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Co-developed by Smith & Wesson Performance Center and Thompson/Center Arms, the new Performance Center T/CR22 rimfire rifles—built around the reliable T/CR22 action—are outfitted with thumbhole stocks and heavy contour, button-rifled barrels.
Ruger has announced the introduction of its new American Rimfire Stainless. Since the launch of the company's American Rimfire line, customers have clamored for a stainless steel version. Ruger is delivering the goods in 2017. The stainless configuration will be available in three calibers: .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR.


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Biscuits and confectionery manufacturer Parle Products will only be focussing on its existing range of products to consolidate its market position over the next 1-2 years rather than launching new items.
CLA owner Raj Kurup and Parle Agro chief marketing officer Nadia Chauhan, who are husband and wife, said the move was part of their decision to separate.
As Singh was replaced removed last night and her successor Jaishankar took over this morning, another senior official of the ministry came for the meeting with the Committee.
The two big sporting properties are expected to see combined ad spends of Rs2,200-2,500 crore in the four months from February to May.
FMCG value consumption in urban markets was up 7%in July-Sept 2014 period, against 2% in the corresponding year-ago period, according to IMRB data.
Addressing the Fijian Parliament, Modi said, "we could work to make Fiji the hub for our regional collaboration in space, just as India has done with ASEAN."
Parag Alavani, the MLA who organised the Mahotsav appealed to the Chief Minister to encourage such events at the taluka level.
The digestives category is getting increasingly competitive, with the big three players all stepping up their presence in the nutrition cookie space.

domain: news


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Reszon Diagnostics International Sdn. Bhd. (Reszon) successfully exhibited in Medlab Asia 2022, Impact Exhibition Center, Bangkok from 19-21 October 2022.
The new launch of Chembio HIV rapid point-of-care assays has gained interest from world-class traders and industry leaders as well as top-of-the buyers.
“We foresee the enormous potential for Chembio HIV rapid test kit product range and we strive to collaborate with distributors to expand the market reach to local and South East Asia market”, said Ms. Katherine Koay, sales director of Reszon.


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PARIS — Feeling the full brunt of disruption from the coronavirus, H&M Group’s sales plummeted 57 percent in local currencies from March 1 to May 6, when the vast majority of stores were ordered shut across Europe and the U.S.
The Swedish fast-fashion retailer, which owns labels Cos, Monki, & Other Stories along with H&M, offered a trading update Thursday, following the gradual reopening of some markets from the end of April.
Business has been muted in recently opened markets, where social distancing rules are being followed, the company said. Online sales, meanwhile, have increased in the March-to-May 6 period by 32 percent.
Sales in Germany fell 46 percent over the period, while the drops were much steeper, more than 70 percent, in the U.S., Spain, France and Italy. In China, the decline was 32 percent.
There are currently 3,050 H&M group stores temporarily closed, around 60 percent of the group’s sprawling network, marking a gradual easing after 80 percent were closed in mid-March.
The group is guiding for lower costs for markdowns in the second quarter than in the second quarter of last year but with likely lower sales, the markdowns are expected to have a negative effect on the gross margin of between 2 and 4 percentage points.
Stock-in-trade stood at slightly over 41 billion Swedish Kronor, or $4.18 billion at the end of April, compared to 40 billion Swedish kronor last year, H&M said.
Operating expenses excluding depreciation and amortization will be reduced by between 20 and 25 percent in the second quarter, H&M said.
Analysts from RBC Europe said they were surprised by the figure, but that they appreciated the complexity of the situation and the likelihood there will be additional costs as a result of COVID-19. Noting that the company had made good progress on managing its inventory over the year and a half that preceded the current crisis, RBC analysts said to expect more challenging times ahead given a likely “glut” across the industry with the likelihood more higher-priced chains will sell clothing at H&M’s price points.
They added that H&M has been gradually improving its offer, which is leading to an improved underlying performance, when excluding the effect of COVID-19.
“However, short-term trading conditions are very challenging, we think a recovery may be more gradual than the market expects and some of its relative improvement seen in 2019 may start to fade,” added RBC.
The group has said it expects the second quarter to be loss-making as efforts to rein back costs related to purchasing, investments, staffing and rents will not be enough to compensate for the steep sales declines.
The company said it has unused credit facilities totaling 23.8 billion Swedish kronor, or $2.42 billion, but that it is working on securing more.
“The group’s work is focused on ensuring financial flexibility and freedom of action on the best possible terms in a challenging market where business opportunities are also arising,” said the H&M Group.


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--Deal includes four major motion-picture studios
--Payments to studios will get high priority in Kodak's bankruptcy case
--Kodak film has shot 80 "Best Picture" Oscar-winning films
NEW YORK--Eastman Kodak Co.
forged new deals with movie-studio partners including Walt Disney Co.
In a Tuesday filing light on details, Kodak said it will seek a judge's approval to cancel its old agreements with the studios and replace them with new ones with different terms, including an increase of the price for the film used in cameras and to print films in theaters.
The filing, made with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, also contains a clause that would allow Kodak to get out of motion-picture-film manufacturing by giving the studios 180 days' notice. A hearing on the matter was set for Sept. 19.
The agreement, which also includes NBC Universal Inc. and Paramount Pictures Corp., has the support of Kodak's official committee of unsecured creditors. As part of the agreement, the studios get "administrative" status on their claims against Kodak, meaning payments to the studios are at the top of the totem pole in Kodak's bankruptcy case.
Essentially, Kodak's deals with the movie studios bring the old ones up to date, considering 2012 film and commodity prices. They also ensure the movie studios will keep buying a specified volume of Kodak's film, with Kodak continuing to give the studios rebates and discounts. In its filing, Kodak said it owes the studios $26.6 million for such incentive programs. Kodak didn't provide more specific details on the terms of the contract, citing confidentiality concerns.
"Kodak is pleased to be able to extend its longstanding relationships with these important motion picture customers," said Kim Snyder, president of Kodak's Entertainment Imaging division. "We're very happy to see their confidence in the Kodak brand by signing multiyear agreements with us."
Longstanding relationships with the movie studios contribute to Kodak's status as an iconic company--80 "Best Picture" Oscar winners were shot with Kodak film, according to the company--but they aren't a key factor in the company's reorganization. In its latest annual report filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, Kodak said the unit related to motion-picture film accounted for 9% of the company's 2011 revenue.
Instead, the reorganization hinges on the company's digital-patent-portfolio auction, the results of which Kodak delayed announcing earlier this week.
The patents, which Kodak hoped could fetch more than $2 billion, received opening bids of less than $500 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. While a bidding war between suitors including Google Inc.
Kodak, based in Rochester, N.Y., filed for Chapter 11 protection in January after failing to sell its patents outside of bankruptcy court. The company's photography-driven business became marginalized by increased digital competition, and it struggled with high labor and pension costs.
In February, Kodak said it will close its camera business, which makes digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames, in a move that could save it $100 million annually. Kodak intends to focus on retail and desktop-inkjet printing rather than photography after it completes its restructuring.
(Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review covers news about distressed companies and those under bankruptcy protection. Go to )
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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Google Fitbit Deal. Not the first time when Google is buying a hardware manufacturer. They have been buying and selling companies for years now. Google at some point in the past purchased and sold Motorola and keeps all the patents of Motorola.
Talking about Fitbit, All I can say is, what goes around comes around. A few years ago, Fitbit bought my favorite Smartwatch manufacturing company. Today, Google buys Fitbit for $2.1 Billion.
Fitbit retains the privacy of its users secure. The company signs the deal with the condition of keeping the information of its users safe. Australia has not approved the deal yet but the company has won the EU antitrust approval last month.
Fitbit for many years has had been losing its market share to Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Huawei. Google Fitbit Deal may act as oxygen for Fitbit and give a new breath to the company.


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Mario Testino interview: the man who makes models super (Observer)
"At 57, the world's most prolific magazine photographer is just getting started. It's only 15 years, after all, since his career exploded in the wake of his 1997 Vanity Fair shoot with Diana, Princess of Wales. In 2010 he shot the engagement photos of Wills and Kate, and it's entirely conceivable that, should the time come, he'll photograph their children's engagement portraits."
LVMH faces dilemma of success (FT)
"LVMH owns more than 60 brands but it is heavily reliant on the high profit-margin Louis Vuitton, which accounted for 30 per cent of group sales last year, according to Mintel, the consumer research company. The group itself does not break out figures for Vuitton from the rest of the fashion and leather goods division, which last year generated half of LVMH’s sales and profits."
Coach Loses Luster With Coupons Cited in Quest for Share (Bloomberg)
"Wall Street is hedging its bets on Coach Inc. as the largest U.S. luxury handbag maker’s once- stellar growth falters. Coach’s fiscal first-quarter earnings report tomorrow may show that adjusted per-share profit growth slowed to about 3.4 percent from 16 percent a year earlier, according to the average of 28 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales growth may ease to 10 percent from 15 percent, analysts project."
Top fashion chiefs urge Vince Cable to revive UK factories (This is Money)
"Top fashion executives have held talks with Business Secretary Vince Cable in an attempt to secure Government support for reviving Britain’s clothing manufacturing industry."
Why designers should think like bakers (Globe & Mail)
"To sit down with Dries Van Noten after one of his fashion shows is to encounter a designer whose perfectionism tends to get the better of him. 'I don’t focus on the things that went well,' he confesses within hours of his recent spring/summer 2013 presentation in Paris."


