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Panasonic regularly announces the public failure rate of photovoltaic panels sold still in guarantee.
Very low public failure rate
Since its launch in 2003 in Europe, Panasonic supplies this information to its customers, providing statistics on the durability and reliability of their products.
The last reported public failure rate reported in January 2017 was 0.0035%. In June there is a slight fluctuation of the last figure, 0.0037% on 3.97 million HIT ® solar modules sold in Europe since 2003.
This fluctuation is normal and the very low value again represents the very strong reliability of Panasonic photovoltaic panels.
Panasonic: 40 years of experience …
Panasonic began its design and production of photovoltaic modules in 1975 with amorphous photovoltaic cells and then marketed them in 1980.
The modern HIT ® photovoltaic modules were born in 1990, and then marketed in bulk in 1997.
Over the years Panasonic has received many awards thanks to the indisputable reliability of its products, such as the prestigious IEEE award for the HIT module.
… and 25 of warranty on their HIT ® photovoltaic panels
Panasonic solar modules are tested three times more intensely than the IEC standard. This guarantees extreme strength of the modules even in adverse weather conditions.
Adaptability and flexibility of installation
The three types of modules in the HIT ® range are also characterized by special surfaces compared to the standard modules in the market.
This gives you the advantage of being able to adapt to roofs where other modules are bulky or not easy to install.
The N245 model, with only 80 cm wide, 15 kg weight and 245 Wp power, makes it one of the most efficient modules.
The N295 and N330 models have 4 shading zones, so in the case of shadows, the panel does not lose all efficiency but only one part.


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This season you’re probably competing with computers that can nab hot items online faster than you can. Here’s how to even the odds.
Last December at 3 a.m., McCoy McShane rocketed out of bed at the blare of a nuclear-alarm-level alert coming from his open laptop computer.
McShane was in no danger but he was at war, so to speak. The University of Michigan graduate student, 23 years old at the time, was trying to get his hands on one of the hottest items of the year, a PlayStation 5 gaming console, and his combatants were an army of bots trying to do the same thing. “I was used to things selling out in under 3 seconds online,” he says.
Bots, short for software robots, are computer programs that automate human tasks on the internet. While they have legitimate uses, shopping bots can be employed to inexhaustibly scour the internet and social media, reading inventory codes and finding product pages even before items are made available for sale. When they are, the bots buy the products with lightning speed with the aim of reselling them for a significant upcharge.
And this holiday season, so-called Grinch bots are adding to the woes of consumers who are already confronting pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions.
Grinch bots can be hard to defeat. You know that security page you’re directed to before you can complete an online purchase, the one that asks you to select all the images of stoplights or sidewalks? Although those were created to foil bots, some have been programmed to blow right past them.
That’s what happened the morning McShane was awakened. He’d set an alert on a shopping service to let him know when new stock was available. He got the PS5 into his cart but was stopped at checkout, when he got a message telling him the product had sold out.
A Grinch bot might have robbed McCoy of his PS5, but ironically it was a bot that alerted him to the restock. Weeks earlier, McShane took an if-you-can’t-beat-’em-join-’em approach and began following an account he stumbled upon when scouring Twitch, an interactive livestreaming service favored by gamers. The account was running a bot programmed to search the internet for retailers restocking PS5 inventory.
While the service he used was free and open to anyone who happened to find it, other online enterprises sell subscriptions to shopping bots for a fee. One, Snailbot, is a cloud service that scours retailers for restocks of hot items. Though pricey at $99 a month, it may be worth it if you’re desperately in need of whatever it is you’re shopping for and don’t want to pay a bot reseller through the nose for it.
If you’d rather play video games than battle Grinch bots online, register for an opportunity to purchase a PS5 console directly from Sony. While this is free and open to anyone, Sony will invite only a limited number of people in the U.S. to get dibs on a console. The company says it will extend invitations to buy “based on previous interests and PlayStation activities,” which may tip the scales toward existing customers.
Since May, Microsoft has been piloting a similar program for its Xbox consoles. This one is strictly for existing customers and requires them to have either the Xbox Insider Hub app or an Xbox One console to qualify for the chance to buy a device directly from the company.
When time is of the essence, a little prep work can go a long way. If you know which retailer you want to buy a particular item from, create an account with it that includes your address and credit card info to speed the checkout process if and when the time comes. To ensure that your sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, try this tip only on a private device on a secure network.
When it comes to hard-to-find items, retailer mobile apps like those from Amazon, Best Buy, and Nike can be very good things. Download the apps to your smartphone, then fill out the shipping, billing, and in-app purchase permissions. This saves time because a retail app is faster than a web page. Some, like Amazon, have features that let you add desired items to a wish list, even if they’re not currently in stock. When the products are restocked, they’re added directly to your cart right from the wish list.
A 2021 survey by Deloitte found that the average U.S. household has 25 internet-connected devices, including smartphones, computers, tablets, and video game consoles. When a highly anticipated product release date or annual sale approaches, enlist every member of your family to help cross the buying finish line by using every device at your disposal. You’ll have strength in numbers.
Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to legislate against Grinch bots.
Some retailers, aware of the bot plague, are taking steps to combat it.
For example, Target says it has “many measures in place to protect our website from bots and continually enhance our tools and technology to track and block common bots.”
And Walmart says its bot preventative actions proved useful when the release of new gaming systems like PlayStation 5 drove “levels and patterns of traffic on our site and our apps we’ve previously never seen,” according to a press release. The retailer says it was able to block more than 20 million bot attempts within the first 30 minutes of the consoles being restocked.
Lawmakers have been less successful at combating bots.
The Stopping Grinch Bots Act, introduced in 2018 and then again during the 2019 holiday season, never became law. The bill would have made it unlawful to use bots to intentionally bypass a website’s security measures in order to purchase and resell its products or services in interstate commerce.
But it was reintroduced this year on Cyber Monday, and maybe the third time will be the charm. Consumer Reports supports the passage of the proposed legislation. “This bill will help stop this predatory practice and create a more level playing field so everyone has a fair chance of buying popular products at reasonable prices when shopping online,” says Chuck Bell, advocacy program director at Consumer Reports.
On a happy note, one year after beginning his quest, McCoy McShane became the proud owner of a PlayStation 5. The console arrived the night before Thanksgiving courtesy of his partner, who snagged one randomly scrolling through Best Buy online, McShane says.
Perhaps it truly is the season of miracles.
I’m a journalist with a healthy sense of outrage and a passion for amplifying the voices of those too often ignored. I’ve worked behind the scenes at CNN, as a managing editor in community television, and as senior correspondent at BRIC-TV, where I was part of an Emmy Award–winning team dedicated to social justice. At CR, I explore marketplace inequities to remove barriers between consumers and the goods and services they are seeking.
We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story.

