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The fleet electrification solutions firm XL Hybrids will next year launch a new product line, the XLP plug-in hybrid vehicle upfit solution, which will be an “industry first” solution allowing fleet operators to easily begin utilizing plug-in technology.
The new “XLP” plug-in hybrid (PHEV) solution will be “offered as a ship-thru upfit on half-ton pickup trucks from leading OEMs, and will provide a 50% improvement in miles driven per gallon for major fleets across the United States,” according to the company.
Notably, a large increase in fuel economy, like the 50% one quoted above, leads directly to a large decrease in carbon emissions and air pollution, while also reducing operating costs.
“Expanding our offering to include plug-in solutions is the next step in our plan to electrify fleet vehicles with technology that saves money while reducing oil consumption and emissions,” stated Tod Hynes, founder and CEO of XL Hybrids. “The XLP system allows fleets to purchase the same, roadworthy OEM pickup trucks they always have — OEM powertrain and warranty fully intact — now with a proven electrified powertrain from XL Hybrids to significantly increase MPG. Fleets will have peace of mind knowing that their work truck will get the job done, with the same access to existing service infrastructure that fleets have always enjoyed.”
There are already a number of major customers interested in the offering, including San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Hawaiian Electric Company, Liberty Utilities, and Montgomery County Maryland.
The press release provides more:
“XL Hybrids surveyed fleet managers to understand their most critical requirements and developed the new technology based on customer demand for hybrid electric plug-in technology on commercial work trucks from the leading OEMs. The new XLP solution will build on the platform product technology used on the company’s award-winning XL3 hybrid-electric powertrain, which has achieved more than 35 million road miles with over 99.9% vehicle uptime on Class 2-6 vehicles for major fleets since 2013. The XLP lithium battery pack will be over 10 kWh, and will accommodate Levels 1 and 2 charging using an industry-standard plug. …
“The XLP PHEV system will be installed in just hours on half-ton pickup trucks as a ship-thru upfit. Installation of the XLP system will leave the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) engine, transmission, fuel system and exhaust system completely intact. Fleets will maintain the complete OEM warranty, and get a 3-year, 75,000 mile warranty from XL Hybrids on the XLP powertrain. The XLP system will have no special maintenance requirements.”
Something interesting to note here is that the XLP solution will include the XL Link cloud-based big data analytics system — measuring, in real time, fuel economy, carbon dioxide emissions reductions, etc.
The press release states that “XLP ship-thru deliveries to fleet customers will begin in the fourth quarter of 2017.”
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Using a potent NASA space telescope to scan the skies for planets like ours where life might exist, astronomers said Thursday they have found the most Earth-like candidates yet. Two of the five planets orbiting a sun-like star called Kepler-62 are squarely in what astronomers call the habitable zone…
The following is a guest post by David Ingram of My Social Agency.
The smartphone market is possibly the most competitive in the world at the moment. However, for the most part it’s Apple and Samsung who are slugging it out for top position, with Samsung considerably in the lead right now.
Microsoft was a somewhat late arrival to the smartphone revolution and it’s this that leaves the Windows Phone trailing. Add to this the lack of apps that are currently available for Windows Phone, when compared to Apple and Android, and it’s easy to see why it still hasn’t taken off to any great extent.
Offer Windows Phone developers bribes
Following on in the footsteps of RIM, which offered devs a $10,000 bonus if their app made it through the submissions process into the Blackberry app store, Microsoft has launched its own rewards program.
They are offering $100 for all Windows 8 apps published between March 8th and June 30th, with devs able to submit up to 10 each. This may go some way to addressing the lack of apps, but only if developers play ball.
However, much like with RIM, terms apply and devs can’t just submit any old rubbish. Apps must be submitted and approved and do have to be quite functional, an app that just opens up a browser to a mobile web won’t cut the mustard
Too little, too late?
Whether this will be enough for the Windows Phone to catch up with Samsung and Apple is quite unlikely though. The gap is simply too large and the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been dubbed the world’s favorite phone, and this was before the shiny new Galaxy S4 was launched.
However, the ‘smoked by Windows Phone’ advertising campaign is about to heat up and air on US TV this week, so we could see some changes if the campaign is a success. The ad campaign first appeared at CES in 2012 and then went on to YouTube where it showed a series of challenges to prove that the Lumia 920 is better than the S3.
The ad shows that the Nokia Lumia allegedly has a better camera than the S3, especially in low-light and has a voiceover which says: “Say hello to the Nokia Lumia and goodbye to bad smartphone photos”.
Will this be enough to convince consumers that the S3 is substandard? Doubt it. Besides anything else, it doesn’t address the app problem, which is the main beef of users.
Time will tell though, it’s a vague possibility that we may see Microsoft turn its current problems around and begin making gadgets and OS’ that people like again.
Bio: David is the SEO whizz at My Social Agency and has spent many years in the business, previously working with well-known brands in UK retail and entertainment. A family man, David is also a self-taught developer and has a genuine and driving passion for his work.
Did you make any new year’s resolutions and are you still sticking to them? If so and they involve gaming at an online casino, then keep your eyes peeled because 2013 is set to become the year when smart glasses come of age, and when they do your whole gaming experience will rise to a new dimension.
Smart glasses such as Google Glass and the recently rumoured Microsoft smart glass provide a whole new world of virtual reality. Instead of starring at a screen we will be able to combine our virtual world with the real one. This will have a huge impact on the world of mobile computing, connectivity augmented reality, and gaming. Mobile gaming is still on the rise, and online casinos are in fierce competition to develop the best apps and functionality for mobile casino gaming.
The latest development in the world of smart glass is from Vuzix. Essentially this is a single eye device which provides an entirely hands-free mobile communications and display, connecting the user to online gaming through their smartphone and smart Bluetooth. It uses the Android OS for running applications and gaming apps can be downloaded directly to the smart glass or installed on your smartphone.
With this device you can also stay connected all the time. It even includes a video camera so you can record video, still shots and audio as you go, along with GPS and a head tracker. It even looks quite cool and relatively un-intrusive – a little like a rather large Bluetooth headset. The device uses voice communications. We look forward to these featuring in gaming.
There is a downside though; it will be available about mid 2013, though the launch price is expected to be around £1,000. Google Glass is not likely to be very much cheaper at launch either, and it is expected to arrive on the market at around the same time. However Google Glass looks cumbersome for mobile gaming and a bit geeky, while the Vuzix device looks cool and funky – time will tell which one will have the best approach to mobile gaming. No doubt these prices will fall fairly quickly, and we can’t wait until they do.

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You could be forgiven for thinking that the worst is over for UK supermarkets. Since the beginning of the year, shares in Tesco (LSE: TSCO), Sainsbury’s (LSE: SBRY) and Morrisons (LSE: MRW) have traded in a relatively tight range, and trading statements from these three retailers have struck a cautiously upbeat tone.
But are things really set to get better for this trio of grocery giants?
Is the worst over?
At first glance, it looks as if it is. Kantar Worldpanel said yesterday that sales at Tesco fell 0.7% during the 12 weeks to 17 July. The retailer’s market share came in at 28.3% of the market down by only 0.2%, the slowest rate of market share loss since March 2014. Morrisons’ sales for the period declined by 1.8%, a figure that still reflects a wave of store disposals last year and Sainsbury’s saw sales fall 1.1%, which according to Kantar, reflected a move to phase out multi-buy offers.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons’ sales are still falling, but at a much slower rate than they were at the peak of the sector’s disruption. Indeed, in the 12 weeks to 9 November 2014, Tesco’s sales fell by 3.7%, Morrisons’ by 3.3%, and Sainsbury’s sales declined by 2.5%.
The other side of the story
The above figures only tell half of the story. Sales declines at these retailers have slowed but no-frills rivals Aldi and Lidl continue to expand and take market share. For the 12 weeks to 17 July this year, Aldi and Lidl reported sales growth of 11% and 12.5% respectively, driven by store openings. And these chains have a wave of new openings planned in the weeks and months ahead as they try to grab a bigger share of the UK retail market.
As a result, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons will have to keep on their toes if they want to continue on their current trajectory of steadily improving sales figures. What’s more, these traditional retailers are facing a new threat in the form of Amazon Fresh, the online, low-cost grocery retailer owned by internet giant Amazon.
The bottom line
All in all then, it may look as if the worst could be over for Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons but these retailers aren’t out of the woods just yet. The retail landscape has changed significantly over the past few years and these three are still adapting to the new landscape. It will take several years before the full benefits of restructuring, store closures and new loyalty programmes show through in their earnings. As a result, investors may be facing a long wait before the sector becomes attractive again.
Furthermore, current valuations don’t adequately reflect the uncertainty facing the sector. Shares in Tesco currently trade at a forward P/E of 57.9. Shares in Sainsbury’s trade at a 2017 P/E of 11.1 and shares in Morrisons trade as a forward P/E of 17.5.
According to one leading industry firm, the 5G boom could create a global industry worth US $12.3 TRILLION out of thin air…
And if you click here, we’ll show you something that could be key to unlocking 5G’s full potential...
It’s just ONE innovation from a little-known US company that has quietly spent years preparing for this exact moment…
But you need to get in before the crowd catches onto this ‘sleeping giant’.
Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.


