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AUGUSTA, Ga. — After inspections revealed recalled products remain on some grocers’ shelves, Castleberry’s Food Co. here is urging retailers to be diligent in identifying and discarding items that are subject to its recent recall. “Our primary focus is making sure that no potentially contaminated products are on grocery shelves, in peoples’ homes or in emergency food supplies,” said Steve Mavity, senior vice president of technical services and quality assurance for Castleberry’s, in a statement. “Surveys by our own audit team, as well as those by inspectors from federal, state and local health agencies, confirm that some retail outlets, especially smaller independent and convenience stores, may still have recalled products available for sale. We are renewing our warning not to sell, open or consume these products.” Castleberry’s instituted the recall on July 18 due to the risk of botulism, a potentially life-threatening illness. The company broadened the scope of its recall on July 21 and has temporarily ceased production in its plant here, where it is suspected that there was a processing problem on one of the facility’s canning lines.
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domain: news


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Kayode Alfred’s fashion line, The Aristocrat, is set to launch the Green with envy collections ahead of the kick-off of summer.
The Aristocrat’s splashes of the ordinary and the extraordinary, one to pamper clientele and another to improve their tastes has berthed The Green With Envy Collections.
With the launch very imminent, the plan is to harmonise the company’s anniversary with the new development.
Thus, with the new collections, customers will now be able to access Aristocrat Clothings across Nigeria and even in Ghana, especially via the company’s partner, Twice as Nice.
The 2020 Green With Envy Collections is just a new phase in the advancement of Aristocrat clothing and the business goals of Kayode Alfred.
The development is also primed towards reaching far beyond the African continent. In a little while, folks from America and London—and indeed all of Europe—will be able to walk down their respective blocks and buy the signature Aristocrat casual wears and face-caps from Aristocrat clothing stores.
To say that the journalist-turned-fashion merchant is extraordinary is to downplay matters. Whenever asked, the genius of penmanship and refinement always deflects the praises and encomium to God, to an awesome crew, and a mission to see simplicity and elegance at the height of clothing and fashioning.


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Lexus Japan has gone full James Bond with their new commercial for the updated 2017 IS F SPORT:
Comments are closed.
Lexus USA pulls out all the stops in its latest performance commercial.
It's the first appearance of the refreshed SUV since its April debut.
A JDM upgrade for the freshly updated hybrid hatchback.
Owner updates from Lexus Enthusiast editor Kevin Watts.


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The Colony Meadery was awarded a gold and two bronze medals at The Mazer Cup, an international mead competition held this past weekend in Colorado.
Colony Meadery Allentown and Bethlehem Holiday Hours
The Colony Meadery Announces New York State Distribution
The Colony Meadery's Black mead is back on Black Friday for a limited time. The popular blackberry-blackcurrant mead is rich, dark and complex and released in very small batches every so often.
The Colony Meadery, the Lehigh Valley’s award-winning producer of fermented honey, recently announced a partnership with Stroudsburg’s Banter’s Hard Cider that will result in a chance for more customers to try each company’s beverages.
We know, we know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet and we're already talking about Holiday Markets? But, think about it this way, if we didn't plan ahead, then you might not get the best mead for your holiday parties, right?


text: BT surprised many when it confirmed it's currently in talks to buy back mobile operator O2, nearly 10 years after it sold the company to Telefonića. However, the telecoms giant said at the time that it wasn't interested in just one carrier. Rumours suggested that EE is the other subject of BT's affections, and sure enough those predictions were spot on. In a move to clear things up, Orange and Deutsche Telekom (50/50 owners of the UK's biggest mobile operator), today confirmed that they are engaged in "highly preliminary exploratory discussions with BT" over a possible sale. Its owners say they are keen to maximise value for shareholders while strengthening EE's market position, but say it's currently "too early to state whether any transaction may occur."


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ICC: Counterfeits to reach $1.7 trillion by Æ15
The International Chamber of Commerce released a report at the 6th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy on Wednesday that reported the global economic and social impacts of counterfeiting and piracy will reach $1.7 trillion by 2015 and put 2.5 million legitimate jobs at risk each year.
The report updates a 2008 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report that showed more than $250 billion in counterfeit and pirated goods move through international trade alone. The new ICC study also examines additional impacts not quantified in the OECD report. These include the value of domestically produced and consumed counterfeit products, the value of digital piracy, and the negative impacts on society, governments and consumers.
'By filling in the gaps left by the OECD, we have been able to paint a more comprehensive picture of the negative economic and social impacts of counterfeiting and piracy,' said Jeffrey Hardy, coordinator of the ICC Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative, in a statement.
The report shows that based on 2008 data, the total global economic and social impacts of counterfeit and pirated products are as much as $775 billion every year. This includes impacts of lost tax revenue and higher government spending on law enforcement and health care. The figure is estimated to more than double to $1.7 trillion by 2015, due in part to rapid increases in physical counterfeiting and piracy as measured by reported customs seizures and greater worldwide access to high speed Internet and mobile technologies, the report noted.
The report also indicates that international trade in fakes accounts for more than half of counterfeiting and piracy, and could grow to as much as $960 billion by 2015. Domestic production and consumption will account for between $370 billion and $570 billion, and digitally pirated music, movies and software for as much as $240 billion in 2015.
Furthermore, the report highlights that counterfeiters and pirates operate outside the law, which makes estimating the extent of counterfeiting and piracy and the harm these activities cause 'extremely challenging.'
'No one report or approach will yield a complete picture or provide all the answers but we've attempted to examine the measurement of this illegal activity in a more comprehensive way than has been done to date, and to develop methodologies that others can now use for more completely and accurately estimating the economic and social impacts of counterfeiting and piracy,' said Damien O'Flaherty, senior associate at Frontier Economics, the consulting firm that produced the report.
To read the full report, please visit: http://www.iccwbo.org/bascap/index.html?id=40991


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Riding bikes in the Nordic Countries is much more than a trend. It is a habit in Europe for a long time already. This lifestyle is part of an urban revolution, supported by the local government, committed to sustainability. Copenhagen is like a paradise on two wheels, that has been growing a lot in the last years.
All the pioneers cities, like Amsterdam, Stockholm and Copenhagen have now became an example for cities such as Paris, New York, Berlin and London, by generating a whole new bike culture. That is why it is no longer surprising to see baby wagons attached to the mother’s bike, elder people carrying their groceries in the bike basket, executives wearing suits, as well as the beautiful girls wearing high heels and even retouching their make up as they wait for the green sign. These are all abilities that the cyclists have been developing as the summer comes and goes and the number of supporters increases.
The quality of life in Copenhagen has been changing, the consumption is being rethought, the car status now has its place taken by this transportation which is part of the life of Scandinavians and other Europeans. It has gotten greater importance and nowadays it is one of the main issues, along with tolerance, education and health, since this is a sustainable and healthy way of moving around, besides it is a trend!
Some of the most famous brands included bicycles in their collections; these are totally into their concepts: they are beautiful and trendy.
It is also worth it to take a look at the video “Bicycle Design” made by monocle.com. Both fashion and the planet thanks!
“As the concept of urban mobility gains momentum, bike manufacturers are harnessing the world’s best industrial designers to re-invent locomotion on two wheels. Monocle’s Sarah Balmond reports on design innovation in Copenhagen and Hong Kong.”
“Bycicle Design” by Monocle.com
Photo bike Kenzo by Guillaume Mallheiro
Translation by Marina Pandeló Paiva


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LONDON, United Kingdom — Amazon Inc. and the British government have announced a partnership to test the e-commerce giant’s aerial drone parcel delivery system after run-ins over the technology’s use.
Supervised by the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, the trial will test beyond so-called line-of-sight operations, the drones’ ability to identify and avoid obstacles and the level of operator success in flying multiple drones at once, Amazon said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We want to enable the innovation that arises from the development of drone technology by safely integrating drones into the overall aviation system,” Tim Johnson, policy director at the CAA, said in the statement. “These tests by Amazon will help inform our policy and future approach.”
In April, a UK government official criticised Amazon for not providing guidance about the safe operation of drones to customers. The company responded by saying such information was included on its website. Also that month, a British Airways pilot landing at London’s Heathrow airport reported a drone had struck the airplane, an incident that has not been confirmed, although a number of near-misses in 2015 were acknowledged.
Amazon, which is trying to reduce its dependence on logistics companies such as UPS and FedEx Corp., applauded the UK for allowing drone delivery to move forward. “The UK is charting a path forward for drone technology that will benefit customers, industry and society,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president of global innovation policy and communications.
The partnership with the UK came a month after the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration finalised the first operational rules for commercial use of drones that require pilots to keep the unmanned aircraft within line of sight.
By Gwen Ackerman; editors: Nate Lanxon and Kristen Schweizer.


