway and fire in Li-ion batteries”. The article reports that the “failure of the battery may be accompanied by the release of toxic gas, fire, jet flames and explosion”.
They additionally write that “there is greater difficulty in suppressing (extinguishing) EV fires because the burning battery pack inside is inaccessible to externally applied suppressant (eg water /foam) and can re-ignite without sufficient cooling”.
In conclusion they comment “The fire risk and hazard of Li-ion battery (LIB) are particularly serious in EV, because of high demands in driving performance and speed, inevitable traffic accidents, and the increasing scale of energy density of battery packs”.
Leigh Day have a leading Fire Claims team who have dealt with fires caused by cars and lithium-ion batteries. If you would like to speak to an expert contact the FireTeam@leighday.co.uk


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There’s car sharing and ride sharing, and now there is driveway sharing as well.
U.K.-based YourParkingSpace.co.uk is urging people with empty driveways to rent out their space to supplement their income. More than 20,000 people across the region are renting out a total of 250,000 parking spaces, driveways or garages.
Parking spots are accessed via a smartphone and can be rented by the hour, day or month. The online parking portal provides directions and collects fees from motorists; 90% of available spaces can be booked only through the YourParkingSpace.co website.
Driveway owners who sign up with the service “need hardly lift a finger, apart from listing their empty driveway to top up their household finances,” the company says in a news release.
The parking-spot matchmaking service says householders on average earn about £1,000 ($1,300) a year from renting out their driveways. That’s the same as working 133 hours for the U.K.’s National Living Wage of £7.50 ($9.75 an hour) for people 25 or older.
The empty driveway “can be a sizable money earner” if it is in a desirable location such as near a train or subway station, shopping centers, local amenities or even a concert or sporting venue, YourParkingSpace says.
“I would encourage workers who are looking to supplement their income, and who own a suitable driveway, to get in contact with YourParkingSpace.co.uk,” Managing Director Harrison Woods says. “The sooner they list their driveway, the sooner the bookings and money will roll in.”


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FILE PHOTO: The brand of Amazon is seen on the firm logistics centre in Boves, France, November 5, 2019. Information/Pascal Rossignol/File Photograph
WASHINGTON (Information) – Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) on Thursday stated it’s contesting the Pentagon’s award of an as much as $10 billion cloud computing deal to Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), expressing concern that politics obtained in the way in which of a good contracting course of.
The corporate filed discover final Friday that it’s going to formally protest the choice on the Joint Enterprise Protection Infrastructure Cloud, generally known as JEDI. In a company-wide assembly on Thursday, Amazon Net Companies’ CEO Andy Jassy stated it could be difficult for a U.S. company to award a contract objectively when the president is disparaging one of many contestants, in keeping with an Amazon spokesman.
President Donald Trump has lengthy criticized Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos.
The corporate confirmed Jassy’s feedback and stated, “Quite a few facets of the JEDI analysis course of contained clear deficiencies, errors, and unmistakable bias- and it’s necessary that these issues be examined and rectified.”
The Federal Occasions earlier reported the information.
A problem to the Protection Division’s award introduced final month was extensively anticipated by authorized specialists, analysts and consultants, particularly after Trump publicly derided Amazon’s bid for the high-stakes contract.
Trump had stated in August that Amazon’s bid for the JEDI contract was below evaluate by his administration after complaints from different firms.
Amazon was thought of a favourite for the contract, a part of a broader digital modernization strategy of the Pentagon, earlier than Microsoft emerged because the shock winner.
Reporting by Shariq Khan in Bengaluru, Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco and David Shepardson and Nandita Bose in Washington; Modifying by Shounak Dasgupta, Arun Koyyur and Cynthia Osterman


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SANTA BARBARA, CA – December 17th, 2018 – PRESS RELEASE – The explosive growth of legal cannabis has changed the industry seismically. Except for this: Women remain woefully underserved. However, the sector’s rising number of fem-trepreneurs is creating the culture shift from its former tie-dyed stoners to today’s high-end consumers wanting to nourish their bodies and souls, i.e. females.
Autumn Shelton, CFO and co-owner of Santa Barbara County based Autumn Brands, says, “Cannabis represents an industry of health and wellness whether you utilize its benefits for medical or recreational purposes. As awareness grows, people are finding out just how incredible this under-appreciated plant can be for themselves, family, and friends.”
Along with other Santa Barbara County cannabis growers, Shelton’s Carpinteria-based, family-owned farm is building a reputation for its crops in the same way the area’s vineyards became known for world class wines. That is, agricultural best practices, experimenting and adherence to state and local regulations. Their line of products includes a full flower line, with an available lower THC flower that many women prefer. Scheduled to debut shortly are a high CBD/low THC flower, vape cartridges (favored for their discreteness), sauce cartridges, and mints.
In short, the Cheech & Chong days of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure defining the market are up in smoke. Numbers and projections of cannabis’ billions of dollar potential differ depending on the source of information, but the one consistent piece of news is that women routinely are being ignored in the equation.
Not a mainstay yet, cannabis is becoming very quickly a go-to, mainstream self-care product found in medicine cabinets and on nightstands in homes across demographic lines, thanks to the woman of the house.
“Self-care is taken very seriously by women, who are the fastest growing segment in cannabis,” notes Shelton. “This is an exciting time for women and the industry.”


