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Target also has boosted current benefits by doubling the amount of paid family leave as well as what it reimburses employees for expenses incurred with adoptions and surrogacy. The new and upgraded benefits comes after Target announced that it would lift the minimum wage from $12 to $13 an hour, which started last month.
“Our workforce, like the communities we serve, is multigenerational,” the firm announced. “Our team members face growing caregiving responsibilities including infants, children, spouses, domestic partners and aging parents.”
The 20 backup care days had previously been limited to Target employees at the firm’s Minneapolis headquarters. Target’s benefits are for hourly and salaried workers, with paid family leave having taken effect June 30. The adoption and surrogacy reimbursement benefit is already in effect, while the backup care benefit starts this fall.


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2019 was bumper year for Bury St Edmunds tourism ‘but autumn/winter will be challenging’
- Credit: Archant
The value of tourism to the Bury St Edmunds economy grew by £2.2million last year, latest figures have revealed - but 2020 has been one of the worst for the sector.
Tourism’s boost to the local economy rose to a new high of £53.6m, up 4.2% on 2018, according to independent research carried out by Destination Research and commissioned annually by West Suffolk Council.
All up were the number of trips involving overnight stays (to 73,000), the total visitor spend (to £41,044,000), and the amount visitors spend on stays and day trips (to £15,406,000 and £23,877,000 respectively).
Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, the official tourism brand for the Bury St Edmunds area, has itself seen a rise of 264% in the number of visitors to the official tourism website from 139,737 to 508,145 thanks to regional and national marketing.
MORE: Work set to begin on £8.4m Bury St Edmunds post office redevelopmentIn addition, the value of tourism to the local economy has risen by £6.3million since Bury St Edmunds and Beyond launched in 2017.
Sue Warren, brand and marketing manager for Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, said: “We are delighted with the results of last year’s tourism figures for Bury St Edmunds. It is a key aim of Bury St Edmunds and Beyond to grow overnight stays and importantly grow the visitor spend in the town and the value of tourism to the local economy.
“Although we had one of our best year’s ever last year, 2020 has been one of the worst for tourism.
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“We had a bumper summer season here in the Bury St Edmunds area once lockdown was lifted. However, it doesn’t make up for the four or five months that our businesses were closed and I’m afraid the autumn and winter will be very challenging for all businesses, especially tourism.”
MORE: Bury Christmas Fayre falls victim to coronavirusMelanie Lesser, chairwoman of Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, said: “Last year’s bumper year for tourism absolutely proves that the funding for marketing the town as a visitor destination is critical to growth of the visitor economy and in turn the local economy.
“I would like to thank our funders West Suffolk Council, Bury St Edmunds Town Council, the Our Bury St Edmunds BID [Business Improvement District], St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Gough Hotels for their financial support.”
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- 2 Woman arrested on suspicion of drink-driving following A14 crash
- 3 Serious crash closes road in Bury St Edmunds near A14
- 4 'You either deliver or you leave' - Cook's message to Town players
- 5 Woodbridge community 'saddened' after couple found dead by police
- 6 Murder-suicide probe after couple found dead in Woodbridge
- 7 Ipswich Town closing in on appointment of new chief executive
- 8 'Buzz' about town as pub prepares to reopen under new family management
- 9 How busy was Bury St Edmunds town centre as lockdown eased?
- 10 Disused village Post Office reopening as deli and coffee house
Bury St Edmunds and Beyond has just launched a new autumn/winter digital marketing campaign ‘Uniquely Bury St Edmunds’, which will use a mixture of social media, Google advertising, content marketing and PR to drive visitors to the official tourism website for the area.
It will concentrate on those autumn and winter activities that are unique to the town and encourage bookings for autumn, winter and early bookings for spring.
Bury St Edmunds and Beyond is also participating in the UK government-backed joint Norfolk and Suffolk ‘Unexplored England’ campaign. The £500,000 marketing campaign to extend the holiday season safely in Norfolk and Suffolk has seen every destination marketing organisation (DMO) in the two counties work together with Visit East of England, Visit Suffolk and Visit Norfolk.

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The 2017 Honda S2000 Concept is finally back on the up and up in the U.S., and the idea of a reborn roadster could sway a more youthful generation back to the brand. A few things need to happen in order for it to be successful. 2017 Honda S2000, as the first model of second generation, scheduled to be introduced in 2016, at one of the world’s Car Show.
The 2017 Honda S2000 Concept could have a mid-mounted engine set up, the same as new NSX and S660, so we expect that these three versions will share several technological solutions. Like the new Mazda MX-5, a reborn Honda S2000 would have to independent itself from the rest of the lineup. Sort of like the concept we mocked up here, with the help of Hansen Art. Honda doesn’t have a ‘halo car’ to speak of (aside from the upcoming Acura NSX), so the S2000 would basically take that place.
2017 Honda S2000 Concept will use a lot of carbon fiber and aluminum. That will cause to weight drop, and prediction is that vehicle will weight around 2800 lbs. Also, few lines will be obtained from counterpart from Acura family, new NSX. Also, S660 has its impact on the look of new S2000. Car will have round headlights and large side air intakes. Past models of this sport car has been more sporty, while new vehicle is predicted to be more powerful.
2017 Honda S2000 Concept Engine and Price Rumor
2017 Honda S2000 Concept can get turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder device, currently utilized from Type-R in Civic. 250 horsepower might be the perfect mix of power and perfection needed to get people into the driver’s seat. Sport car will use rear-wheel push system. For hybrid model, 2017 S2000 will get electric powered motor as addition to petrol engine. This mixture should be great for 365 hp, in compliance to early rumors. Energy is going to be despatched to the rear wheels by way of seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Pricing for the new 2017 Honda S2000 Concept has been recognized at $60,000 – $70,000.


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Join this forum to discuss the latest news that happened in the world of commercial aviation.
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From that article:
Actually, CityBird was in deep problems earlier then 11th Sept 2001: on 4th July 2001, they've asked protection against creditors (sursis provisioire - opschorting betaling)."...But this massive expansion would take a toll on the mainline carrier and with the price of fuel increasing in the late 1980s and early 1990s the carrier couldn’t take the losses. The Belgian Trans European Airlines carrier would be the first in a domino effect of TEA brands to fall, immediately taking the shops, TEAMCO and TEA Belgium brands into bankruptcy in 1991. The airline’s sister carriers would be spun off, but would slowly collapse in the after effects...
...Since the loss of TEA, George Gutelman would go on to attempt to bring low-cost flights to Brussels with CityBird launching in 1996. The airline would last five years before faltering in 2001 following the attacks on September 11..."


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Ever feel like your job in Hollywood or your large trust fund has left you out of touch with the working class in America? Well, now there’s a new way to reconnect with the hoi polloi: Buy a pair of $425 jeans that promise to show “you’re not afraid to get down and dirty.”
The company is now desperate to ruin its own brand further by selling a pair of working class-inspired pants, so that people with $425 to spare can feel part of the masses. Per the item’s description on the website:
Heavily distressed medium-blue denim jeans in a comfortable straight-leg fit embody rugged, Americana workwear that’s seen some hard-working action with a crackled, caked-on muddy coating that shows you’re not afraid to get down and dirty.
The jeans caused widespread mockery on social media, prompting “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe to says the pants “look like they have been worn by someone with a dirty job… made for people who don’t,” Rowe wrote on his Facebook account.
He added: “The Barracuda Straight Leg Jeans aren’t pants. They’re not even fashion. They’re a costume for wealthy people who see work as ironic—not iconic.”
A number of people also left a review on the item’s page, one saying: “These are great! Now that I’m unemployed I can still look employed with minimal effort.”
“Are you intending to poke fun at working class folks?” another reviewer asked.
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A$AP Rocky has a new set of legal problems to deal with. He will have to stand trial for allegedly shooting at A$AP Relli in 2021.
The culture continues to learn how deep Virgil Abloh’s influence goes. A$AP Rocky reveals that the late great discovered A$AP MOB.
Ian Connor is clearing up the rumored beef with ASAP Rocky after being dissed during the Harlem rapper’s performance at Rolling Loud.
The billionaire mega star and her Hip-Hop royalty boyfriend have yet to reveal the name of the their son born earlier this year.
Naturally many assumed this was their own special way of letting fans know they were going to be walking down the aisle, but alas, it's not that at all. Well, at least not yet.
Taking to Twitter, Fashion influencer, Louis Pisano, issued a statement on social media apologizing for their actions and for stirring up gossip.
During her cover story with Vogue magazine, Rihanna shared with fans about her pregnancy journey and why she's continuing to flex her fashion skills despite being with child.
Hip-Hop definitely loves The Matrix.
During an interview this week at her Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3, the Associated Press, among others, asked the fashion designer, and newly-minted billionaire about her highly anticipated upcoming album, prompting Rihanna to share a few details about R9.
We may have another star couple on our hands. The internets now have receipts on Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s budding romance.
Once again A$AP Rocky is pushing the boundaries in the fashion game. His newest project has all the Zoolander vibes.