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Data Privacy Day is an initiative of the National Cyber Security Alliance started in 2008 in United States and Canada. Now it is celebrated also in Europe and its purpose is to raise awareness among Internet surfers, social media fans, online gamers, online shoppers…so pretty much all of those who use the Internet, about the importance of their personal information privacy.
We are big fans of data security, so we encourage you to do the following for at least one day OR starting from today:
1. Stop sharing so much personal information on your Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc. account. Hackers can use that information and you might find out one day your online identity is robbed, your passwords don’t match anymore, or even worse, your bank account is empty. Not to mention the creepy stalkers outside your house, who, of course, found out where you live from Facebook…
2. Change your passwords and do not assume that using the same strong password on all your online accounts is enough. Use alphanumeric passwords, but not “pasword1234″.
3. Use a special card for online transactions. There are options like disposable cards, or weekly withdrawal limits you can set with your bank.
4. Encrypt your data on USB sticks or other portable storage devices. Losing such a small device where you surely have important data is very frustrating. At least no one will be able to access your data once they find your USB stick.
5. Don’t forget about your mobile devices: smartphones and tablets. They need protection as much as your laptop or desktop does. Don’t download suspicious apps and use AdBlock software to avoid annoying popup ads that could also carry malware.
This is it from us, but the guys from National Cyber Security Alliance have more advices and you can find them on:
The Kansas Department on Aging has recently reported a hardware theft that caused a data breach affecting about 7,000 of its customers. A laptop, a flash drive and paper files were stolen out of an employee’s vehicle, putting thousands of senior customers at risk.
The stolen files contained personal and protected health information belonging mainly to customers located in Sedgwick, Harvey, and Butler counties. The theft was immediately reported to the Wichita Police Department. The Kansas Department on Aging says it is cooperating with the police, but the stolen hardware has not yet been recovered. Read more
A data breach affecting 1.8 million customers of two New York utilities companies has recently been made public by the New York State Public Service Commission. The investigation into this data breach was initiated after an employee from a third party IT company contracted by New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) was given unauthorized access to the company’s databases.
It is not clear if accessing the customer databases had any malicious intent, both affected companies claiming there was no proof of any data having been misused as a consequence of the breach. But, to stay on the safe side, they have decided to send out notifications regarding the data access, as it exposed Social Security Numbers, dates of birth and financial account information, as shown in the official press release sent out by the NY Commission. Read more
Mid-August seems to have been the perfect time for a fresh increase in hacking incidents that lead to sensitive data being lost or exposed. Maybe the security incidents have been powered by all the news on Anonymous and LuizSec of late, or maybe companies still don’t know what they’re facing. The truth is the simplest hacks seem to get straight to the sensitive information they store on their projects, their partners and mostly their clients.
The first such incident targeted Epson Korea, where a website hack managed to compromise the details of about 350,000 customers. The data accessed by hackers included names, user IDs, passwords and resident registration numbers. Read more
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development issued a warning for school districts across the state announcing that a computer hard drive containing information on 90,000 students was stolen from Juneau.The Juneau Police Department is currently investigating the theft.
“Alaska law requires government agencies that collect personal information to notify you if your information is lost or stolen,” Commissioner Mike Hanley wrote in a news release. “This theft has unfortunately resulted in the release of some of your personal information to an unauthorized third party.”
Personal information such as names, birth dates, id numbers and more could have been accessed with the help of the stolen equipment. Read more
Printed, stored on computers or on flash drives, your data is just not safe. Your personal details that you entrust to companies you work with, doctors and other third parties will just end up exposed. If you are lucky enough, they might get in the hands of someone who won’t use your address, social security number or card details to harm you on their quest to get fast and easy money. If you’re unlucky, your accounts will just turn empty one day, your identity will be used to commit felonies or crimes and you will have years of paperwork and bad credit records in front of you.
Let’s check the recent data breach news. We have a stolen computer that contained names, ages, addresses and medical conditions of 700 children. Next come rushing in: backup tapes and other media containing cord blood bank customer information stolen from car, which ended up exposing about 300,000 records; and 113 patients’ names and Medicare numbers on a document stolen from a vehicle… Read more
Four women living in the Waco area have been charged and arrested as a result of their conspiracy to commit identity theft. They have developed a scheme scheme involving stolen Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas (FAST) applications required by licensing and certification entities such as the Texas Education Agency.
A seven count federal grand jury indictment, that was unsealed yesterday afternoon, charges 32-year-old Angela Cuellar, 38-year-old Yolanda Ramos, 33-year-old Diane Rivera and 29-year-old Christine Elifritz with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft. Angela Cuellar has also been charged with six substantive aggravated identity theft counts while Elifritz and Ramos, with only one aggravated identity theft count. Read more
Graves also changed the home addresses of bank customers to New York addresses in order for Reid to be able to retrieve the goods she had purchased from high end retails stores, using the stolen accounts. Read more
Panic grows among 7,000 students that are attending City College of New York as this week they have been notified by the school’s officials that a laptop theft may cause public exposure of their private details, including names and social security numbers.
The computer was stolen a couple of weeks ago, according to a post published by the Educational Security Incidents (ESI) blog. The data of the computer was not encrypted, but only password protected. CCNY officials found no evidence that any of the data has been used for identity theft or other illegal endeavors. Read more
New York-based Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center is the center of attention in security news after exposing sensitive patient information. The lost data was the result of a failed FedEx delivery – CDs with unencrypted data was sent to the Center but never made it to its destination.
The lost data included medical and psychological diagnoses and procedures for over 130 000 patients, as stated in an official notification. An investigation trying to locate the missing CDs was launched back in April, but it failed to recover the data: names, addresses, social security numbers medical record numbers, dates of birth and more, enough for any half-decent identity thief to have a blast.
According to the Register, Licoln is at least note alone in this mess:
Lincoln’s notification to the US Department of Health website came the same day officials at the University of Maine said sensitive details for 4,585 individuals who sought services at the school’s counseling center have been stolen by hackers who compromised two servers. The exposed data included names, clinical information and social security numbers for people who used the service over an eight-year span ending last week.
Other medical facilities to fess up to losing patient data in the past 24 hours, according to the Department of Health website, include Silicon Valley Eyecare Optometry and Contact Lenses, with 40,000 people affected, Kentucky’s Our Lady of Peace Hospital, with 24,600 affected, and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, which affected 60,000.


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Barracuda and CompTIA are hosting a global MSP virtual event today to celebrate MSPs during these difficult times. MSPs continue to do amazing work, keeping the economy going across the globe. While economies are not what they were a few short months ago, there is no question that things would be demonstrably worse were it not for the efforts of MSPs to help millions of businesses pivot to maintain operations during the pandemic crisis.
Today's virtual event will not only celebrate these successes, it will also share fresh information CompTIA on trends in the industry, results of an evolving landscape survey and much more.
If you're an MSP and have not registered for this event, you can register at this link.


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In our pick of the UK car-related events coming up in 2016, published last week on The Root, we mentioned the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which happened this month, over the ‘pond’ in Las Vegas. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to have figured out that the CES is all about electronics. A show covering all areas of industry and innovation, we’re naturally mainly interested in the amazing car technology that was showcased, with a focus on smaller cars – but we’ll throw in a few heart-racing ones, too.
VOLVO has teamed up with Microsoft to work on wearable voice control technology for cars. Although it won’t initially result in conversational interaction like David Hasselhoff had with KITT in the Knight Rider TV shows, the Microsoft Band 2 remote control watches will let drivers of compatible Volvos turn on heaters and engines, push appointment addresses from their watches to the in-car sat nav systems, and lock the doors in case they forgot. It’s just a shame something equivalent to Tesla’s ‘summon’ command hasn’t been mentioned by Volvo, allowing a driver to instruct their their car to start up by itself and come and meet them at the supermarket pick-up bay, for example.
HARMAN, a leading in-car infotainment manufacturer, has also joined forces with Microsoft in a collaboration that will see Microsoft Office 365 cloud-based software integrated into cars, letting businesspeople listen to email replies on the move as well as organise meetings, input tasks and join conference calls more easily.
HARMAN is also developing an eye and pupil monitoring system which, using a camera pointed at the driver, will determine if they are becoming too tired, distracted or even over-stimulated, impairing their ability to drive safely.
VOLKSWAGEN revealed some amazingly cool technology at CES 2016 in relation to one of its latest concepts, the BUDD-e. A van-like people carrier, it’ll run on pure electricity, be switchable between autonomous and human driving and will incorporate four-wheel drive, a futuristic interior more like a lounge, and a whole array of impressive connectivity, enabling BUDD-e owners to turn their homes’ central heating systems on, boil kettles, switch lights on and off and perform many other tasks all from the vehicle. Gestures will control everything from opening the BUDD-e’s doors to switching between sat nav and audio systems.
BMW is another car manufacturer that is constantly daydreaming about what interiors of the near future may look and work like. At CES 2016, they revealed AirTouch, which will be brilliant for germaphobes like me. Part of the firm’s ‘i Vision Future’, it will allow the massive colour screen on the dashboard to be used without touching it, simply by using hand movements. Working in a ‘3D’ way, AirTouch will make it easy to click buttons, tick boxes and slide volume controls up and down using hand gestures.
As part of BMW’s pursuit of technology, wing mirrors may also become old hat, as showcased by their i8 Spyder concept, which instead of mirrors uses three cameras, positioned on each door and on the rear window, feeding data to a screen situated where the rear-view mirror would normally be. The benefit of computers taking over the job of old-fashioned mirrors is that they can calculate distances and judge hazards better than humans, drivers kept safer as a result.
CHEVROLET proudly showed off the Bolt at CES 2016. It’s an electric car for the masses, costing less than $30,000. This is pretty reasonable considering that it can actually survive driving a fair few miles without running out of juice, its 200-mile range much better than a Nissan LEAF. It’s strange how it won’t be sold in the UK for the time being, but maybe once Chevrolet sees how well it sells in the US, it’ll change its mind.
Leaving some of you with mouths wide open, Carrot’s Consumer Electronics Show 2016 roundup ends with the Faraday Future FFZERO1 concept. Faraday Future is a new American company intent on overtaking current electric vehicle (EV) leaders Tesla by introducing some fantastic cars in the next couple of years. The FFZERO1 only has one seat, produces a whopping maximum of 1,000bhp from electricity, has a top speed in excess of 200mph and can reach 60mph in less than 2 seconds. Styled like something from a Batman film, it has an interior that is just as incredible, with a smartphone embedded into the middle of the steering wheel.


