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WASHINGTON — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Tuesday that Dillard’s Inc. has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a four-year-old class-action disability discrimination lawsuit.
The EEOC said the department store chain had a “long-standing national policy and practice” requiring that all employees disclose personal and confidential medical information when asking for sick leave, which is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Issa Rae stopped by WWD's NYC headquarters to talk about season two of "Insecure," which premieres this Sunday on HBO. Click link in bio for all the details. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery; Styled by @mayteallende)
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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ST. PETERSBURG – Global automakers operating in Russia want the government to drop a planned 65% increase in vehicle-utilization fees enacted at the same time import duties were cut as the country joined the World Trade Organization.
A petition to stop the increase from taking effect Jan. 1 as scheduled has been submitted to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The government has indicated it may consider the petition and revise the fees before the end of November.
Denis Manturov, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade, says the increase taking effect Jan. 1 was made necessary by devaluation of the ruble. Automakers argue the higher fee will drive up the price of imported cars and further damage sales that have been in a 2-year tailspin.
When Russia joined the WTO in 2012 it set utilization fees of RR20,000 ($300) for cars and RR150,000 ($2,250) for trucks and buses. Revenues were earmarked for recycling cars at the end of their lifecycle and initially applied only to imports. The fees were levied on locally built cars and those built by foreign manufacturers in Russia following European Union complaints of discrimination against importers.
The government then compensated local and global producers with Russian plants with subsidies roughly equal to the amount of the fees. But when the government began discussing utilization-fee increases of 20% to 25% last spring it indicated it could not afford to continue paying out the subsidies at the same rate.
The planned 65% boost reflects continued devaluation of the ruble.
Vehicle importers and foreign automakers with Russian operations that do not receive the subsidies are among the leading critics of the fee increase. They include truck manufacturers Volvo, Scania and MAN.
A Volvo Trucks Russia spokesman notes the government has placed a moratorium on the introduction of new non-tax payments for foreign as well as domestic businesses and organizations until Jan. 1, 2019.
Ministry of Industry and Trade analysts say the utilization fee was meant to prevent imported vehicles from flooding the Russian market. But that concern has been addressed by the shrinking car market; industry figures show car imports from January through October totaled 222,800, down 53% from prior-year, while truck imports were down 76% at 11,100.

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CONWAY, Ark. (KTHV) - The Conway Police Department is searching for a man who, while trying to steal computers, assaulted two Wal-Mart store employees.
Jason Warren, 41, is wanted by police for assaulting a couple of employees at a Conway Wal-Mart on November 14. According to officials, Warren was attempting to steal computers from the store when the assault took place.
Conway police asks that if you know his whereabouts, to please contact them at (501) 450-6120.


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A new large tasting room, plenty of space for music and a large and accessible storage space for wine mark the new location of Steve’s Wine Bar on Industrial Street.
Owner Steve Severance opened the shop with his wife, Karen, in 2016. With an emphasis on affordable options, live jazz and a monthly wine club, they quickly built a following.
The layout in the original space wasn’t working, though. From the street, it would look more crowded than it was and Steve Severance said he began noticing people looking inside, then choosing to walk past the shop, especially when musicians were playing.
“The reason we started looking was the music,” he said. “We had musicians right up front and it was a cramped environment. A lot of times people would come by and want to come in, but either the musicians would be there or it would look full so they’d walk on by.”
Now, Severance hopes to change up the music schedule now that more spots like Sweetwater Grill & Tavern are having live jazz. He hopes to move to a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday schedule instead of Tuesday through Thursday, he said.
In the new space he’s also going to implement a few other new ideas. The bar has a nitrogen system to help preserve wines after they’re opened and look like they’re on tap, like a beer. He hopes to put high-end wine offerings on the system that traditionally are only sold by the bottle, from vineyards like Silver Oak Winery and Cakebread Cellars.
Visitors will be able to do 2, 4 or 6 ounce pours and eventually tasting flights, Severance said.
“I’m really interested to see how Denton will take to it because I do have challenges when I have glasses of wine available, and if anything is above $20 that’s not something people will choose,” he said. “But I think having name brand or well-known products people recognize on the keeper, I think we’ll have some fun experiences with that.”
They’re also launching a partnership with Ten:One Artisan Cheese soon to offer pre-made cheese plates, he said. Soon, construction will start on a back patio area as well.


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The sudden rise in sugar prices in Peshawar has added to the public’s woes.
According to details, the prices of sugar in Peshawar have gone up sharply due to which the prices of sweets, cakes, bakery items and other sweets have also gone up.
Sources said that the price in the retail market in Peshawar reached Rs 110 per kg.
Shopkeepers say that the price of 50 kg of sugar has gone up by more than Rs 800 in two weeks.
The shopkeepers further said that the price of the 50 kg sack was Rs. 3800 last week but today the price of the sack has gone up to Rs. 4700.


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The auction price for the Newport Beach mansion I blogged about here, and here, was $18.5 million. Here is a Wall Street Journal article on the sale.
Last month I wrote about a loan on a Florida retail property that was kicked out of a CMBS deal. The loan is being shopped again for another CMBS. (Hat tip to The CRE Review.)


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THE BIG BANGA THEORY is the next battle in People versus Wall Street.
Americans are ditching credit cards and according to a report in this morning's The New York Times holiday shopping with plastic is at a 27 year low.
Last month, president and chief executive officer of MasterCard Ajay Banga said, "I have declared war on cash. I believe MasterCard will grow by growing against cash." (Source: The Economic Times.)
Though we may thank Mr. Banga for his recent candor, the most recent battle in the war between the banks and people has been raging since at least September of 2009.
Banks and credit card companies have made aircraft carriers full of money since creating plastic as a substitute for cash in the 1950's. Plastic was sold as a "convenience" product/service at price that has always been hidden to the purchasers, but perhaps at a fair value. Prior the economic crash, credit card offers were just business, nothing personal.
Now, it's personal and it's war. Since the too-big-to-fail financial corporations destroyed the economy, the public has also learned that broad categories of the same companies' consumer products are pernicious. This has caused a degree of resentment among the American public (perhaps this is the understatement of the decade).
How's the war going? You won't find reports from the front issued by Brian Williams. After all, he works for General Electric a most profitable company in large part due to the financial products of GE Capital. GE Capital also nearly brought its parent company to its knees with its exposure to toxic derivative "assets."
So, here's the body count you won't find anywhere else and it may surprise you:
In 2008 there were 176.8 million American "general use" credit cardholders (Amex, Visa, MasterCard, Discover).
By the end of 2009, that same category of credit cardholders decreased 7.4% to 164.7 million.
Today, only about 156.7 million people are credit cardholders.
This past year 8 million Americans deserted credit cards. They are no longer cardholders; that's right they don't have a one! BTW, having 3.5 pieces of general use plastic is the average.
This is a stunning reversal for the financial services industry as cardholders grew by over 13% from 2000 through 2008. (U.S. Census Bureau).
The projections were that cardholder numbers would continue to increase by 8 million through 2009, not drop by 8 million. (U.S. Census Bureau).
By January 1, 2010 there were suppose to be 181 million American credit cardholders, now there are only about 156.7 million, a 15.3% decrease.


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Nearly 40% of Irish SMEs have not considered the benefits of smart working for their business, despite 50% of employees seeing a smart working policy as a top priority in future employment decisions. That’s according to a new report – The Future of Business: A Conversation with SMEs – published by Vodafone Ireland. The study engaged nearly 600 SME business owners, industry representatives and employees about their current experiences and aspirations across business growth & investment and their views on smart working. It reveals that only 9% of Irish SME’s believe they are fully embracing smart working with 60% of employees and 34% of employers believing company culture to be the biggest barrier to adopting flexible work practices.
The report, which is the first part of a series of research and engagement exercises by Vodafone Ireland, called Open Conversations, also reveals significant optimism amongst Irish SMEs, with over 50% very confident about the future and 90% predicting growth between now and 2021. This optimism was shared by employees, with 60% confident about the future prospects of their company. There are some concerns expressed however, with nearly seven in 10 (68%) seeing barriers to growth, with 46% citing Brexit.
Regarding future investment plans, 60% of SME business owners surveyed confirmed that they plan to invest in their business within the next 12 months; with the majority (71%) being spent on staff attraction and retention, followed by sales (64%) and technology & digital tools (57%). In fact, 69% of small firms plan to increase technology investment within the next 1-5 years, higher again for medium sized firms, who are also most likely to invest upwards of €50,000.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Director of Enterprise at Vodafone Ireland, Regina Moran said: “The sentiment of this research offers SME employers extremely valuable insights into the future of the workplace in Ireland – particularly as many companies are struggling to not only attract staff, but retain their existing staff. What is evident is that employee expectations have changed and that businesses in Ireland need to accommodate that change.
“With more than 95% of Ireland’s business economy made up of SMEs, it’s never been more important for Irish businesses to talk to each other and it is vital for us to understand the sector to serve it better, help businesses realise their connected ambition and contribute to their future sustainability. We see connectivity and technology at the core of enabling Irish businesses to flourish, and want to understand businesses so we can develop technology that helps achieve this goal. Vodafone is committed to championing the digital potential of communities all over Ireland, ensuring equal benefit for all businesses in society.”
The study shows the untapped potential of smart working – the combined use of technology with flexibility and agility for employees to work from home or co-working hub or hybrid model – in attracting and retaining talent. One in three (33%) employees see it as top priority in their current role, 50% in a future job and 34% likely or very likely to move job for it.
Commenting on the findings from the report, Vanessa Tierney, Co-founder of Abodoo.com said: “Companies undoubtedly understand the numerous benefits of smart working for their employees but are often challenged to see the positive impact it has to their bottom line. Company benefits include reduced overhead costs, increased employee productivity, retention and well-being, and unlimited access to new talent pools by focusing on skills rather than location. Companies of all sizes need to consider smart working in order to remain competitive and future proof the growth of their business.”
Sven Spollen-Behrens from the Small Firms Association said: “The economy is growing and so is Ireland’s vital SME sector. However, we need to take measures to protect this growth. Whilst we are seeing confidence among our members we also see concerns around our competitiveness especially in light of Brexit. Challenges like attracting and retaining talent, the increasing cost of doing business in Ireland and a tax system that puts smaller businesses at a disadvantage need to be addressed.”
Additional content is available by searching #FutureOfSMEs


