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Oh Canada…ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l’epee, il sait porter la croix!
Oh Canada – as we gear up for the anticipation of the upcoming Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic winter games, for over 343 years, Hudson’s Bay has once again created an iconic Canadian collection which showcases the patriotic support for our athletes. Aside from the staple colors of red and white and the maple leaf logo, Hudson’s Bay designers have captured the personality and spirit of Canada with the incorporation of winter night black, team crest and three recognizable Canadian animals: beaver, loon and polar bear.
“We thank Hudson’s Bay for once again delivering iconic, beautiful uniforms that honour our athletes’ commitment to our nation and our commitment to them. They are not just our athletes’ uniforms, they are Canada’s uniforms.” – Marcel Aubut (President, Canadian Olympic Committee)
Helping Canadians stay warm and stylish for the coming of winter days, the new Olympic and Paralympic Collection is now available at Hudson’s Bay across Canada and available online at www.thebay.com from October 30 2013 until 2015.
“We’re so proud to continue to be a part of the Olympic Games and are thrilled to be the Official Outfitter of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams. As a Premier National Partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, we support our athletes in many ways and we are excited to witness what they will accomplish at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. We at Hudson’s Bay are fiercely proud to be Canadian and are passionate about bringing the Olympic spirit to Canadians through our clothing and we can’t wait to cheer on our athletes, knowing that we CAN own the podium” – Bonnie Brooks (President, Hudson’s Bay Company)
One of the other greatest things about the collection, is the affordability. Accessories ranging from $5-$30, kids and infant clothing from $13-$50 and men’s and women’s wear from $19-$272. Revealing its contemporary and modern fashion flare, all items specially designed for Sochi 2014 is color blocked with the proud national colors, red and white with midnight black. Of course, we can’t forget the famously known red mittens to keep your hands warm.
“Canada’s style and personality is instantly recognizable internationally, and we designed the Olympic uniforms to reflect who we are as a nation.” – Hilary Kelley (VP of Design, Hudson’s Bay)
le sigh* I can’t possibly think of a greater feeling than representing your country for all the world to see. Aside from that, I suppose I must state the obvious that there are definite perks by being a member of Team Canada. Now, let’s talk about “clothing allowance” – the Canadian Olympic Team members will each receive thirty-nine items and the Canadian Paralympic Team members will each receive thirty-two items from the new Hudson’s Bay Sochi 2014 collection. All items include: leisurewear, jackets, pants, sweats and accessories which will be worn during the opening and closing ceremonies, podium presentations and leisure hangouts in the Olympic village. *If you’re wondering, there are more than 200 athletes for the Sochi 2014 Olympic winter games and 55 athletes for the Canadian Paralympic.


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Premier Public Radio Franchise to Benefit from the Same Enterprise-Class SEO Solutions and Support Used by the World’s Leading Brands
NEW YORK – Feb. 7, 2013 – The Conductor Foundation, an initiative supported by enterprise SEO technology leader, Conductor, Inc., to increase the online visibility of nonprofit organizations through training workshops and grants, today announced that New York Public Radio (NYPR) is the latest organization to receive the Conductor SEO Grant. NYPR, which comprises WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space and New Jersey Public Radio, joins previous Conductor SEO Grant recipients The National Kidney Foundation and Housing Works, who have used the SEO Grant to capture more site traffic, redirect staff resources to other marketing efforts and ultimately drive awareness and support for their causes.
Now in its second year, the Conductor SEO Grant provides select charitable nonprofit organizations with Conductor Searchlight™, the world’s leading enterprise SEO platform, as well as ongoing support and services from the SEO experts at Conductor. With Conductor Searchlight in place, nonprofit organizations can benefit from the same strategic, enterprise-level SEO solution used by Fortune 500 companies to measure, improve and manage their natural search. The Conductor Foundation recently launched a new website dedicated to providing the non-profit community with helpful information and resources to deploy winning SEO strategies and tactics at www.conductorfoundation.org
“Our work with respected local and national charities is an important part of being Conductor – giving back and sharing our expertise with others is in our DNA,” said Seth Besmertnik, CEO of Conductor. “Through our education workshops and the Conductor SEO Grant, we are working to pay-it-forward, so that nonprofits can reach their organizational and fundraising goals more quickly.”
We know SEO is a great way to build awareness on the Web and we are grateful to receive this grant. It’s through the ongoing support of our membership that we’re able to produce great programming and deliver the best experiences across our digital platforms. We look forward to working closely with the Conductor Foundation to embrace digital marketing best practices and implement proven SEO strategies and tactics that will help New York Public Radio reach its marketing and fundraising goals as well as further its mission to engage new audiences.
– Thomas Hjelm, Vice President of Business Development and Chief Digital Officer for NYPR
The Conductor SEO Grant will be used to implement the Searchlight product as well as best practices for search engine optimization across a range of digital properties within the NYPR franchise, including WNYC.org, the digital home of some of public radio’s most popular award-winning programs, including Radiolab, On the Media, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, Freakonomics Radio with Stephen Dubner, and Studio 360; WQXR.org, which offers listeners in New York a smartly curated stream of classical music as well as live broadcasts from New York City’s finest performance halls; and TheGreeneSpace.org, the site of NYPR’s intimate, acoustically superior event venue.
About The Conductor Foundation
The Conductor Foundation’s mission is to provide the knowledge, skills and tools that empower charitable, nonprofit organizations to improve their online search visibility to raise awareness of their mission, increase donations and inspire volunteerism. http://www.conductorfoundation.org/
Conductor is the global leader in SEO technology. Thousands of brands and enterprise marketers use its cloud-based SEO platform, Conductor Searchlight™ to measure, improve and manage their natural search efforts to stay ahead of the competition, increase site traffic and boost revenues. The powerful, highly scalable platform processes massive amounts of data quickly to give users real-time information for better, more informed decision making and to identifying new ways to increase share-of-search that will propel their businesses forward. Offering the most robust performance reporting and measurement tools available in the industry, Conductor arms marketers with the intelligence needed to tie SEO success to business objectives and demonstrate the value of SEO across the organization. One of New York City’s fastest growing and most admired technology companies, Conductor is routinely recognized for excellence in business and corporate culture. To learn more, go to www.conductor.com or follow Conductor on Twitter @conductor.

domain: news


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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Draws Lawsuit from Former Panama Dictator
Former military dictator Manuel Noriega sues Activision for what he says is the "blatant misuse, unlawful exploitation, and misappropriation for economic gain" of his image in the 2012 game.
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Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega has launched a lawsuit against Activision over 2012 first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops II. According to a report from the Courthouse News Service, Noriega is taking legal action against the megapublisher for the "blatant misuse, unlawful exploitation and misappropriation for economic gain" of his image in the popular game.
Noriega was the military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989, until he was ousted. The 80-year-old now lives in Panama. As part of his lawsuit, Noriega claims: "In an effort to increase the popularity and revenue generated by Black Ops II, defendants used, without authorization or consent, the image and likeness of plaintiff in Black Ops II."
Call of Duty: Black Ops II launched in November 2012 and generated $1 billion in revenue in under a month.
Noriega goes on to claim that Black Ops II's portrayal of Noriega depicted him as "the culprit of numerous fictional heinous crimes, creating the false impression that defendants are authorized to use plaintiff's image and likeness. This caused plaintiffs to receive profits they would not have otherwise received."
The former dictator goes on to say that Call of Duty: Black Ops II depicts Noriega as a "kidnapper, murderer, and enemy of the state." He adds in the 13-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court that Activision intentionally chose to feature several nonfiction characters, including Noriega, to "heighten realism" for the game and in turn boost sales.
One mission in Call of Duty: Black Ops II--called Suffer With Me--features protagonists Alex Mason and Frank Woods tracking Noriega to a compound where they eventually capture him. The game also features the likenesses of well-known government people like John F. Kennedy and Robert McNamara (oh, and the band Avenged Sevenfold, too).
"Defendants deliberately and systematically misappropriated plaintiff's likeness to increase revenues and royalties, at the expense of plaintiff and without the consent of plaintiff," the lawsuit claims.
Noriega is represented by Girardi & Keese. He is seeking damages for unjust enrichment, unfair business practices, and violation of common-law publicity rights. In addition, Noriega hopes to collect punitive damages for "lost profits" and other charges, according to the lawsuit.
Noriega is not the first high-profile person to sue over a video game. Earlier this month, actress Lindsay Lohan sued Take-Two Interactive, claiming its subsidiary--Rockstar Games--used her image without permission for the record-breaking open-world game Grand Theft Auto V.
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INDIA: PepsiCo to ramp up potato procurement
US snacks and drinks giant PepsiCo has said it will double its potato procurement in India over the next five years.
A spokesperson for PepsiCo confirmed to just-food it is looking to double procurement from the current 2.4 lakh tonnes it achieved in its 2012 financial year. This, the spokesperson said, is more than double what it procured five years ago.
"PepsiCo India sources all its potato requirement from within the country," she added. "We are the largest procurer of potato in India. PepsiCo India has established a model of partnership with farmers and now works with over 24,000 happy farmers across nine states."
These states include West Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat, UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar.
The spokesperson said PepsiCo has set up a "state-of-the-art" potato seed facility in Punjab and all the seed it provides to farmers across the country is grown by Punjab and Haryana farmers.
"PepsiCo has over the years, not just given more opportunity to potato farmers but also worked in close partnership with the farming community with a vision of creating a cost-effective, localised agro-base in India by leveraging its access to world class agricultural practices. PepsiCo works with farmers throughout the crop cycle – providing quality seeds, technical expertise, facilitating loans from banks, harvesting expertise etc."
General Mills, which has struggled to grow its US yoghurt brands, said yesterday (30 May) it would look to marketing and innovation to revitalise sales in the increasingly promotional category....
Jeffrey Ackerman, a former executive at PepsiCo, has been named CFO of US regional retailer The Fresh Market....
- Why Mars rice plan not just crop-ticking exercise
- Greencore's food-to-go focus paying dividends
- ConAgra Foods: what could happen next? - analysis
- How Danone aims to meet its 2020 objectives
- Interview: Ritter sees growth potential in US, EU
- Pinnacle to buy Boulder Brands in $975m deal
- Genius Foods buys UK gluten-free firm Chapel Foods
- Aryzta regional CEO steps down
- Maple Leaf Foods to cut over 400 jobs
- Hovis plans cuts amid anxiety over UK bread demand