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GENEVA — Spurred by the solid gains of major Asian economies, global trade volume is projected to expand 13.5 percent in 2010, which would represent the biggest increase since 1950, the World Trade Organization said Monday.
The trade growth forecast is an increase from the 9.5 percent gain WTO economists forecast in March. Overall, the WTO estimates exports from developing nations will grow 16.5 percent and shipments from rich nations will expand 11.5 percent.
The economists said “if the forecast holds,” by the end of this year, global trade should recover to be close to 2008 levels. Last year, world trade fell 12.2 percent, the biggest decline in more than six decades, as a result of the global recession.
WTO director-general Pascal Lamy said the rebound signaled improved economic activity worldwide and noted the surge in trade flows “provides the means to climb out of this painful economic recession and can help put people back to work.”
“It underscores, as well, the wisdom governments have shown in rejecting protectionism,” he said.


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Amazon has restricted the inventory storage limits for all the sellers conducting business on the marketplace. Infact, sellers even received an email saying – “Your products will no longer be subject to ASIN-level quantity limits. Instead, restock limits will be set at the storage-type level.”
As an Amazon seller, you must be curious to know everything related to this announcement and how this can impact the storefront owners in terms of Amazon inventory management. So, here’s a detailed overview of what Amazon is actually up to and what it means for the sellers intending to conduct their online business on the marketplace. But first, let us throw some light on what actually happened.


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Gross, gross, gross. Any Hot Pocket fans out there? Stop it, seriously. Nestle, the parent company of the glorified hand pies, is calling for a voluntary recall for two varieties of its Philly Steak & Cheese pockets because the company indirectly purchased meat via Rancho Feeding Corporation, which is undergoing its own recall of 8.7 million pounds of beef processed at the plant in 2013. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has asserted that Rancho “processed diseased animals” without a full inspection.
I've gotta say, Jim Gaffigan warned us about this.
(h/t to Miriam Sitz for the link)


text: NEW YORK, United States — When Sycamore Partners bought a big stake in Aeropostale Inc. in 2013 and then loaned it $150 million, the private equity firm was seen as a possible saviour for the teen- apparel chain.Some investors figured that Sycamore would eventually acquire the rest of Aeropostale, helping redeem a stock that has been tumbling since 2010. As part of the 2014 agreement to lend Aeropostale money, the investment firm brought on two board members and created a strategic partnership with clothing supplier MGF Sourcing.Two years later, that partnership is in tatters. Aeropostale is feuding with MGF, which is part of Sycamore, saying it’s disrupting its supply of merchandise. Sycamore’s directors, Stefan Kaluzny and Kent Kleeberger, have left the apparel company’s board. And Aeropostale is imploding. Its stock fell as much as 58 percent on Friday after the retailer posted a wider fourth-quarter loss and announced a plan to consider its strategic options.“Exploration of strategic alternatives may spell the beginning of the end,” Eric Beder, an analyst at Wunderlich Securities Inc., said in a report. The only likely buyer for Aeropostale is Sycamore, but the vendor dispute signals that the two partners are headed for “a far more tenuous relationship,” he said.Aeropostale shares fell as low as 20 cents in New York, marking their biggest intraday plunge in more than 13 years. Even before Friday’s rout, the stock was down 84 percent over the past year.Teen ShoppersThe company has lost favor with teen shoppers, and a broader decline in mall traffic has weighed on sales. Aeropostale’s net loss swelled to $21.7 million last quarter, from $13.5 million a year earlier. Sales fell 16 percent to $498 million, missing the $519.1 million predicted by analysts.The dispute with MGF is adding to Aeropostale’s woes. When Sycamore helped connect the two companies, it was seen as a way to diversify Aeropostale’s clothing production. But the retailer said on Thursday that MGF is disrupting its supply of merchandise and violating the terms of their agreement. The problem could widen losses by $5 million to $8 million if shipping delays continue, Aeropostale said.‘Hard to Interpret’In response, MGF Sourcing said it’s not in violation of its contract with Aeropostale. The vendor is protecting itself by reducing its payment terms in accordance with their agreement, a representative said.Sycamore’s motivations are “hard to interpret,” said Betty Chen, an analyst at Mizuho Securities.“Either Sycamore is trying to minimize their exposure in the company, or they’re thinking more strategically longer term about how they want to be involved in Aeropostale,” she said.If Aeropostale ultimately files for bankruptcy, a buyer like Sycamore could acquire the retailer at a lower price. But Chen doesn’t believe such a move is imminent, especially since Aeropostale has a revolving credit line to draw on.“Unless something dire happens, they have the financial viability, including the revolver, to operate through to 2017 and maybe 2018,” she said.By: Lindsey Rupp; editors: Nick Turner and Kevin Orland.


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Unfortunately for Nick, the fans wanted to see him chug!
Although, Nick managed to make slime look good!
Watch him chug (above) and get slimed (below)!
It can now be yours!!! If you have the cash, that is.
The dresses will be available for bidding on eBay for 10 days starting on November 27, and proceeds from the auction will benefit the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer fund.
Keep in mind that all the gowns were designed specifically for the girls and will be in their sizes.
But whether they fit you or not, you'll be owning a one-of-a-kind piece that touched a celebrity's skin!
And you really can't put a price on that.
[Image via Andres Otero/WENN.]
It's only been four months since the Met Gala, but planning for next year's soiree is already underway!
Today, Vogue even announced next year's theme, which will explore the influence of Chinese art and culture on Western fashions.
We wonder if Raf Simons will whip up something extra special for J.Law!
Called Chinese Whispers: Tales of the East in Art, Film, and Fashion, the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be prepared by the Costume Institute and the museum's Department of Asian Art, and will feature a look at the Asian-influenced designs of John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Laurence Xu, among many others.
We just hope attendees will keep things subtle. The risk of coming across as offensive seems rather high.
At least they have plenty of time to get it right!
Brilliant cover choice!
It also just so happens that Bey posted this same photo of her and RiRi on her Instagram about an hour ago!
[Image via Vogue]
This is TOO funny!!
Cara Delevingne is quite a mouthful (no pun intended), and definitely a lengthy number of letters to pronounce correctly when someone puts you on the spot!
Not only does Reese (perhaps drunkenly) slur Cara’s last name to the point of unrecognition, she also drops the F-bomb and even has difficulties pronouncing Cara’s four-letter first name!!
Totally understandable though… is it Cara or Cara??? LOLz!
But the BEST part is when Reese reveals one of her favorite things for a man to do in a pillow!! Naughty, naughty!!!
See the silly vid Miz Delevingne posted on Instagram — before deleting it — (above)!
We love this!
Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers yesterday to talk about the Met Gala and remind everyone that the Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibit at the Anna Wintour Costume Center opens today!
First of all, it's so evident from the video that SJP and La Wintour have an awesome relationship, and it's also a pleasant surprise to see that Anna is actually really sweet and funny when she wants to be!
Of course, she's still intimidating as hell, but it's nice to see a softer side once in a while!
The women also rank the men and their attempts at white-tie at the ball! Watch the video to see who Anna and SJP think definitely nailed the look.
Ch-ch-check it outt (above)!!!
[Image via Andres Otero/WENN.]
After the Met Gala, you’d think everyone would want to get some sleep!
But with an invite to the hottest after party around, a.k.a. Rihanna’s shindig, who could say no??
Among the attendees were Hollywood’s hottest like Bradley Cooper, Lupita Nyong’o, and even Leonardo DiCaprio made an appearance (and hopefully broke out some of his amazing dance moves) at the Up & Down nightclub!
While the official after party was over at the Boom Boom Room at The Standard hotel, many still made their way over to Rih’s bash. And they mostly showed up in groups!
Seems everyone had a date for the night — except RiRi!
That’s right! While even Kristen Stewart was able to
Welp. This is certainly an interesting alternative to wearing a ball gown!
Last night, an inside source dropped the news that Goop went to


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Stellantis plans $2.5 billion factory with battery supplier Samsung SDI
The parent company of Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, and more—Stellantis—has announced a joint-venture electric-vehicle battery plant with South Korea’s Samsung SDI, in Kokomo, Indiana. Due to start in 2025, the Indiana plant will create 1,400 jobs and will have an initial annual capacity of 23 gigawatt-hours, with aims to hit 33 GWh within several years. It’s a smaller plant than the one confirmed some weeks ago for Canada. “The total capacity would increase further as demand for Stellantis electric vehicles is expected to rise,” said the automaker, in a release about the Indiana plant.
Kokomo is already the site of a prolific, UAW-represented transmission plant, which was revamped less than a decade ago to build new-generation eight- and nine-speed transmissions, then restarted again recently to make engines. Stellantis said that it aims for 400 GWh of annual capacity by 2030, including two in North America. As the company outlined last summer, it plans to spend about $35. The investment is the latest in a long series of matches made between automakers and battery suppliers over the past two years.
Additionally, Hyundai revealed last week that it plans to make 300,000 EVs annually in Georgia, at a plant that will start producing vehicles in 2025; a companion battery plant is in the works, too, with a joint-venture partner yet to be announced. Samsung SDI was the supplier of cells for the BMW i3 and other formative electric vehicles, and it’s currently the primary supplier for Rivian.
Read full article at Green Car Reports