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By CSULB Senior Seminar Reporter Cole Hughey
It’s not everyday you get to eat fresh seafood caught along the coast. In fact, unless you caught it yourself, chances are, you’ve never eaten fresh seafood caught off the California coast.
That’s because 91 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. comes from other countries, due to the dangerously low amounts of seafood in American waters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The seafood-trading deficit is an astonishing $10.4 billion per year—second only to oil. If we don’t learn to collectively start varying our seafood choices, the chances of our favorite fish staying abundant are getting bleaker by the day, say advocates.
Seafood for the Future (SFF), a non-profit seafood advisory program based out of Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific, has made it their goal to promote healthy and responsible seafood choices so that we can continue to enjoy it for generations to come.
Locally, SFF has partnered with many coastal restaurants, including Gladstone’s Long Beach, Parkers’ Lighthouse, Bluewater Grill and Market Broiler, to bolster seafood options that are sustainable and currently in season and to help promote the healthy eating choices that contribute to the preservation of a healthy ecosystem.
SFF evaluates their partner restaurants’ menus quarterly, and they also require copies of the restaurants recent invoices to improve transparency and accountability.
“We need the consumer’s help,” says Kim Thompson, program manager of Seafood for the Future. “Ask the question: Is this sustainable and where did it come from?”
Sustainable seafood comes from sources, whether it be wild or farmed, that are healthy for the planet. It is produced without the fear of spoiling the species’ long-term sustainability, the environment or the communities whose general prosperity depends on such production.
Salmon, for example, one of the most popular dinnertime choices, is severely overfished and can also require up to 3 pounds of fish-based feed to put on a pound of meat. Compare this to Barramundi, known as the sustainable sea bass, which needs only a half-pound—of vegetarian feed.
While seafood favorites like salmon, tilapia, and sea bass can be oh-so-appealing to fish-lovers looking at the menu, advocates encourage consumers to try a sustainable fish instead. You may be surprised what you like, they say.
“Before my father started Fish Bonz, I had always eaten the same, basic types of fish,” says Taylor Taguchi, 24, whose father owns Fish Bonz Grill in Torrance. “Then after trying the Barramundi I realized that other fish can be just as good, if not better.”
Barramundi is known for its comparably sweet flavor to other popular sea bass.
It can also be farmed in a healthier, more environmentally friendly way than is traditionally used for commonly consumed fish.
For example, when farming salmon, they are often submerged in nets in the open ocean, which can lead to pollution-causing feces and waste accumulation that contributes to the spreading of diseases and parasites to other, wild fish.
In comparison, one of America’s biggest Barramundi farms, Australis Aquaculture, located in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, uses a recirculating system that draws in water from the Connecticut River, which is then recycled and cleaned after it has flowed through the fish tanks. Any solid waste is separated and sent as a fertilizer to other farms.
While U.S. fisheries are among the best managed in the world, according to a 2009 study by the World Wildlife Fund, imported seafood, which relies on foreign raising and shipping practices, doesn’t always fit the bill.
According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, the FDA has rejected 1,380 loads of seafood from Vietnam for filth and salmonella, since 2007. Still, contaminated shrimp from Vietnam’s south coast fall through cracks in the FDA regulations and make their way to U.S. supermarkets unimpeded.
The FDA is only able to check less than 3 percent of imported food.
These shrimp, shipped in dirty plastic tubs, are covered in ice that has been made from tap water known to contain harmful bacteria that can contaminate the shrimp, according to microbiologist Mansour Samadpour.
Vietnam ships 100 million pounds of shrimp a year to the U.S.—8 percent of the shrimp consumed by Americans.
At a tilapia farm in China’s Guangdong province, reports are even worse. There, growing fish are fed feces from pigs and geese.
With roughly 27 percent of American-consumed seafood coming from China, the FDA has frequently found shipments to be contaminated. FDA inspectors have found 820 Chinese seafood shipments to be contaminated since 2007, according to the Bloomberg report.
Not even fresh-caught fish along the shores of Long Beach are sure to be safe.
Orange County’s Joe Mendoza, 82, has been fishing off the Belmont Memorial Pier for over 30 years, often as many as three times a week. While he fishes mainly for mackerel and halibut, he has to be aware of the fish that he can’t eat—due to its possible contamination. Upon entering the historic pier, a warning sign, written in multiple languages, clearly indicates what fish to be wary of: white croaker, barred sand bass, black croaker, topsmelt and barracuda.
While Mendoza claims he has never been made sick from any of the fish he has caught, he admits he occasionally catches and eats the topsmelt and barracuda. But for the less experienced fishers who don’t know the difference between safe and unsafe fish—dangerous bacteria could be making their way through the stomachs of local fishermen at a much higher rate.
There is much that is still left unsaid about fish when it comes to reading the menus, labels, and warning signs at the pier’s premier fishing locations. As long as this is the case, SFF vows to increase transparency and consumer awareness about where and how seafood was caught, so as to diversify our culture’s seafood-eating choices and to reduce the demand for contaminated and overfished products.
For now, Thompson’s biggest hope is for more people to join the conversation about seafood and its sustainability.
“I want to reach the people who couldn’t care less,” she said.
For more information on sustainable seafood, check out seafoodforthefuture.org, pvsfish.org, and worldwildlife.org
Kim Thompson, Program Manager for Seafood for the Future: [email protected]; (562) 951-5388


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by BERNAMA / pic by TMR
THE global dairy demand is expected to remain strong in 2021 as countries cautiously get on top of Covid-19 with the rollout of vaccines worldwide and a gradual rebound in the global economy.
Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd MD Tarang Gupta said the market remains volatile and subject to various domestic and global uncertainties, economic slowdown and foreign-exchange rate fluctuations that can affect the industry.
“We are also very aware of the impact of the continuing Covid-19 lockdown on the economy,” he told Bernama.
In the long term, Gupta said the group remains optimistic on the outlook of the industry and will continue adopting new strategies to ensure continuity and sustainability of the business to win in the market.
“In addition, we will continue to invest in our brands and focus on driving penetration of milk via innovations to capture multiple occasions.
“Affordability of milk will remain high on the agenda of Dutch Lady. So, our products are always on the shelves to ensure Malaysians continue to be nourished,” he said, adding that Dutch Lady remains steadfast to nourish the nation while supporting the government’s national health and food security agenda.
Dutch Lady, recently launched Dutch Lady MaxGro — a first milk-based Formula Dietary Food — specially formulated product with selected high-in nutrients to help provide 80% of children recommended nutrient intake to support their physical growth and ensure optimal development. Gupta said milk formula is a competitive category in the country
and the company is always working to improve its market share hopes that the new product helps increase its sales and improve market share.
“But unfortunately, we are not allowed to speculate, given our status as a listed company in Malaysia,” he said.
As the leading dairy company in Malaysia, Dutch Lady is dedicated to continue fuelling the nation with better nutrition which milk can offer, and advocate the importance of milk as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
He said thus, to keep up with the needs of everyday Malaysians, the group is constantly listening to consumers to understand their needs and continuously innovate its products to help Malaysians be more aware of the need for proper nutrition to ensure they have a healthier future, especially at a young age.


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A look at the revolutionary potential of Bitcoin in Latin America with BitPagos CEO Sebastián Serrano.
Sebastián Serrano of BitPagos and Mauro Betschart of Moneero talk the future of Bitcoin in the wake of a series of scandals, including Mt. Gox's downfall.
We introduced Argentine startup BitPagos, Latin America’s first bitcoin payment gateway, to our readers back in May. Just two months later, the company has no...


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The Asociación Leonesa de Apicultores (Leon Bee-keepers Association) has launched a campaign to promote the consumption of locally-produced honey in the province.
The first International Honey Contest – Provincia de León has been launched, sponsored by Unicaja Banco.
Unicaja Banco will offer special financing conditions to the 540 members of the Asociación Leonesa de Apicultores (Leon Bee-keepers Association), under an agreement to be signed in the short term. The bank will offer loans and working capital facilities for honey producers and packers in the Leon province to boost their activity and undertake new initiatives.
This commitment has been announced today by Marga Serna, Unicaja Banco Regional Manager, and by the President of the Asociación Leonesa de Apicultores, Javier Morán, in an event to present the activities of the annual convention to be held on 9 November, and to present the first edition of the International Honey Contest – Provincia de León, both activities being sponsored by Unicaja Banco.
One of the most anticipated initiatives is the I International Honey Contest of Leon, ‘created to defend bee-keeping in the province as essential pollinator, as well as to favour the rural population, fighting rural depopulation and contributing to the incorporation of women to this activity’, as said by Javier Morán, President of the Association.
It also intends to promote the consumption of honey as a natural product, informing consumers of the high quality of Leon honey versus other products from abroad.
Honey producers –natural persons or companies- may participate in the contest, by presenting samples of dark or clear honeys. The winner will be announced on 9 November, on the same day as the Association’s annual convention, to be held at Unicaja Banco’s Santa Nonia Hall. There will be a cash prize of 300 euros for the winners in each of the two categories and to additional awards.
The mentioned convention will also include talks about health and on honey plants. Other activities include honey testing and the presentation of a promotional video about Leon honey, part of a communication plan designed to promote the consumption of this product among the Leon citizens.


