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Call in army to get goods to shops after driver shortage sparked by Brexit and Covid, government told
The army should be called in to distribute goods to supermarkets following a driver shortage sparked by Brexit and Covid, the government has been told. Industry leaders are warning of gaps on shelves because of an "unimaginable" collapse of supply chains triggered by a shortfall of at least 60,000 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers. Sweets giant Haribo is among firms struggling to get stocks into shops because of "a perfect storm" of EU drivers shunning the UK and driving tests being cancelled because of the pandemic.
Boris Johnson was confronted about the problems in the Commons, but ducked a call to relax post-Brexit immigration rules to allow more drivers to work in this country. Now it has been revealed that the suggestion to use the army was raised at a meeting of industry representatives and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). A delegate from Premier Foods, which owns brands including Mr Kipling, Bisto, Ambrosia and Paxo, pointed out that some military personnel hold HGV licences.
"This was one of many ideas put forward in an industry brainstorming session," a spokesperson said, while insisting the firm had "plans in place to manage the situation within our supply chain". At the meeting, a representative of Asda, Britain's third-largest supermarket group after Tesco and Sainsbury's, said the company was "just about keeping our head above water".
But they warned that any spike in demand this summer would "give us significant challenges and disruption". The British Retail Consortium said: "The government must rapidly increase the number of HGV driving tests taking place while also looking for a longer-term solution to this issue."
The Road Haulage Association has also urged the prime minister to act, warning that overseas drivers are unsure of their rights in relation to working in the UK following its withdrawal from the EU. In the Commons, Mr Johnson was urged by a Scottish National Party MP to "add HGV drivers to the UK shortage occupation list". "Everybody knows that there have been huge problems with the shortage of HGV drivers in this country, and that has only been compounded further by Brexit," David Linden warned.
In response, the prime minister said: "I think the most important thing is to get our entire workforce back at work. "There are currently millions of people still on furlough. Of course there are labour shortages at the moment, but we need to get people back into work, and that is why we have to continue to roll out the vaccines in the way that we are."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said it had not received a formal request to provide support, and a government spokesperson said: "There are no plans to use military personnel in this scenario."


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NEW YORK -- More and more customers are choosing Verizon packages of voice, Internet and TV as they shop for convenient and money-saving communications services. Sales of calling packages alone are up nearly 30 percent over last year to more than 8 million landline customers. Many of these customers are also adding Internet and entertainment services from Verizon.
Packages are also driving Verizon product growth. In the first quarter of 2007, Verizon added more than 416,000 broadband customers and served nearly 1 million TV customers. Verizon now serves about 348,000 homes with FiOS TV, carried by fiber optics all the way to the home, and about 620,000 customers with DIRECTV all-digital entertainment services. DIRECTV is an industry-leading all-digital satellite entertainment service.
But Verizon's appeal is not just product packages, according to John Wimsatt, senior vice president of marketing for Verizon.
"Customers anticipate value and convenience from combination offers, and with Verizon, they're signing up for Verizon's high-value packages backed by our superior network and world-class customer service," he said.
"We keep reminding customers that 'It's the Network' that differentiates our service," Wimsatt said. "The Verizon networks and services are second to none in sophistication and dependability, and our new one-of-a-kind fiber network straight into the home is unequalled by any other provider."
Verizon, which in January led the market with a series of six offers including a four-service package that folds in Verizon Wireless service, just introduced packages featuring improved all-digital DIRECTV service. Consumers now can get reliable network-based calling, broadband Internet and DIRECTV's industry-leading DIRECTV PLUS DVRTM service in new two- and three-service bundles. The DIRECTV PLUS DVR service comes with 185 channels of all-digital TV, 68 channels of XM Satellite Radio music and a free digital video recorder.
Verizon Double Freedom links Verizon's popular Freedom Essentials calling plan with the new DIRECTV offer for $69.99 to $79.99 a month for existing phone customers. Verizon Triple Freedom -- combining Freedom Essentials, Verizon High Speed Internet at 3 megabits per second (Mbps) and the new DIRECTV PLUS DVR offer -- is available at $94.99 to $104.99 a month for existing Verizon customers. New customers may be eligible for additional savings.
"The six new bundles have been very popular with customers, and the enhanced DIRECTV service will be an additional draw for consumers," Wimsatt said.
Verizon also has developed new packages featuring FiOS Internet and FiOS TV products. The FiOS all-fiber-optic services are now being introduced in parts of 16 states.
The new FiOS two-service and three-service packages are being offered with one- and two-year commitments.
In a two-service package, customers now can purchase the Freedom Essentials calling plan with FiOS Internet service at 5 Mbps downstream. The three-service bundle adds FiOS TV Premier to the package, where FiOS TV is available.
The FiOS packages are being introduced in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, Texas, Indiana and Oregon.
FiOS packages in New York, New Jersey and Florida include calling and FiOS Internet at 20 Mbps downstream, and three-service packages offer calling, FiOS Internet and FiOS TV Premier.
Monthly savings on the bundles range from $5 to $25 for the 12- and 24-month two-service bundles and from $13 to $43 on the 12- and 24-month three-service bundles.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 60.7 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

domain: news


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UPS Will Charge More For Christmas ShipmentsThe world's largest shipping company announced Monday just how much it plans to hike prices during the holiday season.
UPS Unveils Saturday Delivery -- And 6,000 New JobsThe expanded drop-off schedule, announced Monday, means UPS to go head-to-head with FedEx and the United States Postal Service.
UPS Driver Shot In Shoulder In Delaware CountyA UPS driver was shot in Delaware County on Friday afternoon.
Shipping Records Expected To Be Broken This Holiday SeasonFedEx and UPS expect to break shipping records this holiday season.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines For USPS, FedEx, And UPSShipping deadlines are nearing for people who need to mail their holiday gifts to loved ones to get them there on time for Christmas and Chanukah.
UPS, FedEx Reportedly Struggling To Keep Up With Holiday Shipping DemandsAs more and more people do their holiday shopping online, there are reports that UPS and FedEx are struggling to keep up with the shipping volume.
Police: UPS Driver Helps Free Woman Held Captive After Seeing 'Call 911' Written On PackageA UPS driver who spotted "call 911" scrawled on a package helped police free a woman who had been held captive in her own home and sexually assaulted, authorities said.
Analysis: Expect Delay In Holiday DeliveriesMillions of Americans are expecting holiday deliveries this year, But it might take them a little longer to arrive.
UPS Will Hire Up To 95,000 Holiday Season WorkersUPS said Tuesday it will hire 90,000 to 95,000 employees — about the same as last year — to help handle shipping and deliveries over the holiday season.
Police Arrest Man For Stealing UPS PackagesA UPS driver called police last week when he felt he was being followed by an SUV.
Truck Hits Buggy In Central Pennsylvania, Killing Woman, BoyAuthorities say a truck struck a horse and buggy in central Pennsylvania, killing a woman and a 9-year-old boy and seriously injuring four other people.
United Parcel Service To Pay $25 Million For False Delivery Claims


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Paris: The price, smell and colour should have been clear tipoffs something was wrong with shipments of horsemeat that were fraudulently labeled as beef, French authorities said on Thursday.
The economy minister pinned the bulk of the blame on a French wholesaler at the heart of the growing scandal in Europe.
Britain`s food regulator, meanwhile, said six horse carcasses that tested positive for an equine painkiller may have entered the human food chain in France and that horsemeat tainted with the medicine may have been sold to consumers "for some time."
In Paris, Benoit Hamon, the economic and consumer affairs minister, said it appeared that the fraudulent sales had been going on for several months, and reached across 13 countries and 28 companies. He said there was plenty of blame to go around, but most of it rested with Spanghero, a wholesaler he said was well aware that the cheap meat was mislabeled when it sold it to Comigel, the frozen food processor.
"Spanghero knew," Hamon said. "One thing that should have attracted Spanghero`s attention? The price."
Hamon said the mislabeled meat from Romania was far below the market rate for beef. Spanghero was to be suspended immediately and the results of the investigation have been forwarded to prosecutors, officials said.
A representative for Spanghero did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. In a statement earlier this week, Spanghero said it does not buy, sell or process horsemeat. The company said it was cooperating with the investigation and would sue whoever was responsible for the fraud.
Comigel itself was not blameless, Hamon said. The paperwork had significant irregularities, including failure to specify country of origin.
"And once the meat was defrosted, we can ask ourselves why Comigel didn`t notice that the color and odor was not that of beef," Hamon said.


