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Ekiti Pledges Adequate Funding, Independence for LGs
NGO Sues Gombe District Head, Others for Depriving Women Inheritable Farms
FONPAA Urges Buhari to Assent to HND/BSc Dichotomy Act
Revisiting NSC, Shipping Firms Agreement
Eromosele Abiodun urges the Nigerian Shippers Council to revisit its agreement with shipping companies aimed at reducing charges by 35 per cent
In 2017, the World Bank in its annual Ease of Doing Business Report, ranked Nigeria 145 among 185 countries with Mauritius ranking 32 as the best in Africa. From the report, Trading Across Borders, an indicator for measuring a country’s ports effectiveness ranked Nigeria very low at 183 out of 185 countries.
As part of efforts to reverse this trend, the federal government on June 8, 2017, announced that several agencies including the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were no longer allowed to have representatives in the port or partake in the process of cargo clearance.
Also, the government announced that it had concluded arrangement to fix port access roads and provide scanners at the port. These efforts were put in place to enhance clearing process and reduce drastically cargo dwell time. However, almost three years after, the situation has gone from bad to worse.
The agencies that were asked to leave have all retuned to the port, port access roads have become death traps, residents and business in Apapa, once a thriving port city, have stories of death and hours of traffic to tell. Cost of doing business at the ports has risen so high manufacturers are abandoning their cargo at the port.
As a result of extortion by security officials, haulage cost from Tin Can to any other part of Lagos has risen by more than 1,000 per cent from about N100,000 a year ago to about N1.2 million.
Recently, truckers raised the costs to move a container from the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, to any other part of the city by 50 per cent, from N1.2 million to N1.8 million.
As a result of the blockage of the roads, millions of containers are trapped in the ports and shipping companies have had to stay at several anchorages for between three to four months incurring all manner of surcharges.
On the average, 100,000 containers carrying various cargos are discharged in Lagos ports monthly, with shipping companies now charging $6,000 to ship a container to Nigeria, it costs shippers in Nigeria $600 million (N234 billion) every month to transport 100,000 containers to Nigeria.
In the first half of last year, it cost $1,000 to ship a 20-foot container to Nigeria from the Far East. Today, the cost charged by shipping lines for the same service is between $5,500 and $6,000.
Due to the massive congestion at Tin Can and Apapa ports, many shipping lines have started diverting Nigeria-bound cargoes to neighboring ports in Cotonou and Ivory Coast.
Importers, THISDAY learnt pay N25, 000 as demurrage per container a day and another N15, 000 as storage fees to terminal operators excluding 7.5 per cent value added tax (VAT).
This amounts to N12.5 billion daily demurrage charges on 500, 000 containers and N7.5 billion storage fees.
Stakeholders believe shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, security operatives and the Ministry of Transportation, are the ones benefiting from the status quo at the ports.
They argue that the economic loss is not on the government and its agencies at the port or the port operators or even the manufacturers or traders doing the importation.
“The economic loss are all passed on to the end users, the Nigerian people who bear the escalating cost of imports and now have to make tough decisions about what to prioritise.
“If you have noticed, the ports used by the federal government and its partners in the oil industry to export crude oil and gas are not affected by any sort of crisis of congestion and infrastructure deficiency, “said a stakeholder who do not want his name in print.
NSC, Shipping Companies Agreement
In a bid to put an end to the persistent wrangling between customs agents, importers and the negative impact excessive charges is having on the economy, the port economic regulator, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) in 2018 embarked on a mission to get the shipping companies to cut down charges.
The move yielded the needed results as the council signed a landmark agreement wit the shipping companies to reduce charges.
Analysts and stakeholders had applauded the effort positing that the Nigerian economy will be the ultimate beneficiary.
As part of the landmark agreement with shipping companies they were to reduce charges by 35 per cent or N258.38 billion annually.
Confirming the development to THISDAY, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Hassan Bello, said he was hopeful the agreement will be signed.
“You know in negotiation you can only be hopeful. We have been negotiating for one and half years. We have a small knotty problem, which we hope to resolve by next week. Some I am hopeful we will conclude with the shipping companies.
“However, we will run the agreed MOU by the Ministry of Transportation, major stakeholders such as; shippers freight forwarders, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). This will take four days, then we will sign the MOU.
“Further, the total reduction would be 35 per cent reduction but the most important thing is we have come up with sustainable mechanism of settling dispute, which means no arbitrary or unilateral fixing of cost at the ports,” Bello said.
Besides the reduction of port charges, he said the Council had also abolished the container cleaning fee hitherto being collected by shipping companies, just as fifteen other port charges were removed from the list of charges.
Bello also said that the moment the MoU comes into effect, the implementation also becomes inevitable.
Customs agents had praised the federal government for the effort adding however that 35 per cent reduction was not enough.
“The most important charge by the shipping companies is the demurrage and their charges are higher than the terminal operators, which is not supposed to be so. The shipping companies don’t have the right to be collecting the charges. In other countries of the world most of those charges are not applicable because they don’t provide services for the charges.
“What they have is just the container and that has been charged to the freight cost already. There charges are contestable and it is a very serious issue. The shipping companies are doing what they are doing because Nigerians don’t go to court, if Nigerians can go to court they will find out that the charges by the shipping companies are illegal, ”said Kayode Fariton, Vice President, Nigerian Association of Licensed Agents (ANALCA)
On his part, the Chairman of the Lagos State Shippers Association, Mr. Jonathan Nicol, said his group would protest the new charges if they fall below their expectations.
He said that the shipping companies must withdraw the court case they instituted against NSC resisting the Council’s demand that they refund certain monies to some shippers.
The association also described the resort to the court by the shipping companies as an insult on the Nigerian government.
“The NSC has been involved in the negotiations of charges with these foreign shipping companies before they went to court. They must withdraw the case before the negotiations can take place. They went to court when the negotiations were going on, we are an interested party in the case because we are the ones paying the monies,” he said.
Despite the enthusiasm that trailed the agreement at that time nothing had been heard about it since then. As stated earlier, things have gone from bad to worse despite the effort of the NSC. Stakeholders have therefore called on the NSC to revisit the agreement and put an end to the escalating port cost.
Customs Petition FG
Customs agents had in a bid to get government’s attention over the matter, wrote a petition to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and alleged that the shipping companies and terminal operators’ charges on storage contravened Sections 20, 31 and 97 of the Customs and Excise Management Act that limit the days for rent charges and conferred authority to Nigeria Custom to charge rent after specific days by the board.
The agents, in the petition signed by National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, stated that duplication of charges such as terminal delivery charges/ terminal handling charges, deposit repayment delays and process procedure that lack regulation of the economic interest in the port.
They stressed that there is the need for the federal government to intervene to address the cost of doing business by a total review of the procedure, process and cost in the ease of doing business.
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), they added, should urgently address the following short falls, which is militating against our import and export trade that resulted to massive diversion of goods to neighbouring ports.Also, the agents called on the federal government to use part of the seven per cent port development levy for the development of port access roads, trailer parks.
According to Amiwero, “The condition of the Tincan Island Port axis of Apapa Oshodi express road leading to the ports is a death trap, big potholes and gridlocks resulting in loss of lives and continued destruction of loaded goods that always fall on cars, trailers and sometime persons.”
He said: “It is a complete setback to trading across borders (TAB) for ease of doing business on trucks that spend weeks to access and exit the ports which result to delay and rejection on most of the fragile export products in international market and high cost in import clearance. “The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) is no more in port operation, the percentage collected from the seven per cent Port Development Levy should be used for the development of the trailer parks and port access roads.”
On the increase of revenue collection on the recovery of short levied duties on discrepant cargo as provided under Section 142 of Customs and Excise Management Act, he said: “The discrepant cargo, as covered under Section 142 of the Customs and Excise Management Act and the Import guideline paragraph J are non contraband goods with discrepancy, which is allowable for treatment and issued with demand notice (DN) Section 142-(2).
“Recovery of Duties states: Where any duty has been short levied or erroneously repaid, then the person who should have paid the amount short levied or to whom the repayment, has erroneously been made, shall on demand by the proper officer, pay the amount short levied or repay the amount erroneously repaid as the case may be. Any such amount may be recovered as if it were duty to which the goods in relation to which the amount was so short levied or erroneously repaid were liable,” he said.
Amiwero also called on the government to address multiple checks and delays of clearance by NCS.
He said: “The process of clearance is associated with multiple interventions of various alerts headquarters Abuja, CIU, Valuation Gate etc that takes days and increase the cost and time in contravention of WCO Kyoto convention on simplification and harmonisation of Customs procedures.“The Customs procedure should comply with WCO Kyoto convention and (FAL) Convention of (IMO) for Minimisation, harmonisation and simplification of Customs procedure with regards to various checks after release from the Port, (FOU), CG Squad in line with international best practice of One-Stop-Shop process.”