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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
How many times a day are you asked to verify your identity? This number is increasing as more companies, apps, and organizations want to make sure you are who you really are. For most of us, logging in and authenticating has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life, whether it’s accessing our bank details, our email, or our social media accounts. You could even text us a code or ask us to select photos to make sure we’re human. And actor John O’Hurley says it drove him crazy. “I’m not a robot,” jokes O’Hurley. “That will be the title of my memoir when I write it all down.”
O’Hurley is best known for hosting the annual National Dog Show and for playing eccentric catalog magnate J. Peterman on Seinfeld. But he’s also an entrepreneur, and his latest venture is a partnership with a new company that aims to make all of these authentications easier and more secure using biometrics — things like fingerprints, voice authentication, and face scans. Company Q5ID has an easy-to-use mobile app that allows users to securely register and authenticate no matter where they are, complete with step-by-step instructions, often in three minutes or less.
O’Hurley says he was inspired to work with Q5ID after seeing the damage that could be done with unverified users. “When I saw a ‘deepfake’ the other night, I immediately said it wouldn’t do for a CEO, someone faking a CEO made any statement about the company’s financial position and the stock would go down.” , he explains. “Well, it wouldn’t be possible to retrieve that by saying, ‘Well, it wasn’t really that person. It was fake’.”
And with bots now beating most authentication programs, the Q5ID app uses your phone to scan your face or palm and stores the data on your own device. At the same time, it proves to your bank, social media platform or other business that it really is you. And it’s not just for businesses; Better authentication could help schools, law enforcement, and government agencies curb digital fraud that costs Americans tens of billions of dollars each year.
The company also offers an app called “Guardian,” which aims to overhaul and revolutionize the search for missing persons. It’s a free download that allows subscribers to add profiles of their loved ones should the worst happen and gives them the ability to alert law enforcement immediately.
Ultimately, most experts predict that our use of biometrics will increase significantly over the next few years. It’s not yet clear when — or if — it will replace the cumbersome two-factor authentication that’s now in widespread use, but biometric apps are expected to be a $185 billion industry by 2031. O’Hurley attributes the boom to ease of use, saying it’s a hit with consumers “because it’s the last time you’ll ever technically need a password or username.” Because you are you.”


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People on the Move | 5.31.12
All You, Automotive News, Quartz…
Danica Lo is named executive editor of StyleBistro.com, a fashion blog run by Zimbio Inc. She most recently served as senior online fashion and beauty editor for Glamour.
Gideon Lichfield is named news editor of Atlantic Media business site Quartz. Lichfield was previously a media editor for The Economist.
BPA Worldwide names Karl Pfalzgraf vice president of sustainability assurance. Pfalzgraf hails from AccountAbility, where he served as director, business development, brand and communications.
Automotive News names Nick Bunkley as senior reporter. Bunkley joins from The New York Times, where he also covered the auto industry.
Life & Style magazine names Terri White as executive editor. White joins the magazine from The Sun’s Buzz magazine, where she was editor-in-chief.
Nina Willdorf is named executive editor of All You. Willdorf joins the magazine from Budget Travel, where she was editor-in-chief.
Advance Publications taps Muriel Malka to lead its mergers and acquisitions. Malka joins Advance from NBCUniversal, where she was senior vice president of corporate strategy and development.


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Four arrests made after string of thefts
Published 4:35 pm Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Four Montgomery residents were arrested Monday in connection with a string of thefts, including Dollar General stores in Clanton and Thorsby.
Bobby Manora, 50; Angela Delores Wilson, 41; Beatric Lasandra Vaughn, 34; and Shekelia Wilson, 21; were arrested in Clanton thanks to cooperation between Clanton’s and Thorsby’s police departments, TPD Chief Rodney Barnett said.
Thorsby police were dispatched to the town’s Dollar General store at 4:49 p.m. As officer Leah Wilkins arrived, the store’s manager pointed out the suspects’ vehicle parked at a nearby fuel station.
The vehicle sped away, causing Wilkins to lose sight, but she put out a “be on the lookout” notice with the vehicle’s description.
Shortly thereafter, Clanton police officer Jay Edwards stopped the vehicle near Sonic in Clanton, apparently moments after the group had shoplifted from another Dollar General store nearby.
“When citizens work together along with law enforcement, good things can happen and do happen,” Barnett said.
Officials think the group stole from Dollar General stores in Calera and Jemison in addition to the ones in Thorsby and Clanton–all on the same day.
Officers confiscated more than 50 sticks of deodarant, more than 60 bars of soap and similar quantities of other personal hygiene products like body wash, lotion and toothpaste from the suspects’ vehicle.
Officers also confiscated three large purses and one backpack that the suspects were apparently using in the thefts.
Barnett said investigators are unsure why the suspects targeted these particular items.
All four suspects were being held in Chilton County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon, awaiting charges from various agencies.


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Stressed HR professionals in retail should consider automating employee relations (ER) case management to free up their time, according to HR tech start-up, caseflowhr. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, and with Brexit making itself felt, essential retailers have found supply chains tested, while increases in both temporary workforces and sickness absence have complicated people management. Non-essential retail has suffered due to short and long-term closures, with ‘furlough’ the new HR buzz word of 2020 and 2021.
On average, 3,400 retail jobs were lost each week during 2020, and almost 16,000 stores closed during the year. While the sector is adapting to e-commerce and online retailing, experts suggest that for every 10 jobs lost in bricks and mortar, only a couple will be created in the e-retailing space. However, opportunities exist for retail staff with customer contact centre skills, as brands seek to invest in their digital and experiential offers in time for economic recovery. Retail sector HR professionals will need to consider how to support workforces which have been fundamentally changed by the pandemic.
Co-founder and managing director of caseflowhr, Greg Hartigan, comments: “In addition to managing sickness absence, temporary workforces, rapidly changing health and safety legislation, and referrals to occupational health, there are wider workplace culture concerns including presenteeism, a lack of morale and decreased productivity. Failing to fully prepare the HR back-office for these could cause significant long-term damage to employers’ relationships with their employees.
“The retail landscape has changed forever, and the tools which retail sector HR professionals use to manage it inevitably must change too. The HR profession should focus on building a supportive culture of resilience and employee empowerment. This will be how organisations can best support their people moving forward to ensure competitive advantage and strong customer service.”
Launched to market in January 2021, caseflowhr is more than just a case management system. It brings together more than five decades of HR and ER experience with agile bot technology to provide retail sector HR teams with legally compliant, step-by-step ER case automated pathways and training guidance.


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It doesn't usually matter what number an automaker puts on the side when it reveals a new racecar, but when McLaren introduced its new 650S GT3 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend, it wore the number 59. It was the same number which the McLaren F1 GTR wore when it took the checkered flag at Le Mans in 1995, and now word has it that the British outfit could be plotting a return.
Mclaren 650s Gte
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Jason Warner, President North Europe, AB InBev: “Our UK business has had a strong start to the year, momentum from last year’s double digit growth continues with organic growth across our portfolio of leading premium beers and ciders.
“Turning to our portfolio, in its first year of launch, Bud Light is driving total market volume growth and after introducing the brand in bottle – as well as Dilly Dilly – to the UK in February, it remains a significant bet for us. In fact, bottles now make up a fifth of total Bud Light value sales*. Elsewhere in our no-alcohol and low-alcohol portfolio we are seeing strong momentum, with a nationwide sampling tour of Budweiser Prohibition in January, giving out 200,000 beers for all those moderating in the New Year. This area will remain a focus for us, as part of our Global Smart Drinking Goals to ensure 20% of our global volumes are no-or-low-alcohol by 2025.
“In Q1 we also launched our new Sustainability Goals, which include ambitious commitments in four key areas of our business: smart agriculture, water use, energy use and packaging. This forms part of our focus on long-term, sustainable growth and putting our weight behind causes that we know our consumers are passionate about. Our global brands are getting behind the action too: Corona has committed to protect paradise and tackle marine plastic pollution; Budweiser is on the way to being brewed with 100% British barley and 100% renewable electricity and Stella Artois gives ongoing support of water.org in the fight against the global water crisis.
“In terms of trends shaping the market, premiumisation continues to drive growth in value and volume the category – in the off-trade, premium lager is growing by around 5% in value year-on-year and we account for approximately 80% of segment.[i] Our premium, global brands continue to grow at scale, with Stella Artois “off to a strong start this year”. So far this year, Stella Artois has been the number one driver of value sales growth in the off-trade.**
“Looking ahead, we have big plans for the rest of the year, with Budweiser set to take advantage as Official Beer of the FIFA World Cup, followed by its partnership with the FA kicking off in August. This will see the brand continue its sponsorship of the FA Cup, as well as take on the England Men’s Team and Wembley stadium. We can’t wait to upgrade the pouring experience for fans at this iconic venue, and show up with our full portfolio of premium beers and ciders.
“As part of the summer of sport ahead, we want to increase our visibility in the on-trade and help these customers to maximise the opportunity these celebrations will bring. The UK pub and hospitality sector is so crucial to our industry, and wider economy, which is why we were pleased to be able to support C&C Group last month in its bid for Matthew Clark Bibendum, part of Conviviality. The move gave stability and assurance to the drinks industry, ensuring its future health, and we look forward to continuing our good working relationship with our partners over the coming months and years.”
*Nielsen Scantrack Top 6 Retailers, WE 21st April 2018
**Nielsen Scantrack Total Coverage, YTD to 24th March 2018