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Probably not. That’s because the media tends to focus on the few rogue companies that operate outside the law or not within best practice (bad news travels fast).
So, are there any positive stories about telemarketing and contact centres? Yes. Definitely.
1. An economic powerhouse
Contact Babel’s research shows that one
Many of you will be aware of the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which is essentially a ‘do not call’ list for consumer telephone numbers. But what about Corporate TPS (CTPS)?
The CTPS list currently holds 2.6m telephone numbers. Similar to TPS, it’s a list of business telephone numbers that have opted out from receiving
There’s been much press coverage about consumers becoming increasingly annoyed with telemarketing at home. Headlines in the Daily Mail stating “Silent ‘sales calls’ to home phones double in one year” have prompted Ofcom to develop an action plan to tackle nuisance calls.
Another consequence of this heightened awareness is an
Bizarre. Last Friday, I left the DMA's Data protection 2013 conference inspired – not my normal feeling after a data protection event. The main reason was the words of the final speaker David Coplin, Microsoft's chief envisioning officer. David spoke with passion about the future digitisation of society and what will be possible
Consumer data access is an issue that should be high on the agenda of any business that depends on collecting and using consumer data for commercial activities. While some innovative companies have made great progress in meeting this challenge, many others are lagging behind. This is why the Government is proposing to give consumers a
The sky-high volume of spam texts and unsolicited cold calls doesn’t appear to be abating. When the DMA surveyed 1,200 UK adult mobile owners last year, we found that 42% had received an unsolicited message for accident claims or PPI. One year later, it seems that there has been little change; the operator disconnections for misusing
As Euro 2012 kicks off and the Olympics is walking to the starting blocks, the one thing we can all be sure about - aside from a summer of hope and heartbreak - is that companies and brands of all sizes will be looking to harness the hype and excitement around this year's events by running their own special sports-themed promotional
The rapid growth in smartphone ownership means that the majority of people in the UK are more connected than ever before. Just one pocket-sized sized device gives access to calls, SMS and an increasingly smartphone-optimised mobile web.
In spite of the range of media accessible via smartphone, it’s social media that’s become


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Ubisoft changed the name of its upcoming open-world action game from Gods & Monsters to Immortals: Fenyx Rising after the maker of Monster Energy drinks challenged the game publisher's trademark application for the old title, as reported by TechRaptor.
Ubisoft publicly announced the name change earlier this month, with associate game director Julien Galloudec insisting in an interview with VGC that the name change was made for creative reasons only.
"The change of name was entirely because of the vision of the game," Galloudec said when asked specifically about copyright issues. "When you start a game it's always an adventure and it's a very iterative process. So you start with a vision that evolves as you craft it with the team and we get feedback and ideas."
When the game was delayed by Ubisoft last year, it gave the developers more time to work on the title. Galloudec said, "the game changed a lot, to the point where we felt we needed a new name to be better aligned with that updated vision."
The United States Patent and Trademark Office database shows that Ubisoft would have learned of Monster Energy's concern over the trademark no later than October 31 of 2019, when the drink maker filed a request for an extension on the deadline to formally oppose the Gods & Monsters trademark.
After a couple more extensions, Monster Energy filed its notice of opposition in April, saying it made the Monster trademarks famous long before Ubisoft filed its application, that it had a history of using the name in gaming and esports, and that Ubisoft's trademark would likely cause confusion or even deceive consumers as to the provenance of its goods.
In its official response in May, Ubisoft denied that Monster Energy was famous, and pointed to the hundreds of other existing trademarks around the word "Monster."


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What do you get when you take a 4,028-passenger cruise ship, slather it in beer logos, deck it out with beer swag and sail it into New York Harbor? Why, the floating “Bud Light Hotel,” of course!
Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) -- the (surprise: not American) parent company of Bud Light -- announced Tuesday that it would open the doors of its Bud Light Hotel in “an unexpected location” this year: the Hudson River. Next to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at Pier 88 on the west shore of Midtown Manhattan, to be exact.
The floating hotel will completely take over the soon-to-debut Norwegian Getaway when it docks in New York on Jan. 30, 2014, for a four-day stint timed to coincide with, you guessed it, Super Bowl XLVII. The NFL championship will be played across the river in New Jersey, and if ever there was a more appropriate event for a beer-themed cruise ship, this is it.
Nearly 10 times larger than previous Bud Light Hotels (which debuted at the Super Bowl four years ago), the world’s newest cruise ship can hold more than 4,000 guests in some 1,900 staterooms, and will vastly increase the number of available hotel rooms in the greater New York metropolitan area over the Super Bowl weekend.
"Bringing the Super Bowl to New York City is a special experience for NFL fans, and we wanted Bud Light Hotel to bring something unique to the table that's never been seen before," Rob McCarthy, vice president of Bud Light, explained Tuesday. "Creating this massive footprint at the Intrepid, one of the most iconic landmarks in the city, immediately establishes the Bud Light Hotel as a premier destination during Super Bowl weekend."
Bud Light’s go-big-or-go-home approach includes the construction of heated venues to host concerts and parties each evening of its New York stint on the Norwegian Getaway. It will also host pre-parties and late night after parties on Super Bowl Sunday in an event space that will encompass more than 300,000 square feet. EA Sports, Pandora and Pepsi have all signed on to host events on the ship. Anheuser-Busch InBev said concert headliners and additional sponsors would be announced in the coming weeks.
The forthcoming Norwegian cruise ship, currently under construction at a shipyard in Germany, is expected to be one of the largest and most technologically advanced passenger vessels in the world, boasting 18 decks, 22 bars and lounges and 27 dining menus (in addition to spas, waterslides, fun zones and other typical cruise amenities). While it is docked at Pier 88 for the Super Bowl, workers will deck out the interior of the ship with Bud Light pillows, hand towels, key cards and the like, whilst undertaking an even greater makeover on the exterior.
Super Bowl XLVII will kick off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2, 2014. If beer, cruising and footfall sound like the perfect trifecta, tickets to Bud Light Hotel go on sale soon.


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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Ski season has arrived in the Las Vegas area. Lee Canyon is celebrating a partial opening of its ski resort as it opened its Rabbit Peak quad chairlift today.
The facility received 17 inches of snow from a recent storm, helping it open some trails to skiers.
Food and beverage amenities will also be open.
Tickets for the lift start at $29 and can be purchased online.
Lee Canyon is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.


