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Hong Kong Customs conducted a territory-wide operation codenamed "Snow Leopard" yesterday (April 21) to combat the sale of suspected counterfeit smartphones and accessories as well as suspected engagement of unfair trade practices in selling smartphones. During the operation, 14 locations including 12 shops and two storage places were raided and a total of 100 smartphones with suspected false trademarks or with suspected false trade descriptions applied and about 3 400 pieces of suspected counterfeit smartphone accessories were seized with a total estimated market value of about $1.5 million. 18 men and a woman, aged between 21 and 48, were also arrested.
Customs earlier received information alleging that some phone repairing shops sold suspected counterfeit smartphone accessories, and some shops were suspected to have engaged in unfair trade practices by selling old smartphones as brand new products, or selling parallel-imported smartphones as authorised products.
After an in-depth investigation with the assistance of trademark owners, Customs took enforcement action yesterday and raided 12 shops. A total of 36 smartphones with suspected false trade descriptions applied or with suspected false trademarks and about 3 000 pieces of suspected counterfeit smartphone accessories were seized. A total of 17 shop owners and salespersons were arrested.
During the operation, Customs also cracked down on a syndicate in connection with export, supply and distribution of suspected counterfeit smartphones and accessories. A total of 64 suspected counterfeit smartphones and 330 pieces of suspected counterfeit smartphone accessories were seized at the storage places in Sham Shui Po and Tsing Yi. A 32-year-old male head and a 34-year-old female member of the syndicate were arrested.
Investigation is ongoing and more people may be arrested.
The Head of Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau, Ms Catherine Yip, said at a press conference today (April 22) that the successful detection of the case was attributed to the reporting by members of the public and the full assistance from trademark owners. Customs will continue with stringent enforcement and spare no effort in combating activities in connection with the sale of counterfeit goods and unfair trade practices.
She said that Customs will step up inspection and enforcement with the approach of the Labour Day Golden Week in order to suppress activities in connection with the sale of counterfeit goods and unfair trade practices.
Customs appeals to consumers to purchase products at reputable shops and to have a clear knowledge of product packaging and terms of warranty services as well as to inspect the goods in detail before making any purchases. Consumers should check with the trademark owners, manufacturers or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt. Invoices and receipts should also be kept.
Customs also reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the Trade Description Ordinance (TDO). False claims of goods may constitute an offence under the TDO. Traders should also be cautious and prudent in merchandising since the sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime and liable to criminal sanctions.
Under the TDO, any person who applies a false trade description to any goods or supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
In order to further facilitate members of the public to report crime information, Customs will put in place a dedicated crime-reporting email account (email@example.com) and provide a more comprehensive and convenient reporting means tomorrow (April 23).
Speaking at the same press conference, the Head of Intelligence Bureau, Ms Kitty Poon, told that the number of reports Customs received from members of the public has risen progressively for 21 per cent, from 31 994 in 2015 to 38 819 in 2017. Of all the reports received, the proportion received through email has increased from 30 per cent in 2015 to almost 40 per cent in 2017.
"The newly introduced email account is manned by dedicated Customs officers and prompt follow-up actions will be taken upon the receipt of information via the channel, providing members of the public a more convenient reporting means," she said.
She added that in order to make it more convenient for informants to make reports through electronic means, an edit function will also be added simultaneously to the Crime Report (CED 358) to facilitate informants to input information directly into the form.
Members of the public can make a report if they find suspected activities involving smuggling, drug trafficking, selling or buying of illicit cigarettes, sale of infringing goods and violations of the TDO, etc. to Customs by the following channels:
All information received by Customs will be kept in confidence.
Ends/Sunday, April 22, 2018


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If you want to know the core reason America has a growing obesity problem, just take a look at how many cars are parked under the golden arches of McDonald’s (MCD) restaurants at any time of the day.
Government standards as well as health-promoting groups have forced some changes in the way McDonald’s prepares its fast food, but there’s little doubt that eating there is still basically an unhealthy choice.
MCD stock certainly hasn’t been an unhealthy choice for shareholders, though. MCD stock has advanced 267% over the past ten years, right in step with earnings. Despite three straight months of falling same-store sales, MCD stock has held up quite nicely since October.

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On with Day 2 of Paris Fashion Week! Dries Van Noten presented another typically print-tastic collection, with coats, dresses and all else in between receiving the signature pattern and panel treatment […]
Post Tagged with: "PFW"
Paris Fashion Week has officially begun! Day 1 kicked off with the likes of Julien David, Cédric Charlier and Anthony Vaccarello showing their highly-anticipated autumn/winter 2012 collections to the Parisian […]
When we saw Kanye West’s debut womenswear collection for the spring/summer 2012 season, we personally thought it was a solid first effort. Unfortunately for Mr West, not all the fashion […]
We’ve always wanted to be a fly on the wall and witness what happens backstage at the biggest shows during fashion week, and now the house of Alexander McQueen is […]
They always say save the best ’til last, which is exactly why Louis Vuitton and Chanel have helped bring Paris Fashion Week to a very memorable and spectacular end.
After John Galliano was fired from his creative director post at Christian Dior last week for making anti-Semitic remarks, it was unsure whether or not the designer’s own AW11 collection […]


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The euro zone’s current account surplus narrowed in February on lower net exports of goods and services, European Central Bank data showed on Monday.
The bloc of 19 countries sharing the euro recorded a current account surplus of 25.9 billion euros in February, down from 34.7 billion euros in January, according to adjusted figures.
Based on unadjusted data, the surplus widened to 13.3 billion euros from 5.6 billion euros.
In the 12 months to February, the current account surplus widened to 2.3% of the bloc’s GDP from 2.2% in the preceding 12 month period.
(Reporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Francesco Canepa)


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Two shoe shop veterans are to share in an estimated £40m windfall less than two years after rescuing the high street chain Jones Bootmaker.
Peter Phillips, 60, and Ken Bartle, 80, and a small group of private investors, paid £4.5m to buy a stake in the group that was put up for sale by the Icelandic private equity firm Arev during the financial crisis.
They have now sold the chain to the Dutch retail group Macintosh, which owns the 150-strong Brantano shoe chain in Britain, for an estimated £40m. The consortium led by Phillips and Bartle owned about 70% of Jones, which traces its roots back to 1857 when Alfred Jones opened a shop in Bayswater, west London.
Rival cobbler Church & Co bought Jones…


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31 Mar, 2021, 15:00 ET
SALT LAKE CITY, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tafi, a leading creator of custom 3D content for avatar and emoji systems, and Champion® Athleticwear today announced the availability of Champion's 2021 Spring Collection for Non-Fungible Tokens ("NFTs") and Samsung Galaxy's AR Emoji.
Champion® Athleticwear, makers of authentic athletic apparel since 1919, in partnership with Tafi brings Champion's 2021 Spring Collection to life through NFTs and on Samsung's AR Emoji. Through this partnership the companies are leading the new wave of digital fashion and personalization.
The launch of Champion's NFT Spring Collection auction will include iconic and exclusive Champion® artwork as well as limited-edition avatars inspired by Champion Athleticwear. The companies are leveraging NFTs as an innovative way to share Champion's 2021 Spring Collection.
The new digital content available on Samsung's AR Emoji from Champion's 2021 Spring Collection includes branded slides, sweatshirts, tees, joggers and more. The collection is available now in the Samsung Galaxy store.
"This is an incredibly exciting, transformative time in the digital world. We are just starting to scratch the surface on the benefits that NFTs unlock for the customer," said Tyler Lewison, General Manager at Champion Athleticwear. "This NFT drop is an extension of our partnership with Tafi, which started last year in an effort to better reach our customers and make Champion accessible to them in a whole new way."
"At Tafi, our mission is to democratize access to personalized avatars and digital content," said Preston Woo, Chief Strategy Officer of Tafi. "With this partnership, we're not only making Champion's 2021 Spring Collection available to Samsung AR emoji users, but we're enabling the customer to digitally own unique pieces of Champion's iconic collection through NFTs. We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Champion given their leadership in innovation and quality."
To check out the Tafi x Champion's NFT Spring Collection, please go to http://www.maketafi.com/NFT-champion.
Founded in 2019, Tafi's mission is to make personalized avatars and branded digital content available to anyone and everyone who wants to level-up their digital personality. Tafi's best-in-class avatar solutions are portable across platforms including mobile, gaming, XR, social media, messaging, and video communications. Tafi's investors include Benchmark Capital, Columbia Capital, and Ponte Partners. Learn more at www.MakeTafi.com.
Since 1919, Champion Athleticwear has offered a full line of innovative athletic apparel for men and women including activewear, sweats, tees, sports bras, team uniforms, footwear and accessories. Champion uses innovative design and state-of-the-art product testing to ensure uncompromised quality and innovative apparel for its consumers. Champion Athleticwear can be purchased at department stores, sporting goods, specialty retailers, and at Champion.com. For more information, please contact us at 1-800-315-0563 or at Facebook.com/Champion, follow us on Twitter @Championusa or on Instagram @Champion. Champion is a brand of Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI).
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By now, most of the world is familiar with accepting cookies online. When Googling a website or company, odds are, when you click on the site, you’re met with a prompt that asks you to set your cookies preference or accept cookies. While many consumers are still unaware of what cookies even are, a select few have examined how things like cookies and sharing their data are negatively impacting them. A recent study showed that in 2020, the number of data breaches in the U.S. reached 1001 cases, affecting 155.8 million individuals as a result of data exposures. Tech entrepreneur Joshua Denne’s stance on the matter is a sobering wake-up call, illuminating the fact that major tech corporations and social media companies are the ones with the power and control over our data—not us.
“A lot of these companies have tricked consumers into giving up too much of their data, all for the sake of things like social media interaction and online shopping, for example,” Denne says. “So we saw the opportunity to provide a tech solution that would protect users and their data, by enlisting blockchain based technology. This way, each user is the sole owner of their own data and digital identity.”
Introducing SDK Co. As part investor of the company, Denne is working with SDK Co. to develop a number of new devices that function like smart phones, but differ in how they protect and allow users to control and re-gain dominion over their personal information and digital identity. With a function that lets users switch between a lifestyle mode and a private mode. The SDK Co’s Meta Zero device will be the first to allow users to navigate freely, while still protecting their information.
Using blockchain based technology to encrypt every user’s identity and data, the device gives people the power to index their data and decide where their information will and will not live. As society continues to see the implications of one’s digital identity on real life, Denne, with the help of SDK Co. has a solution ready to offer as more consumers continue to learn about the risks of sharing and not owning their digital identity. To learn more about the company, visit their website and to learn more about Joshua Denne, follow him on Instagram or check out his website.