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A new Jersey Mike’s Sub shop will be opening in Lynbrook next week.
The chain’s latest Long Island location is a 1,200-square-foot space in the Philips Plaza shopping center at 643 Sunrise Highway.
Franchise owners and brothers Kevin Monge and Chris Monge will hold a grand opening and fundraiser at their newest Jersey Mike’s from Wednesday, June 1 to Sunday, June 5 to support Lynbrook High School. Customers who receive a special fundraising coupon can make a minimum $3 contribution to Lynbrook High School in exchange for a regular sub.
“We are excited for the opportunity to be serving the Lynbrook community our freshly sliced and grilled subs,” Chris Monge said in a company statement. “As two brothers and dads running a family business, we understand how important family values are. We treat our business like our home, and our guests and team members as part of our family. We are looking forward to supporting Lynbrook High School in a fundraising campaign to raise money for them during our grand opening.”
Since 2010, Jersey Mike’s locations throughout the country have raised nearly $90 million for local charities. In 2022, the company’s 12th Annual Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving in March raised $20 million for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.
Greg Batista of RIPCO Real Estate represented Jersey Mike’s, while landlord Philips International was self-represented in the Lynbrook lease transaction.


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High levels of entrepreneurial optimism, ambition and innovation are vital to advancing economies, according to The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2014 Global Report – an annual survey of entrepreneurial activities, intentions, and attitudes across 73 countries. Data from Qatar was included for the very first time this year.
African economies showed the highest ability to perceive and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities with little fear of failure. In contrast, European Union nations are less optimistic, see fewer opportunities and are more uncertain about their skills in acting entrepreneurially.
“Ambitious entrepreneurship has a powerful impact on economic development through job creation and its incentive to innovate and build international marketplaces,” said Slavica Singer, GEM’s lead author from J.J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia.
The GEM report’s special topic, Youth and Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa, also found that Africa’s boom in youth entrepreneurship is expanding globally. GEM’s full special topic report will be available this April.
Qatar Joins the GEM Project
Silatech, a leading regional social initiative, collaborated with Qatar University’s Social & Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) to produce Qatar’s first-ever GEM data set. With this new information, researchers can directly compare the entrepreneurial landscape in Qatar to the 72 other participating economies, including other Arab nations. Silatech has supported the GEM study in other Arab countries including Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt.
Qatar immediately stands out as the developed country with the highest level of entrepreneurial intentions, as 50.4 per cent of adults say they plan to start a new business within the next three years. The global GEM report also finds that 16.4 per cent of adults in Qatar are engaged in “total early-stage entrepreneurial activity” (TEA), meaning they are in the process of starting a venture or running a business for fewer than 3.5 years. This too is the highest rate among developed economies.
However, only 3.5 per cent of adults in Qatar actually own and manage an established business (in operation for more than 3.5 years). This is far below any regional average rate of established business ownership, suggesting that high entrepreneurial intentions and early-stage activity do not necessarily translate into long-term business success. Further analysis is necessary to determine what stumbling blocks are limiting business growth and survival in Qatar.


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"Federal authorities are struggling to explain why 600 people in 22 states have fallen ill from a foodborne parasite rarely seen in the United States. But some officials are ready to finger one culprit that has hindered their investigation: the sequester."
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has had to slash $285 million at a time when food and health experts say disease detection needs more funding as these type of food outbreak cases become more complex and widespread.
The current outbreak, caused by a single-cell parasite known as Cyclospora, is a case in point. About 250 consumers in Nebraska and Iowa got sick after eating at Red Lobster and Olive Garden, and their illnesses were linked to a salad mix produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico. But another 250 Texas residents who are sick with the same bug have no link to the product. On top of that, about 100 consumers are reportedly ill in 19 other states and there is no clear link between them."


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Sentifi has captured a rumor that Microsoft approached the container technology startup Docker with an acquisition offer of $4 billion.
The container technology is gaining lots of traction in the tech industry. In a nutshell, containers are the solution to the problem of getting software to run reliably when moved from one computing environment to another. Docker is one of the hottest startups in this space. The three-year-old, 250-employee company has raised $180 million so far, with valuation calculated at above $1 billion.
The space is relatively new and free from consolidation, hence Microsoft’s approach of Docker. Microsoft made its move during the recent DockerCon 2016 in Seattle, where behind-the-scenes chatter revealed the company had made an offer of as much as $4 billion to Docker. Unfortunately, a deal wasn’t reached because the two companies failed to agree on a price.
Microsoft is definitely one of the most talked-about tech companies as of late thanks to its record $26 billion takeover of LinkedIn. The company is pursuing a path to growth through acquisitions, and with close to $100 billion in cash in its pocket, it is looking for more M&A.
Docker would be a strategic addition to Microsoft as it is looking to add container capabilities to the Azure cloud platform, which directly competes with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Both competitors built and are using their own container management technology. Google has Kubernetes, and Amazon owns the EC2 Container Service. It’s Microsoft that is playing catchup.
Even though Microsoft already has settled in a few partnership deals with container company, having an in-house container service would give it much more freedom. For the time being, Docker’s technology is present in the Windows Server platform as Microsoft is trying to compete with Linux that are more commonly used with Docker and other container services.
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Palo Alto, Calif.
Jerome Guillen wants to gun a prototype Tesla Model S up a steep, twisty road on the outskirts of Silicon Valley, but a Porsche blocks his way.
Once Mr. Guillen, the Tesla Motors Ltd. manager in charge of readying the Model S for launch by July, gets some running room, he hits the electric car's accelerator. With only a soft rumble from the tires, the Tesla lunges up the steep curving road as effortlessly as any petroleum-fueled German machine.
The Tesla Model S and a Porsche 911 represent opposite poles of the automotive universe. The 911 is the peak of internal-combustion sports cars. The engine growls. The dashboard dials dance as the gears shift.
The Model S is something else.
The dashboard is dominated by a vertically oriented, 17", high-definition screen—an iPad on steroids. Mr. Guillen says drivers will be able to download apps and news with a mobile link, and the exterior is sleek and aerodynamic, with narrow headlights and a glass, "panorama" roof.
The prototype's interior is trimmed in a subdued, dark lacewood. There is room to comfortably seat as many as five adults, plus two small children in optional rear-facing jump seats. Rear legroom is surprisingly ample, since the electric motors are mounted behind the rear axle and the 1,000-pound battery is merged flat into the floor. And with no engine noise, the Model S rolls with a quiet coolness.
But a Porsche and a Tesla Model S are alike in one important way. They are both luxury cars, priced well above most of the cars sold by mass-market brands such as Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota.
The goal of making an affordable electric car is one rationale for the Obama administration's 2009 decision to grant Tesla a $465 million federal loan. The co-founder and chief executive of Tesla, Elon Musk, says he still intends to make a car he can sell for $30,000—close to the average price of a new car today.
The Model S isn't that car.
Instead, the Model S, ranging in price from a $49,900 base model (after a $7,500 federal tax credit), to a $97,900 "Signature Performance" model, extends Mr. Musk's bet that the best way to make electric cars a mainstream product is to follow the path taken by cellphones, video recorders and computers: Start by selling expensive gear to enthusiasts, and get them to finance the breakthroughs that make the technology affordable for the masses.
An affluent audience appears to be taking Tesla up on the first part of that formula. Tesla said in its annual report that it held more than $90 million in deposits for Model S sedans, and $1.8 million in deposits for Roadsters as of the end of 2011. The total amount of deposits was up $61 million from a year earlier, the company said.
It got its Fremont, Calif. factory for cheap from a failed joint venture between General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., and It stocked it with production equipment bought for pennies on the dollar from industry fire sales during the recession. It is now turning out "Beta" versions of the Model S and executives last week said the July launch is on schedule.
Mr. Musk says production is sold out through March 2013.
One of those with a deposit down—two, in fact—is Marcus Frasier, CEO of Idle Media Inc. of Leesport, Pa., a company that owns several online-music and social-gaming franchises.
Mr. Frasier says he and his wife own a trio of Audis: an A6 sedan, a Q5 sport utility and an R8 sports car. But he is attracted to the idea of freeing himself from fossil fuels, and to the high-tech style of the Model S and the recently announced Tesla Model X sport utility, due on the market late next year or early 2014. Mr. Frasier says he put down $40,000 deposits to get one of each.
"The big thing for me was the performance and the technology in it," Mr. Frasier says. "You hand me a car with a big old iPad in it, I am all over it."
Larry Chanin, a retired utility-company engineering manager who lives in Sarasota, Fla., says he had a deposit down on a Chevy Volt, when: "I discovered the Model S and it was instant lust." When Tesla brought a prototype to the Sarasota Yacht Club, he put down a $5,000 deposit. That smaller deposit means he'll be behind "signature" customers and owners of Tesla's earlier Roadster in line. Mr. Chanin says he is trying to form a Florida Tesla owners club.
The electric-vehicle cause, supported with billions of dollars in federal loans, tax subsidies and other forms of public aid, has suffered tough hits in recent weeks. GM last week shut down production of its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt for five weeks after sales fell far short of expectations, despite rising fuel prices. The Volt also got a black eye when federal safety regulators raised alarms that the car's batteries could catch fire—concerns GM addressed by installing additional protection.
Nissan Motor Co. sold on average just 577 in each of the first two months of the year of its all-electric Leaf. And Fisker Automotive Inc., maker of the luxury plug-in hybrid Karma, has suffered a series of blows, such as being denied further funding under a Department of Energy loan after falling behind schedule in its effort to develop a U.S.-made sedan that would compete with the Model S. A Fisker spokesman says the company has raised $262 million toward a $400 million goal and expects to close it by month's end.
Tesla has had troubles of its own, catching a volley of flak last month over charges that it failed to properly warn some early Roadster customers that their cars' batteries would die—or "brick"—if left uncharged too long.
"It's a complete red herring," Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel says of the battery "bricking" flap. He says the Model S is designed "so you can drive it until it stops, and then you can wait a month to plug it in." If customers allow, Tesla has systems to enable remote monitoring of the battery so service technicians could alert the owner if the car is in danger.
Mr. Musk said on a recent conference call that the company is working to set up leasing and financing programs to make Teslas easier to own. He is also working on a plan to install fast chargers along major highways.
In Tesla's factory, presses and molding machines and welding robots are still in testing mode. To save money, manufacturing vice president Gilbert Passin says, Tesla programs its robots to do multiple jobs, and uses low-tech solutions, such as red push carts to move car bodies instead of conveyor belts.
Keeping the factory frugal is one way in which Tesla hopes to survive even if sales volumes remain relatively low. Another is doing high-tech engineering work for larger auto makers such as Daimler AG or Toyota. Porsche uses a similar strategy.
"It's pretty cool driving with no tailpipe," says J. Craig Venter, the biotechnology entrepreneur and a Roadster owner. Mr. Venter says he is in line for a Model S because he wants an electric car he can drive from his institute's campus in San Diego to Los Angeles, and bring some other people along. The Model S will join a collection that includes some motorcycles and a 2006 Aston Martin convertible, Mr. Venter says.
The Aston "doesn't get great gas mileage," he says. But "it sounds great."
Write to Joseph B. White at firstname.lastname@example.org