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Tie-up for remittance from USA for Indian diaspora
State Bank of India (SBI) – the largest commercial bank in India – announced tie-up with Transfast Remittance LLC – the USA based payment network since 25 years with a network that covers over 6 billion people across 120+ countries – for inward remittance from the USA to India. Transfast enjoys a leadership position in the cross border payments industry and offers competitive pricing, fast transfer of funds and personalized customer engagement to notify transfers and other value added services.
The remittance tie-up agreement, signed by Mr. Sujit Kumar Varma, Chief General Manager (International Banking), SBI and Mr. Samish Kumar, CEO, Transfast Remittance LLC, establishes a framework for US based NRIs to remit their funds to their bank account with any bank in India using SBI India’s network.
As per World Bank data, India has received inward remittance of nearly $ 65 billion in 2017 of which SBI received more than 23% in terms of value of transactions. This tie-up with Transfast will further boost the market share of SBI in the retail inward remittance business. SBI aims to achieve a sharp growth of about 50% through inward remittance with this tie-up. The remittance facility would be available to the NRIs in USA by middle of Feb 2018.
Mr. Siddhartha Sengupta, DMD & Group Executive – International Banking, SBI said, “We are happy to announce this mutually beneficial association with Trans-Fast Remittance LLC. Now the Indian diaspora in the United States will be able to conveniently send funds directly into their account across various banks in India in the shortest possible time using SBI India’s technology platform. It has always been our endeavor to offer value to our customers and effective remittance offering will further cater to the needs of the large US Indian population.”
Mr. Samish Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Transfast Remittance LLC said during the signing ceremony ‘’With the largest account holder base and an extensive network of branches across the country, SBI is the leading bank in India, making it an important choice for the Indian diaspora community sending money from abroad. We are very happy to offer our large Indian customer base the ability to deposit money instantly into bank accounts at SBI. With the addition of SBI to our growing network in India, we are able to reach even the remotest areas of the country thus benefiting our customers.”


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Okay, so they didn't announce it at the Tokyo Game Show, but that hasn't stopped the rumor. In fact, it seems more possible than ever: according to Product-Reviews.net, it seems Sony has already approached Taiwanese manufacturer FoxConn and requested they make a "lower-spec" PS3. If you weren't aware, FoxConn is the same company that produces the PS2.
However, and this has been a subject of much debate over the past few weeks, nobody is really sure what "lower-spec" actually means. Some have said this might include the loss of a USB port or that great backwards compatibility…which basically already disappeared in the new 80GB model. It doesn't feature that snazzy graphics synthesizer chip from the 60GB model that results in almost full backwards compatibility (it uses software emulation instead), so it's very likely we'll see this same approach in the 40GB model.
Many have expected the US model would retail at $399 and the UK model at £200, but again, nothing has been officially confirmed. It seems almost inevitable this mystery 40GB PS3 will arrive at some point, but we have no idea why Sony didn't want to announce it at TGS. Perhaps they're just waiting for a more strategic time, closer to the holidays…?


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Apple users in the U.K. have launched a legal campaign against Google following the Safari 'tracking' row that erupted last year.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)last year for bypassing the security settings in Apple's Safari browser to display buttons for its Google+ social network on advertisements.
But now a group called "Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking" has instructed a law firm to coordinate claims a day ahead of the sixth annual Data Privacy Day in the U.K.
One person has already come forward to bring legal action against the search giant. The law firm representing the group said that the search giant had "breached their clients' confidence and privacy and are now seeking damages, disclosure and an apology" from Google.
In prepared remarks, Olswang lawyer Dan Tench said: "Google has a responsibility to consumers and should be accountable for the trust placed in them. We hope that they will take this opportunity to give Safari users a proper explanation about what happened, to apologise and, where appropriate, compensate the victims of their intrusion."
Cookies were installed on computers and devices without the users' authorization, despite having strong privacy and security settings in place that would prevent the installation of such tracking files on their devices.
Through Google's DoubleClick advertising network, Google designed and implemented code that would install cookies on devices in order to provide user-targeted advertising, the group claims.
The search giant eventually admitted to the practice, saying it "created a temporary communication link between Safari browsers and Google's servers,".
The Safari tracking incident affected Safari browsers on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Safari-using Windows PCs and Macs.
Google avoided a full-blown investigation by U.S. federal authorities by settling early. The search giant was accused of breaking a promise made during a 2011 settlement with the FTC over controversy surrounding its Buzz service. Google was told in the first settlement not to "misrepresent the extent to which consumers can exercise control over the collection of their information."
The search company did not have to admit wrongdoing in the U.S., which was subsequently criticized by privacy groups.


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Hey, not so fast! But first the bad news….
In the last year or so, there have been several alarming reports about the demise of the mid-level, or mid-tier, gallery—those stalwart spaces that show new art and support artists who may never achieve superstar status but are building careers and steadily turning out imaginative and worthwhile work. The New York Times reported on “a trend toward an intensely commercial and competitive art market [that] has resulted in a critical mass of galleries folding, moving, or merging.” Between 2015 and June of last year, ARTnews calculated that 46 galleries worldwide shuttered their businesses; by comparison, between 2015 and 2017, the magazine noted, “there were only a handful of notable closures—around 12.”
A few basic reasons are cited for the shrinkage—pressure from art fairs, rising rents, reduced foot traffic, internet sales via specialized sites and Instagram, and less of a willingness to gamble on emerging talent. These are, to be sure, significant factors that are changing the nature of the art market. But an informal survey of about ten dealers around the country shows the situation is probably not so dire as would appear from the mainstream media. The times they are a’changing. Yet dedicated gallerists are making moves to accommodate to the shifting nature of the art market.
Whither the Art Fair?
Complaints about the inequities of art fairs have been snowballing in recent months. The “art-fair industrial complex,” opined critic Jerry Saltz just a few weeks ago, “makes it next to impossible for any medium/small gallery to take a chance on bringing unknown or lower-priced artists to art fairs without risking major financial losses. Meanwhile high-end galleries clean up without showing much, if anything, that’s risky or innovative.” He suggested that art fairs impose a system in which the megadealers—like Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, David Zwirner, et al.—institute a “graduated fee-schedule with the megagalleries paying more than other galleries. Especially because the current system benefits these galleries the most.” And some, he reported, have put forward similar proposals that top-tier galleries pay higher prices to subsidize smaller galleries. At the moment, though, that seems about as realistic as MoMA lowering its entry fees to five bucks per visitor.
What is happening, though, is that small and mid-size galleries are quitting the art-fair circuit altogether. Veteran dealer Jose Freire of Team Gallery, who has participated in a “staggering 78 over the past 17 years,” told Artnet news that “he will never do another art fair again.” He cited “booth costs, the exchange rate, the fabrication costs, shipping.” Like others in the business, he could easily shell out $150,000 for a booth only to realize a small profit.
Others say they are taking a break. “I did my last fair in New York at Art on Paper this year,” says Walter Maciel of Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles, “and now I’m taking time off. In 2007, the fairs were really exciting. You had a whole bunch of collectors. I would send out follow-up notes, and some sales would come our way. In the last few years I haven’t been meeting serious collectors the way I used to.”
“We’re taking this year off because there are too many fairs,” says Robert Walden who is both an artist and a partner (with Henry Chung) in Robert Henry Gallery in Brooklyn. “Even though we depend more on art fairs than on clients coming in the door, I do think there is art-fair fatigue.”
Beyond the costs, the sheer size of major fairs is a factor dealers are beginning to find daunting. When he attended Frieze on Randalls Island this spring, Hal Bromm of Hal Bromm Gallery in Tribeca, noticed that “it was larger than it was in its previous incarnation. It’s now one long tent with a couple of perpendicular intersections. People this year were complaining that unless you had the map in your hand, you could easily get lost. Dealers were grumbling about the lack of business.” The situation was not helped by a breakdown in the air conditioning on opening day, but to their credit, the Frieze organizers offered refunds.
Indeed, a greater sympathy to the plight of mid-level galleries may be in the works among those who mastermind these extravaganzas. “I had three New York fairs calling to offer me discounts a few weeks before their openings,” says Charlotte Jackson of the eponymous gallery in Santa Fe, NM.
As many dealers note, the art fairs are notorious as “feeders” for the bigger operations, as are traditional brick-and-mortar establishments that take the risks of launching new talent. “Big galleries need a gallery like me to find the artists,” noted Freire in the Artnet interview. “Because there is something untainted, something pure, in a gallery like mine trying to launch a new artist, whereas a bigger gallery merely acquires an artist whose market has already been made.”
“We’re the ones who are bringing to the table artists a larger gallery might want in the future,” adds Jackson. “If one of my artists comes to me and says a big dealer in New York wants to take me on, I can’t say to my artist, ‘Don’t leave me.’ I’m supposedly working for the good of the artist.”
Where Have All the Collectors Gone?
As many reports have noted, the same high-end collectors frequent the same high-end galleries and buy the same blue-chip art. “[R]ather than visiting individual galleries—and perhaps discovering new talent—collectors are focusing on market-tested trophy works carried by major dealers,” the Times claimed a year ago. At the fairs, groused Saltz, you see “a shinier parallel art world acted out before your eyes. You can safely assume that, whenever you show up, most of the big-ticket items in these booths — the works by Warhol, Koons, Murakami, Basquiat, Stingel, De Kooning, et al — have been sold almost immediately. The action is so fast that now some of these dealers arrive on private planes, schmooze the clients, make a killing, and fly out. Like hired killers, you never really see them; they blend in, do their business, and disappear into the night.”
New collectors at the fairs have become an endangered species. “Collectors are not using fairs to find new artists,” says Maciel. “There was a time when people were excited about seeing artists from different parts of the world. Now it takes a lot more handholding.”
Nor are potential collectors frequenting the brick-and-mortar establishments as avidly as in the past. “I used to have clients who were bankers pulling down high salaries, and they could afford to spend $5,000 or $10,000 on art,” says Kim Foster, who has owned a gallery in Chelsea for more than 20 years. “Now the few people you see wandering around the galleries are in it just to buy names. They’re going to Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, Matthew Marks. They’re buying the brand.”
And yet the problem seems not to be a lack of disposable income on the part of would-be clients. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from people, professional people, who say, ‘I can’t afford to buy artwork,” says Walden. “They balk at buying a thousand-dollar drawing, and then they pull out a thousand-dollar iPhone. People who will spend $5,000 on a giant TV won’t spend it on art.”
At the same time, foot traffic to the gallery districts has declined. This writer can remember a time when the Saturday passeggiata among artists, collectors, critics, and the art-loving public was a regular phenomenon on upper Madison Avenue and East and West 57th Streets. The same occurred in SoHo during its prime and then Chelsea in the early days. But even with the opening of the High Line a few years back, with its 1.5 miles of elevated parkway from the West Village to 34th Street hovering just above the critical mass of art emporiums, “people are not coming to galleries as much,” notes Foster. “I get at most 20 people a day.”
“We don’t get a lot of foot traffic, but we do get a lot of tourists,” adds Walden, whose gallery is gallery is in the relatively new art district of Bushwick. “On weekends we have maybe 60 to 80 people. Of those maybe .001 percent may actually be buying.”
So what are galleries doing to shore up their business and stay in the game for the long run? In Part 2, we’ll see some surprising responses and creative solutions. All of which is good news for artists. “Both artists and dealers have to come together and think outside the box,” says Liz Garvey of Garvey/Simon in New York. “I don’t see galleries just going away. There will always be a need for that in-person experience.”
Top: The opening for “Derek Lerner In-Between” at Robert Henry Contemporary in October 2017