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As people around the globe celebrated World Bee Day on Monday, Iranian officials basked in the country’s vaunted place as the third largest honey producer and its sweet business which is growing by leaps and bounds.
Beekeeping has a long tradition in Iran, dating back to 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, though apiculture as we know it in its modern and industrial form started in the country around three decades before.
Across the world, demand for honey is growing as awareness about health benefits of the sweet food and the importance of honey bees in the food chain is rising.
Meanwhile, the increasing number of innovations in honey harvesting is driving growth prospects for the global honey food market.
Last year, the United Nations announced an annual World Bee Day on May 20 to raise awareness of its importance and declining numbers.
Honey is produced by bees foraging nectar from flowers and converting it to the sweet food through regurgitation and evaporation. The bees store the honey in wax honeycombs inside beehives. Beekeepers extract the honey by removing the honeycomb.
According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) officials, Iran has improved its global ranking in honey production from the seventh place to the third, overtaking the US, Russia and India and sitting pretty only behind China and Turkey.
Missing link: high-end products
The country currently produces 90,000 metric tons of honey a year, more than 1,700 tons of which is exported, deputy agriculture minister for livestock affairs Morteza Rezaei told the Young Journalists Club (YJC) news agency on Monday.
Iran also owns the world’s fourth largest bee colonies put at 8.4 million, which are held in more than 85,000 apiaries, he said.
As many as 138,000 people are directly involved in apiculture, which brings them a healthy income by producing honey, beeswax and propolis.
However, adept beekeepers make better earnings by extracting high-end products, such as bee venom and royal jelly.
According to Rezaei, the average raw price for each kilogram of royal jelly is $355, but this value can increase multi-fold if the royal jelly is turned into cosmetics and toiletries.
As for bee venom, each gram of the apitoxin sells for $80 which is a very high price given the dollar rate, but “unfortunately we have not worked well enough in these areas,” he said.
“Although Iran is ranked third in the world in terms of honey production and fourth in colony count, it doesn’t have a good position when it comes to derivatives,” Rezaei added.
The prospects, however, are brightening as the government is implementing a number of initiatives related to supporting bees and promoting apiculture in cooperation with FAO.
Meanwhile, the market is expanding because innovations in honey harvesting are improving the quantity and quality of the final product harvested.
“Given the importance people attach to honey and its products in Iran, the country will definitely have excellent prospects of reaching loftier heights,” FAO representative to Iran Rao Matta was quoted as saying.
In 2017, 60 trillion rials ($1.5 billion) of investment was made in apiculture. Rezaei said the industry is viewed a strategic development area under Iran Vision 2025.
Its mega objectives include product quality guarantees, increased productivity, development of new high value-added products, training of beekeepers, risk reduction and resilience improvement.
Rezaei said the annual value of bee products is about 30 trillion rials ($200 million on the unofficial market) which indicates how lucrative the business is.
“The industry is one of the key examples of resistance economy because it has the least dependence on imports,” he said.
Resistance economy, initiated by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, is Iran’s roadmap to circumvent sanctions.
It includes increasing the country’s resilience by substituting local inputs for imported goods, checking the smuggling of goods and increasing barter trade.
The formula has gained traction amid a US bid to starve Iran of its oil revenues and Iranian officials say the country now runs the best chance of weaning itself off petrodollars which have become its worst liability.
Food security is a key policy area for global state planners, and for Iran, it is additionally crucial in the face of a protracted drought which is adversely affecting harvests and narrowing the agricultural products basket.
Bees and food security
As super-important pollinators, not only do honey bees contribute directly to food security, but they are also key to conserving biodiversity. They allow many plants, including food crops, to reproduce and preserve the food chain.
“Honey production is the side activity of honey bees, while pollination is their main job which is unfortunately neglected,” Rezaei said.
According to FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva, “a world without pollinators would be a world without food diversity, and in the long run, without food security.”
FAO estimates that out of some 100 crop species, which provide 90 percent of the food worldwide, 71 are bee pollinated.
Beyond the importance of pollination for food security, bees are key to maintaining the ecological balance and ensuring biodiversity conservation.
According to FAO Iran representative Matta, bees are a sign of well-functioning ecosystems. “To a great extent the decline of pollinators is also a sign of the disruptions that global changes are causing to ecosystems of the world.”
The bee is one of the three insects after which chapters are named in the Holy Qur’an – the others being the ant and the spider.
Today, habitat loss, heavy pesticide use, climate change and increasing urbanization are taking a heavy toll on bee numbers.
World Bee Day seeks to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, according to FAO.

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NEW BRITAIN - A new retail company in the city opened its doors to the public earlier this month.
Coach Carter’s Apparel, located at 18 Main St., had its grand opening June 4. It is owned by Jerry Carter, who used to offer the same services from his basement, but he decided to open a shop when his business grew.
Coach Carter’s Apparel sells, designs and makes customized t-shirts and uniforms, mostly for sports teams. The store also customizes nursing scrubs, and school uniforms.
The custom apparel offered at the shop includes tees, polos, hoodies, yoga pants, shorts, hats, tanks and jerseys.
Store customers must select the garment, then they can pick a design, and customize the style.
Carter started his business from home in 2014. However, this year things changed.
“I started making more uniforms, I started getting more business, that’s when I said to myself it’s time to open your own store,” Carter said.
Carter said that one day he drove by the space where his store is now, and realized it was being leased.
“When I found this location it was perfect,” Carter said.
He added that the building was in good shape, and that it didn’t need many renovations.
In addition, Carter told The Herald that when he was a child, the same space was used for the same purposes. It was a store called Hadfields Sports Shop.
“It was right here in the same exact spot,” Carter said.
“And everybody when we first got our first Converse and Dr. J sneakers, it was right here in the same spot. It’s funny that I’m located in the same spot that when we were all kids this was the only sports shop that was here in the same spot.”
Carter said his goal is to be the number one custom and sports apparel business in New Britain.
“I want to touch base with every company, every family in the City, and do their custom T-shirts,” Carter said.
Carter is the president of a non-profit organization called Vibe Athletics, which promotes basketball leagues for youth.
Carter plans to hire some of the teens involved in Vibe Athletics to work at Coach Carter’s Apparel.
Coach Carter’s Apparel is open Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The store can be reached at 860-259-3190 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
Karla Santos can be reached at 860-801-5079.


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Just because you’re doing your best to protect all your online accounts against hackers looking to steal your credentials for sensitive online services, it doesn’t mean they’ll stop. In most cases they’re not even targeting you, going directly for the online services you’re a customer of.
Thankfully, there’s one service that tells you whether your accounts may have been compromised during any of the publicly disclosed breaches, and services like Mozilla’s Firefox browser and the 1Password password management app will soon incorporate that clever security service.
We talked many times about Have I Been Pwned (HIPB), a free online tool built by security expert Troy Hunt. It’s a tool that lets you enter an email address to figure out whether hackers may have pawned related credentials in any of the massive hacks that were disclosed to the world.
Both Firefox and 1Password will include HIBP in their products, the companies announced. Mozilla said in a blog post that HIBP will be built right into a future version of the Firefox browser.
The security feature is called Firefox Monitor, and it’ll be available to about a quarter of a million US users at first. The company insists that the new functionality will protect your privacy in addition to telling you whether you’ve been hacked:
It is important that we not violate our users’ privacy expectations with respect to the handling of their email address. As such, we’ve worked closely with HIBP and Cloudflare to create a method of anonymized data sharing for Firefox Monitor, which never sends your full email address to a third party, outside of Mozilla
Agile Bits, the company behind 1Password, made a similar announcement.
The 1Password Watchtower service will tell you whether you’ve been hacked with the help of the same HIBP service. Once a security issue is detected, a Breach Report will be provided to the user, complete with fix suggestions.
Agile Bits also says that the Breach Report feature works without 1Password sharing any personal data with HIBP. Here’s how it’s supposed to work — a more detailed explanation is available at this link.:
Watchtower will be available initially on 1Password.com, with the 1Password desktop apps supposed to get it soon.


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Some Nintendo Switch games may end up costing more than their versions on other platforms going forward
It's not just Rime.
Last week, it was reported that Rime, the upcoming puzzle exploration game by Tequila Works is going to cost $10 more on the Nintendo Switch than the other platforms. It seems a lot of gamers have been giving the developer crap over it, but as it turns out, their anger may be misplaced. According to Eurogamer, the cost of manufacturing a Nintendo Switch cartridge is actually higher than it is to produce an Xbox One or PS4 Blu-Ray Disc.
As a result, developers and publishers are feeling like they have to compensate for the added manufacturing cost by charging more for the game. This is compounded by the fact that the price of the game in the Nintendo eShop must match the price of the physical version on a store shelf. Furthermore, the hard drive on the Nintendo Switch is not a particularly big one anyway, coming in at a meager 32 GBs, so going all digital isn't something the console is properly built for out of the box. You can purchase additional SD cards for added space, but obviously, that equals more money on the part of the Switch owner.
As Eurogamer also points out, Nintendo Switch cartridges come in different memory sizes, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. And it goes without saying that the higher the memory size, the more expensive the cartridge. What this means is that developers, especially indie or the low end of AAA, may have to start thinking about the benefits of producing Switch versions of their games versus the cost of developing them. If they don't expect to ship a certain number, does it really make sense to invest in a platform that will ultimately net them a loss?
What this could end up meaning that is that some of these mid to low tier developers might be forced to release their games digital-only for Nintendo Switch, and even then, the Switch's market is far from established. This will certainly be something to keep an eye on going forward.