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Toyota Sequoia Recall Issued for 50,000 SUV Due to Stability Problems
Toyota Motor Corp. has issued a Sequoia recall for 50,000 sport utility vehicles (SUV) due to acceleration problems that may occur at low speed.
The Toyota recall was announced this week after being requested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has received about 160 consumer complaints involving the vehicles. Federal investigators and Toyota officials say that the recalled Sequoia SUVs have defective software which could cause the vehicle’s stability control system to activate at low speed, preventing the vehicle from accelerating properly.
The recall affects 2003 model year Sequoias, and Toyota has told dealers that it will upgrade the software in the recalled SUVs. Owners will be contacted in May to schedule an appointment to bring Sequoia SUVs affected by the Toyota recall in for repairs.
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Toyota has said there have been no injuries or incidents related to the defective Sequoia acceleration software. However, NHTSA officials say complaints filed by drivers indicate that there have been a number of incidents where vehicles were almost hit by other cars because their Sequoia SUV did not accelerate as expected.
Toyota has recalled about 9 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles since September 2009. About 8.5 million of those vehicles were recalled due to problems with sudden acceleration, which the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) says have been involved in as many as 52 deaths. More than 400,000 additional Toyota Prius and Lexus HS250h vehicles have also been recalled due to brake problems.
The gas pedal problems have resulted in a number of Toyota consumer class action lawsuits, Toyota injury lawsuits and Toyota wrongful death lawsuits filed by family members of people allegedly killed when their vehicles accelerated out of control.
Earlier this month a number of federal Toyota lawsuits were consolidated and centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) for pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. U.S. District Judge James Selna has scheduled the first MDL conference for May 13. Some estimates place the number of overall lawsuits against Toyota in state and federal courts at about 200.
In addition to the lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Transportation fined the company $16.4 million, accusing the Japanese automaker of covering up the problem for months; an accusation supported by what the government says are internal documents showing the company knew about the problems but waited before alerting the government and consumers.
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Stagwell further expands its marketing cloud offerings with ‘research as a service’ purchase
Furthering its belief that software as a service (SaaS) offerings are becoming a more vital element in most marketers’ plans and executions, the highly acquisitive Stagwell just purchased control of Maru Group, Digiday has learned.
Maru Group describes itself as a software experience and insights data platform. Its main offering is HUB, a scalable survey platform that allows in-house marketers to analyze behavioral, transactional, and attitudinal data through the same platform.
Founded by CEO Ged Parton, Maru is being folded into the Stagwell Marketing Cloud (SMC), which includes other proprietary SaaS and DaaS (data as a service) tools for in-house marketing teams. Parton said the name Maru derives from Kobayashi Maru, the unwinnable training exercise Starfleet cadets had to endure in the original Star Trek TV series.
“That notion of challenging convention and doing things differently is very much at the heart of Maru. And it was something that really appealed to us about [Stagwell chairman and CEO] Mark [Penn] and the way he talked about the Stagwell business,” said Parton. He added that Stagwell makes a better fit for Maru’s mission, since he believes other holding companies “feel as though they were put together 10-15 years ago with a different purpose in mind. It’s kind of like Tesla versus GM and Ford.”
Dave Frankland, principal marketing analyst at Insider Intelligence, said growing the Marketing Cloud helps put Stagwell on a more level playing field with the major consultancies — not just rival holding companies. “The consulting firms have long had technical chops, obviously,” he said, adding that for Stagwell, “having a whole division focused on marketing technology makes perfect sense.”
“Software sits at the foundation of it,” said Elspeth Rollert, CMO of Stagwell Marketing Cloud, using the term “research as a service” to describe Maru’s offering as a distinction from the rest of SMC’s offerings. Back in July, SMC purchased Apollo Program to boost its first-party-data SaaS offerings. Though Stagwell executives declined to comment, SMC may not yet be done making other acquisitions.
Shane Wright, CTO at Maru Group, said to think of the company “almost as Lego in that it’s very modular, very component oriented.” He explained a business line or product might choose to use the survey element in HUB’s dashboard, or it might choose to use the the panel and web server components. “Anything that we then expect to surface as a product as a business line is almost arbitrary combination of those modules that make up HUB as a platform.”
Parton and Wright said Maru operates in more than 40 countries and works in 35 languages, which gives SMC a global reach the division has lacked. Clients include a roster of blue-chips including Mercedes, Johnson & Johnson, Disney, Microsoft and Expedia, among others.
Jay Pattisall, vp and principal agency analyst at Forrester, admitted some surprise at the acquisition, given the company’s significant research holdings including the Harris Poll, Harris Interactive and NRG. But he added the move is still smart for a few reasons.
“Marketers often bemoan their marketing insights and effectiveness dashboards as siloed or disconnected,” Pattisall observed. “Maru’s ability to combine behavioral, attitudinal and transactional data in the same interface will enhance Stagwell’s marketing insights and performance dashboards.” He said the unit can even be applied across the broader Stagwell universe. “Connecting brand equity with transactional sales will be useful as brand and performance marketing continue to merge in the category and inside Stagwell’s company with the rebranding of its media network.”