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BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 28, 2019 – Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) today announced the company’s 2019 Annual Shareholders’ meeting and activities. A formal business meeting focused on shareholder voting on proxy proposals will take place on Wednesday, June 5 followed by the company’s traditional event for associates and shareholders on Friday, June 7. Shareholders of record must present proof of share ownership and photo identification to gain access both Wednesday and Friday.
June 5 Formal Business and Shareholders’ Meeting
The meeting will focus on shareholder voting on formal business and proxy proposals.
It will take place from 10:30 a.m. CDT to approximately 11:30 a.m. CDT at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, Ark. No entertainment or other activities will be part of the business meeting.
The meeting will be webcast on the company’s website at http://stock.walmart.com.
The record date for shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting is April 12, 2019.
As always, shareholders may vote their shares electronically, online or by phone if they cannot attend the formal business meeting on June 5. Preliminary voting results are expected to be issued the same day.
June 7 Business Update and Celebration for Associates and Shareholders; Investment Community Q&A with Management
The event to recognize and celebrate Walmart’s associates from around the world as well as shareholders will be held on June 7 beginning at 8 a.m. CDT at the Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
No formal business items will be presented for a vote. The event will provide a brief recap of voting results from the June 5 formal business meeting and will include presentations from Walmart’s executive team.
There will also be entertainment to highlight accomplishments from the prior year and to thank Walmart associates and shareholders.
Following the event, Walmart will host a question and answer session with the investment community at approximately 12:15 p.m. CDT, led by Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon.
The investment community question and answer session with management will be webcast on the company’s website at http://stock.walmart.com. A transcript will also be available on June 7 on the company’s website.
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 275 million customers and members visit our more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2019 revenue of $514.4 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.


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Reliants next generation
Just when you thought the Reliant Robin had been consigned to oblivion, its spirit is poised to make an unlikely comeback.
The company that used to make the Robin is now known as Reliant Parts World. It earns a living selling cars that exploit the same legislative loophole that allowed the Robin to thrive: they can be driven without a car driving licence.
Reliant’s latest offering, the Be Up, is a car styled by Giugiaro, a name more usually associated with cars like the Lamborghini Miura and Lotus Esprit. It’s built in France by Ligier Automobiles and is aimed at young professionals and teenagers. Only three have been brought into Britain so far but the company is confident of selling more when distribution begins in


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Los Angeles News
Plans for Wal-Mart in Burbank stir debate
BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- There's a big debate in Burbank over controversial plans for a new Wal-Mart store at the Empire Center.
"Stymie it, sidle it, throttle it, stop it any which way you can," one man said at a public meeting on Tuesday.
The indoors of what was once The Great Indoors are empty at Burbank's Empire Center. Wal-Mart bought the property, and it said a store will open by sometime next year.
The city council said it can't legally stop it, because the deal is done.
"You can't disregard the positive benefits of sales tax revenue [and] jobs creation," said Burbank Deputy City Manager Joy Forbes.
The area is already known for traffic and plenty of other big-box store options, such as Best Buy, Marshalls and Target.
"There's nothing I can't get at Target. I come to target for that reason, so Wal-Mart is not my store," said Julian Gray of Glendale.
Others expressed concern for small businesses in the area.
"I know there are a lot of mom and pop shops who are probably upset that they're coming in, and I support small businesses," said one shopper.
Others said they'll be shopping there if the price is right.
shopping, burbank, los angeles news, elex michaelson
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PH Resorts Group Holdings says it is pushing to open its Emerald Bay resort in late 2021, with the full first phase offering then to be available by the second quarter of 2022.
Betsoft Gaming is planning to roll out a suite of highly innovative slot games specifically designed for the Asian market. This plan will see a l
China’s VIPs have an ever growing number of IRs to choose from, but Macau is unlikely to be knocked from its post as the top draw for high rollers a
Localization is fast becoming a key battleground for online operators looking to expand across fast-growing Asian markets. While online gaming is still a long way from reaching maturity in Asia, consumers in the region’s grey markets are becoming more...
Aristocrat Leisure recently snapped up social games developer Plarium for $500 million, but what exactly is the appeal of acquiring a studio that creates strategy/ role-playing game (RPG) titles for a very different player demographic to social casino...
Online casino platform and game developer Nolimit city has entered the Asian market for the first time via a deal to provide content distributor QTech
Delegates arriving at the ExCeL in London’s East End for the 2017 edition of ICE Totally Gaming at the start of February were greeted by a host of Asian gaming suppliers keen to expand their reach. The main entrance was dominated by advertising from...
Mediatech Solutions, part of the R. Franco Group, will display its vision for 2017 at a spectacular stand at ICE, as the innovative provider continues
ICE 2017 will play host to Booming Games’ their biggest presence yet, with new titles, cutting edge features, and hints of what to expect in the nea
Asian operators have been slow to venture into European markets, but that may be about to change, with a consortium made up of Melco International Development and Hard Rock International eyeing a project on the island of Cyprus. The consortium is aiming...
Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are providing online operators with a new route into the Asian markets that have historically proved tough to penetrate due to the lack of conventional banking options. In fact, experts say bitcoin is already making a...
The recent European Championships saw a dramatic increase in betting volumes across Asia, but also raised a series of questions for both operators and suppliers as to how best to serve sports bettors in the region. Experts say volumes were up about 50...
Asia’s casino markets are being held back by a lack of regulation, rather than lack of demand, with the underlying drivers for growth, such as under penetration, a rapidly growing middle class and strong propensity to gamble still intact. That was...
Scientific Games Corporation will showcase a robust range of solutions for casino operators at G2E this week. Gavin Isaacs, Scientific Games presid
Home to over one billion people, making it the second most populated continent, Africa is generating growing interest as one of the world’s great untapped gaming frontiers. Although casino gambling makes up the bulk of the market at present, growth...
Asia based B2B supplier XIN Gaming has expanded its Asia games portfolio with a range of new games including HighRoller, Sky Guardians, Video Poker Bo
The Star Entertainment Group, formerly known as Echo Entertainment Group, is undergoing a group-wide renaissance, reshaping its brand identity and revamping its properties to take advantage of a forecast surge in Asian tourism. Group CEO Matt Bekier says...
The president of Mohegan Sun, a U.S. regional tribal casino operator, said South Korea's main gateway provides the perfect chance to build its first i
Asia Gaming Brief is a news and intelligence service providing up to date market information for worldwide executives on relevant gaming issues in Asia.
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Fax: +853 2871 7264


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The Chromium Project of Google is preparing to implement Android – based Google Now technology into its Chrome web browser. The users will be able to integrate the Android App Google Now with the browser.
The technology of Google Now to deliver weather updates, trip departure reminders, birthday alerts, nearby restaurant reviews, among other features will be available using the the web browser Chrome itself.
The Google Now app itself also integrates Google calenders and similiar searches which were launched by Google in Google I/O conference held in June 2012, a new addition to Jelly Bean(Android 4.1) update.
It is pretty amazing technology which will help users to get updates on their computers, desktop and tablet devices. The developers working on the Chromium project have accepted a submission for “Creating a skeleton for Google Now for Chrome Implementation”.
Google recently implemented boarding passes to Google Now which can be accessed by swiping up from the Home Icon situated on the Android home screen which have on screen softkeys, similiar to how Apple integrated the Passbook App into iOS6.


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Local man launches Bikes for Tots Foundation
Dreaming of a bike Christmas
Help give the gift of bike riding to a local child with a donation in any amount. Donations can be made online at BikesForTotsFoundation.com or at Robin’s Bikes in Miramar Beach, 11166 Emerald Coast Parkway. Make donations by Dec. 14 to allow for shopping time, as well as pick-up and distribution by Toys for Tots.
Miramar Beach resident Bill MacBride would like to give the gift of childhood memories this holiday season by means of a shiny new bike.
“I’ve always been fortunate enough to ride a bike,” said the longtime bike enthusiast. “Being able to join my friends around the neighborhood on their bikes was amazing — my first taste of independence.”
But MacBride realizes not all children are as fortunate as he was growing up, and for five years, MacBride has made sure that one child would be lucky enough to have a new bike on Christmas morning.
This year, however, he decided to rally community support in order “to do more.”
He has thought for years about enlisting his friends, neighbors, and community members to raise money for this cause, but it wasn’t until this year that his vision came to fruition in the form of Bikes for Tots Foundation.
“I just started it; I put it out there and said ‘Please jump on board,’ ” said MacBride. And just two weeks into the foundation’s inaugural bike-raising drive, the outpouring of generosity has exceeded his expectations and initial goal of raising enough money to provide five $80 bikes to underprivileged children.
Donors have already contributed enough to brighten the faces of 10 children on Christmas morning.
“I just blinked an eye and surpassed my goal ... Now my goal is 15 bikes,” said MacBride, who said he isn’t worried about meeting that goal. “It strikes a chord with people; we all grew up riding bikes. Remember the memories you had as a kid.”
Donations can be made in any amount. And with $80 funding a single bicycle, MacBride said the number of full donations has been surprising.
“I think the biggest shock I’ve seen is getting whole bikes,” said MacBride, who initially thought it might take 20 or 30 locals to fund the same 10 bikes. “They all have been full bikes or more.”
He said the outpouring of support for the initiative has come from all over, some locally and some “out of left field,” with the first donation coming from MacBride’s friend from high school, who lives in Hawaii.
Miramar Beach’s Robin’s Bikes and Fitness is joining in to help inform the public and act as a collection spot for cash and check donations.
“We’re the home base for people coming in,” said bike shop owner Robin Wilkes, who will spread the word with people who visit the shop. “It’s a simple idea – that every child should know the pure joy of bike riding. We are happy to support the cause.”
And biking is a cause worth championing.
“I’ve gotten a lot out of it — health, a wealth of friends,” said MacBride, adding that most of all, “It’s just plain fun.”
The men are looking to purchase 20-inch bikes, which will fit children from as young as six to as old as 12.
Visit the website at BikesforTotsFoundation.com or Like Bikes for Tots Foundation on Facebook for more information.