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According to the OPP, thieves are getting craftier in how they try and steal cars.
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry OPP detachment, which is about an hour south of Ottawa, says they received two reports within 24 hours of Apple airtags being found hidden in cars. “In both cases, the vehicle owner received a notification on their cell phone that an airtag (wireless tracking device) was nearby and attempting to connect,” explains Eric Cranton, acting Sgt. with the East Region OPP. “One owner was able to locate the airtag, which had been placed in the fuse box, under the hood of her vehicle.”
In June 2022, the Toronto Star reported that the Toronto Police have dealt with multiple instances of carjackers using airtags to take cars.
Cranton suggests parking cars in a garage or, if that’s not possible, parking a less valuable vehicle nearby. Cranton suggests securing the car’s diagnostic port using a diagnostic port lock. The port can be used to reprogram the vehicle’s ignition system. Other ideas from the police include using a steering wheel lock, buying a GPS tracker, purchasing a video surveillance system, or installing better lighting where the vehicle is parked.
Cranton says iPhone users will automatically get a notification when an airtag is nearby, while Android users could download an app like Tracker Detect.
“While thieves continue to use technology to assist in stealing high-end vehicles, you as the owner can respond using the same tools,” he says. “Equipping your vehicle with your own AirTag could assist police in locating your vehicle if it was ever stolen.”


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It’s no secret that the government is creepily watching you all the time, like that weird dude who was really into you in high school. Many people think Google Glass won’t help the matter (cameras on you 24/7?) – but this new augmented reality browser for the Glass might actually solve your privacy problems, instead of exacerbating them.
Sander Veenhof, the same guy who made that excellent augmented-reality version of Pong we told you about a while back, has come up with a Google Glass browser add-on that alerts you to privacy threats around you. The program points out any cameras or other tracking technology in your vicinity – including other people wearing Google Glass. Depending on what you deem “safe zones,” this browser can tell you when there are eyes on you, and when there aren’t.
Here’s a video of the augmented reality browser in action:
So I guess the solution to the Google Glass privacy problem is to… buy a Google Glass? I did not see that one coming.
(via Sander Veenhof, image via YouTube)
- Here’s that augmented reality version of Pong
- This TARDIS is bigger on the inside thanks to augmented reality
- And here’s a virtual windshield that lets you see through vehicles


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New DDB President and CEO Chuck Brymer, in an interview with the
WSJ (subscription) says:
“Digital technology in particular has caused a change in the way people live,” he said. Breaking through to consumers “is going to continue to get harder. The way out of this, of course, is through great ideas and creativity.”
Brymer is taking the post after Ken Kaess died on March 27.
Election 2016 is already like no presidential race before it, and one of the most striking aspects of this year’s race is the disparity ... read more
Can Snapchat make tech-enabled glasses cool? It’s going to try. Last week, it was revealed that the company behind the ascendant social app ... read more


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Sunwing Vacations begins winter campaign
By Derek Winkler
Toronto-based tour operator Sunwing Vacations has begun an advertising campaign called “Save More, Do More” that focuses on winter travel. It includes a 30-second commercial depicting various “vacation personas” displayed by Canadians in the tropics. It will run on specialty channels in Toronto and Montreal, accompanied by radio, out-of-home, online video and cinema advertising, as well as social media content. The campaign was developed by John St. with media work by Mediacom.
“Since introducing Sunwing Vacations’ new value proposition and whimsical brand personality last season, our teams have dedicated the last year to engaging with our customers to gain a deeper understanding of their diverse travel styles and preferences so we can continue to evolve alongside them,” said Samantha Taylor, chief marketing officer at Sunwing Vacations. “In an increasingly competitive market, we’ve learned that our success comes from being distinct and our latest winter campaign, one rooted in relatable humour and optimism, is a true representation of how we’re continuing to build on our brand identity. We’re telling the story that leisure and all inclusive travel goes beyond what’s familiar, and showing how our customers can save more and do more with us.”


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Shares in Diageo (DGE) bubbled up 3% to £25.97 on Thursday, the world’s largest spirits maker joining in the wider market rally despite withdrawing 2020 financial guidance and suspending share buybacks for the rest of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The alcoholic beverages behemoth caught a bid as it assured it would still pay a recent dividend, stressed its formidable liquidity and said it is slashing non-essential spend to see it through the crisis.
Investors’ spirits were also raised by positive soundings from chief executive Ivan Menezes, who expressed confidence in Diageo’s ‘long-term strategy and ability to move quickly in this difficult environment’, adding his charge ‘will continue to execute with discipline and invest prudently to ensure we are strongly positioned for a recovery in consumer demand.’
DAMAGE FROM SOCIAL DISTANCING
In February, Diageo served up a profit warning as the coronavirus hit its businesses in China, where bars and restaurants are gradually re-opening, and the wider Asia Pacific region.
Sadly, the dreaded virus has spread to most of Diageo’s other markets (Europe, North America, India and Africa), forcing the drinks colossus to update the market again.
‘Widespread containment actions put in place by governments across the globe in March, including the closure of bars and restaurants, are having a significant impact on the performance of our business,’ warned Diageo, which is going above and beyond to battle the coronavirus.
The FTSE 100 giant is not only donating alcohol to make more than 8m eight bottles of sanitiser for frontline healthcare workers around the world, it is also providing support packages for bartenders and others impacted by pub and bar closures.
Nevertheless, given the global nature of the pandemic and the ‘uncertainty around the severity and duration of the impact across multiple markets’, the Johnnie Walker maker is ‘not in a position to accurately assess the impact of this on our future financial performance’ and is ‘withdrawing our guidance on group organic net sales growth and organic operating profit growth for fiscal 2020.’
The Captain Morgan rum-to-Tanqueray gin maker has already returned £1.25bn under its three year, £4.5bn share buyback programme. Yet given the need to be financially prudent, it has not initiated the next phase of the buyback and ‘will not do so during the remainder of fiscal 2020.’ However the 27.41p interim dividend announced on 30 January will be paid out.
‘We have a strong balance sheet and at 31 December 2019, our adjusted net debt to EBITDA ratio was 2.8 times’, stressed Diageo, which recently issued £1.9bn of new euro and sterling bonds to boost liquidity and can also count on considerable committed bank facilities of £2.8bn.
THE EXPERT’S VIEW
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, explained: ‘Investors will be very thirsty for income as dividends from UK stocks increasingly dry up, so they may well be raising a glass to Diageo’s decision to pay its interim dividend’, although the move is ‘worth placing in context.
‘The drinks manufacturer was a fair way down the road in terms of doling out the cash, having declared the dividend in January, and, notably, buybacks are off the table for the rest of the year.
‘The company has a lot of debt but not all borrowings are equal and crucially it has no financial covenants attached to any of its debt – or in other words even with a significant drop in earnings there’s seemingly no chance of lenders reacting by issuing penalties or taking assets.’