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Last week charity bins located on Main Street between West 36th and West 37th avenues were surrounded by junk, including a discarded mattress and box spring and dozens of used books scattered below a blue "Books for Charity" bin, one of many located across the city.
What many donors may not know is that about a quarter of the books donated end up for sale on American online retail sites such as Amazon, eBay, Alibris and Barnes & Noble, with profits going to Thrift Recycling Management, a for-profit company based in Tacoma, Wash. Another 25 per cent of the books, such as old textbooks and encyclopedias, are pulped, while in B.C., the remainder are donated to needy libraries and literacy programs through the Reading Tree, the non-profit arm of Thrift Recycling Management.
The lack of clarity in the manner Thrift Recycling Management handles its donations has come under fire in the State of Oregon. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, the Oregon Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the company's business practices. The Courier contacted the provincial Ministry of Finance to enquire if any similar investigation is ongoing in B.C., but no one returned phone calls.
The Courier also called Thrift Recycling Management. That call was returned by Denise Finch, a local programmer for the Reading Tree, who explained most of the usable children's books donated are used to supply libraries in elementary schools serving low-income populations across B.C. Finch added Reading Tree also supports after-school programs in B.C. such as Boys and Girls Clubs. A percentage of the adult fiction books are donated to the B.C. Cancer Foundation, which sells them for $2 each to raise money. "Rather than dump these books in the landfill, they're recycled," said Finch, who added some of the profit from the books sold online is used to pay for that recycling, whether through a library donation or pulping.
Colleen Dickie, the community schools coordinator for the Vancouver School Board, described the Reading Tree as "very generous."
She explained the Reading Tree often provides books for classrooms that typically would have no books. "And at the end of the year those books go home with the children," said Dickie. "Sometimes the books are just given out to families, because it's nice for them to have their own books."
Dickie said donated books were used at Champlain Heights elementary school to create a small lending library for a literacy program that meets early in the morning, before the school's library is open. "It's a wonderful organization," said Dickie.
A story in Wednesday's Courier explored the fact much of the clothing donated to charity bins across the city ends up at a Value Village warehouse where its sorted for sale, either at a Value Village retail store or for rags.
The for-profit corporation Savers Inc., based in Bellevue, Wash., owns the Value Village thrift-store chain. Charities are paid by the pound for donated goods. B.C. Children's Hospital and the Salvation Army are two exceptions to that practice. Savers spokesperson Sara Gaugl told the Courier in 2010 the company donated $144 million to charities across North America from the bin program. The charities, such as Big Brothers and the Developmental Disability Association are responsible for the boxes and use their own drivers to pick up the donated goods.


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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is reinstating pre-pandemic operational hours of service at 39 land and three air ports of entry (POE). This includes the seasonal re-opening of the Chief Mountain POE and the re-opening of the Bloomfield POE following infrastructure work. This announcement will help facilitate travel across Canada at land and air ports of entry. Impacted POEs by province:
On March 28, 2023, the Minister of Finance tabled Budget 2023, which included a proposed amendment to the Excise Act, 2001. Consequently, the annual adjustment to the rates of excise duty on spirits and wine, which is usually based on changes to the Consumer Price Index, would instead be based on a lower rate.
As a result, the proposed adjusted rates of excise duty on spirits and wine effective April 1, 2023, are:
Effective April 1, 2023, the Canada Revenue Agency will allow licensees to report and remit excise duty on spirits and wine at the lower rates. However, licensees that choose to pay the duty in accordance with the proposed new rates as of this date will be required to pay the difference in applicable duty should the enabling legislation not be enacted by Parliament.
China has launched an investigation into Taiwan’s import restrictions on a total of 2,455 products from the mainland, including chemicals and textiles. The “trade barrier investigation” was launched on 12 April and will initially last six months, in response to a petition by three China-based trade groups into these trade barriers imposed by Taiwan, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC). The probe on what it calls as “Taiwan’s trade restrictive measures against the mainland” could be extended by another three months to 12 January 2024 if “exceptional circumstances arise”, the ministry said.
The China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Textiles, the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals & Chemicals Importers & Exporters and the China Chamber of Commerce of the Import & Export of Foodstuffs have requested the probe.
On March 7,2023, China customs issued on the abolition of the three rules, including the ”Measures of the Customs of the People's Republic of China for export processing zone goods out of the area for carry-forward processing ", "Measures for the Examination and Approval of the Customs of the People's Republic of China on Examination and Administration of Free Gifts by Foreign Governments and International Organizations and China's Implementation of Tax Reduction or Exemption of Import Materials stipulated in International treaties "and" Measures for Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Solid Waste that Can be used as Raw Materials ", effective from March 7,2023.
On March 8, 2023, China Customs issued the announcement on the examination and confirmation of foreign governments and international organizations and China's implementation of the examination and confirmation of tax reduction and exemption of imported materials stipulated in international treaties, which clarified the scope and policies of tax reduction and exemption, application materials and procedures for tax reduction and exemption of free imported materials, effective immediately.
Timor-Leste took a major step closer to WTO accession. The EU and Timor-Leste signed a deal concluding their bilateral market access negotiations on services and goods as part of Timor-Leste’s accession process to the World Trade Organization. The EU is a major supporter of Timor-Leste’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is expected to make a lasting contribution to Timor-Leste’s economic reform and sustainable development. For the EU, the WTO remains at the heart of the multilateral trading system that underpins open and fair trade, and its expansion is to the benefit of all members.
As part of the accession process, WTO accession candidates need to sign bilateral deals with interested WTO members that include both agriculture and tariffs on non-agricultural products, and also cover several service sectors. The commitments undertaken in these bilateral deals will apply to all WTO Members once the candidate’s accession is final.
The bilateral EU-Timor-Leste deal provides for lower tariffs for goods and for opening up services markets once Timor-Leste joins the WTO. These commitments will then be embodied in the future Protocol of Accession of Timor-Leste to the WTO. The European Union also recently signed an agreement with the government in Timor-Leste to support the country in the WTO, ASEAN and Pacific interim EPA accession negotiations. This action under the 11th European Development Fund (period 2014 – 2020) will benefit Timor-Leste in the next three years.
India customs authority has amended notification 8/2020-Customs, dated 02.02.2020 to continue/provide health cess exemption on import of goods for use in the manufacture of X-ray machines. The following goods for use in the manufacture of X-ray machines (heading 9022 14 20 or 9022 14 90), namely:-(a)Static User Interface (9018 90 99);(b)X-Ray Diagnostic Table (9022 90 40);(c)Vertical Bucky (9022 90 90);(d)X-Ray Tube Suspension (9022 90 90);(e)High Frequency X-Ray Generator (>25KHz, <500 mA) (9022 14 10);(f)X-Ray Grid (9022 90 90);(g)Multi Leaf Collimator/ Iris (9022 29 00 or 9022 90 90)(h)Medical Grade Monitor (8528 59 00);(i)Flat Panel Detector, including Scintillators (9022 90 90);(j)X-ray Tube (9022 30 00).
On 31 March, OECD countries reached an agreement in principle on an EU initiative to modernise export credit rules to better support the green transition. The deal to update the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits will provide streamlined terms and conditions so that government-backed export finance can better meet the needs of exporters in an increasingly competitive landscape, while avoiding market distortions. At the same time, the outcome widens the scope of green and climate-friendly transactions benefitting from extra incentives in the form of more flexible financial terms and conditions.
The agreement foresees an expansion of the scope of green or climate-friendly projects eligible for longer repayment terms (i.e. eligible under the 'Climate Change Sector Understanding' or CCSU). These would include projects related to environmentally sustainable energy production; CO2 capture, storage, and transportation; transmission, distribution and storage of energy; clean hydrogen and ammonia; low emissions manufacturing; zero and low-emission transport; and clean energy minerals and ores.
On March 30, CBP announced it will delay implementation of new requirements for reporting the countries of smelt and cast for imports of aluminum and aluminum derivative products to allow additional time to update their software programming and systems to comply with the new reporting requirements.
The requirements had been set to take effect on April 10, 2023. They will now be implemented a month later, on May 10, 2023. The CBP said there is no change to the April 10, 2023 effective date of the 200 percent duties on imports of aluminum and derivative aluminum articles that are products of Russia or products “where any amount of primary aluminum used in the manufacture of such aluminum articles is smelted in Russia, or where such aluminum articles are cast in Russia.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it would update hours of operations at two ports of entry (POE) in Vermont, North Troy and West Berkshire. Both POEs will open at 8:00 am on April 15, 2023, and will then operate 24 hours, 7 days a week, aligning with adjacent Canada Border Services Agency ports. For several years, CBP has documented a reduction in privately-owned vehicle and pedestrian traffic at some POEs along its northern border. As part of CBP’s obligation to use its resources responsibly, it regularly evaluates workload, staffing, operating costs, and traffic volumes to align operating hours that reflect traffic patterns and place employees where they can be most useful.
CBP is sensitive to the concerns raised by local communities regarding reduced hours of operation. It is working closely with its partners to discuss the operational details surrounding changes to port hours and is in close coordination with local governmental officials and congressional stakeholders. CBP continues to work with CBSA to address shared concerns along the northern border and will continue to evaluate traffic volumes and other relevant data points when making decisions related to hours of operation and staffing. These efforts enable CBP to better align staffing during peak hours, allowing CBP to better serve the public and complete its border security mission.