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Why Don’t We Get Women Shopkeepers, Please!
Maybe it has become an old subject, but I find myself drawn again to look at it, and maybe even get enraged by it, upon reading an interview with Saudi academic Reem As’ad.
She is leading a Facebook campaign to boycott lingerie shops that employ men. Thus far she’s aiming this at the whole lingerie business in Saudi, as women are not allowed to work in any such shops.
As’ad hopes that her campaign will force storeowners to rethink the option of hiring women, hoping to revive a suspended Labour law that would allow women to be employed in lingerie stores. The law has been dormant in a drawer somewhere for two years now. As’ad’s campaign started a few months ago with posts on websites and through e-mails to ask people to show their objection to employing males to sell lingerie.
But it is interesting, for the sake of argument at least, to wonder about the delay in implementing the law. Logistical explanations aside, we all know that the decision was not popular with many religious scholars, and they have not kept their views a secret. Although the former Commission chief has said that he does not object to the mere idea, he nevertheless insisted on the complete segregation between men and women in the workplace.
The situation as it is today is like this: huge and glossy shopping centres are crowded with shoppers from both sexes. They can go to any store they want to purchase items. The lingerie stores are not different here, they are open to all, the only difference being that they have male employees, and this is what women find difficult. Asking the help of a shop assistant in any other department is fine, but when it comes to private pieces of clothing, it is only logical and acceptable to have women selling those items. This is of course not new, it has been the case for ages.
Years pass and things stay the way they are. They had to live with it and accept it as one more breach of their rights, or let’s say they accepted it as a fact of life. The difference now is that women are voicing their unhappiness with the situation. But in a society that counters any changes to its lifestyle with an insistence on “privacy”, we have to wonder if the situation in the lingerie shops is preserving that “privacy”. Why on earth would someone object to having women selling lingerie?
Why would anyone insist on having a man explain to women what shape or size they should buy? As Ms As’ad stated, quite rightly, in an interview with Arab News last November, “It’s really strange that Saudi Arabia is the only country where you see men selling women’s lingerie.
Women walk around covered from head to toe, and yet they have to discuss the size and material of their undergarments with strange men. Isn’t this odd?” It certainly is. There are situations where, dressed in an abaya, a woman will be advised by a man on the size she requires. “I think this is your size,” or “This suits you best, madam.” Not only can he not provide useful advice, but any woman would be keen to end the embarrassment as swiftly as possible.
In the same article a source in the Labour Ministry said, “the ban comes from a strict interpretation of the Islamic principle that women should not mix with men outside their immediate family”. This is not surprising really, as this logic is quite active in Saudi Arabia, but it is usually overlooked. Just one look at the shopping centres proves that women are not staying home and they are mingling with men in the street or the shops or cafes and, in parts of the Kingdom, in the work place as well.That really tells us that the “strict” point of view is out of touch, yet it still dominates, and we can see the result in the suspension of the law allowing women to work in those stores.
Ms As’ad’s campaign might end without a result, as she is not fighting a concrete law or body. She and her supporters are up against a way of thinking that insists that women stay at home. But that way of thinking is being challenged everyday, and the appointment of a woman as deputy minister just few days ago gives us hope that change is on its way.
Abeer Mishkhas is an Arab writer based in London. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org
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Just as Lance Armstrong’s Tour successes helped popularize cycling in his homeland, Cadel Evans’ triumph in the event has seen an upsurge of interest in Australia.
The Age reports on how the “Cadel effect” has seen demand for bikes and accessories hit new heights Down Under, while cycling clubs have experienced a huge spike in membership applications.
As for BMC branded bikes and kit, it's boom time. The country’s distributor, Echelon Sports, has sold out of Cadel Tour-replica hats, jerseys and caps while 14 of the 15 yellow limited edition Tour-winning replica BMC bikes bound for the Australian market have been pre-sold at a cost of around AU$18,000 or £11,500 each.
BMC Australia brand manager Rob Rixon said that in the three weeks after Evans’ Tour win, more BMC bikes were sold in the country than had been in the preceding three months.
In Evans’ home state of Victoria, club memberships had risen by 300 per cent to 8000 since 2007, the year in which he finished second in the Tour, according to Cycling Victoria general manager Kipp Kaufmann.
At local level, Rob Monteath, Secretary for the Blackburn Cycling Club in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne told The Age that since Evans' win 20 new members have signed up, most of them in their early to mid teens. '
"They say they had been watching the Tour de France and they have been thinking about it for a while, but this has made them decide it is what they want to do,'' he said.


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Whole Foods Market Inc on Wednesday said sales at established stores declined for the fourth straight quarter, sending its shares down almost 5 percent in extended trading.
Continue Reading Below
Same-store sales for the third quarter ended July 3 fell 2.6 percent from a year earlier.
Those sales were down 3 percent in the second quarter, 1.8 percent in the first quarter and 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.
Shares of Whole Foods slipped 4.9 percent to $32.01 in after-hours trading, and remained off their all-time high of just above $63 in October 2013. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Bernard Orr)


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|iPads not welcomed in Israel|
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 20:04
iPads are being confiscated by customs officials at all international airports and placed in storage until tourists return to their own countries again.
The reason for this lies with the WiFi connectivity on the device.
During testing in Israel, engineers found that the broadcasting powers levels of the iPad is not in compliance with Israeli wireless networks. The iPad’s WiFi modem is developed to operate at a level for the United States as to where Israel operates on a lower level similar to that of Europe.
Confiscated iPads are currently being stored in a warehouse and owners are being charged a daily rate until the ministry declares its (broadcasting power) suitable.
Apple today also announced that the international release date of the iPad has been delayed with a month and are claiming shortage of stock to be the reason. With 500 000 units shifted within the first week in the US, demand was stronger than expected by the company.
This might be good news for Israelis looking to purchase units within Israel as it might allow for time to process the current compatibility issues raise by their Communications Ministry.
Add your 2Cents
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Comcast, one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information, and communications products and services, today announced the launch of the X1 Platform from Xfinity in the Greater Baltimore area. Unlike any other video service available, X1 uses IP technology and cloud servers on Comcast’s network to create the world’s first entertainment operating system. X1 integrates the largest collection of video with social media features, interactive apps, web content and more in one easy-to-navigate, sleek viewing experience.
“X1 offers an entirely new and personalized way for our customers to experience their TV and entertainment,” said Tom Coughlin, regional senior vice president for Comcast. “X1 transforms our video product from a hardware experience to a software experience, allowing us to deliver new features and functionality to our customers faster than ever before.”
The launch of X1 in the Greater Baltimore area is part of Comcast’s ongoing and evolving effort to take advantage of IP technology and the cloud to constantly bring new innovations to market.
X1 features currently include:
· A modern user interface that enables one-click access to programs and a highly visual guide to entertainment options and related information
· A personalized viewing experience with recommendations based on search input and previously watched shows and movies
· The ability to search simultaneously across live TV, Xfinity On Demand and DVR recordings – and see the last nine programs watched across all services with a single tap on the remote control
- The ability to watch DVR recordings from any room in the house and simultaneously record up to four shows while watching another
· An expanding selection of tailored-for-TV apps, including social networking, traffic, weather, Pandora and a sports app to track multiple games at once and check the latest scores, standings, and schedules while watching a favorite show
· The ability to fling a Web page, like one that features streaming video, directly to the X1 set top box and view it on the big screen
- An enhanced remote control that offers greater responsiveness and does not require a line-of-sight connection to the set-top-box
In addition, the X1 Remote App lets customers use motions, gestures, and voice commands to control their TVs with their Apple handheld devices. So for example, customers can swipe their iPhones to page through the interactive TV guide and program personalized short-cuts and favorites (“Quick Links”); shake their device to pause Xfinity On Demand content; and use voice commands to navigate the guide and search for content.
X1 will initially be available to new Xfinity Triple Play customers in the Greater Baltimore area, and will become available to additional customers segments in the future. The X1 Platform is currently available in 13 markets and Comcast plans to launch the service in all remaining markets by the end of the year.