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What to know when renting a car in a foreign country
Get a car ready for summer road trips
Get a car tune up to eliminate allergens in vehicles
Improve the safety of teen drivers with a few easy tips
Vehicle maintenance preps cars for summer travel
Recognize National Car Care Month by getting an oil change
Honda has issued two recalls last week for problems in some of its popular family vehicles, according to Autoblog.The Japanese automaker reported two recalls for separate issues. The first was related to Honda Odyssey minivans from 2008 and 2009, approximately 45,000 cars in total. On versions of this popular vehicle that include a power rear liftgate, an issue with pressurized gas could potentially result in an injury.Vehicles with power liftgates open them automatically using struts filled with pressurized gas. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a manufacturing flaw could result in too little gas in these struts, which would result in the liftgate closing unexpectedly and potentially causing injury.The second recall was somewhat smaller, but possibly more serious. Approximately 8,700 Honda Pilots and Acura MDXs from the 2012 model year were found to have improperly designed fuel tanks. An issue with the valve casing in these vehicles could potentially lead to a fuel leak, which could cause a fire.While recalls are typically covered by the manufacturer, drivers should still keep up with their car's auto maintenance. Regular tune-ups can help catch car repairs before they become a major issue.
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Pampered Pooches Pet Fair
Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky (SparKy), along with Lifetime Companion Pet Cremation Services is hosting the Pampered Pooches Pet Fair on Saturday, June 14, 2014, from 11am-3pm at Lifetime Companion Pet Cremation Service’s office at 3037 Alvey Park Dr. West off of HWY 54 in Owensboro. At the event pet parents will be able to have their pet microchipped for a $25 fee. Groomers will be available for a “tops n’ tails” service for $12 or individuals services for $5 each. There will also be a bake sale of homemade dog treats. Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky will also be selling t-shirts, have several adoptable animals on hand, and will be offering multiple giveaways. Other activities and pet items will be for sale and will be announced closer to the event.


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The global semiconductor supply chain is to see a transformation, spearheaded by the US government’s move to tackle chip shortages and safeguard its economy, which would benefit semiconductor foundries, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), Fitch Ratings said yesterday.
The US Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), endorsed by the White House and passed by the Senate, would allocate large-scale funding for domestic chip production to alleviate supply chain crunches and ensure dependable semiconductor sourcing. The bill is awaiting passage by the US House of Representatives.
Leading chip makers such as TSMC, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and the US’ Intel Corp would be the biggest beneficiaries due to their specialty in producing leading-edge nodes, Fitch said.
Photo: Tyrone Siu, Reuters
The windfall would extend to capital equipment suppliers such as KLA Corp and ASML Holding NV for supplying the tools used in the production of advanced chips, Fitch said.
The bill is intended to boost global competitiveness in industries deemed critical, with US$250 billion of government investment, it said, adding that about US$52 billion is to fund semiconductor research, design and manufacturing initiatives.
The US Department of Commerce expects the policy to unlock private investment, resulting in US$150 billion or more in funding for seven to 10 new US-based factories.
Several firms have announced expansion plans in the US. TSMC has announced a US$12 billion plan to build a 5-nanometer plant in Arizona, with media reports saying it is mulling up to five additional plants. Intel expects to invest US$20 billion in two new manufacturing facilities in the same state and Samsung intends to spend US$17 billion on a new 5-nanometer plant in Austin, Texas.
US policymakers view the semiconductor industry as strategically important because it supplies the fundamental enabling technologies for advanced defense, communications, big data and artificial intelligence among other industries, Fitch said.
The ongoing semiconductor shortage, driven by a confluence of factors, including inadequate capacity and stronger-than-expected demand, has highlighted supply chain vulnerability, it said.
The predicament also underscores the need to secure a dependable source of semiconductor components as the US’ share of semiconductor production has declined to about 12 percent from 37 percent in 1990, it said.
The global chip shortage has enhanced the bargaining position of foundries, Fitch said, adding that TSMC recently announced price increases of up to 20 percent.
Some chip consumers are making upfront payments to secure supply, Fitch said.
Electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc is expected to pay in advance to secure capacity, while Apple Inc has reserved TSMC’s initial capacity of 4-nanometer for its latest generation MacBook, it said.
TSMC supplies 50 to 55 percent of global semiconductor output and is the only foundry capable of turning out 7-nanometer and even more advanced chips, which enable everything from the latest smartphone models to graphics processing units used in data centers and artificial-intelligence applications.
TSMC’s operations are primarily centered in Taiwan, resulting in heightened geographic concentration risks, as earthquakes, droughts and blackouts have challenged manufacturing, Fitch said.
Ongoing droughts have the potential to affect TSMC’s production volume, as it uses 63,000 tonnes of water per day, it said, adding that Taiwan is also dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.
Facebook Inc on Wednesday reported its profit doubled in the second quarter as digital advertising surged, but warned of cooler growth in the months ahead in an update that sent its shares sinking. Profit rose to US$10.4 billion on revenue of US$29 billion, a 56 percent increase from last year, mainly from an increase in ad revenue, Facebook said. The number of people using the social network monthly climbed to 2.9 billion, a year-on-year gain of 7 percent, while about 3.5 billion people used at least one of the company’s apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. “We had a strong quarter, as we
FURTHER TAX MEASURES NEEDED? Corporate owners accounted for almost 30 percent of empty houses, many of which are held by firms that own 10 or more properties The number of unoccupied houses nationwide totaled 876,000 units last year, or 11.94 percent of all houses, the Ministry of the Interior said in a report issued on Thursday. Almost 30 percent of empty houses were owned by companies, suggesting that many corporate property owners engage in house hoarding, the ministry said. Excluding developers and builders, companies still owned 20 percent of empty houses, it said. The report is based on housing units’ electricity use and considers properties that use less than 60 kilowatt-hours per month as unoccupied. The study contradicts Ministry of Finance reports saying that house hoarding subsided and there is no
The Investment Commission has approved a plan by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, to expand production at its plant in Nanjing, China. The plan was approved because the investment would come from the chipmaker’s earnings from the Nanjing plant and would not have an impact on its paid-in capital, the commission said. In addition, TSMC has pledged to invest NT$600 billion (US$21.43 billion) to NT$650 billion in Taiwan to create more jobs over the next three years, and has made efforts to protect intellectual property to prevent confidential business information from being leaked, it said. The
‘No SUPPLY BOTTLENECK’: Shipments would proceed as planned from the facility, which produces processors for a new line of iPhones to be launched next month Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) shipments would not be affected by the contamination of gas used in the manufacturing process at one of its key plants in Tainan, the firm said yesterday. While some TSMC production lines in Tainan’s Southern Taiwan Science Park received gas supplies that were found to be substandard, the chipmaker continued production using gas from other sources, the company said. Local media reported that the contamination was discovered at the world’s largest contract chipmaker’s Fab 18 on Thursday night and that production would be affected during four days of cleanup work. While not confirming that the contamination


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ByAditya Kalra and Sumeet Chatterjee
Amazon.com is in early-stage talks to buy a stake worth at least $2 billion in Indian mobile operator Bharti Airtel, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, underscoring the growing attraction of India’s digital economy for US tech giants.
The planned investment, if completed, would mean Amazon acquiring a roughly 5% stake based on the current market value of Bharti, which is India’s third-largest telecom company with more than 300 million subscribers.
The discussions between Amazon and Bharti come at a time when global players are placing major bets on the digital arm of Reliance Industries, which owns Bharti’s telecom rival Jio.
Reliance’s digital unit has raised $10 billion in recent weeks from Facebook and others.
The talks between Bharti and Amazon are at an early stage and the deal terms could change, or an agreement may not be reached, said two of the three sources, all of whom declined to be identified because the discussions are confidential.
An Amazon spokeswoman said the company does “not offer comments on speculation of what we may or may not do in future”.
Bharti said they routinely work with all digital players to bring their products, content and services to customers. “Beyond that there is no other activity to report,” it said in a statement.
Amazon counts India as a crucial growth market where it has committed $6.5 billion in investments mainly toward expanding its e-commerce footprint.
The Seattle-based company has in recent years also expanded its digital offerings in India via its voice-activated speakers, video streaming and cloud storage, as it seeks to tap a rising number of internet and smartphone users in the country of 1.3 billion people.
Bharti, which got a setback last year when a Supreme Court ruling mandated it to pay over Rs 35,000-crore adjusted gross revenue dues, has been able to tide over the competitive pressures which weighed down incumbent telecom players with the commercial launch of Reliance Jio in September 2016. Not only was it able to raise around Rs 21,000 crore to pay the dues – it has already paid around Rs 18,000 crore – its average revenue per user and data usage is better than Jio’s if one goes by the January-March quarter numbers. On the content side also Bharti matches Jio on every front.
Though the company posted a net consolidated loss of Rs 5,237 crore during the January-March quarter, it was because of the provisioning of around Rs 7,000 crore for the AGR dues and one-time spectrum charge. Barring the provisioning, the company performed much better than Jio on several fronts, especially average revenue per user where it notched Rs 154 during the quarter against Rs 134 in the preceding quarter. This was much higher than Jio’s Rs 130 against Rs 128 in the preceding quarter.
The company added higher 4G subscribers than Jio’s during the quarter.
Another area where Bharti has maintained its lead over Jio is on the data usage front. During the quarter, data usage per customer per month stood at 15 GB against Jio’s 11 GB.
(Reuters with inputs from FE Bureau)