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Most people are drawn to a lease because of the options they have at the end of the lease. But leasing does involve some obligations. F&I trainer John Tabar says it's those responsibilities that represent an opportunity for producers to increase product enrollment on lease deals.
April 29, 2021
Learn how empowering sales to advocate for F&I promotes trust and transparency in the car buying process and maximizes the sale of protection products.
November 18, 2019
A new infographic from LoJack illustrates how GPS-powered inventory management maximizes front-end profits, drives customer retention and service revenue, and reduces lost loyalty.
September 16, 2019
Protective Asset Protection’s Dealer Training Institute was designed to help F&I personnel better understand product offerings to maximize sales, profits, and CSI.
September 5, 2019
Citing a lack of resources for car buyers who want to research F&I products online, Protective Asset Protection has launched a series of educational videos for dealer websites.
July 3, 2019
Vision Dealer Solutions has added product videos produced by Reahard & Associates to its proprietary VisionTouch F&I menu.
June 20, 2019
Industry Summit’s annual ‘From the Boardroom’ session will feature executives from F&I product providers and software firms, who will tackle the big questions facing F&I offices as the industry continues to push for a more digitized car-buying experience.
July 23, 2018
The new functionality allows product documents from the 110-plus F&I product providers connected to MaximTrak’s sales and F&I solution to be included in RouteOne’s econtracting package for a single, electronic consumer signing ceremony,
March 15, 2018
Add TagRail to the growing list of companies offering a digital retail platform. The company’s online car-buying tool is designed to close more online shoppers through a frictionless online transition from their living room to the showroom.
January 18, 2018
Born out of the F&I product provider’s 2015 and 2016 F&I Innovator of the Year competitions at Northwood University, EFG Companies’ Driver’s Advocate mobile app features a host of service-retention tools, including a loyalty rewards tracker, and doubles as an inventory-management tool.
December 5, 2017
Fastlane offers dealers an Amazon-like checkout process for consumers who want to buy their car online. It has chosen Market Scan to provide its ecommerce platform with real-time payment and rebate information from every car manufacturer, bank and credit union in the country.
October 11, 2017
George Angus, referred to as the ‘Father of the F&I Menu,’ will be at Industry Summit’s F&I Think Tank to take attendees down F&I’s memory lane during a special lunchtime address. They will be entertained and enlightened, as this legendary trainer shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of the F&I profession.
August 17, 2017
The office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that Nissan of New Rochelle will pay $298,211 in restitution, penalties and fees to settle claims the dealership charged hundreds of car buyers thousands of dollars for an ‘unwanted and bogus’ theft-deterrent product.
August 16, 2017
Cox Automotive’s Jason Barrie, who has helped drive Dealertrack’s evolution from credit application portal to an enabler of sales and F&I workflow since 2005, says technology won’t kill F&I. He will be at Industry Summit 2017 to explain why.
July 11, 2017
F&I and Showroom’s Gregory Arroyo will chair the 20 Group-like event, which will close out Industry Summit 2017 on Sept. 14. This year’s theme: ‘Making F&I Great Again.’
June 8, 2017


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Louisiana SBDC at Southeastern to host seminar on search engine optimization
Monday, July 24, 2017
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – The Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana
University will host a free seminar Aug. 1 on search engine optimization.
Co-sponsored with the Livingston Economic Development Council and the Livingston Parish Library, the seminar titled “Five Keys to Great Search Engine Optimization” is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Livingston Parish Library main branch, located at 20390 Iowa Street in Livingston.
“Search engine optimization (SEO) works to maximize the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine,” said Assistant Director of the SBDC Sandy Summers. “All major search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo have primary search results, where web pages and other content, including videos or local listings, are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users.”
Summers said the SEO seminar is designed for business owners, marketing executives, and anyone looking to enhance their range of SEO experience.
“At this event, we will look at organic versus paid search traffic, Google products like Places, Plus and Business, and how they affect your ranking,” she said. “We will also discuss how to ensure your page is Google compliant.”
Guest speaker for the event is Robbie van Mullem of 3 Sided Media.
Although the seminar is free, seating is only guaranteed for pre-registered attendees. For more information or to register, call 225-664-6638 or log on to www.lsbdc.org.


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By Olivia Scheck
MANHATTAN — The city's most fashionably located gas station may soon be replaced by commercial lofts, the New York Observer reported.
The site of the BP gas station located in the heart of SoHo, at the intersection of Houston and Lafayette Streets, could soon be home to a five-to-seven story commercial loft development with luxury retail space, a source told the paper.
A spokesman for CB Richard Ellis, identified by the Observer as the marketer for the retail space, did not immediately return a call for comment.
BP leased the spot, which looks out onto a notoriously racy Calvin Klein billboard and is just a block away from the main SoHo shopping drag, from the Gaseteria petroleum company in 2003, a New Yorker article from the time explained.
Gaseteria had occupied the space for nearly 30 years before that, the article noted.
The Houston Street BP made headlines last June, after it was defaced by protestors responding to the Gulf Coast oil spill.


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Russia's Alrosa diamond giant reveals profits, reserves
Russia's secretive state-owned diamond giant Alrosa disclosed its reserves and profits for the first time on Wednesday in its latest attempt to improve transparency ahead of a planned public listing.
Alrosa said its diamond reserves of 1.28 billion carats had made it the world's largest holder of the precious stone.
"Our estimates give us reason to believe that Russia has the world's largest reserves," the Finmarket news agency quoted company chief Fyodor Andreyev as saying.
"At current extraction rates, the company's reserves will last more than 40 years," Andreyev said.
More than 90 percent of the company is held either by the state or the local government of Sakha -- the diamond-rich region of Siberia where the firm is based.
Alrosa hopes to list shares toward the end of the next year in order to erase debts and invest in new mining deposits.
But the plan has been repeatedly delayed because the company is still viewed as a strategic asset by the Russian government.
Alrosa painted a surprisingly bleak financial picture that contrasted soaring reserves with crushing debts that were only partially helped by the booming diamonds market.
Alrosa reported a 2010 net profit of 11.8 billion rubles ($415 million) and a short-term debt of 12.9 billion rubles ($455 million).
The diamond producer said its net debt stood at 97.8 billion rubles ($3.5 billion) and down 13 percent from the previous year.
Analysts attributed the drop to an October eurobond placement that generated $1 billion and said the company does not plan to tap foreign capital markets again this year.
The company's 2010 production figure of 34.3 million carats of diamonds placed it slightly ahead of South Africa's private mining giant De Beers.
The Renaissance Capital investment house said 64 percent of Alrosa's 2010 sales -- which were up 45 percent -- came from exports that fetched far higher prices than the diamonds on the Russian market.
Alrosa also predicted an extended stretch of spiking global prices that comes on top of a 26 percent jump in the first three months of the year.
The company's president said outpaced Asian demand had created a $16 billion diamond market for an annual production base worth about $12 billion.
"The trends we are seeing in India and China are blowing everything away," Andreyev said.
"The vendors in Europe are not even unpacking their shipments -- they are sending everything directly to India," he said.
Renaissance Capital said Alrosa was now also preparing an independent review of its reserves in preparation of the initial public offering.
© 2011 AFP