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Netflix has partnered with Facebook allowing users to share and recommend TV shows and movies with their friends.
As of today, Netflix users will have the ability to privately share their recommendations with their friends using the social network.
The share feature will be fully integrated into Netflix so when you finish watching a show or movie you will be given the option to skim through your Facebook contacts and send a recommendation.
“You know that feeling when you’ve watched something really great, something that moves you or makes you laugh, and you immediately think of someone else who would love it too? It’s a feeling of wanting your friends and family to enjoy the show as much as you did,” stated Cameron Johnson who is the product innovation director at Netflix.
One interesting thing about the recommendations is that Netflix is promising users full privacy, meaning that your endorsements will never be shared on your public news feed.
The new feature is currently available on the Netflix website and on the iPad, iPhone, Playstation3, Xbox and a number of set top boxes.
Apple has been facing some harsh criticism after celebrity iCloud accounts were hacked over the weekend.
The hack saw intimate images of stars such as Jennifer Lawrence leaked over the internet and now Apple is working to investigate how it all happened.
According to sources, Apple is working directly with celebrities and their publicists to rectify the sensitive situation. A spokesperson at Apple has already claimed that the vulnerability that allowed the hacker to get through has been hacked but there has been no formal word on exactly what happened.
Some believe that since the hacker was able to access multiple accounts that the operation is much more sophisticated than Apple wants us to believe. Some stars such as Mary. E Winstead ever took to Twitter to say many of her leaked photos had been deleted- “Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this…”
Along with Apple, the FBI is also looking into the iCloud attack however they are yet to disclose if they are opening a full investigation just yet.
Despite the safety measures that are now in place, the hack has definitely created concern among both businesses and personal users.
Imagine a device that you can plug into your smart phone to detect your blood alcohol level. Well, now that is a reality with Drink Mate.
DrinkMate is a device that plugs into your Android phone and allows you to detect your blood alcohol level on the go.
This is a great device for when you are out drinking and you are not sure if you are quite over the edge or not.
This is not the first time we’ve seen smartphone breathalyzer’s, we have seen them before in Alcohoot for the iPhone. DrinkMate is a lot smaller and cheaper. It also claims to capitalize on the accuracy part of the equation. It is supposedly accurate down to the +/- 0.01 BAC.
The sensor maxes out at .20% BAC (blood alcohol content), but if you are more drunk than that you are not going to be able to use the device, let alone find your car keys.
Mozilla Firefox OS has launched a new smartphone in India for just $33.
The new handset, titled “Cloud FX” stemmed from the partnership between Mozilla and Intex Technologies.
The phone has 4GB memory, bluetooth and supports both Hindi and Tamil.
Intex’s director of marketing, Keshav Bensal said “with the launch of Intex Cloud FX we aim to enable the masses to get smartphone experience at the cost of a feature phone.”
India now has the third-highest smartphones sales in the world and is trailing only behind the US and China.
While Mozilla has tapped into the lower-end handset market they are not the only company aiming to profit out of it. Google has also announced a comparable model for less than $100.
Mozilla’s president Li Gong stated, “Firefox OS smartphones in the ultra -low cost category will redefine the entry level smartphone and create strong momentum in Asia.”
Want to see what your beloved pooch is up to? Why not strap a GoPro around his waist….
The newest GoPro accessory will allow users to see what the world looks like from their dog’s point of view.
Titled, GoPro Fetch, the new washable harness can be adjusted to dogs and breeds of all sizes. It comes with two mounts and shows an over the head shot and point of view shot.
GoPro has announced that the new product will enable dog users to “document a variety of pet activities on land and in water.”
They continued to state that the “adaptability and versatility of GoPro cameras make them the perfect device to document life from a dog’s point of view.”
Paul Osborne, the senior director of product management also announced that the company couldn’t wait to “see the images and videos that owners will capture and share.”
GoPro Fetch will retail for $59.99.
Amazon is not the only one testing drones as Google announces that it too wants drones to deliver your packages.
Last year Amazon made quite the media splash when it revealed it was testing drones to deliver small packages. Now however, Google has announced that they are doing the same in order to compete with the e-commerce giant.
Google’s new project has been dubbed “Project Wing” and is currently aiming to deliver products to consumers by way of drones.
The tech giant has been working to expand their e-commerce services in the last year, offering same day delivery shopping services and faster delivery.
Despite these recent developments with drone technology, it may be still a few years before consumers will have access to them.
Samsung has just announced their new curved smartwatch, the Samsung Gear S.
Just as news broke that Apple was planning to debut their new wearable, Samsung has announced that they are releasing a new and updated smartwatch.
The new Gear S will feature a curved, Super AMOLED display that is 2 inches and has 360 x 480 pixels. It will also come with built in Wi-Fi capabilities and cellular 3D, meaning that it can connect without the use of a smartphone.
The new model will also see the return of a number of features from the original Gear 2 model including the style, wristband and the operating system.
Like the Gear 2, the Gear S will run on Tizen, Samsung’s own operating system that is independent from Google’s Android. It has been stated however, that Samsung is looking to also release an Android compatible smartwatch in the near future.
The new Gear S is expected to go on sale by October 2014, meaning that it will probably compete directly with Apple’s new wearable.
Instagram’s latest app, Hyperlapse has just been released and allows users to capture time lapse videos.
Even though the number of photo and video sharing apps have been rapidly increasing, Instagram did not shy away from releasing a new video app that allows users to manipulate the speed of their footage.
While the app provides a few minutes of fun for those wanting to watch themselves in fast-forward, the intricate technology behind the app has been applauded.
The videos have the ability to stabilize themselves instantly using a special algorithm.
“Our stabilization algorithm computes the smoothest camera motion possible while also ensuring that a frame is never changed, such that regions outside the frame become visible in the final video,” stated Instagram’s engineers.
The new app is currently available to download for iOS.
Microsoft is offering users a chance to purchase a stand alone Kinect system for $149.
On October 7th, customers will have the opportunity to purchase the motion-sensing camera system, Kinect independently of the Xbox.
Microsoft recently removed the Kinect system from their Xbox One console in order to drop the price and make it more competitive. This lead to speculation that the company was ditching the technology. Now however, it seems that Microsoft may have a new plan.
Kinect has been on sale since 2010 and was once a hot commodity for gamers however, it seems that its popularity has died down in recent years.
Currently there are only a handful of Kinect games so it remains to be seen if users are going to pay the $149 price tag.
Apple has plans to host a press event on September 9th to showcase their new iPhone and to celebrate the launch of their iWatch.
According to sources, Apple is going to unveil their new smartwatch on Sept 9th as well as two new iPhones which are believed to have a 4.7 inch and a 5.5 inch display.
The new wearable device is also expected to showcase Apple’s HealthKit and HomeKit which will allow users to monitor their health and fitness and control the security and energy of their home.
Invites for the event are yet to go out however, the company typically releases them a week before the event.


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Devon County Council and partners will once again be sharing a stand, socially-distanced this time, at this year’s Devon County Show from Friday 2 July – Sunday 4 July.
Visitors to the stand will be able to explore exhibits in a COVID-safe space, spanning a range of themes including the environment, Devon’s climate emergency and business support in Devon.
With eye-opening activities, competitions and expert business advice on offer, as well as free Devon mini cream teas offered by the Made in Devon display, the stand promises to entertain and inform in equal measure.
At the Devon Climate Emergency stand you’ll be able to learn about the environmental impact of different household items, calculate your own carbon footprint and step into a net-zero carbon Devon, a world where we have taken action on climate change, and people and nature thrive.
We are excited to welcome Co Cars and Co Bikes to our stand for the first time. They will be showcasing their range of shared, low-carbon, on-demand electric cars and e-bikes, which help people travel more sustainably and affordably.
Visitors will be able to get a sneak preview of the latest edition to their electric vehicle fleet, the Volkswagen iD3, and even win a day out in one as part of their competition.
It will also be competition time at the Tour of Britain stand. Come and chat to the team about the race, the route and the riders as well as enter their Super Fan Selfie competition to win two VIP hospitality tickets to the Devon stage of the race this September.
The Devon Local Nature Partnership will be back and encouraging visitors to be ‘wild about Devon’. Their focus will be on communities, as they highlight ways in which we can all learn more about our local area as well as take action to help improve it and protect local wildlife.
Business support will also take centre stage alongside the environment at our stand this year. Together with the Heart of the South West (HOTSW) Growth Hub and Cosmic exhibits, Made in Devon and the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Farming initiative are aiming to provide a welcoming hub offering a range of digital and business advice as well as an opportunity to talk about mental wellbeing.
Businesses are encouraged to drop by and see the HOTSW Growth Hub and Cosmic, who will be on-hand to share their knowledge and provide business support on everything, including finance and grants, training, and digital skills. Throughout the show Cosmic will be showing individuals and businesses how digital technology can enhance their business practice.
Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service will also be promoting the Made in Devon Scheme at the show this year. They will be telling businesses all about the scheme and showing them how they can apply to be members – with one year’s free membership on offer to those who sign up at the show (subject to eligibility). Come for a chat to find out more and be treated to a free, mini Devon cream tea, supplied by one of the scheme’s new members.
Made in Devon will also be joined by the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Farming initiative which is helping rural businesses by highlighting and reducing the stigma around mental health and publicising the support available. Keep an eye out for the different guests and speakers who will be visiting the stand throughout the show, including the fantastic Lions Barber Collective on Saturday and The Somerset Crooner on Sunday.
With so much to see and do at the stand, we’re sure everyone will be grateful for a good cup of coffee and the delicious homemade cakes available from the Camper Coffee van which will be onsite for the duration of the show.
We look forward to welcoming you all to our stand in July – we’ll be in our usual place: Road 8, Stand 248.
This year, the Devon County Council stand will also be joined at the show by a Devon County Council community testing van, which will be parked right next door. Staff will be encouraging people to ‘Go for the Flow’ and get free rapid lateral flow tests at the van, available from 9am to 5pm each day.