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Contact: David Purgason
Central Coast craft breweries donate unsold beer to protect against COVID-19
WATSONVILLE, CA — With restaurants and bars throughout California closed due to Covid-19, Fruition Brewery owners Tallula Preston and David Purgason have discovered another way to use extra beer lingering in shuttered bars and restaurants throughout the Central Coast. Concerned that the quality of their craft beer already sitting in establishments would deteriorate before it was consumed, they offered to take back their kegs and replace them with fresh beer when the shelter-in-place order is lifted. Since their Watsonville taproom is also closed, Fruition decided they would rather find another use for their beer rather than serve anything less than fresh. As news of shortages of medical supplies made headlines, the couple reached out to Blume Distillation in Watsonville to see if they could turn their beer into hand sanitizer.
Bio-refinery Blume Distillation works with agricultural businesses throughout California, including Del Monte, Martinelli’s and Dole, to turn food waste into clean alcohol that can be used for fuel. As news of Coronavirus spread, they started to receive numerous requests for hand sanitizer. Although they had never made hand sanitizer before, co-founder Tom Harvey says, “In pressing times, you have to come up with innovative answers.” Two months ago, they began working on formulation and production. Now on the hunt for raw materials, Harvey says Purgason’s call couldn’t have come at a better time.
While Blume Distillation has processed wine waste from wineries and spent grain from breweries, they have never used beer before. “We have been taking food waste from farmers for a long time. Working with micro-breweries is the perfect complement to what we’re doing. It creates a closed-loop system of production,” says Harvey.
With the green light from Harvey, Fruition reached out to other local breweries to donate their unused beer, and received an enthusiastic response. So far, Discretion Brewing in Soquel, Other Brother Beer in Seaside and Fruition Brewing have donated, with many more expressing interest. “Now that the word is out, we think that interest will grow,” says Preston. “Depending on how long this goes on, this could be a good way to salvage beer that would otherwise go down the drain.”
Blume Distillation will create four-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer and 32-ounce refillable bottles. The final phase of production will finish within the next two weeks. While much of their current production is prioritized for medical clinics, private practices, civil servants and other community members on the Central Coast, they hope to provide it to the general community soon. Interested parties may reach out through their website, blumedistillation.com.
Fruition continues to brew fresh craft beer using high-quality and locally sourced ingredients. They are offering free local delivery for cans and bottles through their website fruitionbrewing.com.
About Fruition Brewing
Fruition Brewing is the vision of David Purgason and Tallula Preston, who met through mutual friends at Seven Bridges Organic Brewing Supply. They bonded over the love of beer, and the desire to create a space where old and new friends can gather around great beer.
Our beer is brewed on a 7 barrel system (220 gallon), built from a variety of repurposed wine and dairy tanks, as well as a custom built direct-fire kettle. We strive to utilize sustainable, organic, and local ingredients from the world class farmers here in Watsonville and the surrounding counties. We source ingredients from Admiral Maltings, Akiyama Hop Yard, Giga Yeast, Dirty Girl Produce, JSM Organics, Ox and Willow Farm, and many others. Our spent grain goes to the lucky herd at Garden Variety Cheese, whose cheese can occasionally be found on our menu.


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Fed survey finds economy faces supply chain, other bottlenecks
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve reports that the economy faced a number of headwinds earlier this month, ranging from supply chain disruptions and labor shortages to the uncertainty regarding the delta variant of COVID.
In its latest survey of business conditions in the country, the Fed said on Wednesday that a majority of its 12 regions viewed consumer spending, the main driver of the economy, as remaining positive despite various slowdowns.
However, the report noted large differences in performance. He noted that auto sales have suffered due to limited inventory due to issues obtaining critical semiconductor components. Manufacturing, meanwhile, increased moderately or sharply depending on the Fed’s district.
“The near-term outlook for economic activity has remained positive overall, but some districts have noted increased uncertainty and more cautious optimism than in previous months,” the Fed said in the Business Conditions Report. nationwide, known as the Beige Book.
The report, based on surveys of the business contacts of the Fed’s 12 regional banks, will form the basis for discussion at the next central bank officials meeting on November 2-3.
The Fed is expected to make a big announcement at this meeting that it will start cutting, or shrinking, its $ 120 billion monthly bond purchases from November or December.
These purchases were designed to give the economy an extra boost by keeping long-term interest rates low.
A movement to reduce purchases should be followed in the second half of next year with the first rate hikes. The Fed’s benchmark interest rate has been at an ultra-low zero to 0.25% since the COVID pandemic hit hard in the spring of 2020, but there are more and more calls for it to start pulling back its support in the face of rising price pressures this year.
The Beige Book found prices “significantly high” with widespread increases across all industrial sectors due in large part to supply chain bottlenecks.
The prices of steel, electronic components and shipping costs all “increased markedly” during the investigation period, according to the report.
Expectations for future price increases varied, according to the Fed report, with some trade contacts expecting prices to stay high or even increase further, while others expect prices to moderate. over the next 12 months.
Fed board member Randall Quarles said in a speech on Wednesday that he believed high inflation would start to “drop significantly next year from its currently very high rate.” This reflects his belief that the factors currently disrupting the economy, such as supply bottlenecks, “appear likely to fade over time.”
The Beige Book report noted that while demand for labor was high, job gains had been held back by a low supply of workers, forcing many retail, hospitality and manufacturing companies reduce their hours or production because they did not have enough employees.
“Companies have reported high turnover when workers have left for other jobs or have retired,” the Fed report said. “Child care issues and immunization warrants have been widely cited as contributing to the problem.”
In an effort to deal with labor shortages, the Fed said many companies were offering more training to potential workers and also increasing wages.
In addition to higher starting wages and increased wages to retain workers, companies said they offered signing and retention bonuses, flexible working hours or longer vacations as other incentives, according to the Fed’s survey.
The Fed’s report was based on interviews conducted by the 12 regional banks on or before October 8.


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Facebook announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Instagram, a popular photo-sharing app for mobile devices on April 9th, 2012.
Instagram is a photo editing and sharing app for iPhone, and recently also for Android, which allows users to apply filters to photos and share them on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Instagram is also a growing social network with over 27 million users.
The total consideration for San Francisco-based Instagram is approximately $1 billion in a combination of cash and shares of Facebook. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close later this quarter.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the news of the purchase on his Facebook page, where he shares good news for Instagram users.
The Instagram team is staying on to continue growing the app. Without the team's vision and leadership, the Instagram experience could be lost. Facebook makes it easy to share photos with friends and family, but the company hasn't ventured into mobile photo editing or dedicated photo apps.
Zuckerberg knows that Instagram users love to share photos on many social networks. To avoid the backlash of angry Instagram users, which can get nasty, Zuckerberg makes it clear that Instagram will continue to support sharing to other social networks.
Facebook has been focusing on building the best experience for sharing photos with friends and family. With Instagram, Facebook can offer a new experience in sharing mobile photos based on interests.
Facebook is keeping and building on Instagram's strengths and features by growing it independently rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook. Millions of people around the world has used the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and Facebook's goal is to help spread the app and brand to even more people.
This is an important milestone for Facebook because it is the first time the company ever acquired a product and company with so many users. Instagram benefits from the access to Facebook infrastructure and engineers, which will help the app continue growing. A strong backend is important considering the addition of 1 million new Instagram users within 24 hours of the Instagram for Android launch.
Facebook users should prepare for an onslaught of filtered photos. Even thought the app won’t be built into Facebook overnight, the increased exposure means even more users will be uploading Lo-Fi photos to their timelines.
Kevin Systrom, founder and CEO of Instagram has made an announcement on April 9th, 2012 about the purchase on the Instagram blog, and with his hopes to create a more exciting future for Instagram and Facebook alike.
Instagram app was launched in Apple's App Store on October, 2010, and in Google Play on April, 2012.