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New Event Reveals The Secrets To Online Webinar Marketing
Steven Essa is an experienced online and webinar marketer and, as Director of Big Fat Marketing has helped hundreds of Australians realize their dreams of leaving their ‘day jobs’ and establishing an income online (www.thewebinarseminar.com).
Now he’s sharing his online webinar success secrets with a never before held event called www.thewebinarseminar.com where leading internet and online marketing experts will gather to share their secrets.
“Whether people are just starting out on the internet or have an established internet business, harnessing the power of webinars as part of their internet marketing can be the difference between their site being massively successful or being another ‘also ran’ on the world wide web.” Explained Steven in the lead up to the event www.thewebinarseminar.com
During the two day events scheduled to run right across Australia and New Zealand Steven Essa and his team of experienced and profitable internet marketers will reveal the secrets to making money online and lift the covers on the techniques and secrets they themselves use everyday to make massive amounts of money online.
“By the end of the two days, participants will walk away with an action plan they can put into use immediately in their online business which will drive traffic and increase their conversions,” says Steven in the lead up to the event www.thewebinarseminar.com
And to prove just how easy it is... Steven will do a webinar live from the stage, broadcast across the world. The audience will witness how to set up, run and profit from webinars in real time.
Whether people are just starting out on the internet or have an established online or offline business, Steven and his team of world leading experts will reveal how to get publicity for your business online and offline, how to advertise your products online for cents in a dollar, how to get free traffic and leads from Facebook, how to outsource your internet marketing needs for $200 per month or less, and how to create and manage your website the fast and easy way.
For more information please visit www.thewebinarseminar.com
- Contact Information
- Steven Essa
- Webinar Expert
- The Webinar Seminar
- Contact via E-mail
This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


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National Geographic Expeditions and the French luxury cruise line Ponant have announced a new range of co-branded, luxury expedition cruises on small ships and Cape Town will be among the 130 cruise […]
Voyages to Antiquity, the British cruise line with a laser sharp focus on ancient history, will be cruising from Cape Town to Malaga in Spain on March 13th, 2019.
Cunard Line’s art deco cruise ship Queen Elizabeth to receive a major refurbishment this coming November before her annual Cape Town cruise departures in 2019, according to reports by Cruise Critic.
Crystal Cruises’ luxury cruise ship Crystal Serenity will use Cape Town as a key turnaround port on its 2019 World Cruise, offering a 26-night cruise from Cape Town to Monaco on March […]
Seabourn Cruise Line will be returning its luxury liner Seabourn Sojourn to South Africa in 2019, with two Cape Town cruise departures planned, one of which will be a roundtrip from Cape […]
The initial renderings of the new Durban Cruise Terminal have changed significantly, and new detailed designs are being drawn up this year, according to Gianluca Suprani, MSC Cruises head of global port […]
Regent Seven Seas is a luxury cruise line that regularly offers a Cape Town cruise departure. The 2018 and 2019 Cape Town cruises will be offered by Seven Seas Explorer, the line’s brand-new ship.
Seabourn Cruise Line has released details of Sojourn’s 2020 World Cruise, a 146-night voyage from Miami to San Francisco that will once more make use of Cape Town as a key turnaround […]
The premium cruise line Oceania will be cruising twice from Cape Town in 2019, with its mid-size cruise ship Nautica.
Germany’s luxury cruise line Hapag-Lloyd will be cruising from Cape Town twice during the 2018/2019 South African season, with one cruise featuring no port calls whatsoever.


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It’s easy to take a thing like the internet (and for that matter – computers) for granted nowadays, I think. Although, without them, I probably wouldn’t have this job which I love so dearly.
In the same respect, the things our generation takes for granted now should be completely alien to those which are entering our world for the first time. Yet, they are not. Remarkably, toddlers as young as two and three-years are showing signs of instinctively knowing how to use some of this technology.
No manual. No instructions. Just an instinct.
This is remarkable — and it’s even more remarkable when you consider that magazines (and books) to a person born of the future will likely be those found on some form of digital display — an interactive experience where they themselves can get involved.
Although we don’t see it now, print media is on the way out, set to be replaced by something fundamentally different. An idea which is further powered by devices such as Apple’s iPad – and the many other tablet and mobile devices our lives today are now saturated with.
In a fascinating new report, The Wall Street Journal studies how devices such as the iPad affect a toddler’s brain. At first, this may seem slightly weird. At a fundamental level we’re all wired the same, right? — However, in order to understand how those coming into this world perceive such new offerings, brain analysis is perhaps the only close to “sure-fire” way this can be achieved.
The study found that more than half of all young children living in the United States alone have access to a tablet device — more specifically, the Apple iPad — (which currently holds the majority share of the tablet market).
This was compared to that of the television, for which even more young children are said to be subjected to on a daily basis, yet these children were also found to “look away from a TV screen [roughly] 150 times an hour.”
Compare this to an application designed for iPad, Daniel Anderson, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts says, and you get an entirely different engagement rate from the toddler.
In many ways, the average toddler using an iPad is a guinea pig. While the iPad went on sale two years ago, rigorous, scientific studies of how such a device affects the development of young children typically take three to five years.
The report does note, however, that there is “little research on the impact of technology like this on kids.” That said, because the toddler is still developing, devices such as the a mouse or phyiscal keyboard are considered more complex than the power of technologies such as the multi-touch display.
“Unfortunately a lot of the real-life experimentation is going to be done by parents who now have young kids,” says Glenda Revelle, associate professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Arkansas.
In this regard, parents who share devices such as the iPad with their toddlers at an earlier age – (for example, around ages 2,3 or 4), may find they are better engaged than if they were to share the technology with their toddler in later life.
The brain develops quickest during the first few years of a child’s life. At birth, the human brain has formed about 2,500 synapses—the connections that allow the brain to pass along signals—per brain cell. That number grows to about 15,000 per brain cell by age 3. In later years, the number decreases” the WSJ writes.


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Kellogg’s Splitting Into 3 Companies & Leaving Battle Creek
This is the kind of news that has thousands of people wondering what the future of Kellogg's and Battle Creek will be. The company announce June 21st that they plan on moving their corporate headquarters from Battle Creek to Chicago by the end of 2023. On top of that, the announcement made on their website also states that since their focus as a company is on cereal, plant based foods and snacks, each of those foods will be represented by their own individual company. The names, pending finalization, are currently being called Global Snacking Co., North American Cereal Co., & Plant Co.
The newly announced North America Cereal Co. and Plant Co. will both have headquarters in Battle Creek, however, Global Snacking Co. will have sites in Battle Creek and Chicago, which is where the corporate headquarters will be
Kellogg is taking bold next steps on its portfolio transformation journey by announcing its plan to separate its North American cereal and plant-based foods businesses, resulting in three independent public companies, each better positioned to unlock their full standalone potential. These actions will provide employees with new opportunities for growth and development, building on the K values and incredible corporate culture that exists at Kellogg Company today.
In a video on their website, Steve Cahillane, Kellogg Company Chairman & CEO expressed how this change will be crucial for anyone with stock in the company:
I believe all of our stakeholders will benefit significantly from the opportunities that will be created from these bold next steps from our transformation.
The good news we can take away from this is at least there will still be presence in Battle Creek even with the new company calling Chicago their new home. Time will tell what and how all of this will affect the city, so we'll have to wait and see.


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The two area locations of Bellini’s Italian Eatery will celebrating their 10th anniversary with a celebration all this month, highlighted by $10 daily deals, a wine-and-food tasting and and a Birthday Cake “Blow-Out” on April 22.
Details after the jump.
$10 Daily Deals:
- Sunday: $10 Large four-cheese to-go pizza.
- Monday: $10 Bellini’s signature chicken Parmigiana.
- Tuesday: $10 Lunch for two.
- Wednesday: $10 bottle of wine.
- Thursday: Two “Bellini-tinis” for $10.
- Friday: Every Friday in April, 10 percent of Bellini’s sales will be donated to the local chapters of the Autism Society of America supporting National Autism Awareness Month.
- Saturday: Each Table will receive a $10 bonus card valid May 1 to June 30.
April 22, Birthday Cake “Blow Out”: Every table during lunch or dinner will receive a complimentary slice of torta di Nocciola and help Bellini’s blow out birthday candles.
April 25, Spring Whites & Bellini’s Delights: Cocktail-style wine-tasting event in at the Clifton Park location. $45 per person, including tax and tip. Details and menu here.
The original Bellini’s, in Slingerlands (439-6022), opened in 2002, followed by the Clifton Park location (348-2090) in 2005 and a third in New Windsor, Conn., in 2008.
Bellini’s sibling restaurants in the Marello Restaurant Group, Jacob & Anthony’s American Grille in Saratoga Springs and J&A Prep Kitchen at Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, are offering a $10 burger-and-beer special through April 30.


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Thanks to Covid-19, the mantra for 2020 has got to be "quarantine and chill." Good thing Netflix is here to "entertain people all over the world," as the company's cofounder Reed Hastings explained at this year's WIRED25. Sating the global entertainment palate, though, requires an undying spirit of invention as well as narratives that span both the US and abroad. Netflix's secret, according to Hasting's new book No Rules Rules, is that it values its workers over its work process. It's this employee-centric attitude that allows a startup to maintain a culture of innovation as it grows from, say, a 30-person rent-by-mail DVD provider into the world's largest streaming service, with a film production arm that rivals Hollywood's Big Six.
Sep-16-2020, 21:47:00 GMT


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Akquasun has begun a new chapter in the growth of the company as Expolanka recently became a co-shareholder of the company. Expolanka is renowned globally for their customer service excellence, high business ethics and a well-trained and committed workforce. The synergy of Expolanka with Akquasun has brought a clear vision and enhanced investment, elevating Akquasun’s global positioning.
With its initial roots in South East Asia, India has emerged to occupy top share of the market, with Akquasun expanding to cater to global giants such as China, Russia and the Middle East through its network of offices worldwide.
The Akquasun Group strides forward with greater impetus in a growing industry with a mission to be the experts in global destination management. By utilizing technology for continued growth and improving connectivity between agents and suppliers, Akquasun looks to the future by exploring new areas and innovative processes. The expertise of the well trained and friendly staff allows the group to offer seamless solutions for businesses catering to the tourism industry.