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Google updates Maps, Search, Shopping, Nest for sustainability
Google Maps’ eco-friendly routing in the U.S. is available as of Wednesday
Photo courtesy Google
Google unveiled a range of modifications to core products on Wednesday to assist consumers in making more sustainable choices.
Climate change today is much more than just a threat. Sundar PichaiGoogle’s CEO and parent company Alphabet“, he said during Tuesday’s virtual press conference in prerecorded audio. Climate change is a present and real danger. The most serious threat we face is climate change. It affects everything from wildfires and flooding to severe storms and more frequent, severe weather events.
Google is a leader in sustainable business practices. In 2007, Google became carbon neutral, meaning it purchased offsets from all sources of carbon-emitting electricity. It has committed to running on clean, renewable energy by 2030.
Pichai explained that “that means any question you Google, each email you send and every YouTube video you view will be delivered to you without leaving carbon behind in the atmosphere.” “We think of this as a moonshot” — a long-term bet that could have a big impact.
Google’s suite of product upgrades will make it easier to choose sustainability, Pichai stated.
Below are the Google product updates. Some updates have been made available since Wednesday while others are in development.
Google Maps defaults to the greenest route, if it is nearly the same time as without carbon emissions. This product update was announced in MarchHowever, it will be in effect in the United States beginning Wednesday and in Europe starting in 2022.
According to Sarah-Jayne Williams (director of Google Maps), Google Maps determines the fuel consumption based on road conditions, congestion, and traffic forecasts.
Williams stated Tuesday that Google and the U.S. Department of Energy have partnered to make routing recommendations.
Williams explained that customers who take longer routes to reach their destinations by eco-friendly means will have the option to pick between the slower or the more sustainable one.
Pichai explained that the feature could have as much impact next year, taking more than 200,000 cars off of the roads.
Google Maps also partners with businesses such as BirdAnd Donkey RepublicTo expand scooter and bike share information in 300 cities worldwide, including Berlin and New York as well as Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo, Taipei, and Sao Paolo.
Williams stated that this Wednesday update will allow you to locate nearby scooter and bike share stations, and even “in real-time pinpoint the number of vehicles available.” It will also indicate where you can park your scooter or bike.
Google Flights now has information about carbon emissions as of Wednesday.
Stephanie Horton from Google Commerce, the director of marketing, stated that Google Commerce will present the carbon emissions associated by a flight within the search results. The feature will be available for almost all flights worldwide on Wednesday.
Horton explained in a Tuesday prerecorded interview that they are putting the numbers into context and labeling those flights with higher levels of emissions. He also added a green badge for flights with lower levels.
Carbon emissions will take into account the type of aircraft and will be seat-specific, too. Horton explained that business-class and first class seats create more carbon emissions as they use more space. According to a Google spokesperson, American Airlines will supply fuel usage data for Google’s validation of its emission info. Kayak, the flight-search platform Kayak (a unit of Google) will provide fuel usage data to help Google validate its emissions info. Booking HoldingsThis tool allows you to search for flights by emission.
Google hopes to assist consumers in making sustainable travel choices.
Horton explained that in the past decade the number of Google search for “ecohotel” has more than doubled. So, search results for hotels can indicate whether the hotel made significant commitments to sustainably-oriented practices.
Google will coordinate with Travalyst CoalitionHorton explained that the open-source model would allow for carbon emission calculations of flights and hotel stays to help “bring standardization throughout the industry”.
Google Shopping has begun to recommend more cost-effective and sustainable alternatives for Americans searching for appliances that use energy, such as water heaters or furnaces.
Photo courtesy Google
Horton explained that Google will provide suggestions for shopping results for products with high energy consumption, such as water heaters, dishwashers or furnaces. These recommendations can also give details about sustainability. On Wednesday, this feature will become available in the United States.
Google Search will also make it simpler for car buyers to choose a green car. It is expected that Google Search will launch in early 2019.
Williams said that Google will first identify hybrid and electric vehicles and the manufacturers in order to make it more easy to find them.
Williams stated that Google Search can also surface information about rebates for hybrid or electric vehicles, nearby compatible charging stations, and average charging times.
Williams announced that the new car shopping tools and one which will display total energy costs as well as emissions data for automobiles will start rolling out in this year. Williams also stated that there will be more features by 2022.
Williams stated that the idea of choice is at the heart of every update. By educating people about the options for sustainable travel, mode or car, they empower them to select the one that best suits their needs.
Horton announced that the new layout for information search results about climate change will debut in October. It will be made available in English and Spanish, as well as French and Spanish.
Horton stated that the new layout would include relevant information from authoritative sources such as the United Nations. This will include concise explanations on climate change and its effects. There are also suggestions for ways to make your life more sustainable, such as using public transportation or energy-efficient appliances.
Google also launched a feature to show the sustainability score of companies alongside their stock ticker or current trading price. It is calculated using the Climate Disclosure ProjectGoogle stated it.
Automatically shifts your cooling and heating electricity to when the grid is more efficient or cheaper. A monthly report is sent to consumers.
Photo courtesy Google
Ben Brown from Nest’s product management, explained that the new Energy Shift feature of the Google Nest thermostat shifts heat and cool when it is cheaper. This was stated in a Google press release Tuesday.
Brown explained that this flexibility is crucial to making better use clean energy in the area.
The Energy Shift feature, for example, will consider when energy is available from renewable sources such as solar and wind. Brown explained that some utility companies will charge higher for peak energy, while the Nest Energy Shift feature automatically uses energy when it is the most affordable.
Customers can choose to manually manage their Nest thermostat systems and override automatic sustainability decisions if they wish.
Nest customers have the option to join Nest’s Renew Premium Program for $10 per month. This program will match your home carbon emissions with renewable energy credits, and offset any fossil fuel-based energy consumption.
Brown explained that you can rest assured knowing that electricity used in the home to turn on lights, run the washing machine, or watch TV is supporting renewable energy sources.
In a preview program, the Nest thermostat updates will begin to roll out over the coming weeks.
In partnership with Haifa and Beer-Sheva as well as the Israel National Roads Company, Google conducted pilots in order to improve efficiency at traffic lights in four locations throughout Israel.
Photo courtesy Google
Google also teased some projects it’s still piloting but is not widely accessible.
Google, for example, is conducting research to maximize the efficiency of traffic lights throughout a city. This was stated by Kate Brandt, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer in a prerecorded media briefing.
“Inefficient traffic signals are harmful for the environment as well as for public health. This is because idle vehicles… lead to more air pollution on the streets and fuel waste,” she explained.
Brandt explained that so far the Google traffic light research team has carried out pilot projects in four Israeli locations. These pilots resulted in an increase of fuel consumption and reduced time spent at intersections by 10%-20%. This project’s next pilot will take place in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Google also uses aerial imagery and artificial intelligence to determine where trees can be found in urban areas and where they are not covered. Tree Canopy Insights, the beta project, is named.


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'Legalising trade in rhino horn won’t save the rhino'
An animal lobby group representative said it would also damage South Africa’s tourism industry.
JOHANNESBURG - There are warnings that legalising the trade in rhino horn will undermine South Africa's reputation as a wildlife sanctuary.
Claire Attwood representing the British-based Charity Network for Animals on Wednesday said it would also damage South Africa's tourism industry.
Attwood is among the early participants in a two-day workshop organised by the Department of Environmental Affairs in Boksburg.
Members of the pro and anti-rhino trading lobbies talked to a panel of 22 experts who are set to recommend the position South Africa should take at next year's conference on the international trade in endangered species.
Attwood said the example of ivory showed legalising trade in a wildlife product wouldn't stop poaching.
If rhino sales are legalised, South Africa will have only three of the big five to show tourists, because if it can't save the rhino there's little chance for the elephant.