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Audi are teasing a new reveal for the 2013 New York Auto Show which we think in the new A3 saloon. But could it actually be the Q6 instead?
We had a preview of the Audi A3 saloon as long ago as the Geneva Motor Show in 2011 and it now looks like Audi are teasing a reveal of the A3 with a boot for the 2013 New York Auto Show next week. Or the Shanghai Motor Show.
If it is the new Audi A3 saloon (or, as it’s aimed as an entry-level Audi in the US, perhaps we should call it the A3 sedan?) then Audi’s spiritual successor to the Audi 80 should be arriving in showrooms across the US and China – its target marekt – as well as in the UK and Europe by the end of 2013.
Expected to have the same range of engines as the A3 Hatch – although the US will doubtless do without some of the diesel options – the A3 Saloon is going to be a range-topper of the A3 range in Europe, where we’re expecting it to be priced above the A3 hatch as Audi use it to mop up sales from those who now find the A4 too big.
But we’re not completely convinced this is a tease for the A3 saloon. If you look at the rather pointless ‘tease’ photo above (and video below) for Audi’s new model at New York, it does seem to be riding rather high for an A3 saloon.
So we’re wondering if lurking under Audi’s dust sheet is actually a swoopy coupe version of the Q5 – the new Audi Q6?
Audi has been threatening to take on BMW’s X6 (and soon to arrive X4) with a more lifestyle SUV, and the Q6 is expected to break cover very soon.
The new A3 saloon – or the Audi Q6 SUV - will be revealed on 27th March on Audi TV before a debut next week at the New York Show. Or possibly the Shanghai Motor Show.
All bases covered.


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About 90% of chief executive officers are planning to engage customers in the development of business strategies, while a third of them fear that their C-suite peers are out of touch with customers, the latest IBM research suggests.
According to 'The Customer-Activated Enterprise' study by IBM's Institute for Business Value, about 60% of CEOs are planning to directly involve their consumers and practically apply what is being learnt to shape their business agendas in the next three to five years, which is up from 43%.
IBM Global Business Services senior vice president Bridget Kralingen said that the latest research with C-suite leaders over the past decade has shown that organisations have steadily shifted to embrace more open, collaborative and reciprocal models.
"Today, CEO's recognise that they can't do it all alone," Kralingen said.
"They're opening up their organisations, breaking down barriers and actively engaging customers -- providing customers a seat at the table to help shape their business model and strategy."
IBM's research during 2012 revealed that 44% of CEOs were anticipated to expose their organisations to empower individuals, while the number has rose now to 56% in 2013, up 27% in an year.
The study also revealed that the outperforming firms were 54% more probable to collaborate broadly with customers.
Upon future changes in business landscape, about 54% of C-suite executives plan to target customers as individuals within the next three to five years, while several of them are relying on digital technologies to boost customer involvement and create a one-to-one dialogue, as well as improving experience, while closing the customer intimacy gap.
IBM's research reveals that C-suite leaders are rapidly embracing the deployment of digital channels to fuel customer interactions.
Teneo is an infrastructure optimization company, providing solutions that help customers with the management, performance and virtualization of...


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Just as the sun sets to give way to the night, the U.S. headline CPI inflation, after its splendid ascent, has taken a remarkable u-turn. It feels like we are on the road to reliving the golden era of persistently low inflation. However, analyzing the current trends and their drivers indicates otherwise. This shift in inflation dynamics, and what it means for us in the real economy, forms the crux of our analysis today.
The noteworthy decline in headline inflation can be primarily attributed to the elimination of factors that led to the price surge. As Will Rogers once famously noted, “if you want to get out of a hole, stop digging.” The COVID-19 pandemic led to a devastating loss of jobs for approximately 22 million U.S. workers. To soften the impact, U.S. policymakers initiated a staggering $5 trillion of government spending, backed by an equal amount of Federal Reserve purchases of Treasuries and mortgages.
However, this massive spending surge brought its own set of complications, like supply chain disruptions, which aggravated inflation further. As the reality of the inflation problem became clear and the pandemic started to wane, no further government stimulus was provided, the Fed initiated rate hikes and began shrinking its balance sheet, and the supply chain disruptions gradually eased. The end result – a rapid descent in headline inflation.
Yet, core inflation is an altogether different ball game. It continues to be robust due to the 8% rise in the shelter component of the price index, which holds about 40% weight in the index. The calculation of shelter prices, based on the convoluted homeowner equivalent rent, is at the heart of the problem. Nevertheless, there is an observed moderation in rental housing inflation, which is currently around 0.5% per month or a 6% annual rate.
Hedging Makes All the Difference
A point of contention has been why higher interest rates have not caused a significant increase in unemployment or recession. The relationship between rates, jobs, and inflation has dramatically evolved over the decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. economy was mainly manufacturing and housing-centric. Financial institutions primarily relied on a model of borrowing short-term money and lending longer-term for housing or automobiles. The interest-rate risk in this model was colossal and not easily hedged, hence when rates increased, the economy floundered.
However, the economy today is largely service-based. Home mortgages are created and then sold to entities or funds willing to hold them. With the help of interest rate derivatives such as swaps, futures, and options, which were non-existent until the 1970s, interest-rate risk is now efficiently managed. Today, taking on interest-rate risk is a choice, not a business necessity, resulting in an economy less susceptible to rate fluctuations. While rate hikes do affect the value of stocks, bonds, and houses, they no longer have a significant impact on the functioning of a real economy equipped with risk management tools. Therefore, the much-feared recession due to rising rates remains a distant threat.
The New Normal
The trajectory of future inflation is another critical element to ponder over. Understanding why inflation remained low in the 28 years before the pandemic is essential to contextualize this. Globalization, technology, and demographic trends played a significant role in maintaining low inflation, rather than interest rate policies.
However, these forces have evolved and are no longer the saviors they once were. As supply chains reconfigure for resilience, consumers bear the cost. New technologies like artificial intelligence are expected to be labor-saving and protect profit margins, rather than reduce prices. Demographic headwinds, due to a low birth rate and the retirement of baby boomers, are set to tighten the labor market further.
Given the trajectory of headline inflation, it appears the Fed could be nearing its peak rate. Yet, as guided by the Fed, rates may have to stay elevated for a more extended period than what is currently expected due to inflation persisting above their 2% target. Market participants who haven’t accounted for a potential new normal in inflation need to revisit their models. The implications of this are significant: allocating to cash may become a long-term, reliable income-producing alternative to manage risk in a diversified portfolio.
In summary, our understanding of the link between rates, jobs, and inflation has evolved significantly, as has the economy itself. As we continue to navigate these changes, it’s crucial to consider the “new normal” and the dynamics shaping it. This flexibility and understanding will be essential for both policymakers and individuals as we head towards an uncertain future.
Author：Com21.com，This article is an original creation by Com21.com. If you wish to repost or share, please include an attribution to the source and provide a link to the original article.Post Link：https://www.com21.com/decoding-the-new-economic-order-how-the-relationship-between-interest-rates-employment-and-inflation-is-transforming.html


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When you are hooked up to a polygraph lie detector there is only a 60 percent chance a skilled examiner will spot a lie, giving you pretty good odds to get away with one or two untruths. However, Dutch and British scientists have found a way to amp u...
Sports fans of the future might enter stadiums simply by waving a hand over a vein scanner if new technology from Hitachi is any guide.
Having to remember multiple passwords may soon be a thing of the past.
It took just four days for German researchers to trick the Samsung Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner into accepting a mold of a fingerprint instead of a real finger.
The fingerprint sensor in Apple's new iPhone 5S has the potential to enhance the security of the device, but the devil will be in the details.
Consumers often fail to perform transactions online due to authentication failure. But while they struggle, they also distrust websites with weak authentication procedures.
Fujitsu Technology Solutions has named European bank UniCredit as the first major customer for its PalmSecure authentication system, which is on display at the Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany, this week.
The U.K.'s largest airport, Heathrow, will install facial recognition scanners by September for international and domestic passengers to prevent illegal immigration in the country.
TAMPA -- The U.S. military is taking cloud computing into rugged terrain in Afghanistan, where according to Lt. Gen. Richard Zahner, the basic hardware and software technology is being packed into mobile boxes that later this year will start to play ...
Taiwanese software manufacturer EgisTec is showing a product here at CES that lets you use your laptop's built-in fingerprint reader to launch applications, manage passwords and encrypt files.
The NSW government has spent more than $5 million issuing police with portable digital fingerprint scanners to stop criminals weaseling out of fines, arrest warrants, court appearances and breaches of bail.
The European Parliament signed up to a plan Wednesday to introduce computerized biometric passports including people's fingerprints as well as their photographs, despite criticism from civil liberties groups and security experts who argue that the mo...
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PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s exports in April 2019 recorded an increase of 1.1% to RM85.2 billion year-on-year, driven by growth in exports to Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan and the US.
According to the Department of Statistics, exports to these countries expanded by RM1.2 billion to Singapore, RM491.3 million to Vietnam, RM388.5 million to Japan, RM310 million to Taiwan and RM231.2 million to the US.
“Domestic exports recorded an increase of 11.9% or RM7.6 billion to RM71.7 billion. Re-exports was valued at RM13.5 billion registering a decline of 33.1% year-on-year and accounted for 15.8% of total exports,” said Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.
During the month, imports recorded an increase of 4.4% year-on-year to RM74.3 billion. The higher imports were mainly from China (+RM1.2 billion), Saudi Arabia (+RM694.5 million), Australia (+RM468.6 million), Iraq (+RM330.3 million) and Indonesia (+RM220.4 million).
Total trade which was valued at RM159.5 billion increased RM4.1 billion or 2.6% in April 2019. The trade surplus shrank RM2.2 billion (-16.6%) from a year ago.
The main products which contributed to the expansion in exports in April 2019 were electrical and electronic products (+RM1.2 billion), refined petroleum products (+RM1.2 billion), liquefied natural gas (+RM749.7 million) and natural rubber (+RM334.9 million).
However, declines were recorded for crude petroleum (-RM1 billion), palm oil and palm oil-based products (-RM899 million) and timber and timber-based products (-RM58.1 million).
Meanwhile, the increase in imports by end use was mainly attributed to intermediate goods (+RM6.9 billion), consumption goods (+RM1.1 billion) and capital goods (+RM475.9 million).