Insider Intelligence’s Frankland added that building out SMC also helps tamper down instincts marketers may have toward in-housing. “That’s what marketing is these days, it’s all data and technology. You don’t want to build technology in-house,” he said. “I think it is a smart hedge. If [an agency is] going to lose some of the potential addressable market to in-housing, then let’s see if there’s another door we can open and service those guys” with data and technology services.
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Milkshake brew is just the start
By Taylor Clyne
June 19, 2019
Ever the entrepreneur, Little Rivers head brewer Chris Carins is making use of the quieter season to experiment and create some different beers.
His most recent invention is a Vovo milkshake brew inspired by Arnott's Vovo biscuits.
He mixes Branxholm hops, local dairy farmers lactose powder, vanilla, speciality biscuit malt, coconut and - wait for it - raspberry jam!
“It actually tastes really good,” Chris said.
“My inspiration for this beer came after making a Milkshake IPA for the recent Fresh Hops Festival. It was pretty popular, so I tweaked the ingredients to make it creamier and sweet.”
The surprisingly tasty drop will be officially launched at the brewery’s curry night this Friday for you to try it for yourself.
In a bid to further value-add to the Little Rivers product line, Chris has been sitting on what some would call a golden ticket.
“We are just about to commission a little alcohol distillery,” he said excitedly.
“It all started two years ago: I wanted to make some whiskey. Whisky is pretty much beer production, without adding hops, then you distil it for two years.
“I’ve had three 20 litre barrels sitting out the back for the past two years waiting for them to mature. They are 65 per cent, really smooth and will be ready for release in two months’ time.
With the finer details still in the works Chris said it's likely to be named Forester Whisky, keeping with the local, clean, green branding of the North‑East.
And if you thought the news stopped there, you are wrong.
The team are calling for your help to name their latest release of pre-mixed gin and tonic cans.
“We’ve been dabbling with gin too; our competition is asking people to name this new line – keeping with the North-East branding of course,” Chris said.
The competition is running on the Little Rivers Facebook page with the winner taking home a carton of their choice.
“I think our goal at the moment is to not just stick with beer but branch out with limited edition releases and different products. I’d like to make a craft cocktail canning line with espresso martinis and vodka. Winter is certainly our fun time.
“In summer we can’t keep up with orders for our core range and 70-80 per cent of our beers are sold then.”
As an outsider looking in, an expansion is inevitable.
“A new canning line is on the wish list to increase the capacity of the brew house.”
“Our current canning line only produces 10 – 15 cartons an hour which is very slow. A new high-capacity line would crank out the orders and in turn create local employment opportunities.
Chris said they also haven’t ruled out the potential of expanding to Derby too.
“We love it up there, it’s an exciting time for tourism in the region.”


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MetroPCS moves shareholder vote to April 12
Amid grumbling from some stakeholders about the structure of its proposed combination with T-Mobile USA Inc., MetroPCS Communications Inc. (NYSE: PCS) moved the date of a special shareholder vote on the deal from March 28 to April 12.
In a statement, the Richardson supplier of wireless telecom services said pushing the meeting date back “will provide additional time for MetroPCS shareholders to review the company’s full-year financial results” filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It will also give stockholders time to “consider the compelling benefits of the proposed combination with T-Mobile to create the leading value carrier in the United States,” the press release said.
A MetroPCS spokeswoman declined to elaborate beyond the company’s statement.
Peter Schoenfeld, chief investment officer and CEO of P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, applauded the change. Schoenfeld’s firm, which goes by PSAM, controls around 2 percent of MetroPCS stock.
“We hope (MetroPCS) will again do the right thing and incorporate the year-end financial results of both MetroPCS and T-Mobile that were released this past week in their updated proxy financials,” PSAM said in a statement.
A PSAM spokeswoman declined to comment beyond the firm’s statement.
On a related front, MetroPCS had originally set a Jan. 31 “record date,” meaning the date by which a shareholder had to own stock in the company in order participate in the vote on the combination with T-Mobile.
However, the company never got board approval confirming that date, as is required under Delaware law, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Jeff covers technology, telecommunications, banking and finance.
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Benxi heavy steel industries in February 2013. Photo: Andreas Habich (Creative Commons)
Battling to save Europe’s steel and manufacturing industries from China’s unfair trade
The TUC and many others – unions in Britain and across Europe and manufacturing employers – are battling to defend jobs in Europe from unfair competition from China. The impact of underpriced steel flooding the UK market is well-known, but if the EU grants China ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES) by the end of the year, it could be far worse, and affect all sorts of manufacturing industries.
In the USA, manufacturers and unions have secured support from the government, and the US administration is trying to persuade the EU to join in rejecting MES for China. The union-backed Employment Policy Institute in Washington DC was commissioned by a European cross-industry employers’ association, AEGIS, to assess the impact of granting MES. They found that:
“an EU decision to unilaterally grant MES to China would put between 1.7m & 3.5m EU jobs at risk by curbing the ability to impose tariffs on dumped goods and thus allowing Chinese companies to undercut domestic production by flooding the EU with cheap goods. Specifically, we project that the increased imports arising from granting MES to China would reduce EU output by between €114.1bn & €228bn per year, a 1-2% reduction in EU GDP (relative to base year output in 2011) that translates into 1.7m to 3.5m potential jobs lost among import-competing industries, their suppliers, and the companies that depend on the wages of displaced workers.”