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Organic Labeling Evolves to Meet Challenges
Organic shoppers may see additional labeling on produce. More than a dozen farmers and scientists from around the country met to create the standards for an additional organic certification pilot program called the Real Organic Project (ROP), which they plan to initially introduce at 20 to 60 farms. Under the current U.S. Department of Agriculture program, the organic label means that produce has been grown without synthetic substances or genetic engineering; it doesn’t specify whether produce was grown in water or soil, which the new labeling would address.
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This article appears in the November 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.
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SYDNEY, Australia (CMC):West Indies’ hopes of using two spinners for the third Test match against Australia have been squashed after leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was ruled out of the final game here starting today (last night Jamaica time).Captain Jason Holder announced that Bishoo had not fully recovered from a left shoulder injury and was not available for selection.The one specialist spinner left in the squad is left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who played in the first match in Hobart and the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.”We’re down to one spinner with the injury to Bishoo, so we just have to work with what we have. I’m sure Kraigg Brathwaite will come to the fore and bowl a bit more,” Holder told reporters on the eve of the match.”I’ve seen they’ve gone with two spinners. We’ve been accustomed to spin-bowling in the Caribbean and, hopefully, our batsmen can get into that a lot better than we have in this series.”Heavy defeatsWest Indies have already lost the series following heavy defeats in the first two Tests. They went down by an innings and 212 runs in the Hobart opener before losing by 177 runs in the second Test in Melbourne last week.Holder said the team was buoyant following their improved outing in the second match, when they showed more resistance than in the three-day defeat in Hobart.”We showed some improvement with the bat in Melbourne and we will look to take that into this match here. From the start of the tour, many people say the odds are against us, but we have belief and we will put up a good showing,” Holder contended.
The most wallet-friendly The Galaxy S10 Plus has a big 6.4-inch AMOLED screen, loads of useful camera tools and one of the longest battery times we’ve tested on phones this year, lasting an excellent 21 hours during our lab test for continuous video playback on Airplane mode. Unlike the Galaxy S10, it has two front-facing cameras instead of just one. Samsung Galaxy Fold ($1,980) The cheapest S10 phone Read more about the Note 10 Tags Angela Lang/CNET The one with the stylus but bigger and with 5G Read the Galaxy A50 review Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G ($1,300) Sarah Tew/CNET See at Amazon The Galaxy A50 is part of Samsung’s A-series, which is much cheaper than the top tier S-series of phones. At $350, £309 or AU$500, the A50 is one of your cheapest Galaxy options and features a 6.4-inch display, an in-screen fingerprint reader and a headphone jack. On the back are three cameras that include a wide-angle lens as well as a “depth lens,” which is used to take portrait shots with blurry, dramatic backgrounds. Samsung Galaxy S10 5G ($1,300) As the most wallet-friendly Galaxy S10 phone, the $750, £669 and AU$1,199 Galaxy S10E has a lot to offer. It’s a smaller phone, which is great for those looking for a comfortable grip, and it has a super-fast Snapdragon 855 chipset and a long-lasting battery life. Like other S10 phones, it can wirelessly charge other phones and accessories, like a pair of wireless earbuds or a smartwatch. Like all of Samsung’s Galaxy S10 phones, the standard Galaxy S10 is built from the best parts. It has a wonderfully sharp screen and a long battery life. Camera quality is awesome and it comes with all the extras, including the ability to wirelessly charge another device or accessory. See at Amazon See at Amazon The one that folds, obviously Andrew Hoyle/CNET The Note 10 Plus 5G is pretty much identical to the regular Note 10 Plus but like the S10 5G, it connects to 5G networks. Because of this, the phone weighs about 2 grams heavier and is more expensive than the Note 10 Plus by $200. It will be available on the US carriers Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as in South Korea and other international markets, but it may not be worth investing in the phone just yet. See at Amazon Read the Galaxy S10 review Read more about the Galaxy Fold The Galaxy S10 5G is Samsung’s first phone that can connect to the next-gen network of high-speed mobile data known as 5G. Initially launched on the US carrier Verizon, the Galaxy S10 5G costs $1,300, £1,099 and AU$1,999, which has a 6.7-inch display, the same four-camera setup as the Note 10 Plus and a second depth-sensing front-facing camera. The device is also available on Sprint and T-Mobile, as well as AT&T but only for business. See at Verizon Samsung’s Note 10 in an array of different colors. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Samsung doesn’t care if you already think there’s a dizzying number of Galaxy phones to keep track of. On Aug. 7, the company added more to the pile when it unveiled three Note phones, the Note 10, Note 10 Plus and Note 10 Plus 5G, which are considered to be the upper “top-tier” end of the premium phone spectrum. They join six other Galaxy phones that Samsung announced this year, bringing the total number of new Galaxy phones you can buy to nine(!). As the most unique Galaxy phone, the Galaxy Fold has a secondary 4.6-inch display that serves as its “cover.” It then opens up like a book to a 7.3-inch tablet. The Fold also has six cameras: on the back, there’s the same triple-camera setup as the Galaxy S10 and on the front a single 10-megapixel camera. In tablet form, there are two additional cameras inside: a selfie camera and an 8-megapixel depth camera.Preorders began in April, but after reports of screen breakages, flickering and, bulging with preproduction units, Samsung has delayed the Fold until September. (For more information, read CNET’s Galaxy Fold FAQ.) Because of the phone’s novel design, the Fold is the most expensive phone of the bunch, costing $1,980 (about £1,500 or AU$2,800). Angela Lang/CNET Samsung Galaxy A50 ($350) Read the Galaxy S10 Plus review Read more about the Note 10 Plus 2:08 Mobile Phones Samsung Galaxy Note 10 ($949) The one with the stylus Now playing: Watch this: Angela Lang/CNET The flagship but bigger Samsung Galaxy S10 ($900) The ‘flagship’ Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus ($1,100) Share your voice Angela Lang/CNET The flagship but with 5G Comments Angela Lang/CNET See at Amazon The one with the stylus but bigger Angela Lang/CNET Samsung Galaxy S10E ($750) Angela Lang/CNET Read more about the Note 10 Plus 5G 22 Read the Galaxy S10E review From budget devices and 5G phones, to one in particular that can fold in half (yes, really), we round up the latest Galaxy phones, tell you what makes them special from all the others and order them from cheapest to most expensive.Note that these products are independently chosen by our editors. CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of products from the links. See at Amazon See at AT&T Read more about the Galaxy S10 5G As the Galaxy phone with the biggest screen (that doesn’t fold, that is), the Note 10 Plus has a huge 6.8-inch display. Like its Note 10 counterpart, it has a single front-facing camera but in addition to its three rear cameras, it has a fourth depth-sensing camera. And while it doesn’t have a headphone jack either, it does have expandable memory, unlike the Note 10. See at Amazon Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus ($1,000) 9 Samsung Galaxy phones and how to tell them apart As the standard model of Samsung’s newest line of ultraluxe phones, the Note 10 features a 6.3-inch display, three rear cameras, an in-screen fingerprint scanner and a signature S Pen stylus that can remotely control the phone’s camera via Bluetooth. It also doesn’t have a headphone jack or expandable memory. Samsung
North Korea on Friday accused the CIA and Seoul’s intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate the isolated country’s leader Kim Jong-Un with a biochemical weapon, amid heightened tensions in the region.In a statement the powerful ministry of state security, said it had foiled a “vicious plot” by a “hideous terrorists’ group” to attack the North’s “supreme leadership”.The accusations come with the US and North trading threats over the latter’s nuclear and missile programmes, and as Washington considers whether to re-designate Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism.That follows the killing of Kim’s estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using the banned nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur international airport.Both Malaysia and South Korea have blamed the North for the assassination, which retorts that the accusations are an attempt to smear it.The security ministry statement, carried on the North’s official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), said the CIA and the South’s intelligence had suborned, bribed and blackmailed a North Korean citizen named only as Kim to carry out the attack.Possible locations included the mausoleum where Kim Jong-Un’s father and grandfather—the North’s founder—lie in state, or a military parade.Such an operation would be extremely difficult to prepare and carry out successfully. The North’s leader is surrounded by tight security at all times, and Pyongyang maintains a gigantic surveillance system over its own population that is ingrained at every level of society, where open dissent is unknown.The CIA told its agent Kim it had access to radioactive and “nano poisonous” substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months, the statement said.Kim—described as “human scum”—received payments totalling at least $740,000 and was given satellite transceivers and other materials and equipment, it said.He had multiple contacts with South Korean intelligence personnel, and an accomplice who had a Chinese-sounding name, Xu Guanghai of the Qingdao Nazca Trade Co.Checks on China’s National Enterprise Credit Information system show that a company of that name was formed on March 7 this year, with a Xu Guanghai named as its legal representative, and business areas including “chemical products”.No details were given in the ministry statement of how the supposed plot was uncovered, or of Kim’s fate. But in a potential sign of an internal purge, it said that the ministry will “ferret out and mercilessly destroy the terrorists”.‘Empire of evil’ -The lurid accusations come with Pyongyang and Washington at loggerheads over the North’s banned weapons programmes, which have seen it subjected to multiple sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions.Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion, has carried out a series of missile launches and threatened a sixth atomic test, while the administration of new US President Donald Trump has said that military action was an “option on the table”—raising fears of a spiralling conflict.The alleged plot was a “hideous crime” the security ministry said, and tantamount to “the declaration of a war”.The statement came hours after the US House of Representatives in Washington voted to broaden US sanctions against the North.The measure, which now heads for the Senate, also gave the Trump administration 90 days to determine whether Pyongyang should be re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, after it was removed from the list in 2008.The North Korean statement described the US as a state sponsor of terrorism itself, and an “empire of evil”.Analysts said the accusations could be a pre-emptive attempt to try to dissuade Washington from any attempt at a surgical strike on its leadership, as suggested by some commentators.The North believes the US and South are seeking to assassinate Kim, said Professor Koh Yu-Hwan of Dongguk University.It was “unimaginable that individuals can get close enough to Kim to harm him in light of supertight security there”, he told AFP.But the allegation was also “aimed at keeping its people on their toes and strengthening its grip on them”, and intended “to distance itself from the assassination of Jong-Nam who was killed by a chemical weapon”.North Korean commandos infiltrated Seoul in January 1968 in a failed attempt to assassinate its then leader Park Chung-Hee. Bullet holes are still visible on a tree above the presidential Blue House.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina addresses a joint meeting of Awami League Advisory Council and Central Working Committee at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office on Saturday, 12 Jan, 2019. Photo: PIDPrime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the MPs-elect of BNP to join parliament for the sake of democracy and to utilise the scope for their return to constructive politics, reports UNB.”BNP should join parliament for the sake of democracy accepting its defeat in the election,” she said.The prime minister said this in her introductory speech at a joint meeting of Awami League Advisory Council and Central Working Committee at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office in Dhaka.The meeting was held with Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.She also asked the BNP high-ups to take the right decision to practise democracy considering the status of the party, including lack of proper leadership, anti-independence destructive politics, organisational weakness and nomination trading.”They (BNP-led Oikya Front) have to accept the defeat in the election as they were incapable to pick their leader, lost the support of people for their politics of killing. BNP lost the election for running the party by an absconding fugitive,” she said.Sheikh Hasina said the most remarkable side of this election was the enthusiasm of voters, especially the youth, new voters and women, in casting their votes.She mentioned that the election was very much peaceful although BNP-Jamaat alliance snatched ballot papers and boxes in some places and hatched conspiracies to foil the election.”But they failed and BNP suffered defeat in the election…this is their failure… they have to blame themselves for this,” she said.Sheikh Hasina said although BNP suffered the defeat for the lack of leadership, the scenario might have been better had they not indulged in nomination trade.Expressing gratitude to the people of the country for putting their trust and confidence once again in AL, Hasina said this landslide win has increased its responsibility to the people a lot.”We’ve only one thing [in mind] that we’ve to implement all of our development programmes to improve the socioeconomic status of people. We’ve to think what sort of programmes we would take to improve the lifestyle of people,” she said.The prime minister said the government will celebrate the golden jubilee of independence and birth centenary of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from March 2020-March 2021 locally and internationally.She thanked the people of the country to give the AL the opportunity to celebrate the two big events staying in the government.About the government’s future plan, she said rural people will get urban facilities. “The socioeconomic condition of the country is improving and it’ll. The income disparity will be reduced, the fate of the grassroots will be upgraded…we’re taking programmes keeping those in mind.”Hasina hoped that the peaceful situation in the country will prevail and Bangladesh will march forward by maintaining peace.She also put emphasis on strengthening Awami League further.