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The parent company of Canadian quick-service chain Mary Brown’s Chicken plans to acquire Fat Bastard Burrito Co., MB International Brands announced Wednesday.
The deal would create one of the largest privately held fast-food chains in Canada, the company said. Details of the transaction, which is expected to close at the end of this month, were not disclosed.
Mary Brown’s Chicken was founded more than 50 years ago and has 215 stores across Canada, with 30 more openings planned by the end of the year. Fat Bastard Burrito operates or has under development 75 locations across Ontario.
The new owner hinted at the possibility of expanding the concepts outside of Canada.
“We are thrilled to bring together two premium, Canadian-born restaurant brands with solid track records of growth and success,” Hadi Chahin, president of MB International Brands, said in a statement. “The transaction combines two highly complementary franchise networks that, together, will provide more delicious choices for diners as well as more opportunities for existing and new franchisees of both brands across Canada and beyond.”
Both chains are known for working with local purveyors.
Fat Bastard Burrito executives will remain in place “through a transition period” to ensure continuity at both brands, the company said.
Mary Brown’s hand breads its chicken and hand cuts its potatoes in each restaurant. The chain uses proprietary cookers to achieve a “golden consistency and superior flavor,” it said.
Fat Bastard Burrito is known for its burritos, quesadillas, tacos and loaded waffle fries.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.


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At different ends of the Bay Area, the CEOs of two tech giants espoused different visions for a streaming future for videogames on Tuesday.
Google made the bigger splash by far in unveiling a videogame streaming service called Stadia at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Google talked in broad strokes about a service that allows players to access games from a variety of devices without having to buy a console, high-end gaming PC or other expensive hardware — gamers instead play within the Chrome browser.
In San Jose, Jensen Huang, co-founder and chief executive of Nvidia Corp.
, detailed the direction of his company’s GeForce Now streaming service, which has been in beta for nearly two years now. Even in its early form, that service has 300,000 monthly active users with a waiting list of 1 million potential gamers, Huang said.
Nvidia has been a major part of the videogame industry for decades, as the most prominent manufacturer of the graphics chips that have helped games grow from digital blobs moving slowly around a screen to cinematic adventures that have forever changed the idea of what entertainment can be. Huang discussed his thoughts on the future of streaming videogames during a question-and-answer session with reporters at Nvidia’s annual GTC conference, where he announced new moves for GeForce Now.
“We don’t believe that ‘Netflix of gaming’ is the right approach, because we don’t have a discovery problem for gaming,” Huang said, explaining that the videogame industry is typically dominated by about five to 10 games at a time.
While Huang said he would address only his service, those remarks seemed to shed some light on his thoughts on Stadia, which appears to be an approach similar to Google’s own Play Store and Apple’s App Store — a marketplace connected to YouTube and other services that leads consumers to content, with the revenue split between Alphabet and the game publishers.
“The store business model does not work great … [and] I’m not exactly sure how advertising works in there,” Huang said. “For PC games, it hasn’t proven to be that effective.”
In summation, the seasoned videogame executive said, “Leave the economics completely to the publishers, do not get in the way of their relationship with the gamer.”
Google not only appears to be trying to put itself between the publisher and the consumer, but is also becoming a publisher itself, announcing its own in-house videogame production unit led by a former Electronic Arts Inc.
executive. Google did not announce any partnerships with EA or top videogame publishers like Activision Blizzard Inc.
and Take Two on Tuesday. It did demonstrate “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey” from Ubisoft Entertainment SA
, the same series that was featured in its Project Stream demonstration of the technology, and “Doom” publisher Id Software joined it on stage.
As is typical, Google is betting on a future reality that executives believe will happen instead of building a service for the reality of today. That has served the company well in many of its gambits so far, and likely puts it on a similar path to rivals. Amazon.com Inc.
is also believed to be working on a videogame streaming service, and already owns Twitch, which was an obvious target of Google’s pairing of game streaming and YouTube. Apple is also working on its own “Netflix for videogames,” according to earlier reports, and is hosting an event next week in Cupertino, Calif., that could bring more details. Microsoft Corp.,
, with its Xbox business hanging in the balance, also has its nascent Project X in the works.
Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Robert W. Baird, wrote in a note that Google’s streaming approach could bring more consumers into the gaming market.
“While more hard-core gamers don’t have objections to high-priced hardware, we believe eliminating big-ticket console purchases should expand the videogame total available market, initially on the casual end of the spectrum, but over time to AAA titles,” Sebastian said in a note to clients.
Anyone who has dealt with the hard-core gaming community, though, knows how tough they can be on any company that does not satisfy their needs. Streaming services that attempt to attract new users without offering anything for the current core gamers will likely face a barrage of negativity and a rough early life that could doom it before it actually finds a new audience.
Nvidia’s approach also could expand the audience, as it seeks to offer high-end gaming on machines that don’t have its high-end equipment. At GTC, Huang revealed this week that Nvidia is partnering with telecommunications companies in other countries, providing them with servers that can run its GeForce Now service — as a start, Japan’s SoftBank
and South Korea’s LG
plan to sell the service to their customers and split the revenue with Nvidia.
Huang thinks that is the type of approach that could draw new gamers.
“The [Geforce Now] service is probably for the billion PC consumers who don’t have GeForces,” referring to Nvidia’s gaming cards.
While that may be, Google appears to be building a service for those who don’t even know what a GeForce is — those who watch other people play videogames on YouTube and want to try the games themselves. Stadia offers an easy way to access those games, likely at a cheap price and without the difficulty of signing up for a streaming service that has 1 million waiting just to try it and may require interacting with one’s internet provider.
While Huang defended how gamers want to play today, the news from Google could represent the future of where gaming is going, at least perhaps for the less hard-core gamers. The Netflix analogy is apt for gamers as well: Just as hard-core cinephiles still prefer to see many movies on the big screen while the larger, mainstream audience is at home streaming at their convenience, the same could be said for the serious gamers versus the casual enthusiasts.
Neither approach feels perfect — Google may struggle to find support from hard-core gamers and the videogame industry, while Nvidia will likely struggle to move beyond its base of hard-core gamers. Don’t worry, though, it feels like there will be a lot more offerings coming soon from other companies that believe they can create the long-expected but potentially impossible “Netflix for games.”
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The US drone company Skydio used the Thermal by FLIR program to make a better longwave infrared payload using the Boson+ thermal camera module.
Skydio announced that it is halting its consumer drone operations, four years after its Skydio 2 consumer drone was released.
$230M in funding to expand U.S. manufacturing and hiring as demand rises for autonomous drones across public safety, defense, and infrastructure inspection.
Skydio, a Calif.-based drone developer, has become the robotics industry’s newest unicorn after closing a $170 million Series D funding round. This brings Skydio’s total funding to date to more than $340 million. Skydio is the first U.S. drone maker to be valued at more than $1 billion. Skydio’s drones are best known for their…
Skydio has raised $100 million in Series C funding as the U.S. drone maker expands its offerings to enterprise and government markets. The company also named new executives.