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Ford Motor (F) has a market cap of $49.0 billion. It fell 2.8% to close at $12.38 per share on September 9, 2016. The stock’s weekly, monthly, and year-to-date (or YTD) price movements were -0.48%, 1.1%, and -7.2%, respectively, on the same day.
F is trading 0.61% below its 20-day moving average, 2.6% below its 50-day moving average, and 2.9% below its 200-day moving average.
Related ETFs and peers
The Guggenheim Multi-Asset Income ETF (CVY) invests 0.88% of its holdings in Ford Motor. The ETF tracks the Zacks Multi-Asset Income Index. The index aims to outperform the Dow Jones US Select Dividend Index using US stocks, ADRs (American depositary receipts), REITs, MLPs, CEFs (closed-end funds), preferred stocks, and royalty trusts. The YTD price movement of CVY was 7.9% on September 9, 2016.
The First Trust Large Cap Value AlphaDex ETF (FTA) invests 0.83% of its holdings in Ford Motor. The ETF tracks an index that selects and weights value stocks from the S&P 500 Value Index using fundamental factors, including sales, book value, and cash flows.
The market caps of Ford Motor’s competitors are as follows:
Latest news on Ford
In a press release on September 9, 2016, Ford Motor reported, “Ford is teaming up with major global cities – starting with San Francisco – to solve congestion issues and help people move more easily, today and in the future.”
It also noted, “The company today is announcing an agreement to acquire Chariot, a San Francisco-based crowd-sourced shuttle service, and collaborating with bike-sharing provider Motivate to expand its transportation solutions in city centers. Ford also is establishing a new City Solutions team to work with cities around the world on their transportation needs.”
Ford’s sales in August 2016
Ford Motor (F) reported total vehicle sales of more than 214,000 units, a decline of 8.4% from August 2015.
- The Ford brand reported sales of just more than 205,000 units, a decline of 9.0% from August 2015. This includes the Focus, Explorer, Escape, and F-Series trucks, whose sales fell 27.9%, 15.5%, 2.8%, and 6.1%, respectively. Sales of transit trucks rose 16.9%.
- The Lincoln brand reported sales of 9,243 units, which includes MKZ cars. This is an increase of 7.0% from August 2015. MKX and SUV (sport utility vehicle) sales rose 7.1% and 49.9%, respectively.
The following is a breakdown of Ford’s sales by type:
- Cars reported sales of ~52,000 units, a decline of 25.4% from August 2015.
- SUVs reported sales of nearly 74,000 units, a decline of 0.84% from August 2015.
- Trucks reported sales of more than 88,000 units, a decline of 1.6% from August 2015.
Ford reported sales of 126,834 units in Asia-Pacific, an increase of 22% from August 2015.
Sales in China were as follows:
- Ford and its joint ventures reported sales of 96,450 units, an increase of 22.0% from August 2015.
- Changan Ford Automobile (CAF) reported sales of 75,228 units, a rise of 26% from August 2015, and sales of 578,947 units YTD, a rise of 13.0% from the same period the previous year.
- Jiangling Motor (JMC) reported sales of 19,951 units, an increase of 16% from August 2015, and sales of 159,213 units YTD, a decline of 3% from the same period the previous year.
For an ongoing analysis of this sector, please visit Market Realist’s Consumer Discretionary page.


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Round-Up - Monster Beverage's Q3 & YTD Results 2013
In early November, energy drinks producer Monster Beverage Corp released its third-quarter and year-to-date results. Find a full round-up of just-drinks' coverage here
Monster Beverage Corp's net profits continue to struggle, despite a rise in year-to-date sales, as regulatory and litigation costs take their toll.
Monster Beverage's bid to introduce marketing guidelines for the US energy drinks industry may take time, but could eventually cut scrutiny from regulators, according to an analyst.
Monster Beverage Corp has said it is on course to start production of its energy drinks in Japan “within the next few months” as its eyes more global markets.
One of Monster Beverage's most senior executives has taken a sabbatical until the end of next month and will return in the New Year in a reduced role, the company has announced.
- CCA - Coca-Cola's Canary in the Mine
- Comment - Hybrid Spirits: Innovation or Laziness?
- just The Preview - Pernod Ricard's Q4 & FY
- Comment - The Race Downhill for Treasury
- just The Preview - Brown-Forman Q1
- Mast-Jägermeister targets UK off-trade boost
- Cognac FY sales slide as China troubles bite
- Champagne will not regain lost ground until 2018
- Brown-Forman unveils Jack Daniel's UK push
- Diageo on track with US$115m Bulleit distillery


text: Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert titled Russia imposes blocking sanctions on foreign energy companies on 12 May 2022. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates. Categories: Asia-Pacific Europe European Union North America Russia Sanctions Singapore Switzerland Trade and Foreign Investment UK USA Author Baker McKenzie Please direct any comments or queries regarding this post to [email protected]. Related Posts Spain: New Royal Decree on medical devices March 28, 2023 Venezuela: New tariff codes for VAT and import charges exemptions on goods for CVG March 28, 2023 Singapore: Carbon Pricing (Amendment) Act 2022 comes into force on 7 March 2023 March 28, 2023 Write A Comment Cancel ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment.


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Outstanding debt of Thai households grew 3.9 percent in 2021, which was on par with that reported for 2020. Due to the slow economic growth, the household debt to GDP ratio in 2021 surged to 90.1 percent, against the 89.7 percent recorded for 2020. The high household debt to GDP ratio is one of the country’s structural problems that has pressured overall household consumption and the economy.
As growth of economic activity has primarily been driven by soaring inflation rather than economic recovery, indebted Thai households are facing an immediate challenge in making ends meet and maintaining debt servicing ability. High household debts are prevalent in Thailand and elsewhere, but the severe impact of COVID-19 has caused financial positions of Thai households to weaken further as compared to other countries. Therefore, the solution to household debts, which represent one of the weaknesses in the Thai economic structure, will depend on the economic recovery - which must be consistent, though this may take a while - as household debts are linked with numerous economic and financial problems found with households and low-income earners, including their inability to earn adequate income to support their livelihood; they may be able avoid incurring new debts or repay existing debts if they have the ability to do so.
One of the Bank of Thailand’s policy directives for a new financial landscape that will play an important part in addressing household debts is the expansion of an activity-based supervision to cover more retail loan service providers for households. This is aimed at protecting low-income borrowers and maintaining stability at the macro level. At the same time, such loan service providers will be able to carry out their services with responsibility so as to ensure that their borrowers will have sufficient income to sustain their livelihood and not incur unnecessary debts such as refinancing existing loans. Meanwhile, changes seen in the household debt structure after 2016 show that credit card and personal loan debts increased from 6.0 percent in 2016, to 8.0 percent in 2021, which was in the opposite direction of loans for owning a business that gradually declined from 19.3 percent in 2016, to 18.1 percent in 2021, suggesting that a new criteria may be needed to ensure that households will not incur unnecessary debts while also gaining easier access to loans for business purposes.