Even the European Commission admits that, without taking other steps to defend European manufacturing (some known collectively as trade defence instruments, and also mitigating measures such as the EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund that pays for training for those made unemployed), hundreds of thousands of jobs could go. These figures have been questioned as being based on industries already suffering Chinese dumping, rather than those so far well-protected.
On Monday, the EU Trade Commissioner faced Members of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, to answer questions about MES. The trade spokesperson of the Socialists and Democrats Group, Labour’s David Martin MEP, said:
“I hope that today will mark the start of a serious discussion with Parliament, with the member states and with European industry and trade unions – as well as with the Chinese Government – on where we go from here. The EU desperately needs a modern, effective regime of trade defence instruments. There can be no automatic granting of market economic status to China.”
But there were more worrying messages. Some (like George Osborne here in the UK) want to avoid annoying the Chinese when they are pouring money into investments in Europe. Others see advantages for some sectors of the economy and are prepared to sacrifice those who would suffer most. That seems to lie behind the real politik of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats in Europe (to which the Lib Dems belong). Their spokesperson, Marietje Schaake, said:
“The question before us is not whether we believe China has a market economy where prices are set by supply and demand: it does not. The question before us is how we should address illegal trade practices by a country that is also an important trading partner.”
Commissioner Malmstrom argued that the decision on MES would have to be taken by EU national governments, which puts the ball firmly in the court of the British Government. The TUC has continued to lobby the Trade Minister Lord Maude and his boss the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, and we know that manufacturing employers have been doing so as well, with the result that the Government’s official statements have become a lot more equivocal (and they seem now to support the EU improving its Trade Defence Instruments, something the UK government blocked last time it was raised.)
Belgium has joined Italy in speaking out against granting MES to China. We know that in Sweden, where the social democratic government has historically favoured free trade, unions and manufacturing employers are pressing strongly for a change in direction. Unions are mobilising in Europe to press for a proper impact assessment, genuine consultation with unions and employers, and stronger Trade Defence Instruments. And, above all, for China to be denied Market Economy Status until it allows free and independent trade unions and stops dumping cheap products that undercut European manufacturing.


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BLACKPINK has started pre-sales for THE ALBUM PHOTOBOOK [LIMITED EDITION] to celebrate the fifth debut anniversary of the group. This photo book, which is a part of their 4+1 PROJECT, will be produced in limited quantities.
The members also directly participated in all aspects of the photo book, from photo selection to design, and it is expected to satisfy their fans. This photo book will be a total of 208 pages of unpublished images of BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That,” “Ice Cream,” and “Lovesick Girls.”
It will also include images from photo jacket filming and behind-the-scenes, increasing its value. In addition to the photo book, it will also come with a [4+1] special gift case that includes a double-sided history poster set, sticker set, photo card set with photos of them from their debut to now.
As part of their fifth debut anniversary project, they will also be releasing BLACKPINK THE MOVIE this August through CGV nationwide and in 100 countries around the world.


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BALLYMENA UNITE members were among a group of trade union representatives from throughout the UK who travelled to Westminister last week to deliver a postcard petition against Government proposals to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.
They handed in the petition last Thursday, the day before consultation closed on the plan to standardise packaging for tobacco products.
Through the Unite and GMB trade unions, thousands of people who work in the tobacco and packaging industries have made their opposition to plain packaging clear.
The group delivered more than 2000 responses to the Department of Health at Westminster while many more were sent directly.
One of the group, Rodney Stewart, who is Unite Senior Shop Steward at the JTI factory, Lisnafillan, said: “JTI is one of the biggest employers in the area and there are hundreds of jobs at risk if plain packaging was to be introduced.
“Most importantly, it would not stop anyone from smoking, which is why the Government is looking at this in the first place.
“My main concern is that by making all the products look identical it would be too easy to counterfeit them, and this would lead to a massive increase in the black market. Not only is illegal tobacco unregulated and sold at half the price of legal tobacco, it is also widely available to children.
“These proposals are a bad idea and I urge the Government to look at them again,” said Rodney.


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THE TRADE exchange between Slovakia and India is rather slim, despite being more significant in the past, when Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia. Now, hopes are being pinned on the ongoing negotiations between the European Union and India over the Free Trade Agreement.
The Slovak Economy Ministry views India as one of Slovakia’s most important trade partners outside of Europe, while within Asia India is the fourth most important trade partner, after China, the Republic of Korea and Japan. The ministry believes that India’s current economic strength and its increasing international importance and influence should be a decisive impetus for both sides to accelerate investments and business activities.
“It is necessary to intensify interest and negotiations between the businesses of our countries and in particular to reach real results of these negotiations in the form of concrete and especially realised projects and created joint ventures,” Pavol Pavlis, the state secretary of the Slovak Economy Ministry, said during the seventh session of the Joint Economic Committee in Bratislava on 11-12, July 2013, at which he represented Slovakia, as cited on the ministry’s website. India was represented by Daggubati Purandeswari, Minister of State for Commerce.
