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New Zanders Paper GmbH – which has emerged from Zanders GmbH – will maintain and even further develop the full Zanders product portfolio.
Terje Haglund, head of the Scandinavian investor group that acquired the company as of 1 December 2018, said: “We are very much looking forward to continuing paper production at this historic industrial site. Zanders will carry on to optimize its cost structures.
“As a lean and healthy company, it will be well positioned to succeed in the highly competitive paper market. Zanders will continue to service its customers with the full existing product portfolio with a focus on meeting market demands.”
Head of management will be Andreas Willeke, who already headed the company in the past months as chief restructuring officer. He combines proven expertise in restructuring in the industrial sector with important in-depth knowledge of Zanders, its clients and products.
Willeke said: “We will continue to produce all existing products, from Chromolux paper and board, Zanlabel and Zanpack, Zankraft, Zanflex and Zanbarrier OGR to Silver digital and Zanjet, our successful high-speed inkjet quality. And, in particular, we will further develop the new grades Zanbarrier NGR and Zangrass. This all will ensure sustainability of the business going forward.”
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Last week at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced a sweeping redesign to the App Store, their nine-year-old platform that counts 500 million people as weekly active users.
We dug through the dozens of changes to pull out the 6 changes that will matter most for performance advertisers who rely on app installs as a mobile growth channel.
1. Features will become bigger blockbuster moments
An important concept discussed at WWDC was the new App Store's commitment to discovery. Apple revealed a “Today” tab, a new home for Apple's editors to feature apps.
The new feature could be seen as a move towards a more curated, editorial angle on app store discovery. It will only underscore the importance of the developer and Apple relationship.
Getting an app featured will also create a temporary sizable increase in downloads. A study by App Annie looked at the bump in downloads from a daily feature on the current App Store. It's likely a feature in the future will become even more valuable, given the increased emphasis of the featured content.
2. The Top Grossing chart is disappearing
For the entirety of the store’s existence, revenue has been a core way Apple has measured app performance. Showing up on the "Top Grossing" chart has been an aim of companies around the world. This may be changing, however, as many beta testers are noting that the Top Grossing chart is nowhere to be found in iOS11.
"The static nature of the top grossing chart means it’s not a useful discovery mechanic; and with initiatives such as Search Ads and iOS 11’s new curation UX, that’s something Apple’s working hard to improve," PocketGamer wrote in an article.
Apps that relied on a boost from appearing in the Top Grossing charts may need to pay more attention to their placement on other charts now.
3. Video will become more important
Now, when scrolling through an App Page, a video will automatically begin to play. This move brings Apple's video behavior more in-line with that of Facebook who has auto-played videos for years.
This change will heighten the importance of video creatives in the app store. App Store Optimization firm StoreMaven has found that users who watch a video are up to 3x more likely to install.
4. Uninstalls may increase
The new IOS 11 comes equipped with a feature to uninstall unused apps. Although this feature is not on by default, more advanced users may turn it on.
Apple continues to reward apps that reengage users. This will place pressure on developers to create engaging app experiences. Additionally, app uninstalls and reinstalls will likely be a metric discussed more often in the year ahead.
5. In-App Purchases may increase
In-App purchases and subscriptions can now be purchased directly from the app listing page.
With new real estate of 20 listing spots for in-app purchases, marketers will likely spend more time considering how their in-app purchases are named, their price points, and what percent are bought via the app store versus within the app itself.
6. Description text will need be reformatted
Apple claims searching the new App Store will be simpler. To aid in that process, apps will be able to segment their text descriptions in more rigid ways. Specifically:
- Titles will now have a character limit of 30 instead of fifty,
- A new subtitle field of 30 characters has been added
- The keyword limit remain the same, at 100 characters
- For the first time, In-App Purchases text will affect the keywords and will appear in search results, as well as be featured in Today, Games, and Apps tabs .
The new text structure will force marketers to update their app store descriptions, and to think critically about each and every word.
With a public iOS11 release set for Fall 2017, savvy marketers are already plotting their moves to make sure their app store presence will be strong from Day 1 of the iOS11 era.

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Group-IB, an international company that specializes in preventing cyberattacks, has officially opened the doors of its Global Headquarters located in the Fragrance Empire Building in Singapore. Bringing with it, the company will leverage its cutting edge cybersecurity technologies to help Singapore businesses fight against cybercrime. The company also is in the processes of grooming local talent to join in the fight, by working closely with Singaporean universities to ensure cyber stability and security of the region’s companies and government organisations.
Group-IB, which has been successfully investigating cybercrime and preventing cyber attacks around the world for the past 16 years, has officially opened its doors in Singapore. The company’s Global HQ located in the Fragrance Empire Building has become a new home for a team of employees from each of the company’s key business units which have relocated from Group-IB’s Eastern European Headquarters in Moscow. The team includes leading experts from Digital Forensics Lab, Cyber Investigations, Brand Protection and Threat Intelligence departments.