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This year’s GDC was packed with exciting speaking events, new developments, and networking opportunities with game developers and companies from all around the world. We had a lot of wonderful people come to our booth to learn more about App Store Optimization, and how it can help them compete in an increasingly mobile world. A lot has changed since we last met, but we’re even more excited about what’s to come.
While we’re on the topic of new developments, let’s take a look at some of the biggest app store headlines in this week’s ASO Weekly.
Apple Restricts Search Ads in Russia
Following the developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, Apple continues to announce additional product restrictions. Just two weeks ago, Apple halted all of its direct product sales in Russia – an action that resulted in third-party and secondhand Apple product prices to double and triple their original value.
Last week, Apple sent out an email to Russia-based developers informing them that their Search Ads and advertising campaign abilities will be put on hold indefinitely. This action terminates all current search ad campaigns and stops developers from creating new ones.
This leaves Russia-based developers and apps currently operating in Russia with a massive marketing disparity. These developers must now rely on organic and external marketing methods to increase visibility. Yet, Apple’s shift away from the Russian market may lead many people to question if the future of Apple has Russia in it.
Google Play Loosens Its Grip on Third-Party Billing In Spotify Deal
Could this be a harbinger of streamlined in-app payments? On March 24th, Google and Spotify enacted a deal that will allow Spotify to offer its own in-app billing option to its users. This is a massive break away from Google Play’s strict billing system which ensures them a cut of all in-app payments.
This development follows the Google Play and Epic Games case regarding outside payments and alleged antitrust practices. Spotify has long been vocal about Apple’s billing practices, and it seems as though Google Play is taking the steps to give developers and users more control over their billing options.
This would allow users more flexibility in purchasing decisions. It makes the consumer purchase decision process more simple, so users can buy in-app offers easily and conveniently. For developers, this is an exciting development that may change user purchasing behaviors in the future.
The App Store Finally Recovers After Its Longest Outage In History
A week ago, iOS users couldn’t access a number of Apple services like iCloud, Podcasts, Apple Music, and the App Store. In all, 30 Apple services were reported to have limited access, long buffering times, and crashes across the United States.
App developers weren’t spared the consequences either. During the outage, all users experiencing the outage couldn’t access or search for the apps they needed to download. This caused many developers to lose crucial opportunities to reach their users.
The cause of this outage wasn’t fully addressed at the beginning of the week. Three days ago, Apple stated that the outages were caused by a failure to connect an internet protocol (IP) address to the domain name system (DNS). While outages are out of a developer's control, it’s important to plan for them when they arise.
What can we learn from these developments? For one, there are developments taking place that may significantly impact the way in-app purchases may bring value to its users and developers.
Secondly, changes that occur in the mobile marketing and app store environment are often uncontrollable and difficult to plan for. In the case of App Store outages and Search Ad bans, there may be limited resources available to actively counter their effects.
All developers should have an action plan when such situations occur. When it comes to risk assessment, Murphy’s law says it best: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. When developers can’t rely on search ads or paid campaigns, it’s important to maintain organic performance to counter loss when possible. With the help of an ASO company, developers can create an organic strategy that doesn’t put all their eggs in one basket.
Want to learn more about App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we'll help get your strategy started.


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It was never easy for Trevor Prideaux to use his smartphone with a prosthetic arm. Having been born without a forearm, he had to either balance his smartphone on his prosthetic arm or find a flat surface every time he wanted to make a call or send a message.
Then he had an idea to somehow embed it. He took his suggestion to Nokia, who, with help from medical experts, came up with a prosthetic into which Trevor’s smartphone, a Nokia C7, can be slotted.
The 50-year-old from the south-west of England is understandably delighted with his new phone-holding feature.
“I think this is the first time this has ever been done in the world, and it is brilliant,” Prideaux told the Telegraph. “I can now take calls and make texts just by using my one hand, while the phone sits inside my arm.”
He said the creation could help others with prosthetic arms, such as those involved in accidents or soldiers who’ve lost limbs. Prideaux spoke of when he first tried using a smartphone. “When testing an iPhone, with the thoughts of purchase, I had to balance it on my prosthetic limb to text,” he explained.
Prideaux decided to approach Apple with his idea of creating a prosthetic arm into which a smartphone could be slotted, but he made no progress with the Cupertino-based company. After that, he forgot about the idea for a while.
Then, on a recent trip to his local phone shop to upgrade his Nokia device, the idea came back to him. Nokia liked the sound of Prideaux’s proposition and helped him put together a team that included experts from a mobility center near his home and several technicians. Together they created a laminated fibre cast of Prideaux’s smartphone and built it into his prosthetic arm. The project took only five weeks to complete.
Smartphone Prosthetic Arm Related Tweets On Twitter


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Prime Minister’s Office said on Friday that over 600 petrol pumps have been sealed and about 4.5 million litres of petrol and diesel seized under the federal government’s campaign against oil smugglers across Pakistan.
It said the steps have been taken on directives issued by Prime Minister Imran Khan. “The campaign against oil smuggling, led by Ministry of Interior, is continuing unabated and showing significantly good results.”
The PMO said if sealed pumps fail to furnish valid documentation within seven days, they will be confiscated by the State under the Customs Act along with owners’ properties as it “would be deemed that these properties were acquired with smuggling proceeds”.
Earlier this month, the premier approved an action plan against 2,094 illegal petrol retail outlets in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And FIR would be lodged against the owner and proceedings for the forfeiture of oil station and other properties of the owner in favour of the federal government will be initiated.
The operation is being led by the Customs Department at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
In December 2020, an inquiry commission on the shortage of petroleum products confirmed smuggling of Iranian oil and estimated it at about Rs250 billion.
The report recommended that all illegal outlets must immediately be shut down while simultaneously initiating action not only against their owners but also against those who allowed them to prosper. In the same vein, the practice of unlawful regularisation of retail outlets built in violation of rules must be put to an end. No one knows the exact number of retail outlets operating in Pakistan be it MoEPD, department of explosives or Ogra.
With the help of the district administration, the MoEPD, department of explosives and a representative of the OMCs, the exact number should be reconciled. Standard operating procedures should be developed so that this data is updated every month. The exact number and OMC-wise location of such retail outlets would thus be known to all concerned.


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UMB Bank N A MO lessened its stake in Visa Inc (NYSE:V) by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,136 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock after selling 3,512 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank N A MO’s holdings in Visa were worth $7,486,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Visa by 114.7% in the second quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 161 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Personal Wealth Partners bought a new stake in Visa in the second quarter worth $30,000. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in Visa in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Mcmillion Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Visa in the second quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Hexavest Inc. bought a new stake in Visa in the second quarter worth $40,000. 81.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
In related news, Director Lloyd Carney sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.73, for a total value of $639,555.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,452 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $630,783.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Denise M. Morrison acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $171.13 per share, with a total value of $171,130.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 3,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $551,551.99. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Co boosted their price target on shares of Visa from $181.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on shares of Visa from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Visa from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Visa from $162.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup set a $206.00 price objective on shares of Visa and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Visa currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $195.46.
Shares of NYSE V traded down $3.36 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $175.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,599,431 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,765,283. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $177.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a current ratio of 1.69. The firm has a market cap of $355.22 billion, a PE ratio of 38.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.96. Visa Inc has a 52 week low of $121.60 and a 52 week high of $184.07.
Visa (NYSE:V) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The credit-card processor reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.70 billion. Visa had a net margin of 53.43% and a return on equity of 41.04%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.20 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Visa Inc will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current year.
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Visa’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.69%.
Visa Inc operates as a payments technology company worldwide. The company facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners, and government entities. It operates VisaNet, a processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions; and offers fraud protection for account holders and assured payment for merchants.
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Unlikely allies MSD, Cipla link to co-market Isentress in India
This article was originally published in Scrip
MSD (as Merck & Co is known outside the US and Canada) and Cipla, never really considered natural allies, have now formed an India-specific partnership, under which Cipla will co-market the US firm's HIV drug Isentress (raltegravir).
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Life sciences firms are increasingly adopting new technologies like the metaverse and piloting use cases, although a "truly 3D immersive customer experience" may be some distance away. But 2024 could see an inflection point with increasing demand for certain metaverse applications, says a senior Indegene executive.


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McDonald's new dessert cup: Hedgehogs are 'lovin' it
An obscure British animal-rights group has persuaded one of the world's biggest companies to come to the aid of the humble hedgehog.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has campaigned for years to get mighty McDonald's Corp. to redesign its McFlurry dessert containers, whichacted somewhat likea lobster trap: Once the spiny mammal sticks its head into the hole in the top of the cup, it gets stuck and can't get out again.
McDonald's U.K. said Tuesday that after "significant research and testing," it had designed a McFlurry cup with an opening so small that the hedgehog cannot insert its head — and therefore cannot get stuck.
"The smaller aperture of the lid has been designed to prevent hedgehogs from entering the McFlurry container in the unfortunate incidence that a lid is littered and is then accessible to wildlife," the company said in a statement.
Fay Vass, chief executive of the BHPS, told the Associated Press the change was "excellent, if long overdue news â¦ Many hedgehog lives will be saved."
with files from Associated Press


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Sculptresse by Panache has announced the winner of its global search for the next plus-size lingerie model.
Brielle Cunningham from Los Angeles beat 6000 entrants to become the face of the brand’s AW16 campaign.
As part of her prize, Cunningham has also won contracts with three of the world’s top plus-size model agencies – MiLK Management (UK), Natural Models (USA) and Bella (Australia), which joined Sculptresse in its hunt for the next new face in plus-size modelling.
She also stars on the December cover of SLiNK, the UK’s first plus-size fashion magazine.
Commenting on the win, Cunningham said: "Oh my gosh. I feel like I’m still in awe. I’m bursting with excitement and appreciation. I’ve worked so hard for everything. So it feels amazing to finally get what I’ve been working so hard for: a chance.”
Jennie Bianco, head of marketing at Sculptresse said: “We were delighted to be involved in the search for the next great plus-size model and Brielle is an extremely worthy winner.
“Brielle reflects our customers’ attitudes of fun, hard work and body confidence and is the perfect face and body of the brand, following in the footsteps of Robyn Lawley, Candice Huffine and America’s Next Top Model winner Whitney Thompson.”