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Two industry software firms have joined forces in a bid in a bid to revolutionise menu and recipe deployment for the catering sector.
Caternet and Ten Kites have agreed to combine their offerings to deliver multi-channel deployment of allergen-compliant recipes and menus in a move that they claim will improve safety and communication at all stages of the supply chain.
The companies have combined both of their platforms to connect hospitality businesses with live, allergen and nutrition-compliant recipes and menus across all devices in just one click.
The integration of the two platforms will allow restaurants and caterers alike to update daily menus and recipes while automatically sharing critical metrics with their own customers via mobile apps, websites and across social media platforms to increase footfall and remove wasted time spent manually updating websites and other channels when menus change.
Ollie Brand, head of marketing and innovation at Caternet, said: “Our partnership with Ten Kites is a logical step. The platform naturally integrates with our own system but takes it a step further from a deployment perspective. Clients can now store their recipes, which are automated to calculate the nutritional information and allergens per serving, and in just one click the system automatically updates the information that goes onto the menu before simultaneously updating all of the channels a customer may come into contact with, whether via a website, social platform or an app.”
Alex Marsh, COO at Ten Kites, added: “We are big believers in making technology work harder for catering operations. We want organisations to focus on what really matters, providing a great experience for their guests. An informed customer always enjoys a better experience and our partnership with Caternet further extends the number of operations we are able to support.”
The companies said that ensuring consistency of allergens updates across multiple channels in real time will give greater peace of mind to hospitality and catering firms.
Having immediate access to current menus and nutritional information also means that customers can review food options specific to their own dietary requirements.


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Adnams stores in early profit boost
Adnams Cellar & Kitchen chain has made its first profit a year before expected and plans to expand to 20 shops by 2020.
Neil Griffin, general manager of the retail division of the Suffolk brewer, told OLN like- for-like sales were up more than 7% in 2014 across its 12 stores. He anticipated this would be “substantially higher” than other high street drinks companies.
He said: “We thought we would hit profit by the end of 2015, but have done it a year early. “Although we have been viewed as a small player we don’t want to be seen like that. We want to have a real go at it and shout about how great our shops are. The retail side has had some ups and downs in the past 10 years since we opened the stores, but we have closed some down and realigned what we are doing and are moving in the right direction.”
He added Adnams had trialled a number of new concepts last year, including pop-up shops, which it was looking to replicate. It also plans to open new Cellar & Kitchen stores with cafés to create “gastronomy centres”.
Griffin said: “We have earmarked the café element as the next step for Cellar & Kitchen, although it’s not just about the
idea of having a café. We are also looking at offering click- and-collect and tablets in-store to keep up with all the things customers want these days.
“We are looking to expand the beer and spirits ranges with more products and also some launches this year. For the first time we are starting to do price promotions and getting more commercial.
“But we find if we put our own award-winning gin or whisky at the front of the shop it tends to sell anyway. We also do price match with the supermarkets on our own products because people should be able to get them from us for the same.”


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For the past several years, Colorado, Washington and Oregon have served as the testbeds for policies governing state-legal cannabis markets. But now it’s Massachusetts’ turn.
Massachusetts, whose residents voted in 2016 to legalize cannabis for adult use, is on the cusp of implementing experimental, never-before-seen rules that will be closely watched by both the cannabis industry and regulators around the country.
Last month, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, the regulatory agency tasked with overseeing the rollout and implementation of Massachusetts’ new adult-use cannabis industry, released the final rules that will govern the market.
Massachusetts will be the first state east of the Mississippi to implement a market for legal cannabis. With Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and others on the east coast all seriously considering legislation to fully legalize marijuana in their states, elected officials from across the region will be keeping a close eye on the Bay State and how its program compares with others in the so called “wild west.”
Many of the rules have been seen before (child-resistant packaging requirements; separate licenses for cultivators, producers, and retailers; etc.) and are in effect in existing adult-use states. What’s noteworthy about Massachusetts’ new rules, though, are the ones that have never been tried before and could serve as a blueprint for other states that are seriously considering the full legalization of cannabis.
Perhaps most noteworthy is that Massachusetts is seeking to be the first state to make an attempt at rectifying some of the social injustices that have been a result of marijuana prohibition. It is a fact that the enforcement of cannabis laws has disproportionately affected people of color and people who live in economically disadvantaged communities. Nearly 80% of people in federal prison for drug offences and almost 60% in state prison are black or latino, despite the fact these groups use and sell drugs at similar rates to whites, according to the Drug Policy Alliance. And yet, for the most part, people of color and people who have convictions for non-violent cannabis offenses have so far been largely excluded from meaningful participation in the new cannabis economy.
Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission is trying to change that through a series of experimental policies that many observers hope will become new standards for states across the country as they implement new legal cannabis markets. First off, the state has eliminated the vertical-integration requirement of the medical program, which mandated that all businesses must produce the products sold in their dispensaries. Mandated vertical integration requires businesses to spend large amounts of capital to build out large-scale cultivation and production facilities. Coupled with the lack of access to banks and institutional lending, this kind of requirement makes it virtually impossible for anyone without access to wealthy investors to open a cannabis business.
The commission decided to not only split these into separate cultivation, production, and dispensary licenses, but also to create sub-licenses for cultivation facilities of different sizes. Under these rules, an entrepreneur wanting to open a smaller cultivation/production facility will have to pay some of the lowest registration fees in the country, and will not be required to spend mass sums of capital building out large-scale facilities.
The commission will also allow these small “craft” cultivators to cultivate collectively, meaning that they can pool resources to achieve economies of scale and give them an opportunity to compete against much better funded large-scale operators who typically drive down wholesale prices as cannabis markets mature. Without this ability to cultivate collectively, smaller-scale producers would have a difficult time competing on price on the wholesale market, likely driving these mom-and-pop entrepreneurs out of business.
The commission has also created a new class of applicants, referred to as “equity applicants,” who will be given advantages in the application process not enjoyed by other prospective cannabis entrepreneurs. Equity applicants include people of color, residents from neighborhoods that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana law enforcement, and those who have previously been convicted of a marijuana felony offense. Anyone who qualifies as an equity applicant will be allowed to submit their business applications to the commission in April, while all other applicants, aside from existing medical operators, will need to wait until July. Even after this initial grace period, any applications from those who qualify as equity applicants will automatically be moved to the front of the line, a significant advantage in what is expected to be a flood of new business applications.
It is important to note that these provisions to prioritize and provide a path to business ownership for those traditionally targeted by enforcement and excluded from the cannabis economy did not happen in a vacuum. Commissioner Shaleen Title, one of the five commissioners tasked with developing the rules and overseeing implementation of the new adult-use industry, is a veteran drug policy reformer. Shaleen founded a chapter of NORML/Students for Sensible Drug Policy as an undergrad in college in the early 2000s, worked for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (now Law Enforcement Action Partners), and worked in the industry for pioneering law firm Vicente Sederberg and my company, 4Front. She went on to form a staffing company, THC Staffing, that focused on providing access to the cannabis industry for people of color and became a nationally recognized voice on the importance of equity and inclusion in the cannabis industry. There is no doubt that without her voice on the commission, these kinds of forward-thinking policies would likely never have been debated, let along adopted as official rules. It goes to show how important it is that people who have spent their careers advocating for sensible marijuana policies have a seat at the table as regulators, and not have these positions left solely to lifelong bureaucrats, attorneys, and businesspeople. That’s what I meant when, in my previous Forbes column, I wrote that having cannabis-reform veterans involved in the industry gives us the opportunity “to not only build a new industry, but a new kind of industry.”
Massachusetts will also be studied as a pioneer in other areas of marijuana industry regulation. The state has adopted some of the more stringent environmental regulations in the industry. Indoor cannabis cultivation, the method most commonly used to grow marijuana around the country, is notoriously carbon intensive. It has been estimated that indoor cannabis cultivation releases 4,600 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for every kilogram of marijuana produced, according to a highly cited study released in 2012. Massachusetts has adopted a Climate Change bill that mandates all agencies must take carbon emissions into account when drafting new regulations, and the Cannabis Control Commission has attempted to push the industry in the state to be among the least polluting in the country.
In particular, the commission has mandated that cultivators not exceed 36 watts per square foot of cultivation space. This requirement will force cultivators to use far more efficient LED lights in indoor cultivation facilities, or to move most cultivation to more energy efficient greenhouses. Many, myself included, have been skeptical of whether LED lighting technology is sufficient to grow high-quality cannabis, and would have preferred to see different standards, such as a total energy usage per square foot, which factors in energy used by HVAC and other equipment rather than focusing exclusively on lighting. But this does not take away from the fact that the commission is taking steps to mitigate very real environmental concerns around the cultivation of cannabis.
The state will also be closely watched as one of the first in the country to roll out “social consumption” licenses for businesses to allow customers to consume marijuana on-site. These will eventually be made available for dispensaries to include consumption lounges as part of their customer experience, and will also be available to third-party businesses for whom marijuana sales make up less than half of their business. Within a few years cannabis consumers will not only be able to indulge at their favorite dispensary, but could be able to enjoy cannabis at a cafe, movie theater, or yoga studio. Allowing this kind of social consumption will further breakdown the stigma that cannabis consumers face compared to their alcohol guzzling compatriots, particularly since all legal states currently only allow the purchase of marijuana, but don’t provide places where people can consume legally outside of their homes. Due to pressure from Gov. Charlie Baker and other elected officials in the state, these licenses will not be issued immediately, but the commission has stated that they plan to revisit them as soon as possible. As a concession for delaying the issuance of social consumption and delivery licenses, Commissioner Title secured a compromise that these licenses will initially only be available to the aforementioned equity applicants.
Legalization’s new poster child
These kinds of innovative reforms will put Massachusetts squarely in the spotlight as new states throughout the country consider adopting their own versions of legalization in the coming years.
They will also be on full display to a large number of out-of-state residents when compared to other legal marijuana markets around the country. Colorado has famously seen an increase in tourism since legal marijuana sales began in 2013, but Denver is a difficult city for most people to get to, with no major population centers within a five-hour drive. California, the largest marijuana market in the country, is a huge state surrounded by other states with their own versions of legal cannabis. Same goes for Oregon and Washington. In contrast, around 60 million people live within driving distance of Massachusetts, including the major metropolitan areas of New York and Philadelphia.
Outside of arguably Las Vegas, no marijuana market in the United States will have the opportunity to directly demonstrate the benefits of cannabis legalization to those visiting from places still living under the oppression of marijuana prohibition.
For the next few years, all eyes will be on the Bay State and its innovative approach to implementing a legal cannabis market.