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Cardi B is one of the most influential artists who has been showing her presence on social media. A number of celebrities promote a number of products and brands on Instagram which is a great source of income for them. In the same context, Cardi B shared a video on her Instagram that promotes a certain brand of detox tea, Teami, for weight loss. The singer, along with 9 other influencers, was sent a notice by Federal Trade Commission after failing to properly disclose paid advertisements. Read more about Cardi B.
Reportedly, the multi-platinum rapper came under scrutiny for promoting the detox tea company Teami. The FTC has accused the company of misleading consumers about the health and benefits of its products. With her Instagram post, Cardi B claimed Teami helped her lose weight in an Instagram video posted on November 23, 2018. According to the FTC, the ad is “deceptive” because “it lacked a clear disclosure” that she was paid to endorse the product.
The FTC statement mentioned, “The disclosure was not visible to followers viewing the post in their Instagram feeds unless they clicked ‘more'. Thus, it was not clear and conspicuous. In addition, there was no disclosure in the video. Because the video could be viewed without anyone seeing a disclosure, you should disclose any material connection in the video itself and not just the text portion of your post.” The statement is a must as a number of fans see these popular faces and blindly follow them. The fans see these celebrities using the products in ads and assume they use it regularly. This makes the companies get such popular faces on board.
Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.


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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Black Friday in July, also known as Amazon Prime Day, kicks off Monday at noon.
The online retail giant will be offering deep discounts for Prime members on more than a million products.
Many of those deals will be Amazon brands like Fire TV, Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers.
You can get some early deals now, like the Echo Show for $130 and free PC games from Twitch.
If you aren't a Prime member, some vendors do discount products for all shoppers.
Amazon Prime Day kicks off Monday
More TOP STORIES News


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text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- India is poised to be the second largest auto market (behind China), and the largest global automakers are jumping at the chance to seize a piece that market at the tenth Delhi Auto Expo Thursday. Their mission: use the auto-expo as a launching pad to grab market share among Indian car shoppers, possibly gaining an edge over Suzuki in the process. Suzuki controls half of India's market, according to Bloomberg, which reports that India has 50 million middle-class consumers, many with a penchant for global car brands. India's car buyers are currently on the rise amid the implementation of government tax incentives for automobile purchases; all told, about 1.8 million visitors could show up at the Expo, according to Bloomberg. The vehicles most likely to create the biggest buzz at the Expo will be small cars and electric and hybrid vehicles, analysts say. Toyota ( TM), Honda ( HMC), Hyundai and Suzuki will all be putting on display existing or new hybrid and electric vehicle models. Also on display will be new models of small cars from Honda, Toyota and Suzuki, as well as the Volkswagen ( VLKAY) Polo, the Nissan ( NSANY) Micra and the Ford ( F) Figo. Ahead of the Expo, GM has launched the compact Chevrolet Beat, as part of the company's $500 million expansion plan into India, according to the Wall Street Journal. As part of the plan, GM will pour $300 million into a car factory in Talegaon city. GM wants to double its production at the Talegaon plant to 90,000 cars a year, partly to support the introduction of the Beat into the Indian market, according to the Journal. -- Reported by Andrea Tse in New York >>See our new stock quote page. Follow TheStreet.com on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.


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Microsoft has completed its purchase of Nokia’s mobile phone business for 5.44bn euros ($7.5bn; £4.5bn).
The deal between the two firms should have been completed earlier this year but it was delayed by a hold-up in regulatory approvals.
The sale will see the end of production of mobile phones by Nokia.
“Today we welcome the Nokia devices and services business to our family,” said Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella.
“The mobile capabilities and assets they bring will advance our transformation.”
The Finnish company will now focus on networks, mapping services and technology development and licences.
Two Nokia plants will remain outside the deal – a manufacturing unit in Chennai, India, subject to an asset freeze by Indian tax authorities, and the Masan plant in South Korea, which it plans to shut down.
Former Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop has become executive vice president of the Microsoft devices group, in charge of Lumia smartphones and tablets, Nokia mobile phones, Xbox hardware, Microsoft Surface, and Perceptive Pixel (PPI) products
Nokia Microsoft mobile deal gets shareholder go ahead
Shareholders of the phonemaker Nokia have agreed to sell their mobile phone business to technology giant Microsoft for 5.4bn euros ($7.2 bn; £4.5bn).
The deal goes ahead despite objections from some investors who opposed the sale of a Finnish asset.
Regulators must clear the sale, but is expected to close early next year.
In September, Microsoft agreed to buy the mobile phone business and licence patents from Nokia.
Nokia has seen its share of the smartphone market shrink as competitors such as Apple and Samsung have risen in popularity.
Tuesday’s deal was approved by 99.5% of Nokia’s 3,900 investors at a meeting for shareholders in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
At the five-hour-long shareholder meeting, Chairman Risto Siilasmaa said he believed the sale would “raise deep feelings” among Finns, who regard the phone company as a national success.
But one shareholder told the Reuters news agency he was happy with the vote.
“Now it feels good again. This is a really good result,” said Hannu Ryyppo. “It’s a new beginning for Nokia.”
When the sale was first announced, Nokia said it would also make changes to its leadership.
Stephen Elop, the former president chief executive of Nokia Corporation, was to step down and resign from the company’s board under the terms of the deal.
Nokia has faced criticism over the 18.8m euro pay-out Mr Elop is set to receive when he leaves the company. He is due to move over to Microsoft when the sale is completed.
Mr Elop left Microsoft to join Nokia in 2010, and has been cited by some as one of the frontrunners to replace Microsoft’s outgoing chief executive Steve Ballmer.
Mr Ballmer is expected to leave the company in 2014


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A collaboration between Thailand’s True Internet Data Centre (True IDC) and Tencent (Thailand) has produced the country’s "first" in-country interactive and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled cloud platform.
The new platform will offer a complete range of cloud services to both the public and private sectors and is expected to enable organisations with a strategic option to provide cloud solutions within the country on a standard platform.
“In 2019, revenues from cloud services in Thailand have an average growth of 31.5 per cent,” said Supparat Sivapetchranat Singhara Na Ayutthaya, managing director of True IDC.
“The projected growth can be exceeded if there is a scalable and secure cloud service with the capabilities to provide infrastructure, platform, and software-as-a-service and can support multi-tenant and single tenant use from both private and public sectors,” added Ayutthaya.
“With our collaboration with Tencent (Thailand), we could deliver in-country world-class cloud platform that enables organisations and businesses such as the government, financial institutions, and media content service providers with an option to secure their data in the country.”
“This will result in the incoming investments in the country and eventually make Thailand an epicentre of Indochina,” asserted Ayutthaya.
The ultimate aim of this new AI-enabled cloud platform is to provide local businesses with intelligent and secure cloud solutions at lower costs, enabling them to improve their efficiencies and performances and, thus, enabling Thailand to maintain its competitive edge in the digital transformation era.
“With a swift growth in digital economy in Thailand, the nation is in need of smart cloud services to fulfil its economic potential,” said Chang Foo, chief operating officer of Tencent Thailand. “This is why we decided to join hands with True IDC to establish a centre in Thailand.”
“We believe that our collaboration will enable us to deliver world-class cloud experience to users through our full array of vertical solutions and cutting-edge technology including face recognition, smart retail solution, and content delivery network.”
“This interactive and AI-enabled cloud platform will strengthen the digital infrastructure of the nation, which is key to economic success in this digital age,” added Foo.


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Grabbing a cold one during a sporting event has never been a cheap endeavor.
Everyone involved knows its overpriced, but often times it is the cheapest alcoholic beverage at a stadium or an arena.
And you cannot properly enjoy a baseball game without grabbing your favorite beer. It is all a part of the baseball experience.
That is until it costs $16.
Yep, when the Nationals take the field for the first time at Nationals Park on Thursday, April 5 against the Met, it will cost you that much to enjoy a 25 oz. craft beer while Max Scherzer is pitching a gem.
RELATED: PRESEASON MLB POWER RANKINGS
A craft Beer @Nationals park in 2018 costs more than a field box seat to the 1963 WORLD SERIES at Dodger Stadium ($16 vs $12). Sandy Koufax’s @dodgers swept the @Yankees that year making the beer taste that much sweeter. pic.twitter.com/tlTEkcr4El— Bruce Mehlman (@bpmehlman) March 28, 2018
The Nationals still sell tickets that are cheaper.
Now to put it into perspective, a six-pack of Bud-Light (48 oz.) costs $5.79, a 12-pack (96 oz.) for $10.49.
You can even get a 30-pack of Natural Light (360- oz.) for cheaper ($14.99) than a craft beer at Nationals Park.
Not to fully compare craft beer to regular beer, because craft beer is typically a few dollars more, but $16 seems a little… ahem… a lot excessive.
Might have to try that Spike Seltzer Grapefruit thingy next time.