According to Richard Dírer from the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), there were also parallel B2B negotiations between Slovak and Indian companies sheltered by SARIO to support the export of Slovak companies to India, to deepen cooperation in joint projects and utilise new opportunities in trade exchange with firms operating in the most rapidly growing market in the world. Three Indian entities, Punj Lloyd, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and WizzCare, and eight Slovak companies, mostly from the construction and armament industries, attended the B2B negotiations.
On the occasion of the Joint Economic Committee’s session, SARIO also organised a Slovak-Indian business forum, which included bilateral negotiations attended by 12 Slovak and five Indian companies, which presented and exchanged experiences in the sectors of energy, automotive manufacturing and armaments. The event’s success and the interest in cooperation, especially in the automotive industry, resulted in SIAM representatives making another visit to Slovakia in October, while communication between the group and potential partners in Slovakia are underway.
However, Dírer told The Slovak Spectator that Slovakia is not one of India’s priority investment destinations within central and eastern Europe, and that there is more interest in Romania and Poland.
“In case of Poland, the size of the market, investment stimuli and other factors also play an important role when deciding where to place a foreign investment,” said Dírer.
To draw Indian investors to Slovakia, over the last two years SARIO organised a series of investment seminars with active participation of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
While SARIO does not register any projects with Indian entrepreneurs at the moment, Indian businesspeople inquire about strengthening economic cooperation in the automotive, aviation, pharmaceutical, textile and tourism industries, according to Dírer.
In terms of Slovakia’s attractiveness to potential Indian investors, Lucia Guzlejová, state aid consultant at PwC in Slovakia, highlighted that in spite of the global economic crisis, when most countries registered a significant drop in GDP, Slovakia has maintained positive, albeit lower, economic growth.
“A labour force in a sufficient amount and adequate structure, and a good ratio between labour costs and labour productivity are also arguments that benefit Slovakia,” Guzlejová told The Slovak Spectator. “Last but not least, the excellent geographic position with easy access to the western European as well as eastern European markets is also perceived very positively.”
With respect to the lack of any significant Indian investments in Slovakia, Umesh Chander, second secretary at the Embassy of India, told The Slovak Spectator that several Indian companies have operations in CE countries, like Poland, Hungary and Romania, adding that perhaps one issue Indian companies may face is that Slovakia does not have a large domestic market; but this is compensated for by factors like its proximity to the larger European market and its eurozone membership.
“The Embassy of India in Bratislava sees Slovakia as a very good destination for Indian investments considering its excellent geographical location and very good human resources,” he told The Slovak Spectator. “India’s businesses have to be made more aware of Slovakia’s key geographical location and its business linkages with its neighbours in the European Union as well as with other countries in south-eastern Europe, and with countries like Ukraine to the east. Slovakia is a member of the eurozone, which reduces transaction costs for businesses. These opportunities need to be made better known to Indian businesses.”
The Embassy of India sees significant opportunities for Indian-Slovak business relations in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, auto accessories, IT, tyre manufacturing and spas and wellness. It added that Slovakia’s potential as a destination for India’s exports remains under-utilised for various reasons.
“Indian businessmen do not find it very easy to obtain business visas,” said Umesh Chander, with respect to the hurdles Indian businesspeople face. “We have to make travel easier for business travellers.”
Free trade agreement
Negotiations between the European Union and India over the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) began in 2007 and while some issues have already been resolved, some are still open.
Salman Khurshid, the External Affairs Minister, told The Slovak Spectator in August that due to the national elections scheduled to take place in India from mid-April to early May, negotiations have slowed down, but that “a couple of issues related to intellectual property, the automobile sector, data security issues, etc, have been worked out”. But he recalled the meeting of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in April 2013, at which they agreed that perhaps India and the EU were a little bit too ambitious on both sides. According to Khurshid, both sides need to lower their ambitions, keeping in mind what is at the stake in the game and what might be lost by not being able to sign the agreement now.
“We are at a critical point and I hope that our negotiators can find an early conclusion, so that it can be signed,” said Khurshid back in August, highlighting the tremendous advantage signing the agreement will bring.
The European Union recognises India as an important trade partner and an emerging global economic power, while the country represents a sizable and growing market of more than one billion people, the European Commission writes on its website. The value of EU-India trade grew from €28.6 billion in 2003 to €79.9 billion in 2011, while EU investments in India more than tripled between 2003 and 2010, up from €759 million in 2003 to €3 billion in 2010. Trade in commercial services tripled during the same time period, going from €5.2 billion in 2002 to €17.9 billion in 2010.
Experts in Slovakia believe that signing the agreement would mean a boost for trade and investment exchange, but they are awaiting the final wording before assessing all the effects.
The results of studies analysing the impact of closing the agreement look positive for growth in trade, GDP and employment, which is a good sign for general support of the agreement, according to Dírer.
“It is possible to expect that signing the FTA between the EU and India would have a positive impact on both sides and from this point of view also for Slovak-Indian trade,” said Dírer. “But the question remains over the final shape of the agreement, because several fields remain unresolved, especially the field of customs protection of the Indian automotive industry.”
According to Guzlejová of PwC, closing the agreement would strengthen mutual commercial and investment relations between the EU and India, highlighting that trade in commercial services tripled since 2002.
“However, it is questionable how promptly Slovak exporters would respond to this development and bigger space,” said Guzlejová, recalling that the former Czechoslovakia was one of India’s most important trade partners in eastern Europe and that the volume of trade between India and Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s was higher than with any other country in the region.