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In April, CNBC reported on a slight change to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that could cause real problems for the legal marijuana industry. The agency’s lending rules have tightened to restrict interaction between banks and any company working within the marijuana industry.
Who is behind this move? What are the political ramifications? How will the industry respond? This blog will take a look at the latest changes to the fledgling marijuana industry.
Jeff Sessions Hates My Business
We’ve written in the past about the politics behind rulings like what just happened with the SBA. The problem lies in the concept that states can pass their own individual laws that sometimes directly conflict with federal law. This makes for a sometimes-conflicting patchwork of laws that typically must be coordinated with a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The issue with marijuana today is that thirty states and the District of Columbia have passed some sort of legislation allowing some sort of marijuana consumption. The conflict here is that federal law places cannabis in the same legal category as other drugs, like heroin, that has no medical benefit. This creates the unusual situation where people are being arrested for possessing pot by the federal government when the state allows possession and consumption of the plant.
Too, there is Attorney General Jess Sessions that has said things like, “Good people don’t smoke pot.” When you consider that the Attorney General’s role is like the top cop of the United States, this is rightfully making anyone who believes marijuana cures diseases very nervous.
True to form, the SBA just changed its rules to prevent banks from using SBA-sponsored loans to finance any business within the marijuana industry. The agency quietly released the new public policy notices but they could have a big impact on other types of businesses, as well. That’s because CNBC reports that the language defines the businesses covered under this rule as those that “derived any of its gross revenue for the previous year from sales to direct marijuana businesses.”
While it’s clear that government loans would not be available to, say, a bong manufacturer, the law could broaden upon application. For example, a liberal interpretation of the ruling could mean that businesses that sell potting solid to marijuana grow farms could be prevented from using SBA-sponsored loans.
CNBC also says the new SBA rule prohibits lending to any business producing and selling hemp products unless they can demonstrate that they are in no way tied to the marijuana industry.
The irony is that public support for marijuana is increasing even as the feds seek to shut it down. Cash-strapped states have gotten a taste of the tax revenue for these booming businesses – and they want more. In fact, CNBC says the legal marijuana industry is expected to generate $24.5 billion by 2021
It’s clear that the current administration is eschewing states rights in favor of regulations that are both unpopular with the public and outdated; there is plenty of research showing the health benefits of pot beyond it’s use as an intoxicant.


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The blockchain is the talk of the town in the tech world. While many of us were first introduced to blockchain in relation to cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and BTC, there are many other uses for this not-so-new technology. One of the founders of blockchain, Serge Belamant, has developed a way to harness the considerable power of blockchain technology to implement a cheap and easy digital transaction system that does not need a centralized computer server.
Serge Belamant alongside his team at Net1 have developed their own, proprietary patented technology that bypasses traditional banks and financial companies to allow consumers and merchants to connect using distributed ledger technology. The company is currently in a fantastic position to generate truly immense levels of free cash flow.
These levels are so high, in fact, that the company will likely be able to exercise the option to purchase the vast majority or all of the remaining shares on the market on or before the end of 2023. This means that Net1 stock is a significantly undervalued asset and that a smart or savvy investor could take advantage of this fact to improve their portfolio.
What makes this technology so revolutionary is the simple fact that the team at Net1 and Serge Belamant have devised of a way to process transactions with EMV cards that do not have to link back to a central server. So instead of utilizing heavy equipment, servers, and an internet connection, all you need is a handheld device and the blockchain. Since the system is blockchain based, a block cannot be moved without being verified.
This is a significant step up from traditional payment systems which are often victims of fraud and mechanical/server issues. There are other benefits to this technology, namely the fact that payment processing costs will be but a fraction of the costs of traditional merchants.
Serge Belamant and all of the people he works with at Net1 have truly cracked the code when it comes to disrupting industries, and the credit and merchant associations have a lot to worry about from this groundbreaking new use of blockchain technology.
To know more click: here.


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More than six decades since it first landed in the UAE, the Toyota Land Cruiser is still one of the most popular vehicles in the country across all segments. And it’s been hardly a year since the iconic off-roader received a host of significant changes, mechanically and stylistically. Now, Al-Futtaim Motors, exclusive distributor for Toyota in the UAE, has launched the 2017 model year Land Cruiser, this time with a few minor updates to the exterior and interior, but focusing more on a set of new safety and convenience features.
This means safety features such as Vehicle Stability Control, rear fog lights, tyre pressure monitoring system, Hill-start Assist Control, and Crawl Control will now be standard across the range in EXR, GXR and VXR trim. In the top-spec VXR, available with a 4.6-litre V8 for Dh309,000 and a 5.7-litre V8 for Dh339,500, these safety features are complemented by a hydraulic suspension, Turn Assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, rear cross traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera.
The lower spec GXR and EXR are available with the same two V8 options, but also offer the choice of a 4.0-litre V6. The GXR V6 is priced at Dh253,000, while the V8s are priced at Dh274,000 and 299,000 respectively. The base EXR tops out at Dh264,000 in 5.7-litre V8 guise, with the smaller V8 costing Dh240,000 and the V6 going for a relatively more affordable Dh219,000.
All three 2017 model variants also get a few visual add-ons like a roof spoiler with LED lights, rear spoilers, sequential indicators along with a new mobile application that lets owners start their cars remotely from their smart phones.
Meanwhile, for those who aren’t impressed by these advanced convenience features but are only looking for a bare-bones Land Cruiser with all its legendary off-road capabilities and safety features found on the EXR, there is the Safari trim, which is available only with a 4.0-litre V6, and priced at Dh199,000.
“When we launched the redesigned Land Cruiser last year, we raised the bar of what this legendary vehicle could do, whether on or off-road. The Land Cruiser brought many firsts in its class, and now with the new advanced safety features, new aesthetics, as well as driver and passenger comfort amenities, it continues to lead the pack being the most affordable V8 engine and the most comprehensive SUV line-up in the segment,” says Saud Abbasi, managing director of Toyota at Al-Futtaim Motors.