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Michael Moore had to undertake an odyssey to get there, but his “Fahrenheit 9/11” will be available to at least a million homes on pay-per-view Monday, the night before Election Day.
Three weeks ago, Moore had reached an agreement with the largest distributor of PPV events, In Demand, to carry the movie as the linchpin of a three-hour “Michael Moore Pre-Election Special.”
That deal fell apart a week later. Moore claimed the Republican Party had strong-armed In Demand into canceling the deal; company said it bowed out due to “legitimate business and legal concerns.” Analysts said In Demand got spooked by the furor over Sinclair Broadcasting’s plan to air “Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal,” an anti-Kerry docu, on all 62 of its stations the week before the election.
Hammered by stockholders and advertisers, Sinclair ended up scheduling a much more balanced program, using only brief excerpts from “Stolen Honor.”
With In Demand out of the picture, the owner of “Fahrenheit,” Bob and Harvey Weinstein’s Fellowship Adventure Group, has engineered a deal with Los Angeles-based TVN Entertainment to carry “Fahrenheit 9/11,” with no extras, for two runs Monday at 8 and 11 p.m. ET (5 and 8 p.m. PT). TVN is in the business of delivering PPV movies and events to cable systems owned by a number of operators in the U.S., including Comcast and Charter.
Neil Goldberg, senior VP of programming for TVN, was elated over the deal, saying he couldn’t remember ever getting his hands on a $120 million-grossing movie a month before its normal PPV window, which in the case of “Fahrenheit” begins Dec. 1.
Fellowship is insisting on a retail price of $9.95, which Goldberg regards as appropriate because of the early window and the pre-Election Day timing. Due to the closeness of the presidential race and the record number of people registered to vote, TVN said lots of subscribers may jump at the chance to buy “Fahrenheit.”
Saturation ad campaign
To make people aware of the “Fahrenheit” cablecast on such short notice, Goldberg said TVN will blanket its cable systems with ad slicks for use as newspaper ads and with 30-second spots for a saturation TV/cable advertising campaign over the weekend.
Goldberg said the Weinsteins are free to take the election eve showing of the movie to the two satellite-TV distributors in the U.S., DirecTV and EchoStar.
EchoStar is leaning strongly toward carrying the movie, although a company spokesman would say only that it has an affinity for pics that gross more than $100 million in U.S. multiplexes.
DirecTV nixes ‘9/11’
DirecTV also loves big-grossing theatricals, but a spokesman for the company said that it has passed on “Fahrenheit,” adding that political considerations had nothing to do with the decision. (Rupert Murdoch, an outspoken conservative, runs DirecTV.)
While EchoStar mulls its decision on “Fahrenheit,” the satcaster will carry the theatrical docus “George W. Bush: Faith in the White House” and “Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry” on PPV through Wednesday at a retail price of $3.99.


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Stock market resumes December upbeat as capitalization rises by N55b:
The equity market resumed December trading in an uptrend with market capitalisation increasing by N55 billion.
At the close of transactions yesterday, the All-Share Index (ASI) gained 105.48 absolute points, representing a growth of 0.30 per cent to close at 35,147.62 points. Read More
FG boosts rural electrification in Ebonyi, inaugurates 100KWP solar hybrid:
The Federal Government, in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has inaugurated a 100KWP solar hybrid mini-grid in Eka Awoke community in Ebonyi State.
Executed by Cloud Energy, an energy solutions provider, the project is targeted at addressing capacity shortages in Nigeria, especially in that area, which hitherto, was without electricity for a very long time. Read More
WHAT AFRICA CAN DO TO RECOVER ITS ECONOMY AS EXPERTS CALL ON G-20 FOR MORE DEBT SOLUTIONS:
Before the year 2020, about 40 percent of sub-Saharan African countries were already in or at risk of a debt crisis. The region began to experience its worse economic crisis owing to variety of factors. Chief among these factors that has plunged the continent in a debt web is “overborrowing.” However a recent report further indicates that African countries face another debt crisis. Read More
BlackBerry, Amazon team up on smart car software platform:
BlackBerry and Amazon on Tuesday announced an alliance to create a cloud computing platform that cars could link to for services and insights based on data from vehicles and users.
Word of plans for an Intelligent Vehicle Data Platform called “IVY” synching cars wirelessly to computing power at Amazon Web Services caused shares in Canada-based company to rev more than 50 percent to nearly nine dollars.


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After months of waiting and one delay due to #BlackLivesMatter protests, Sony's PlayStation 5 presentation will finally happen tomorrow.
There are many speculations on what we will see tomorrow, including if we will even see the console itself (PS5 design) or it will be primarily a PS5 games showcase, which is more likely to be the case.
Rumours claim that a new Silent Hill game will be PlayStation 5 exclusive(Picture: Konami)
Other possibilities are Horizon Zero Dawn 2, Demon Souls Remake, a new Gran Turismo game, and new games from Santa Monica (God of War) and Insomniac Games (Spider-Man).
This all sounds really exciting and we can't wait to watch the presentation tomorrow, but when it comes to console launches, a lot of people are first and foremost interested in one very important thing - how much will it cost?
DualSense controller has been revealed earlier this year(Picture: Sony)
How much will Sony's PlayStation 5 (PS5) cost?
And while the PlayStation 5 design might be revealed tomorrow, it's unlikely we'll see a price (unless a big surprise is in store).
Coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, but it looks like the price of the console has been leaked on Amazon UK, where a PlayStation 5 2TB placeholder listing says it's £599.99.
Not just that, it looks like someone was even able to preorder it, at least that's what user Ashmac claims on Houkdeals forum from where this leak originated.
There's also a listing of publishers for PlayStation 5, and it includes Konami, Bethesda, Rockstar, Koch/DeepSilver, Namco Bandai, EA, Microsoft, Sony, Take Two/2K, Warner, SEGA, Activision, and Ubisoft.
We should definitely take this with a grain of salt because it's unclear whether Amazon would actually know the price, or if it could be testing and preparing for tomorrow's big event.
Do you think £600 is expensive? Or do you think that PlayStation 5 will be worth that price? Let us know!