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THE 36TH ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS, Premieres this Friday, September…
Apply HERE by October 23rd
WASHINGTON, D.C. – TikTok and The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) are teaming up again for another round of Creciendo con TikTok (Growing with TikTok) program in support of Latino small businesses across the United States. Creciendo con TikTok is a $200,000 grant fund that will provide cash awards of $5,000 to 40 Latinx small business owners who have demonstrated perseverance, resourcefulness, hard work, and entrepreneurial vision in their communities.
“150 million Americans and 5 million businesses use TikTok to create a real world positive impact, from spotlighting local restaurants and raising money for local causes to kickstarting the latest trends in art and music. We’re proud to partner with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to support the Latino community through our small business grant program and local events aimed at empowering the community.” – Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing.
In addition to the grant, TikTok and HHF’s partnership will include:
- Hosting virtual and in-person workshops and networking activities across multiple cities
- Releasing research on SMB-related topics
- Supporting a youth-based entrepreneurship program
- And, executing a coding program called Code as a Second Language (CSL), which will introduce computer programming and provide tech career paths to Latinos.
“TikTok creates a unique space for Latino business owners and creators to start, grow and thrive and have a positive impact on their communities as well as the United States through entrepreneurship. HHF and TikTok share a joint mission to promote cultural pride and economic opportunities for Latino entrepreneurs and leaders from the established to our youth – it’s about growth.” – Antonio Tijerino, Hispanic Heritage Foundation President and CEO.
Latino communities across the US have experienced the positive real world impact of TikTok. For example, small businesses turn to TikTok to share their world in a fun authentic way, and as a result, they are reaching new customers, hiring more employees and growing their business. TikTok is also where people discover and support small businesses, with 44% of TikTok users say that they discovered something on the platform and immediately went out to buy it, according to this Global Retail Path To Purchase Study.
“The TikTok community has had a huge impact on our story since our very first video. Our first video hit over 400k views and that is when messages, comments started pouring in from others about how they loved the Pinole Blue story because they could see the quality of our products and the passion behind it.” – Eddie Sandoval, Founder and CEO of Pinole Blue.
To apply for #CreciendoconTikTok, please click here. The deadline for applications is October 23, 2023.
About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
HHF is a national, nonprofit organization focused on education, workforce, social impact and culture through the lens of leadership. For more information, visit www.hispanicheritage.org and follow HHF on TikTok at @HispanicHeritage
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok’s global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and its offices include New York, Austin, Toronto, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
TikTok: Felicia Melvin, Corporate Communications Manager (firstname.lastname@example.org)
HHF: Nicolás Peña, Communications and Programs Specialist (email@example.com)


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Delhi’s The Claridges has begun to prepare for the forthcoming World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Ceremony ahead of what is expected to be the most keenly fought competition ever.
The event - the most important night of the year for Asia and Australasia’s tourism industry - will demonstrate just why the region is experiencing unprecedented uplift, despite of the challenging global economic environment.
WTA founder Graham Cooke said the event – to take place on October 14th - is a brilliant barometer of the region’s phenomenal success.
He added: “International tourism is slowly gaining momentum after extremely difficult times last year. What is remarkable though is that according to the latest official figures, Asia and the Pacific is leading the world.
“The region was up an incredible ten per cent in the first two months of the year, an indication of the industry’s resourcefulness, drive and determination to succeed.
“World Travel Awards was established 17 years ago to drive up standards of customer service and overall performance and this year’s winners will be an excellent business model for others to follow.
“The hotel is an ideal venue for such an event, combining both a business and luxury resort in one.”
Travel Industry Oscars
Viewed as the ultimate achievement for any Asian or Australasian company, more than 80 travel brands are competing to be the best at the World Travel Awards.
Winners of the regional ceremony will then go on to compete in World Travel Awards 2010 Grand Final in London on Sunday November 7th, immediately before World Travel Market.
Peter Leitgeb, president of The Claridges Hotels & Resorts, added: “It is our privilege to be chosen as the venue for the first ever World Travel Awards to be held in India.
“Today, India is on everyone’s radar. It is reiterated by the number of visitors the hotels are seeing in this part of the world. Such volume is practically unheard of anywhere else.
“In keeping with the buoyant economy The Claridges Hotels & Resorts too has seen significant growth in occupancy and revenue over the years.
“Choosing New Delhi as the destination for World Travel Award Asia and Australasia further reinforces India as ‘the’ destination which no one can today overlook.”
In addition to the honour, prestige and global exposure of winning one of the awards, covering every sector of travel and tourism, World Travel Award winners enjoy considerable commercial benefits too.
Consumers, seeking peace of mind, are increasingly using the winners list as a reliable resource when choosing a holiday.
Online voting is now underway and nominees are campaigning hard with agents and industry executives to win support.
Log on to the website and click on the Vote button to participate.


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Motorola was technically the first company to offer a 5G phone, but it wasn’t actually a new phone. Its 5G Moto Mod on Verizon added 5G capability to the Moto Z3 earlier this year, and it later expanded to the newer Moto Z4. Now, Motorola and Verizon have expanded 5G Mod support in the other direction, all the way back to the Moto Z2 Force.
Google’s Wear OS platform has been lacking in compelling wearable hardware recently, but a new offering from Misfit might pique your curiosity. The Fossil sub-brand has just announced its third Android-powered smartwatch, the Misfit Vapor X.
Previously known only as Hongmeng, HarmonyOS uses a completely new microkernel that is more dynamic and customizable than Linux. Huawei sees HarmonyOS as the future of wearables, IoT, laptops, and yes, smartphones.
5G band support is shaping up to be a complete mess with some carriers supporting one type of 5G and others using frequencies that barely exist on their networks.
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(Parts Of) The Surf Industry Relish In Pandemic Boom
Boards and wetsuit sales skyrocket while the apparel industry languishes.
(Author’s Caveat: This article is mostly relevant to Australia)
Since March, when the pandemic’s wrath was truly felt, unemployment has skyrocketed, businesses have shuttered, and economic realities and outlooks have been grim. In the apparel portion of the surf industry, jobs were lost, production slowed, and concerns about the industry’s future were fast-tracked as fiscal conservatism struck the minds of those who frequently buy new threads from their favourite surf brand.
Volcom, Rip Curl, O’Neill’s clothing licensee, and Quiksilver quickly made large numbers of staff redundant, with employees in other companies facing similar job prospects.
The same however wasn’t true for the more essential side of the surf industry: board and wetsuit manufacturers. Particularly in countries like Australia, where Keynesian economic principles were adopted by the government to curb unemployment rates and defibrillate a quickly flatlining economy. The JobSeeker rate (in layman’s terms, the dole) was doubled, and companies were provided with $1500 per employee a fortnight to pay staff who would otherwise be let go.
With watering holes closed and eat-in avocado toast hot spots confined to takeaway, some surfers may have even found themselves in better financial positions than when the pandemic began. Either way, board manufacturers and the more essential parts of the industry (the ones who make the stuff you need to surf) have seen an unprecedented uptick in sales since March.
“Surfboards in the seven-to-nine-feet category skyrocketed by 3,665 percent, compared with the same period last year.” The ABC reported based on a review from Keith Curtain who specialises in ‘action sports’ economies. “Those figures suggest everyone burst onto the market, used their JobKeeper, and bought themselves a new board.” Keith himself said.
These past few months, the growth in sales has abated – now 116% compared to last year’s winter – but it appears to be one of the only industries seeing sales increase amidst the pandemic.
While many already-established surfers may have bought a new addition to the quiver or finally replaced their hole-ridden wetsuit, many in the industry suspect that first-timers and beginners are the ones driving the unexpected sales these past few months.
Damien Goss from On Board Industries told ABC News he expected a large drop off in sales as New South Wales experienced the first wave of coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns. “Then we had the weekend that you might do the weekend before Christmas; it was huge.
“We had people coming in who had lived in Byron Bay for 15 years and never gone surfing.”
An anecdote which makes sense when you consider the category with the biggest growth – seven to nine feet. Yeah, maybe a few big wave bruisers renewed their step-ups, but the majority of those boards were mid-lengths, longboards, and a number of foamies.
“Honestly with the pandemic, it’s the busiest I’ve been.” Coby Perkovich told Stab. “I have the same returning customers, but of late I’ve been getting DM’s about shipping boards to places around Oz. Then I’ve been pushing it [on social media] too which helps.”
Surfing was one of the few activities that wasn’t (for the most part in Australia, and on-and-off in the US) ruled out during strict lockdowns in late March and April. While I myself, along with many others, questioned whether surfing was a reasonable activity to do in well-populated areas (particularly if you were travelling large distances to do it), it was mostly sweet.
Much like bike stores were backlogged with orders from new cyclists, board manufacturers (e.g., JS Industries, Haydenshapes) were dishing out wait times in months rather than weeks.
“There has been a solid increase in demand across all genres of boards.” Hayden Cox of Haydenshapes told Stab. “We’ve seen that in both Australia and the USA, although it may only be a short term spike that will return to normal.
“It’s been unpredictable, but the good news is that we’ve employed more Australian manufacturing staff in the past three weeks to keep up with demand. We’ve also increased staff in the US on the customer service side.”
These impacts weren’t just felt in the shaping bay either. Wetsuit sales, at least for some brands, also reach their peaks. Ryan Mattick, owner of Zion wetsuits, told Stab he’d never sold as many suits as quickly as he did in late March and April. With other wetsuit co’s seeing increases in sales during that period. In addition, I’m sure most surfers would agree that their sessions have been more crowded of late, particularly on weekdays when most would be grinding away at work.
This so-called ‘boom’ hasn’t been passed onto brick and mortar retailers, or the industry at large, but within Australia, board and wetsuit manufacturers have experienced a surprising boost when the rest of the financial world has been counting their pennies and cutting costs to stay afloat.
Davo’s Death Strikes At Surfing’s Core
The underground icon battled demons til the end. His untimely demise is yet another cautionary…
Introducing A Brand New Travel Series (With A Familiar Name)
Watch the first New York episode of Stab & Red Bull's No Contest Off Tour.
Leandro Dora: Pro Surfer, Businessman, Punk Rock Festival Organizer, Spiritual Mentor, And World Title Winning Surf Coach
Meet one of the most beloved and effective individuals in the athlete's zone.
Long Read: An Angel At My Table
From Stab Issue 15, October 2006: Chris Davidson has one more shot at the big…
Watch: Kalani David’s Last Dance
A final surf part from the Hawaiian surf/skate prodigy.
Taylor Steele Won’t Let Surf Filmmaking Die Without a Fight
Movies shown, filmmaking advice, punk rock at the 2022 Solento Surf Festival.
Wait, Are We Going To See Moana Jones In The Olympics At Teahupo’o?
Team USA (women) and Japan (men) should be able to choose anyone they want to…
Donald Brink and Matt Biolos Win Mick Fanning’s Electric Acid Surfboard Test
And we had a party in Oceanside to celebrate.
Kanoa Igarashi and Kirra Pinkerton Answer Call Of Duty, Win Medals Of Honor In 2022 ISA World Games
Teams Japan, USA, and France move into Victor’s Village.
The Best Euro Surf Trips That Mightn’t Be On Your Radar
Want to know which less-trodden nation offers the most potential?
Former CT Surfer Chris Davidson Passes Away At Age 45
A radical life tragically ends outside a bar in New South Wales.
The Team Ukraine Interview
“There are mines near the shore, and already a lot of people have died…so it’s…
Mormaii Founder Raided By Brazilian Feds On Suspicion Of Plotting Against Democracy
Curiously, he's the second surf brand founder to become entangled in a political scandal of…
The Electric Acid Surfboard Test With Mick Fanning, Episode 4
There are three boards left. Which one is Mick taking home?