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States go after third-party sellers on Amazon
A chapter in Amazon.com’s long tax saga closed this spring when the online retailer began collecting sales tax on purchases in all 45 states that have one, long a goal of the online retailer’s brick-and-mortar rivals.
But another chapter has opened, because while Amazon handles sales taxes on purchases from its own inventory, it’s up to third-party merchants selling on its marketplace to tally and send in their own sales-tax payments. Many aren’t doing it.
Now state lawmakers and tax regulators are going after the sellers in this last tax-free corner of Amazon.com, and lawsuits and legislation are entangling the company itself.
Amazon Marketplace, which rents space on Amazon’s website to independent merchants, is an increasingly important part of Amazon’s retail empire, accounting for half the company’s sales. The program has more than 2 million sellers and, Amazon says, has thousands of small-business success stories.
But as consultants and tax-policy experts see it, the program has also generated unpaid tax bills that likely total billions of dollars a year.
A group of state tax authorities, the Multistate Tax Commission — which includes Michigan — is trying to nudge Amazon’s sellers to start paying. They’ve set up an amnesty program for sellers on Amazon and other online marketplaces that would wipe out their back taxes if they start to tax future sales.
Only about 700 of the 45,000 Amazon sellers that the tax commission estimates have significant tax liability signed up by the last Wednesday’s deadline, the group said.
Some sellers say the cost of registering with tax authorities and the paperwork required to remit taxes in dozens of states would wipe out their modest profits. They’re willing to take the risk of state tax audits to keep the status quo.
Others blame Amazon, contending that the company is the de facto seller and should be responsible for sales-tax bills.
Amazon, which declined to comment on the record for this article, has for years voiced support for national legislation that sets a uniform sales-tax regime on internet sales. The company likens its marketplace to a mall or farmers market, where individual stall operators are responsible for collecting and paying their own sales and income tax, and says its marketplace sellers’ agreement makes that clear.
Regardless of who is responsible for tax payments, consultants who advise Amazon sellers warn of a crackdown by authorities seeking to tax a bigger share of online sales. That, they say, could push some sellers out of business, threatening the marketplace that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos calls a pillar of the company’s business.
Amazon for years tried to preserve the online discount it had over sales-tax-bound brick-and-mortar booksellers, arguing that subsidiaries and distribution centers in the U.S. didn’t create a sales-tax nexus in those states.
As states sought more tax revenue after the financial crisis that began in 2007, and growing e-commerce sales became an appealing target, tax authorities fought back. The company eventually gave in, state by state, until this year, when Amazon began collecting sales tax nationwide on items purchased from its inventory.
Amazon does not automatically collect taxes on items sold from the third-party marketplace, however. In documentation online for sellers, Amazon offers to calculate and collect sales taxes on behalf of the merchants, but the service is not required. Few sellers use it to collect taxes on sales outside their home states, consultants say, and when they do, registration and payment of the taxes is still their responsibility.
Amazon benefits when its sellers do well. On top of fees to join the marketplace and use Amazon’s warehousing and delivery program, third-party sellers pay Amazon an 8 to 15 percent cut of their sales on most items.
If third-party sellers list their products tax-free, it gives them — and by extension, Amazon — a competitive edge over taxpaying brick-and-mortar retailers.
For small-time sellers with operations in a single state, complying with state sales-tax law seems to be simple.
A seller of used DVDs operating from his garage in Tennessee would need to collect sales tax on shipments to Amazon buyers within the state, but faces no such obligations on sales in, say, Colorado, because his business has no physical footprint there.
That’s not how many states look at it, though.
Richard Cram, who works for the Multistate Tax Commission, traveled to a conference for Amazon sellers in Las Vegas in March. He was there to deliver some bad news: The sellers in the audience probably owed a lot of sales tax.
The reason? Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). Under the program, sellers can pay Amazon to store and ship their products, offering the benefits of a logistics network that spans dozens of warehouses in 27 states.
Items included in Amazon’s inventory through FBA are eligible for free two-day shipping and other guarantees, perks that Amazon says boost sales. Outside analysts estimate that most Amazon Marketplace sellers participate in FBA.
But because the program stores sellers’ inventory in Amazon’s far-flung warehouses, it creates an in-state nexus for the seller.
Amazon avoids offering sellers tax advice, part of a hands-off approach that observers say helps avoid the liability associated with steering sellers the wrong way. It also limits the kind of ties that states might use to try to prove that Amazon, rather than its sellers, should be on the hook for back taxes related to its marketplace.
The Multistate Tax Commission initially offered a two-month window to apply for the amnesty, but many sellers balked, saying that wasn’t enough time to make such a crucial business decision. The group voted last month to extend the application window by two weeks, to Nov. 1, but still, less than 2 percent of the sellers estimated to have significant tax liabilities signed up for the amnesty offer.
South Carolina sued the company in August, seeking $12 million that the state estimates should have been levied on Amazon Marketplace sellers during the first three months of 2016. Massachusetts, meanwhile, this month ordered Amazon to turn over a list of the third-party sellers who held inventory in warehouses in the commonwealth during the last six years, a move viewed as a prelude to a wider crackdown on back taxes owed by independent sellers.


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ARS Steel, a leading company producing high quality steel products, launched the revolutionary steel, ARS PIXON in Chennai.
Online PR News – 20-January-2018 – Chennai – ARS PIXON attains concrete-steel strength of up to 10000 PSI
Chennai, 19th January, 2018: ARS Steel, a leading company producing high quality steel products, launched the revolutionary steel, ARS PIXON in Chennai. Mr. Ashwani Kumar Bhatia, CMD, ARS Steel launched it for the Tamil Nadu market. About 500 dealers of steel industries were present in its launch event.
With right concrete mix, ARS PIXON ensures concrete-steel strength of up to 10000 PSI with its new engineered rib design making it fully capable of providing sustainable strength to the infrastructure such as skyline buildings, bridges, expressways, dams etc. Observing the infrastructural development augmenting in the country, ARS introduced this product to increase the demand for better steel for the construction of reinforcement structures. The company has made ARS PIXON to meet the needs of the projects like Advanced Architect Designs built on Smart City Concept.
In the manufacturing of ARS PIXON, most advanced technology has been used and it is at par with British & American standards as well. ARS PIXON gives maximum safety from earthquake and better anti-corrosion resistance. It will now be easy and secured to construct buildings up to 100 stories.
Mr. Ashwani Kumar Bhatia, CMD of ARS, said, "We are proud to launch ARS PIXON – The Powerbond Steel in Tamil Nadu. We are seeing Tamil Nadu as the emerging steel production hub in the country. That's why we are trying to manufacture best products made out of newest technology. We have always believed in serving our commitments and thus, ARS PIXON is the result of intensive R&D based on international standards. The company would expand the capacity from 1.8 lakh tones a year to 2.3 lakh tones by March 2019. Market in countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives are opening up and that again is a huge opportunity for us,” Bhatia said. The company will begin exports in March."
Mr. Bhatia further said, "We are trying to bring revolutionary changes in the manufacturing sector with the finest steel products. We wish to write our success story on the model of sustainability. Today, we launch our internationally competitive and high quality product ARS PIXON. This reflects our commitment under which we are achieving new records by fulfilling all the quality standards of steel production in the country."
ABOUT ARS STEEL
ARS Steel, an ISO 9001 and 14001 certified steel manufacturers based at Chennai has one of the largest induction furnace-based steel plants in the nation. The company has never settled for less since its inception and is strongly determined to set the benchmark for value creation in every sphere of the steel sector. In 2018, the company plans to enlarge its current steel melting by establishing 25 MT furnace that will slope up Billet Production capacity to 2,50,000 MTPA plus Rolling Mill capacity to 2,30,000 MTPA.