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Halo Infinite is a popular first-person shooter game available on MS Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S and X. This FPS was developed by 343 Industries. It immediately gained popularity among game lovers, reaching up to Season 2. So, everyone is excited for Season 3. But the new Halo Infinite leak has the gaming community talking.
But ahead of its launch on March 7, the Halo Infinite Season 3 alpha build leak is revolving online, hinting at the next 12 months’ worth of content. The said leak provides some details on gameplay plans, how many maps will be in the future, upcoming maps, and more.
The Halo Infinite game leak began appearing online in the first week of February by noted leak accounts Halo Leaks and Bathrobe Spartan.
Hint at a Year’s Worth of Content for Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite Season 3 alpha build is scheduled to be released on March 7, but it has already made its way online. This hints at 12 months’ worth of content that the FPS developer plans to add.
Besides the community-created Forge maps’ playlist introduction, the news of the FPS game Infinite leak arrived just as its new Noble Intention event launched.
Like other modern online games, every new multiplayer update for this FPS goes through extensive testing before its launch. With a large-scale playtesting operation, 343 Industries finds it challenging to run a significantly tight ship in terms of leaks.
Hence, the FPS content details tended to surface before the official announcements before the game launch in late 2021. On the other hand, this trend was not limited to multiplayer-related features. There were also earlier leaks that revealed cut campaign content.
Halo Infinite Leaks, What are the Rumors?
Insiders with access to the new Halo Infinite alpha build a claim that Season 3 will heavily focus on the previously introduced artificial intelligence aligned with the main villain Banished called Iratus.
The upcoming update’s early prototype suggests that the game developer plans to place the release of the much-awaited Infection Mode of the next season’s main event. The zombie mode of the series was last featured in the Xbox One exclusive Halo 5: Guardians in 2015. There were also some screenshots of two new maps called Crystal Cave and Forbidden, which were also part of a similar leak.
According to an insider from Halo Infinite, the game developer also plans to add a new weapon alongside distinct animations. On the other hand, the novelty will not be part of the roadmap for the upcoming season. The source claims that the unnamed weapon is planned to be revealed in the 6th season.
Other rumors from the FPS halo infinite game leak suggest that 343 Industries is currently working on more than 20 new maps and additional matchmaking screen backgrounds, and a start menu.
Halo Infinite Leak Shows Possibility for Forge Mode with an AI Feature
Halo Infinite’s Forge mode might be finally achieved by getting campaign AI treatment. Recent leaks hint that the game developer has implemented the highly anticipated feature to the Forge mode.
Rebs Gaming shared recent images and videos showing AI units that spawn in the Forge. The recent leaks indicate that the Forge mode is almost ready, even if lead designer Michael Shorr shared that they are currently working on the mode.
While there are some delays, the much-awaited Forge mode landed on the FPS game in November 2022. This mod was previously a critical part of the Halo series, only available for several months.
On the bright side, it was highly effective in delivering the necessary retention boost for Halo, allowing every player to explore different creative endeavors. The recent mode tends to be the most significant step in the right direction, particularly considering the game’s lackluster post-launch journey.
Can Forge Mode Provide an Enormous Amount of Content for Halo Infinite?
The growing speculations of the return of the classic Forge World map occurred after the recent FPS game leak. This news served as a significant step forward for Forge mode fans, which is expected to provide enormous content for the FPS game.
Halo Infinite title used to divide the Halo community. The game lacked key features on its first day, but the developer worked tirelessly so that necessary features would land eventually. And it happened. Today, the FPS game is in good shape using content-wise strategy.
Since the game’s release, the game developer has been on a tough journey. But after the rumors, people became interested in the company’s new game development.
The rumors were debunked, but most fans are still not happy with the game franchise’s overall direction in the last few years. So, rumors can possibly persist in the future.
The Halo Leak’s Twitter account was the source of the Forge World leak, showing off a screenshot from the FPS game’s version of the map. But still, the map seems to be a work in progress, with plenty of unfinished textures and models.
Moreover, the scale is not more massive than the original Halo Reach map. This excites potential creators, especially if this map finds the light of day.
The FPS game has struggled with the previous leaks, wherein plenty of planned content in the coming months made its way online. The most recent FPS Halo Infinite game leak indicated voice lines for the Infection mode’s return. This news was unconfirmed before.
The leaks are believed to be not ideal for the game developer. However, a lot of players seem relieved knowing that content continuously arrives for the game.
When Forge World initially appeared in the game, fans immediately loved it because of the scale. But the Forge mode of Halo Infinite is more advanced, providing higher potential for incredible creations. Since this mode has its own scripting language, every player can patiently wait to see its full potential.
Players who already use the Forge mode can enjoy amazing designs. Some of them even use the mode for recreating Skyrim’s Whiterun. These things are only the start of what can possible 343 Industries offer from its newest sandbox.
The Hopes for New AI System Doing Wonders for Halo Infinite’s Multiplayer’s Deteriorating State
343 Industries hopes the new AI system will do wonders for the deteriorating state of the FPS game’s multiplayer. If the community welcomed the Forge mode positively, there is a big chance that the highly anticipated campaign AI will increase the number of active players.
Forge mode lead engineer Josh Hoide stated that they see “really cool stuff coming out from the community” after the Halo Infinite Forge release. This is despite the community having no access to the developer tools on the first day.
With the campaign AI feature, all players can obtain personalized single-player experiences by adding enemies from the game’s single-player campaign. It is also worth noting that there is still no specific word on the Forge AI update release.
Is Halo Infinite Heading in a Positive Direction?
In 2022, Halo Infinite was considered a massive disappointment among players. How? The game developer failed to keep up with the player’s demands, like more content. Plus, Xbox is aware that gamers were not pleased.
On the other hand, things start to head in the right direction. Some Halo Infinite leaks are already making their way online. These leaks were compiled in a ResetEra thread. The game developer currently working on over 20 maps, with 3 to 5 maps are planned to be released for Season 3.
Players can expect new weapons, vehicles, narrative events, Infection mode, Firefight mode, and more over the coming year.
But just like other leaks, people are advised to take FPS Halo Infinite game leak lightly. Remember, plans constantly change in the gaming industry. Some sources do not also provide correct information. Plus, the details from leaks come from multiple different sources and several images.
Assuming that the alpha build of this FPS game leaked online and most of the pieces of information about the game developer’s plans come from that, there is no way to judge everything’s validity. But currently, there is an awful lot of smoke suggesting a fire.
When the FPS game was released in late 2021, it obtained enthusiastic reviews. This game was considered the next excellent title in the Halo franchise. However, the new content’s slow trickle throughout the previous year made many fans disappointed and frustrated.
If the leaked plans are accurate, this can be a significant course correction from 343 Industries and Xbox. It can also make public perception significantly change shift. In the gaming industry, a lot of games have already struggled. But they still found their footing later down the line.
At the moment, news associated with the Halo franchise’s future is considered good news following a period of uncertainty. The rumors suggest plans for new story content, but interestingly, the content is heading to Multiplayer and Forge mode.
The updates can extend Halo Infinite’s lifespan in the coming years. Some players might already abandon the game, but additions like Forge mode give it a better chance of winning players back and attracting new groups.
You can also check out our Top 15 Most Spectacular Missions In Halo Infinite article.


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It’s been almost two years since Jellyfish Brewing started making beer in Georgetown, but the company’s taproom has been a little more slow to develop. The delayed taproom — originally scheduled for May 2017 — will finally open on Saturday, November 3, at 11:30 a.m. The all-ages space includes a patio, where dogs are allowed.
The brewery (917 South Nebraska St.) will celebrate with weekly rare beer releases, including several barrel-aged concoctions, all during November. Pours will include a barrel-fermented sour red called Party on Garth, a wine barrel-aged porter with chocolate called Date Night, and a barrel-aged red saison called Seattle Sunburn. The brewery also plans to schedule food trucks regularly.
Jellyfish has occupied a handful of taps at restaurants and beer bars around town for a while now, with releases like the company’s flagship Planktonic Red, Smack! IPA, and Saison Memoir.
Jellyfish is owned by Tom Stevens, who spent time at Big Time Brewery and Alehouse, and Mark Burr, who boasts a 25-year career in beer that includes helping open Water Street Brewing and Alehouse in Port Townsend and co-founding Strange Brew Fest. Stevens and Burr have brought on as head brewer Justin Rizza, who’s worked at Hale’s Ales and Great Divide Brewing Company.


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Philip Morris International said yesterday it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 49 percent of the shares of United Arab Emirates-based Arab Investors-TA (AITA) for $625 million.
Through this acquisition, PMI will secure an almost 25 percent economic interest in the Société des Tabacs Algéro-Emiratie (STAEM), a joint venture that is 51 percent owned by AITA and 49 percent owned by the Algerian state-owned Société Nationale des Tabacs et Allumettes SpA, the market leader.
“STAEM, with which PMI has had a successful partnership since 2005, manufactures and distributes under license PMI’s Marlboro and L&M brands, which together hold a significant share of the international trademarks sold in Algeria, placing PMI’s brand portfolio as the second largest in the market,” PMI said in a note posted on its website. ‘This equity investment in AITA will provide PMI with enhanced earnings from Algeria and is projected to be accretive to PMI’s earnings per share as of 2014.”
Commenting on the deal, Miroslaw Zielinski, PMI’s president, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa region and PMI Duty Free, said that Algeria, with the fourth-largest GDP in Africa and an estimated cigarette market of 30 billion units, held tremendous potential for future growth.
“This agreement confirms our confidence in the Algerian economy, the cigarette industry and their long-term prospects. Over the last five years, Algeria has been a key driver of the growth of our premium brands in North Africa, and the investment we are announcing today will significantly enhance our prospects in the country.
“Our new partnership with the UAE-based investors, from whom we are acquiring the 49 percent interest in AITA, also opens additional business opportunities in Egypt and certain other North African and Middle Eastern markets where there is potential for further expansion.”
Category: Breaking News


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Tesco mobile and creative agency BBH have released a number of cheeky billboards across the UK to poke fun at Brits abroad and promote its EU network services.
Tesco Mobile’s latest ‘Home From Home’ campaign plays upon the idea that British holiday-makers often seek to find and consume home comforts when residing in a foreign country.
The out-of-home (OOH) billboards display phrases being searched online, including copy like ‘Spanish for beans on toast?”, “Is jambon ham or jam? and “Italiano for ketchup”.
Promoting Tesco Mobile’s no-extra-charge roaming services, the campaign will also roll out across press, radio and social media platforms.
“We know household budgets are under increasing pressure, so for families lucky enough to travel abroad this summer, we want to give them the confidence that they won’t be struck with an unexpected roaming bill this year,” Tesco Mobile chief customer officer Rachel Swift said.
“At Tesco Mobile, everything we do is rooted in our commitment to being truly helpful to our customers – with a side of cheerful cheekiness that hopefully, raises a smile.”
All media planning for the campaign was handled by MediaCom UK.
BBH creative director Uche Ezugwu added: “We feel incredibly sorry for European waiters and waitresses, with all the culinary requests they encounter from us Brits, demanding home comforts abroad.”
“That’s why we wanted to create a fun and helpful creative, that would remind Tesco Mobile customers that they can roam in the EU this summer at no extra cost and also learn some local lingo at the same time.”