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That's all for tonight from the Business Live page. Please join us again from 06:00.
- Get in touch: email@example.com
- FTSE 100 dragged down by ex-dividend stocks
- Tui eyes Tunisia return
- Lego boss departs after eight months
- Co-op Bank cuts losses
US indexes closed lower as investors continued to fret over escalating tensions between the US and North Korea.
President Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his rhetoric on North Korea, saying his "fire and fury" comment might not be "tough enough."
"Maybe that statement wasn't tough enough," Trump told reporters as he prepared to meet with top national security advisers. "If anything, that statement may not be tough enough."
His comments came after North Korea said it was completing plans to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the US Pacific island territory of Guam, in an unusually detailed threat.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.9% at 21,844.01 and the S&P 500 was down 1.5% at 2,438.21. The Nasdaq Composite lost 2.1% to 6,216.87.
A fascinating piece in the FT digs into a San Francisco fashion among entrepreneurs for taking microdoses of LSD.
At a small dose, the illegal hallucinogen stimulates the mind, rather than causing a full-blown acid trip, the entrepreneurs claim.
They take it as an alternative to coffee as a bit of a pick-me-up, apparently.
And it certainly seems to explain some of the impenetrable, jargon-heavy press statements issued by Silicon Valley firms, too.
She may be only 20, but Kylie Jenner may soon have a beauty business worth more than a billion dollars.
For the first time, the youngest Kardashian-Jenner has revealed how much money her Kylie Cosmetics brand makes.
In an interview with WWD, Kylie and her mum Kris Jenner revealed she's made $420m (£323m) in retail sales in 18 months.
Her cosmetics brand has outsold established companies like Bobbi Brown and Lancome.
Investors in troubled Soundcloud want to replace its chief executive as part of a new funding deal, according to tech publication Recode.
Kerry Trainor, the former chief executive of video-sharong website Vimeo, would run SoundCloud instead of founder Alex Ljung (pictured left), who would chair the company’s board, Recode says.
US President Donald Trump has said that perhaps his statements on North Korea haven't been tough enough, according to reports.
North Korea should be "very, very nervous" if it does anything to the US, Mr Trump reportedly said.
Global markets have been on the wane due to escalating tensions between the US and North Korea.
US President Donald Trump doesn't yet have enough legal firepower behind him to deal with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.
Mr Trump's lawyers are competent, but there aren't yet enough of them to deal with Mr Mueller, the article says.
Ride-hailing firm Uber's head of operations, Ryan Graves, a long-time ally of former chief executive Travis Kalanick, is stepping down from his full-time job, CNBC reports.
Mr Graves will, however, continue to serve on Uber's board, it said.
Dulux-owner Akzo Nobel doesn't have to let shareholders vote on whether to dismiss its chairman, a Dutch court has ruled.
It's another victory for the paint company against activist investor Elliott Advisors, which is Akzo's largest shareholder.
The activist investor, which has a 9.5% stake, holds chairman Antony Burgmans responsible for Akzo's rejection of a 26bn euro (£23.56bn) takeover proposal from US rival PPG Industries earlier this year and wants him dismissed.
The social media giant's Watch service will offer shows ranging from comedy to sports.
It could signal a shift from Facebook being a technology company to a media firm, as we hear from Mark Scott, the chief technology correspondent at Politico.
BBC Radio 5 live
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is investigating the importation of around 700,000 eggs from potentially contaminated Dutch farms, has told 5 live why it decided to withdraw some products from supermarkets despite saying the risk to health was "very unlikely".
Steve Wearne, Director of Policy at the FSA, said: "We think people deserve food they can trust and part of that is not having to eat food that's got chemicals in it that aren’t authorised, and that's the case with this. It's not supposed to be in food."
Eleven products containing egg - including sandwiches and salads - have been withdrawn from supermarkets. Asda, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Morrisons are affected.
Mr Wearne added: "We've been working closely with UK industry to trace eggs up and down the food chain and that's helped us to come to this new figure: 700,000.
"It is a small proportion of the 10 billion eggs we eat in the UK each year."
Business reporter, BBC News
Shares in Blue Apron, the US meal kit delivery company, have sunk 13% in New York today following its first results as a public company.
No prizes for guessing why they weren't appetising: despite a rise in the number of active customers to 943,000, they are spending less on orders amid stiff competition from the likes of Hello Fresh and Amazon. Costs also soared and the company reported a net loss of $31.6m (£24.3m).
Blue Apron only listed in late June, but its shares have since fallen 45% to $5.42. Ouch.
The US risks using a dud in bringing back a 1980s era trade weapon, Bloomberg Politics reports.
It's weighing up an investigation into alleged Chinese intellectual property infringement using section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act.
But that was only successfully used in retaliatory action twice, Bloomberg says.
The US has had a far better hit-rate under WTO arbitration, it adds.
Besides, China has levers it can pull if a trade war erupts, including targeting imports of soya beans from the US, which exceeded $14bn (£11bn) last year.
Sterling touched a three-week low against the dollar as a mixed bag of output and trade data did little to boost investor enthusiasm for an economy struggling to meet Bank of England targets.
The pound fell by as much as a third of a percent in early trade to as low as $1.2952 before recovering some ground after industrial production numbers just beat analyst forecasts.
It's trading about 0.1% down at $1.2989.
Construction output was weaker than expected and other data showed the UK's external trade gap expanded further despite the weakening of the pound over the past year.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been above 22,000 points since the beginning of August - but today is back down below that.
Investors are concerned about escalating tensions between the US and North Korea, which has said it is finalising plans to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the US territory of Guam.
Communications firm TalkTalk has been fined £100,000 by the UK data protection watchdog for leaving customers open to scams.
TalkTalk gave too much access to customer data to IT services firm Wipro, the Information Commissioner's Office said.
"A specialist investigation by TalkTalk identified three Wipro accounts that had been used to gain unauthorised and unlawful access to the personal data of up to 21,000 customers," the ICO said.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down more than 100 points as investors fret over escalating tensions between the US and North Korea.
North Korea has outlined details for a missile strike near the US territory of Guam, adding fuel to rising tensions with the US.
The S&P 500 is down more than 20 points, and the Nasdaq is down about 70 points.
PayPal is to buy online lending company Swift Financial in a bid to expand its business that provides capital to merchants.
The acquisition will mean PayPal can offer loans to larger businesses that use it to process payments, and provide credit to firms that don't use its services, the company said.
The British Egg Information Service has this to say about the fipronil scare:
"British egg producers have reiterated the need for consumers and food producers to look for British Lion eggs and egg products, following the Food Standards Agency (FSA) announcement that some processed foods are being withdrawn from sale as they may have been made with non-UK eggs contaminated with fipronil...
"Shell eggs on sale to consumers are not affected and the Food Standards Agency says that there is no need for people to change the way they consume or cook eggs.
"All major UK retailers stock British Lion shell eggs and tests have shown that there is no risk from British eggs...
"Food manufacturers, retailers and caterers using processed egg should look for egg products produced within the British Lion Egg Products scheme."
The Food Standards Agency said the number of eggs that came to the UK that may have been exposed to fipronil insecticide is "closer to 700,000 than the 21,000 we previously believed had been imported."
"However, as this represents 0.007% of the eggs we consume in the UK every year, it remains the case that it is very unlikely that there is any risk to public health from consuming these foods," it said.
As previously mentioned, supermarkets have pulled some products from the shelves as a precaution.
The Food Standards Agency has said a number of products have been withdrawn from supermarket shelves after a Dutch egg contamination scare.
Some eggs may have been exposed to an insecticide called fipronil, which can potentially harm people's kidneys, liver and thyroid glands.
The eggs then may have got into the UK food chain.
The agency said: "It is very unlikely that these eggs pose a risk to public health, but as fipronil is unauthorised for use in food-producing animals we have acted with urgency to ensure that consumers are protected."
The list of products is:
- Asda Baby potato and free range egg salad
- Asda Spinach and free range egg snack pot
- Asda FTG Ham and Cheddar ploughman’s salad bowl
- Morrison’s Potato and Egg Salad
- Morrisons Egg and Cress Sandwich
- Morrisons Cafe Sandwich Selection
- Sainsbury’s Ham and Egg Salad
- Sainsbury’s Potato and Egg Salad
- Waitrose Free Range Egg Mayonnaise
- Waitrose Free Range Reduced Fat Egg Mayonnaise
- Waitrose Free Range Egg and Bacon
The latest use by date on these potentially affected products is 16 August.
Most have a limited shelf life.
British economic growth has softened again following a modest improvement in the second quarter, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
"The service sector, which was the main driver for economic growth in the second quarter, appears to have slowed," said Amit Kara, head of UK macroeconomic forecasting at NIESR.
"We see a modest recovery in the second half of this year in response to strengthening global growth and a weaker currency, but on the flip side, consumer spending is likely to be weighed down by weak wage growth and investment spending held back by Brexit-related uncertainty."
Earlier today, official data from ONS showed that UK industrial production shrank in the second quarter of the year.
Cineworld is upgrading its flagship cinemas at London's 02 and the Empire at Leicester Square to introduce 4DX technology.
It will give film fans rocking seats and see them sprayed with water from their chairs.
It has also revealed plans to open 11 more sites in the UK, including its first cinema in Leeds.
Its pre-tax profit for the last six months climbed 57.5% to £48.2million. The chain is expecting a bumper second half too on the back of upcoming films such as Paddington 2 and Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
Challenger bank Aldermore has reported a 32% rise in profit for the first half of the year.
The news helped its share price climb 2.85% to 227.20p.
The bank, which was founded in 2009 by a former Barclays executive to lend to small and medium-sized businesses, said net loans to customers rose 8.4% to £8.11billion.
Total customer deposits also grew more than 10% to £7.3billion.
Aldermore's profit before tax climbed to £78million in the six months ending inJune 30, from £59million a year earlier.
Shares in baker Greggs have climbed 4.66% today - a rise of 52 points - after it was been given the thumbs up by German investment bank Berenberg.
Analyst Ned Hammond said: "After seeing the company present twice we feel increasingly confident that it can continue to achieve underlying growth above the market level."
The bakery chain is targeting net cash of £40million by the end of the year, although it has said that if it rises significantly above this, it will return capital to shareholders.
Mr Hammond thinks that is very likely.
The FTSE 100 has continued to slide today. It's down 92.87 points, 1.24%, which points to more than the drag of some key company shares going ex-dividend.
Saying that four out of the five biggest losers are ex-dividend, the exception being InterContinental Hotels, which has slipped 2.64%.
Across the winder indices, the biggest loser is Leicestershire brick-maker Ibstock, down 5.24% to 234.90p. This morning it revealed that pre-tax profits for the last six months climbed almost 3% to nearly £39million.
Analysts think that today's merger of fund manager M&G with the Prudential's insurance division could be the first step to a sale...
"The combined business would bear a remarkable resemblance to several other UK life businesses, and the success of the DC pension scheme focused PruFund would seem to provide a model for a viable standalone future. There’s no need to get rid of the UK business, but today’s move would make it a lot simpler."
"Selling the UK business is something the company has been mulling over in private, and cutting loose the underperforming domestic operations, where Pru no longer writes new annuity business, could stick a rocket under the share price. News that the M&G asset management business will merge with its Prudential UK & Europe life insurance operation adds fuel to the fire that this is preparation for an eventual sale."
Business reporter, BBC News
Despite the rise of streaming, most music acts now rely on performing live to make money - which is also helping companies such as Live Nation.
The world's biggest concert promoter sold 68 million tickets in the six months to July - 22% higher than the same period last year. That produced a 28% rise in revenue for the concerts division to $3.1bn.
Chief executive Michael Rapino said 2017 is "on track to be another year of growth and record results" for Live Nation, which also owns Ticketmaster.
Its new Verified Fan product, launched earlier this year, had sold more than 1 million tickets for 50 artists in the US and Europe to "true fans, with a dramatic reduction in these tickets then being sold on secondary sites", he added.
Investors liked the numbers, sending Live Nation shares up 7% to $40.25 in after-hours trading in New York. The stock has risen more than 40% this year.
Estate agency group Savills pushed up pre-tax profit by 27% to £32.4m in the first half of the year despite a slowdown in the UK.
In fact the boost came from Asia and its real estate management arm: Savills gets nearly two-thirds of its revenue outside the UK.
Fee income from UK residential sales fell by 4%, with the number of transactions lower than a year earlier when trading had been lifted ahead of changes to stamp duty in April 2016.
For the UK, it said: "Increased levels of political and economic uncertainty created by the general election and the ongoing negotiations to leave the EU make it difficult to predict market volumes for the rest of the year."
The latest trade and industrial output data suggests the UK economy had a poor end to the second quarter of the year, according to Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club.
“June’s official output data for industry and construction did nothing to change the impression of an economy stuck in a pattern of sluggish growth", he says.
He notes that the "buoyancy of manufacturing surveys continues to be at odds with the weakness of the official numbers".
"With sterling’s deprecation and a healthy world economy supporting exporters, one would hope that the gap between the two will narrow in a favourable direction."
However, he says the latest trade figures, which saw June’s trade deficit nearly double from the month before, suggest there is little sign of this happening.
"Evidence of rebalancing, at least in the ‘hard’ data, remains absent,” he says.
Prudential says it will merge its UK asset management business M&G with its UK and European insurance divisions.
The move comes as fund managers face increasing pressure on charges and competition from low-cost tracker funds.
"Combining these businesses will allow us to better leverage our considerable scale and capabilities," said chief executive Mike Wells.
The combined business will manage £332bn in assets for more than six million customers, Prudential said.
Prudential's operating profit climbed to £2.36bn in the first half, boosted by growth in Asia.
The UK's trade deficit in goods and services widened by £2bn between May and June to £4.6bn, according to the Office for National Statistics.
It said this was mainly due to an increase in imports of £1.7bn.
In the second quarter of the year, the trade deficit widened by £0.1bn to £8.9bn as imports and exports grew at about the same rate.
Industrial output in Britain unexpectedly picked up by 0.5% in June, according to official figures published by ONS today.
But that simply reflected a lack of seasonal oilfield maintenance in the month, which normally depresses output and instead is likely to come later in the year, ONS warned.
More worryingly, car production dropped by 3.6% in June after a 2.3% decline the previous month. That's the sharpest fall since December 2013.
Overall manufacturing, which includes car production but not oil, was flat on the month.
Construction, which accounts for 6% of the economy, fell by 0.1% in June and dropped by 1.3 percent in the second quarter as a whole - the sharpest drop in almost five years.
The number of mortgages in arrears of 2.5% or more of the outstanding balance fell to 88,200 in the second quarter of this year.
That's the lowest level since at least 1994, according to UK Finance, when the data was first tracked.
The number of properties repossessed also fell, from 1,900 to 1,800, which accounts for 0.02% of all mortgages, the trade body pointed out.
The total was the same as in the final quarter of last year, and is the lowest figure since quarterly data was first published in 2008, it said.
"Borrowers are being helped by low interest rates," pointed out UK Finance head of mortgages Paul Smee.
More comment on that downbeat Rics housing survey which suggest that the slowdown is spreading outside London to the south east...
"The long-running issue of housing supply remains, and it’s vital that the Government continues to find and act on ways to address our limited housing stock to boost housing supply and give more younger buyers a better chance at homeownership.”
"The fundamental issue which remains and prevents a significant advancement in our housing market is a chronic lack of supply. The Government must begin to put words into action and address this problem, sooner rather than later, to enable more first-time buyers to step onto the property ladder and increase market fluidity.”