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A crackdown on practices by firms which lead to people wasting their money begins today.
The moves follow concerns that many people only "skim read" lengthy terms and conditions published by companies such as Amazon and Netflix.
The Chancellor highlighted that issues arise when people fall into a subscription trap by inadvertently signing up for an automatic free trial after it has ended.
He told the House of Commons that companies would be told to “simplify Ts and Cs” and consumer bodies would be given “greater powers”.
The Government plans to develop options to stop people paying unexpected automatic fees for unwanted subscriptions – ensuring that consumers are alerted in good time when a payment is about to be taken.
Citizens Advice estimates that two million consumers each year have problems cancelling subscriptions.
Research last year revealed that more than 42% of Brits are paying for at least one subscription they do not use, such as gym memberships, credit reports, TV streaming services and music streaming plans.
Ways of making small print shorter and clearer to customers will also be examined.
The Government will allow consumer enforcement bodies such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to ask civil courts to order fines against companies, including those in unregulated markets, which breach consumer law.
It believes this will also act as a deterrent to discourage firms from mistreating consumers.


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Merry Christmas indeed, the holiday is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the holidays than receiving gifts? Free games as gifts that’s how! And speaking of free games, it seems that Microsoft is joining in, in the spirit of giving so rejoice Xbox owners and pay attention. According to an article in the Zero Review, below is a lineup of Games with Gold that Microsoft is oh so kindly giving out for free this December.
I don’t know about you guys but personally, I’d be pretty darn excited for December to come with these giveaways.


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Segway Announces The Most Understated Merger Ever
from the so-yeah-we-were-acquired-by-somebody-some-time-ago dept
Considering the amount of hype and buzz that came about when Dean Kamen’s Segway was first introduced, it seems like the company is going for the exact opposite in discussing its recent merger with a UK company. The company didn’t even mention it for nearly a month, and only said something once rumors started spreading, and then the blog post they put up about it gives very little in the way of detail. They don’t even mention the company’s name:
Segway Inc. is pleased to announce that in connection with a merger that occurred on December 24, 2009, Segway was acquired by a company that is based in the United Kingdom. The acquiring company is backed by Jimi Heselden, a prominent U.K. businessman and the Chairman of Hesco Bastion. Mr. Heselden is also an investor in the independently owned Segway U.K. distributorship.
The company also got some funding (and lost its latest in a long, long, long line of CEOs), but in an interview with the local paper, Dean Kamen admits that he doesn’t even know who the new investor is.


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Airlines wary of pilfering passengers
I just read about a passenger who decided to give something to an airline besides a piece of his mind. According to an article from the China Post, 10 years ago, he slipped a blanket, a cup and a set of silverware into his carry-on on a Cathay Pacific aircraft. He carried it off without a hitch. A few months ago, he returned the goods along with an interest payment of about $30. While he might be the first passenger to ever return the loot, he isn't the first passenger to give new meaning to the term, "lift off."
During the 1960s and 1970s, some passengers managed to pocket entire sets of china and silver from the first-class cabin.
"Blame the trend on hotel soaps," said my old flying partner. Here's why.
Hotel guests started small by packing away tiny bottles of soap and shampoo. Ashtrays, pens and pencils soon followed. Soon towels and bathrobes became fair game. And now reports show a few guests helping themselves to televisions, radios and even mini bars. So it's no wonder a similar trend began to fly with some air travelers.
Several years ago, on a flight from St. Louis to Seattle, I had a first-class passenger (I mean that only as a seat designation) ask to keep a silver spoon. When I told her we weren't in the souvenir business, she snapped, "Next time I'll just take it!"
And many of them did. Most flight attendants will tell you they've had passengers brag about their full sets of first-class china and silver that they have stowed in their cabinets at home. Today you can purchase some of those sets on eBay. Recently I saw a four-piece set of TWA Royal Ambassador china going for $50 and a teaspoon could be yours for $10.
Disappearing silver serving sets and other airline memorabilia cost the airlines millions of dollars. They solved this problem by virtually eliminating anything of value from the aircraft. Blankets and pillows have become endangered species. And plastic ware has replaced silverware. Pilfering a 3-ounce bag of pretzels or a paper napkin just isn't the same. So the souvenir hounds went after bigger game.
During the 1980s and 1990s, emergency equipment became a fashion statement on many Caribbean beaches. When the flight attendants announced inflatable life vests were located under your seat, college students listened. Orange became the new red. Seat belts started holding up pants. And fire extinguishers became drink dispensers. And this problem still exists today.
Airline seat belts go for around $15 and life vests are priced at around $50 online. For the airlines, emergency equipment is expensive to replace and is a no-go item, which can cause lengthy delays. It will be interesting to see if the disappearance of emergency equipment like life vests continues, which airlines will sink and which ones will stay afloat.
• Gail Todd, a freelance writer, worked as a flight attendant for more than 30 years. She can be reached via email at email@example.com.


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WASHINGTON—The strengthening U.S. dollar is rippling through the financial system in unexpected ways, revealing what bankers say is a hidden flaw in a Federal Reserve proposal to increase capital cushions at the nation’s largest banks.
Big U.S. banks say that, under the rule proposed in December, the recent steep rise in the dollar’s value would force some U.S. firms to hold billions of dollars more in capital than foreign competitors, including weaker European banks, because of how the Fed plans to calculate a so-called surcharge levied on the eight most systemically important U.S. banks.
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Sock Shop, Red or Dead and Contessa, three subsidiaries in the failed Facia stores group, have been sold by receivers, helping to save more than 1,000 jobs.
The sales, announced yesterday, follow a separate purchase by Carlton International, the luggage manufacturer, of branches of Salisbury's, another part of Facia's former empire.
About 75 outlets in the Sock Shop chain, employing 500 staff, are being sold for a "substantial" but undisclosed sum to Jumper, a UK retail chain based in Carnforth, Lancashire. About a dozen shops were not included in the sale.
Red or Dead, one of the UK's leading fashion chains, has been sold back to its founders and former owners, Wayne and Gerardine Hemmingway, preserving more than 100 jobs.
Contessa, the UK's largest specialist lingerie retailer, is being acquired by Chancerealm Group, owned by Theo Phaphitis. The deal safeguards some 400 jobs in 80 of the 120 outlets being sold.
Fifteen months ago Mr Phaphitis bought the Ryman stationery chain from KPMG, which was acting as receivers to the failed Pentos Group.
Tony Thompson, of accountants KPMG, lead receiver to Facia, said: "We have kept the stores open in the belief that this was vital to preserving the businesses. We have now been able to sell the bulk of the Facia stores in …