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Americans making summer vacation plans are about to find airfare costs are near or even above pre-pandemic levels, according to the nation’s major airlines.
Executives from most of the major carriers said the recovery in domestic leisure travel is already here. That means yields, which measure how much passengers pay for every mile traveled, are up more than the airlines had been forecasting.
“Domestic leisure [travel] will be 100% restored by June, with … bookings ahead of 2019 levels and yields essentially recovered,” said Glen Hauenstein, president of Delta Air Lines, speaking at the Wolfe Research conference.
The airlines are being cautious about bringing back too much supply of flights too quickly, especially since the leisure fares booked well in advance of travel are not as lucrative as the business travel booked at the last minute. Business travel and international travel have yet to come back, although airlines said they’re seeing signs of a future recovery there as well.
United, which is due to speak at the conference later in the day, said in a filing that overall yields on tickets booked this month for travel in May and June are already near 2019 levels. That’s even with reduced demand for business travel — so it means that domestic leisure yields are already ahead of what was booked in 2019.
Profitability and the business travel problems
This doesn’t mean the airlines are back to being profitable, although several have said they have stopped burning through the cash the way they did for most of 2020 and early 2021.
It’s tough to be profitable with just domestic leisure travelers, said Philip Baggaley, chief credit analyst covering airlines for Standard & Poor’s. Yet getting this part of their business back is still important.
“There certainly has been a surge in domestic leisure bookings, and the yields they’ve been able to achieve,” he said. “They’re not filling up as much of the plane, but in a very large and important part of their business, they’re doing just fine.”
The airlines expect business travel will start to return once offices that had employees working remotely begin to reopen. It didn’t make sense, of course, to schedule business trips if the customer whom a business traveler wants to meet with hasn’t yet returned to an office.
“We still anticipate business travel returns in the fall and beyond,” said Vasu Raja, chief revenue officer at American. “Many corporations are at the nascent stages of coming back to the office.”
That’s why airlines won’t be back to the same number of flights this summer as they offered in the summer of 2019 before the pandemic. But they’re seeing strong demand for the seats they are offering, thanks to vacation travelers’ pent-up demand.
“Right now…the only thing that is keeping us from being at 2019 booking levels is where is we’re constricting supply,” said Raja.
The bad news for the vacation travelers is good news for the airlines and their investors. Shares of American, Delta, United and most other US airlines were up between 2% and 3% in midday trading.


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Circular economy inspires 12 new sustainability commitments from Rexam
Global beverage can manufacturer Rexam has updated its sustainability framework following a comprehensive materiality study earlier this year.
The study has resulted in 12 commitments being laid out as part of the company’s effort to improve upon its global recycling rate of around 70% of beverage cans.
One of the obligations is the reduction of the overall carbon footprint of a beverage can by 25% by 2020, including the embedded carbon in the materials Rexam converts into cans whilst another commitment ensures due focus is paid to reducing water consumption in the can manufacturing process.
Rexam’s chief executive Graham Chipchase said: “We achieved 16 out of the 20 sustainability targets that Rexam set itself back in 2010, and we have now have 15 new challenging targets for 2020 to build on those achievements.
“We are continually challenging ourselves to be the most sustainable business we can be – a fundamental part in achieving Rexam’s goal to be the best beverage can company in the world.”
The additions to the sustainability framework complement Rexam’s ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of material and reduce energy consumption. Earlier this year, edie reported on the company’s alliance with Carlsberg as one of the founding partners of the Carlsberg Circular Economy.
Rexam focuses on three critical areas (products, operations and employees) in its new commitments: –
- Promote and actively support recycling systems for its products. The company aims to achieve the industry targets in all regions.
- Reduce the carbon footprint of its cans by 25% by 2020
- Engage with policymakers, customers and the supply chain to minimise the impact of packaging and packaged goods on the environment.
- Develop a minimum of five new products and manufacturing processes per year
- Continuously improve its material efficiency.
- Reduce the energy used and the carbon intensity per normalised unit of production by 7% by 2020.
- Reduce the tonnage of waste to landfill by 25% by 2020.
- Reduce the amount of water withdrawn per normalised unit of production by 10% by 2020.
- Make sure its employees are working in a safe and healthy environment.
- Continue to build a winning organisation.
- Ensure actions and interactions are guided by fairness, respect, integrity and honesty.
- Encourage all teams to be constructive members of its local communities.
Infographic: Rexam’s circular economy ambitionsHere are 10 things you need to know about the circular economy.
© Faversham House Ltd 2023 edie news articles may be copied or forwarded for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk is having a dreadful week, but the company (NASDAQ:TSLA) has some encouraging news. The electric-car maker manufactured a record 80,000 vehicles in the third quarter, per a report in Elektrek, which cited a source familiar with the matter.
Indeed, Tesla exceeded its target of building at least 50,000 Model 3 cars in the third quarter and built 80,000 vehicles, marking a level of production that is unparalleled for the car maker.
Efforts were made in the last hours to churn out more vehicles even after Tesla met its Model 3 production goal with over two days to go, according to the Elektrek report.
Of those 80,000 vehicles, Tesla manufactured about 53,000 Model 3 cars in the quarter, which represents a 187% jump in output from the previous quarter, per Elektrek.
“Overall, Tesla produced almost as many cars this quarter as the last two quarters combined,” states the Elektrek report.
The company is set to report its third-quarter production figures to the public this week.
Over the weekend, Elon Musk reached a settlement over fraud charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission that requires him to relinquish his position as Tesla’s chairman and pay a $20 million fine. The company will also pay $20 million to US regulators.
Read: Elon Musk's swift settlement with SEC a positive for Tesla but legal risks linger, analysts say
The deal with regulators came after the SEC sued Musk and Tesla over a tweet that claimed Musk had the funding to take the electric-car maker private.
In August, Musk tweeted that he was considering taking the company private at $420 per share and that he had “funding secured”. The tweet sent Tesla shares on a wild ride and Musk still faces a probe by federal prosecutors over the tweet.
Tesla shares jumped 14.5% to $303.22 in response to Musk’s settlement with the SEC.


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Nominet responds to rule-change concerns
No conspiracy, just good business, claim chief exec and chairman
Nominet's chairman and chief executive have hit back at claims that changes to the company's Memorandum and Articles of Association will over-commercialise the not-for-profit company.
Chairman Bob Gilbert told us: "There is a lot of disinformation being peddled that is completely erroneous." Instead, both he and chief executive Lesley Cowley insist the changes are essential if Nominet is to compete in the fast-moving internet market.
Last week, Nominet - which runs the .uk internet registry - called for an extraordinary general meeting next month where it will ask members to vote for changes to the company's basic charter. It requires 90 per cent approval for the changes to go through.
But soon after, several members of Nominet's Policy Advisory Board started raising concerns over some of the changes. One, Hazel Pegg, has even set up a website to outline her concerns in which she urges Nominet members to vote 'no'.
Gilbert, who has spent most of the past nine months working on the changes and who has wide-ranging experience as a company law specialist, assured us that the changes were no more than "normal" and that he found it frustrating that people were misreading the changes.
The fear the changes are just the first part of a gradual move toward far greater commercialism, and possibly a float of Nominet, are unfounded he said. "I suppose it is because I have a track record of taking companies public - but then I have also done a lot of non-profit work and the two are entirely separate."
Instead, he claims, he has been "infected" with Nominet's approach and culture. It would be legally impossible for Nominet to be floated, and besides the company is determined to remain not-for-profit.
Cowley said the reason behind the changes is to update Nominet and free it from past constraints that were useful back in 1996 but now unnecessarily restrict the company.
One example is that under the existing rules, Nominet has to poll all its members by post if it is to change prices. Others are: that this company at the edge of internet technology is currently restricted in its use of electronic communication; it is not allowed to do any promotion or marketing for the .uk domain ("we'd love to do that", Cowley said); and under its current rules, the managing director also has to be the chairman.
With the existing articles, the board may change the voting rules any time it pleases. And it also faces an almost impossible task of expelling members - something that came to a head when Nominet was forced to sue one of its members for misleading consumers while all the while the company used its membership of Nominet as evidence of its trustworthiness.
"We've gone 10 years without an extraordinary general meeting, and I'd be more than happy to go another 10 years without one," said Cowley. "But what we want is to be much more responsive and quick to some of the changes that will happen in the industry whether we like it or not."
Gilbert reiterates the same line: "Nominet's original constitution has served it wonderfully well, but it's time to move on and what we want to do is give the management the ability to run the company the way they see fit."