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The crypto industry is still waiting for its ‘iPhone moment’
This year, a great crypto cycle has played out with new all-time highs, euphoria and mainstream media paying lip service to the crypto trend du jour. However, the uncomfortable truth for us in the industry is that crypto is no more present in most people’s daily lives than it was in 2017. Four years have passed — what stalled its progress?
2017 marked my first professional foray into the blockchain space when I joined Crypto.com (then known as Monaco) as its first chief marketing officer. The company grew to become one of the largest crypto service providers and fiat-to-crypto gateways in the world.
During that time, the crypto space changed. Payments are much less of a focus and many of the projects aimed at crypto adoption have been sidelined. Decentralized finance (DeFi) and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have taken the spotlight, but they’re ultimately focused on crypto trading and unable to help the real world in any meaningful way — at least, for now.
Related: Is crypto approaching its ‘Netscape moment’?
The situation reminds me of the mobile industry before the advent of the iPhone and the revolution spearheaded by Steve Jobs. Technology and features were being stacked on top of each other but with no additional impact for the end-user, even though there was plenty of buzz.
A mobile marketing pioneer, I worked with the Mobile Marketing Association for more than ten years in Asia (served as chair during 2009–10) and saw firsthand the development of the industry. One thing that people misunderstand about that revolution is that Apple did not “invent” the smartphone to any meaningful extent.
From zero to hero with just one innovation
If you ask someone on the street what made the iPhone so successful, you’ll get at least half a dozen different answers. It was apps and the App Store, some people say. For others, it was Gorilla glass and the touchscreen. It was 3G (actually, the first iPhone did not even have it), the Wi-Fi connection, the camera, the comfortable size, the sleek design…
Of course, all of these factors contributed. But consider that, in some form, all of those features already existed in other phones. Nokia had the Symbian OS and it featured a quite rich ecosystem of apps. The same thing goes for BlackBerry, which was quite advanced for its time in terms of hardware and software — for example, in 2005, it released BBM, the proto-WhatsApp/iMessages. Palm and plenty of other companies were making “pocket computers” with stylus touchscreens. Nokia excelled with camera phones and predictive text, Motorola dazzled everyone with the Razr’s design, and so on.
The only independent innovation that the iPhone brought was the user experience (UX), and more specifically, the multi-touch capacitive screen. It introduced gestures, on-screen QWERTY keyboards, and the basic smartphone design we know today, but nothing else in the iPhone was, by itself, new. It simply was the ultimate phone — as Steve Jobs said at the time, “An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator… not three separate devices. This is one device,” — which offered a simple to use, sleek and good-looking device, packed with features. The rest, as they say, is history.
Crypto has yet to have its iPhone moment.
Reframing crypto as the means, not the end
When we talk about crypto adoption, we need to recognize the utilitarian considerations of the average person. The vast majority think about cost and utility well before any idealistic concern. Organic food has its place, but it’s a small niche — most people buy food based on its taste and cost. Electric cars struggle because they offer a significant number of practical disadvantages and because they’re generally much more expensive.
Positioning crypto as an amazing tool for financial freedom and decentralization will ring hollow to most people. By far, the most significant reason why people get into crypto now is price gains, not its utility. Crypto is useful in certain applications, such as cheap global transfer of value. But there are many practical disadvantages to using crypto for payments, which mostly have to do with the integration with existing financial rails. The user experience of using crypto to pay for stuff has been, frankly, atrocious — with complicated fees, confirmation times and difficult units compounding the adoption struggle.
Related: Mass adoption of blockchain tech is possible, and education is the key
There are no perfect analogies but I think that the “multi-touch capacitive screen” of crypto is reframing it as a means, and not the end. The average person does not care about crypto, itself, they care about what it gives them. If you promise them Lambos and moons, they will listen but that only gets you so far.
What if you used crypto to cut out the middleman between you and your money to deliver (nearly) free transfers of money, foreign exchange, interest rates that a normal person can only hope to pay, not receive, and other benefits that would make Black Cardholders jealous?
You can bet the average person would be interested.
This is the strategy we adopted: a redeemable membership fee granting access to a suite of useful financial, travel and lifestyle services, which are easily accessible from both mobile and web apps, and even chat services like WhatsApp or Telegram. We acted in two directions: removing any friction of using our product and making it immensely useful to everyone. Just like the iPhone back in the day.
Of course, there is a long journey ahead. But if more projects in crypto operated outside of the box and focused on utility and not just crypto for speculation’s sake, it just might bring us back onto the path of mainstream adoption we embarked on in 2017.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
Sean Rach is the co-founder of hi, a not-for-profit blockchain-based financial platform. Sean was the founding chief marketing officer of Crypto.com, the crypto exchange and card provider. He also served in senior roles at Prudential Corporation Asia, Ogilvy Hong Kong and Mobile Marketing Association. A Business Administration doctoral candidate at the Warwick Business School, Sean has overseen the development of several innovative digital platforms, like Safe Steps (with NatGeo and Red Cross) and Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids (with Cartoon Network), and earlier helped to launch Hallmark.com.


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Is Gun Fight the big fashion of modern times?
I don't think so.
But very terrible.
People heard the news of Gun Fight day after day.
People say in their heart,
"No more GUN FIGHT."
What do you think about the murder case of British female lawmaker?
It's the saddest story in this world.
GUN FIGHT isn't the game.
NO MORE GUN FIGHT.


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The office supplies retailer is adding IBM Watson technology to its Easy Button to help business customers re-order products and provide information, such as ...
Online music and game sales dipped in the first quarter for RealNetworks by 18.9% and 7.9%, respectively. But software revenue grew at a healthy clip of 30.1%.
Online music and game sales dipped in the first quarter for RealNetworks Inc., but software revenue grew at a healthy clip.
For the first quarter ended March 31, RealNetworks, No. 99 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, recorded:
- Sales for Rhapsody.com declined year over year 18.9% to $35.7 million from $44.0 million in the first quarter of 2009.
- Total revenue dropped 8.7% to $128.6 million from $140.8 million in the first quarter of 2009.
- Digital music revenue accounted for 27.8% of total sales compared with 31.3% in the prior year.
- Technology products and service revenue decreased 3.9% to $41.9 million from $43.6 million in 2008.
- Games revenue declined year over year 7.9% to $30.2 million from $32.8 million.
- Sales for media software and services increased 30.1% to $29.8 million from $22.9 million in the first quarter of 2009.
- Net income was $3.2 million compared with a net loss of $12.1 million in the prior year.
“We made significant progress toward achieving our milestones to transform RealNetworks over the coming year into a growing and profitable company,” says acting CEO Bob Kimball. “While we are moving fast to transform the company, our plans to simplify, restructure and grow RealNetworks require substantial work, and it will take some time before we see the financial benefit of our efforts.”
After the first quarter, RealNetworks will no longer be including Rhapsody in its financial results, the company says. In February, RealNetworks announced that Rhapsody America LLC will become an independent company after being spun off by majority owner RealNetworks and MTV Networks. MTV parent Viacom International Inc. now owns 52.5% of the online music service and RealNetworks owns 47.5%.


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The Ministry of Commerce has asked for cooperation from swine raisers and traders to maintain the wholesale price at 80 baht per kilogram, to keep the retail price at 150 to 160 baht. As a result, many retailers are selling pork at only 130 baht per kilogram.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, inspected the price of pork at Makro Nakorn-In, confirming the meat is being sold to consumers at 130 baht a kilogram. Mr. Jurin found the product being sold at the same price at Tesco Lotus and Tops Supermarket outlets while revealing Blue Flag pork was also on offer in 44 provinces.
The Deputy Prime Minister said all three major retailers have affirmed they will keep red pork meat at no more than 130 baht per kilogram while the Thai Fresh Market Association has compelled its members in Bangkok and its vicinity to maintain the retail price at 150 baht per kilogram. The association added, however, that it may reconsider the cap if farm prices are not kept at 80 baht per kilogram and will look at the export sector.
The President of the Thai Swine Raisers Association, Surachai Sutthitham, explained that raised pork prices are due to improvements being made to farm systems to protect Thai swine from the African Swine Fever virus, pushing up production costs. However, exports may be adjusted in favor of satisfying domestic demand. (NNT)


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Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has asked Singaporean firms to invest in Indiaâ€™s infrastructure sector, especially in the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
Anand reiterated that India and Singapore need to ensure that their bilateral trade and investment is integrated closely into the wider India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) economic engagement framework as this would be the key to future success of the India-Singapore economic partnership.
Singapore was the first country with which India signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. The pact has helped by more than doubling the bilateral trade since its signing initial in 2005.
Bilateral trade between the countries is expected to have crossed an estimated $14 billion last year. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into India from Singapore during April 2000-October 2010 were worth $11.47 billion.


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Manolo Blahnik: British Fashion Awards Honoree
Posted Thursday November 22, 2012 2:00 AM GMT
Manolo Blahnik has done glorious things for women’s heels during the course of his long and distinguished career, and now, his achievements will be recognized at the upcoming British Fashion Awards.
The footwear guru is said to have changed the way ladies feel about wearing high heels, creating a major niche for the stiletto design in today’s marketplace.
To that end, Manolo will receive the Outstanding Achievement trophy on November 27th at the London shindig.
Among this year’s nominees for BFA honors are Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney, and Alexander McQueen.