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Microsoft on Wednesday announced principles intended to promote competition in its app stores, as the company tries to stay a step ahead of policymakers around the world weighing new regulations to prevent large tech companies from abusing their smaller rivals.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, President Brad Smith and other company executives at a Washington news conference outlined 11 new principles that would apply to the company's app stores. The rules parallel the proposals in the Open App Markets Act, a bill that Senate lawmakers recently advanced. The company committed to treat apps equally in its store, without ranking its own programs over those of others. It also said it would allow developers to use their own payment processors in its app stores, a major point of contention with developers who have criticized the large fees tech giants charge for app subscriptions and payments.
Microsoft is trying to win regulatory approval for the largest deal in the company's history, the $68.7 billion purchase of video game publisher Activision Blizzard. The Federal Trade Commission, led by Lina Khan, is handling the deal, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal could also face opposition from regulators abroad, with Smith noting that sign-off is required from 17 regulators around the world.
"We literally have to go around the world and help regulators understand what this acquisition means, what is the market it takes place in, and perhaps most importantly, what will Microsoft do if we have the opportunity to play a larger role in the gaming sector," Smith said.
The executives are convening with members of Congress and think tanks while in Washington, part of an offensive designed to get ahead of regulatory action, he said. "We recognize that there will be more scrutiny of any large acquisition that's being made by a large tech company," Smith said. "It really behooves us to step forward quickly and proactively, and be very transparent about how we will manage this business toward competition law issues and responsibilities we have."
Microsoft stands to benefit from legislation regulating app stores, which other tech giants, including Apple and Google, have strongly opposed. With the purchase of Activision, the company is moving more aggressively into gaming subscriptions. If legislation such as the Open App Markets Act were to become law, Microsoft would be able to bring its subscription gaming service and even its own gaming store to more devices, including those running Apple operating systems.
Federal scrutiny of competition in the tech industry has escalated in the past two years, with President Joe Biden naming prominent advocates for antitrust reform to key enforcement positions. On the same day that Microsoft announced its plans, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department hosted a news conference about strengthening merger reviews.
The deal has sparked concerns that Microsoft could gain a competitive edge by making popular Activision games exclusive to Xbox and its own devices. Smith clarified that the company committed to uphold Activision's contract with Sony, the maker of PlayStation, for the popular Call of Duty games through 2024, and that it would extend it on a multiyear basis. Smith also said that the company was interested in bringing Activision titles to Nintendo devices.
Microsoft's competitors have criticized the company's embrace of the legislation.
"Disappointing that Microsoft would lobby so hard for a law targeting its competitors, while carving out its own exception for Xbox, which requires its own billing system, doesn't allow loading of other stores and actually charges higher fees to developers," tweeted Kent Walker, president of global affairs and chief legal officer at Google and Alphabet.
Smith said Microsoft plans to adapt the Xbox app store to embrace all of the competition principles, though it will take time to do so because of technical limitations. Sarah Bond, corporate vice president of game ecosystem for Xbox, said that the company wants to enable "store-within-a-store experiences" but that it requires tech and business model innovation.
Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, noted that many other companies, including Amazon and Google, have announced app stores for Windows computers.
"We welcome the competition on our platform, and we would like to bring the same type of competition to all the other platforms," Nadella said. "It's not about us picking anyone. We are all competing with each other."
Microsoft has approached the increased scrutiny of the tech industry differently than its industry peers, after fighting its own antitrust battles with the government beginning in the 1990s.
"The price of success is a heightened level of responsibility and scrutiny," Smith said. "I don't think we feel that we're being targeted and picked on, and I would say we're not really interested in targeting or picking on anyone else, either."


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Headlines Tagged with Swedish Match — 1,062 headlines found
An EU ban on the sale of snus, a wet snuff tobacco product made by Swedish Match, is valid, an adviser to the European Union’s top court said on Thursday...The ECJ will make a final decision in two to four months’ time.
Apr 12, 2018 Reuters
added Apr 12, 2018 17:59
House of Oliver Twist A/S has over 200 years of history and is Denmark's oldest independent tobacco manufacturer. The company develops, produces and sells chewing tobacco bits made of processed tobacco strands under the brand Oliver Twist. The company's
Mar 23, 2018 PR Newswire
added Mar 23, 2018 20:39
* Acquires Danish smokeless tobacco company House of Oliver Twist A/S. * Oliver Twist has 33 employees and annual revenues amount to approximately 60 million DKK.
Mar 23, 2018 Reuters
added Mar 23, 2018 20:30
of Tobacco Outlets launched a website in 2016 that encourages retailers and policy makers to oppose regulating the tobacco retail environment.1 2 T.O.T.A.L., an acronym for Tobacco Ordinances – Take Another Look, features talking points for defeating U.S
Feb 23, 2018 Tobacco Control
added Feb 23, 2018 18:37
[Sweden] UPDATE 1-Swedish Match sees 2018 growth for Scandinavian snus market, Q4 profit beats expectations
Feb 14, 2018 Reuters
added Feb 15, 2018 01:59
[Europe, UK] SNOWDON: These products are safer than cigarettes – why don’t the regulators want to know?
And so we have two products which are manifestly less harmful than cigarettes, both of which have a track record of getting people to stop smoking. One is illegal in the EU. The other is illegal in the USA. Neither of them can be labelled as less harmful
Jan 30, 2018 The Spectator (uk)
added Jan 30, 2018 16:33
PMI has also applied for pre-tobacco market approval, which would allow iQOS to be sold in the U.S. That procedure doesn't include a public hearing, so he said applying for the modified-risk tobacco product designation gives PMI a chance to publicly make
Jan 25, 2018 CNBC
added Jan 25, 2018 18:19
The preference for snus in Norway, is certain to revive debate over the health effects of the product, a moist powder tobacco that is popped under the lip. Though its sale is illegal across the EU, it is manufactured and used in Sweden, which has an exe
Jan 19, 2018 The Guardian (uk)
added Jan 19, 2018 21:17
After finding overwhelming success in the western part of the US, Swedish Match's ZYN® nicotine pouches have come to Chicago with a new pop-up store in Lincoln Park dedicated to showcasing the future of nicotine. ZYN provides a smoke-free, spit-free and t
Jan 18, 2018 PR Newswire
added Jan 19, 2018 09:06
The court found that Fiedler & Lundgren had identical versions of Swedish Match’s MUSTANG and SWEDISH MATCH trademarks in the ad. Further, the ad referred to the same goods – namely, snuff.
Dec 14, 2017 World Trademark Review (uk)
added Dec 15, 2017 03:13


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Ticketmaster has settled its lawsuit with Songkick, agreeing to pay the company's owners $110 million and acquire its remaining assets.
The settlement draws to a close a two-year legal battle between the two companies that began with claims of anti-competitive behavior and antitrust violations against Ticketmaster and later morphed into a wider case that included allegations that a former Songkick employee hired by Ticketmaster had secretly accessed Songkick's computer systems while employed at Ticketmaster and quietly monitored the company's sales and clients. Court documents show Ticketmaster viewed Songkick as a competitive threat that could disrupt the exclusivity system in North America that allowed Ticketmaster to have a dominant marketshare. The case was set to go to trial later this month in Los Angeles federal court.
Billboard reached out to Songkick and Ticketmaster and was told both companies would be commenting in a joint statement.
"We are pleased that we were able to resolve this dispute and avoid protracted and costly legal proceedings, while also acquiring valuable assets,” said Live Nation president Joe Berchtold in a statement.
“We are glad to have resolved this litigation and thank all the employees, artists and industry partners who contributed so much to our many successes over the last decade,” said Songkick CEO Matt Jones.
As part of the settlement, Ticketmaster acquired Songkick's ticketing commerce platform, anti-scalping algorithm, API applications and patent portfolio.


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SEE US IN ORLANDO!
Our hearts go out to our friends and customers in Florida from the impact of Hurricane Irma which has affected the homes, businesses and families of our friends and customers in the great state of Florida. Fidalgo Coffee will be at this year’s Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show which has been moved to October.
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show will be held at the Orange County Convention Center (West Building, A1 and 2)
Wednesday, October 11 11am to 5pm
Thursday, October 12 11am to 5pm
Friday, October 13 11am to 4pm
More info and registration at the Florida Restaurant Lodging Show Website


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The world has been in a period of surging food prices for several reasons. These include drought in South America and Indonesia, rising demand for grains and oilseeds in China, and, more recently, the disruption of the global grains and oilseeds exports following the Russia-Ukraine war. In March 2022, the FAO Global Food Price Index rose to a record level since its inception, illustrating the price increases observed across the world’s major agricultural producing and exporting regions.
- SARS boss Kieswetter sends out strong tax message
- South Africans have a love affair with chicken. But higher prices are testing if they can afford it
- Chips, chicken and tyres: time for a trade policy rethink?
- SA chicken producers in a flap over suspension of anti-dumping duties on imported poultry
- Sowetan Live: Meat importers welcome move to suspend poultry anti-dumping duties


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AlphaGraphics, a franchisor of printing and marketing solutions, has been named one of the top franchises for veterans after being elevated to a 5-star brand by VetFran, which is a program of the International Franchise Association.
PostNet, a shipping services provider for over 25 years, has shared tips to help shippers avoid delays and get gifts delivered on time. Their biggest recommendation: Get your holiday shipping done as early as possible.
In 1979 Neil Young sang that “rock and roll can never die” and School of Rock is proving the lyric to be true. The leader in performance-based music education is opening its 300th location in Plymouth, MN, this month.
AlphaGraphics, a franchisor of printing and marketing solutions, recently announced Victoria and Carmine Camerato as the 2021 winners of the Franny Award, one of the franchise's highest and most coveted honors.