text: Forbes Magazine recently named Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (NasdaqGS: TXRH) one of America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies. The Louisville-based company is one of only a handful of restaurants to be ranked and the only Kentucky-based company to earn a spot on this prestigious list. The list is assembled by GMI Ratings, a consulting company that reviews accounting and governance behaviors of about 8,000 North American publicly-traded companies. GMI assesses each company’s credibility based on factors such as high-risk events, revenue and expense recognition methods, SEC actions, and bankruptcy risk. The 100 companies with the highest scores for trustworthy behavior or AGR (Aggressive Accounting and Governance Risk), over the four quarters of the previous fiscal year, earn a place on the list. “What an honor to be recognized as one of the most trustworthy companies in America. This is a testament to the 40,000 Texas Roadhouse employees who build trust with our guests each and every day,” commented Kent Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Texas Roadhouse, Inc. The list of 100 companies is sorted into large-caps with market caps of $5 billion or higher, mid caps with market caps of $1 to $5 billion, and small caps with market caps of $25 million to $1 billion. Forbes 100 Most Trustworthy Companies is the latest accolade for Texas Roadhouse. Earlier this year, Glassdoor, a popular career search website, announced that Texas Roadhouse employees voted the company as one of the nation’s Top 50 Best Places to Work. In 2012, Texas Roadhouse was named the #1 Steakhouse in Nation’s Restaurant News’ Consumer Picks survey. About Texas Roadhouse: Based in Louisville, Kentucky, with more than 425 locations in 48 states, Texas Roadhouse opened its doors in 1993. The Louisville, KY based company is famous for hand-cut steaks, made-from-scratch sides, fresh-baked bread, and its lively atmosphere. In 2014 Texas Roadhouse was named one of Employee’s Choice Best Places to work by Glassdoor, in 2012 Texas Roadhouse was named Top Steakhouse in the Nation’s Restaurant News’ Consumer Picks survey, in 2007 and 2008 Forbes magazine ranked the company as one of the 200 Best Small Companies and in 2009 the company was ranked “Best Value” by readers of Consumer Reports magazine. For more information, visit www.texasroadhouse.com .


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It may not have the title any longer, but Lititz is still pretty cool.
“Of course we’re cool. We’ve always been cool,” borough council president Karen Weibel insists.
Lititz took its coolness to a national playing field over the past 12 months after being voted America’s Coolest Small Town by readers of Budget Travel Magazine.
“We’ve had as much fun with this as we could extract,” Weibel says. “It has definitely brought us into focus for a lot of folks.
“Something like this brings out a town’s identity and celebrates the unique.”
But the title is awarded annually — Lititz was the eighth — and on Tuesday the torch was passed to Berlin, Md.
“Just because someone else has the title doesn’t mean our coolness went away,” says Kelly Withum, executive director of Venture Lititz.
Berlin, a historic town with a population of 4,563, just a few miles from Ocean City and Assateague Island, bested contenders including Cazenovia, N.Y., Buckhannon, W.Va., Travelers Rest, S.C., and Nevada City, Calif., in this year’s poll.
“I haven’t been there,” Withum says. “I heard it’s delightful.”
“I think that will be a good spring day trip,” Weibel adds. “It’s in Maryland, how far could it be?”
Lititz was awarded the “coolest” title in February 2013. Nearly 100,000 votes were cast for 924 towns in Budget Travel’s eighth annual competition.
The Moravian town, known for chocolate, pretzels, fireworks, ice sculptures and more, bested the likes of Camden, Maine, Flagler Beach, Fla., and Watkins Glen, N.Y., in the hard-fought competition.
Having won once, Lititz is no longer eligible for future competitions.
But Lititz has reveled in the title over the past year.
“I think it has been a big boost to our town, in regard to getting more tourists in,” says Mayor Timothy Snyder. “It’s really given our town a nice image.”
Snyder said local shopkeepers’ spirits were boosted by the designation.
“It’s something special,” he says.
Snyder, who owns the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lititz, says this has been the company’s best year for business since 2007.
“I assume that’s the reason,” he says.
Other local businesses also have had a banner year, Snyder says. Many people who made plans to visit the region — say Hershey or Gettysburg — made a point of coming to Lititz because of the designation, he says.
“There has been a measurable uptick in sales, for stores and restaurants,” Weibel agrees. “Certainly it’s brought much more attention to the town in general.”
Withum says traffic at the Lititz visitor’s center increased by some 6,000 people over the past year.
“It was great,” Withum says. “We definitely used it as a marketing tool — locally, regionally and for national tourism as well. I am currently helping Berlin and giving them suggestions as to how they can maximize the title.”
There are also pitfalls to avoid, Withum says — once Lititz earned the title, she says, sales representatives oozed out of the woodwork trying to sell the borough slick, costly video packages and other marketing tools.
“It’s like winning the lottery, and cousins you never knew you had start coming to you for money,” she says.
But it’s also an excuse to beef up the town’s image.
Because of the “cool” designation, for instance, Lititz overhauled its website to be more “visitor-friendly,” she says. More requests came in for the local visitor’s guide, she adds, and local merchants worked together on group advertising campaigns spotlighting Lititz as a destination.
“Retailers were reporting significant increases in their sales,” Withum says. “Many reported that this was their best sales year ever.”
Lititz also has taken the opportunity to promote itself as a great place to live and raise a family,” Weibel says.
“It’s been a great experience,” she says. My goodness, it hatched great community events throughout the year. It got thousands of people downtown. We really did have great fun with it. I know Berlin will have a great time with it, too.”
Lititz will continue to market itself for being voted America’s coolest small town,” Withum notes. “Although we can’t use it as strongly, as aggressively as we did. That would be unfair to the new, reigning cool town.
“But we’re definitely still cool.”
Lititz has both its fans and detractors on LancasterOnline’s Facebook page, where announcement on Tuesday of Berlin’s new title drew a variety of comments.
“Berlin, MD ... never heard of it,” wrote Mandy Welch. “Now Lititz, PA is definitely deserving of coolest small town. It's filled with wonderful little shops, parks, and the locals are unforgettable.”
“Lititz is great and all but doesn't quite deserve any ‘coolest’ title. It's in middle of nowhere and has a candy factory,” argues Josh Stoll. “So what....”
Some people nominated other local towns, such as Columbia and Quarryville, for the title in future years.
“Gap deserves it just for the lighthouse,” wrote Tom Shindle.


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Former MGM Executive Scott Sibella New President of Resorts World
Longtime Las Vegas gaming executive Scott Sibella has been named president of Resorts World Las Vegas, the company announced Thursday.
Sibella was president and chief operating officer of MGM Grand for the past eight years. He left the company as part of MGM 2020 cost-cutting measures. Sibella also served as president and chief operating officer of The Mirage and Treasure Island.
Sibella replaces Edward Farrell, who was named president of Genting Americas, the Genting Group’s U.S.-based corporate entity that oversees development and operations in New York, Florida, Massachusetts and the Bahamas.
The UNLV College of Hospitality graduate is chairman of Las Vegas Events, the private events-scheduling arm of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and is a member of the board of directors of Opportunity Village. Upon leaving MGM, Sibella last month signed on as an adviser to Resorts World Las Vegas and a consultant to its construction manager, W.A. Richardson Builders. “Scott has a wealth of experience in both development and operations, which will ensure that Resorts World Las Vegas is successfully built and operated,” said Hui Lim, deputy CEO of the Malaysia-based Genting Group, the parent company for Resorts World
“The project is now fully financed, and construction continues to ramp up,” Lim said in a statement. “As we now turn our focus to eventual operations, Scott will oversee a smooth opening and ensure Resorts World Las Vegas is run efficiently while providing a world-class guest experience.”
Resorts World, being built on the former site of the Stardust, will have 3,400 rooms and an Asian theme. The project’s two 59-story towers have reached 55 floors and the project is expected to be topped out this summer. A soft opening of the resort is currently set for the end of 2020.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be selected to spearhead one of the most exciting developments on the Las Vegas Strip in recent memory,” Sibella said in a statement issued by the company.
About Resorts World Las Vegas
Resorts World Las Vegas was developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas. In partnership with Hilton, Resorts World Las Vegas integrates three of Hilton’s premium brands into its resort campus, including Las Vegas Hilton, the resort’s full-service brand; Conrad Las Vegas, Hilton’s lifestyle luxury brand; and LXR, Hilton’s network of independent luxury properties, which operates as Crockfords Las Vegas, Genting’s internationally renowned ultra-luxury brand. Resorts World Las Vegas features 3,506 guest rooms and suites, an innovative, next-generation gaming floor, world-class food and beverage options, a 5,000-capacity theatre, distinct nightlife venues, a curated retail collection of designer and boutique shops and more. The integrated resort weaves time-honored traditions of the international Resorts World brand into the fabric of Las Vegas, introducing a bold, fresh take on hospitality to the city with stunning design, progressive technology and world-class guest service. Resorts World Las Vegas is Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a verification that ensures the resort has appropriate health safety procedures in place. For more information, visit www.rwlasvegas.com or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.