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Ever been in a situation when you crossed a street vendor selling something that looked absolutely delicious but you decided not to have it just because he/she was not wearing gloves to prepare the food?
Ever been in a situation when you crossed a street vendor selling something that looked absolutely delicious but you decided not to have it just because he/she was not wearing gloves to prepare the food? It is to help street vendors avoid such circumstances that members of an NGO named One Rupee Foundation are going around the streets of Delhi, giving them gloves.
“We came across many vendors who were preparing food without gloves. This is why we thought of distributing the transparent hand gloves used by many food sellers and cooks in restaurants so they can maintain hygiene when preparing food,” says Tarun Bhardwaj, one of the founders of One Rupee Foundation. The NGO works on different projects like tree-plantation drives, distribution of clothes among street children, dental health sessions in slums, book donation to libraries, organizing cleanliness drives, blood donation for cancer patients, etc. Tarun and his friend Arvind Vats started the NGO about nine months ago with the aim of collecting an amount of Re. 1 from contributors every day and using that money to create change in the lives of those who need help.
Delhi Startup Offers One-Stop-Solution for Funerals, Helps Families Grieve in Peace
Delhi-based startup Last Journey serves as a “one-stop solution” for grieving families looking to arrange funerals without the hassle of overpaying, haggling, and coordinating for funerals of their loved ones.Read more >
While currently the gloves distribution sessions are taking place in Rohini area of Delhi, Tarun is planning to give some of them to his colleagues at work too, so that they can distribute in other areas as well.
They have distributed about 2,000 gloves, with each vendor getting about 20 pairs. After 15 days, they will go back to the vendors and take their feedback, based on which, the team will take the distributions forward.
“This is not only a major step towards hygiene and disease prevention but also will have a good impact on these vendors’ income as the customers who refused to eat from their stalls just because they didn’t wear gloves will now also come to them as now they will have a sense of satisfaction in their mind that they are not eating unhygienic,” says Tarun, adding that initially some of the vendors were not very comfortable using the gloves –
“We asked one of them to make an ice gola (snow cone) for us wearing the gloved. He did and and we liked it. That is how he gained the confidence to start using the gloves.”
Featured image credit: images.mid-day.com
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‘It's Severely Hard to Breathe’: Delhi’s Women Construction Workers Fight Pollution￼
A survey shows that 94 per cent of women construction workers never raise their voices against air pollution at their workplace for fear of losing their jobs. But they continue to be the party most affected by rising dust levels in the capital.Read more >


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Tonkotsu will open their seventh site — their sixth in London — at the Circus West development in Battersea this February, as reported by Big Hospitality.
The popular ramen chain, founded in 2013 by Emma Reynolds and Ken Yamada as an offshoot of Tsuru (now closed) will join Wright Brothers, Copenhagen pizza import Mother and Francesco Mazzei’s Fiume at the development. The news comes in the midst of their internal takeover of Anzu — a "Japanese brasserie" — located at the less-than-successful St. James development. Opening another instalment of their most popular concept while installing it on top of their other is an interesting move, possibly adding fuel to the suspicion that the Anzu takeover is more than temporary. The Battersea restaurant will soft-launch at 50% off on 16 and 17 February, offering classic ramen alongside the usual additional suspects: fried chicken, gyoza, and presumably lashings of their cult chilli oil.
Tonkotsu opened right at the moment that London embraced ramen as a breakout food trend, and has been a staple for many of the city’s diners across its five sites (the sixth is in Birmingham.) More recently it has faced serious competition in the quality stakes from the likes of Kanada-Ya and Ippudo, so the move to expand even further is a strong play against their rivals who cannot match them for ubiquity.


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GM withdraws support for Trump emissions plan
The outgoing US president Donald Trump announced last year that he wanted to litigate against California’s right to set its own car emission standards. He received support from some players in the industry, including General Motors. Now the car company has backed out. Weiterlesen
Fully Charged, ZEV programme.
Video tip: In this episode of Fully Charged, Robert Llewellyn reviews the fully electric Mercedes B250e that takes some learnings from Tesla. He loves the regen control via the paddles on the steering wheels for example. The problem is, Mercedes kept it rather “secret” and the EV does not charge rapid at all.
Research tip: 37bn dollars in health and climate cost could be saved by 2030 in the ten states that adopted California’s ZEV programme, a study by the American Lung Association finds. The report assumes 100% of new car sales and 65% of all cars on the road to be ZEVs by 2050 in the ZEV states.
lung.org (full report, pdf) via greencarcongress.com


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US economy unexpectedly shrinks 1.4% in first quarter of 2022
US GDP unexpectedly shrank by 1.4% on an annualised basis in the first quarter of 2022, below expectations of 1% growth and down from 6.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The US Bureau of Economic Analysis reported today that GDP had shrank for the first time since mid-2020 amid ongoing supply chain disruptions and rising inflation.
The report stated that the decline had mainly been due to decreases in private inventory investment, a decrease in exports and an increase in imports, which overall contributed 4% to the decline.
The US trade deficit widened to a record high in March, the US Commerce Department reported this week, while many businesses bought less inventory than normal throughout the quarter due to leftover merchandise from late last year, after stockpiling extra goods to protect against supply chain disruption.
Hinesh Patel, portfolio manager at Quilter Investors, noted that “without inflation, the economy grew by a monstrous 6.5% annualised – and that is including the Omicron overhang”.
Inflation hit 8.5% in the US in March, the highest level since 1981.
In contrast, personal consumption grew by 2.7% in the first quarter, up from 2.5% at the end of last year and contributing 1.8% to GDP growth.
The news came as fears of a looming recession have growth amid indications that the Federal Reserve plans to forcefully respond to rising inflation through interest rate hiking throughout the rest of the year. A widely used indicator of impending recession, the inversion of the yield curve, briefly occurred last month.
Sarah Giarrusso, investment strategist at Tilney Smith & Williamson, commented that the Federal Reserve is in “a difficult position to try and bring inflation down without prompting a recession. The Fed has been signalling for some time that monetary policy tightening was imminent and enacted this at their 16 March meeting, raising interest rates by 0.25%.
“Since then, expectations for the rate of tightening have increased. Central bank governors including Fed Chair Jerome Powell have suggested a 50bp hike at the next meeting (4 May) is a possibility. Money markets have extrapolated this sentiment and are pricing in 50bp hikes for the next three meetings and for rates to reach over 2.5% by the end of 2022.”
However, she said that the fear of recession had so far been overexaggerated, arguing that the recent fall in US equities “has been driven mainly by monetary policy” as interest rates have risen.
In addition, many parts of the economy remain strong, with unemployment continuing to decline to near a multi-decade low, as the economy saw 400,000 new jobs created for 11 months straight.
Richard Flynn, managing director at Charles Schwab UK, stated that while “the healthy labour and housing market are positive indicators, today’s figures confirm there is now no shortage of headwinds facing the US economy, including the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, persistently high inflation, and tightening monetary policy.
“Consumer confidence is low. We are in a period of counter-cyclical inflation – when high prices put downward pressure on demand and growth. The Fed’s eye is on inflation as it tightens monetary policy in a bid to slow aggregate demand and cool price rises.
“With high inflation and low growth expectations, it may be difficult for the Fed to raise rates without slowing growth. Economic data has been generally weakening recently, which is likely to persist, increasing the probability of a downturn.”