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PS5 VR headset is no longer a secret and enough details have been revealed according to Sony PlayStation. The Sony virtual reality gaming console for PS5 will be a 4K OLED microdisplay according to uploadvr.com. Sony's research and development center has instead showcased a 4K OLED microdisplay VR prototype under the Sony Interactive Entertainment division but not the PlayStation division. This is weird since Sony has been Sony Interactive Entertainment might be responsible for its virtual reality gaming console other than the original PlayStation. While the low latency technology is in the offing which would be able to combine data to deliver response times of under 0.01 seconds and on the VR headset that will be half in size of the current VR headsets. This idea seems to be far-flung to 2025 since all pointers point to a new virtual reality headset in 2022 with a PS5VR.
Cariol Horne fought Police Brutality and Racial Profiling in Buffalo Police. Read why she is set for a reward. IS $5Million TOO MUCH!
Nose mask, a torch; Do not forget to carry these gadgets and 11 others to Wuhan Coronavirus area


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Dash (DASH) saw a price increase of 11.8% on Wednesday evening, coinciding with the release of its second crypto-SMS app this week.
Dotted payment app, Dotted textand the point of sale app, Spark, have integrated the CoinText text payment service in the last week, allowing non-smartphone users to send and receive Dash at the click of a button.
This continues Dash's push to make it easier for users in the field to use cryptocurrency, and follows the recent decision to accept DASH currency from the Traki superstore – the equivalent of Walmart's Venezuela.
Dash SMS App
As for Wednesday's announcement on DashForceNews, Spark, Dash's point-of-sale application, has successfully integrated CoinText, allowing anyone with a phone number to receive Dash. According to the announcement:
"The integration of CoinText also adds to Dash's ability to be used by a broad demographic band of individuals and that Spark is on par with the competition AnyPay, another POS service, recently integrated CoinText and Dash Text, have recently integrated its payment option via SMS into Venezuelan retail systems. "
This follows the integration of CoinText last week by Dash Text, another payment app for Dash's cryptocurrency. Given Dash's recent focus on Venezuela inflated as an operational base, the SMS functionality could prove more effective than we might suppose.
With 60% of Venezuelans still without access to a smartphone, providing a means for the average mobile phone user to send and receive Dash could prove to be a smart move.
The developer behind the Spark store's app also won a start-up challenge this week that saw him rewarded with a $ 5,000 fund and access to free legal advice and office space. The developer, known as Kodaxx, said:
"According to my estimates, it could pay 20-30 hours more development work, new hardware prototypes and a marketing strategy (put together by a real marketing agency), business development plan, branding, etc … "
DASH / USD update
The recovery push of 11.8% of Dash has come with the widest recovery in the market, but largely exceeds the gains of 2-3% recorded by other major competitors.
The price of Dash coins rose from the daily minimum of $ 100.86 to $ 112.86, fueled by an increase in trade volume from $ 89 million to $ 150 million during the day. This puts the coin in recovery of 12% from the recent minimum of Tuesday 20 November.
Given the volatility of the previous week, it will be a surprise if Dash remains at the current price level for a long time. Dash has lost just over 42% in the last two weeks and is down 93% from the January high of $ 1,600.
Despite the ads on Binance and Bittrex, the first five Dash pairs more concentrated for Wednesday arrived in both Korean and Chinese, with about 85% of the total daily volume coming from Bithumb or ZB.COM.
Disclaimer: The author owns bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. It holds investment positions in the currencies, but does not carry out trading activities in the short term or daily.
Featured image courtesy of Shutterstock.


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Amazon plans to sell companies a technology to identify when staff are not wearing face masks or following socially distancing.
Beyond the pandemic, the system could also be utilized to track obedience of other workplace rules or to monitor the public, for example, to check the number of customers line up in a store. It involves retrofitting a box to installed security cameras that can then draw on off-the-shelf AI apps.
But privacy campaigners have raised questions.
Remote working has already led to a surge in the use of software that inspect on employees, but Amazon's new technology is focused on tracking people and products in factories, shops and other traditional workplaces.
The Amazon Web Services Panorama appliance plugs into internet protocol (IP) cameras - a benchmark of digital video cameras used by a huge range of companies on their sites.
It can robotize inspection tasks, such as identifying manufacturing snag or tracking the movement of barcodes and labels. But the tool can also be applied to people. For instance, in a retail shop, it could count the number of customers, track their movements and check the length of queues, Amazon has suggested.
In a factory or other workplace, the same tech can be used to monitor employees and get notified instantly about any effective issues or hazardous situations so you can take appropriate action, the company said.
In the promotional event for the product, Fender guitars says it uses the product to track how long it takes for an associate to complete each task in the assembly of a guitar.
The Financial Times reports that Amazon Web Services Panorama can identify vehicles being driven in places they are not supposed to be. Some major companies are already trying out the system, including Siemens and Deloitte. It is still, however, in screening, and not yet widely feasible.
A monitoring revolution
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella group for UK unions, this week printed its report into the use of AI-powered tools used by employers.
The announcement of this new monitoring technology is another lead of how this uprising at work is picking up pace, said policy officer Mary Towers. But she warned that it must not gloss over workers' needs.
In our report, we warn about the possibly negative effects that invasive technology of this type can have on workers' well-being, right to privacy, data protection rights and the right not be hostile to.
Polling suggested that workers were already worried about CCTV cameras being used to monitor performance when they were supposed to have been installed for security purposes, she said.
Silkie Carlo, director of privacy group Big Brother Watch, said robotized monitoring of workplaces hardly results in favour for employees.
It is a great shame that social distancing has been soared up by Amazon as yet another excuse for data collection and surveillance, she said.
Amazon has already faced scrutiny over how its warehouse employees are surveillanced. In September, a report from a US research group said Amazon used large-scale worker surveillance to limit union organising activity. And the company has skirmishes with some of its employees who have accused it of treating them like robots.
This week, Microsoft apologised for allowing individuals' activity to be monitored by their employers through a productivity score drafted to give high-level oversights. After an outcry, Microsoft removed individual user names from the product.


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As part of ongoing regeneration work in Fraserburgh, the successful Super Saturday events return in May to help promote what the town has to offer.
Following on from a very successful pilot last year, six events will be held in Fraserburgh Town Centre with each event taking on a different theme. These will range from fishing to sports to farming. There will also be a special festive Super Saturday in December, just in time for Christmas.
Anne Gostling, Super Saturday co-ordinator, said
We are committed to promoting Fraserburgh and the surrounding area by providing a series of six themed events this year, including live entertainment, market stalls and food and drink.Last year was a resounding success and we are looking forward to the challenge of making this year’s offering even better.
The dates and themes for the Super Saturday 2014 programme, supported by Aberdeenshire Council are
- May 10: Homecoming
- June 14: Fishing
- July 12: Sports
- August 9: Farming
- September 13: Food and Drink
- December 13: Festive
The first event takes place on Saturday, May 10, with the Royal British Legion Pipe Band opening a Homecoming-themed market at 10am. Visitors to Fraserburgh can find out about local attractions, take a trip down memory lane on wash day and taste a wonderful selection of high quality local foods. Tantalise your taste buds at the all-day cooking demonstration and try to resist the aroma of cooked-to-order traditional Scottish Pancakes at the new pancake stall.
Super Saturday gift and craft stalls will be offering their goods and visitors can take advantage of some great offers in the town’s shops, cafes and restaurants.
Enjoy a great fun-filled day out for all the family with music and entertainment to watch or participate in, and try winning some of the great competition prizes at the Children’s Saturday Shack.
Aberdeenshire Council Regeneration Officer, Gillian Bain, said
The regeneration action plan for Fraserburgh recognises that regeneration is not just about buildings and the economy, but about communities and especially an active town centre.
For further information, or to get involved, contact Anne Gostling on (01346) 510245 or email: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Himalayan Friends Corner opened Friday in Amherst.
(Diane Lederman/The Republican)
AMHERST -- Nearly seven months after its owners bought the former Mom's Dumpling and Noodle restaurant, Himalayan Friends Corner has opened.
The restaurant that features food from Nepal, India and Bhutan opened on Friday. The menu features vegetables and meats including beef, chicken and yak. Dishes include Himalaya dumplings, rice and curries.
Kunga Gyaltsen of Tibet, along with his half-brother Sonam Gyatso Bhutin and friend Karma Tsering, spent months remodeling, painting, hanging wainscoting and even making their own furniture since buying the restaurant in early February.
They had hoped to open in June, but were finally able to open last week.


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Covid-19: Ad agencies need to adapt quickly
The Covid-19 pandemic is causing a seismic shift in consumer priorities and ad agencies need to adapt quickly, says Brave Group CEO
Ad agencies currently in lockdown and servicing clients remotely are starting to look to the future and how their operating models will be forced to change.Brave Group CEO Karabo Songo believes that by the time the lockdown is over, consumers’ priorities will have changed radically and the ad industry needs to be in a position to adapt quickly.He believes brands and their agencies have important issues to consider: "How will the new normal affect income patterns of my customers, and is our business/product adapting … to have a fighting chance against competitors? In addition, is what we perceive to be our sustainable competitive advantage still strong, and if so, will it stay that way?"In the SA economy, Songo says, many brands and businesses have built empires largely on protected and controlled distribution channels that kill competition. He believes a lot of these businesses will not recover after the crisis and the question ad industry players need to ask is how they fight for t...