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LEVERAGING NIGERIA’S BOOMING E-COMMERCE SECTOR
Hauwa Abu Anaja
Nigeria has, over the years embraced innovative technologies in conducting commerce, notwithstanding setbacks such as irregular internet services, poor electricity supply and shortfall of digital infrastructure and policies that hindered early adoption of new technologies.
E-Commerce refers to the sale and purchase of goods over an electronic medium like the internet. It also involves electronically transferring data on goods and funds, popularly referred to as online shopping. E-commerce, also known as e-Business, or electronic business, is enabled by robust internet service and powered by digital technologies.
Recent data from the World Internet Statistics show that there are about six million internet users in Africa, at an internet penetration rate of 43.2 percent, growing steadily at the rate of 13 percent as at March 2021.
On a global scale, Africa accounts for 11.5 percent of the world’s internet usage with its over one billion population. Meanwhile, the continent’s expanding consumer spending is going digital and a large portion of it is in the form of e-transactions.
Furthermore, smartphone penetration in Africa is on the rise, with up to 34 percent in South Africa and 27 percent in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation.
In the last five years, e-commerce has witnessed significant growth in Nigeria, with more Nigerians buying and selling online. The reason is not farfetched. Consumers are increasingly becoming more aware of the accessibility, convenience and ease of buying and selling online due to increased access to smart digital devices, with many new entrants in the mobile device market offering competitive prices.
A smartphone that enables a variety of digital activities can be purchased for around 12 thousand Naira, about thirty dollars, and many Nigerians can easily purchase such devices online on e-commerce sites.
In addition, telecom companies and internet providers, in their quest to grow their market, continue to offer competitive internet data prices and services, thus enabling an expansion of e-commerce gains and turnover.
Data released on the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration, trade.gov, indicates that the current e-commerce spending in Nigeria is estimated at $12 billion and projected to reach $75 billion in revenue per annum by 2025.
With the burgeoning population of Nigerian youths tapping into the opportunities digital businesses provide, e-commerce is further strengthened with ripple effects on consumer power and smartphone penetration.
The ease of e-commerce transactions and management means that many young Nigerians who face challenges in acquiring capital to start a business or funds to run a business in physical locations can now leverage on e-commerce as a lifesaver, with as simple a tool as a smartphone or tablet.
The global Coronavirus pandemic also opened new avenues for e-commerce to thrive. With the social distancing campaigns and isolation measures put in place by governments around the world to curb the spread of the virus, many consumers have resorted to e-commerce for their daily transactions.
As the penetration of e-commerce and its acceptance grows, challenges remain. There are issues of acceptability and trust among consumers, many of whom lament the sale of substandard goods online and the advertisement of fake goods and services. There is also the fact that online selling, unlike the physical, does not give buyers the opportunity to appraise a product or service physically and appreciate its features before they paying for them.
In order for Nigeria to deepen e-commerce and reap its benefits, laws to protect both buyers and sellers in cyberspace need to be enforced. In 2015, the Nigerian Government enacted the Cybercrime law to, among other things, prohibit, prevent, criminalize and sanction all types of fraud in e-commerce.
The Cybercrime Act also set up the institutional framework for the enforcement of regulations to protect e-business transactions, company copyrights, domain names and other electronic signatures in relation to electronic transactions within Nigeria.
Despite these strides, a lot still needs to be done. The time has come to establish a statutory agency to oversee and regulate e-commerce services and operations, including the formulation of strategies to ensure the safety and security of personnel of Delivery Companies.
In addition, Telecoms companies must provide value for money in internet data services and sanctions should be enforced to penalize companies that do not match demand and quality. Furthermore, e-commerce sites must vet sellers thoroughly and regularly comb their databases for defaulters of Nigeria’s e-commerce laws, rules and regulations. E-commerce sites must also ensure that customers’ data are well protected and secured on their servers to prevent card transaction fraud.
Nigeria is on the threshold of a substantially huge digital transformation with the potentials of the e-commerce sector. All that is left now is the full enforcement of the Cybercrimes Act and focused implementation of the right policies and strategies in order to reap the limitless opportunities of employment and wealth creation for the country’s teeming youths.


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Find out what other accolade the store gained this week
They can be purchased at Kmart Gladstone on Saturday
News The Observer has been given behind-the-scenes access.
The closure is part of overall renovation works for the store.
KMART has revealed when its store will relaunch with a new look.
"We look forward to continue to service families in Gladstone.”


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Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Web video provider Brightcove, was the keynote speaker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology' &title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title)"> conference. He said the Internet is rapidly moving from a "text Web" to a "video Web," spurred by the dropping costs of producing and hosting video.
Allaire said high-quality professional video content is going online as media companies develop strategies to use the Web as distribution medium.
Unlike traditional entertainment media, however, end-user participation should be a big part of any online media strategy, Allaire said.Brightcove is developing several "social media" additions to work with its video hosting and distribution system. The new features will allow viewers to a submit content and integrate with chat software to allow people to discuss videos online, Allaire said.
But despite the explosion of so-called user generated content made famous on video-sharing sites like YouTube, many of the business models for online media are immature, according to a panel on the media industry at the conference.
Alex Laats, CEO of audio and video search company Podzinger said that online content needs to be searchable and categorized into channels. Once that happens, online media will be more appealing to both consumers and advertisers.
In addition, the advertising industry, which spends billions of dollars per year on television advertising, is very conservative and resistant to try things that are not measured and quantifiable, said Laurie Baird, director of technology partnerships for Turner Broadcasting System.
Niche audiences are developing around the Web where people can share videos and podcasts. That has led to a fragmentation of the media industry, more accustomed to dealing with the mass market.
Right now, traditional media companies are experimenting with media that combines both professional and nonprofessional material.
For example, Baird said that two weeks ago Turner Broadcasting launched a site called Super Deluxe, which is dedicated to comedy. The idea is to appeal to a niche audience of comedians and comedy fans, allowing people to submit videos and to rate videos.


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PIMCO, the world’s biggest bond manager, has fallen from its perch as Europe’s best-selling fund manager, cementing a torrid few months for the US-based firm.
The group, which has UK offices near Baker Street, fell from being the company with the best-selling funds to outside the top 25 last year, according to fresh figures from Lipper. Pimco, which recorded sales of €34bn (£28.4bn) in 2012 making it number one, lost its crown to BlackRock which notched up €32.5bn of sales in Europe in 2013.
Pimco has been beset by large outflows by clients due to fears over the steady withdrawal of monetary stimulus by central banks.
The departure of chief executive Mohamed El-Erian and reported tensions with Pimco founder Bill Gross has also taken the shine off the once-glittering company.
Pimco has consistently made it into the top five biggest selling funds across Europe since 2010, according to the figures from Lipper, adding to the gravity of the fall outside the top 25. Pimco’s global investor series income fund was the fourth best selling bond fund in Europe in 2013, the data shows, much lower than its previous placing.