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Nhan Dan - 30 March 2021
Vietnam-UK trade deal to officially take effect from May
Vietnam will announce to the UK side its ratification of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) this month, so the deal can officially come into force from May 1.
According to the European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the ministry has promptly and closely coordinated with the UK in the signing and completion of necessary procedures in order to put the pact in place as soon as possible.
The Vietnamese Government’s recent adoption of a resolution ratifying the UKVFTA will see the deal, which temporarily took effect from January 1, become officially effective.
Figures released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs show that in the first two months of this year, trade between Vietnam and the UK reached over US$1.02 billion, up 20.05% year-on-year.
The figure reflects the momentum created by the UKVFTA to recover bilateral trade.
Economic and trade cooperation will continue to be a bright spot in the relationship between the two sides, given the UK has rolled out mass COVID-19 vaccinations and has a positive economic outlook according to international institutions.
After Vietnam and the UK signed the UKVFTA in London on December 29, 2020, the two sides completed domestic procedures to temporarily put the pact in place from January 1 (Vietnamese time).
The MoIT will continue to coordinate with other relevant ministries and agencies to complete an implementation plan to bring into full play the opportunities generated by the agreement.


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Barely a week before the IFA 2015 kicks off, the press images of the Sony Xperia Z5 have been leaked, confirming the upgraded 23MP rear camera.
The hottest topics in the blogosphere remains Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung. Since this is the last part of the techniques and extremely powerful, it is understandable that everyone wants to face the competition. Here is the test speed Galaxy Note 5 is compared against a year old iPhone 6. What is faster?
The first users of Samsung Galaxy Note 5, the various reviewers, they found a nasty flaw in the design of the new S Pen, because you may permanently damage the device. See video
Repeated story that happened when posting Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge devices, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge + phones have problems with multitasking.
All the belief that this fall we will introduce at least two Nexus smartphone from Google. With a 5.2-inch Nexus 5 2015 from LG, there will reportedly be Huawei Nexus with a screen diagonal of 5.7 inches spacious. Look at the fantastic video leaked to the complex 3D diagrams and specifications.
Sometimes the Note line was uncompromising super premium line of devices that competition is catching up until next year, this year is the current Galaxy Note 5 literally just enlarged Galaxy S6 which is added to the S Pen stylus. So how does he cope with the competition when it comes to speed?
As promised, Huawei has officially unveiled another new snmartfon from your Honor series. Titled Honor 7i, this phone at first glance looks like any other, but it has one unique function. The camera on the back of the phone is also a front camera, because it comes with the option of rotation.
Samsung's Note line of phones has always been about three things: a huge screen, outsized performance, and a stylus. But now, with the Galaxy Note 5, two of those three things are not so special anymore.
The other day, at the launch of the new Galaxy Note and Galaxy 5 S6 edge +, Samsung is as quick and announced new gear S2 smart clock, which will be officially presented at the IFA in Berlin. Today released the first teaser video, and provides an even better view of the round SmartWatch.
New Nexus from Google this year will most likely be back to the Nexus 5 and comes in two variants. Here we have a view of the back most likely smaller Nexus 5 2015 from LG's.
As we already know, the 2015 generation Nexus will come in two incarnations, those made by LG, the other by Huawei. Leakster @OnLeaks seems to be keeping good track of both versions and recently outed both sets of specs, though with varying levels of certainty.
Now that Samsung has finally unveiled the new Galaxy 5 and Galaxy S6 + edge, we were hoping to break from the news and rumors related to the two devices, but it is not over yet. The Galaxy 5 is not going to the European market this year. Shock and disbelief, they would say.
Six months ago, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S6 Edge telephone, and today the new Unpacked event have the opportunity to see its new iteration, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ model. The phone comes with a larger screen and more RAM to be improved multitasking process and much more. However, if you are looking for hardware differences, you will not find much.
Samsung has today, on its Galaxy Unpacked 2015 event introduced two new Fable - Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy Note5. Update Galaxy Note5 is probably the most harmonious and obviously the strongest notes so far, and what is visible - is the most elegant.
Nexus 5 in 2015 has not yet been published, but already his crown the fastest phone stole an unknown device from Samsung.
Asus has introduced a new phone, which comes with a battery that keeps the phone in the function of a day or two (and maybe more) on a single charge. Asus Zenfone Max 5.5-inch phone with a 5000mAh battery.
If you are one of those who to this hot summer passed as soon as possible and that the reason that you are waiting impatiently new Android M and new Google's Nexus, this will further heat up the story. In the video below you will see the first alleged Samsung Nexus although it does not have any tangible evidence.
Sony has been teasing a product announcement for August 3, two days from now, and the main theme for it seems to be gold. We are, however, quite intrigued by the more orthodox white and black Xperias that posed for a hands-on photoshoot on Russian tech site hi-tech.mail.ru. Though the article has been removed by now, the images are already circulating and they leave little to the imagination.


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Jollibee Foods report 18% growth in royalty/franchise fees
Jollibee Foods Corp., the country’s largest fast-food chain, reported an 18-percent jump in revenues to P5.9 billion from royalty, franchise fees and others.
Jollibee Foods’ brands include Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yong He king, and Hong Zhuang Yuan.
In its disclosure to the stock exchange, Jollibee Foods said its royalty fees amounted to P5 billion last year from P4.3 billion in 2015. Revenues from franchise fees soared by 62 percent to P307 million from P189 million.
Service fees almost doubled to P119 million from P65 million but rent income dipped to P82 million from P92 million.
Jollibee Foods has royalty and franchise agreements with independent franchisees for its brands and they are required to pay franchise fees and monthly royalties equivalent to a percentage of the franchisees’ net sales.
Other revenues which include delivery fees and other miscellaneous revenues jumped by 71 percent to P250 million from P186 million a year ago.
The company said the number of new stores it opened hit a new high last year.


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Nestlé has recently announced that 77% of its agricultural commodities are verified as deforestation-free.
This is a key milestone in the company’s efforts to achieve its zero-deforestation commitment, the nutrition, health and wellness company said in a statement.
The group said that over the years, Nestlé has worked with partners like Airbus and Earthworm Foundation, and its suppliers to identify areas at risk of deforestation.
The company which owns brand such as Nescafé, Kit Kat and Cheerios outlined that it is using a combination of tools, including certification, supply chain mapping, on-the-ground verification and satellite imagery from the Starling system to achieve this goal.
Grazia Vittadini, chief technology officer, Airbus explained that essentially Starling turns terabytes of satellite images into actionable insight, enabling customers to understand where and why deforestation happens and make the best possible decisions.
“Innovation and technology like Starling is accelerating our journey towards zero deforestation," added Magdi Batato, executive vice president, head of operations, Nestlé SA.
Nestlé is now using the system to monitor its entire palm oil supply chain.
"This is transforming the way we manage deforestation risks in our palm oil supply chain – we are using this tool to hold our suppliers and ourselves accountable," said Batato
In 2010, Nestlé made a no deforestation commitment to ensure that none of its products globally would be associated with deforestation by 2020.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.


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Judge Astacio suspended with pay by state Court of Appeals
Embattled Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio was suspended with pay effective immediately, the state Court of Appeals announced in a letter Wednesday.
Astacio was arrested Tuesday and charged with attempted criminal purchase or disposal of a weapon, a class E felony, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
All seven judges on the state Court of Appeals affirmed the decision to suspend Astacio after the court was notified that she was charged with a felony. Astacio has the option to appeal the finding.
She was arrested at her home in Rochester and arraigned before Ontario County Court Judge William Kocher on Tuesday afternoon at the Monroe County Hall of Justice. Astacio was released on her own recognizance.
Astacio allegedly tried to purchase a shotgun at Dick's Sporting Goods in Henrietta on April 2. She is scheduled to appear in Henrietta Town Court at 5 p.m. May 3.
Astacio remains on probation for a drunken driving conviction and has not been hearing cases since her February 2016 arrest. The conditions of her probation, on which she was placed last summer after a series of violations of her original sentence, forbid her from “possessing a firearm, dangerous weapon, or noxious substance.”
She was elected to a 10-year term that runs through 2024.
Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said Astacio tried to buy a shotgun at Dick's Sporting Goods at The Mall at Greece Ridge before going to Henrietta.
She was turned away by store employees at both stores, Baxter said. Astacio identified herself to a store employee with her state driver's license after she tried to purchase a Maverick 88 .12-gauge shotgun, according to the felony complaint.
Three employees at Dick's in Henrietta provided statements to deputies.
The assistant store manager at Dick's in Henrietta said in a supporting deposition that the manager "was made aware by the assistant store manager in our Greece location that Leticia Astacio was just in his store and he denied her from purchasing a shotgun."
She seemed "very distraught and upset," the assistant store manager said. The deposition continued, "She then told me that she didn't really want a gun but needed one. She then said she would pass any background check and asked what she had to do to get off the list. I then explained there is no list it is just our store policy that we reserve the right to deny gun sales."
Another store employee said Astacio had to "return to the Greece store in order to get the denial reversed."
The state Commission on Judicial Conduct, the body charged with investigating and potentially disciplining judges accused of misconduct, is scrutinizing her conviction and other actions by Astacio, including violations of her original post-conviction guidelines.
Astacio hasn't presided over a case since her drunken driving arrest in February 2016. She was assigned to administrative duties by local supervising judges, but she hasn't shown up for work since August.