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Without aberration, Apple posts record breaking earnings results quarter after quarter. And while Apple’s stock has skyrocketed considerably over the past couple years, it still seems that Wall St. isn’t giving the stock a fair shake.
In an in-depth piece on the matter for Seeking Alpha, Andy Zaky delves into Apple’s financials and explores why investors aren’t give Apple shares the boost they inexplicably give to other stocks that objectively don’t perform as well.
First off, Zaky points out that despite reporting 92% growth during its most recent quarter, Apple’s shares have remained relatively stagnant since. Indeed, Apple shares are now trading in the low $330s, just a tinge above the $320 range it was trading at seven months ago.
Aple’s stock price has simply been unable to keep pace with its explosive 90% growth in earnings. As a result, Apple’s P/E ratio has gradually fallen over the past year to the point that the stock is now trading at the lowest valuation we’ve seen since the depths of the financial crisis — the stock currently trades at a mere 16.5 trailing P/E ratio.
Quarter after quarter over the past 5 years the stock repeatedly posts over 50% EPS growth, yet Apple cannot seem to get any love from Wall Street. For the past five years, analysts have been expecting Apple to grow at a pace of only 20% — despite Apple’s average 50% growth rate — and for the next five years, we’re hearing the same old nonsense all over again.
So for all the folks who refer to Apple stock as the darling of Wall St., Zaky explains that it’s a load of BS. On the contrary, Wall St. largely treats Apple like a red headed step child with no reward for a job well done – an especially egregious outcome given that Apple’s future prospects consistently look brighter than their past successes.
One interesting point relayed by Zaky is that the Apple of 2011 reported $6.40 EPS during its weakest seasonal quarter. But going back just three years to 2008, the $6.40 figure is almost more than its entire earnings accumulated during that whole year.
And yet Wall St. seems to be ignoring the reality starring it back in the face.
Part of the equation is rooted in the mainstream media’s obsession with Apple and it’s desire to turn every little mountain into a molehill.
To wit, Zaky points out that on the same day Apple reported 92% earnings growth (a remarkable feat by any standard), the crux of nearly every mainstream Apple story at the time focused on the ridiculously overhyped iPhone tracking issue which, as expected, turned out to be nothing more than groupthink coupled with political paranoia.
Meanwhile in other parts of town:
Yet, when we see Google report 17% earnings growth and trade a 20 P/E ratio and then watch Apple report 92% earnings growth and trade at a 16 P/E ratio, how in the hell can anyone say that Apple is treated as a darling? Amazon missed earnings expectation for the third time in five quarters, and grew at a far lower growth rate than Apple on both the top and bottom line and trades at a 90 P/E ratio. Netflix also missed expectations, grew at a far lower growth rate than Apple on both the top and bottom line and trades at a 70.58 P/E ratio.
For whatever reason, there seems to be this major imbalance in large cap tech where the worst performing stocks get the best valuations and the best performing stocks get completely sh** on. On an objective basis, Apple is very undervalued, and can hardly be called the darling of Wall Street. Amazon misses its expectations and the stock rises 10%. Wall Street would have an absolutely sh**-fit if Apple missed on the top or bottom line. The stock would get absolutely crushed. You would see the stock trade at 8 times its cash and 12 times earnings if the stock actually missed.
And compounding matters are a number of reports detailing Apple stock manipulation where hedge funds work the system to systematically control the ebb and flow of Apple stock in an appreciable way. We can only hope that Wall St. will eventually catch up to the realities of Apple’s financial statements but that’s been a hope people have had for years.
In the meantime, Apple investors will have to rely on Apple to keep on innovating, churning out revolutionary new products, and accumulate untold stockpiles of cash quarter after quarter.


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London and New York cocoa prices increased during the last 6 months, by 5% and 6% respectively compared to the October 2018-March 2019 period. Nevertheless, prices are still traded below the previous year average, due to the major prices volatility from January to August 2018.
The latest revised estimates from the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) for the marketing year 2018/19 (October-September) put the global cocoa bean production at 4.85m tonnes, up 4% compared to the record crop in 2017/18, adding downward pressure on global cocoa prices y-o-y.
ICE monitored port warehouse stocks of cocoa beans decreased by 11% compared to the same period last year, driven by concerns on the quality and the future availability of cocoa beans. The stocks to grindings ratio is expected to decrease at 36% in 2018/19 (from 38% in 2017/18), thus adding further upward pressure on prices.
From weather to political, all the factors impacting the global cocoa market have been analysed to provide a market outlook for the next six months. Mintec’s market outlooks (schedule) provide insights on factors shaping the market dynamics of various commodities, providing the opportunity for market participants to stay ahead of factors that will impact procurement decisions.


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DC Comics and The CW Exclude New Batwoman From DC TV Arrowverse Covid-19 PSAs Heroes Wear Masks!
The CW and DC Comics released Heroes Wear Masks posters to spread the message to wear masks during the pandemic to bend the Covid-19 infection curve.
However, the new Batwoman is not featured despite it being very easy to obscure her face if they want to keep “her” Batwoman a secret for now like so.
Javicia Leslie replaces Ruby Rose as a brand new character taking over the Batwoman name and role in the show’s second season.
Anyhow, as they say, Wear A Damn Mask.
Tags: Batwoman, Black Lightning, CW, DC Comics, DC Entertainment, DC Universe, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Pandemic, Stargirl, Superman & Lois, The Flash


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“General nutritional concepts remain the same across the age span,” said Kerry Ann Mendes, the dietitian at Whittier Street Health Center. Everyone, regardless of age is recommended to eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat proteins and healthy fats.
However, other changes that come with age may influence appetite and impair good nutrition. “There are sensory changes,” explained Dr. Monera Wong, associate chief of Geriatric Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. A reduction in the sensitivity of the taste buds can make food taste bland. Diminished sense of smell and vision add to the problem. “Our enjoyment of eating is greatly influenced by how foods smell and look,” she explained.
With a loss of appetite, a picture begins to evolve of the challenge to ensure good nutrition in the elderly. For those who lose their appetite, Mendes recommends eating more frequent small meals — five mini meals will do — and healthy snacks, such as fruits and nuts throughout the day.
In addition, some nutrients are harder for older people to consume and absorb. Vitamin D is one such example. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, maintain bone density, or strength, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Research is ongoing to determine the vitamin’s impact on several chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, both common among the elderly.
Formation of vitamin D is a complex process that requires cooperation among the sun, skin, liver and kidney. However, darker skin does not readily absorb the sun’s rays. Also, in the North the sun is not strong enough for a large part of the year to set the process in motion. In addition, there’s evidence that older people are less efficient vitamin D producers than younger people. A further complication is that few foods are a natural source of vitamin D. Examples are salmon and other fatty fish and fortified juices and cereals.
Vitamin D’s cohort for maintaining strong bones is calcium, a major source of which is dairy products. “Lactose intolerance increases with age,” explained Mendes. “You have to find alternatives, such as calcium-fortified cereals and orange juice and leafy greens.”
The Institute of Medicine recommends 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day and 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D a day for seniors.
Vitamin B12 is another vitamin that is harder to absorb with age. Vitamin B12 helps create red blood cells and DNA and maintains healthy nerve function. However, many older people experience a thinning of the stomach lining or other digestive disorders that hamper the absorption of the vitamin. Sometimes even eating foods high in vitamin B12, such as fish, meat and milk is not enough. A supplement may be required.
It’s not only what people eat. What one drinks is equally important. “Two liters (estimated 2 quarts) a day is the recommended minimum, Mendes explained, but some people never approach that amount — and often on purpose. Some seniors decrease their water intake, particularly if they’re on medication that increases urination. They drink less so they don’t have to be tied to the bathroom.


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Shaftesbury Christmas Events 2017
Shaftesbury’s Christmas late night spectacular on MONDAY 4th of December will see (and hear) the town raising the spirits with a huge sing-along.
The massed community and local schools’ choir will join together in a chorus of around 200 to kick off the festive season.
Santa’s grotto will be inside the town hall and there will be street food, children’s fairground rides and traction engines on show throughout night.
At around 6pm the Town Band will march from the football club introducing Father (and Mother) Christmas accompanied by the Nutcracker and Sugarplum Fairy.
When Santa is safely in his grotto the massed choir will ring out with a carefully practised festive song before the lights are turned on. They will then continue with a number of well-loved carols and songs such as “Ding Dong Merrily on High”, so everyone can join in.
Throughout the festive evening shops will be open offering lots of seasonal spirit, some of it mulled!
Our Chair, David Perry, says, “For the past few years we have had a celebrity to turn the lights on. Although this pulled in big crowds we were beginning to lose the true community spirit. We are now returning to the original idea of a late night shopping event where local traders can give something back to their customers. On the night participating retailers will be giving shoppers a 10% off voucher which can be redeemed in the New Year.”
The seasonal festivities continue on SUNDAY 17th December with the Christmas Market filling the town. With around 100 stalls selling high quality crafts, food and drink this will be one of the biggest Christmas street markets in the county.
During the day Churches Together will be performing their annual nativity play.


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An Italian restaurant has won an award for its first-class service.
The Silver Giraffe in Low Fell, Gateshead, received the Quality Food Online award, for its food, presentation and service.
The restaurant, which has been open for two years, fought off competition from other eateries to claim the coveted internet magazine's prize.
Phil Smith, manager of the Silver Giraffe said: "We're absolutely thrilled with the award, it's testament to the combination of fantastic chefs and conscientious staff that has allowed us to achieve such an accolade.
"We continuously strive to provide guests with the highest level of service and constantly look to update our offering. We're delighted that our hard work has paid off and our efforts have been recognised and acknowledged with this major award."


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Taizhou unveils measures to revitalize cultural, tourism industries
chinadaily.com.cn |Updated: 2020-02-17 Print Print
Taizhou in East China's Zhejiang province on Feb 14 issued 11 measures to boost the cultural and tourism market, both of which have been severely disrupted by the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Local authorities will allocate 20 million yuan ($2.98 million) from a special fund approved by the municipal finance for cultural tourism development in 2020 to prop up the cultural and tourism market after the crisis is resolved.
The city will also give certain financial rewards to A-level scenic attractions that offer free entry to medical workers throughout the year, in addition to cash rewards promised last year.
The city will also temporarily refund 80 percent of the deposit for tourism service quality to local travel agencies.
According to official data, 27.58-million-yuan worth of deposits for tourism service quality will be refunded to 167 travel agencies in Taizhou.
In addition to the financial support, the local government will implement a series of measures to stimulate tourism consumption after the epidemic.
More efforts will be made to encourage governments at the municipal and county levels to launch promotional activities and attract tourists from across the country. Enterprises will receive subsidies to develop a public service platform for smart tourism so as to boost online promotion and sales, while a Taizhou tour card will also be issued.
In addition, the city will provide enterprises in the tourism and culture sectors with free year-round courses taught by domestic experts and scholars to boost the level of tourism service and management and help mobile enterprises improve employment with grants.
The measures are provisionally valid until Dec 31.