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Thus far, multifamily has been the belle of the recovery ball.
Is retail really dead? It depends on where you look. If you are responsible for your firm’s business development, don’t overlook retail, but be strategic in your focus. Retail, restaurants and certain store chains have increased their demand for Phase I ESAs, by adding new locations or leasing empty spaces.
Store Openings Reach 5-Year High…
Retailers remain wary of the uncertain future of consumer spending, which dampens expansion enthusiasm. This, coupled with consumers’ transition to online shopping, makes some retailers reluctant to expand their brick and mortar footprint. Major chains that consolidated their holdings—or moved into smaller storefronts—left behind regional shopping centers, while smaller retailers abandoned their space, leaving half-empty strip malls in suburban locations. Lenders likewise are skittish about lending in retail properties except for the most creditworthy borrowers in the safest locations. The landscape is dotted with retail space in suburban locations that are hungry for redevelopment into alternative uses. Retail is on the cusp of change as players grapple with how to respond to e-commerce trends and integrate technology into the traditional brick-and-mortar business model.
Despite the uncertainty and pressure from the online shopping trend, little by little, the vacant storefronts left behind by names like Borders, Blockbuster and other bankrupt retailers are getting filled as store opening plans continue to climb. Certain chains and specialty retailers are looking in choice markets for retail space. Large retailers like Best Buy are also shrinking their stores, driving demand for retail space on the smaller end of the square footage scale. According to the National Retailer Demand Monthly (NRDM) report from RBC Capital Markets, store opening plans reported during 2012 reached a five-year high. In December alone, the more than 2,000 retailers included in the RBC survey increased their opening projections by 886 stores.
…Dollar Stores Lead the Way
Demand for Phase I environmental site assessments is being driven largely by retailers and restaurants seeking good locations for expansion. The NRDM report forecasts nearly 82,000 store openings by retailers over the next 24 months. Among those retailers with the strongest expansion plans over the next 24 months are niche grocery stores, fast food and casual restaurants, fitness centers, pharmacies, dollar stores and auto parts stores (see accompanying table). In terms of unit counts, restaurants are expected to account for about 40% of all the new tenancy in retail in 2013. Another notable trend is that small shop tenancy has shifted to well-capitalized, national retailers, unlike in past downturns where mom-and-pop establishments led the recovery. The dollar store chain segment of the market is still the highest growth niche in the retail sector. The three biggest dollar store chains combined will open approximately 1,100 new stores a year (roughly 540 a year for Dollar General, 350 for Family Dollar and 230 for Dollar Tree).
E-Commerce and Industrial/Retail Real Estate
While e-commerce may well be the biggest challenge to retailers right now, it also has the potential to reshape the industrial and retail sectors of the commercial real estate market. For those who conduct environmental due diligence on industrial/warehouse properties, it is worth looking at a recent report released by CBRE, titled The Future Impact of E-Commerce on Industrial and Retail Real Estate. Among its key findings:
- The need for multi-channel strategies will create new opportunities for retailers, such as programs that allow consumers to purchase a product online and pick it up at their convenience at a locker in a local store.
- Popular same-day home delivery strategies may drive the need for future distribution centers near consumers, creating opportunities for urban in-fill development.
- Markets near UPS or FedEx hubs are most likely to attract major distribution centers to service e-commerce sales.
- The aging of the U.S. population, coupled with the implementation of health care reform, is expected to increase demand for medical uses in retail centers.
Clearly, there are significant differences in the retail sector between those players that are expanding and those that continue to struggle. For environmental due diligence opportunities with retail clients, it is therefore important to seek out investors that are targeting retail assets or the retailers with aggressive expansion plans for 2013 and beyond. Consultants already aligned with the retailers listed above could benefit from strong demand over the next two years. Those looking to take advantage of this trend should review the more extensive lists of retailers and restaurant chains in the NRDM report, which includes lists of retailers by category that would allow consultants to focus on prospects in certain sectors (e.g., wireless, pharmacies, auto parts or banking) and in specific areas of operation.


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On 7th August 2017, Snapdeal terminated negotiations with the market leader Flipkart. After the merger breakdown, Snapdeal announced that they will pursue an “independent path”. The job cuts resulted from this was about 80 per cent. After Snapdeal called off the merger, Softbank decided to invest in Flipkart and discontinue its association with Snapdeal.
31 Jul 2017
Six months after intense negotiations, Snapdeal has called-off talks with Flipkart regarding a potential merger.
27 Jul 2017
Axis Bank reported that they have acquired FreeCharge, owned by ecommerce platform Snapdeal, for Rs. 385 crore in an all-cash deal.
26 Jul 2017
After months of suspense and speculations, the future of Snapdeal has finally been decided. According to Reuters, the Snapdeal board has accepted the revised offer of $900-950 million by Flipkart.
18 Jul 2017
Post rejection of its earlier bid of $500-600 million, Flipkart has now made its second bid for e-commerce firm Snapdeal at $850-900 million, according to reports.
05 Jul 2017
Indian television serials are infamous for stretching out episodes. However, they'll still come second to the drama that is being played out at Snapdeal.
23 Jun 2017
According to reports, Snapdeal's merger with rival Flipkart has hit one more roadblock, which can potentially drive down the embattled firm's agreed upon valuation of $1 billion for the sale, if not jeopardize the deal completely.
09 Jun 2017
India's home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart is looking forward to taking the next big leap; the firm is poised to include new categories such as furniture and groceries in its foray.
06 Apr 2017
The market is currently ripe with rumours regarding two major Flipkart mergers - one with eBay and another with Snapdeal.


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While they may not be blockbuster-level releases, Nintendo’s obscure Famicom Detective Club games arrive on Switch next week, making this a notable moment for the system. As Nintendo itself has called them, these two games are “deep cuts” from the company’s early years, a pair of previously unlocalized visual novels that originally launched for the Famicom Disk System (hence their namesake) back in the late ’80s. This marks the first time either title is ever being released outside of Japan, and I hope Nintendo continues to bring more of these kinds of curiosities to the West.
If nothing else, the Famicom Detective Club remakes are noteworthy for their historical value. As with Fire Emblem, my own introduction to the series came through Super Smash Bros. Melee. The fighting game featured a number of trophies calling back to Japan-only titles, including one of Famicom Detective Club’s heroine, Ayumi Tachibana. That small Easter egg was a fascinating glimpse at a lesser-known piece of Nintendo’s oeuvre, but I had long assumed the series would remain just that–a footnote in the company’s history. Their release on Switch, however, finally gives players outside of Japan their first official chance to experience the titles, and introduces the forgotten series to a modern audience.
What also makes Famicom Detective Club interesting is the team behind it. The games were originally developed by Nintendo R&D1, the division that produced Kid Icarus and Metroid (among other titles). Many of the developers who worked on those classics had a hand in Famicom Detective Club, including Yoshio Sakamoto. While he is perhaps best known for his work on the Metroid series, Sakamoto was responsible for penning the script for both Famicom Detective Club titles–some of his earliest writing credits on a video game.
Author Kevin Knezevic
Original Post by GameSpot


text: THETHINGS - Nov 2 - Serena Williams and Bumble are continuing their growing partnership, which began at Super Bowl in 2019. Williams and Bumble are now promoting their new campaign, Women of Courage. They will be selecting five women who have shown exceptional courage in some way, shape, or form this year. Williams announced via her Instagram page that women can nominate themselves or other women through the Bumble app. The five women selected will be profiled in a virtual photoshoot, which will be featured in Vogue Magazine.