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A jury has ruled in favor of Google on fair use in a software copyright trial with Oracle. » Read More
Analyst Gene Munster sizes up the competition and renders his verdict.
The mobile payment wars are heating up. Paypal is suing the search giant for stealing mobile payment secrets. A look at who gains from this legal action, with Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray.
Stocks rallied back after paring gains in quiet trading before the Memorial Day holiday following mixed economic news on consumer sentiment and home sales.
Internet phone service Skype says a "small percentage" of its users have been unable to sign in to its service but it is taking steps to resolve the problem.
Stock futures gained ahead of the open on the Friday before the Memorial Day holiday as the dollar fell, and after news on personal income and spending that was largely in line with expectations.
Google hopes to nudge consumers and merchants into a world where the smartphone has replaced the wallet as the container for credit cards, coupons and receipts.
Stocks ended modestly higher after fluctuating in the final hour of trading as investors shrugged off further evidence of a slowing economy.
The biggest thing holding most people back from starting their own business is money. But the truth is, you don’t have to have a lot of money to start a business.
Stocks fluctuated in the final hour of trading as the Dow and the S&P 500 trimmed gains, but the tech stocks fueled a gain in the Nasdaq.
Internet advertising continues to gain ground — and share of advertisers budgets. Internet ad revenues hit $7.3 billion in the first quarter — a 23 percent increase from a year ago and the highest first-quarter revenue ever, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
Tech stole the spotlight Thursday with investors wondering just how rapidly new innovations, such as Google Wallet, would generate a sea change in the way people shop.
CNBC's Mary Thompson with a look at Google's new mobile payment device; Eric Jackson, Ironfire Capital weighs in on whether Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer should leave, and the Fast Money traders with trades you may want to make today.
President Obama meets his peers, Tiffany reports earnings after the earthquake and Google jumps into the mobile payment game. Here's what we're watching...
Cramer makes the call on viewers' favorite stocks.
With Europe’s debt woes and the future of the IMF grabbing headlines, traders will be keeping a close eye on developments at the G8 meeting, Thursday.
From the entire S&P 500, which stocks are analysts expecting to have the biggest pops? Find out!
Wedbush analyst Scott Sutherland explains his call to raise AAPL's target price.
No one wants to see the hackers who prey on cyber security flaws profit from their actions. But given the widespread nature of the threat, investors have an opportunity to capitalize on a sector that’s only growing in importance.
Companies in the wind power industry are gearing up for expansion, despite hurdles such as decreasing demand for electricity and lower natural gas prices.
Yahoo's popular email service is getting a long-promised facelift. It's part of the Internet company's attempt to appeal to people who are increasingly using Facebook, Twitter, Google and other online alternatives to communicate.


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Businesses are anticipating many late payments due to Sandy's damage, power outages, and late mail delivery. As a result, more and more of them are waiving fees for consumers
Some are even advertising storm discounts, which leads to the question: Should a business try to win new customers because of a devastating storm?
An ad for American Apparel was featuring a big "Sandy Sale, " with 20 percent off everything for people in affected East Coast states (sorry, Ohio is not included in their list of states).
It said if you are "bored" by the storm, to check out their deals.
But the fashion website The Gloss.com called the ad "tacky," and a "sad, thoughtless PR mess," as it was not really helpful to storm victims.
The Gloss says Urban Outfitters also offered Sandy discounts for a while, and some online retailers offered free shipping, but they pulled down the offers after critics blogged that they were trying to profit from a natural disaster.
Business Waiving Normal Fees
Higher up on the helpful meter:
- All major airlines are waiving change fees on East Coast flights this week.
- JP Morgan Chase bank is waiving late payment fees through Thursday. Many other banks, including Citi and Bank of America, are waiving late fees for storm victims, on a case-by-case basis.
-The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have lifted the pay wall on their websites. You can temporarily access all their content for free this week.
As always, don't waste your money.
Don't Waste Your Money is a registered trademark of the EW Scripps Co.
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Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
John Matarese explains why some Amazon customers are frustrated with its flash sales
John Matarese has good news for procrastinators
John Matarese checks into a common complaint with holiday season discounts
John Matarese reports on the latest serious data breach
There's nothing like enjoying a brand new kitchen during the holiday season, with new appliances, cabinets, and countertops. But…
John Matarese shares the latest freebies. Click here for App of the Week
John Matarese finds some good things, and bad, about this popular cell plan
John Matarese explains why now is the time to buy an iPad or iPad Mini
Check out John Matarese's latest money saving smartphone apps.
John Matarese reports on some simple ways to lower that weekly bill.


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On Monday a lion cub was put up for sale on the Twitter web site. Photographs of the cub was tweeted together with a price tag of Dh30,000 by a Dubai based pet shop. Today wildlife officials of the United Arab Emirates have taken the cub into custody.
The pet shop owner who is currently unidentified but went under the Twitter name of PetMateUAE has since taken down the tweets and claimed that he was not selling the lion cub but just looking for a home for it.
He has claimed to local media that the lion cub was not his but belonged to a friend who had bought it in a market at Sharjah and wanted to try and find a suitable home for it. He said that the cub would not have been given to someone unless they had all the permits required for keeping the lion.
The store owner who shop tagline is ‘selling all sorts of pets in the UAE’ said an official from the Ministry of Environment and Water, the agency responsible for animal welfare in the emirates, had taken custody of the lion today.
Reem Al Thawadi, from the Emirates Wildlife Society said the non-profit group was working with the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi to trace the lion cub’s origins.


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Exclusive rewards offered to preregistered players
HK – June 2017- Pitaya Network announced the pre-registration for Pocket Knights 2, an action RPG in 3D with MMO features. In Pocket Knights 2, players take on the role of a savior to fight corrupted the dark force behind dragon flight that threatens the world where all races and humans once peacefully coexisted.
In early May, Pocket Knights 2 has released in North America and won players’ warm affection. Proving to be a potential game, Pitaya wants to invite more players to play and interact so they decided to launch the pre-registration event for global players. By pre-registering, players can receive exclusive rewards, including massive potions, coins, and diamonds that help beginners to speed up their process.
To top it off, there’s also a milestone pre-reg event where players can collectively help to unlock some exciting extra rewards! Players can invite friends to reach the final reward!
Over 1,000: 100,000 Golds, Energy Potion*3, Stamina Potion*3
Over 2,000: Exp. Book*100, Shadow Set*1
Over 5,000: Legendary Stone*2, Diamonds*200, Skill Fruit*500
The game will be available soon worldwide on App Store and Google Play. Players can visit the following link to sign up early and claim exclusive pre-reg rewards after global releasing the game.
Sign up for the pre-registration at
https://www.pocketknights2.com/ or https://goo.gl/forms/raWjE6Scgd0qq6Hr1
Watch the trailer for Pocket Knights 2
Follow the Facebook page to keep up to date on all the latest events at
PITAYA NETWORK is devoted into mobile game developing and publishing with huge passion and full attention. The company aims at producing and delivering the most outstanding mobile games into the overseas market. Pitaya has achieved critical success with Dungeon Warriors, Pocket Knights, and KungFu: Legendary Brotherhood. These titles achieved top rankings and have been featured in the Apple Store and Google Play Store. Pitaya strives to keep game oriented and focus on providing an awesome gaming experience for players.


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In Laymens Terms – What would really happen if Britain exits the EU?
Firsty, nobody really knows as this has never happened before! So everything that you read or is thrust upon you in the news and Britains Brexit wowes is all conjecture and based on polls and surveys but not on any real world examples.
So if Britains public decides that the EU is not for them what would it actually mean and how might it affect Britains future?
Firstly, Britain survived without it many years ago and since the conception of the EU there have been so many restictive stipulations placed by the EU on such a small island that many of these things particularly those in the agricultural sectors and manufacturing sectors have stiffled what was once a stong country.
I am sure many farmers would prefer to do something with their land, than do nothing and receive grants? Wouldn’t it be great for children to go harvesting hay bales instead of being sat in front of an XBOX or PS whatever? That is part of the frustrations voice by the British people but what would happen if the NO vote actually went through.
Britian could once again invest directly into its own economy instead of bolstering a failing EU single state which doesnt appear to quite working right.
Upon the agreed day of the Brexit – the British Pound (GBP) might devalue against other currencies such as the USD or EURO – if it did devalue this could actually be a good thing as citizens outside of the UK will be have better value for money when purchasing in the UK as their own currencyies will be stonger – this would be a boost for tourism as holidays/accomodation/car hire/food and luxury goods would be much cheaper for them…a kind of travellers supermarket sweep would occur.
But supposing the GBP didnt devalue and the Euro instead took a major devaluation due to the shockwaves of the UK exiting this flagging network of countries? Property purchaes in EU member states would be cheaper, holidays abroad to EU countries would be cheap and buying from business in the Euopean Union would provide better value for money.
So already you could see benefits on either of the two real life financial examples so why is everyone stating this is such a disaster if Britain exits?
When you then also take into account the decrease in burden to the NHS system and improved immigration control, financially surely a Brexit would bring Britain the stability that Brtish Citizens have been craving?