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As a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we were deeply affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. Several of our colleagues were running the race while others were spectators just a few blocks away from the finish line. We quickly realized the magnitude of the tragedy and its impact on our local community. There was a great sense of urgency within the company to assist in the community's recovery in any way we could.
In my role as SVP of Community Relations and President of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, the private foundation of CVS Caremark, I’m responsible for creating and managing philanthropic programs that make a lasting impact on communities nationwide. We take pride in all that we do in our communities as a responsible corporate citizen and believe serving the community should be a priority for every business. Through CVS Caremark’s disaster relief efforts, such as our Hurricane Sandy response, we know firsthand an effective and nimble response is required when a community is recovering from tragedy. When Hurricane Sandy devastated many New York and New Jersey communities, CVS Caremark colleagues jumped into action to help. We worked quickly to reopen all stores that were closed due to the storm and in some cases we used generators to power stores located in areas that were coping with lingering power outages. We also set up temporary mobile pharmacies so customers could continue to get important medications they needed to stay healthy and supplies like paper towels, bleach, batteries and snacks. In some cases, our colleagues even delivered prescription medications to stranded customers. Our philanthropic mission to give back to the communities we serve through impactful community engagement and support is what drives us as a company. We drew upon these previous disaster relief experiences, and they spurred us to move quickly to support our local community in Boston.
Within days of the Boston Marathon, the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust donated $100,000 in support of The One Fund Boston, a fund established by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to raise money for victims and families affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy. In addition to this support, because we know the importance of coming together as a community, especially during times of tragedy, we wanted to give our colleagues and customers an opportunity to join our efforts to support The One Fund. A few days following the Boston Marathon, more than 260 CVS/pharmacy stores in the Greater Boston area held in-store donation campaigns that allowed customers to make a donation directly to the One Fund at store checkouts and pharmacy counters.
This required quite a bit of logistical management, but it was incredible to see my partners in store operations jumping at the opportunity to do anything they could to help. This was unprecedented for us as we currently manage two in-store fundraising campaigns each year and have not made this kind of exception in the past. But this was different, our colleagues, our customers our friends and neighbors were so deeply affected by this tragedy that we knew we needed to react in a way we hadn’t before. The result was very humbling.
We were so proud of our colleagues who responded quickly to launch and support this fundraising campaign and our customers who generously made donations to help victims and families in their recovery. The in-store campaign was a tremendous success and our customers raised more than $650,000 in just a few weeks. It was truly remarkable to see our colleagues and customers rally together to show their support.
A few months after the bombings, Rolling Stone announced that the accused Boston Marathon bomber would be featured on the cover of its August issue. We chose to do something unprecedented one more time. CVS/pharmacy was the first retailer to choose not to sell the issue in our stores out of respect for the victims, their families and everyone in the local community who was affected by the bombings. Many of our customers and colleagues were personally affected by the bombings and we didn’t want the cover photo to be a painful reminder during their recovery process. The decision to ban the issue from our stores was a proud moment for the company and we received an outpouring of support not only from the Boston community, but from communities nationwide.
As demonstrated by our actions in response to the Boston Marathon bombings, CVS Caremark is committed to supporting communities where our customers and colleagues live and work, especially in the wake of tragedy.
As we approach the six-month anniversary of the Boston Marathon, we as a community remain “Boston Strong” and want to thank all our colleagues and customers for joining in our efforts to support The One Fund.


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On April 16, 2020, the Amazon logo is seen in Douai, northern France. Amazon.com Inc. axed another 9,000 jobs on March 20, 2023. PHOTO AP Amazon.com Inc will axe another 9,000 jobs on Monday, adding to a wave of layoffs that have swept the tech sector as an uncertain economy forces companies to get leaner.
In a remarkable turn for a company that has long touted its job creation, Amazon will have eliminated 27,000 positions in the last few months, or 9% of its 300,000 strong corporate workforce.
The cuts focus on Amazon's highly-profitable cloud and advertising divisions, once seen as untouchable until economic concerns led business customers to scrutinize their spending.
Amazon's streaming unit, Twitch, will be affected by the layoffs. Dan Clancy, who was named CEO of Twitch last week, said the platform will lay off more than 400 employees.
The new round of job cuts is about to be finalized by Amazon by April.
ALSO READ: Microsoft to shed 10,000 jobs, adding to the glut of tech layoffs.
I don't think this means much for other companies, except that all will be more careful before they can allow their headcount to balloon in the future, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said.
In a move that seems a harbinger, Facebook's parent Meta Platforms Inc said last week it would cut 10,000 jobs this year, kicking off a second round of layoffs for the sector after it eliminated more than 11,000 positions in 2022.
In a note to staff that Amazon posted online, Andy Jassy, CEO of the company, said the decision stemmed from an ongoing analysis of priorities and uncertainty about the economy.
He wrote that some people may ask why we didn't announce these role reductions with the ones we announced a couple of months ago. In the late fall, not all of the teams were done with their analyses. Due to the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have decided to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount. Amazon said last month that operating profit may continue to slump in the current quarter due to the financial impact of consumers and cloud customers clamping down on spending.
The Athena Coalition, a labor and activist group that is critical of Amazon, said in a statement: "No of these layoffs have to happen." Jassy is trying to make them happen to pad Amazon's bottom line. The company has shut down or slowed entire services, like its virtual primary care offering for employers in recent months.


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TVB Hong Kong – OTT TV Platform passes 1 million users
Users of myTV SUPER, Hong Kong’s leading OTT TV platform, has passed one million mark in just six months.
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) announced the total number of myTV SUPER users has reached 1,037,777 including 312,359 OTT TV boxes sold through ISPs or various retail outlets and 725,418 active app users.
A TVB spokesman said, “We are excited that the number of myTV SUPER users has grown to more than a million in just six months. “When launching the myTV SUPER on 18 April this year, we had the vision of creating a second platform to meet changing viewing habit and viewers’ need for more diversified contents. Today we are very encouraged that one million people have recognised that vision.”


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All TJX stores, including T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Sierra Trading Post, will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, a spokesperson confirmed to ThinkProgress.
“We consider ourselves an Associate-friendly Company, and, we are pleased to give our Associates the time to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends,” she said. Most Marshalls and T.J. Maxx stores will open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday, November 28th, with about 25 opening at 5 a.m. HomeGoods stores will open at 7 while Sierra Trading Post stores will open at 6.
That makes nine national brands that have resisted the recent trend of beginning holiday shopping on Thanksgiving itself, joining American Girl, Burlington, Dillard’s, Coscto, GameStop, Nordstrom, Patagonia, and REI. Dillard’s, Costco, and GameStop all also explained their decision to stay closed on the holiday as a way to give employees the time to be with their friends and family.
Other stores will make their workers come in. Walmart will be open all day, meaning nearly 1 million employees will go to work, and it will begin Black Friday deals in the evening. Macy’s will open for holiday shopping at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. At least 10 other brands decided to do the same last year. While the stores say shifts are filled by volunteers, some Kmart employees reported that their requests to take the day off were rejected last year.
Employees also have little power over whether they can stay home on holidays, as they aren’t guaranteed paid holidays, unlike their peers in other developed countries. Service sector workers are particularly unlikely to get the benefit, as 45 percent of them don’t get paid holidays at work. Even those who elect to come in may not do it out of holiday cheer, but out of the need to get more hours given that retail schedules are often so sparse that employees struggle to get by.


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This week in health news was dominated by new campaigns to end childhood obesity beginning with American First Lady Michelle Obama's, called "Let's Move."
Michelle Obama announced her Let's Move campaign to help parents and children make healthier choices, and President Obama signed an executive order on February 9 memorandum to establish a task force headed by the First Lady: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hE5ygShdJ8
Jamie Oliver, British chef, received the TED award, a $100,000 to support his wish to create sustainable change by educating every child about food, food culture traditions, healthy home cooking, school cafeterias and product labeling to combat obesity. Oliver's speech at TED on February 11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHxSCz6QG90
American college campuses are getting a healthy boost from Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc., a produce company, with fresh fruit and vegetable vending machines to help tackle obesity. The items in the machines have less than 120 calories each and include bananas, pineapples, grapes, apple slices, baby carrots, celery and tomatoes. Prices range from $1 to $2.25 (€0.70-1.50).Reuse content


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Liberals and even members of the Republican establishment find Donald Trump to be a pain in the behind, but a Florida-based artist decided to take that sentiment to the next level.
The Huffington Post reported on Tuesday that artist Fernando Sosa decided to create a Trump-themed butt plug made in his likeness and image including his famous hairdo.
But a butt plug might be the least of it. Trump paraphernalia includes some very odd things that most people would never associate with a presidential campaign.
Here's a list of some of the oddest items up for sale:
Trump butt plugs, available at Shapeways for $27.99.
A "Trump That Bitch" bumper sticker, available at Cafe Press for $3.99.
Trump 2016 flip flops, available at Zazzle for $29.95.
"You're Fired Hillary" clock, available at Cafe Press for $34.99.
"Congress, You're Fired" Trump 2016 flask, available at Cafe Press for $24.50.
A Trump-themed teddy bear, available at Cafe Press for $19.99.
Trump 2016 can cooler, available on Amazon for $7.95.
"Make America Great Again!" muscle t-shirt, available at Amazon for $16.99.
A play off of Obama's "Hope" poster, available at Amazon for $7.99.


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Earlier this year, Microsoft closed down Press Play Studios, the Copenhagen-based group of indie developers responsible for such games as Kalimba and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. This news was overshadowed by the additional closure of Lionhead Studios, as you can see, but it was still a tragic loss indeed. However, not ones to be deterred, the veterans of Press Play have now gone and formed a new indie game studio, Lightbulb Games, announcing their new game Pioneers in the process.
As seen in the brief teaser below, Pioneers is a game about exploration where you build vehicles out of various kinds of blocks in order to find new ways to travel around and become the best Pioneer in the universe. If it looks a tad familiar, that’s because it was previously known as Karoo when Press Play originally invited players to vote last year on what the next game they develop would be. The other candidates were the first-person co-op fantasy game Dwarka, and the third-person multiplayer survival game Knoxville. Knoxville ended up winning, although the game’s development was shuttered along with the studio’s closure. Whether or not Lightbulb will be eventually working on those games as well has yet to be mentioned.
At the moment, Pioneers is due out just for the PC, and no current release window has been mentioned yet. Hopefully this helps serve as a resurrection for Press Play, as it does look like a promising game. Lightbulb Games is also hiring now, as seen on their website, so if you want to help with this resurrection, you should definitely check it out.