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Pawnbroker Ramsdens Holdings has seen profits leap in its latest financial year, a period it described as “transformational” and saw it float on the Alternative Investment Market.
The company’s share price closed up more than 5 per cent at 132p yesterday after it posted a year-on-year increase of 73 per cent in pre-tax profit to reach £4 million in the 12 months to 31 March, “comfortably ahead of the board’s initial expectations”.
Group revenue at the Middlesbrough-based business, which has 44 stores in Scotland and 127 altogether in the UK, was up 15 per cent to £34.5m.
Ramsdens chief executive Peter Kenyon said the 12 months marked “a transformational year for Ramsdens, with the group delivering good growth across all four of its key business segments”. These comprise foreign currency exchange, pawnbroking loans, precious metals buying and selling, and retailing of second-hand and new jewellery.
It saw the highest rate of revenue growth in its retail jewellery sales arm at nearly 25 per cent to reach £5.9m, while pawnbroking was the slowest at 7 per cent to hit £6.1m.
Kenyon also noted the “significant milestone” of the business’ admission to Aim, and Ramsdens said it was “pleased with the strong response to the [IPO], which reflected investors’ recognition of the group’s proven operations and its exciting prospects”.
The business, which opened its first store in 1987, said it served more than 730,000 customers during the financial year. Those in its foreign exchange operations were up 8 per cent to more than 600,000, and in pawnbroking up 14 per cent to in excess of 33,000.
Adjusted basic earnings per share was up by about half to 10.1p and the final dividend was 1.3p. The firm said its directors “intend to adopt a progressive dividend policy to reflect the cash flow generation and earnings potential of the group”.
Looking ahead, it outlined plans to open more stores, “whilst also appraising potential acquisition and consolidation opportunities”, and said its current financial year has started well.
Kenyon said: “We have made a strong start to the early part of the current year across all core segments. We are about to enter our seasonally important summer period and are confident of making further progress.”


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November 17th, London. Blis, the global pioneer in location data technology, has been ranked 35th in the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 Programme.
The UK Fast 50 is one of the UK’s most prestigious technology award programmes, ranking the country’s 50 fastest-growing technology companies, based on percentage revenue growth over the last four years. Now in its twentieth year, it recognises revenue growth driven by leading intellectual property and are a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship.
‘We are honoured to be included in the Fast50 programme, achieving 702% growth in a competitive industry is something we are incredibly proud of. Our growth is underpinned by an increase in our global footprint which now includes a presence in 17 countries and the result of a combined global team effort.’ Parm Dhami, CFO, Blis.
Click here to view the full list of winners


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This Chargeable LED Bulb Lights Up Without Any Power Source
A Dubai & Kochi-based company has come up with an innovative LED bulb which can be for 3 nights on a single charge.
A Dubai and Kochi-based company has come up with an innovative LED bulb which can be used for 3 nights on a single charge.
The innovative product has been launched by Vinverth, a leading brand of consumer electronics and home appliances. The revolutionary product is Flamber 9-Watt LED bulb, a highly innovative technology that can take its brilliance absolutely anywhere, regardless of a power source.
The CEO of Jupiter Group, Sajan Joseph George said it can be a useful product for millions of tribal colonies and people living without electricity in remote areas. The bulb can light up with a mere touch of moisture.
It is highly portable and multi-functional as it can serve the functionality of an LED bulb, a handheld flashlight, a power inverter, a camping light, and emergency lantern.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) data platform company VAST Data has raised $118m in a Series E funding round.
Fidelity Management & Research Company led the round, with participation from New Enterprise Associates, BOND Capital, and Drive Capital.
The funding has nearly tripled VAST Data’s valuation to $9.1bn.
Launched in 2019, VAST Data caters to clients’ computing needs for data-intensive workloads, such as training AI models.
VAST Data said its platform can be used to gain new insights and value from both structured and unstructured data.
The data technology vendor plans to use the new funding to support its objective of offering a new class of infrastructure that focuses on systems’ ability to think, act, and learn around data.
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VAST Data, which also counts NVIDIA as its backer, has formed industry partnerships with the likes of CoreWeave, Lambda and Core42.
With more than 700 workers globally, VAST Data is actively expanding its market share by entering new markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
Separately, in an interview with Reuters, Vast Data co-founder Jeff Denworth said the company could consider launching an IPO in 2024.
Depending on the market conditions, a 2024 IPO could be “on the cards”, Denworth confirmed.
VAST Data CEO and co-founder Renen Hallak said: “To be truly impactful in this era of AI and deep learning, you not only want to have a lot of data but also high-quality data that is correctly organised and available at the right place, at the right time.
“The VAST Data Platform delivers AI infrastructure that opens the door to automated discovery that can solve some of humanity’s most complex challenges.”
NVIDIA vice president of enterprise computing Manuvir Das said: “Data is every company’s most valuable asset. NVIDIA and Vast Data are collaborating to enable enterprises to harness their data using accelerated computing and cloud-based AI solutions to tackle their biggest challenges.”
Earlier in December 2023, Fidelity Management & Research Company led a deal to acquire a minority stake in CoreWeave.


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Omnichannel commerce technology and operations provider Radial released the results of its Annual Holiday Fraud Index today (Nov. 18), which revealed the ongoing risk retailers face of coordinated and sustained fraud losses.
“With more than 10 years in fraud management and billions of transactional records to pull from, Radial is in a unique position to leverage our expertise and data to identify high-risk factors for retailers,” Stefan Weitz, chief product and strategy officer at Radial, explained. “We’re heading into our second holiday season with more retailers EMV ready, which means CNP fraud becomes a lot more attractive to organized and tech-savvy criminals. Combine that with the increased prevalence of data breaches and retailers are faced with the daunting challenge of approving as many orders as possible, while minimizing fraud. Bottom line for most retailers if you are managing fraud yourself, you are going to get wrecked.”
In 2016, there have already been more than 2 billion records stolen, and the increasing occurrence of hacks, leaks and data breaches show now sign of slowing down.
Radial’s Annual Holiday Fraud Index highlight six key findings retailers should keep in mind this holiday season and beyond:
- The largest segment of fraudulent activity is CNP fraud and fraud attacks have continued to rise in nearly every market sector. On average, Radial observed a 30 percent increase in online fraud attacks across its client base. Electronics, Entertainment and Jewelry market segments experienced the biggest impact.
- While some cross-border countries present a greater fraud risk, others offer increased sales potential. The highest cross-border eCommerce attack rate belongs to Venezuela, which came in at around 17 percent, while Korea and China account for more than 78 percent of sales during the holiday season.
- Cyber Monday usually sees a significant drop in cross-border fraud attack rates.Retailers can approve up to 98.59 percent global eCommerce orders on Cyber Monday, which surpassed $3.8 million for Radial clients last year.
- After Dec. 25, digital gift card fraud spikes.These attacks are 10 times more likely to take place during the holidays compared to other payment methods, but it jumps to 25 times more likely the week after Christmas.
- Certain billing and shipping domains and payment tenders see a massive jump in digital gift card attacks during the holidays.
- The risk factors for digital gift card purchases can vary based on IP locations and credit card bank identification number (BIN). Credit card BIN and IP country can have huge impacts when accessing risk.
“It’s peak season so we know retailers are going to see significant spikes in order volumes. Right alongside that though comes increases in fraud attacks,” Weitz continued. “Retailers must be on alert and be able to protect their customers, but they also need to protect their bottom lines. Killing too many good orders can result in millions of lost dollars. It’s an insanely tricky thing for a retailer to balance.”


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A new study reveals that today’s teenagers are more wired and Web-savvy than ever but also indicates that they are embracing non-traditional means to use the Internet — bypassing e-mail in favor of instant messaging, for instance — a trend that experts say will force the e-commerce industry to be more creative in order to reach that audience.
The Pew Internet and American Life Project said the number of 12- to 17-year-olds online grew 24 percent in the past four years and now stands at just under 90 percent of them online, with more than half going on the Web at least once a day. Forty-five percent of teens have used cell phones, and a third have sent text messages. Young people are also going online more often and using more Internet services than in the past.
While the Pew survey found that more teens are shopping, reading news and getting health information online, it also revealed a much wider variety in terms of how they get online, with traditional PC-based Web access and services that thrive on that platform, including e-mail, being set aside for newer technologies.
“Increasing numbers of teenagers live in a world of nearly ubiquitous computing and communication technologies that they can access at will,” said Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist at the project, who co-wrote the report. “More and more teens go online frequently and from a wider array of places. They take ever-greater advantage of this new technology ecology by mastering features like instant messaging and phone-text messaging on their tethered and mobile computing devices.”
The report carries a double-edged message for the Internet and e-commerce industries. Because teens are more Web-savvy than ever, they are poised to become an ideal audience for marketing to and selling to online. However, the survey also suggests they will be a less cohesive audience than today’s Web users, using more devices and channels to go online, forcing retailers and marketers to create new strategies to reach them with their messages and offers.
For instance, the survey found that teens vastly prefer instant messaging and text messaging to e-mail communications, indicating that the e-mail marketing industry will have to evolve in order to keep pace. Teens who took part in Pew focus groups said they see e-mail as a way of communicating with adults, such as teachers or parents, rather than as a personalized means to chat with friends.
Teens favor both the immediacy of instant messaging and the opportunities it offers for personal expression, with the use of icons and customized IM screens.
The report shows teens as seeking to always be connected, moving from computers at home to those at friends’ and relatives’ homes to those in public locations such as libraries and schools. That might be a strong indication that strong mobile Internet services will resonate with young people.
Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li said the Web and e-commerce industries are already busy laying the foundation for the changing technology environment. One problem, however, is that it’s not clear how the Internet will be accessed in the future.
“Some people believe smartphones will win the day, others aren’t sure that’s a medium that people will feel comfortable buying and shopping with,” Li told the E-Commerce Times. “The major Internet brands are busy trying to make sure they’re the place people will turn regardless of how they’re getting onto the Web.”
In fact, recent days have seen AOL launch a new mobile-friendly search service and Yahoo get its applications pre-loaded onto Motorola phones.
Other studies have hinted at the same migration away from traditional Web-browser based Internet interactions toward more connected uses that rely on other applications, such as gaming, media player software and chat.
However, the main reasons people turn to the Web haven’t changed much in the past decade.
Studies by the Yankee Group have found that e-mail was the top online activity, followed by news and information gathering and a three-way tie among shopping, banking and instant messaging. Most analysts say that breakdown is changing, especially among younger users, who are an important demographic because they spend more time online than older users and because they are the future of the industry.
There’s no doubt that Web companies are interested in capturing the eyes of young Web users. The purchases of MySpace.com parent company Intermix by Hearst Corp. and of Neopets.com by MTV parent Viacom underscore the importance of the young demographic to marketers.