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WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON -- DSC Communications Corp., whose software has been linked to recent phone outages, knew a year ago that there were potential problems with the new signaling systems used by the "Baby Bell" phone companies to handle calls, a DSC official told a House subcommittee yesterday.
The admission raised new questions about whether Bellcore, the research arm of the seven regional Bells, had adequately investigated the "Signaling System 7" technology it helped develop. Technical standards developed by Bellcore are used by all seven Bells.
Under a SS7 configuration, a few, powerful computers tell an extensive network of electronic switches which routes to use when handling telephone calls.
Frank Perpiglia, DSC's vice president for technology and product development, said that some DSC customers noticed as long as a year ago that SS7 computers could be prone to overload from "maintenance messages" -- signals a computer sends itself to confirm that its components are working properly.
That kind of overload problem has been linked to the recent spate of phone outages, including the one in Maryland on June 26 that left up to 5 million customers without local phone service for most of the day. The recent spate of outages has been traced, in part, to some faulty DSC software.
But software bugs notwithstanding, Mr. Perpiglia said that SS7 has an inherent problem. That problem, he said, is this: When engineered to the precise specifications of Bellcore and other standard-setting organizations, SS7 has no way to disregard maintenance messages.
Mr. Perpiglia said that some DSC customers became alarmed by that omission after conducting their own, independent laboratory tests.
He said that DSC subsequently engineered a software "patch" to fix the problem and handed it out to customers who asked for it. The first patch, which is basically a rewrite of a piece of software, was released about a year ago, Mr. Perpiglia said.
A similar patch was given recently to Bell Atlantic Corp. and Pacific Bell, which have experienced half a dozen outages and near-outages in the past two weeks.
DSC has so far kept a low profile on basic design issues related to SS7. But there are indications of concern within the company about the system.
In an undated memo sent to its regional Bell customers after the June 26 outage, DSC urged the Bells to adopt a new set of specifications not approved by Bellcore, according to Electronic News, a trade publication.
In an article published July 8, Electronic News said that the DSC memo "warned, without further elaboration, that the new specifications are 'in opposition to Bellcore's specifications' for SS7." The new specifications have been adopted by Bell Atlantic, Pacific Bell and two other Baby Bells, Electronic News reported.
At yesterday's hearing before the House subcommittee on government information, justice and agriculture, Mr. Perpiglia said that the patches given to Bell Atlantic and Pacific Bell don't conform with Bellcore-approved standards for SS7. He characterized the patches as a "violation of a piece of SS7" that raises a "theoretical design issue."


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She unwrapped a $50,000 top-prize winning 20x the Cash scratch-off.
The 46-year-old Baltimore County woman said she received the scratch-off as an early gift from her father. She had spent most of that day cleaning, decorating and cooking in preparation for her weekend birthday celebration. The birthday girl was ready for a break when her parents dropped by for a visit, but she wasn’t ready for the surprise hiding in her gift.
She scratched off the $5 instant ticket and revealed a match, but was unsure of how much she had won. The woman and her dad examined the ticket closely, noting she had a 20x multiplier over a $1,000 prize and several $5,000 matches. When they discovered her top-prize win, the family was in shock.
The happy woman claimed her prize, with her parents by her side, at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. “Winning Wilkens,” as she dubbed herself, said her prayers for birthday blessings had already been answered. The winner has worked for a branch of the armed services for nearly 20 years and recently moved. She said the windfall will go a long way to help with bills associated with furnishing her home. The lucky lady also plans to share a portion of her winnings with her parents.
Her dad found the 20x the Cash instant ticket waiting at the Royal Farms store located 898 South Marlyn Avenue in Essex. For selling a $50,000 winning scratch-off, the retailer earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery.


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Homebased business, business - 10 booming homebased businesses - entrepreneurcom. Health insurers have become more profitable since the affordable care act took effect, according to the white house council of economic advisers, despite initial stumbles on the public. Largely unregulated profession experiencing steady growth, fueled by increasing fear of contamination and disease, and awareness that the services exist. News literacy project tackles fake news, and business is booming that the news literacy project is growing as never before across the country. Business is booming synonyms, antonyms, english dictionary, english language, definition, see also 'monkey business',businessman',businesslike',businesswoman', reverso dictionary, english. The early window for athletes to bind themselves to schools with national letters of intent has increased the value of img academy. The latest tweets from business is booming (@kyrissad)sweeter than cotton candy, stronger than poppa's old brandy east coast flow.
For those who desire an academic career but also have an interestest in “business anthropology” one might consider teaching and research through a business school or program. With a five per cent increase in business volume at itb berlin 2018 compared to last year, and excellent business being forecast for the coming months, the international travel industry is. Business is booming and consumer confidence is growing — including on kauai. Grandview, mo -- for businesses, it seems to be a good time to go to grandview three big companies are in the process of setting up shop great location, great traffic -- that's what kim. It truly is both the best of times and the worst of times for samsung.
Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the. An economic boost from berlin – all signs point to growth and a record year – itb berlin reaffirms its standing as the world's leading travel trade show. Nashville’s convention business is booming thanks to its music industry branding strategy greg the local musicians are the driving force behind the growing. To make a deep, resonant sound 2 to grow, develop, or progress rapidly flourish: business is booming v tr booming - definition of booming by the free dictionary.
Synonyms for booming at thesauruscom with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions dictionary and word of the day. The product is still a natural distillation of tree sap, but making it has become more efficient. The lobster business is booming in maine lobstermen are hauling in record catches, while prices are near all-time highs that's because the industry is also seeing record demand us.
Facebook live - discover how to use facebook live to attract more customers, build your brand and make more sales for your business. The holiday shopping season may be a distant memory, but business is booming for those companies that handle all the returns. The technology giant reported strong quarterly results thanks to an aggressive transition to delivering software as an internet service.
As wages stagnate, households spend less other economic news, no matter how good it looks to business, pales in significance. Hodlmoon is making ugly christmas sweaters a year-round fashion statement with their own ugly cryptocurrency sweaters, and the company says business is booming. Author of the other 'fire and fury' book says business is booming historian and author randall hansen's book, fire and fury: the allied bombing of germany 1942-1945, has been mistaken by. Facebook’s business is booming, but it says preventing abuse will cut into future profits.


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In the coronavirus era, fashion is all about being comfortable and cozy — and Lucy Hale’s latest look hit the mark.
The “Katy Keene” star stepped out in Los Angeles Wednesday wearing a crewneck sweater and charcoal gray pajama shorts.
The sleepwear theme continued down to Hale’s footwear, a pair of Ugg Fuzz Yeah slipper sandals in the “Mariposa” colorway. The Fuzz Yeah features double straps with a buckle accent for a chic look. It is made of lamb fur, with a sheepskin-lined footbed and supportive rubber sole. The slip-on silhouette adds a slight height boost for the wearer, courtesy of a 1.5-inch heel with a 1-inch platform. Zulily.com stocks the Fuzz Yeah “Mariposa” for $47.
Hale completed her casual look with a pair of Ray-Ban Hexagonal Flat Lenses.
In the mid ’00s, Ugg hit the peak of its popularity when its “ugly” shoes became a must-have for fashionistas, and as more people stay home during the coronavirus crisis, Ugg seems poised to make a comeback. Last month, global fashion search engine Lyst reported that Ugg was one of the most searched brands for stay-at-home fashion in the U.S. The brand had already won over celebrity fans such as Gigi Hadid, Cardi B and Jennifer Lopez.
If Hale’s exact choice of Ugg slides is no longer available in your size, consider shopping one of the brand’s other cozy options below.
To Buy: Ugg Fluff Yeah, $100 to $110.
To Buy: Ugg Fuzzette Slipper, $90.
To Buy: Ugg Oh Yeah, $100.
Lucy Hale Gives Her Black Top + Leggings a Pop of Color in ‘Picnic Table’-Patterned Vans Sneakers
Lucy Hale Matches Her Seafoam Gown With Strappy Jimmy Choo Sandals + More Red Carpet Arrivals At the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards


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Welcome to the official GReddy USA blog. -Think of this as our online weekly "GReddy Times," a venue for us to report what's going on or what just happened at GReddy USA this week (new products, new projects, racing news, even online store specials.) On our blog you can see what we are up to in the GReddy Sales floor, R&D garage, on the road or even from our Headquarters in Japan.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Formula Drift Rd.5 Coming up...
Monroe, WA. July 24-25
Friday Qualifying: 12:10pm PST
Saturday Top32: 1:40pm PST
Main Event: 5:00pm PST
Check out the latest full Scion Racing Driven 2 Drift Episode below:


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The domestic travel and tourism (T&T) sector is expected to be the second-largest employer globally by 2019, says a report jointly published by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and Yes Bank.
The study said T&T's share in employment generation in India is likely to be significant in the next couple of years.
As per the report, Agri Tourism Study, India is set to become fifth-fastest growing business travel destination from 2011-2019, with an estimated growth rate of 8.8 per cent. This will make tourism the largest service industry in the country.
With this growth momentum, the report added, "T&T sector is expected to be the second-largest employer in the world which is likely to employ over 40,037,000 by 2019." The chamber report has projected that India would get capital investment worth $94.5 billion by 2019 in T&T sector. The report also said that growing T&T industry will place India at the third position in the world in a decade's time.
According to the report, the growth will not only be driven by the urban India but also the rural India, especially rural and agri-tourism. This will also garner revenue for the rural population, the study said.
"Its importance would lie in being an instrument for economic development and employment generation, particularly in the remote and backward areas," the report said.
Agri-tourism will comprise of agro museums, agriculture related festivals and fairs, including farmers' markets, farm vacations, heritage trails, farm tours and farm activities.
The report also said that agri-tourism will bring the primary sector agriculture closer to the service sector and will attract more attention to development of rural infrastructure.
This will also create employment opportunities and empower the local population.
"Growth in T&T industry will stimulate investment and create opportunities in ancillary and support line of business. It will showcase the environmental, cultural and heritage aspects of the region as also, further showcase local cuisine and culinary practices, handicrafts and vernacular skills," the report said.
Tourism sector is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 6.23 per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP) and 8.78 per cent of the total employment. The sector, which was hit by global recession, attracted investments of $ 5.3 billion in 2008- 09 and show a growth of two per cent.


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Federal authorities suspect cable companies worried about competition from online video have acted improperly to quash their emerging rivals, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. The Department of Justice has opened a wide-ranging investigation, and officials have spoken to online video providers and cable companies, including Time Warner and Comcast, the sources say. The investigation is focusing on data caps companies are using to deal with the rapid growth in video traffic.
The probe comes as viewers are shifting away from traditional cable bundles to video services like Netflix, leaving cable companies fretting about their customers "cutting the cord," CNET notes. Cable companies say the data caps are necessary to prevent heavy users from overwhelming networks, but video providers accuse the firms of using the caps to prevent users from switching to online video—and to give preferential treatment to their own online video offerings, like Comcast's data cap-exempt Xfinity. (Read more antitrust stories.)


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Android and openness is something we talk about all the time, but the recent developments in the industry point towards inherent flaws with this very premise. Be it from bloggers, political institutions or corporations, Android is seemingly not open enough. The “War on Openness” is ironically becoming an open war, where many players are increasing their stakes and scope to try and land a bigger hold - or at the very least, restrict Google’s - on what is the world’s...
Mobile ODIN Updated for the Samsung Galaxy S III I9300
Back in November of last year, we took a quick look at Mobile ODIN by XDA Elite Recognized Developer Chainfire. Later in February of this year, the app was updated to version 2.0, which added an impressive number of supported devices. Now, the app has been updated once more to support even more devices, including the device that is seemingly on everybody’s mind—the Samsung Galaxy S III GT-I9300.
For the uninitiated, Mobile ODIN does as its name implies and serves as an on-device ODIN utility. It allows users to fully flash their firmware straight from the device itself—practically removing the need to connect your device to a host computer. Due to safety reasons, however, the EFS and bootloader partitions are not flashed. Just as before, two versions are available: a lite version that is available exclusively on XDA, and a pro version that can be found on the Android Market.
In the words of the developer:
New in v2.10:
– Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus GT-P6200
– Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus Wi-Fi GT-P6210
New in v2.15:
– Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9003L
– Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G
New in v2.35:
– Samsung Galaxy S2 SHW-M250K
– Samsung Galaxy S2 SC-02C
New in v2.40:
– Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100M
- Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300
New in v2.45:
– Samsung Galaxy S2 SCH-R760 (US Cellular)
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Smartphone cameras have advanced so tremendously over the past few years that they have almost completely replaced point and shoot digital cameras for the most of us. Furthermore, since our smartphones are always with us, the majority of us end up taking tons of photos throughout the lifespan of our devices. But what happens to all the old photos you take? Do you store them on an external hard-drive or keep them backed up to an online cloud service like Flickr? Let us know what your favorite way of storing old photos is and why.
Before the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop, the Holo Design guidelines served as the official reference for Android design, right from IceCream Sandwich to KitKat. However, updates to the guidelines were few and far between, leading to a lack of synchronization between Android design and current UI/UX trends. Google seems to have learned from their mistake the last time around, and earlier this week, a significant update was released for the Material Design guidelines, marking the second revision in less...


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Nissan has announced that there are two new small cars in the pipeline for the American market and both will be on sale for under $10,000.
Details of equipment levels and powertrains are yet to be released but it is known that both cars will be built on Nissan’s new worldwide V platform and they will be built in Mexico.
Nissan has also announced that it will reveal it’s new European SUV at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The new SUV will be known as the Juke and Nissan says that it’s based on their Qazana concept SUV that first appeared in 2008.
Nissan Announces New Small Cars and an SUV
2 thoughts on “Nissan Announces New Small Cars and an SUV”
You know what they say about opinions right?
Very awesome it’s about time we get away from all the old school looking cars nice job Nissan!!!
Peter M stop living in the past.
Comments are closed.


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U.S. stocks pulled back on Thursday as Wall Street wrapped up its worst month of the year on a sour note.
The Dos Jones Industrials plunged 546.8 points, or 1.6%, to 33,843.92, after rising at the opening bell.
The S&P 500 dropped 51.92 points, or 1.2%, to 4,307.54.
The NASDAQ Composite faded 63.86 points, or 0.4%, to 14,448.58.
The S&P 500 finished September down more than 4% for its worst month since March 2020, when the pandemic caused a major market
selloff. The Dow and the NASDAQ suffered their worst months in 2021.
September’s losses led to a weak third quarter for the market. For the three-month period, the Dow dropped 1.9%, while the NASDAQ shed 0.3%. The S&P 500 held on to a modest gain and is still up 15% on the year.
Concerns about inflation and supply chain issues continued to hamper the markets on Thursday. Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond fell more than 20% in early trading after the company said those issues hurt the company’s second quarter results, and the news also weighed on fellow retail stocks. Walgreens Boots Alliance and Home Depot fell more than 2%, making them two of the worst performers in the Dow.
Energy and financial stocks, which have been some of the best performers in recent weeks, took a step back on Thursday. Shares of Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan were down by more than 1%.
Shares of Apple and Amazon finished the day in negative territory after moving higher in morning trading. Chip giant Nvidia and Netflix managed to hold on to their gains but closed well off session highs.
On the data front, initial jobless claims for the prior week came in at 362,000. Economists are expecting a print of 335,000, according to Dow Jones.
Prices for 10-year Treasurys were higher, lowering yields to 1.50% from Wednesday’s 1.53%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices gained 18 cents to $75.01 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices popped $33.90 to $1,759.00 U.S. an ounce.


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Following the acquisition of Accordant in May 2017, Dentsu Aegis Network has announced the customer experience agency will be joining Isobar Group Australia & New Zealand.
This strategic alignment, named ‘Accordant, Linked by Isobar’, continues to build out Isobar Group offering, developing digital specialisation across data, creativity, design, technology, and personalisation.
Launched in 2014, Accordant uses data and technology to personalise and optimise the customer experience, and is the first agency to receive the title ‘Adobe Target Specialisation Partner’ globally.
With the establishment of Accordant, Linked by Isobar, Isobar Group ANZ now includes WiTH Collective, Soap and SMG Studio, Accordant and New Zealand based Little Giant, all of which have adopted the ‘Linked by Isobar’ suffix.
Accordant co-founder and CEO Stephen Knowles (pictured above, right) said: “As CMOs engage with their customers via true digital experiences and stray away from more conventional advertising models, our combined offering and proven wins will enable them to achieve their objectives.
“We believe the Isobar Group brings together the best of the best to deliver actionable ideas for sustainable competitive advantage. It made complete sense for us as both a reflection of our people as well as the value of the work to join the family.”
Isobar Group ANZ chief executive Konrad Spilva said: “The Isobar Group is committed to embracing deep specialisation across digital transformation. We don’t try and be a single entity; we know where our strengths lie and defer to others in the group where appropriate.
“Accordant adds the missing ingredient with Isobar Group to truly become a leading digital group offering end to end solutions across creativity, design, technology and personalisation.”
Dentsu Aegis Network ANZ boss Simon Ryan said: “The strategic alignment of Accordant builds on our capability across digital and customer experience, and adds significant expertise as we help our clients navigate the digital economy.
“We are pleased to welcome Steve, Scott and their entire team into the Isobar Group.”
Joey Calandra (main photo) is an inventiologist at leading behavioural science and innovation consultancy Inventium with over 20 years’ experience driving innovation in the health industry. In this guest post, Calandra offers top tips on rediscovering your own personal purpose… During times of crisis, like we are experiencing today, having your own personal leadership purpose […]
In this guest post, Garrett Ilg, President JAPAC at Oracle, Oracle Corporation lays out how marketers can lead their businesses to recovery… The global pandemic has changed nearly everything for CMOs, forcing them to scramble as consumers shift even more to online shopping. Meanwhile, CEOs are pressuring their marketing chiefs to find strategies for recovery. […]
The NSW Government and the Department of Education have today launched a major campaign titled ‘Maths Trains Brains’ which is aimed at changing the perception of maths and encouraging more engagement towards the subject for students from pre-kindy to Year 10. The campaign was developed by creative and digital agency Bastion Banjo with production by […]
Grill’d has launched a new tactical campaign ahead of the upcoming US elections, with the aim of comparing big American fast food giants with Grill’d’s home-grown, healthier approach to burgers. The tongue-in-cheek campaign depicts Donald Trump’s addiction to fast food options, such as McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Dominos, with the words ‘You are what […]
In this guest post, Dr Phillip Lawrence of Edith Cowan University debunks the myths of the environmental impact of printing… The environmental credentials of printing have been in the spotlight for a while with brands and marketers as well as large corporates regularly proposing they would reduce or eliminate paper and printing from their business as […]
The WPP-owned agency Mindshare has revealed it has won the media business for both Kayo and Binge. Both Kayo and Binge form part of Foxtel’s Steamotion’s streaming services and have seen significant boosts to the subscription numbers in recent times, primarily during lockdown. Commenting on the win, Mindshare CEO Katie Rigg-Smith said the win would […]
Realworld, an Australian location-based technology company, today launched adfindr.co, a leads platform for media owners. Adfindr finds the contact details of hundreds of local businesses around any location. Adfindr offers all media owners a database of local advertising leads. Simply type in a location and extract advertising leads in that area. David Sanderson, Director at […]
The new Online Will from State Trustees has launched with an unexpected campaign via newly appointed creative agency Hardhat, one that aims to turn in between moments into opportunities for action. Having a baby, moving house or exploring some thrilling new hobbies – this colourful, tongue-in-cheek campaign leverages the types of life stages that trigger […]
Worksafe and FCB New Zealand have launched a wild new campaign, challenging New Zealanders to take a fresh look at workplace safety. The launch TVC, hitting screens big and small this week, asks workers to be more vigilant and proactive, by listening to their inner-meerkats. In the last five years, WorkSafe has recorded 363 workplace […]
Immersive media company Imagine Room has signed an exclusive agreement with Microsoft to build and operate Australia’s first Mixed Reality Capture Studio to drive the next generation of content production. The state-of-the-art studio uses 106 cameras to create holographic and 3D-video performance assets and create immersive and interactive experiences for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality […]