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THE samsung is already preparing the ground for the launch of Galaxy S22 successors🇧🇷 This Monday (21), the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) certified batteries of expected Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra🇧🇷 Parts are expected to have up to 5,000 mAh of typical capacity.
The certificates were uniquely found by the Technoblog this Thursday (24). Let’s start with the EB-BS918ABY battery: the part will be destined to the SM-S918 cell phone, that is, the Galaxy S23 Ultra🇧🇷 according to GalaxyClub🇧🇷 The identification is also similar to the code of the Galaxy S22 Ultra Brazilian: SM-S908E.
Anatel’s documentation gives some details about the part. This is the case of the nominal capacity of 4,855 mAh, the same as the predecessor of the S23 Ultra🇧🇷 This means that Samsung should reveal its next cell phone with a typical capacity of 5,000 mAh.
Galaxy S23+ will bring bigger battery than S22+
The EB-BS916ABY battery would be intended for the Galaxy S23+🇧🇷 The component was homologated in South Korea in September, as revealed by SamMobile🇧🇷 At the time, certification in the Asian country reported that the part will appear inside the SM-S916B, the South Korean variant of the successor to the Galaxy S22+🇧🇷
In Brazil, the S22+ is identified by the model SM-S906E.
The piece has a nominal capacity of 4,565 mAh, higher than the component of the Galaxy S22+: 4,370 mAh. This means that Samsung can increase the typical capacity of the piece from 4,500 mAh to 4,700 mAh with the debut of the Galaxy S23+.
Galaxy S23 battery is approved by Anatel
What remains is the EB-BS912ABY battery. The component would be taken to the SM-S912 model cell phone, possibly the successor to the galaxy s22, identified in Brazil as SM-S901E. the part of Galaxy S23 also follows the others, offering a small expansion.
According to Anatel’s documentation, the piece has a nominal capacity of 3,785 mAh. Again, this is an upgrade in relation to the component of the Galaxy S22, approved in Brazil with 4,370 mAh. That is, the typical capacity can rise from 3,700 mAh to 3,800 mAh or even 4,000 mAh.
What to expect from the Galaxy S23 line?
The Galaxy S23 family may represent the successors of the Galaxy S22. The phones are expected to be unveiled with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2O Qualcomm processor revealed on the last day 15 focusing on artificial intelligence for cameras and sensors.
Smartphones should bring small changes in the look. In the case of the Galaxy S23 and S23+, Samsung can say goodbye to the base that houses the triple camera, bringing them closer to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, in turn, tends to gain a 200 megapixel camera, following the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra it’s the Xiaomi 12T Pro🇧🇷
despite the Anatel homologation, it is still necessary to certify the cell phones to authorize the sale of the Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra in Brazil. But this shouldn’t take long: last year, smartphones have been approved about a month after the go-ahead for the batteries.
The phones are expected to be unveiled by Samsung in early 2023.


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Strike 2: eBay loses to LVMH
The gavel has fallen -- and hit online auctioneer eBay pretty hard.
In a much anticipated decision, a French court today ordered eBay to pay LVMH 38.6 million euros for allowing the sale of counterfeits on its site. The award is allocated among several divisions of the luxury conglomerate, primarily LVMH and Christian Dior Couture, with smaller amounts to perfume brands Christian Dior, Givenchy, Guerlain, and Kenzo.
Following on the heels of Hermes' victory against eBay in another French court earlier this month, the decision essentially shifts more of the responsibility for policing offerings to the auction site, which profits from each sale -- counterfeit or not. After learning of its loss in court, eBay immediately announced its intention to appeal and went on a rhetorical offensive, stating, "Today's decisions are not about fighting counterfeiting. It's about LVMH's desire to protect commercial practices that exclude all competition."
Obviously the French judges haven't bought eBay's argument -- but will home court advantage help? Or will the long awaited U.S. decision in Tiffany v. eBay be strike 3 for the auction site? Stay tuned.
(For background on the case, click here.)


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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday interacted with the participants of Toycathon 2021 and said the orchestration of the first Toycathon strengthened the age-old Indian belief that where there is courage, there is prosperity.
"There is an age-old belief in India that where there is courage, there is prosperity. The orchestration of the first Toycathon in these challenging times strengthens this feeling," PM Modi said.
"The fact that more than 1,500 teams have made it to Toycathon's grand finale in the first time only points towards a bright future," he added.
He further said that there is a need to discuss toys and games seriously as they affect the country's economy, and also the mental health and creativity of the people.
"The global toy market is worth about $100 billion. India's share in this is only around one and a half-billion dollars," PM Modi added.
Stressing the need to change the situation, the PM said that today India imports around 80 percent of its toys which means that crores of rupees of the country are going out.
Toycathon 2021 was jointly launched by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Child Development, MSME Ministry, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Textile Ministry, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on January 5, 2021, to crowd-source innovative toys and games ideas.
Around 1.2 lakh participants from across India registered and submitted over 17000 ideas for the Toycathon 2021, out of which 1567 ideas have been shortlisted for the three days online Toycathon Grand Finale, being held from June 22 to June 24. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this Grand Finale will have teams with digital toy ideas, while a separate physical event will be organized for non-digital toy concepts.
"India's domestic market, as well as the global toy market, offers an enormous opportunity to our manufacturing sector. Toycathon-2021 is aimed at boosting the Toy Industry in India to help it capture a wider share of the toy market," said the Centre in an official statement.


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Fresh off a spate of acquisitions and a $15-million financing round, Ottawa’s CannaRoyalty Wednesday announced a five-fold year-over-year increase in annual revenues.
CannaRoyalty, which finances and invests in marijuana companies, posted revenues of just over $3 million for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2017 – a whopping 380 per cent jump from the previous year’s figure of $642,000.
At the same time, the company’s operating expenses more than doubled last year to $13.2 million as it continued its aggressive streak of acquisitions and ramped up spending on sales and marketing. CannaRoyalty (CSE:CRZ) booked a net loss of slightly more than $9 million for fiscal 2017, down from $10.3 million a year earlier.
The value of the firm’s total assets rose 43 per cent to $46 million last year. It reported $4.5 million in cash on hand, up from $2.9 million in 2016.
In the fourth quarter of 2017, CannaRoyalty reported revenues of nearly $1.1 million, double the total of $502,000 from the same period in 2016. Its net loss was $1.14 million, down substantially from $7.4 million in the same quarter a year earlier.
In a letter to shareholders, CEO Marc Lustig said the company’s efforts to build its product lines and distribution network in the massive California market are beginning to bear fruit.
This year alone, CannaRoyalty has announced several acquisitions in the most populous U.S. state, including a deal in principle late last month to buy River Distribution, a firm with two cannabis production facilities in the state and a licence to distribute for both medical and recreational use.
In addition, the company said earlier in March it was planning to raise $15 million to fund more acquisitions and launch new products under the firm’s CR brand.
“The past four months have been a watershed period for CannaRoyalty,” Lustig said. “Our team has made substantial progress executing our strategy to build a leading North American, and one day global, cannabis consumer products company.”
While the company is currently focusing much of its attention on California, Lustig said CannaRoyalty also intends to step up its investments north of the border in anticipation of the federal government legalizing pot for recreational use in Canada later this year.
In March, the company made its first foray into this country’s cannabis retailing market when it inked a deal to help fund 180 Smoke, a Toronto-based seller of vape products.
“As the Canadian market moves closer to the sale of cannabis consumer products, we are assembling substantial know-how, intellectual property and brands to bring back to Canada,” Lustig said. “Since November, we have significantly advanced our focus on this area and anticipate a continuation of this in the months to come.”
CannaRoyalty shares were down 1.8 per cent, or seven cents, to $3.73 on the Canadian Securities Exchange in early afternoon trading. That’s down nearly 30 per cent from their all-time high of $5.05 in early January.