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By Gale Fiege Herald Writer
STANWOOD — The third annual Great Northwest Glass Quest starts Friday in Stanwood and on Camano Island.
Geocacher David Baumchen is ready.
The free event attracts thousands of individuals and families who scour the local parks and businesses in search of plastic “clue balls” that can be redeemed for hand-blown glass balls. The works of art look much like the green Japanese fishing net floats that once washed up on Washington’s ocean beaches, except the glass is much more colorful and is blown by Stanwood artist Mark Ellinger.
“This treasure hunt is a natural for geocachers,” Baumchen said. “The Glass Quest is right up their alley. They love this event.”
The Glass Quest runs daily through Feb. 26. Organizer Doris Platis promises that clues can be found each day throughout the area, with more than 300 glass balls to be given away during the event.
Baumchen, 66, of Camano Island, got hooked on geocaching in 2005 when he was battling cancer and wanted to keep busy.
“I’m an all or nothing kind of guy,” said Baumchen, a retired antiques dealer who has since collected about 23,000 caches. With his treasure-hunting skills, he also has advised Glass Quest officials about how to hide the clue balls.
In February 2010, Baumchen found his first Glass Quest clue ball hanging from a tree in Freedom Park on Camano Island.
“I told Doris the clues had to be a little more difficult to find, not low-hanging fruit,” he said. “People sit in their cars and watch for the clue balls to be hidden.”
Earlier this week, Baumchen hosted a pre-quest workshop for more than 230 geocachers interested in participating in the Glass Quest. Geocachers won’t be using GPS to find the clue balls, but they know how to look among twigs, moss and rocks or in fruit bowls or to see if the clues are attached to walls in local shops, he said.
“You have to have a good eye, but just stay on the trail in the parks,” Baumchen said. “I assure you they aren’t hidden in fragile native plants.”
The Great Northwest Glass Quest began in 2010 when Stanwood and Camano shop owners decided they would try to attract some of the people headed north to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.
It worked well. Business owners like to tell their stories of increased business during the Glass Quest and of new loyal customers who now visit their shops throughout the year, said Platis, who owns the Seagrass Gallery on Camano.
Baumchen agrees that the “host-it-and-they-will-come” premise is correct. He found himself spending $150 in a Stanwood shop where he was looking for a clue ball last year.
Officials guess that twice as many people showed up for the treasure hunt this past year than did in 2010. Thousands of visitors from nearly 80 cities in the region took part in the family-friendly, free Glass Quest, event spokeswoman Ellen Hiatt said.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; firstname.lastname@example.org.
Here’s how to join the hunt
Drive to Stanwood and look for the signs in the windows of participating businesses. There you can pick up a map and guidebook to help you in your quest.
If you find a clue ball, read the directions inside and return the plastic clue ball for a ball made of colorful art glass. For free.
More information about the Great Northwest Glass Quest is available by calling the Stanwood Chamber of Commerce at 360-629-0562 or the Camano Island Chamber of Commerce at 360-629-7136. Or go to the event website, www.thegreatnwglassquest.com.


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Catequesis was one of the first games we covered here at GameWoof, with our interview with the developer, Pakarico Games, running back in April. We have been waiting patiently for more information regarding the amazing looking 8-bit survival horror game ever since. Pakarico Games has finally pulled the curtain back a little further, releasing a fantastically creepy trailer on its blog on Tuesday.
The news is cause for some celebration because it means progress is happening in the development of one of the most intriguing survival horror titles to grace the indie mobile scene in quite sometime. However, the news comes with a significant downside. Catequesis, originally planned for a late 2013 release, has been delayed until 2014. Further putting a dampener on the situation is that the Android version of Catequesis has been delayed even further, likely until 2015.


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East Anglia/Halesworth: Mothers are key to Bernard Matthews’ £1m re-branding
- Credit: Archant
Turkey giant Bernard Matthews is to spend £1m on a new brand relaunch in a bid to win mums and kids over to its range of cooked meat, frozen and breaded poultry products.
The new look labels and packaging for the firm, which has its headquarters in Norfolk and a large factory in Holton, near Halesworth, will start to appear in store from August 8, while a marketing campaign will also focus heavily on women’s magazines and websites.
The new packaging also aims to stress the “Britishness” of its products and emphasise the company’s farming heritage.
And it is also launching new flavours to its cooked meat lines starting with Wafer Thin Turkey Curry and Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast Slices.
With the firm rocked by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s campaign against its Turkey Twizzlers, it has long sought to stress the health side of its products and had previously signed up celebrity chef Marco Pierre White to stress the benefits of cooking fresh turkey.
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But Charlie Douglas, brand marketing controller, dismissed the idea that the firm was still suffering from the after taste of the Turkey Twizzlers campaign, and added that the redesign was the first since 2008.
She said the firm had gathered feedback from focus groups to find out what consumers were interested in, while the new packaging also includes serving suggestion pictures
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“They are really interested in our farming heritage and the link to British farming,” she said. “The key thing is we are refreshing our brand. We haven’t done anything for a long time, and we last relaunched in 2008.
“Mums are obviously really big for us because they are the ones buying our product and our core market.
“There are consumers who have lapsed and this is a way of trying to get them interested in the brand again.”
The first press ads will kick off in October, supported by outdoor, digital and in-store activity.
And the new packaging will also include the government’s new traffic light labelling system to help people make healthier choices.
Deborah Ewan, Bernard Matthews Commercial Director, said: “Our new brand refresh gives the brand a distinctive new look, excellent stand out on shelf and a real point of difference.
“It also reinforces our farming heritage and product provenance, something that customers have continually told us is important to them.”


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Infinix teases 180W Thunder Charge system
Last year we tested a concept phone from Infinix with a 160W fast charging system. The company has continued working on battery tech since then and has pushed the charge rate even higher. Here is a quick teaser video posted by CEO Benjamin Jiang.
Infinix calls this new system “Thunder Charge” and based on the onscreen label, it has a peak power rating of 180W. The clip is only around 10 seconds long but the battery indicator goes up by nearly a full percentage point.
So, how fast is Thunder Charge? We don’t know yet. The goal for last year’s 160W system was to completely charge a 4,000mAh battery in just 10 minutes. While the company hasn’t released a retail device with 160W charging yet, it did launch the Infinix Note 12 VIP with 120W charging. It has a slightly larger battery capacity, 4,500mAh, and the official time for a 0-100% charge is 17 minutes (we have a hands-on review of the 12 VIP if you’re interested).
The 2021 concept phone wasn’t just about the charging, it also had a color-changing film on the back and an electroluminescent film that could be used for notifications. There could be more to this new device as well, so stay tuned for more updates.


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For decades the near sole arbiter of standards in hotels and restaurants has the franchisor at a branded location. Ratings from Mobil (now Forbes Travel) and Michelin served to underscore quality as it was the franchisor who drove business to establishments that adhered to standards laid down at headquarters.
Although much of the above remains largely true even today that model is continually being tested in the digital age from the two leviathans of user-generated sites: Tripadvisor and Yelp.In the decade plus period since their establishment businesses have learned that more so than the directives and SOPs from brand central it is the searing and often spontaneous assessment of customers that can make or break most hostelries.
Picking up on the foregoing are some municipalities. A Harvard Business Review blog article points out that "cities are beginning to see the value of using consumer-feedback sites to improve efficiency, provide citizens with important health data, and put pressure on unhygienic restaurants to clean up their acts". While noting that "local governments are not known for being at the forefront of innovation and technology" the article says that the algorithms developed by the authors have been used in "tech-friendly cities such as San Francisco and Raleigh, North Carolina" to demonstrate that digital and social technologies have the power to transform what used to be that most analog of processes, the disclosure and enforcement of public-health regulations".
By embracing social media for enforcement, governments not only serve current and prospective customers better but also cut down government waste. Heretofore, the inspection process was random with compliant and high quality establishments being subjected to the same inspection process as those that are on the wrong side of the issue. With social-media driven technology, inspectors' time is better spent on likely offenders.
The HBR piece sums up the many benefits. Per the "Centers for Disease Control, more than 48 million Americans per year become sick from food, and an estimated 75% of the outbreaks came from food prepared by caterers, delis, and restaurants. By partnering with social-media sites to provide digital disclosure, municipal officials can improve these numbers. They can also reduce costs and display information in ways that are easier for citizens to find and absorb".