Slovakia has been reporting a negative trade balance with India over last few years. Based on data of the Slovak Economy Ministry, Slovakia’s exports to India increased from almost €47 million in 2007 to over €55 million in 2012, while in 2008 and 2010 they exceeded €71 million. Slovakia’s imports from India increased from €134.2 million in 2007 to €176.2 million in 2012, with the record level of €206.7 million in 2011. The turnover was between €170.6 million (in 2008) and €275.6 million (in 2011). The trade balance has been negative for Slovakia, while it was the highest in 2011, €137.8 million.
According to the latest data of the Slovak Statistics Office, Slovakia’s imports from India amounted to €169.5 million, making up 0.3 percent of the total of Slovakia’s imports during the January-October 2013 period. During this period, Slovakia’s exports to India amounted to €27.3 million, making up 0.1 percent of all of Slovakia’s exports. The balance remained negative for Slovakia at €142.2 million.
Umesh Chander does not believe that opportunities for bilateral trade are being fully tapped.
“Visits, participation in each other’s trade fairs, business expansion, making contacts, are not happening as they should be,” he said. “A lot of promotional work needs to be done to fully tap the benefits.”
(Jana Liptáková visited India last year through the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ programme for visiting foreign journalists)
27. Jan 2014 at 0:00 | Jana Liptáková


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'We are guinea pigs' - pharmacists' COVID-19 fears revealed
Many pharmacists are feeling acutely unprepared and unsupported for dealing with the coronavirus epidemic, a new survey reveals.
The survey of 342 pharmacists was carried out by CIG Research over the weekend of March 14-15. It asked them to describe how COVID-19 is impacting their workload and ability to obtain crucial supplies for their patients, and how well they feel supported to cope with the outbreak.
GPs ‘sending everyone to pharmacy’
Ninety four per cent said they had seen an increase in workload in the weeks since the virus appeared in the UK (the first two UK cases were confirmed on January 31). Seventy-two per cent said their workload had gone up ‘a great deal’.
The strict triaging policies being implemented by GP surgeries are contributing to the strain on pharmacies, with 79 per cent reporting seeing more patients as a result and a further nine per cent saying they expected to see this in the future. This was most prevalent in single outlet independent pharmacies.
One respondent said surgeries were “sending everyone to pharmacy, putting all my staff at risk”.
Respondents said the products most requested in pharmacies have been hand sanitisers, face masks and oral analgesics. Ninety-seven per cent said they faced severe difficulties sourcing hand sanitisers, with 85 per cent reporting the same for alcohol wipes and 75 per cent for thermometers.
All products included in the survey had been subject to price rises, ranging from average increases of 125 per cent for analgesics to 207 per cent for hand sanitisers. Over a quarter of pharmacists had seen increases of 300 per cent or more for the latter.
Pharmacists were also asked about 16 prescription medicines, including co-codamol, gabapentin and metformin. All 16 were reported as being in short supply, with sertraline the most affected. Sixty-six per cent of pharmacists had seen an average price hike of at least 20 per cent across prescription medicines in the last two weeks, and 27 per cent reported an average increase of over 100 per cent.
Ninety-three per cent worried their pharmacy would have to close due to team members becoming infected, with most describing themselves as very or extremely concerned.
But other than disinfecting surfaces (79 per cent of respondents) and setting up a quarantined area as per NHS guidance (40 per cent), only 15 per cent on average had implemented any of the protective measures included in the survey, such as wearing protective clothing or limiting the time customers spend in the pharmacy.
‘We are guinea pigs’
Many were disappointed with the response from Government and pharmacy bodies. One respondent said: “Nobody cares about us - we are guinea pigs for Government.”
When asked what could be done to support pharmacies, by far the most common theme was a need for guidance. One pharmacist commented: “I have to rely on the BBC for the most current recommendations on quarantine and symptoms.”
Providing free hand sanitiser and protective clothing for pharmacies was emphasised by several pharmacists, with others demanding a campaign urging at-risk patients not to attend pharmacies.
Pharmacy Network News editor Arthur Walsh commented: “These findings are deeply concerning. Pharmacies that have suffered stringent cuts in recent years now find themselves effectively on the frontline of an epidemic that is poorly understood.
“We hope the survey will make a clear case for providing greater support and funding, and we will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacies.”
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Nintendo game designer (and co-creator of Metroid) Yoshio Sakamoto is hyping up Nintendo's next console—even if it could be another eight years away. "At Nintendo we always have the obligation to surprise users with a new game console."
Sakamoto spoke to the 3D Juegos website about the upcoming console, saying that they "have never done what others have. We prefer to create something new that catches attention, and I think this will continue this time as well." If he's referring to a 3D console, eight years' time could be far too late for that. [3D Juegos via Kotaku]


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EV charging-stations provider Juice Technology is to electrify car-sharing firm Mobility’s locations all across Switzerland, marking a major step forward for electromobility in the vehicle-sharing sector.
Mobility plans to convert its entire fleet – over 3,000 vehicles in total – to emissions-free electric-drive vehicles by 2030 at latest. Simultaneously, the company is quickly expanding its e-charging infrastructure. In a first step, 300 or more Juice Charger 2 AC stations are to be installed within the next three years at Mobility locations throughout Switzerland.