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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was the best-selling boxed video game in the UK last week, according to charts company GfK.
The game very narrowly beat Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to become the biggest launch in the Xeno series so far, according to data shared by GfK boss Dorian Bloch to GamesIndustry.biz.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 beat its predecessor by just a handful of units in terms of week one physical sales. In fact, all three Xenoblade games on the Nintendo Switch sold roughly the same amount of units at launch, with Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition the No.3 biggest launch.
This is in terms of units. In terms of revenue, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 generated more money during their first weeks than Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The new game's special edition was unfortunately not ready for launch, which would have carried a higher price point.
The Xeno series is well regarded globally, but it remains a niche franchise in the UK. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the fifth biggest Switch game launch of the year in the UK, behind Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Nintendo Switch Sports, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Kirby and The Forgotten Land. But it sold more in its first week than Mario Strikers: Battle League Football.
This is all boxed physical data only.
Falling to second place this week is Horizon: Forbidden West, but sales for the PlayStation game still rose 118% week-on-week, again driven by a hardware bundle featuring the game.
Also new in the charts this week is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge at No.8. Published by Merge Games, the boxed version sold best on Nintendo Switch, representing 67% of sales.
Finally, Digimon Survive comes in at No.10.
Last week's new release, Live A Live for Nintendo Switch, falls from No.6 to No.23 after a 64% drop in sales week-on-week.
Here is the GfK UK Boxed Top Ten for the week ending July 30:
|Last Week||This Week||Title|
|New Entry||1||Xenoblade Chronicles 3|
|1||2||Horizon: Forbidden West|
|3||3||Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga|
|2||4||Nintendo Switch Sports|
|4||5||Mario Kart 8: Deluxe|
|New Entry||8||Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge|
|8||9||Animal Crossing: New Horizons|
|New Entry||10||Digimon Survive|


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Global furniture maker goes with NexSys® TPPL
Global furniture maker goes with NexSys® TPPL Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) technology for its new manufacturing site
As a leading furniture maker prepared to open a greenfield manufacturing site, the company sought a lower maintenance, lower cost option than flooded lead acid batteries to power the new facility’s lift truck fleet. After reviewing the results of a power study conducted by EnerSys®, the manufacturer selected NexSys® TPPL Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries. The decision will help the new site virtually eliminate battery maintenance and save up to approximately $500,000 over five years.
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Following the announcement that Facebook’s parent company will be rebranding towards Metaverse, many projects have launched similar initiatives that are entering virtual space, from buying real estate to testing the limits of what this universe has to offer.
Virtual ball release on New Year’s Eve
The Ethereum-based virtual reality world Decentraland announced on Wednesday that a New Year’s Eve party will take place in the Metaverse. Grayscale owner Digital Currency Group has partnered with real estate company Jamestown to create a virtual One Times Square – the iconic place in New York City where a giant ball falls on a flagpole and stops at midnight for the start of the New Year . The virtual event, which begins at 11:00 p.m. EST, features a live feed of real Times Square, as well as crypto art galleries, games, and virtual gatherings.
“The metaverse is rapidly evolving to bring together the most interesting and seductive parts of our favorite physical locations around the world,” said Simon Koster, Head of Real Estate for the Digital Currency Group. “This event shows how virtual events can be integrated into real ones in order to provide unique experiences for so many who otherwise would never have been able to attend.”
Celebrity benefits from the place
Reality TV star Paris Hilton has her own New Years Eve party plans with the Metaverse – and these are (almost) far from the hustle and bustle of Times Square. The Roblox gaming platform hosts a virtual island called Paris World, where the celebrity will be playing an electronic set for virtual customers on December 31st.
With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US and worldwide, it is unclear how many people will be attending Metaverse events instead of celebrating the New Year in person. Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that NYE events in Times Square are limited to 15,000 people – there are typically 58,000 in attendance – with everyone wearing masks and showing proof of vaccination.
Exchange traded funds go into the meta
At least three companies in the United States and Canada have launched or plan to launch publicly traded products with exposure to Metaversum-related companies.
In November Evolve Funds Group and Horizons ETFs Management listed their Metaverse ETFs on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the latter tracking the performance of the Solactive Metaverse Theme Index (SOMETAV). The index includes the technology companies Apple and Nvidia as well as the social media giant Meta. The shares in the offering have fallen approximately 5% and 3%, respectively, since launch on November 29th.
Related: Baidu Metaverse App would take 6 years to complete, says VP
However, in the United States, the first company to successfully launch an ETF with exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) futures began looking at the metaverse. A filing by the Securities and Exchange Commission filed on Tuesday shows that ProShares plans to launch a metaverse-focused ETF tracking SOMETAV. The SEC has yet to approve the offer.


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LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Domino's Pizza, Britain'sbiggest pizza delivery firm, said on Friday its Chief ExecutiveLance Batchelor had decided to quit the firm and would leavenext year.
"Lance has been offered a new role in a significant privateequity backed company and as a result has tendered hisresignation. His new company operates in a non-competingsector," Domino's Chairman Stephen Hemsley said in a statement.
Domino's said Batchelor would stay with the firm until April30, 2014 and added that it had begun the search for areplacement.
- Board & Management Changes


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It was almost seven years ago that I bought my first handplane. I’d met a couple of people on the beach, tested the boards they had on hand, had myself a blast, and ended up purchasing my first handplane an hour later, with cash, on Zuma Beach in Malibu.
Steve Watts, the guy who sold me that board, started it all by using fast food trays and flip flops as handplanes in South Africa. That same ingenuity landed Watts and his wife Angela on ABC’s Shark Tank, where Mark Cuban and Ashton Kutcher invested $200,000 in their upstart business. Today, Slyde Handboards is a booming company who dominates the ocean industry more than any other company in the market. With summer around the corner now, the company is about to share its latest innovation with the world, which is actually more familiar than you’d expect. They’re introducing foam handplanes, just like full-size foamboards have become the affordable and popular entryway into surfing. Who would have known? Teaming up with Kaha Nalu, a bodysurfing apparel, and equipment company out of Hawaii, Slyde is continuing their mission “to globally grow the hand boarding and bodysurfing community,” said Angela Watts, co-owner of Slyde Handboards.
Instead of taking a chunk out of bank accounts, Slyde decided to give people the Grom Board. It’s a beginner board at first look and a powerhouse at heart, the Grom board is much cheaper from its counterparts and it also shreds like mad.
“I got really good waves out at sunset. Super long rides on good sized 4-5ft sunset and a bunch of comments from tourists,” said Sean Enoka, who runs the Hawaiian company, Kaha Nalu. “It’s a perfect blend of soft foam and functional shape.”
The boards getting crazy reviews as one of the top notch hand boards on the market for the best price. Tahitian’s are drooling over it, Hawaiians are shredding on it, while folks along the coastline are still waiting. The company is actually in the midst of its latest Kickstarter campaign to pay for the first round of productions that would distribute The Grom to everybody.
The board is made entirely different from its counterparts within the Slyde Hand Board market. It looks like a board that you can still throw, literally, into your car and make your way to the beach.
Did I mention it’s completely affordable?
The crowdfunding campaign, which easily doubled its $10,000 goal, has the retail price for the customizable boards listed at $59. Meanwhile, some of them are going for as low as $39 while the Kickstarter is still up and running. For reference, some of Slyde’s traditional shapes and models can run up to $200 – a fair price on today’s hand board market. So yeah, the affordable foam handplane is now a thing.
Note: Check out Slyde Handboards Kickstarter here.


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The next, though likely not the last, version of the Pagani Huayra is the track-focused Huayra R, which Pagani CEO and founder Horacio Pagani announced last October in an interview with Autostyle Design Competition, an organization that helps support up-and-coming automotive designers.
To mark the end of 2020, Pagani posted a short teaser video of the Huayra R on its Instagram page. In the video, we see the car's engine and hear its sweet sounds as the revs build.
Pagani has now revealed that the Huayra R will debut on March 18. Pagani mentioned the date on Instagram, together with the teaser image above which shows part of the car's design for the first time.
What we can confirm is that the Huayra R will be powered by a new naturally aspirated V-12 engine. All previous Huayras have featured a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 sourced from Mercedes-Benz AMG. The new engine is thought to have been developed by AMG in partnership with Mercedes motorsport partner HWA, and its output could come in above 900 hp.
The Huayra R is the spiritual successor to the Zonda R launched in 2009. The Zonda R was a track car that Pagani used to hone technologies that eventually made their way into the Huayra. As a result, the car shared very little in common with the Zonda apart from a resemblance.
Pagani Zonda R
The same could be true for the Huayra R, as we know Pagani is already deep into the development of the Huayra's replacement. Pagani's next supercar is expected to offer both V-12 and battery-electric options, though the electric option likely won't be ready at launch. The V-12 is expected to once again be a twin-turbocharged unit from AMG, so it won't be the engine Pagani has pegged for the Huayra R.
The most extreme Huayra to date is the Huayra Imola which was unveiled last year. Limited to just five examples, the Huayra Imola was also billed as a rolling testbed. It featured the Huayra's familiar 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12, but with a new output of 827 hp. That's the highest we've seen in any Huayra so far.