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Goodyear have announced a return to UK motorsport and will become the new sole tyre supplier to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) from 2020.
The decision comes with a view to enhancing Goodyear’s brand within the motorsport and ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) segments. 2019 witnessed Goodyear’s return to these segments with the launch of its Eagle F1 SuperSport range of road tyres and successful return to European and International sportscar racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Goodyear has chosen the BTCC for the second step of its racing comeback as it provides a strong platform for demonstrating tyre technologies on a wide range of saloon cars as well as providing the right marketing platform to reach high-performance car enthusiasts within the UK.
Motorsport Director at Goodyear, Ben Crawley, explains the move: “The recent launch of Goodyear’s Eagle F1 SuperSport range and relaunch into motorsport shows how the brand is applying itself to a broader range of initiatives within the ultra-high-performance automotive sector.”
The decision to become the sole tyre supplier to BTCC forms part of a broader strategic marketing plan for the company and Ben elaborates: “The BTCC is one of the best-loved, most famous motor racing championships in the world and it will provide a great opportunity for Goodyear to get close to the hearts and minds of motorsport enthusiasts. We are thrilled to be partnered with the championship from 2020.”
Alan Gow, BTCC Series Director, commented: “Goodyear has a proud and proven history in motorsport, spanning multiple decades and championships. They provide knowledge from a global programme of racing experience making them a strong partner for the championship going forward. It also gives Goodyear the ideal opportunity to further increase their brand awareness via the UK’s largest motorsport championship. We are looking forward to welcoming the brand into the championship from 2020.”
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Uber suffers blow as UK court rules drivers have rights to workers’ rights – Report
Uber suffered a heavy blow on Friday after the UK Supreme Court ruled that a group of ridesharing company drivers were entitled to workers’ rights, including minimum wage, Reuters reported.
According to the Reuters report, a total of 25 Uber (UBER) the drivers were part of the case and Uber said the verdict did not apply to all of its current 60,000 drivers in Britain, including 45,000 in London. Currently, these drivers are considered self-employed. As a result, they are only entitled to minimal protections by law in the UK – a status Uber has sought to maintain in the legal standoff.
Reuters quoted UK Supreme Court Justice George Leggatt: “The Supreme Court unanimously rejects Uber’s appeal. The legislation aims to give certain protections to vulnerable people who have little or no say in their pay and working conditions. “
Uber’s director for Northern and Eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, was quoted by Reuters: “We respect the court ruling which focused on a small number of drivers who used the Uber app in 2016. We are committed to doing more and will now consult with all active drivers across the UK to understand the changes they want to see. (See Uber stock analysis on TipRanks)
Uber shares fell 1% and closed at $ 58.39 on February 19.
Wedbush analyst Daniel ives reiterated a buy note and a target price of $ 76 (30% upside potential) on the stock. Following the UK Supreme Court ruling, Ives commented in a note to investors: “With London being one of Uber’s 5 best markets in the world, this ruling could clearly change that market to depending on the ripple impact for the company as a pathway for employees and vacations) rekindles a nightmare for Uber and the entire Gig Economy… ”
“For Uber heading towards a ride-sharing rebound, the company needs to carefully balance how it handles this latest legal challenge of the worker versus contractor debate that remains a lingering overhang on a global scale… We believe this move UK is a contained risk at this point for Uber and the Gig Economy as a whole, with the City of London and Uber having had many battles in recent years (licensing, etc.) with this latest issue, ”added Ives.
Overall, analysts are bullish on the stock with a strong buy consensus rating. This is based on 26 analysts recommending a buy and 3 analysts suggesting a hold. The average analyst target price of $ 71.46 implies an upside potential of 22.4% over current levels.


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Here's a robot video that I found interesting:
Jin Sato, the founder of JS-Robotics, developed the OpenFace robot avatar project and plans to make the STL files available so that others can use it as a base to give their robot creations more personality and realism. With the exception of a few screws and other parts, the design is completely 3D printable. The sample demonstrated at the IREX robot exhibition in Tokyo was printed on a Solidoodle printer and features 6 degrees of freedom.
By Robots Dreams


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The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) stated on Tuesday that it will require importers to provide 100 percent cash deposits at banks on their letters of credit up from the current 50 percent in an attempt to boost domestic products against foreign competition.
The move, which will come into effect in January, aims to limit imports of products with domestic alternatives in order to shore up limited resources for foreign currency, according to state press agency MENA.
Imports of medicines, input materials for pharmaceuticals and babies' milk are excluded from the decision.
The CBE recently provided around $7.6 billion for the import of basic commodities, raw materials and foreign backlog, said MENA.
Egypt faces a foreign currency crunch which took its toll on imports of raw material needed by industries and pressured the Egyptian pound.
The CBE will repay Qatar a $1 billion for a matured deposit in January 2016 on time as well as a $700 million instalment to the Paris Club, MENA said, citing a bank source.
Foreign currency reserves stood at $16.422 billion at the end of November.