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Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO), which has been trying to sell off its European comparison shopping service Kelkoo for a while now, has finally found a buyer, according to a report: it has been sold to a little-known UK-based private equity firm called Jamplant, for something less than Euro 100m ($126m). Yahoo bought the service in 2004 for a price then of about 475m euros (now $598m). Also, the founder and ex-CEO of Kelkoo Pierre Chappaz wrote about the deal (in French) on his blog but again, Yahoo hasn’t said anything yet officially.
Robert adds: Yahoo UK confirmed the sell off to us. First sign of the sell-off came when Yahoo re-tooled Kelkoo’s Grenoble, France, HQ in September as an R&D centre. Chappaz refused to name the price but said it was “below 100 million euros” – that means Yahoo makes a loss of at least 375m ($472m) euros (not including any profits in made in that time, of course). Chappaz said: “The difference is the price of management incompetence that led Yahoo’s (stock price to fall) below $9.”
Never heard of Jamplant? You’re not alone. Chappaz said it’s a new investment unit created by the founders of that other price comparison site USwitch, which sold to EW Scripps (NYSE: SSP) for £210m in 2006. It seems the operators have not given up their hope of running a bargain-hunting engine, as the consumer economy begins to impact spending. From Yahoo UK MD Glen Drury‘s email to staff: “Philip Smyth, chairman of Jamplant, believes that, with our backing, Kelkoo should be able to accelerate its growth much faster as a standalone company.
Kelkoo has 270 staff in Grenoble and in London. Its latest business involved powering a white-label price comparison site for ITV (LSE: ITV) and similar deals with The Independent. Chappaz: “During the past year, several funds approached me to restart Kelkoo with them. I told them no. Despite my commitment to Kelkoo, I would prefer to devote myself to Wikio. The sell-off of Kelkoo by Yahoo … after the failed agreement with Google (NSDQ: GOOG) … illustrates the failure of this company to grow in the world of transaction services.”
• DVD sales down; Blu-Ray’s missing its mark: what’s Hollywood to do?
• NYTCo relents, trims dividend; does it go far enough?
• AP to cut 10% of jobs in 2009; mainly through attrition
• Q3 online ad revs rise 11% – less than half Q307 growth rate: IAB
• Industry Moves: News Corp re-ups Ailes for five years
• Comment: BBC video ruling won’t save local press, will throttle auntie
• Hi-media rejects reverse takeover bid from French rival Rentabiliweb
• Ad forecast: Digital stagnating dramatically, but ’09 will be the bottom
• BBC local reax: BBC ‘will consider options’, some breathe sigh of relief
• BBC Trust: BBC must drop $100m local video plan; would hurt commercial rivals
• Update: Microsoft says no to ACAP despite words of support


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GRAB Holdings Ltd reported a narrower third-quarter loss than analysts had estimated, helped by cost cuts by the South-East Asian ride-hailing and delivery giant.
The net loss for the quarter through September narrowed to US$327 million from US$970 million (RM4.42 billion) a year earlier, the Singapore-based company said on Wednesday. Analysts estimated a US$360 million loss on average. Revenue more than doubled to US$382 million, dispelling some fears that rising inflation and a gloomy economic outlook would damp customer spending. Grab also slightly raised its revenue forecast for the year.
Like technology companies worldwide, Grab is contending with the effects of a deteriorating economic climate and a heightened investor focus on profitability. The company, which had been one of South-East Asia’s hottest start-ups, has struggled since it went public via a merger with a US blank-cheque company last year. Its shares, which have fallen about 70% since, rose 0.6% in New York trading.
The company is trying to balance spending on growth with its effort to reach profitability as concerns about a recession trigger layoffs, closures of business units and other measures to rein in expenses across the tech industry. Regional rivals GoTo Group and Sea Ltd — both also loss-making — are implementing job cuts and said they would reduce expenses to stem costs.
Grab said it slowed hiring, streamlined functions and reduced incentive spending and corporate costs as a percentage of the value of the goods and services it provides. The company plans to bring down its “regional headcount,” CFO Peter Oey said on a conference call, without providing numbers.
Its deliveries business unit reached breakeven on the basis of adjusted Ebitda, three quarters ahead of the target. Revenue and adjusted Ebitda at the ride-hailing unit doubled.
Grab’s continued recovery in the mobility segment and steady margins are “encouraging,” Citigroup analyst Alicia Yap said in a note.
The company has sharpened its focus on its core services, distancing itself from the long-held strategy to become the region’s “superapp.” The superapp vision was aggressive, but led to extensive losses. Grab lost US$3.4 billion in 2021 and had piled up almost US$1 billion in losses in the first two quarters of this year.
Grab also expressed confidence in customer demand even as the tech industry faces economic challenges. It said it expects annual revenue of US$1.32 billion to US$1.35 billion, compared to its previous guidance of US$1.25 billion to US$1.3 billion.
Grab’s cash and cash equivalents fell to US$2.4 billion at the end of September from about $2.8 billion at the end of June. – BLOOMBERG


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Mobile phone manufacturing in India has experienced an unprecedented surge in value over the past decade, skyrocketing from Rs 18,900 crore in 2014-15 to an estimated Rs 4,10,000 crore in the fiscal year 2024. This staggering 21-fold increase, amounting to a remarkable 2000 per cent rise, underscores the significant strides made in domestic production. The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) highlighted the pivotal role of government initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in this phenomenal growth trajectory. According to ICEA, policies like PLI have been instrumental in attracting global players and fostering a conducive environment for local manufacturing, contributing to India’s emergence as a major hub for mobile phone production.
In a statement, ICEA revealed that India now fulfills 97 per cent of its total mobile phone demand through local production, showcasing a remarkable level of self-sufficiency in the industry. Additionally, the country has witnessed a notable shift towards export-oriented production, with 30 per cent of the total output in FY’24 designated for export markets. ICEA anticipates that by the end of the fiscal year, mobile phone exports from India will reach an estimated value of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, marking a substantial 7500 per cent increase over the past decade.
The note on manufacturing also highlighted the significant contributions of industry giants like Apple and Samsung in bolstering mobile phone exports from India. These companies have played a crucial role in leveraging India’s manufacturing capabilities to cater to global markets. Indian-manufactured devices are now being exported in large volumes to countries such as the UK, Netherlands, Austria, and Italy, as well as regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and South America, indicating the growing international footprint of India’s mobile phone industry.
The exponential growth in production and exports can be attributed to strategic government initiatives aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing, such as the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) launched in May 2017. This program has been instrumental in nurturing a robust indigenous manufacturing ecosystem for mobile handsets in India, incentivizing large-scale production and positioning the country as the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer.
Central to this growth trajectory is the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has played a pivotal role in attracting leading global manufacturers to establish production bases in India. The scheme offers lucrative incentives, ranging from 3 to 5 per cent of the incremental sales value, to eligible players for a specified duration. Global giants like Foxconn, Pegatron, Rising Star, and Wistron have been drawn to India’s competitive manufacturing landscape, while Samsung operates its second-largest mobile phone factory in Noida.
ICEA emphasized the collaborative efforts between industry stakeholders and key government ministries, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, NITI Aayog, and the Prime Minister’s Office. This close partnership, combined with a conducive policy environment, has been instrumental in fostering the unprecedented growth witnessed in India’s mobile phone manufacturing sector, propelling it to become one of the country’s key export commodities.


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Lots of brand-new players have gotten into the solar panel manufacturing field over the last number of years and it’s no surprise. It’s overwhelmingly obvious that alternative sources of energy are required. Spurred by solar study grants, charitable subsidies, and motivations from governments worldwide, these new businesses are producing a much more competitive market for photovoltaic panels. As the market heats up, a couple of entities have increased to the top of the solar field and are ending up being extremely well known. What are the leading solar panel suppliers, anyhow?
Do an internet search for “photovoltaic panels” and also you will rapidly become acquainted with numerous manufacturers of these products. Do a Google shopping search, and you will certainly find much more grid-connected PV systems. Checking out reviews of photovoltaic panels is another good way to familiarize yourself on your own with the titans of the market, and looking into monetary investment websites and browsing short articles regarding alternative energy stocks is really valuable, too. Something that probably will not shock you is that Chinese companies are promptly moving up in this niche and Indian start-ups are advancing, as well.
Suppliers of Solar Panels Span the Globe
The U.S. and also China both have some hefty moving companies in the solar panel industry, there are lots of producers in Europe that have been busy making and also offering panels for decades. Germany has a well-established solar production base, with over 100 firms generating solar panels, according to ENF Ltd. Japan has a number of makers, 2 of which are Kyocera and Mitsubishi Electric. The United States has lots of manufacturers of photovoltaics too– over 75. One of the top companies is First Solar missed out on a deadline with the federal government to secure financing for a huge solar ranch in the California desert. United Solar Ovonic produces mostly thin-film panels, yet has been a huge contributor to the reason, providing 123 MW of solar manufacturing power in 2009. The U.S. solar market has struck a few bumps lately.