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NEW DELHI: Future wars will not only require jointness of all three services in terms of logistics but will also require the support of other bodies like research and development, industrial backup and industry manpower, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of a seminar on Army Logistics at Manekshaw centre in Delhi.
Singh said that India has to learn from best practices and policies adopted by the world for jointness of Logistics support.
“We have learned a lot in terms of Logistic support but still we have to achieve more. In the transformation phase, we are going through, the fusion of civil-military will fetch the best results. Logistics have an important role to play during contingencies and we are working on it to deal with the situation, ” he said.
He added that they are in the process to develop common logistics needs to cater for the need for services. Under these resources of a defence, services will be available seamlessly for others to use. They are emphasising joint training among three services.
“In the defence sector, logistics play an important role. In the last three years, the policy changes have been fruitful in terms of jointness among all three Defence services. And with the establishment of Department of Military Affairs, we are aiming at jointness among Defence services and it will bring positive change in logistics,” he said.
To integrate logistics and Atmanirbhar, the government has prepared important policies that include National Logistics Policy, PM Gati Shakti and other initiatives that all aim to boost infrastructure development, he said.
The ambit of logistics and its role in wars have widened. Preparation for wars requires the right time and right place with the right quality and right quantity along with the right items to be available for defence services. And to ensure it Military Logistics system plays an important role, he said.
“There might be wars in a gap of several years but Military Logistics have to keep itself prepared, always. In the present time, logistics and performance logisticians have a key role in wars,” he said.
The opening ceremony of the seminar was attended by Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Navy chief Admirk R Hari Kumar and NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat, among officials of Railways, Civil Aviation and Central police forces.


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Giant pumpkins grown by Virginia family going on display at Dollywood
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVVA/Gray News) – Giant pumpkins grown by a Virginia family will soon be featured at Dollywood.
The Edwards family was inspired to grow the pumpkins – including one weighing around 1,000 pounds – after seeing the giants on display at the theme park.
They hoped to one day grow a pumpkin big enough to be featured in the display, but they had no idea they would achieve that goal on their first attempt.
After WVVA’s first story on their giant pumpkin journey aired, they were contacted by Dollywood. Then using multiple trucks, they hauled the pumpkins all the way to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, back to where they first got the idea to grow them.
“As my oldest son said, ‘You know, Mom, this is like a dream come true. We did it,’” said Priscilla Edwards, who grew the pumpkins with her family at Hidden Springs Farm.
Edwards said she hopes kids in Dollywood who see their pumpkins will gain an interest in agriculture and be inspired the same way her kids were during their trip last year.
She said the pumpkins will be added to the display on Wednesday and will remain through October, until Dollywood puts up their Christmas decorations.
Edwards encourages people to take their picture with the pumpkins and tag the family’s Hidden Springs Farm page.
Copyright 2023 WVVA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


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FedEx Express says it will test a 100 percent electric compact cargo vehicle – the Nissan e-NV200 – as part of its delivery fleet in the Washington, D.C. area.
This test marks the first time the vehicle will be running in North America, although FedEx Express and Nissan have conducted similar e-NV200 tests with fleets in Japan, Singapore, the U.K. and Brazil.
Rotating the Nissan e-NV200 into the delivery fleet is part of the FedEx EarthSmart program, a global sustainability platform designed to guide the company’s environmental commitment in the communities where it operates.
Mitch Jackson, vice president of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corporation, says FedEx will deploy the Nissan e-NV200 in the nation’s capital, where it will undergo field tests that subject it to the routine requirements of a delivery vehicle.
The results will be used to help determine the viability of using an electric vehicle in this role in the U.S. Nissan e-NV200 is scheduled to begin mass production later this year in Europe.
“We’re eager to work with FedEx and other companies to put the e-NV200 through its paces to continue to build awareness of the capability of electric vehicles and to evaluate how well it meets the needs of the commercial consumer,” says Erik Gottfried, Nissan director of Electric Vehicle Sales and Marketing. “We’d also like to explore clever uses of EVs in work environments where carbon emissions of gas-powered vehicles make them impractical or impossible to use.”
FedEx Express says it currently has 167 electric vehicles and 365 hybrid electric vehicles in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Japan and China, including the units that will be deployed in Brazil starting in January. By the end of May, the company plans to increase these numbers to 222 and 393, respectively.
From 2005 to 2012, the introduction of this type of vehicle in the fleet enabled the company to save nearly 635,000 gallons of fuel.


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Ladies and gentlemen rejoice, FIFA 15 is out!
EA Sports have teased us all in the past few weeks with all their new advances and developments as we dreamt of that cold, wet night at the Britannia.
But now those dreams have become reality.
Many of you will have queued outside shops and supermarkets at midnight to get your hands on a copy and we don't blame you.
Some may have even *picked up an illness* and be lucky enough to spend your Friday playing the game!
But just how has the release gone down on social media?
Here's the Twitter reaction to FIFA 15.


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A Brazilian company has launched a new type of electric bicycle that can be turned on lights and adjusted speed with mobile phones
A company in So Paulo, Brazil, recently launched a smart electric bicycle with mobile phone control function, which can turn on the headlights, monitor the battery power, automatically find the charging station and lock the bicycle through the mobile app.
Victor Hugo Cruz, the boss of the company, explained: "outside Brazil, this type of transport is called a 'smart bike' and it can connect to the Internet via an app", according to Brazil's G1 website. "Their birth is the result of long-term research and development, learning and improvement. "
Victor Hugo's company launched an electric bicycle as early as 2015, with removable batteries as the highlight. The highlight of this new product is that some functions of bicycle can be controlled by smart phones. In addition to the functions mentioned above, users can also control the maximum speed of their bicycles with their mobile phones.
The main target audience of new products is the people who stop using cars to travel. "Compared with other modes of transportation, including public transport, new products are more economical," the entrepreneur said.


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"Back to School" Sales Tax Holiday Season Underway: Several States to Hold Sales Tax Holidays August 4-5, 2012
Friday, August 3rd, 2012
Several states will be holding their annual sales tax holidays this weekend. A sales tax holiday is an opportunity for consumers to purchase various items, typically school supplies, clothing, and computers free from state sales tax. Below is a list of states that will be participating in a sales tax holiday this weekend (August 4-5, 2012):
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Various other states will also be holding sales tax holidays in the coming weeks. Please check with your state's Department of Revenue for further information.
Transaction (buying or selling things), Tax (the tax on this activity), Resources (our people, our website, our support services) - TTR, Inc.
TTR has a website that companies subscribe to and use daily. This website provides a list of everything that can be bought or sold in the U.S. It provides simple answers to whether buying or selling these items is taxable (subject to a sales tax or other tax), and it provides all the legal authority to support these tax answers.
TTR likes to keep things simple and fun, which is why it has great people who provide help to clients on any support questions they have about transaction tax issues.
Please visit TTR on the web at www.ttrus.com or call 866.578.8193.
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Asia switching trust to local banks since crisis
When it comes to winning trust among Asian customers, local banks are gaining the upper hand over global ones these days.
The number of customers who prefer to deal with local institutions has jumped significantly since the global financial crisis, according to a study by McKinsey & Co of nearly 20,000 Asian consumers across 13 markets this year.
'It's a trust issue,' said Kenny Lam, a partner at McKinsey, who added that if banks go into a market with a 'swagger,' customers no longer welcome it.
Indian customers showed the highest preference for dealing with a local institution: 95 per cent of respondents said they preferred a home-grown bank. This was 20 percentage points higher than the results in 2007, the last time the company conducted a similar study.
In mainland China the number jumped 12 percentage points to 87 per cent, in Hong Kong 21 percentage points to 76 per cent, and in Taiwan 17 percentage points to 68 per cent.
After witnessing the meltdown of global banks during the financial crisis, consumers feel it is safer to bank with local institutions that have the backing of the government, said Lam. The crisis saw the Lehman Brothers minibonds fiasco and several international banks withdrawing in part from Asia.
Royal Bank of Scotland gave away its mainland retail and commercial banking business to Development Bank of Singapore in December last year, while GE Money, the financial arm of US conglomerate General Electric, agreed to sell its car and personal loans business in Singapore in January.
Lam said there has been a trend among banks preferring to identify themselves as an 'Asian bank' instead of a global giant. The implied message is that the banks have a broad network as well as knowledge of local consumers' needs.
A parallel change in consumer attitudes is that they have become less loyal, not only because of their diversified needs, but also to spread risks.
The average number of respondents' 'banking relationships' across Asia rose 22 per cent, to 3.3 banks, between 2007 and this year. In some segments, this increase was even higher. Mass affluent customers in developed Asian markets such as Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong reported having links with 4.7 banks in 2011, a 31 per cent increase over the 3.6 they had in 2007.
While consumers say they want to consolidate their banking ties, they continue to shop around because banks are not delivering the products and services that can lock them in, said Lam.
For the first time since McKinsey started conducting the survey 13 years ago, customers' use of bank branches has dropped, while internet and mobile banking has increased.