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Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro launch with impressive new cameras
27 March, 2019, 00:26 | Author: Lloyd Doyle
Now we have new leaked images of the P30 Pro, but this time it comes with a new version of the Huawei Watch.
Before the phone was even launched, Huawei sparked some controversy by using DSLR photos (again) to advertise the P30's camera capability.
The European Commission is poised to urge EU countries to share more data to tackle cybersecurity risks related to the next generation of mobile technology, or 5G, but will ignore US calls to ban Huawei, people familiar with the matter said last week.
The Huawei P30 is priced at €799 and that gets you 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
We have only had a limited time with the P30 Pro so far, but Huawei has kept the same native camera app as we've seen before in the P20 Pro and the Mate 20 Pro.
"We're going to completely rewrite the rules of smartphone photography, and we can do this because we own the complete ecosystem within the smartphone".
Both the P30 and P30 Pro will come running EMUI 9.1 that's built on top of Android Pie. You can elect to leave Artificial Intelligence switched on and let the phone tweak settings or output depending on what it detects in front of it.
The Huawei P30 Pro features a 6.47-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) OLED screen with 19.5:9 aspect ratio, whereas the P30 comes with 6.1-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) OLED display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
Similar camera technology was displayed by one of Huawei's Chinese rivals, OPPO, at MWC. Inside, the device also packs the Kirin 980 processor and 8GB of RAM, but storage now tops out at 256GB.
The device also has a 4,400 mAh battery, in-built fingerprint scanner, a USB-C charging port with 40W supercharging. Alongside the P30 Pro, Huawei will also unveil the P30 which will feature a triple camera setup offering 5x zoom.
Huawei says it has also added a graphene film cooling system to manage the heat on both smartphones.
Huawei P30 Pro will reportedly feature four Leica-branded cameras at the back, a combination of 40MP "SuperSpectrum Sensor" primary camera, an ultra wide-angle sensor, a 10X zoom periscope lens, and a ToF sensor.
If you still needed a reason to spend money on a compact camera, it would have been for zoom reach, as even the best smartphone cameras could not provide usable zoom image quality beyond a 5x factor.
Additionally, the new product also supports faster wireless charging at up to 15W, meaning your phone should power up more rapidly on a compatible bank.
Huawei P30 will feature the same camera setup as the P30 Pro except for the ToF sensor.
When is the Huawei P30 release date? This year also sees the introduction of a "dewdrop" notch - this sits in the middle of the top of the screen and is created to use as little as possible of the screen space. Both phones also have a 2.5cm super macro mode that allows you to capture close up images with incredible details. Huawei is pushing its dual-NPU to its limits by using two of the rear cameras on board to record videos simultaneously. The company claims that while the phone received an overall score of 112, its video performance got 97 scores and photography achieved 119 scores.
Huawei consumer business group CEO Richard Yu posted a photo of the moon on his Weibo account weeks before Tuesday's launch, with the blurred watermark hinting at the P30 series. The earbuds are claimed to deliver four hours of playback with just five minutes of charge and are created to provide 18 hours of continuous playback. It comes with IP68 rating which means that is water and dust proof.
Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on CNN's " State of the Union ". Barr said in his confirmation hearing in January , however, that the memo was based on what he saw in media reports.
Liverpool were caught out and without Salah's help, Fulham's chances of equalising would have been greatly higher. Fulham have 17 points and a mountain to climb if they are to avoid nearly certain relegation from the top flight.
A Tesla logo is seen at a groundbreaking ceremony of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2019. Over the next few years, we saw the Tesla Model X and the Model 3 get launched, covering the other price points.
Most companies in Jet's financial condition would have been placed by creditors into India's new bankruptcy process. On that occasion, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways bought a 24 percent stake in the airline to keep it running.
Valve, the company behind it announced that the de facto PC game storefront for many will be getting a redesign at GDC 2019. Not bad! Assuming this new library page actually loads quickly, it's definitely a visual improvement over the previous one.
The FAA has said that the Boeing 737 will not fly until a software update can be tested and installed. Shortly after their takeoffs, both crews tried to return to their respective airports, but crashed.
The New York Times and The Washington Post are not part of the service, but The Wall Street Journal and Vox will participate. Last but not the least, at this Apple Event on the 25th of March, Apple might launch an Apple-branded Credit Card as well.
Tate acknowledged the signing on Twitter, tweeting an image of the "I love New York" logo and making it his new profile picture. Tate was traded from Detroit to Philadelphia before the trade deadline in October for a third-round pick in the upcoming draft.
The Miami Herald published an opinion piece from Pence that called for the release of Marrero from his undisclosed location. Guaido spoke Thursday after intelligence agents staged an overnight raid and detained Roberto Marrero, his key aide.
But their shared view that the House should not start impeachment proceedings against him are based on starkly different reasons. Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of NY made this point bluntly: "We did not run on impeachment".
No one won the Powerball jackpot, now its up to $750 million
No winning tickets were sold for Wednesday's drawing, making Saturday's jackpot the seventh-largest Powerball prize in history. The Powerball drawing took place just one night after a lucky player in MI won $1 million playing the Mega Millions.
Trump supporter pleads guilty to sending bombs to Democrats
Prosecutors say evidence against Sayoc included DNA linking him to 10 of the explosive devices and fingerprints on two of them. The bombs began turning up weeks before the hotly contested midterms, contributing to an already tense political environment.
System Shock 3 gets a teaser trailer
What you are seeing is pre-alpha, in-engine footage, which means what is being shown could change in the future. OtherSide Entertainment have unveiled the first trailer for System Shock 3 at GDC 2019.
Trump to host Netanyahu in White House
The president will welcome Netanyahu for his third White House visit since Trump took office, the White house said Wednesday. AMI was part of a "catch and kill" scheme during the 2016 campaign to pay off women who said they had affairs with Mr.
Apple says Spotify wants to 'make more money off others' work'
So even if your app is free, you are still paying Apple to use its platform and tools, which Apple conveniently forgot to mention. Ek complained that "numerous other apps on the App Store, like Uber or Deliveroo", don't have to pay "the Apple tax".
Armed Man Chased, Fired On New Zealand Mosque Shooter
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tweeted that he learned of the attack "with horror and profound sadness". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the attacks the "latest example of rising racism and Islamophobia".
Beto's Running :: Politics :: News :: Beto O'Rourke
Confirming his run to Texan TV outlet KTSM , Mr O'Rourke said: "I'm really proud of what El Paso did and what El Paso represents". His track record during six years in the US House of Representatives is thin. "It's a big part of why I'm running".


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Dutch Group Van Oers United, a fresh vegetables specialist in Europe and Africa, will become part of French agricultural cooperative Agrial through its vegetables subsidiary Priméale.
This transaction enables the Agrial Vegetable division to:
– consolidate its international position in Northern European countries such as the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany and the UK.
More than half of its business will now be done in international markets.
– expand its range of vegetables, with products such as different types of beans, Brussels sprouts, spring onions, radishes and sweet corn.
– secure year-round product availability thanks to large production locations and processing facilities in The Netherlands, Morocco and Senegal.
Agrial offers Europe ready-to-use fresh vegetables with its Florette brand, and with this acquisition it will also become a European leader in the fresh vegetables market, and will benefit its producers and customers as a result.


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Organizers of this weekend’s Brewer Spring Boat Show — created specifically for the used-boat seller and buyer — announced prize packages for this year’s giveaway.
The prizes are a test-ride for four on the Brewer Boat Club’s newest vessel, a 2013 Sea Ray 240, as well as a sunset cruise on the former America’s Cup training vessel Stars & Stripes.
This year’s giveaway will have both online and in-person components at the Brewer Pilots Point Marina show. The online giveaway began Monday and will run through Friday. Sign-up is available at Brewer Yacht Sales’ Facebook page.
The in-person giveaway will held on Saturday and Sunday at the Pilots Point Marina location in Westbrook, Conn. Winners of the online and in-person contests will be announced at the end of the show on Sunday.
The show is held at two locations of the New England-based boatyard chain: in Westbrook, Conn., and Warwick, R.I.
Follow the Brewer Spring Boat Show on Twitter at @breweryacht for up-to-the minute show updates.