These key employees are top talent from Group-IB who will be tasked with finding and grooming local talent to join their teams. In addition to that, they have been tasked with creating a digital forensic laboratory, a cyber investigations department, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GIB), and an R&D department. Effectively recreating the same unique organisation of Group-IB’s Eastern European HQ in Singapore in line with the company’s global strategy to have a chain of offices in the world’s key financial centers.
“Singapore is at the heart of the APAC region, which is a priority destination for the company’s business development: 29% of Group-IB’s international revenue comes from the APAC region and Singapore in particular. We are expecting this number to grow exponentially as we continue to invest in local talent and build close ties with the Singaporean business community,” says Ilya Sachkov, CEO and Founder at Group-IB. “Singapore was also chosen due to its favourable location and conditions for business development. The Singaporean government aims to create a safe and secure ecosystem for everyone — the people and public and private companies. Most importantly, unlike any other country in the world, Singapore understands the importance of staying up to date with the latest cybersecurity technologies and trends, which is exactly what we are bringing to Singapore.”
The company has already started actively hiring local talents: Shafique Dawood, who becomes the company’s APAC business development director and has more than 15 years of successful experience in top cybersecurity companies within the region, and Shawn Tay, a hungry cyber threat intelligence analyst with comprehensive knowledge about local threats and adversaries. The company will continue to grow its new headquarters by training and hiring local top achievers in the field of cybersecurity to join each of the company’s departments by the end of 2019. The initial focus will be on cyber threat intelligence specialists, digital forensics experts, anti-fraud analysts, and reverse engineers.
“Highly skilled employees that meet Group-IB’s high standards are not easy to find, be it Europe, Americas or Asia. That is why the crucial element of our strategy is to work hand in hand with leading universities in Singapore to develop highly skilled cybersecurity experts through joint educational programs and training courses with leading Singaporean schools,” highlighted Nicholas Palmer, VP of International Business at Group-IB. The company is already taking proactive steps in this direction: Group-IB has recently signed an MoU with the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and is working on a cybersecurity program at the SIM.
Moreover, the company has a network of partner organisations in the region, among which are private companies in Vietnam and Thailand, which already offer Group-IB’s products and solutions on their markets, as well as universities, and international organisations, such as INTERPOL Digital Crime Centre located in Singapore, with which Group-IB has been cooperating since 2017. Such partnerships are of great value when it comes to collecting data on hacking groups that operate in the region to fight against cybercrime and ensure a strong and sustainable digital economy.
Group-IB is a leading provider of solutions aimed at detection and prevention of cyberattacks, online fraud, and IP protection. Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence system has been named one of the best in class by Gartner, Forrester, and IDC. Group-IB’s technological leadership is built on the company’s sixteen years of hands-on experience in cybercrime investigations around the world and 55 000 hours of cyber security incident response accumulated in the largest forensic laboratory in Eastern Europe and a round-the-clock monitoring center providing a rapid response to cyber incidents—CERT-GIB. Group-IB is a partner of INTERPOL, Europol, and has been recommended by the OSCE as a cybersecurity solutions provider. Group-IB is a member of the World Economic Forum.


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ST. LOUIS — New brands Budweiser Black Crown and Beck’s Sapphire will make their national television debut with 30-second ad spots which will air during Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, February 3 on CBS, Anheuser-Busch announced.
Bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the NFL, will premiere two 60-second ads, "Journey" and "Lucky Chair." The ads mark the end of the brand's "Superstitious" campaign, which portrays the traditions and rituals NFL fans employ to help their teams win. Both ads are set in New Orleans, which will be the site of Super Bowl XLVII.
The iconic Budweiser Clydesdales will also appear in a new 60-second spot, "Brotherhood," which chronicles the bond a Clydesdale foal shares with his trainer. The spot was shot at Warm Springs Ranch, a 300-plus acre farm near Boonville, Mo., home to many of the Clydesdales, and offers a look at their early years.
Budweiser Black Crown will get two 30-second ads, "Coronation" and "Celebration." The new brand has secured the coveted A1 position for "Coronation," meaning it will be the first commercial to air following kickoff. Two 15-second teasers for Budweiser Black Crown will air during the NFC and AFC Championship games on Jan. 20, a day before the brand hits shelves nationwide.
Beck's Sapphire, which hit shelves on New Year's Eve, will get with a 30-second ad, "Serenade." The ad will feature a surprise admirer who is mesmerized by the beer’s sleek, black bottle.
"The Super Bowl is an unbeatable platform for us to launch our new brands, Budweiser Black Crown and Beck's Sapphire, and continue building on the long-standing success of Bud Light and Budweiser," said Paul Chibe, VP, U.S. marketing. "Not only does the game have the largest television audience of the year, but it's also an incredibly captive one because so many viewers tune in for the commercials."


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Advance ticket sales lag for Independence Bowl
Thursday, December 15, 2005
South Carolina has sold five times as many as Missouri.
SHREVEPORT, La.-- With a little more than two weeks before the Independence Bowl, just over half the tickets for the Dec. 30 game have been sold.
About 25,000 people have bought tickets for the game between South Carolina and Missouri. Independence Stadium capacity for the I-Bowl is slightly more than 48,000.