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KFC drive-thrus have now reopened in Greater Manchester and beyond and the queues definitely prove people have missed it.
Following the reopening of 55 KFC drive-thrus in the UK this week, after the chain temporarily closed all outlets amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, large queues have been occurring.
Hungry customers throughout the country flocked to their nearest restaurant for a bite of the action yesterday.
The MEN reported cars turning out in the masses to KFC drive-thrus in Greater Manchester, primarily featuring Hulme and Wythenshawe, and now further images are emerging as people right across the UK have taken to social media to share the scenes of gargantuan queues at their local KFC chains.
Vehicles can be seen not only snaking around the sides of KFC buildings, but also queuing in car parks leading up to or surrounding the drive-thrus.
Long queue at Swansea KFC at the restaurant re-opened 55 of it's drive-thru lanes across the UK. Roads were busy with people waiting to place their order. #swansea #kfc #open #coronavirus #wales #uk #walesnews #uknews #photography #coronavirusuk #fastfood #travel #cars #Editorial pic.twitter.com/7jaBi2sK3f— Robert Melen (@RobertMelen) May 5, 2020
Queue at KFC drive thru on Glasgow’s Great Western Road. Folk seem intent in catching a finger lickin’ good dose of the virus. What’s wrong with folk? pic.twitter.com/pyIA181Wof— Simon Houston (@simonhouston68) May 5, 2020
Upon announcing the reopening of a selection of its UK drive-thrus this week, KFC encouraged customers to use delivery services instead, rather than travelling to a drive-thru, as a way of limiting numbers.
In a statement released before the reopening, KFC informed the public that: "We’ve been working hard to responsibly reopen our restaurants and now we’re spreading our wings a little further. In line with government advice, we’ve decided to open the drive-thru lanes at 55 of our UK restaurants that are already open for delivery."
"We know it’s tempting, but please, please don’t all rush at once!"
"Delivery remains the best way to get your fried chicken fix – we just want to offer a little more choice to those who are already on the road for essential journeys or on their way home from difficult shifts."
Huge queues earlier at westgate retail park kfc pic.twitter.com/UFSsG01eCY— Haz (@harryd20200) May 5, 2020
KFC confirmed that all reopened UK drive-thrus will now follow "stringent new social distancing and safety procedures". The procedures are as follows:
- Smaller kitchen team to help observe social distancing, with separation of our guests and our delivery drivers.
- Increased hand washing and surface sanitising.
- New signage and floor stickers to help delivery drivers keep a safe distance apart.
- Contactless handover of food, with contactless payment preferred.
- Introduction of a limited menu to help the smaller team avoid switching kitchen stations, with clear floor markings.
- Installation of protective screens where appropriate, with non-medical grade face masks and gloves made available for our teams.
- Our team members signing a health declaration and completing a new coronavirus training programme before returning to work.
- Shorter trading hours to allow for smaller kitchen teams.
If you would like to read up further on KFC's code of conduct amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, you can do so via its website here.
You can check which KFC drive-thrus are open across Greater Manchester and beyond here.


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The Cyber News Rundown brings you the latest happenings in cyber news weekly. Who am I? I’m Connor Madsen, a Webroot Threat Research Analyst, and a guy with a passion for all things security. Any more questions? Just ask.
Hackers Threaten to Lock 200M+ iCloud Accounts
Hackers are threatening to remotely lock down over 200 million iCloud accounts. Webroot Senior Threat Research Analyst, Tyler Moffitt told SC Media that this may be a bluff. We’ll wait and see on this one since all we have to go off of is the hackers’ word and a few screenshots. We’ll know more as the ransom deadline of April 7th approaches.
American Farmers are Hacking Their Tractors
This isn’t our usual data leak or ransomware attack, it’s black market tractor hacking. Farmers are taking things into their own hands in an effort to thwart manufacturer blocks on their farming equipment. These blocks are an attempt to prevent farmers from going to cheaper, “unauthorized” repair shops to maintain their vehicles. Farmers are starting to hack their equipment with Ukrainian Firmware so they can fix their tractors when they need to and at an affordable price.
ISPs Now Allowed to Sell User Browsing History to Advertisers
It just wouldn’t be the Cyber News Rundown without a new government data leak or citizen privacy battle. The US Senate has voted to eliminate broadband privacy rules that require ISPs to obtain customer consent before selling any sensitive information with advertisers. The vote was split equally down the party lines, and now only a House vote or Presidential veto could stop the roll-back of the privacy rules. The data in question is extremely valuable as major corporations could use it to pattern out an individual’s entire day, based on their Internet usage, purchases made, and places visited.
UK Mobile Data Breach Leaves Customers Stunned
Customers at Three UK found a surprise when signing into their accounts, a breach of privacy where they’d see a stranger’s personal information and call history. The cause of the breach hasn’t been announced but this is their second data exposure within a few months. Although the Three UK breach only affected a small percentage of their 9 million customers, I’m guessing back-to-back data leaks are not helping their retention rates.
McDonald’s Delivery App Vulnerabilities
The McDonald’s India-exclusive app service, McDelivery, is currently under fire for an API leak that has exposed millions of users. The vulnerability was originally reported to McDonald’s in early February and is still unpatched. While reporting these types of breaches isn’t mandatory in India, you’d think the sheer number of users who could be negatively impacted would motivate McDonald’s to release an update. I guess I wouldn’t mind people knowing how often I order off the dollar menu either — but having access to my phone number and address is another story.


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Sony's password reset system for the restored PlayStation Network, which was taken down by hackers last month
and has only recently returned to full functionality
, has been revealed to have further vulnerabilities of its own.
Sony has been forced to take down some websites in order to fix the vulnerability, which could allow hackers to change users' passwords and gain access to their accounts.
The vulnerability is based around the password reset system, which requires the email address the PSN account is linked to and the date of birth for the user - information which was compromised in the initial attacks and was not encrypted.
claims to have seen video evidence of the vulnerability being exploited.
'Unfortunately this means that those who are still trying to change their password via Playstation.com or Qriocity.com will be unable to do so for the time being,
' Sony said in an official statement.
'In the meantime you will still be able to sign into PSN via your PlayStation 3 and PSP devices to connect to game services and view Trophy/Friends information.
Users are advised to change the passwords associated with their email accounts, to be on the safe side.
Let us know your thoughts in the forums


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US trucking industry on the verge of freight-tech revolution
For those of us outside, the size of North America’s haulage sector never ceases to ...
CH Robinson has cited retail weakness for a disappointing set of third-quarter results that cemented its reputation as an overland operator, while its global forwarding division struggled.
It saw total revenues in the third quarter fall 4% year on year, to $6bn, which it said was “driven primarily by lower ocean and air pricing”; but this was partially offset by higher pricing in LTL and truckload.
Gross profit increased 5%, to $880.7m, but operating expenses rose 12.5%, to $599.6m, as its headcount grew 13%. Net income was $225.8m, down 8.6% from a year ago, and income from operations was $287.6m, down 7.5%.
“On our second-quarter earnings call in late July, I talked about a deceleration in demand we expected to see in the second half of 2022 in three large verticals for freight, including weakness in the retail market and further slowing in the housing market,” said CEO Bob Biesterfeld.
“We’re now seeing those expectations play out, with slowing freight demand and price declines in the freight forwarding and surface transport markets.”
Its North American Surface Transportation division saw income from operations rise 42.2%, year on year in Q3, while for the nine months, it rose 53.5%, to $670.7m.
However, global forwarding saw declines: a 48% fall in income from operations in Q3, to $85.9m, on a 23% fall in revenues. Its nine-month year-on-year changes were better: revenues rose 26.5%, to $6.7bn, while income from operations increased 15.7%, to $421m.
“Today, we believe we are entering a time of slower economic growth, where freight markets will continue to cool from their peaks and will operate more reliably and at more normalised rates, with fewer disruptions,” added Mr Biesterfeld.
“These changes in market conditions, coupled with many successful endeavours on our digital roadmap, directed at scaling our model to be more efficient, are allowing us to take actions to structurally reduce our overall cost structure.”
He said the company was cost-cutting to the tune of $175m, on an annualised basis, by the fourth quarter of next year, although he expected inflation to add $25m to costs.
Mr Biesterfeld added: “Throughout the changes in the freight cycle, we have maintained our focus on continuing to improve the customer and carrier experience and scaling our digital processes and operating model to foster sustainable, profitable growth.”
Meanwhile, CH Robinson is promoting Arun Rajan to chief operating officer, from chief product officer, to accelerate its digital and product strategy and “drive greater impact”. Mr Rajan has only been with CH Robinson since August 2021, after two years as CTO for Whole Foods Market. He will have direct responsibility for technology and marketing.


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The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) is working cooperatively with Utah’s Division of Air Quality as it develops regulations for consumer products intended to improve the state’s air quality by reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). CSPA is committed to creating consistencies in state regulation of consumer products to avoid a patchwork of different state-specific requirements. CSPA and its member companies take the responsibility of product safety benefits and environmental health very seriously and continuously seek to improve them.
CSPA member companies manufacture and market approximately 75 percent of the broad product categories covered by the current Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) Model Rule for Consumer Products in Utah. The Association supports the adoption of consistent Consumer Products Regulations, and looks forward to achieving a greater consistency with provisions of the OTC model as the Utah Division of Air Quality develops and implements the rule.
“CSPA has worked closely with a number of states throughout the years to develop technologically and commercially feasible reductions of VOCs that are necessary to achieve compliance with Ozone State Implementation Plan commitments,” stated CSPA President and CEO Chris Cathcart.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that of the major man-made sources of VOCs, 58 percent are from industrial facilities, 37 percent are from vehicle emissions and 5 percent are from consumer products. The portion of these products packaged in aerosol containers accounts for only a fraction of that amount and is largely composed of the least reactive—or least smog-forming—type of VOCs. Modeling studies in California have shown that overall consumer product VOC emissions have exceedingly small ozone impacts.
CSPA is a 25-year stakeholder in air quality actions by the California Air Resource Board, the OTC states, the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium states and the EPA. With a long history of engaging collaboratively with state regulators on air quality regulations, CSPA and the consumer products industry remains committed to improving air quality while maintaining the industry’s ability to supply effective products that consumers use to positively contribute to their health, safety, and quality of life. CSPA recently submitted comments to the Air Quality Board on the proposed regulations in response to a public meeting held on Feb. 6 in Salt Lake City. CSPA will continue to engage in the stakeholder process.
“California and 15 states in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and the District of Columbia have finalized consumer products regulations that establish VOC limits for a wide variety of aerosol and other consumer products; however, no state has banned any of these products because they contain VOCs,” Cathcart said.