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Yesterday, Nike introduced the Nike+ FuelBand SE, the newest version of the iconic Nike+ FuelBand, which seamlessly connects users with a new Nike+ FuelBand App. Building on the original design that launched in early 2012, the FuelBand SE comes in classic black with the addition of color options on key parts of the band. NikeFuel remains at the heart of the experience, and is a single, universal way to measure all kinds of activities — from a morning workout to a big night out. Nike analyzed over a year’s worth of NikeFuel data to fine-tune the NikeFuel algorithm to deliver an even more accurate measurement of wearers’ all-day movements.
Developments to the latest model include Bluetooth 4.0 technology which connects the Nike+ FuelBand SE automatically and seamlessly with the Nike+ FuelBand App. Improved water resistance and a redesigned circuit board provide greater durability and flexibility and an internally-enhanced, simple one-button design drives the super bright LED. A number of built-in features allow users to track specific activities and hit motivational goals, pushing users further every day. You can pre-order the Nike+ FuelBand SE here.


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Nine mobile operators have agreed to accelerate the implementation of interoperable mobile money services across MEA regions. Bharti Airtel, Etisalat, Millicom, MTN, Ooredoo, Orange, STC, Vodafone and Zain will implement the GSMA’s Mobile Money Interoperability (MMI) program.
These operators represent 582 million mobile connections across 48 countries in the Middle East and Africa regions. As of December 2013, mobile money in this region showed following growth:
- The regions accounted for 58% of the world’s 218 mobile money deployments;
- Sixty-six percent of all registered accounts and 73% of active accounts are located in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa;
- Mobile money users in these regions accounted for 77% of global transaction value in June 2013, performing 341 million transactions totaling US$5.7 billion.
Download GSMA’s “State of the Industry 2013: Mobile Financial Services for the Unbanked” report.


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edited by tobia piatto (email@example.com)
Puma is proud to announce the new Suede Sapphire to celebrete the 45th anniversary of this historical and world famous shoes, making a brand-new colour: the sapphire.
This particoular and limited edition (only 450 pairs in the world) model will be sold from November 8th in some exclusive shops.
The Puma Suede is known for its utilitzation by hip hop dancers, skateboarders, basketball players and in every other kind of underground activities, making one of the most appreciated sneakers in the world since the first 70’s.
@positive_mag on twitter for the last updates


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Its cultural distinctions nearly broke the team and cost them a place at last year's World Cup. Now, with a new year comes with a renew sense of aspirations among the members of French Football Federation. Highlight the nautical heritage of France and its 19th century Navy, the new Away Jersey by Nike carries hints of this tradition in the updated material of Nike Dri-FIT. As for the representation of the team's cultural divisity, a series of images done by fashion persona Karl Lagerfeld of team captain Alou Diarra express the new motto "Nos Differences Nous Unissent" or "United By Our Differences" s with its official Home Jersey unveiled in January. The new Official Away Jersey for the Fédération FranÃ§aise de Football will debut on Saturday, March 26th, at Nike Stadium Paris.
Nike Stadium Paris
9, rue Auguste Barbier | Map
75011 Paris France
Event Date: March 26th (Saturday)
via: La MJC


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News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.
Sony confirm PS5 – but it might not actually be called the PlayStation 5
Sony tipped to FINALLY let you edit your PlayStation username
Sony Xperia XZ3 is on sale TODAY – and has a big advantage over the new iPhone
Huge PS4 game sale is LIVE – save up to 81% on brand new 2018 titles
Sony is killing off this PlayStation console in 2019 – and there's NO replacement
Sony Xperia XZ2: September 2018 best deals and offers
We tried Sony's new AI phone – can it convert iPhone super-fans?
PS5 tipped to land BEFORE Christmas 2019 in shock early launch
Sony reveals why Apple's iPhone has one HUGE advantage over Android phones
Sony's limited edition £450 PS4 Pro sold out – and now on eBay for THOUSANDS
Sony reveals special Netflix TV mode that makes your movies look amazing
Sony's record-breaking 48MP phone camera trumps the iPhone and Samsung
Watch Xbox and Nintendo troll PS4 gamers with this new joint TV advert
Xbox kills plans for virtual reality gaming, despite PS4 having it for YEARS
Sony's official PS4 DualShock 4 wireless controller down to just £36 with this deal
What games do you get for free on PlayStation Plus this month?


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93.3 WKYQ is teaming up with one of Rabbit Country’s favorite sons(and Tennessee Titans player) to make a brighter Christmas for lots of deserving kids! The George Wilson Safety Foundation Toy Drive is now underway and you can drop off a new, unwrapped toy at your local US Bank location or at the Baptist Health Paducah gift shop. Then the toys will be distributed to hundreds of local children! Plus, by dropping off a toy, you can register to win two…Read full post
93.3 WKYQ is gearing up again for the holiday edition of “Taste The Town”! It’s your chance to purchase $50 gift cards from some of your favorite area restaurants for only $25! Participating restaurants include Lambert’s, Fat Edd’s Roadhouse, El Chico, City Rockers Pizza, The Isle Casino, Carr’s Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, Harrahs Metropolis, Jasmine, and Flamingo Row! Beginning Monday, December 9th, listen to WKYQ to find out which gift cards go on sale. There’s only one for “Taste…Read full post
93.3 WKYQ wants to invite you to our area’s Christmas lights displays! You’ll find hundreds of thousands of lights aglow at Noble Park in Paducah, Mike Miller Park in Draffenville, and Central Park in Murray. Admission is free, but please bring a non-perishable food item that will be donated to our local food pantries. Many of the lights will be on through New Years Day, so make sure you and your family get out and enjoy the sights of the…Read full post
93.3 WKYQ invites you to take your family to the many Christmas parades that are taking place over the next two weekends! You’ll see floats, bands, and of course, Santa! Make sure to keep a lookout for the WKYQ Rabitt to make an appearance at some of the parades, too! Here’s the list we have at this time…
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7TH
MURRAY-10 a.m. on Main Street.
METROPOLIS-CANCELED due to impending winter storm.
PADUCAH-5 p.m. on Broadway.
PRINCETON-6:30 p.m. in downtown Princeton.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14TH
BENTON-5:15 p.m. on Main Street.
BALLARD COUNTY-5:30…Read full post
93.3 WKYQ and David Spicer Jewelers are teaming up to celebrate WKYQ’s 40th anniversary with “The Final 40th Giveaway”! Listen to the Rabbit Station for your chance to qualify for a ruby ring from David Spicer Jewelers, accented with 40 diamonds to celebrate 40 years of Today’s 24 Carrot Country! This one-of-a-kind ring is valued at $2,500! Listen weekdays for your chance to call in and qualify for “The Final 40th Giveaway”, with David Spicer Jewelers and 93.3…Read full post
93.3 WKYQ needs your help aiding those affected by the deadly tornadoes that ripped through Rabbit Country on November 17th. Many communities suffered damage, including Brookport, IL. An EF-3 tornado devastated the town, damaging 50 homes and killing three people. Many lost everything. You can make a difference by donating food, bottled water, diapers and other supplies. Drop off donation items at the Red Cross shelter at First Baptist Church in Metropolis, located at 307 Massac Creek Road, just down from Massac County…Read full post


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(Press Release) Tifosi Optics, Inc. was recently honored with a prestigious award at the 2015 Interbike Awards Night. An annual event, the Interbike Awards recognize manufacturers, retailers, and athletes for their achievements in the cycling industry. Voted for by independent bike retailers, Tifosi won the Highest Brand Profitability to the LBS*, Unit Turns award.
“We are honored to have won this 2015 Interbike Award and are especially grateful to have such wonderful customers to do business with,” stated Joe Earley, Tifosi’s co-founder and CEO, “It’s especially meaningful when the votes come from our retail partners.”
Founded in 2003, Tifosi Optics, Inc. is the top-selling eyewear brand in U.S. specialty cycling and running shops. Tifosi products are available at over 5,000 retail locations in 60 countries, as well as online at dozens of e-tailers.
Specializing in active sports optics for cycling, running, outdoor, golf, and shooting sports, Tifosi has become a leading manufacturer of technologically advanced, value-oriented sports eyewear. For more information, visit tifosioptics.com.