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“Bubble Watch” digs into trends that may indicate economic and/or housing market troubles ahead.
Buzz: California’s consumer confidence is dropping fast.
Source: Conference Board
June’s California consumer confidence hit a 32-month low as the state index plunged 15% in a month to its lowest level since July 2016. The index is now 24% off its August 2018 peak.
What’s to blame?
Politically speaking, it’s your choice. June marks the lowest reading of the Trump presidency. But the index is down 22% in 2019 — Gavin Newsom’s first year as California governor — the worst six-month drop in seven years.
More pragmatically, these are tense times. Talk of possible wars — trade battles and military ones. Gyrating financial markets. And higher gasoline prices and tax bills.
What’s driving the California index lower are fading hopes for the economic future.
The California measure of financial expectations fell 18% for June to a low not seen since March 2013. That’s early in the economic recovery. This forward-looking subindex is now 28% off its January 2017 peak, the month when Trump took office.
Meanwhile, California consumers’ views of present conditions fell 13% for June to a 9-month low. This index is now 25% off its October 2018 peak.
Now, this California angst is by no means unique. June’s national consumer index was down 7% to a 21-month low and is 12% off its October 2018 peak.
And five of the seven other states tracked by the Conference Board also saw declining confidence.
Pessimism was growing in Florida (off 16% to a 7-month low); Ohio: (off 15% to a 21-month low); New York (off 10% to an 11-month low); Illinois (off 3% to a 9-month low); and Pennsylvania (off 1%).
Confidence rose in Michigan (up 8% but still off 4% in a year) and Texas (up 3% in the month but off 6% in a year).
Look at some regional confidence indexes …
Los Angeles County: The Claremont McKenna College consumer index for the first quarter hit its lowest point in its nearly four-year history.
Orange County: Consumer optimism has fallen for the eight of the last 10 quarters since a cyclical peak in 2016’s third quarter.
Inland Empire: At the corporate level, 19% of purchasing managers polled by Cal State San Bernardino in May felt the local economy will become weaker vs. 4% a year earlier.
On a scale of zero bubbles (no bubble here) to five bubbles (five-alarm warning) … THREE-AND-A-HALF BUBBLES!
Skittish consumers can sink any economy because nervous shoppers don’t spend. Statewide, home sales have slowed. Car sales are down.
That’s enough to be anxious before mentioning that job growth isn’t what it used to be. Even if the hiring lull is due to a worker shortage, workplace stress is booming.
Add in the overhanging national challenges and geopolitical tensions. Not much to cheer about!


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Supply Chain Disruptions Create New Opportunities for Industrial and Logistics Real Estate
New industrial markets are emerging worldwide, driven by the need to store more inventory and diversify manufacturing sources to counter supply chain disruptions.
December 8, 2021 10 Minute Read
- Disruptions to global supply chains have consumer goods and logistics companies scrambling to increase their inventories and expand their warehouse space, creating opportunities for industrial & logistics property owners and investors.
- Strong demand for industrial space is forecast for markets near large population concentrations, as well as seaports, inland ports and major air hubs.
- Product sourcing will expand beyond long-dominant countries like mainland China, as distributors implement multi-location strategies to mitigate risk and increase inventories in the face of continued supply chain disruptions.
- Industrial demand will shift to different ports of entry as countries of origin change. In the U.S., shifts in product sourcing to South Asia and Europe will benefit East and Gulf Coast ports, especially Charleston, Savannah and Houston. In Europe, the Greek port of Piraeus and the Spanish ports of Algeciras, Barcelona and Valencia are expected to attract more container volume. Alternative port choices in Asia-Pacific include Xiamen, Qingdao, Nansha and Shekou in mainland China and Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia.
- More nearshoring or reshoring of manufacturing, particularly to Northern Mexico, will help relieve supply disruptions affecting the U.S. market.
The just-in-time paradigm, which allows for receipt of goods as close as possible to when they are needed, has been weakened by trade tensions, labor shortages and COVID-related shutdowns.
In response, companies along the supply chain are leasing warehouse and distribution space at a record clip to store more inventory while also meeting the needs of a growing online consumer base. Manufacturing sources are being diversified beyond mainland China to other Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and in some cases reshoring manufacturing to North America and Europe.
The diversification of product sourcing and holding more inventory are creating emerging industrial markets around the world that should be on the radar of industrial & logistics property occupiers, owners and investors.
Root Causes of Current Supply Chain Disruptions
Asia’s major manufacturing hubs were largely shut down earlier this year by the COVID delta variant outbreak this summer, which constrained global supply chains and raised costs.
Figure 1: Asia Manufacturing Hub Delays Due to the Delta Variant
Source: CBRE Research, October 2021.
Continued COVID-related disruptions have caused instability in the supply of key materials and components for global industrial production, particularly for semiconductors. Global semiconductor sales are growing due to the rise in remote health care and virtual work and learning. CNBC reports that the shortage of key semiconductor components is estimated to last at least until 2023.
Global automakers have been acutely affected by the semiconductor shortage. After attempting to resume normal production levels this year, they cut production by 2.3 million vehicles in Q2 and Q3 2021 combined, according to the Financial Times. The toy and personal electronics industries have also been negatively impacted by chip shortages in the run-up to the holiday season.
Figure 2: Global Semiconductor Sales by Month 2012-2021
Source: Statistica.com, May 2021.
The volatility of global energy markets also is roiling supply chains. Coal, crude oil and natural gas prices have surged this year. For example, coal future trading volume on the Intercontinental and New York Mercantile exchanges grew by 197% year-to-date as of early October. Shortages in coal, gas and oil supplies also are adversely affecting supply chains from major Asian economies that rely heavily on them for industrial power supply, particularly mainland China and India. For example, power usage in mainland China was restricted in late September in the major industrial provinces of Guangdong, Liaoning and Jiangsu.
Figure 3: Global Commodity Price Index
Source: Oxford Economics, Q3 2021.
Transportation & Labor Challenges
Major retailers are expecting a strong holiday shopping season but have warned of limited inventories due to the gridlock at global ports. The supply shortages could negatively affect holiday sales, erode corporate profits and contribute to higher consumer prices. Retailers have advised consumers to place on-line holiday orders early in hopes of receiving them before Christmas.
As of mid-October, 107 container ships were waiting to onload at the ports of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, while up to 100 were waiting at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. RBC Capital Markets reports that 77% of the world’s 22 largest ports are currently experiencing delays.
While the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have attempted to extend their operations to 24 hours per day, seven days per week to alleviate the backup, finding available labor to keep the ports at full production has been extremely difficult. Labor shortages are also are limiting operations of railyards, manufacturing plants, warehouses and trucking companies.
Figure 4: Global Port Performance - Average Delay Time in Days
Source: Go Comet, October 2021.
Labor shortages are also affecting warehouse, manufacturing and port operations. The U.K. has seen a big drop in workers from EU countries who it relies on for certain logistics operations. The number of Romanian and Bulgarian logistics and food production workers in the U.K. plunged by almost 90,000 or 24%, since the end of 2019. Employees from eight Eastern European countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, have fallen by more than 100,000 or 12%. In response, major retailers have been offering signing bonuses of up to £3,500 to attract new seasonal staff ahead of the busy holiday season.
With the pandemic intensifying labor shortages across the supply chain, many companies are upping employee wages and other benefits. A major Chinese e-commerce company plans to increase remuneration for front-line delivery staff by 14% over the next two years, while major third-party logistics companies (3PLs) have allocated millions of U.S. dollars in additional salary for their warehouse employees.
Figure 5: U.K. Transport & Storage Job Vacancies
Source: Office for National Statistics, October 2021.
The extensive delays and materials shortages have increased transportation costs and inflation. The cost of shipping a 40-foot container by sea from Shanghai to the Port of New York/New Jersey increased by 154% year-over-year in 2021 to $12,718, according to Drewry Supply Chain Advisors. The cost to ship a container from Shanghai to the Port of Los Angeles increased by 145% to $9,947, while the cost from Shanghai to Rotterdam rose by a whopping 498% to $13,801.
Shipping by air remains a much more expensive option. The average rate for international air cargo, which includes passenger and cargo flights, is up by 14% year-over-year in 2021, according to Clive Data Services. Domestic shipping also remains expensive due to increases in demand and fuel prices. The Cass Freight Index for U.S. domestic freight (air, rail and truck) has increased by more than 20% since September 2020.
CBRE Supply Chain Advisory reports that transportation costs typically account for 50% to 70% of a company’s total logistics spend, while fixed facility costs (including real estate) account for only 3% to 6%. CBRE estimates that it takes roughly an 8% increase in fixed facility costs to equal the impact of just a 1% increase in transportation costs. Based on this formula, it appears that increasing inventories by adding more warehouse and distribution space could significantly reduce transportation costs for many shippers.
Figure 6: Anatomy of a Company's Logistics Spend
Source: CBRE Supply Chain Advisory, 2021.
Supply Chain Remedies
Holding more inventory will be key to minimizing supply chain disruptions. Approximately one-third of respondents to CBRE’s EMEA 2021 Logistics Occupier Survey indicated a preference for this approach. Companies will prefer to hold more inventory near large population concentrations, as well as seaports, inland ports and major air hubs.
Diversification of product sourcing from various countries also will be crucial to minimize supply chain disruptions. Indeed, many distributors and manufacturers are adopting “China Plus One” strategies, with Asian emerging economies like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines at the top of their list.
Industrial demand will shift to different ports of entry as supply chain sources expand. In the U.S., shifts in manufacturing to other parts of Asia or Europe could benefit East and Gulf Coast ports, especially Charleston, Savannah and Houston. In Europe, the Greek port of Piraeus and Spanish ports of Algeciras, Barcelona and Valencia are expected to attract more container volume as production is diversified. Certain ports in mainland China like Xiamen, Qingdao, Nansha and Shekou could help alleviate congestion in gateway ports like Ningbo, Shanghai and Yantian. In the long run, ports in Southeast Asia will generally see higher volume due to global manufacturers' diversification of suppliers beyond those in mainland China.
Nearshoring or reshoring of manufacturing also will be used to minimize supply chain disruptions. In Europe, manufacturing could move to Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, such as Poland. CEE countries are competitive with Asia-Pacific countries for real estate and labor costs. CEE average labor costs are around one-third of those in Western Europe, according to Global Trade Review.
Production of semiconductors and other technology components, automobiles and parts, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals will be prevalent in U.S. nearshoring. While traditional manufacturing centers in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest will benefit, so will markets with growing populations and pro-business environments like Arizona, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida.
Figure 7: U.S. Inventory to Sales Ratio
Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data, August 2021.
Mexico is already seeing the benefit of nearshoring, which accounted for 13% of total industrial space absorption year-to-date through Q3 from 8% in 2019. Year-to-date through Q3, total gross absorption of industrial space in Mexico surpassed all of 2020, largely from auto manufacturers, home appliance makers and machinery & tool manufacturers.
Figure 8: Mexico Gross Absorption from Nearshoring
Source: CBRE Research, Q3 2021.
Industrial Real Estate Outlook
Supply chain shifts and continued e-commerce growth will be major factors in global demand for industrial space next year. New ports of entry and increases in domestic inventories will shift some demand to emerging industrial markets in the following regions.
Figure 9: Global Industrial Real Estate Fundamentals, Q3 2021
Source: CBRE Research, Real Capital Analytics, Q3 2021.
The nearshoring trend will cause a shift to manufacturing and distribution in emerging European markets, as shippers and manufacturers seek to diversify their sourcing of goods in Asia and reduce skyrocketing transportation costs. Bringing manufacturing closer to home also allows for more efficient communication with factories due to reduced time zone differences and traveling times to monitor production progress.
The following three emerging European markets are showing the most promise to capitalize on these trends.
With borders between Germany and six CEE countries, as well as affordable labor costs, Poland is a strong candidate for global companies to establish manufacturing and distribution facilities. Some major North American companies already have based their European manufacturing and distribution hubs in Poland.
The ports of Gdansk and Gdynia are well equipped to handle container traffic through the Baltic Sea and rank first and third, respectively, for total containerized cargo among Baltic ports. Furthermore, approximately 90% of rail freight to Europe from mainland China passes through the Polish terminal in Malaszewicze, making it a key part of the New Silk Road. A new terminal to quadruple Malaszewicze’s capacity is scheduled for completion by 2028.
Mediterranean Ports of Spain and Greece
The traditional European ports of Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Rotterdam together handle approximately half of all containerized cargo in Europe. Shippers are seeking alternatives to these ports due to congestion and different points of product origin. The Spanish ports of Algeciras, Barcelona and Valencia are likely candidates. Spain offers higher labor availability than most other Western European countries and its accessibility through the Suez Canal makes it a compelling port of entry for goods from Asia.
Piraeus, Greece has in recent years emerged as the top port in the Mediterranean. Goods from Asia are typically reloaded for transport to other Mediterranean ports or transported by rail across the Balkans into Central and Eastern Europe. The growing importance of the port has led to heightened demand for logistics space in nearby Athens.
Turkey has emerged as a strong candidate for European retailers to diversify their manufacturing base beyond the Far East. The country is the seventh largest global exporter of textiles and apparel by value. Turkish manufacturers are known for flexibility, with an ability to produce small quantities of goods in limited runs and larger amounts of product on longer-term contracts. European clothing retailers are in talks with Turkish factories, as an ongoing energy crisis has delayed production in mainland China. This, along with skyrocketing shipping costs, will prompt retailers to shift at least part of their manufacturing to Turkey, benefiting its industrial markets.
Approximately 78% of respondents to CBRE’s 2021 Asia Pacific Logistics Occupier Survey say they will increase their industrial space across the region in the next three years, particularly for warehouse space in high-consumption markets.
Southeast Asia and India are among the top target markets for both manufacturing and logistics occupiers. Their fast growing consumer bases will attract more manufacturers while serving as a cost-effective option for risk diversification.
The following three countries are capitalizing on these trends.
Benefiting from the production and sourcing diversification of global manufacturers, Vietnam has seen surging demand for factories and warehouses in recent years. Although Vietnam’s manufacturing sector was hit by the recent COVID-19 resurgence, the country’s registered foreign direct investment (FDI) still reached approximately US$22 billion in the first three quarters of 2021, up by 4.4% from the same period a year ago. More than half of that investment was in the manufacturing sector. With mobility restrictions gradually lifted, more than 60% of manufacturing companies in Ho Chi Minh City had resumed operation by mid-October. Improved infrastructure, a favorable foreign direct investment policy and a strong labor base will continue to attract global producers to Vietnam.
Mobility restrictions from the COVID delta variant in H1 2021 led to strong demand for warehouse space in India, as companies increasingly expanded their logistics networks for e-commerce deliveries to the country’s large population and across its broad geographic range. Industrial & logistics leasing activity in 2021 has quadrupled from a year ago and is expected to grow further next year.
Emerging Advanced Manufacturing Hubs in Mainland China
The transformation of mainland China’s manufacturing base to advanced production industries is expected to benefit industrial real estate in emerging manufacturing hubs along mainland China’s mega industrial zones of the Yangtze River Delta (Eastern China), Bohai Rim (Northern China), Greater Bay Area (Southern China) and Chengdu-Chongqing (Western China). Investments in the advanced manufacturing sector in mainland China increased by nearly 30% year-over-year in H1 2021. These regions are already seeing robust industrial development, enhanced research & development infrastructure and strong labor availability.
Supply chain diversification, reshoring of manufacturing and holding more inventory will lead to greater demand for industrial real estate. With record-low vacancy rates and record-high rents, more companies will outsource distribution to 3PL providers next year. Demand will be greatest in logistics hubs that can reach large population concentrations with lower transportation costs. American, Canadian and Mexican industrial markets are all experiencing strong fundamentals in vacancy rates, transaction volume, rental rate growth and development.
While many markets will benefit from companies’ new supply chain strategies, the following three will stand out in the coming year.
Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), an upcoming transportation and manufacturing juggernaut, will head the list for companies seeking to store more inventory. GSP is centrally located between Atlanta and Charlotte, two of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the region. A wide range of upstate manufacturers—especially automotive, advanced materials and aerospace—provides a diverse economy and drives demand for distribution space. Ports within the GSP market are a primary driver for distribution center demand due to cost savings, supply chain mitigation and efficiency. The Port of Charleston provides overnight service to Inland Port Greer, allowing companies to quickly get products in and out of regional distribution centers.
Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport is the world’s fourth busiest air cargo hub, according to Airport Councils International. Ali International is home to UPS Worldport, one of the largest package-handling facilities in the world. Nearly 30 million people live within 250 miles of the market and there are five major auto assembly plants within 120 miles that create significant demand for light-manufacturing and assembly space. Louisville serves a large population base as a major transportation hub that is close to a growing manufacturing industry. These attributes will drive demand from companies looking for supply-source protection next year.
Monterrey is considered the most diversified industrial hub in Mexico and is a viable onshoring option for companies looking to diversify their supply sourcing. Monterrey accounted for 52% of total industrial space absorption by industries reshoring to Mexico last year. There are three important factors driving this demand: the wide availability of specialized labor, plenty of available land for development with infrastructure already in place and robust export levels to the U.S.
Pol Marfa Miro