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Fiat employees go on strike over Cristiano Ronaldo's signing
While football fans in Italy are celebrating the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, the workers of the Fiat Chrysler plant have gone on a strike.
Their problem is that Fiat is spending millions to land CR7, whereas, they haven't had a pay hike in 10 years.
Fiat is pumping €112mn to make this deal happen.
Notably, the Agnelli family runs both Juventus and the automobile-maker.
Fiat workers protest the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo
Fiat employees are making 'huge economic sacrifices'
The workers feel that their owner's decision to pay Ronaldo implies that Fiat would be missing out on investment.
The union believes that Fiat should be working towards improving the lives of thousands of people that than just enriching one footballer.
It finds it unacceptable that employees are making huge economic sacrifices while the money is being spent on Ronaldo.
Fiat workers unhappy with cash-strapped owner's decision
"It is unacceptable that while management continues to demand huge sacrifices from (Fiat Chrysler) workers over years, the same management decides to spend hundreds of millions of euros to buy a football player," the union said.
Love Sports news?
Stay updated with the latest happenings.
Have Juve overpaid for Ronaldo?
33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a 4-year deal with Juventus.
Some believe that Juventus have overpaid for a footballer, who is nearing the tail-end of his career.
While pundits think Ronaldo would be able to make enough money, for Juventus, to cover his wages.
Ronaldo is the Champions League's leading goal-scorer and could help Juventus win the title that has eluded them since decades.


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More companies are creating a Facebook presence, but they aren't necessarily engaging their audience they way that results in more revenue and brand awareness. Roughly eight out of every 10 US companies are now on Facebook, according to a recently survey released by InSites Consulting today.
The poll picked out 1,222 managers in the U.S and Europe to see just what they are using social networking for and what results they are seeing.
While 80% had taken their brand onto Facebook, just less than one half were using LinkedIn and Twitter, while only a third had created a YouTube presence.
Other stats found through this survey included:
-Six out of 10 American companies listen to consumer conversations happening on social networks.
-Only 11% of companies using social networks incorporate that into their overall strategies.
-Companies already spending on social media plan to increase that spending.
-Companies that aren’t currently spending have to plans to in the future.
-83% of the brands answer client questions and address complaints using social media.
But this adoption of social media and communication doesn't necessarily mean that the companies are truly integrated yet. Many are using all of these moving parts but have not created a strategy or process to make everything work together. Nonetheless, there is a promising trend of companies more receptive to user comments and input.
“Social media makes conversations between consumers very transparent," states Prof Steven Van Belleghem, partner at the research agency InSites Consulting. "Companies can quite easily discover what people are saying about their products and services. An increasingly growing group is strongly interested (and with good reason) in this real-time feedback from the market.”
The survey showed that companies find it very important to be present on social network sites. However, this does not always mean their strategy in doing so is well thought-out. A mere 11% of the companies are integrating their social media approach into their overall corporate strategy while 17% are currently mid-integration.
“A huge number of companies feel external pressure to be present on social media. Unfortunately this very often results in static corporate pages where nothing really happens. It too often leads to mere presence, not engagement with people. In doing so, companies create enthusiasm among their customers which in the end turns into disappointment,” Van Belleghem said in the survey results.
It is more important to have a meaningful and complimentary presence on social media than to just exist there because, ultimately, brands are should have a bigger goal in mind than to just "be" online and until they identify what it is, they could be treading water for a while.
Other Facebook business
This survey on how companies are fairing on the social media side of marketing comes just as a report is released by Resolution Media and Kenshoo on Facebook ads.
While 80% of companies look to Facebook free fan pages as a way to get their name out, millions are measuring whether they should go the paid Facebook route and buy ads.
In the report released today, Kenshoo and Resolution Media foudn that the exposure rate over 65 billion Facebook ad impressions and 20 million Facebook ad clicks is headed in a promising direction. This new metric to measure engagement on Facebook – exposure rate – looks at unique impressions in the context of desired target audience actually reached.
The report found that the most effective ad type on Facebook is the sponsored story where someone in your friend circle has discussed a brand and the brand promotes it to be seen more promenantly in your feed.
The report also found that a well-created and run fan page is the best tool in marketing on Facebook and provides invaluable metrics about the people that use or like your products and services.
“Social media has quickly become one of the preferred channels for brands, and when done right, can foster meaningful relationships between brands and consumers in ways that were never before possible,” says Alan Osetek, president of Resolution Media, in a statement. “The purpose of this study was to define what ‘doing it right’ means in terms of measureable actions and outcomes, and giving marketers a model for demonstrating effectiveness.”
The report also found that bidding above the maximum CPC rate will drive up the exposure rate and drive doen the frequency of advertisment shown.
Sivan Metzger, general manager of Kenshoo Social explained in the report that “with new channels and ad formats come new tracking capabilities. And with new tracking capabilities come new data points. With new data points come new insights. And with new insights come new key performance indicators.”
Below is the full infographic provided in the latest report:


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TechwareLabs reviews the Razer Krait gaming mouse.
Quote from the review: "With the vast number of computer parts and periphe...
Jul 12 2007, 1:00pm CDT
I4U News is daily News site for the Geek Mind. Expect the latest technology news including the juiciest rumors. Stay up to date with the biggest discoveries in science. Other featured news topics include cars, celebrities, movies and more.


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Dell Board Committee Insists Sale Was Best Outcome
The special committee of Dell’s board that supervised the company’s $ 24.4 billion sale to its founder reiterated on Wednesday that the deal was the best option for shareholders.
The committee said it bargained hard before the current offer to take it private was finalized.
“We negotiated aggressively to ensure that stockholders received the best possible value,” it said.
The statement comes after weeks of bickering between Dell and some of its shareholders, including its two biggest outside investors, over the $ 13.65-a-share bid from the company’s founder and chief executive, Michael S. Dell, and the investment firm Silver Lake Partners.
Southeastern Asset Management and T. Rowe Price, who together hold about 13 percent of Dell, have said they will not support the current offer.
Southeastern, an asset management firm with an activist streak, has hired advisers to advance its cause, and it demanded a list of Dell’s shareholders on Tuesday. The firm has said it values Dell at over $ 20 a share, and people briefed on the matter said it would prefer to see the deal die rather than let the current sale go forward.
For much of the last month, shares in Dell have traded above the offer price, suggesting investors are anticipating an improved offer from its founder. So far, Mr. Dell and Silver Lake have resisted improving their bid. Shares closed on Tuesday at $ 14.07.
In its letter to Dell’s directors on Tuesday, Southeastern wrote that the board “appears to have dismissed better alternatives for public owners and selected a transaction, which has been publicly derided by shareholders as opportunistic and grossly undervalued, that favors management.”
But the special committee said in its statement on Wednesday that it had considered all possible alternatives, including continuing Dell’s current business strategy; borrowing money and then paying out a special dividend; and selling all or part of the company.
The group, led by Alex J. Mandl, handled the sale negotiations, which were directed on the buyers’ side by Egon Durban, an executive at Silver Lake.
The committee also said it had requested a number of provisions designed to help any competing bidders make a higher offer, including a contract with the investment bank Evercore Partners that rewards the firm for finding a better offer.
Evercore has until March 22 to find a superior bid, though people briefed on the matter have said they do not expect any to arise.


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Connecticut just passed legislation to become the first state requiring companies label any genetically modified products. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed the bill in Fairfield on Wednesday. However, ...By Cassady Sharp
Thanksgiving is about autumn harvest (our yearly love affair with pumpkin pie!) and giving thanks for the food bounty we have around us. Unfortunately, there is less bounty ...By Monique Mikhail
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Greenpeace is an independent organization that does not take money from corporations or government. We rely on individual donations from people just like you.Donate
Greenpeace activists will be going on trial to fight felony charges for a protest at the P&G headquarters in Cincinnati.