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Macy’s plans to shut nearly 30 stores after drop in Christmas sales.
According to The Washington Post, Macy’s –the Cincinnati-based department store chain– said it will shutter 28 namesake stores and one Bloomingdale’s store in the coming weeks after sales declined 0.6% between November and December, a drop greater than what analysts had predicted for the Christmas campaign, which drove the decision.
The closures will take place in several states in the United States, such as Florida, California, and Georgia.
Founded 162 years ago in New York, and once one of the nation’s preeminent retailers for decades, Macy’s has been facing changing consumer habits and mounting competition from Walmart, Amazon and Target that have reversed its fortunes in recent years. Same-store sales fell 3.5% in the third quarter of 2019, according to The Washington Post, while profits were down 97% from the same period a year earlier.
Per a story on newsweek.com, Macy’s officials have yet to confirm the total number of stores that will close, saying only that it will provide an update at its Investor Day on Feb. 5.


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New Delhi: Advertising spend in India in the 12- month period ended June this year stood at $6.7 billion (around Rs29,727 crore) across mainstream media, posting the highest annual growth rate of 28% in the Asia Pacific region, reports PTI quoting a survey.
The Nielsen Company's survey that covered a dozen countries in the region, estimated that ad spends across television, newspaper and magazine in India witnessed 32% growth in the second quarter (ended June) of this calendar with total ad spend of $1.92 billion (around Rs8,520 crore).
"...The largest proportion of India's media spend was garnered by newspapers, growing at 32% year-on-year (Y-O-Y)," the survey said. The newspaper segment grossed a total of $3.9 billion (around Rs17,300 crore) during the period.
Television followed newspapers in ad spend growth at 24% Y-O-Y in India and stood at $2.4 billion (around Rs10,648 crore). Magazines saw an 8% increase Y-O-Y at $393 million (about Rs1740 crore).
Over and above the mainstream media ad spend, other media such as radio, outdoor, pay TV, cinema combined showed a growth of 31% in the twelve months up to June 2010 in India totalling $1.2 billion (about Rs5,320 crore).
The top ten categories, including services, personal care and food & beverages represented 51% of all mainstream media ad spend in India.
Commenting on the advertising spend trend, The Nielsen Company president Piyush Mathur said: "The 'recessionary mindset' is fast becoming a thing of the past and marketers are using advertising strategies to reinvigorate brands by strengthening their visibility in mainstream media resulting in accelerated growth in media spends."
According to the survey, advertising spend was highest on television during the year across the region that includes China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and New Zealand besides India.
The second highest overall growth in ad spend across the region after India was seen in Indonesia at 24%, followed by Hong Kong at 18% during the 12-month period ended June.
Inside story of the National Stock Exchange’s amazing success, leading to hubris, regulatory capture and algo scam


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Each Wednesday, The Wrap presents a compilation of recent noteworthy commercial real estate stories from a variety of publications. Below are five stories that caught our eyes in recent days.
• “Apartment Upturn Lifts Post Properties” – by Dawn Wotapka of The Wall Street Journal.
What a difference a few years has made for apartment REIT Post Properties. In 2008, the firm unsuccessfully put itself up for sale and its shares dropped below $10. However, a focus on fixing its balance sheet and recent trends in homeownership have turned the company around, Wotakpa reports.
Under a weakened economy, millions of people were no longer willing or able to be homeowners, significantly boosting the rental market. Analysts and investors told Wotapka they’re confident the firm will continue to thrive when the housing market inevitably improves, in part because Post’s communities have the kinds of amenities that appeal to younger workers, who will continue to look to rent instead of own.
The good news for Post was that it had already started building new rental communities before many competitors decided to as well. “We expect they’re going to have their properties out of the ground faster and be able to capitalize on this upswing,” said Brendan Lee, a portfolio manager with TIAA-CREF’s Real Estate Securities Fund.
In the meantime, Post’s stock price is now near $50, and the firm carries one of the apartment sector’s lowest debt loads.
• “More Room for Ideas in a Smaller Office” – by J. Michael Welton of The New York Times.
In an effort to reduce office space costs in a tighter economy, many companies are looking to reconfigure their offices to use less square footage. Often, this means reducing the number of private offices for a more open layout.
The result? According to Welton, companies are reporting not only a reduction in office expenses, but higher collaboration and efficiency among employees.
One example he cites is the ad agency 22squared in Atlanta, which previously had three floors of space, but decreased to two floors with the help of architecture firm Gensler and commercial real estate services developer Carter USA. Walls were torn down in favor of less private offices, and collaborative work areas now dot the space. Glass walls for writing were constructed, and natural light is utilized across the space. According to Gensler’s Workplace Performance Index, collaboration has increased by 22 percent at the firm since the renovation.
• “Fast Times for Student Housing” – by Bendix Anderson for National Real Estate Investor.
States aren’t building new dorms fast enough for today’s rising college student population, says “Surging Student Populations Stress On-Campus Housing,” a new white paper from the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC).
“That presents a huge opportunity for private developers,” said Jim Arbury, vice president of student housing for NMHC.
According to a report from College Planning & Management magazine, 42 percent of campus housing officers reported too little housing for students.
Anderson’s article cautions developers to not rush into the student-housing market but to make sure they are aiming for schools with strong demand and little supply available or in the pipeline.
• “Industrial Sector Is Silver Lining in Subpar May Jobs Report” – by Matt Valley of REBusinessOnline.
Employment numbers for May overall were not as strong as expected, but last month showed a healthy increase in jobs in the industrial sector, Valley reports. The manufacturing, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing sectors added 63,500 jobs in May versus 3,600 in April.
“The surprising surge in jobs important to industrial real estate indicates the continued health of the manufacturing sector and the strong volume of goods flowing through corporate supply chains,” Bob Bach, chief economist for Grubb & Ellis, told Valley.
Overall, though, nonfarm payroll jobs counted 69,000 additions last month, way below the expected 150,000 jobs, pushing the unemployment rated up to 8.2 percent. Economists had predicted a slowdown in job creation, but not this quickly, said Victor Calanog, director of research for Reis.
May is now the fourth consecutive month in which payroll job growth has slowed.
• “Retail Recovery Boon for Atlanta Architects” – by Jennifer LeClaire of GlobeSt.com.
Atlanta’s recovering job market is encouraging expansion by retailers and restaurants, LeClaire writes. According to Marcus & Millichap’s latest Retail Research Market Overview, retailers like Publix and Kroger are looking to open new stores, not just renovate existing ones, while Walmart is looking at introducing its smaller concept stores in the area. Restaurants like Dunkin’ Donuts, McAlister’s Deli, Taco Mac and Newk’s Express Café are also looking at expanding.
However, while Marcus & Millichap is very optimistic, Kevin Cantley, president and CEO of Cooper Carry, says the retail market is still relatively quiet. He says some property owners are looking at renovating shopping malls and building some new single-tenant retail sites as well.