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Nissan has finally divulged all the details on the latest Maxima sedan, which it originally showed in a surprise ad at the Super Bowl.
The all-new 2016 Maxima will go on sale this summer at Nissan of Lake Charles and set “a new standard for style, performance and technology in the mid-size sedan segment.”
Thanks to a new 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 producing 300 horsepower, the Nissan Maxima is touting a power-to-weight ratio that exceeds that of the Acura TLX V6 and BMW 335i.
That’s not all though. Nissan rebuilt more than half of last year’s V6, with over 60 percent of the parts being new, contributing to a 15 percent improvement in highway fuel economy. The CTV is also new and, according to the automaker, “performance oriented.” All of these make the 2016 Maxima even more desirable than ever!
Those are only a few of the details, however, and details do abound. The Maxima has many new features to make it hold true to Nissan’s promise, so check out the official press release for the rest of it!


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RealRyder® International LLC Sponsors Wish Upon A Hero’s “BE A HERO 4.28.12″ Nationwide Indoor Cycling Fundraising Event
(Santa Monica, CA: February 8, 2012) – RealRyder® Indoor Cycling enthusiasts across the nation will be taking to their “un-stationary” RealRyder bikes with meaningful purpose on April 28, 2012. Rather than focusing on improving their athleticism or scorching away calories, riders will pedal with the goal of becoming a hero to someone in need.
As the official sponsor to Wish Upon A Hero’s nationwide indoor cycling event, BE A HERO 4.28.12, RealRyder International LLC has invited its team of U.S. customers to join the virtual peloton for a one-day indoor cycling event. Proceeds will benefit the Wish Upon A Hero Foundation (WUAHF), the 501©3 non-profit arm of Wish Upon A Hero, WUAHF grants the wishes of Americans in need and provides assistance to children living with cancer, struggling military families, food to those less fortunate, medical care and devices to families in need and helps to prevent homelessness.
“I know I speak for everyone in the RealRyder family when I say that we’re extremely proud to partner with Wish Upon a Hero on this event,” said Colin Irving, RealRyder International’s CEO and the creator of the RealRyder ABF8 Indoor Cycle. “We are honored and excited by this opportunity, and we’re committed to supporting Wish Upon A Hero’s remarkable work and aligning our communities to make a huge impact in April!”
Deemed the “Facebook of Philanthropy,” Wish Upon a Hero is a new breed of direct, charitable giving — the world’s largest online social helping network which connects people in need with people willing to help. Since launching in 2007, more than 87,000 wishes have been granted online at: wishuponahero.com
“Wish Upon A Hero is proud to have RealRyder as our partner for this ground breaking visionary event,” said Jill Pavel, WUAH’s National Event Director. “For the first time registrants can participate from their home and see their funding go to the wishes we are granting LIVE on event day. Please join us on event day as we all celebrate our efforts together!”
Participating RealRyder® Indoor Cycling facilities who are leading the pack include: MultiSport Fitness and FitRyde (PA), B East and Cycle Evolution (NY), GoRyde (NJ), Cheetahfit (CO) and Elevate Cycling (MT).
EMG LIVE Fitness will be the online host for the Be A Hero Event. They will feature LIVE streaming cycling classes from four locations, including B East, a premiere RealRyder cycling studio in the New York Hamptons, while simultaneously streaming LIVE wishes being granted to wish seekers.
All registered participants receive a free Event T-Shirt and can create Personal Fundraising or build Team Fundraising Pages to support the Be A Hero Event and qualify for our Incentive Program. Incentive prizes including the Apple iPod Shuffle, iPod Touch, MacBook Air and the iPad2 will be awarded to participants who raise money at various levels. Participants do not have to register as a rider to participate as a fundraiser to earn incentive prizes. ANYONE is eligible to raise funds.
For more information about BE A HERO 4.28.12, visit: BeAHeroEvent.com. For more information about RealRyder International LLC and the RealRyder® ABF8 Indoor Cycle, visit: RealRyder.com


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YourWay Hashish Manufacturers Inc. (CSE: YOUR)(OTC: YOURF) has been delayed in issuing its monetary studies as a result of it could possibly’t discover an auditor. The corporate stated that for the reason that resignation of its earlier auditor Macias Gini & O’Connell LLP in December 2022, it hasn’t been capable of finding a substitute. Since YourWay is a Canadian public firm, the auditor must be registered with the Canadian Public Accountability Board to have the ability to settle for an engagement.
The corporate has but to launch its 2021 or 2022 earnings statements.
The corporate stated in a press release, “Thus far, we now have contacted 31 corporations to gauge their curiosity within the engagement. Sadly, many corporations we spoke with indicated an unwillingness to simply accept the engagement for the explanations MGO resigned, as described in our press launch dated December 20, 2022. Different causes cited by corporations included capability constraints or their insurance policies of not working with hashish corporations in the US primarily based on federal hashish legal guidelines. We wish to reassure our stakeholders that we stay dedicated to discovering an auditor, and our search is ongoing.”
After all, quite a few hashish corporations primarily based in Canada have been capable of safe auditors. MGO give up as a result of it stated it couldn’t decide the supply of money deposited by the earlier CEO of YourWay on three separate events. As per MGO’s letter, there have been issues over the shortcoming to corroborate “that the money got here from the proceeds he obtained when the CEO’s former firm, Labtronix, was acquired by the corporate.”
The corporate is trying to tell shareholders by noting that the market situations in Arizona have softened significantly, impacting the corporate’s gross sales ranges. YourWay additionally stated it was having hassle amassing a big quantity owed to the corporate by one buyer.
The assertion stated, “Revenues proceed to be challenged, primarily pushed by the shift in market situations that led us to interact in opportunistic bulk distillate gross sales. In fiscal 2021, distillate gross sales represented roughly 50% of the corporate’s gross sales, which declined all through fiscal 2022 because of vital value pressures, margin compression, and the downward pattern in biomass pricing. We proceed to work on options internally and with companions to offer a low-cost different to compete with the inflow of cheaper bulk materials within the market.”
In additional income troubles, the corporate stated that in fiscal 2022, gross sales of its butane merchandise declined by about 40% however stays the highest-performing class. “As well as, gross sales of our vape cartridges dropped by roughly 19% in fiscal 2022 as in comparison with fiscal 2021. The general gross sales decline in our branded merchandise outcomes from the big multi-state operators vertically integrating their operations to supply extra of their very own branded merchandise.”
YourWay stated that as a result of income issues and payments it owes to distributors, it has made some adjustments like reducing again on low margin gross sales and establishing new provide preparations.
The corporate stated it could maintain a discussion board for shareholders on June 6. “This discussion board displays our ongoing dedication to transparency and accountability in our communications with all stakeholders.” stated Performing Chief Govt Officer, Jakob Ripshtein. “We worth your continued assist as we attempt to construct a stronger, extra resilient firm, and we’re wanting to share our progress with you.”
The corporate continues to launch new merchandise and make new hires regardless of the corporate’s lack of ability to deal with its accountant points.
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Peloton’s Scenic mode, where users of its static bikes can take in exotic vistas while pedaling furiously, has always been a bit of a letdown. There’s no guidance as to appropriate resistance and the video speed stays constant. But no more. Today Peloton is adding instructor-led routes and new rides through Hawaii, New Mexico, and Big Sur.
The company is also launching a new feature called Strive that scores users who wear a compatible heart rate monitor for their efforts during non-bike workouts, and in months to come it’s promised to add one of the features most requested by its customers: A pause button for on-demand rides.
The launch is timed to coincide with Peloton’s Homecoming 2021 campaign, its annual 72-hour event which includes panel discussions and themed classes designed to keep users interested and motivated. CEO John Foley announced the new features in a keynote presentation earlier today.
With gyms indefinitely closed and in-person workouts discouraged for the sake of mitigating coronavirus transmissions, people turned to at-home workout solutions. Peloton, which now boasts 4.4 million users, took full advantage of the increase in interest in its products by offering a 90-day trial of its app. And it saw so much demand for its smart exercise bikes it struggled to fulfill orders, eventually resorting to flying in hardware from the Asian factories where it’s manufactured instead of shipping it.
Gyms are reopening — But the question for investors is whether Peloton can maintain that momentum as vaccines roll out across the U.S. and gyms reopen. As Barron's magazine reported, investors aren’t as confident about the company's post-pandemic prospects as it would like them to be. Nonetheless, with most Peloton owners tied in for at least two years to pay off their bikes, while it might see a drop off in usage or new signups, it’s hardly likely to see a precipitous drop in revenue.
More worrying for Peloton are the recent safety concerns raised about its connected treadmill, which regulators have said poses a risk to children and pets. Additionally, Peloton's price point continues to be intimidating for many consumers. The company's top-end, Bike+ costs $2,945. Plus, the $39 monthly fee for All-Access might turn some buyers off. In contrast, you can easily check out free exercise playlists and programs on YouTube and PopSugar respectively. Or buy a cheap bike and go for a ride if outdoor fitness is your thing and you live somewhere with an agreeable climate. But you don’t get the Peloton experience of enthusiastic instructors and live leaderboards that have made the brand such a success.


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Almost a quarter (24%) of small business owners had more employees working for them in 2015 than in 2014, according to a survey of 15,000 small and medium-sized firms by the Department for Business and the DCMS.
The Small Business Survey 2015 reveals that only one in 10 employers had reduced staff numbers in 2015. Furthermore, eight out of 10 small firms that had applied for finance received all or some of what they applied for.
However, 49% of respondents highlighted competition as the main obstacle to the success of their firm, while the same number believe red tape is holding back growth. Taxation and late payment were also flagged as issues affecting small business owners, identified by 43% and 33% of respondents respectively.


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