Mobility depends on simple, uniform charging processes for the electrification of its company locations that will ensure a reliable supply of electric power for the various models of electric vehicles in its fleet. Juice Technology delivered solid proof last year already that its charging stations fully meet Mobility’s needs. In a cooperative undertaking at the end of 2020 with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) – Mobility’s biggest and most important location partner – the charging station producer equipped the first e-parking spaces for Mobility with charging infrastructure in Zurich and Aarau. The two companies are now directly collaborating.
“We’re proud to have an opportunity to support Mobility on their way to emissions-free car-sharing and electrifying their vehicle fleet. Our joint start with carpark spaces of SBB has demonstrated that innovative charging technology and quality clearly prove their worth. We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership beyond carpark sites near to train stations,” says Christoph Erni, CEO of Juice Technology AG.
“The biggest hurdle to electrifying our vehicle fleet is installing an e-charging network. This is why we’ve brought experienced partners like Juice on board to enable us to implement this project and drive this expansion as rapidly as possible,” explains Roland Lötscher, CEO of Mobility. “The future belongs to e-mobility, and, as pioneers, we want to blaze the trail.”
The high-resolution touch display of the Juice Charger 2 is simple and intuitive to operate, ensuring customers maximum convenience when using this equipment. The intelligent, omni-dynamic and limitlessly scalable load management system makes it possible to easily manage and control the charging operations of all connected e-cars on a central basis. The calibrated electricity meter built into the Juice Charger 2 ensures accurate billing, and equipment activation is enabled via the integrated near-field communication (NFC)/radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.


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MENAFN– Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)
São Paulo – Brazilian halal animal protein companies Marfrig, Seara, and BRF are working to guarantee total traceability and sustainability for the halal market. The CEOs of the three largest beef and poultry companies in Brazil were together at the panel“Traceability and trustworthiness – Technology favoring halal food safety” this Tuesday (7), at the Global Halal Brazil (GHB) business forum, promoted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (FAMBRAS Halal). Pictured above, (left to right) Tamer Mansour, Miguel Gularte, and João Campos.
Marfrig launched the Verde + program and will invest BRL 500 million (about USD 88.6 million at the current rate) over the next five years, supporting the integration of producers and, thus, the transparency of end-to-end processes. Seara invests in different technologies to guarantee the quality and traceability of its products, and BRF is advancing in clean electrical power projects.
“Sustainability is no longer a choice today. Sustainability and traceability are the only choices,” said the CEO of Marfrig, Miguel Gularte.
The businessman said the company operates in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile in South America; and has plants in the United States and offices worldwide.“Marfrig is the largest beef hamburger producer in the world and a leader in sustainability initiatives,” he said at the panel.
More recently, according to Gularte, Marfrig took a“daring step” in traceability and started a sustainability program called Marfrig Verde +, which has three pillars; traceability, transparency, and 100% of the chain with origin control and free from deforestation.
“We launched the Verde + program, which foresees an investment of BRL 500 million [USD 88.6 million] over the next five years. We understand the Brazilian producer is informed and prepared, and Brazil is an operations warehouse for the world,” he declared.
According to Gularte, the commitment of Marfrig Verde + is to accelerate sustainability in the beef value chain, with a focus on the inclusion of the producer. For him, transparency comes with information. He also stated Marfrig’s traceability system uses the blockchain and is convinced the world will move along this path.
With the integration of the producer, Gularte said, more transparency is added to the production process.“In less than a year and a half, we have brought to formal work over 1,200 producers, who produce around 200,000 cattle heads for slaughter, because the company took care to integrate,” he said.
The halal market grows year after year and is among Brazil’s three most prominent export destinations, recalled Gularte, who believes it becomes critical to approach this market with transparency.“When we say we will have our cattle fully traced, we are meeting demands not only for transparency but also for sustainability,” he concluded.
“For us, the halal product is synonymous with quality, guaranteed origin, and food safety, and that is why we dedicate and invest a lot to ensure our products meet and lead the demands and trends of our consumers,” said the president of Seara, João Campos.
Campos said the company’s 26 poultry exporting plants produce halal products to more than 30 countries. The president spoke about how the company has been evolving regarding the quality and traceability of operations.“Investing in technology makes total sense, and it is a process we have been leading on several fronts,” he said.
Within Seara’s poultry sector, Campos informed technology is used to help increase efficiency, safety, and sustainability throughout the entire poultry production cycle.“It is what we call a SuperAgroTech platform, which integrates 100% of Seara’s farms digitally,” he said.
According to the president, Seara is the first company with an ecosystem of natural resources and business management benefits for its integrated producers.“We recognize the importance of mapping and having the entire supply chain system consolidated, under control, and expanding. This is a project impacting over 10,000 families,” he said.
Other technologies used at Seara and listed by Campos were an application to connect producers and technical staff; a management and control system for poultry breeding farms; an integrated system for monitoring and tracking agricultural transport from farms to factories, among others.
“We always make use of these different technologies to ensure traceability, quality, and the involvement of the entire chain to guarantee the quality of the food until it reaches the consumer. Furthermore, all our plants and feed are our own, which also guarantees the traceability of all the inputs in this chain. Our commitment is to produce food with the very best there is, and halal products are certainly part of that mission,” concluded Campos.