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An FTC spokeswoman, Lindsay Kryzak, declined to comment on the petition.
The petition shows how major tech companies are trying to defraud and discredit the efforts of the Biden administration and lawmakers to regulate the industry. They have lobbied against bills that would ban some of their business practices, supported outside advocacy groups defending their position, and hired dozens of lawyers to avoid investigations.
President Biden appointed Ms. Khan chair this month after Congress approved her nomination for a commission seat. He has made no secret of his concerns about the country’s biggest tech companies.
She told lawmakers at her April confirmation hearing that she saw a “wide range of potential risks” surrounding the companies and noted that she intended to try to address those risks while at the agency.
Amazon said that if Ms. Khan were to play a role in Amazon’s antitrust investigations, it would violate federal ethics rules and the company’s right to due process.
The company attached a statement from Thomas D. Morgan, emeritus professor of law at George Washington University, supporting its position. Morgan said Amazon had paid him to give his opinion.


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Pune, India, May 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – The Global Video streaming market shareThe size is expected to reach $ 842.93 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 12.0% over the forecast period. Video streaming is a form of media streaming that uses the Internet to stream a video file to a remote user. The improvement of the internet connection and the population increase are major contributors to the market growth. Fortune Business Insights ™ has this information in an upcoming report entitled “Video Streaming Market, 2020-2027 ”. The market size was $ 342.44 billion in 2019.
The report reveals the various factors that are contributing to the growth of the video streaming market. For example, a study by Cisco Systems Inc. found an increase in live streaming of over 47% in 2018.
The global pandemic may have stagnated growth in several industries and markets, but the video streaming market has had a consistently positive impact …


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Kawasaki is set to reveal its 2011 Jet Ski line to dealers on Tuesday, Oct. 5, and we’ve already got a story cued up to post that morning on one hot new model. If you love horsepower, come back to Boats.com to find out what Kawasaki is serving up for next season.
I also expect Kawasaki to make an announcement regarding the future of its Jet Ski 800 SX-R. I expect that model will be back for 2011, but it could be the last season for the venerable stand-up Jet Ski. As of January 1, 2012, federal environmental rules will ban the type of two-stroke engine that powers both the 800 SX-R and the Yamaha SuperJet. Both companies have been able to keep these “dirty” two-strokes on the market (except in California and New York) because they could average the emissions with those of their much-cleaner four-stroke models. That deal should have ended this year, but the EPA gave Yamaha and Kawasaki an extension for the stand-ups so each manufacturer would have time to develop an alternative engine.
That’s not going to happen. In 2008, I reported that combined sales of stand-up PWC were just 1,898 units, or about 3 percent of total sales. For 2010, stand-up sales will add up to less than 500 units. There’s simply not enough volume in this segment to warrant an investment in a new engine, let alone an all-new boat.
Kawasaki and Yamaha have one other option – they can use a loophole in the EPA regs to sell the current-style Jet Ski and SuperJet as “competition only” models, for sale to legitimate racers and for use only in sanctioned events. It sounds like that’s the path Yamaha intends to take. Kawasaki is not commenting, but it’s got to be a tough decision for that company to make. From a business standpoint, there’s probably very little reason to keep selling the 800 SX-R. But the original Jet Ski, which debuted in limited fashion in 1972 and in full production in 1974 as the JS400-A, is the machine that Kawasaki used to promote the sport in its early days, really to invent the sport. We didn’t have to call them “personal watercraft” then – they were all Jet Skis. It will be a sad day if Kawasaki decides to pull the plug on the 800 SX-R. –Charles Plueddeman


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More than one in three internet users in Northern Ireland has embarked upon a 'digital detox' in the last 12 months in an attempt to reintroduce themselves to real life.
That's according to new research from Ofcom, which also found that more people here are now online, both at home and on the move, than ever before.
It also emerged than more than a quarter of people across the province use their devices to communicate with people while they are in the same room as them.
In its annual publication, the communications watchdog revealed that the majority of users admitted they're hooked, spending almost 19 hours a week online.
Jonathan Rose, Ofcom Northern Ireland director, said the report demonstrated how an increasing dependency on the internet was affecting people's personal and working lives, leading many to shy away from the web entirely.
"More people in Northern Ireland are now online than ever before, but our relationship with the web isn't always plain surfing and many people admit to feeling hooked," he said.
"In search of a better tech/life balance, many people are choosing to take a bit of breathing space from the web and instead spending more time with friends and family."
Ofcom's Communications Market Report Northern Ireland 2016 discovered that over a third (36%) of Northern Ireland's internet users have opted for time offline.
Two-thirds (65%) of consumers had cut down on specific activities, such as using social media or browsing the web, and half (49%) of parents had made rules to limit their children's time online.
Of those who abstained, 29% felt more productive, according to the research, while 38% were less distracted.
However, a quarter (25%) of digital detoxers experienced a 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) while on the web wagon, 18% felt lost and 22% 'cut off'.
The new study, published today, shows that over three-quarters of homes here now have a fixed line broadband connection, up from 69% in 2015 to 77% this year.
Customers are also embracing faster mobile internet connections, with more than half (54%) of local adults having a 4G mobile service - up from 26% in 2015.
People in Northern Ireland are also increasingly using smartphones to get online. Seven in 10 people (72%) own a smartphone - up from 63% in 2015, and it remains the most popular device for accessing the internet. Smartphone ownership is higher here than in any other UK region.
Among the other findings, 70% of internet users in Northern Ireland now do their shopping online, while 63% use social networking sites.
Some people are using their devices to communicate with people while they are in the same place as them, with over a quarter (27%) of Northern Ireland people having done this. At home, at a friend's house, in a bar or restaurant are the most likely places to communicate electronically with people while they are physically present.


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Don’t expect cheap airfare to return anytime soon, say travel experts | Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
Most airlines are also deploying less capacity as they do not have the required number of aircraft. Planes that haven’t been used during the lockdown, returned leases and delayed deliveries of new planes prevent them from adding more flights when more people want to fly.
The global airline scenario has been different since the start of the pandemic, with many airlines going bankrupt or largely reducing operations as Covid-19 travel restrictions took their toll. Andrew Watterson, chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines, told the WSJ: “It’s unusual. You have demand that quickly exceeds supply like this. I think we have a few years where demand and supply are maybe not as aligned as they were before the pandemic,” he said.
Passengers want government intervention
Back in India, fares increased due to demand. A recent survey by social media community platform LocalCircles indicated that two in three airmen want the government to reinstate an upper and lower limit on airfares, as has been the case for most of the pandemic. The survey received over 22,000 responses from consumers located in 297 districts
“Booking in advance does not produce advantageous rates. Two things have happened, the airlines have not deployed their full capacity and two, there is good pent-up demand. So it is the combination of the two that has made the rates what they are,” said Ajay Prakash, CEO of Nomad Travels and Chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India. Prakash says prolonged visa delays with American and European travelers and skyrocketing ticket prices have been a disappointment for tourists this year.
As travel stabilizes after Covid, longer-term structural shortages in the system are exposed, which travel experts say will take years to resolve.
For example, for the weekend of November 12-14, fares to Kolkata from Mumbai are between 19,000 and 21,000 and to Goa between 5,000 and 13,000. And now experts are warning that on the approach Christmas holidays, the rates will only increase. Refer to the table below to check rates to other cities.
Online travel agent Cleartrip has recorded an increase of around 6% in airfares through September this year.
Amit Shirodkar who wanted to take a November vacation in the northeast with his family, skipped the idea and went to Mahableshwar instead. “There were four of us and the price of tickets to Sikkim was 80,000, which was absurd. These are the prices for Bangkok or Dubai. And we were looking at April rates, not last minute,” says the advertising manager. The Shirodkar family took a road trip to Mahableshwar instead.
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Lightweight plastic shopping bags are now banned in Victoria.
Single-use straws, cutlery, plates, drink-stirrers, expanded polystyrene food and drink containers, and cotton bud sticks will be banned from sale or supply in Victoria by February 2023. The ban will help reduce plastic pollution. Business can choose reusables instead, or eliminate the use of certain items altogether.
The ban applies to all retailers – including supermarkets, greengrocers, bakeries, pharmacies, clothes stores, restaurants, cafes, markets, food outlets, and many more.


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A few years ago, Auckland’s beauty scene was shaken up by the arrival of The Facialist to City Works Depot. With the über-talented Ashleigh Scott at its helm, The Facialist offered a holistic, natural approach to skincare that was completely in a league of its own. It swiftly became everybody’s go-to, with Ashleigh often touted as one of the city’s most ingenious skin saviours. It came as no surprise then, that when Ashleigh disclosed to loyal fans that she was taking some time off earlier this year — to focus on the business side of things and her skincare line, Tribeca Skin Tonics — it was met with low spirits. Since then Ashleigh’s faultless staff have taken the reigns, but Ashleigh’s impeccable talent is truly impossible to replace — case in point of why her return is stirring up some serious elation among fans (including everyone in the Denizen office).
In addition to her own tried and tested treatments — like the much-acclaimed Bespoke Facial — Ashleigh will also be offering the opportunity for clients to try something new. For now, she’s keeping details of the fresh treatments firmly under wraps, but what we can tell you is that the skincare maestro has been testing out new techniques that combine her traditional active and organic products with powerful lifting massage and reiki energy healing. Undeniably, we’re expecting great things — if Ashleigh’s previous innovations are anything to go by, then these treatments are going to be nothing less than incredible. To celebrate the return of one of Auckland’s finest facialists, we’re giving one lucky Denizen the chance to win a $100 voucher to spend on a treatment of their choice, for more information and entry, click here.
*This competition has now closed. Congratulations Julia Lomas*
Ashleigh Scott has opened her books at The Facialist now, to secure a place with her, click here.
City Works Depot
16 Sale Street