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Azerbaijan, FAO start implementing new joint project under Partnership Program
Azerbaijan has launched the implementation of the project on accelerating effective and sustainable development in the field of hazelnut production within the Partnership Program between Azerbaijan and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Trend reports.
Azerbaijani government officials, specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and representatives of FAO took part in the online presentation of the project on June 10.
The main objective of the project is to increase the production of hazelnuts and ensure sustainable development of the industry and thus, to increase the income of small farmers, ensure food and nutrition security, help to reduce poverty in rural areas by creating jobs and self-employment opportunities in the regions.
Following the project, initiatives will be launched to ensure sustainable production, marketing chain will be assessed, and knowledge and skills of farmers in the sustainable cultivation of hazelnuts, processing and safe storage after harvesting will be enhanced.
Azerbaijan is among the top-5 countries producing hazelnuts in the world along with Turkey, Italy, the US and Georgia.
The government provides farmers with significant support via benefits. The area planted with hazelnuts is increasing every year. According to statistical data, in 2018, the total production of hazelnuts in Azerbaijan amounted to 52,000 tons.
In November 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the government of Azerbaijan signed a partnership program for 2016-2020.
Azerbaijan has been a member of the FAO since 1995. The organization’s office in the country has been operating since 2007.


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The OYO app will feature state-wise travel guidelines and facilitate COVID-19 testing via health partners SRL Diagnostics, 1mg and Indus Health Plus.
OYO Hotels & Homes has launched a dedicated section to provide travel-related assistance on the OYO app in India. It provides access to state-wise travel guidelines including E- Pass/Entry registration requirement, visibility to restrictions while booking a hotel and quarantine requirements.
The move is based on the insight that 80 per cent of OYO consumers planning travel are searching for sanitised stays, while 46 per cent seek regulation-related information while making decisions.
OYO will also provide COVID-19 testing assistance to consumers on its app, in partnership with SRL Diagnostics, 1mg and Indus Health Plus. The partners will enable tests through ICMR approved pathology labs. The move is aimed at ensuring ease of mind for consumers while planning future travels.
Once the consumer books an OYO hotel or home for a destination that mandates the traveller to carry a COVID-19 Negative Certificate, they will receive an auto-call back option from a trusted pathology lab for the COVID-19 test.
Commenting on the developments, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India and South Asia - OYO, said, “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked round the clock to lay the groundwork to make OYO the consumer’s first choice when they think about travelling again, safely. Our senior leaders have personally spoken with nearly 2000+ consumers to understand their aspirations and worries, their concerns, and their requirements. We hope with our efforts to ensure a seamless and informative planning process for consumers looking to travel safely, we can contribute to their journeys from the very beginning, and in turn, contribute to the robust return of India’s tourism ecosystem.”
Kapoor added, “The 2nd October long weekend is just around the corner and we believe our partnership with the pathology labs will bring a sense of ease to our customers who are planning their travels.”
Given the reality around COVID-19, leisure travel took a backseat to business or essential travel in the past couple of months, leaving little room for recovery of predominantly tourist destinations. However, on the brighter side, with each unlocking phase and the reopening of states, there’s a positive upswing for consumers aspiring to travel in the next three months. As per OYO’s consumer use cases, 56 per cent of consumers will be travelling for leisure while 43 per cent would travel for business. When asked about their next travel destination, most respondents opted for Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. Amongst these, 45 per cent of leisure travelers would prefer hill stations like Shimla, Mussoorie while the remaining 55 per cent of leisure travelers would prefer non-hill station destinations like Goa, Agra, and Jaipur.
Recently, OYO crossed the 50 million app downloads mark, with India leading with the most downloads followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA, and Brazil. Across India, the top five cities with the most downloads include New Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Interestingly, in 2020, on average, the company witnessed 32 app installs per minute.