João Campos said this was the first event he has participated in since he was announced as president of Seara. Seara belongs to animal protein giant JBS.
“We have a non-negotiable commitment to sustainability and the preservation of the environment,” stated BRF CEO Lorival Luz.
In a video message to the panel, Luz highlighted the importance of the halal market for the animal protein company.“We have had the Sadia brand in the Middle East market for over 50 years, we started operations in the 1970s, and today it is part of our commitment and our strategy to be increasingly present in this region,” he said.
He informed that BRF’s production is“absolutely dedicated to the halal market,” with quality guarantees and certificates and the conglomerate exports to around 14 countries in the region and guarantee complete traceability of all raw materials, ensuring all of them follow the requirements of that market.
Luz recalled the company has a local presence in the United Arab Emirates, with a food processing plant in the Kizad industrial zone, in Abu Dhabi, since 2014, and BRF is investing USD 120 million to build a new facility in Saudi Arabia.“This is our priority market, and with this, we reaffirm our commitment to the plans and objectives of the region, defined by the governments, to be increasingly present producing locally, and thus in the daily lives of families throughout the region,” he declared.
As for sustainability, the CEO of BRF said the company is working and advancing on clean power generation projects.
The panel included Embrapa’s Research and Development director, Guy de Capdeville, the secretary-general of the ABCC, Tamer Mansour, and the vice president of FAMBRAS Halal, Ali Zoghbi. The moderator was Professor Dr. Mian Nadeem Riaz, Faculty of Food Diversity in the Food Science and Technology major and director at Texas A&M University.
The forum is sponsored by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), BRF, Pantanal Trading, Portonave, and Iceport. The event can be followed on its website or ABCC’s YouTube channel . Simultaneous translation into Portuguese and English is available.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
The post Brazil: Animal protein companies ensure traceability appeared first on Agência de Notícias Brasil-Árabe .


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The Gokongwei group and Tyme of South Africa have officially launched GOTyme Bank, the newest digital bank in the country.
JG Summit President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lance Gokongwei, Robinsons Retail Holdings CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe, and South Africa's Ambassador to the Philippines BN Radebe-Netshitenzhe were among the VIPs present at the grand launch held last October 20, 2022, at Whitespace Events Place in Makati City.
Also in attendance at the event were GOTyme Bank's key executives: President and CEO Nate Clarke, Co-CEO and Chief Commercial Officer Albert Tinio, Head of Brand Marketing and Growth Raymund Villanueva, and Chief Product Officer Daniel Stacey.
At the launch, President and CEO Nate Clarke said GOTyme Bank aims to provide world-class digital banking solutions to Filipinos' unmet financial needs.
He said, "Less than 3% of Filipinos have access to affordable credit, such as a credit card. Which means they are often paying 10-20% per month for their short-term borrowing needs.
"Less than 3% of Filipinos have access to insurance and less than 3% of Filipinos have access to high yield investments, such as stock and equities."
The bank executive added, "Every year, millions of smart, employed Filipinos fall short of their potential because they do not have access to high-quality banking products.
"Through GoTyme Bank, we are here to unlock the financial potential of all Filipinos.”
GOTyme Bank can easily be accessed through mobile apps available at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
This digital bank offers a 3% interest rate for savings, and other benefits for shopping and sending money.
Aside from these, GOTyme Bank takes pride in its "phygital" model. This combines physical touchpoints, such as kiosks and bank ambassadors, with secure digital transactions to help more Filipinos reach their full financial potential.
GOTyme's Co-CEO and Chief Commercial Officer Albert Tinio revealed they have already deployed 15 kiosks at Robinsons retail stores and malls around Metro Manila, and more will be deployed in the coming months.
The kiosks allow customers to easily create an account and get a physical GOTyme debit card.
Albert said, "These kiosks will always have a bank ambassador to guide you through the process. Using kiosks, we aim to solve access and extend reach.
"By deploying kiosks to Robinsons retail stores and malls, you can now create an account where you shop, eat and relax."
GOTyme's physical debit card is free and can be used worldwide.
NEXT-LEVEL DIGITAL BANKING EXPERIENCE
In a statement, JG Summit President and CEO Lance Gokongwei said the aim of GOTyme Bank is to provide better access to basic and next-level digital banking services, and also democratize financial services in the country.
He said, "The mission of GoTyme Bank to unlock every Filipino’s financial potential presents another great opportunity for us at the Gokongwei Group to deliver on our purpose, which is ‘an unrelenting commitment to provide our customers with better choices, creating shared success with our stakeholders.’
"Together with our partner Tyme Group, we are all set to disrupt the industry and make GoTyme Bank the ‘better choice’ that will provide greater financial empowerment for Filipinos.
"At the heart of this meaningful breakthrough is our deep commitment to improve the lives of our fellowmen, and to ultimately help bring forth a more prosperous society."
In an interview at the launch, Lance confirmed that the Ayala-owned Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) will also become a shareholder of GOTyme once the merger of BPI and Robinsons Bank is completed.
"Robinsons Bank is one of the main shareholders of GoTyme, together with Robinsons Retail Holdings and Robinsons Land. And upon the merger of Robinsons Bank with BPI, then BPI will become a shareholder of GoTyme as well."