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Dacra leasing new Design District phase
Bal Harbour Shops just a few years ago was Miami’s ground zero for luxury retail brands, but that has changed. About 18 months ago, pioneering real estate developer Dacra, in partnership with L Real Estate, began plans for Miami Design District, a low-rise shopping enclave that features pedestrian promenades, lush landscaping and a definite upscale feel.
The developers have set out to create a destination mall to better its peers. “My hope is that, if there is one place you have to go in Miami, this will be it,” said Craig Robins, Dacra CEO and founder.
At buildout, the $2 billion mixed-use development will boast 1.1 million square feet of retail, a hotel, low-rise residential units, restaurants and four garages. It’s set on a four-block parcel on Northeast First Avenue from Northeast 38th to 42nd streets, and is planned around a landscaped pedestrian promenade.
“Leasing is going extraordinarily well,” Mr. Robins said. “We’ve secured 50 major luxury brands, including Hermes, Cartier. Dior, Armani, Prada, Celine, Marc Jacobs and others.”
Many of the high-ticket retailers have abandoned their Bal Harbour spaces and have chosen the Design District as their only Miami location. Some, including Prada and Armani, have chosen to maintain stores in both centers.
With phases I and II leased, except for one space “in case somebody great comes along,” Mr. Robins said, Dacra is now focusing on leasing phase III, which is mainly on Northeast 40th and 41st streets. “We did a major renovation on 39th Street,” Mr. Robins said, installing about 300 30-year-old native trees to create a welcoming space. “We’ve created roof gardens.”
Many of the stores moving in have created two- and three-story flagships that are noteworthy in their design, he added.
Case in point: Helmut Lang and Theory have signed a lease for 5,000 square feet at 101 NE 40th St. The two-story building features high ceilings and the purveyors of luxury goods will get to design their own façade.
Audemars Piguet, Bulgari, Burberry, Dolce & Gabanna, Givenchy, Harry Winston, Hublot, Tiffany & Co., Tod’s, Valentino, Versace, Zadig & Voltaire and Zegna have opened or are expected to open soon.
“The needs and wants of the retailer and consumer have both changed,” said Tony Arellano, executive vice president of Metro 1 Properties, speaking about Miami Design District last fall. “Tom Ford, Theory, Helmut Lang, Ferragamo – these are brands you can buy at Saks. They have instead chosen to create their own flagships. It’s an ode to the brand.”
As the shopping destination grows, so will the demand for restaurants. “There are 16 new restaurants in the neighborhood, wonderful ones,” Mr. Robins said. Dacra, he said, is in discussion with chef-owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten to open a restaurant there. In the neighborhood are MC Kitchen, A Crumb on Parchment, Mandolin, Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, Oak Tavern, Harry’s Pizzeria, The Cypress Room and others.
The Institute of Contemporary Art, which moved to the neighborhood in December, and the long-established Design and Architecture Senior High demonstrate the area’s ties to art and design.
“This district has years and years of history in furniture design, galleries and other forms of art,” Mr. Robins said. He said he hopes the new enclave will be a draw to visitors who have never experienced this side of a Miami neighborhood that was largely forgotten as development moved west to the suburbs.
“Everybody is welcome; parking in the garages is $3,” Mr. Robins said. “It’s an asset to our community and it belongs to all of us. That’s one of the really nice things that we can share.”


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“I kind of like it,” stated Hadi Rismanchi as he and his household rode their bikes by means of the mostly-deserted plaza. “It’s not about shopping, Thanksgiving. It’s about family, getting together and just celebrating.”
Maybe accelerated by the large shift to on-line procuring throughout the pandemic, nationwide retailers like Macy’s and Outdated Navy have halted what had been the creep of Black Friday into Thanksgiving Day.
Goal says it’s going to preserve shops closed on Thanksgiving Day for good.
Most shops are returning to what used to be conventional, a 5 a.m. begin on Friday.
One exception is Recreation Cease in Nice Hill, the place a few dozen individuals lined up in anticipation of Thursday’s 5 p.m. opening.
“I’m here for the PS5,” stated Cashmeir Thomas, who stated Black Friday procuring is an annual ritual for her. “Because the prices are a little bit more doable and not a lot of other places open to get what you need, electronics, games, all that.”
Greenback Tree was one of the few different shops we discovered open this Thanksgiving Day.
In addition to good offers, customers will even discover additional safety this Black Friday within the wake of a collection of brazen, smash-and-grab robberies within the Bay Space, together with at Walnut Creek’s Nordstrom store final weekend.
“It actually made it to the news in the UK that the Nordstrom store was broken into and looted,” stated British vacationer Mike Emberson, “which was quite a shock for my partner because she just moved here the week it happened.”
Now, the primary avenue at Broadway Plaza is blocked off with brilliant orange barricades, and a beefed up police and personal safety presence, including a bit of ominous to what’s supposed to be a festive time of yr.
VIDEO: Brazen flash mob-style theft of Walnut Creek Nordstrom sparks outrage from metropolis leaders


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Latest News Of bComm Association Tag
Press Releases 20 February 2019
bComm Association re-brands to Bitcoin Association
Introducing Bitcoin Association, the new name of the former bComm Association, the leading industry group for Bitcoin business.
Interviews 13 February 2019
bComm Founding President Jimmy Nguyen: No limits for Bitcoin SV
bComm Association Founding President Jimmy Nguyen recently joined our CoinGeek’s Stephanie Towers to talk about how BSV is evolving with increase OP_RETURN limits, increased block sizes, and enterprise applications for the only protocol to follow Satoshi’s original vision.
Business 8 February 2019
You’ve been warned: Bitcoin SV ecosystem vows zero tolerance for illegal content
The BSV ecosystem is standing firm that bad actors or groups attempting to abuse the chain for illegal purposes will not be tolerated.
Events 4 February 2019
Japan Blockchain Conference 2019: Bitcoin SV will become world’s new data network, storage carrier
Bitcoin SV has now opened up a whole new world of uses and is set to become the world’s data network and storage carrier after a single, no- hard-fork-needed change within the Bitcoin blockchain protocol was made last week.
Tech 24 January 2019
Scaling tests show Bitcoin SV handling sustained 64MB blocks for 24 hours
The latest results on the Bitcoin SV Scaling Test Network (STN) show that it is capable of handling the generation of 64MB blocks over 24 hours straight.
Business 21 January 2019
Crypto payment portal Coinify adds Bitcoin SV to portfolio
The European-based cryptocurrency payment gateway announced that it has added BSV to its portfolio, allowing online merchants to accept the crypto directly or have it changed to a local currency.
Interviews 16 January 2019
Bitcoin SV in 2019: An Interview with Jimmy Nguyen
After enabling Bitcoin SV on their algorithmic trading platform last month, the SFOX team was honored to interview Jimmy Nguyen, the CEO of nChain Group, Founding President of bComm Association, and global ambassador for Bitcoin SV.
Events 15 January 2019
Pause Fest official side event ‘The Future of Bitcoin’ tackles how Bitcoin’s next 10 years will play out
To gain more insights into the next decade in Bitcoin and blockchain, join the Pause Fest official side panel event, titled “The Future of Bitcoin,” which will be held on February 7.
Events 14 January 2019
Look into the future of blockchain in 2019 and beyond with Faiā ‘The Great Reset’
New marketing and consulting firm Faiā has organized a night of in-depth talks around the future of blockchain as part of its Singapore launch on February 1. The Great Reset will bring together leaders in the crypto and blockchain space to answer questions like why on-chain scaling must happen sooner than later.
Tech 10 January 2019
ElectrumSV introduces desktop wallet option for Bitcoin SV
The bComm Association has announced that yet announced the new ElectrumSV wallet will join the BitcoinSV fold, supporting the only Bitcoin that follows Satoshi’s vision.
Press Releases 10 January 2019
ElectrumSV Wallet Released for Bitcoin SV (BSV), the Original Bitcoin
The bComm Association announces the ElectrumSV wallet for Bitcoin SV (BSV), the rebirth of the original Bitcoin. ElectrumSV is a conversion – for the Bitcoin SV blockchain - of the popular Electrum wallet for Bitcoin.
Business 10 January 2019
Satoshi Vision lives on with Bitcoin SV—the original Bitcoin
What is Bitcoin SV (BSV)? It’s the original Bitcoin, the only cryptocurrency that follows the original Satoshi Vision for Bitcoin.