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WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Higher prices for commodities and consumer goods have "naturally gotten the attention" of the Federal Reserve, said J. Alfred Broaddus Jr., president of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank. In comments to a bankers group in White Sulphur Springs, West Va., Broaddus said that while inflationary risks are higher now than they were three months ago, "the risk is manageable." Productivity growth, a weaker dollar, slack labor markets and strong global competition will "all tend to restrain inflation pressures." Broaddus said the Fed's statement that it can raise rates at a "measured" pace seems "reasonable" to him. He said there's no reason to expect a repeat of the rapid rate hikes of 1994.
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Two new studies give further weight to the growing importance of search in our lives. iCrossing, New York, and Harris Interactive interviewed more than 2,300 people and found that 77 percent of adults who research online before making a purchase decision use search engines.
Forty percent of those conducting online research go to search engines first. Still, 57 percent use retailer Web sites to research products before making a decision.
The study also found that the same number of people -- one-third -- search by brand as much they do by general category of product and/or service. Men use search engines more when researching a product: 69 percent compared to 65 percent of women.
Separately, Yahoo Search Marketing looked at the search behavior of college students and found that they rely more on search engines than any other media--including magazines, newspapers, and television ads.
81 percent of college students rated search engines as the best source of information; friends and family were rated best by 64 percent of students, while just 34 percent said traditional media was their best source of information.
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Aspyr May Newsletter Posted
7:59 AM | Alvaro Radigales | Comment on this story
Mac developer and publisher Aspyr Media has posted the May edition of their monthly newsletter, revealing the latest news on the status of their current projects. This last installment counts no less than eight status updates on Aspyr titles, including three shipping, two at final candidate, one in duplication and two more announced as Mac bound.
Also, and as it has become Aspyr's custom, the newsletter provides information on their latest giveaways, as well as the names winners of the past month's.
Here are some of the headlines found in the newsletter, as quoted from Aspyr's web site:
For the full list of the headlines and detailed descriptions of each one of them, check Aspyr Media's May Newsletter through the link provided below. Also provided are links for preordering many of the titles mentioned in the newsletter, which are already available at the IMG Store.
Aspyr Media (add to watch list)
- Zoo Tycoon Mac bound!
- Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer in the works for PC & Mac
- NASCAR Racing 2003 Season shipping next week
- SpyHunter for PC & Mac shipping!
- Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2003 in duplication!
- Medal of Honor Allied Assault? Spearhead Expansion Pack Shipping
Aspyr Media May Newsletter
Recent Mac Games News
Thursday, May 29, 2003
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Monday, May 26, 2003
Friday, May 23, 2003
Search for other Mac games news stories or browse our Mac Games News Archive.


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In a podcast recorded after his speech at “Our Food, Our Future”, a food sustainability conference in Dublin on September 26, Coveney told DairyReporter.com’s Fiona Barry the Irish government is “committed at the very top” to growing dairy production by 50% within five years.
“This isn’t just about producing liquid milk,” said Coveney. “It’s about infant formula, it’s about sports nutrition, it’s about whey product; it’s about innovation, it’s about skimmed and semi-skimmed powder, it’s about cheeses, it’s about yogurts, and all of the other dairy products that are now growing out of a growing dairy sector here.”
The Minister for Agriculture, who claimed that Ireland’s grass-based farms are among the most eco-friendly in the world, told us that EU restrictions of the Irish dairy industry’s carbon emissions were counterproductive to the environment.
“The problem is if you limit a country in terms of food production growth in an effort to keep carbon footprint down, you are simply transferring that food production to some other part of the world which may be producing food at a much higher carbon footprint.”


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There are some absolutely delicious red wines and red wine blends available to suit every palate, but that doesn’t mean everyone should enjoy a tipple.
Scientists believe the polyphenols found in red grapes’ skin are cardioprotective.
The Copenhagen City Heart Study tracked more than 13,000 people over 12 years and found those who drank 3-5 glasses of wine a day had half the risk of dying from coronary heart disease or stroke as those who never drank.
Canadian cardiologists analysed more than 13 studies to find red wine drinkers had 32 per cent less atherosclerosis than non-drinkers.
Did you know white wine drinkers pour 9.2 percent more vino into their glasses than red wine drinkers?


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The previous version of this blog post incorrectly stated that U.S. Telecom is asking Congress to regulate Facebook. What follows is a correct version of what Walter McCormick, the president of U.S. Telecom, is asking for.
A trade group for major phone companies including Verizon and AT&T thinks it's unfair that such as Facebook can offer Internet-based telephone services without regulation, yet wireless and landline telephone companies have heavy regulatory burdens.
Walter McCormick, the president of U.S. Telecom, called on lawmakers Thursday to update telecommunications laws to reflect the new state of the industry. While phone companies face countless state and federal regulations, "Facebook is free of any regulation whatsoever," McCormick said at a Minority Media and Telecommunications Council conference.
"We haven't said to Congress how you should update the laws. We haven't said you should broadly regulate the industry," McCormick said in a telephone interview afterwards.
But he has a hint for Congress. "If consumers have choices, there is no need for economic regulation," he said.
"At this point in our conversation with Congress, we are just talking now about the fact that you have expanding competition and you have expanding consumer choice, and yet you continue to regulate one segment of the industry in a way that limits our flexibility to innovate and to meet emerging competition," he added in a telephone interview.
He pointed out that Facebook's user base of 750 million outnumbers that of any single phone company, and that the company now provides voice capabilities through a partnership with Skype. "It's a tale of two networks--ours, built on wireline networks, and theirs built on software," McCormick said,
Congress should update telecom law in a way that equalizes the regulatory burdens on Internet companies and telecom companies, McCormick said. "We need to have laws that don't advantage or disadvantage particular networks," he said.
Most tech and telecom stakeholders acknowledge that it would be useful to update telecom laws, which haven't been overhauled in 15 years, to reflect the rise of the Internet. But the agreement ends there, and analysts see Congress as unlikely to take a crack at major telecom legislation any time soon.
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Visa Announces Leadership Transition
Visa (V: NYSE) today announced the appointment of Ryan McInerney as CEO, effective February 1, 2023. McInerney currently serves as President of Visa, a role he has held since 2013. He will take over as CEO from Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., who has served as the company’s CEO since 2016 and Chairman since 2019. Following McInerney’s appointment, Kelly will assume the role of Executive Chairman of the Board.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221117006090/en/
Ryan McInerney (Photo: Business Wire)
In his role as President, McInerney has been responsible for Visa’s global businesses, delivering value to Visa’s financial institutions, acquirers, merchants, and partners in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. He has overseen the company’s market teams, business units, product team, merchant team, and client services. Ryan is a seasoned leader in the payments and consumer banking industry with 20 years of experience delivering solutions to clients.
“I cannot think of a finer leader to continue to position Visa at the center of money movement in increasingly innovative ways,” said Al Kelly, CEO. “Ryan has boundless energy and passion for this business and in his role as President, and as my close partner for the past six years, he has become intimately familiar with how Visa operates and the exciting opportunities this industry presents. I feel privileged to entrust Ryan with the leadership of this great company and am confident Visa is poised for more success in the years to come.”
Kelly, current CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume a new full-time role as Executive Chairman of the Board. During Kelly’s tenure as CEO, Visa achieved accelerated growth across revenue streams and continued to fortify its foundation as a company with a strong brand, leading technology, and exceptional talent. Kelly successfully led the company through a period of fundamental change in the payments ecosystem and a major inflection point in Visa’s history, with developments in technology, expansion of reach, and new ways to pay.
“We are extremely grateful for Al’s leadership over the past six years. His deep industry expertise and eye for the future have positioned Visa as a leader in payments in an evolving and increasingly challenging external environment,” said John F. Lundgren, Lead Independent Director and Former Chairman and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. “Ryan’s appointment reflects the Board’s very well-established and thoughtful succession plan. Visa’s success will continue to accelerate with Ryan assuming this new role. He is an experienced leader who has played an integral role in Visa’s growth and innovation. We look forward to continuing to work with him.”
“I am honored and humbled to become the newest CEO of Visa,” said Ryan McInerney, President. “I want to thank Al for his partnership and mentorship over the past few years and the Board of Directors for its confidence and trust. I am looking forward to continuing to help Visa deliver innovative solutions that help individuals, businesses, and economies thrive.”
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
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Smartphone-only TV service to launch in Japan
(ã‚¹ãƒžãƒ¼ãƒˆãƒ•ã‚©ãƒ³å‘ã‘æ–°æ”¾é€å±€åç§°ã‚’ã€Œï¼®ï¼¯ï¼´ï¼´ï¼¶ï¼ˆãƒŽãƒƒãƒ†ã‚£ãƒ¼ãƒ´ã‚£ãƒ¼ï¼‰ã€ã«æ±ºå®š)Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
At the CEATEC electronics show in Tokyo, MMBI announced its new mobile TV channel to be called ‘NOTTV’. The service will only be available on smartphones, and will launch officially in April 2012.
Broadcasting will be based on ISDB-Tmm technology using bandwidth freed up by the switching-off of Japan’s analogue TV broadcasting earlier this year.
MMBI is backed by Japan’s largest mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo, and the country’s major TV broadcasters.