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Betsson’s New Russian-Language Sites Extend Greentube’s Reach Across the Three Baltics
Division of NOVOMATIC Interactive, Greentubeannounced on Tuesday will see its slots products reach more players in the three Baltic states after its partner Betsson launched an additional Russian-language site for Lithuanian users.
The Betsafe brand of the Betsson groupwhich has been offering Greentube titles on all of its brands since 2017, has now added Russian language sites to attract other players in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
In addition, Greentube slots are also available at SuperCasino.ee, a new Pay N Play casino for Estonian players that launched to complement Betsafe in August 2021.
The expansion will see titles such as “Lucky Lady’s Charm”, “Sizzling Hot” and “Book of Ra”, as well as a host of other new products localized for the Russian-speaking population of Lithuania.
In an official press release, Lisa Sandner, Sales & Key Account Manager at Greentube, spoke about this new milestone and said: “We are thrilled to see our diverse portfolio of iconic online slots reaching players across Lithuania and the rest of the Baltic States. The Greentube brand is synonymous with quality and it It’s a real joy to be able to introduce new players to everything we have to offer.”
Kaido Ulejev, CEECA Commercial Director of the Betsson Group, added: “Everyone knows how popular Greentube slots have become over the years. They are not only a trusted and well-established international brand, but their slots are instantly recognizable and can be considered fan favourites. It was extremely important to us that we launched our latest Russian-language site for Lithuanian users with the best games available, and we consider Greentube titles to be one of them.”


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Asos saw its best ever trading in cyber week, even as it takes action to jumpstart international gr
Sales figures released by Asos
today suggest that its international growth stalled this autumn. But the fashion pureplay also said it had its biggest-ever trading week over November’s cyber weekend.
While Asos’ UK sales grew to £104.8m in the three months to November 30, up by 24% compared to the same time last year, international sales of £141.5m were up by just 4% - or down by 2% when currency fluctuations were taken into account. Overall, retail sales grew by 8%, to £246.3m, while group revenues, which also include delivery income and third party income, were up by 8% at £252.2m.
During the period, international sales made up 57% of the total, down from 63% last year, amid what chief executive Nick Robertson (pictured)
described as “challenging” international trading conditions.”
The decline in international sales over the period is striking. Asos did not release a trading statement at the same time last year, but its figures for the three months to the end of December 2013 showed international sales growth of 38%, while UK sales grew by 37%, taking overall growth to 37%. In the six months to February 28 2013, the half-year that included the equivalent three months, international sales were up by 35%, and UK sales by 32% - taking total growth for the period to 34%.
The company is now tackling the international decline with zonal pricing through technology that now enables it to charge different prices for the same item in different regions. Today it said it would invest £6.3m already received from its insurers after a fire in June in its Barnsley logistics centre, to speed up its investment in international pricing. The insurance income, it said, will mean full-year profits are in line with expectations.
Nick Robertson, chief executive, said: “Total retail sales for the quarter grew by 8% (12% on a constant currency basis). September and October were challenging as we completed the automation programme in Barnsley in time for peak. Our sales have since gathered momentum and we had our biggest ever trading week over cyber weekend in November.”


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Universal Health Coverage (UHC) allows countries to make the most of their strongest asset: human capital.
Supporting health represents a foundational investment in human capital and in economic growth.
Without good health, children are unable to go to school and adults are unable to go to work. It is one of the global economy’s largest sectors and provides 50 million jobs, with the majority held by women.
In Kenya, UHC was launched in 2018, with much promise, with the four Counties of Nyeri, Kisumu, Machakos and Isiolo being the pilot sites.
This followed a commitment by the Government of Kenya to achieve UHC by 2022, with healthcare having been identified as a key developmental priority under the Big Four Agenda and the government’s main socio-economic development blueprint at the time.
The implementation of UHC, which refers to a state where individuals and communities can access quality healthcare at a cost that does not lead to financial destitution, has been beset with challenges.
However, it is significant that in the buildup to the 2022 poll, the two most popular coalitions had included UHC in their manifestos.
There is hope, yet, that UHC will be successfully implemented in Kenya following its national roll out in February 2022 by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
UHC is a function of three pillars that must work in tandem for it to be achieved: service delivery, health financing and governance.
Under the first pillar, the delivery of healthcare logistics to the health facilities where they are needed remains a challenge.
While there is a governance and financial aspect to this variable, most of it is just down to poor and unreliable means of transportation and general infrastructure.
In Kenya, at least 14 Counties that constitute 70 percent of the country’s entire landmass are classified as under-served by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA).
These counties, most of which are located away from the country’s central transport corridor, are characterized by poor roads, lack of grid electricity, low population and hostile topography.
The unfortunate result of this cocktail of factors is that life-saving healthcare logistics that include pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical devices and equipment and other supplies needed to support healthcare workers rarely reach health facilities in time and in usable state in most parts of Kenya.
The drone technology
It is these life-threatening deficiencies in the extant medical logistics delivery that firms like Zipline are working to resolve by harnessing innovative freight conveyance systems by the use of drones.
Globally, the use of autonomous drones has become a scalable and acceptable solution. The deployment of drones has seen critical goods and services move by air, within minutes of a requisition, to locations where traditional logistics would invite delays and other headwinds.
Founded in 2014, Zipline is an instant delivery service that operates a drone manufacturing and delivery system, conveying mostly medical supplies as well as non-medical products in a number of markets.
The fulfillment system of Zipline is well equipped with the state of the art warehousing facility and cold chain storage that keeps all products within the recommended standards for delivery.
It aims to create logistics solutions that serve all humanity equally by leveraging its expertise in robotics and autonomy to design, manufacture and operate an automated delivery system.
It makes deliveries of medical supplies such as vaccines, infusions, whole blood, platelets and frozen plasma, among others more sufficient and timely despite terrains.
In agriculture, it is supporting the delivery of animal genetic material like swine and bull semen and animal vaccines.
How it operates
Medical staff at a remote location place their orders with Zipline. An operator receives the order and prepares the specific medical products into a special delivery package with a parachute.
A flight operator packs the medical products into a drone and performs pre-flight checks. The drone is launched with a catapult launcher and accelerates from an hour 0 to 113 kilometers per hour in 0.33 seconds.
The drone flies autonomously to its delivery site, while a remote pilot at each distribution center monitors all drones in flight. The drone then descends to 20-35 meters before dropping the package under a parachute.
In Japan, the firm has partnered with Toyota Tsusho to deliver medical products in the country, while in India, the government announced that Zipline would deliver emergency medicine throughout the country, in a deployment that includes the building of 10 distribution centers to serve 120 million people.
Closer home, the service has improved health outcomes in Rwanda, ensuring reliable medical logistics delivery and reducing wastage due to lack of cold chain systems, a feat that saw its scope expanded to include swine semen.
In Ghana, Zipline has established its largest drone distribution center, creating a national distribution service that was critical in conveying over one million COVID-19 vaccines in several parts of the West African nation.
Apart from Ghana and Rwanda, Zipline operates in Nigeria, Japan the USA and Cote D’Ivoire, yet to be launched later this year.
On February 16, 2022, Zipline signed an MoU with the County Government of Kisumu.
The agreement gives way to the establishment and operation of a Zipline distribution hub in Kisumu County to act as the base of operations for the Zipline Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and the Zipline services capable of serving health projects and facilities across the 16 Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) Counties.
Given its success in other countries of operation, Zipline’s entry into the Kenyan market will no doubt revolutionize healthcare delivery and fast track the attainment of UHC.
The author is General Manager, Zipline Kenya