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While Midwesterners know that Casey’s pizza trumps many other slices in the box, the regional convenience store is always ready and wanting to give its consumers more. After a hugely successful beer cheese breakfast pizza partnership with Busch Beer, Casey’s is tripling down with a new pizza that delivers both flavor and value. Can you handle Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni, Casey’s Triple Pepperoni Pizza?
As the name suggests, the Casey’s limited-time-only Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni pizza features three types of pepperoni. Each pizza has piled layers of crispy-cupping pepperoni, deli-style pepperoni, and traditional pepperoni. By combining the three styles of pepperoni on Casey’s made-from-scratch dough, the offering has everyone craving that first bite.
Ahead of the new Triple Pepperoni Pizza announcement, FoodSided spoke with Tom Brennan, Casey’s Chief Merchandising Officer, regarding the launch, the importance of the company’s food innovation pipeline, and making value a priority for its consumers. While the brand has inherent customer loyalty, the company appreciates that it wants to be innovative as well as excite and delight consumers.
With this new Triple Pepperoni Pizza, Brennan shared that this new offering has come from its food innovation pipeline. In response to the fact that four out of five people prefer pepperoni, Brennan said that the team wanted to find ways to innovate on that pizza topping preference.
Specifically, they looked at two areas, abundance and variety. Looking at the triple pepperoni pizza, Casey’s captures that perfectly. While every bite has pepperoni, it is more than just one note. From flavor to texture, the three types of pepperoni ensure a total eating experience.
Given that Pepperoni, Pepperoni, Pepperoni has that topping in every bite, the abundance factor was achieved, but the Casey’s team did not stop there. The variety adds to a more robust flavor. Deli pepperoni is different from traditional pepperoni. Plus, pepperoni cups have their own special texture when cooked. Similar to how a chef creates a dish that hits not just the tastes, but also textures, a slice of this pizza offers total eating satisfaction.
While the Casey’s food innovation pipeline is pushing the popular pizza brand, one core statement seems to drive the process. As Brennan said, he wants to surprise and delight his guests. Sure, there are many people who will make a special visit to get that breakfast pizza, it is more than just one unique offering. It is the excitement and satisfaction that comes with serving that pizza on the table.
Although the brand is aware of various industry factors that influence how, what, and when new products come to market, the reality is that the goal is to always fulfill and satisfy them. Brennan believes that everything fundamentally starts with the guest. Delivering them the best product at a valuable price is a win for everyone involved.
Brennan appreciates that consumers have come to appreciate economic influences and even the impact of shrinkflation, but he believes that the consumer’s wants and needs can be balanced by the products coming through the food innovation pipeline. While a number might not be a consideration during the development process, he is confident that the new Casey’s offerings will hit that sweet spot of great flavor, consumer excitement, and inherent value.
Given the new triple pepperoni pizza would garner excitement during any launch time, the decision to bring this new pizza to consumers before the height of the college basketball season gives the brand another opportunity to its surprise and delight customer base. The event is a pizza gathering occasion. From the overall popularity of pepperoni as a topping to the heartier bite that this option offers, it can satisfy a crowd who is gathered to watch those games.
For people who are hungry for that first slice of Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni Pizza (aka the Triple Pepperoni Pizza), it is available March 1 through June 20. A large pizza retails for $16.99.
And for the ultimate game watching combination, take a slice of advice from Brennan, who’s favorite pizza is the Breakfast Pizza, which is available all day. It is a unique offering that is a top choice with many Casey’s fans. Why not order the Breakfast Pizza and the new Triple Pepperoni for the ultimate combo. It might not guarantee a win for your alma mater during the college basketball playoffs, but it will satisfy everyone gathered around the table.


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In the wake of the death of George Floyd, after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was in custody, and the protests that have ensued, countless brands have taken to social media to publicize their solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and amplify the voices of black creators.
Beauty brands in particular have stepped up to support the movement. At least 60 brands, such as Augustinus Bader, Glossier and UOMA Beauty, have donated or taken action.
But because of the industry’s dynamics and past, beauty brands are in a unique position—and have a unique responsibility.
“The beauty industry has a moral responsibility, having embedded and perpetuated unrealistic beauty ideals for so long,” said Melanie McShane, senior director of strategy at Siegel+Gale.
Consumers are demanding the industry make an active effort to diversify staff and ensure their activism is more than just a public relations stunt or fleeting trend. This comes from internalizing the messages of racial justice organizations and recognizing the connection between beauty standards and equality.
Correcting social injustices
On Sunday, Glossier became one of the first major brands across all industries to announce it would donate $500,000 to six racial justice organizations, as well as $500,000 in grants to black-owned beauty businesses, to make an impact on its own industry. The brand also created a #BLM Instagram Story highlight with resources on how to take action.
Although making financial donations is a start, many brands have acknowledged that their work is far from over.
On June 2, Nail care company Olive & June announced its plans to donate $10,000 to Color of Change, but founder and CEO Sarah Gibson Tuttle knows she must continue to play a role in the fight for racial justice.
“This is a really important moment in history that is inspiring us to not just donate for one day, but look at all of the aspects of our business and hold ourselves accountable for being a part of the change,” she said. “We will find more ways to highlight resources and amplify voices within the Black community, especially in the beauty and entrepreneur spaces.”
Skin care brand Augustinus Bader donated to Black Lives Matter, the Innocence Project and the NAACP, according to co-founder and CEO Charles Rosier. In May, Augustinus Bader also pledged to donate 12,000 units of its Rich Cream, which retails for $265, to hospitals worldwide in response to Covid-19. Rosier emphasized the importance of not limiting his brand’s donation efforts to one cause in order to cater to the ever-changing needs of society.
Brands have also acknowledged that actively supporting these organizations and recognizing the causes that consumers care about is one of the best ways to build community.
“It’s great to see different types of corporations and industries trying to become more in tune with what is happening in our communities,” Rosier said. “The beauty message isn’t just about superficiality—it’s about connecting with everyone and our community. Just like we are concerned about the spread of Covid, we are also concerned about the spread of racial injustice.”
Holding beauty brands accountable
Sharon Chuter, the CEO of UOMA Beauty, took to Instagram Wednesday to demand that over the next 72 hours, other brands disclose the number of Black people they have employed in corporate and leadership roles. She asked that her followers withhold purchases until the information is released.


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The impact of climate change on future crop production will depend on the impact on mean yields and on the incidence and scale of extreme outcomes. More frequent droughts, heatwaves, and floods due to climate change could severely disrupt the world's food supply. We are participating in an international scientific task force on extreme weather and global food system resilience. The goal is to assess the impact of extreme weather upon the global food chain and offers recommendations on how to mitigate the potential damage from future crises.
The task for has released its findings in a new report. The report assessed the impact of extreme weather upon the global food chain and offers recommendations on how to mitigate the potential damage from future crises.
Our research on "once-in-a-century" food threats -- which we found may become as frequent as once every decade by the 22nd century -- is a prominent feature of the report's warnings, which additionally highlight the concentration of the world's most important crops (maize, soybeans, wheat, and rice) in very few countries, which could exacerbate the damage if extreme weather hits one or more of these regions. An increasingly global market for agricultural products offers protection against small, local food shortages, but may actually increase vulnerability for global shocks, the report also concludes.
“It is likely that the effects of climate change will be felt most strongly through the increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, heatwaves and floods and their impact on the production and distribution of food – something we almost take for granted," said Professor Tim Benton of the Global Food Security program, in a news release on the report. “This study presents a plausible scenario for how the food system might be impacted by extreme weather, alongside a series of recommendations that should help policy and business plan for the future. Action is urgently needed to understand risks better, improve the resilience of the global food system to weather-related shocks and to mitigate their impact on people.”
Recommendations in the primary report include more research to understand the risks and "worst case scenarios" of future extreme weather, improved coordination between governments on how to handle such food supply shocks, improving the resilience of international markets, and adapting agriculture to expected climate change to protect crops.
In addition to the primary findings, we also co-authored "Annex A" of the report, which focused on Climate and Global Food Production Shocks. We studied the relationship between weather and historical food production shocks (such as the "Dust Bowl" drought of the 1930s), then used crop-climate models to simulate present-day or near-future extreme events.
The report highlights the extreme concentration of certain globally-important crops. For example, almost 60% of the world's maize is grown in the United States and China. For soybeans, 80% of the global supply is farmed in just three countries: the U.S., Brazil, and Argentina. A severe drought in any of these countries, even if it only decreases crop production by 10%, would likely have dramatic consequences for the rest of the world. However high-resolution climate model runs are needed to better quantify the risk of extreme events and food shocks.
Phase II of this project launches in Fall 2015 and will focus on multiple bread-basket failure.


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Canton indoor Farmers’ Markets returns next week
Mar. 14, 2022 PLYMOUTH EAGLE.
Plymouth Michigan News
The Canton Farmers Market will return with special Off-Season Markets at the Summit on the Park community recreation center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20, and April 24.
A variety of local food growers and producers have signed on to participate in these Off-Season Farmers Markets, including: Baubles by Barb, featuring handmade jewelry; Bittersweet Garden & Bakery, featuring a variety of baked goods; Blue Lilac Skincare, featuring skincare items; Boblin Honey – featuring honey; Deliteacious, featuring loose leaf teas and tea gift sets; Jessica’s Confectionery, featuring chocolates and baked treats; Kapnick Orchards, featuring cold storage produce and baked goods; Kapolnek Farms, featuring a variety of meat; One Tough Cookie, featuring decorated sugar cookies; Pick Michigan featuring greenhouse produce; Sign Woodworks, featuring home and festive holiday signs and decorations; Spice Grrrl, featuring organic spices, teas and salts; STEAP, featuring loose leaf teas; The Cheese People of Grand Rapids, featuring a variety of cheeses; and The Rustic Red Head, featuring candles.
“Every winter we look forward to hosting our monthly off-season markets at the Summit on the Park to provide convenient access to our vendors,” said Canton Health and Wellness Specialist Jennifer Franz. “Now more than ever we are glad that we’re able to help support these local farmers and crafters who provide access to healthy food sources and unique items.”
Bridge Card and Double Up Food Bucks transactions will also be accepted. Tokens may be purchased at the Canton Leisure Services table. Market-goers are encouraged to enter through the banquet doors. Social distancing will be required when shopping in the market area and face masks will be highly recommended.
All of these indoor Off-Season Farmers Markets will pick up where the outdoor regular season of the Canton Farmers Market left off. The new season of the outdoor Canton Farmers Market will re-open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sunday, May 8, and will continue every Sunday through Oct. 16 in Preservation Park, located at 500 N. Ridge Road, Canton, MI, 48187.
For additional Canton Farmers Market information, visit www.canton-mi.org/496, contact the Farmers Market Coordinator at email@example.com or call (734) 394-5375.
The Summit on the Park is located at 46000 Summit Parkway in Canton, MI, 48188.