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Lisa McLeod and Domenic Cortese have been organizing the Fashion in Bloom fundraiser for the last few years.
Domenic from DJ Dominoes has been supporting Bethlehem since 2005.
He first became involved when he would plan an annual Halloween Party Fundraiser and donate all proceeds from the event to Bethlehem.
In 2009 Domenic was contacted by a close friend to see if he would DJ for a fundraising event being held for Bethlehem. This is how Domenic and Lisa were first introduced to the Fashion in Bloom event.
Fashion in Bloom is a third party fundraising event that takes place every two years. It is organized and ran by volunteers and supporters of Bethlehem, with all proceeds raised from the event donated to the organization.
In 2015 when Fashion in Bloom no longer had someone to organize the event, Domenic and Lisa stepped up and decided to take over the planning of the event. They held their first fashion fundraiser in 2016.
Domenic says, “For our first Fashion in Bloom event we thought it was quite successful and we enjoyed it so much. We decided to organize the 2018 event as well.”
Both Domenic and Lisa feel very connected to Bethlehem. Lisa says, “We have attended and volunteered for several other Bethlehem fundraisers where we heard some inspiring testimonials from past clients. They really just stuck with us over the years, which motivated us to keep giving back.”
Thanks to Lisa, Domenic, the event committee and the support of the community, this year's event raised over $1400 for Bethlehem.
Domenic adds, “We hope to be involved with the Fashion in Bloom event for as long as we can. Bethlehem has become our charity of choice.”
We are grateful for Domenic and Lisa's commitment to Bethlehem and for the passion that they share with the community.
2018 Event Committee
- Domenic Cortese, Chair
- Lisa Macleod
- Kayla Kiers
- Kelsey Kiers
- Tricia Macleod-Bachorski
- Beverly Kiers
- Michelle Moore
- Angelique Sobschak
- Angela Williams
- Criveller Cakes & Pastry Boutique
- Dobbie's Florist
- DJ Dominoes DJ Service
- Niagara Parks Commission
- Ron Vahrmeye
- St. George's Anglican Church
- St. Thomas Anglican Church
- Tango Boutique
- The United Church Woman of First Grantham
- Wildfire Restaurant


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Smartphone and tech gadget manufacturer Alcatel has announced that its latest smartphone, the Idol 4S will be up for pre-order beginning July 15.
Pre-ordering the Idol 4S will cost you $349.99, and the price will be higher at $399.99 the moment it becomes available to the public this coming August 3. The purchase kit comes with a VR headset, protecting case, and a glass screen protector.
Key specs of the Idol 4S include an AMOLED display with a quad HD resolution measuring 5.5 inches, a 16-MP Camera with 4K video capacity and f/2.0 aperture lens. Other features include a RAM capacity of 3GB and internal storage of up to 32 GB. Memory is also expandable with an SD Card slot, and is equipped with 2 SIM card slots, and the unit has a fingerprint scanner at the back.
Virtual Reality is also one features supported by the Idol 4S, given that the phone has the VR app installed, and the kit to be purchased is already inclusive of a VR headset.
The Idol 4S was announced in February during the Mobile World Congress, and is poised to be one of Alcatel’s best phones yet, as it is packed with better features but costs less than that of its successor, the Idol 3.


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During the E-commerce Paris exhibition last week, the French national ecommerce association, FEVAD, shared the figures regarding ecommerce in France in the second quarter of 2015 in comparison to the same period in 2014. Find below the latest trends in French ecommerce.
In the second quarter of 2015, French e-shoppers have spent 15.5 billion euros, an increase of 16%. Considered the best performance since 3 years, this acceleration has been driven by the 194 million transactions made by emerchants, as opposed to 162 million in 2014, and also by the online purchase frequency, which has risen to an average of 7.3. The average shopping basket has stabilised at €79 since the first quarter of 2015.
The ecommerce is continuing to grow […] During the whole first semester of 2015, the global ecommerce turnover has exceeded 30 billion euros,” said Marc Lolivier, General Manager of FEVAD.
Today, there are 167,650 official active emerchants in France (+14% in one year). The number of online shops should even exceed 180,000 sites by the end of 2015. The number of e-shoppers in France is also growing. They are currently 34.7 million, that is 628,000 more than in 2014.
The number of online shoppers marks a regular and continuing progression which in combination with the increase in buying frequency and the development of product offerings has allowed ecommerce to remain in top form since the start of the year,” points out Marc Lolivier, General Manager of FEVAD.
Online marketplaces continue their expansion in the second quarter of 2015 and occupy a role of ever increasing importance in ecommerce both in France and abroad. The volume of sales taking place via online marketplaces has risen 58% from 2014. Marketplaces represent today 27% of the turnover of major French ecommerce sites. Note that amongst the most visited ecommerce sites in France, the top 3 are online marketplaces: Amazon, Cdiscount and Fnac.
The sales made via mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) have seen a rise of 43%. They now represent 19% of turnover generated by online stores. It is therefore important for merchants to adapt their online stores for mobile in order to improve their chances of customer conversion and multiply their points of contact with clientele. According to a study led by price comparison site Idealo, 18% of merchants still haven’t made the leap into mobile.
Even if the future of ecommerce continues to be bright, it remains to be said that the synergy between the online and the offline (the internet and physical stores) is growing ever more present at the heart of the buying process, blurring the lines between these two forms of consumption. The reason for this is the evolving consumer behaviour, which brings to light new, underlying trends such as ROPO or even Store2Web (also known as Showrooming). As an example, in the course of the last 6 months, 68% of consumers who came to a store had previously done research online before buying. By contrast, 41% of e-shoppers have visited a physical store in advance before carrying out their transaction online.
As a key element of the customer experience, the delivery options and quality clearly have an important place in today’s purchasing process. A means of gaining loyalty, delivery has become a leading factor in the buying decisions of ever more demanding consumers who are also seeking flexibility. The most popular delivery methods in France are home delivery (85%) and Click & Collect (76%).
We also find that web users are turning more and more to other consumers as sources of information. This is, among other reasons, due to the development of social media, leading to new forms of ecommerce such as social commerce, which encourages interaction between e-shoppers. One in five web shoppers asks their family and friends for information in this way, more than half of all web users consult posted comments before carrying out a purchase and 45% provide their own comments.
The development of online marketplaces, m-commerce, the multi-channel approach, delivery and social commerce are trends that emerchants need to follow very closely in the coming months in order to continue to successfully respond to e-shoppers’ evolving needs.
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ATLANTA -- The worst influenza outbreak in recent memory is rapidly spreading across the country and causing vaccine shortages for supermarkets and other providers.
Widespread influenza outbreaks have hit 24 states, up from 13 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here reported at a media briefing on Dec. 11. Cases of the flu have been reported in all 50 states, CDC said.
Vaccine makers produced 83 million doses this year, according to the CDC. However, the early onset of the flu season, the emergence of a new strain, and public anxiety over the complications among children who have contracted this strain have sent retailers into vaccination overdrive.
Since its 36 pharmacies began administering flu vaccinations in late September, United Supermarkets, Lubbock, Texas, has already doled out more than 30,000 flu shots, said Leland Wehde, director, pharmacy services. But at most, 20 doses of the vaccine per pharmacy location are left to give out to patients, he said. In a typical flu season, the retailer administers 17,000 flu shots in total, he said. In the Colleyville, Texas, store alone, pharmacists have administered 5,000 flu shots this year, Wehde said.
"We've given more flu shots to children than ever," Wehde told SN. "The early arrival of the flu season really did impact us."
Consequently, the depletion of supplies has caused a recent spike in sales for intranasal spray vaccine FluMist, produced by MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Md. Media reports had predicted the product would not meet expectations in its first year. Now it appears it will help fill the shortage. About 4 to 5 million doses of FluMist were available for this flu season at press time, said Jamie Lacey, MedImmune spokeswoman. The company has sold about 400,000 as of November 17, she said.
United Supermarkets has increased the promotions of FluMist, selling 200 vaccines so far this flu season, Wehde said.
Ukrop's Super Markets, Richmond, Va., has notified customers of the retailer's short supply of flu vaccinations on its Web site, suggesting the FluMist alternative. John Beckner, director of pharmacy and whole health for the retailer, said Ukrop's pharmacies have administered 37,000 flu shots to patients this season with only a few doses left in select stores.
"We're promoting FluMist at this point," he said. "The demand has been unprecedented because of the news stories. Hopefully, the awareness [the media] created will cause people to get flu shots earlier next year."
FluMist is for healthy people between the ages of 5 and 49, according to MedImmune's Web site, and is intended for those with an aversion to injections. It costs about $50, said media reports, more than twice that of the typical flu shot. FluMist is a prescription item that must be kept frozen until it is administered by the pharmacist. It is marketed by Wyeth Vaccines, Philadelphia, Pa.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has scrambled to bring additional shipments of flu vaccine to keep up with demand. The government bought 375,000 more doses of flu shots for adults last week from England, according to published reports. This supply boost reinforces 250,000 doses of flu shots purchased by the government earlier this month from manufacturer Aventis Pasteur, Swiftwater, Pa., which includes 150,000 doses for children, said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in a media briefing.
The initial 100,000 adult shots were scheduled to arrive in the U.S. by the middle of the month while the pediatric doses will come in January, he said.