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West Side Business News & Notes
Countryside Farmers’ Markets accepting vendor applications
PENINSULA — Countryside Conservancy began accepting new vendor applications for its Countryside Farmers’ Markets at Howe Meadow and Highland Square Jan. 21.
Now entering the 10th anniversary season, these markets drew more than 48,000 customers and saw nearly $1 million in combined sales in 2013, according to Conservancy officials.
Countryside Farmers’ Market at Howe Meadow opens May 10 and will continue every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through Oct. 25. Countryside Farmers’ Market at Highland Square will open May 29 and will take place every Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. through Oct. 2. Due to scale and location differences, each market provides a unique opportunity for vendors, according to Conservancy officials, who say Howe Meadow necessitates a high volume of product, while the Highland Square market is a good venue for burgeoning food businesses and beginning farmers.
Countryside is concentrating its search for new vendors on those providing grains, fermented foods, pickled foods, flowers and staples such as corn meal, flour and popcorn. Farmers with these products, as well as other unique, high-quality items, may submit an application, available at the website www.cvcountryside.org, through March 14. Applicants will be notified by March 28 regarding their acceptance or denial.
According to conservancy officials, competition for existing spaces is extremely high, and all who apply might not be accepted.
For market guidelines and fees, review the Vendor Handbook on the website. For additional questions, call Beth Knorr or Erin Molnar at 330-657-2542.
hfa CEO retiring
DeLeo began his career under hfa founder Bob Fleming, moved up through the agency and has served as president since 1997.
In preparation for his retirement, DeLeo has worked on a succession plan to ensure hfa will continue to be a solid agency focused on providing strategic and creative solutions for its partners, according to company officials.
In June, DeLeo was inducted into the American Advertising Federation-Cleveland Hall of Fame for his contributions to hfa, creative ability, contributions to the general advancement of advertising and contributions to the community. He was also the recipient of the Betty Dalton Community Service Award, given by the Greenleaf Family Center, a few months later.
DeLeo is a member of the 4As Purple Forum Group, co-chairman of the 4As Cleveland Council, governor of the 4As Central Region Committee and a board member for the John S. Knight Center. His civic involvements include working with the American Cancer Society and Arthritis Foundation.
In February, he will be honored with an Ambassador of Service award from the Rotary Club of Akron. The award exemplifies service above self. Jack and a team of associates from hfa have been involved with the Akron Rotary Camp for a number of years, according to hfa officials.
Akron SCORE sees increase in clients in 2013
AKRON — Akron SCORE assisted more than 400 small businesses in its four-county service area in 2013 through one-on-one mentoring and workshops designed to give clients improved business skills, the organization announced recently.
More than 1,000 counseling sessions were conducted during the year, with a 7 percent increase in clients requesting more than one counseling session.
“Our counselors have experience in virtually every business discipline, and we can put together a custom counseling team to cover the needs of our clients,” said Tom Duke, chair of Akron SCORE.
A total of 86 workshops were held during the year, with the majority being conducted at The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at The University of Akron. Approximately 1,400 entrepreneurs attended the workshops with topics such as business basics, business plan, financial management, marketing techniques, selling, QuickBooks, international business, building a website, social media and patent basics. Workshops also were conducted at other sites in Medina, Portage and Wayne counties.
Counselors contributed 10,680 hours of their time during the year, an average of 168 per counselor.
“All of this time and expertise is donated at no charge by our counselors,” said Duke. “If a for-profit counseling firm had supplied these services, they would have been worth more than $1.6 million at the going rate of $150 per hour,” he added.
The businesses that are counseled add many millions more to the local economy, according to Akron SCORE officials.
Akron SCORE continues to be a partner with the Akron Urban League in the Partnership for the Minority Business Accelerator (PMBA) program in which it is mentoring 16 minority and women entrepreneurs. In addition, the Student Entrepreneur Mentoring Program directed at students at Kent State University and The University of Akron was initiated in 2013. This program is for students who want to start a business.
Stephanie Kist contributed to these reports.
More Business News
Calendar of Events
- Click and Sip Digital Photography Class - 4/26/2017
- Tuesday Musical: Escher String Quartet - 4/26/2017
- Fiber Art Open Studio - 4/26/2017
- Pilates - 4/26/2017
- Family Story Time - 4/27/2017


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World Bulletin/News Desk
The United States lost the bulk of its appeal against a World Trade Organization ruling on meat labeling on Friday, meaning it may have to stop requiring retailers to display the country of origin on the meat they sell.
The WTO Appellate Body said the U.S. country-of-origin labeling rules, commonly known as COOL, were wrong because they gave less favorable treatment to beef and pork imported from Mexico and Canada, the countries that brought the case, than to U.S. meat.
The decision gives the United States time to comply and does not immediately alter the labeling rules, but is not subject to further appeal.
The meat labels became mandatory in March 2009 after years of debate. U.S. consumer and some farm groups supported the requirement, saying consumers should have information to distinguish between U.S. and foreign products.
Big meat processors opposed the provision, which they said would unnecessarily boost costs and disrupt trade.
A WTO panel ruled in November that the labeling provision violated WTO rules on technical barriers to trade.
"Country of origin labeling is a lose-lose proposition for all players on both sides of the (border)," said Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, adding that within one year of the law, Canadian feeder cattle exports to the United States plunged by nearly half.
"Today's ruling is a key victory for the livestock industry," he said.
The U.S. labeling law requires grocers to put labels on cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken and ground meat or post signs that list the origin of the meat.
The WTO appeal body upheld an earlier WTO finding that COOL violates trade rules by giving less favorable treatment to imported cattle and hogs than domestic livestock.
It reversed an earlier finding that COOL fails to fulfill its goal of providing consumers with information on origin.
The United States highlighted that decision in its response.
"We are pleased with today's ruling, which affirmed the United States' right to adopt labeling requirements that provide information to American consumers about the meat they buy," said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a statement on his blog. "The Appellate Body's ruling confirms that families can still receive information on the origin of their meat and other food products when they shop for groceries."
U.S. officials said the ruling allows the U.S. to continue to require country-of-origin labels, but it has to change how it runs the program to ensure it is not a technical barrier to trade.
To be listed as U.S. origin, meat must come from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. Meat from livestock raised in Mexico or Canada for slaughter in the United States must be labeled as a product of mixed origin. Canada and Mexico have sizeable cattle and hog trade with the United States.
The countries have until early September to agree on a reasonable amount of time for the United States to comply - which could be up to 15 months, said John Masswohl, director of government and international relations for the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.
The Canadian industry is seeking legislative changes that could include making the labeling rule voluntary, or labeling livestock according to where they are slaughtered or processed, he said.
"The World Trade Organization has been extremely clear that mandatory Country of Origin Labeling is a clear WTO violation," said Bob McCan, vice president of the U.S.-based National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "This (appeal) did nothing more than jeopardize our strong trade relationship with Canada and Mexico, the two largest importers of U.S. beef."
But Public Citizen, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, said the decision will mean consumers have less access to information about the origin of their food, and health regulators may struggle to track food-borne bacteria.
"The WTO announcing that big agribusiness corporations must be allowed to sell mystery meat here, despite U.S. consumers and Congress demanding these labels, is yet another example of outsourcing our legal system to international commercial bodies that push corporate interests," said Lori Wallach of Public Citizen.
Many U.S. meat-packing plants, especially those near the U.S.-Canada border, either stopped accepting Canadian livestock or bought less due to the increased costs of segregating animals by domestic and foreign origin.
Changing the law would most affect packing plants that were once big buyers of Canadian animals, including those owned by JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill Inc., Hormel Foods and Smithfield Foods, Canadian farm industry officials have said.
China has also said it would like to continue to develop "friendly cooperation" with Ukraine and that it respects the ex-Soviet state's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Selling a fleet of subs would mark the first time since at least the end of World War Two that Japan had sold a complete weapons platform overseas.
The head of Iran's atomic agency says the agreement will be signed next month
A little more than a month ahead of general elections, new figures shows the Brazilian economy contracted by 0.6 percent in the second quarter of 2014
Russia cut off the gas flow in mid-June after the two sides failed to agree on pricing and debts owed for previous gas supplies.
Malaysia Airlines will be de-listed from the Kuala Lumpur exchange by the end of 2014
Venezuela's Petroleum minister, Rafael Ramirez, said earlier this year that PDVSA could import crude as a "last resort" to find diluents for its heavy crudes
Air France, the French network of Air France-KLM said on Wednesday it has suspended its flights to Sierra Leone following advice from the French government
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said that Kiev knew of plans by Russia to halt gas flows this winter to Europe
The inquiry into tycoon Bernard Tapie has embroiled several of former president Nicolas Sarkozy's cabinet members including Lagarde.
The riot broke out in the southern industrial hub of Johor state on Tuesday at a factory run by JCY International , a Malaysian firm that makes parts for electronic giants including Samsung, Hitachi and Western Digital.
Hawaii and U.S. territories have strong dependency on petroleum imports, because of their physical isolation and lack of fossil fuel resources, while their residential electricity prices have been three to five times the average residential prices of the mainland U.S.
Buyers of Kurdish crude could face lawsuits from Baghdad if the oil moves close to U.S. soil and would also require the seller to provide costly indemnities against potential lawsuits
Deep job losses, route cuts and a change of leadership are expected to feature in a restructuring plan being prepared by Malaysia's government
New company will create the third largest global fast-food chain with annual sales of US$23 billion.
Once the international language of royal courts and diplomacy, French has lost ground to English in recent decades