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Weekend peddlers do not forget your manners share a wave with your fellow bicyclists. I have found that the chance for a wave, nod, smile or acknowledgement of humanity from oncoming bicyclist is inversely proportional to the amount of Spandex a rider wears or directly proportional to the weight of the bicycle and width of the tires. So loosen up your spandex, bikers.
fake oakleys Penn West Petroleum Ltd. Et al., Court File Number 500 06 000713 145 and the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Allen v. Penn West Petroleum Ltd. Valentine Day, which is just around the corner, means big business for chocolate companies. Alone, more than 58 million pounds of chocolate candy are sold during Valentine’s week. That $345 million in sales in just one week and it makes up more than 5 percent of chocolate candy’s sales for the year, according to Nielsen research. fake oakleys
cheap oakley sunglasses Campaign member beaches pay $800 a year to be evaluated monthly on 60 self reported criteria and receive advice on maintaining environmental quality through “proactive management,” Leatherman said. He emphasized that beaches do not pay to be evaluated for the top 10 best beaches list, and that he visits top 10 candidates incognito to collect sand and water samples for study.Leatherman insists that eliminating each year national winner from consideration in future surveys hasn diluted the quality of his annual rankings.”The good thing about the United States is we have hundreds of beautiful beaches,” he said.Immigration solidarity march held at Waterfront ParkImmigration solidarity march held at Waterfront ParkUpdated: Saturday, February 18 2017 4:00 PM EST2017 02 18 21:00:48 GMTHundreds of protesters held a rally to march in support of immigrants and refugees at Waterfront Park Saturday. It’s a ‘March in Solidarity with Immigrants’ march for the rights and protection of immigrants across the country.. cheap oakley sunglasses
cheap oakleys The ‘DS’ sub brand will continue, but cars from the standard range will all feature the same striking design, simplified interiors and clever technology as the Cactus.At a special preview event held in Paris, designer Mark Lloyd told Auto Express: “People have moved on in the way that they use products, but the car industry is very traditional, and has not moved at the same pace of change as consumers.”For the Cactus, that means offering C segment styling https://www.oakleysaleshopping.com and space with B segment running costs. Thanks to clever packaging and extensive use of lightweight replica oakleys materials like for the bonnet the Cactus is a huge 200kgs lighter than a standard C4.The newcomer shares the same 2.6m wheelbase as the C4, but it’s actually based on the smaller chassis that underpins the DS3. The roof rails and chunky body give it a big car look, but the Cactus is shorter than hatchbacks like the VW Golf.With a 358 litre boot and decent rear legroom, it also boasts better practicality thancompactcrossovers like the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur both of which Citroen sees as key rivals for the Cactus cheap oakleys.


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Senior Kellen Blake takes the basketball and business world by storm
Kellen Blake is a senior marketing major, minoring in entrepreneurship from Arlington, Virginia. From a young age, Blake has been involved in many different sports. According to Blake, “My dad wanted me to play baseball because he thought I was better at it, but I fell in love with basketball”. Blake’s parents continue to be his biggest supporters and he believes that because of their sacrifices he is able to be where he is today.
Since freshman year, Blake has played as a guard for the Winthrop basketball team. Coming off of such a strong season, Blake believes that they have the potential to carry that success into this season. “We have a lot of new parts and once we get all of those parts together, we will be good to go,” said Blake. When Blake refers to those “new parts” he is talking about the eight new members of the team. That is a substantial number of new players which could offer a lot of potential for the program.
Blake really enjoys the team environment. “We have a lot of personality on our team. When we are together, there is usually a lot of jokes and laughter,” said Blake. When asked about how he feels to be a senior, Blake said that he feels as though it was just yesterday that he started off here at Winthrop and it is bittersweet to be thinking about heading off into the real world.
The real world that Blake alludes to, has already somewhat began for him. He has already started to put his studies to use with the creation of his own clothing brand. Blake created this brand with help from a friend of his named Dewan Clay. The clothing brand is called Kila. His idea for the brand came from wanting to help other people while simultaneously building a brand that is comfortable for everyone.
The brand’s slogan is “Kila, where everyone is someone”. In Swahili Kila means every, which ties back into their slogan meaning. “We want everyone to feel like kings and queens in their own light. In addition, we promote how important self-love is,” said Blake.
The clothing is meant to be worn by everyone. Blake’s favorite part of this entire process has been seeing how diverse his supporters are. They have been from all backgrounds and all ages and so far, the response to the products has been really positive.
Kila offers a range of clothing options. They sell a range of Kila t-shirts, long sleeved hoodies and hats. In addition, they offer some wholesale products for women such as bomber jackets and dresses. Blake’s favorite product is the black and gold crown hat. As of now, those hats in particular are sold out. Blake said that they have been so popular that he doesn’t even own one! The duo’s goal for the brand is to continue to expand their product line while also starting to sell sneakers.
If you are interested in learning more about Blake and his clothing brand, Kila, check out their website, www.kiladc.com. You can also support Blake and the rest of the Winthrop Men’s Basketball team at their next upcoming home game, Saturday November 18th at 4:00 to celebrate homecoming.


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There has been a buzz around OnePlus 5G smartphone is finally ready and will make its presence felt at the Mobile World Congress. OnePlus will present its 5G prototype at the MWC 2019 held from Feb 25 to Feb 28 in Barcelona.
The event will provide a platform for the company to present its upcoming 5g phone, as the event attracts a large community using next-gen wireless tech. The attendees will get a chance witness demo the 5G gaming possibilities. The event will give a OnePlus the chance to showcase what it might do with its first 5G phone.
The MWC event will be held by the end of this month in Barcelona. The event is not where everyone is allowed to just walk in, yet you can watch the progress from afar. You can keep following us to get updates related to the MWC event 2019 as we will be covering it as closely as we can. Watch out for all the latest upcoming smartphones 2019 at the Mobile World Congress.
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- CES 2019 App For iOS And Android SmartphonesXiaomi Redmi Note 7 Launched in China


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Disney Speedstorm is gearing up for a global release
For now, the Disney Speedstorm game is available in beta in several countries on the App Store and Google Play. That said, the developers have published an image in which they addressed mobile gamers from all over the world. They revealed that Disney Speedstorm is on its way to a global release.
And while this game will be cross-platform and an early version of it can be purchased on Steam, the post was specifically talking about the mobile version. For now, Disney Speedstorm is pre-registering on Google Play. Later, the developers will announce the registration through the App Store.
Judging by the gameplay, Disney Speedstorm wants to become a more invigorating alternative to Mario Kart, available on a large number of platforms.


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All-in-one event management platform, EventsCase, has reported raising £3.5m (US$4.56m) in Series A funds. The fresh financial backing comes from a mix of new and existing investors, including Haibun Partners and Neil MacDougall, chairman of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, and will help the London-headquartered company expand its virtual and hybrid event solutions.
Founded in 2012, EventsCase offers tools for building websites and apps, attendee registration, networking, email marketing and gamification through a single platform. After Covid-19 brought a sudden drop in sales due to the limitations on physical gatherings, EventsCase managed to diversify its core business by quickly introducing a host of new features for running virtual events.
Now boasting options for live streaming, hosting content on-demand and video networking, the company is reaching tens of thousands of digital attendees every month and has put itself on course for an 100% growth year-on-year.
Investors have clearly been attracted ‘s ability to adapt and even grow amid the unplugging of entire revenue streams.
Jose Bort, co-founder and CEO of EventsCase, said: “From seeing 75% of our sales vanish in the 10 weeks leading up to April, it’s amazing to think that we’re now in a better position than we were pre-Covid.
“This year has brought no end of challenges, but we’ve emerged stronger, with greater capabilities and in a more competitive position. We can already envisage hosting events with 100,000 attendees and a further one million accessing live streams.”
Hiring and tech development represent two of the biggest focuses for EventsCase going forward as it looks to meet the current levels of demand for virtual solutions. Much of the new talent will be situated at the company’s tech hubs in Barcelona, Madrid and Castellon de la Plana, with others based at its offices in New York, Dubai and London.
Photo: EventsCase co-founders, L-R: Ivan Garcia (CTO) and Jose Bort (CEO)