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According to the survey of surging journalists, in addition to Himalaya, there are pricing differences on Tencent video, iqiyi, baidu online disk, Netease cloud and other apps. For the same member package, Apple users generally charge 20% - 60% more than Android users, and there is no fee prompt in the member purchase interface.
In this regard, on August 30, staff of Himalaya and iqiyi said that the difference in charges was due to the fact that Apple would charge the platform a 30% channel fee when users purchased member packages through apple mobile phones, which was added to the service price.
Whether the platform violates the rights and interests of consumers by distinguishing charges and not clearly publicizing them? According to the lawyers analysis, according to the provisions of Chinas price law, the practices of apple and the platform did not violate the corresponding legal provisions, but Apple users were unaware of the purchase, which hurt the feelings of consumers. It is suggested to mark or remark on the charging interface.
Different charges for Android and apple mobile phone purchase members
On August 16, Ms. Peng used her apple mobile phone to purchase the joint membership service launched by Himalaya app, an audio sharing software. The price of subscription for a year is 268 yuan. But in the process of communicating with her friends, Ms. Peng found that her friends bought the same membership services through Android phones, and the price was only 218 yuan.
Why treat users differently in pricing for the same app and the same service? Should I charge more if Im an Apple user? Ms. Peng contacted the official customer service of Himalaya app platform on this matter. She was told that Apple users paid more for member services than Android users, and the difference of 50 yuan could not be refunded, but could compensate Ms. Peng for three months of VIP members.
The solution was rejected by Ms. Peng. She believes that the platforms failure to explicitly inform consumers when purchasing is a violation of consumers rights and interests. My friends around me basically dont know the existence of differential pricing. No matter what the platform is for, it should at least fulfill the obligation of informing when purchasing.
According to the survey by surging journalists, in addition to the Himalayan app, members of Tencent video, iqiyi, Youku, Sohu and other major video websites also have different pricing between Apple users and Android users.
Taking iqiyi gold VIP member service as an example, the annual price of continuous package is 218 yuan, the continuous quarterly price is 58 yuan, and the continuous monthly price is 19 yuan. However, the annual price of a continuous package is 178 yuan, the quarterly price is 45 yuan, and the monthly price is 15 yuan. In the video platform, Apple users generally pay 4-5 yuan more for membership services than Android users, and 30-50 yuan more per year than Android users. In Netease cloud music, cool dog music and other music software, there are also differential pricing. For example, Netease cloud music black glue VIP, the annual service price of continuous package purchased on Apple mobile phone is 158 yuan, while that of Android users is 99 yuan, with a difference of 59 yuan.
The reporter found that in the above-mentioned app purchase member service and payment interface, there was no hint of price difference between Apple users and Android users.
Platform: Apple charges 30% channel fee
Why Apple users charge more? On August 30, surging journalists contacted Himalaya app on this matter. Its public relations personnel responded that the platform does implement different charging standards for Apple users and Android users, mainly because when users purchase member services through apple mobile phones, Apple will charge the platform a certain channel fee, which is added to the member service fee.
The staff said that if a user has doubts about the cost, they can provide the transaction bill to Himalaya customer service, and the customer service staff will give corresponding feedback according to the bill. As for why the platform agreed to compensate Ms. Peng for three months VIP service, the public relations personnel said it was an example.
On the same day, iqiyi staff also told surging news that the difference is because Apple ID belongs to international payment. Apple will charge the platform a 30% channel fee, which is also one of the member service costs.
In view of this situation, the staff put forward a solution, saying that Apple users can purchase members on mobile browser or other non Apple terminals, such as Android phones and computer web pages, with lower prices, but they can also log in and use member services on Apple mobile phones.
However, if Apples customer service staff cant respond to this issue within 30 days, the companys customer service cant make a refund within 30 days. If Apples customer service department cant make a refund within 30 days, Apples customer service cant make a refund within 30 days.
Lawyer: do not violate the law, but hurt the users feelings
Is the differential pricing reasonable? On August 31, surging journalists asked Wang Yongkang, partner of Shanghai Minglun law firm.
From the perspective of the operators independent pricing power, he said that according to the provisions of Chinas price law, for goods and services that are subject to market regulation price, in addition to the application of government guided prices or government pricing, operators enjoy free pricing rights, and the pricing is based on production and operation costs and market supply and demand. Therefore, the channel fee charged by apple to the platform can be regarded as the operating cost of the platform. The platform has the right to calculate the channel fee in the service price according to the increase of its operating cost, and the consumers will ultimately pay for it.
Wang Yongkang told surging news that the price law does stipulate that operators shall not discriminate against other operators with the same trading conditions when providing the same goods or services. However, as for this incident, the difference in charges between Apple users and Android users is due to different sales channels, which does not conform to the situation of price discrimination, and is not an improper price behavior. Consumers can choose to purchase services through apple mobile phones or Android phones, which is not an infringement of consumers rights and interests.
Just like the car pricing rules, the prices of vehicles sold by different regions and agents are inconsistent, because the purchase prices, preferential ranges and government subsidies of 4S stores in different regions are different, and it is not a price discrimination act. Wang Yongkang said.
In addition, Wang Yongkang believes that although apple and the platform have not violated the legal provisions in the differential pricing, the consumers did not know when they purchased and learned that there was a differential treatment afterwards, which still hurt the feelings of consumers, which will lead to consumers inclined to use Android phones for service consumption or seek other alternative services. The ultimate adverse consequence is for apple to make peace Taiwan undertakes.
In order to avoid ambiguity and disputes, Wang Yongkang suggested that the platform should inform Apple users of the composition of the service price at the same time when publishing the member service price to Apple users, or remark in the interface that the service price includes channel fee.


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OREGON CITY – After unsuccessfully battling to build a big-box store several years ago, Wal-Mart is back with plans for a scaled down project that includes office space and a few smaller retail buildings.
Wal-Mart is proposing a 60,000-square-foot grocery store, less than half the size of the project envisioned 10 years ago. The company is opening several of the smaller stores in Portland's suburbs and announced plans last month for a grocery in neighboring West Linn.
Wal-Mart has 155 such stores nationwide and expects to operate 300 by the end of next year, said Steven Restivo, Wal-Mart senior director for community affairs.
The plan also calls for a 30,000-square-foot office building and three retail pads facing Molalla Avenue. A Wal-Mart pharmacy and an unidentified bank would occupy two of the outlying buildings, the company said in its application.
The retooled project should be acceptable to the city, which twice rejected Wal-Mart's efforts to develop the 13-acre site.
Wal-Mart started planning an Oregon City store more than 10 years ago. In 2003 the company unsuccessfully sought a zone change and submitted plans for a new store.
Wal-Mart redesigned the store so that rezoning wasn't necessary and reapplied in 2004. The city said the second plan was substantially similar to the first one and rejected it. Oregon City then revised its land-use master plan. The Wal-Mart property was zoned for mixed-use development, making it difficult to build a big-box store there.
"I think this plan is in line with the city's vision for the area," Restivo said, Wal-Mart senior director for community affairs.
Oregon City's planning commission will have to approve the project, which includes 453 parking spaces. The traffic impact will be one of the factors could affect the land-use request.
Once a building permit is issued, it will take 12 to 15 months to build the store, Restivo said.
Wal-Mart will jump into a busy commercial area already crowded with large grocery stores. In November, Safeway opened a new store on Molalla Avenue, directly across the street from Wal-Mart site.
Fred Meyer and Bi-Mart have stores within 200 yards. Albertson's, Haggen's and Grocery Outlet are within a mile.
Restivo said Wal-Mart doesn't fear competition. "We're not going to be beat on price," he said.
Wal-Mart also plans to open stores in Beaverton and Gresham.
Wal-Mart is moving into other vacant retail spaces in the Northwest. In Lake Oswego, the company will renovate a former Wild Oats Natural Marketplace. At a former Bellevue, Wash., K-Mart, a new 64,000-square-foot Wal-Mart will share the space with an L.A. Fitness.


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Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, speaks during the launch of the new Tesla Model Y on March 14, 2019 in Hawthorne, California.
Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
Tesla suffered significant losses at Tuesday’s opening bell as investors strayed from soaring tech names, though Tesla, in addition to Big Tech, reclaimed most of the day’s early losses throughout the session.
The electric vehicle maker’s shares fell as much as 13% – the stock’s worst day since September – before bouncing off the lows. At 3:15 p.m. on Wall Street, stocks fell less than 2%.
Tesla lost 8.55% on Monday. With Tuesday’s losses, Tesla turned negative for 2021.
The automaker is the figurehead for disruptive tech stocks that investors favored amid the depths of the pandemic. However, the prospect of new stimulus measures and a widespread introduction of vaccines has recently made rundown and cyclical sectors more attractive to investors.
Tesla is on track for its third straight week of losses. For the first time since November, the stock fell below its 50-day moving average. Moving averages are technical indicators used to determine momentum.
The company is now also exposed to the volatility of bitcoin prices after purchasing $ 1.5 billion of the cryptocurrency. According to data from Coin Metrics, Bitcoin is down 10% in the past 24 hours and dropped below $ 50,000 on Tuesday.
Tesla finished 2020 as one of the best performing stocks of the year. That momentum continued through 2021, when the stock hit an all-time high on Jan. 25. However, since that high, the stock has fallen 28%.
The company isn’t the only tech name that has come under selling pressure in recent sessions.
On Monday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 2.5% while Apple, Amazon and Microsoft fell more than 2%. The Nasdaq contributed to those losses on Tuesday, falling 1.7%.
Tesla shares are falling from their record high
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Local.com is a public company, so it has to be ready to defend its numbers. I just got a release which claims a $35 RPM for the site. That’s pretty darn good. Not Google good (estimates say Google’s at nearly twice that) but still, very good.
IRVINE, CA, Apr 04, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) — Local.com (NASDAQ: LOCM), a leading local search engine, today announced that it has surpassed the $35 milestone for search traffic monetization during March 2007. This milestone reflects consistent monetization of over $35 in revenues per thousand pages viewed (RPM) on Local.com.
The company previously targeted a $35 RPM based on current ad partners, and expects RPM to increase as it adds direct advertisers, a major initiative for the company in 2007. For the fourth quarter 2006, Local.com achieved a $29 RPM.