South Carolina sold more than half of its allotment of 12,000 tickets for the game. Missouri, which made its first Independence Bowl appearance two years ago, has sold one-tenth of its 12,000 tickets.
Missouri sold about 1,200 tickets and expects to sell around 2,500 to 3,000 for the Independence Bowl, said director of ticket operations Marty Finn.
For its first visit to Shreveport, Missouri sold about 8,000 tickets to the 2003 Independence Bowl. Arkansas beat the Tigers in that game, 27-14.
The Independence Bowl will try to stoke interest in the game with advertisements in Missouri newspapers this weekend.
There's a different atmosphere in Columbia, S.C., as Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier prepares his team for its first bowl appearance since the 2001 Outback Bowl. South Carolina's ticket operations manager Kent Hegenauer said Gamecock fans have purchased about 6,500 tickets.
"We're hoping to use them all," Hegenauer said. "It's been very steady. "


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The board of directors of Zions Bancorp, the Salt Lake City-based bank holding company and parent of Zions First National Bank, has declared a quarterly dividend of 1 cent per share. The dividend will be paid on Nov. 29 to company stockholders whose names are on Zion’s list of shareholders as of Nov. 23.
Nu Skin offers
Nu Skin Enterprises, the Provo-based multilevel-marketing firm that sells nutritional products, is projecting that its revenue will reach $2.25 billion to $2.30 billion for its 2013 fiscal year, a 7 percent to 9 percent increase over fiscal 2012. Earnings are estimated to be $3.70 to $3.85 per share, a 10 percent to 15 percent increase.
C.R. England, a Salt Lake City-based trucking company, was named the FAC International Carrier of the Year. FAC is a food logistics company that serves customers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The award honors a carrier based on service and other factors. During FAC’s latest fiscal year, C.R. England moved more than 3,000 loads for the company, many into and out of Mexico.
in money move
Pinterest is separating business accounts from personal ones, a move that could help it start making money. The company burst onto the tech scene last year, appealing to designers, wedding planners and anyone else who likes to collect and share images on the Web. Other social media companies, including Facebook, differentiate between individual and institutional users.
strong 3Q results
Abercrombie & Fitch reported an unexpectedly strong 41 percent increase in third-quarter net income, and the teen retailer raised its full-year earnings guidance. Revenue rose 8 percent. The results suggest the company’s efforts to fix its merchandise mix are gaining traction. But revenue at stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, fell 3 percent.Next Page >
Copyright 2014 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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2014 was year of big successes (Frozen), milestones (Hello Kitty’s 40th) and industry-changing innovations (3D printing). Here’s a recap of the news that shaped the year.
Authentic Brands Group is bringing the Prince tennis brand to a new line of performance apparel exclusively at retailer Sports Authority in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Krispy Kreme has teamed up with Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA for new additions to its retail line of coffee products, in a deal brokered by Brand Central.
Nickelodeon will be the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on May 9, which will be dubbed the SpongeBob SquarePants 400.
On Thursday, Penguin Young Readers will kick off The Very Big Wiggle Tour, a month-long national campaign to celebrate Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
California lifestyle brand Hang Ten has entered into several new licensing partnerships that will extend its brand into the accessories and footwear categories.
Brand Brilliant Consulting has formed a strategic partnership with Simply Consulting Group, a retail firm that helps companies drive reatil performance.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises is launching a search for children ages 5 to 18 who excel in the areas of STEAM in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Oh, the Places You'll Go!.
Drew Sheinman has joined talent agency IMG as senior vice president of IMG Licensing.
Video personalization company Percy3D has hired two new employees to focus on the growing the firm's licensed content portfolio and driving business development.
Sony Music will co-host the Licensing Expo Opening Night Party and present popular girl group Fifth Harmony as the special guest performer.
K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, recognized three top leaders from fashion, real estate and entertainment Tuesday in New York City.
Sanrio is kicking off a year of festivities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of pop icon Hello Kitty.
CBS Consumer Products has signed a raft of international deals across several categories for some of its most popular properties.
Gameloft has unveiled its slate of upcoming games at E3 this week in Los Angeles, Calif.
Former Uglydoll chief brand officer Alita Friedman has launched her own consulting house, Alita’s Brand Bar.
With Licensing Expo 2014 just around the corner, several big names and big stars are slated to take center stage at the industry’s most important event.
The Brand Liaison is showcasing the lifestyle Brand Loudmouth, known for its bright colors and striking patterns, this week at Licensing Expo this week.
NFL Players Inc. is teaming up with youth football organization Pop Warner Little Scholars for officially licensed cobranded products featuring active NFL players.
Cartoon Network has announced a series of recent successes and upcoming initiatives for its "Adventure Time!" animated series across the globe.
Her Universe is collaborating with Marvel Entertainment and Disney Consumer Products to create a collection of superhero apparel for the brands’ female fan base.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Parental Use of Pesticides Increases Risk of Brain Cancer in Children
A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives has linked parental use of pesticides with an increased risk of brain cancer in children. Bug sprays, around the home and in the garden, could increase the chance that you will give birth to a child that develops brain cancer, say researchers.
Risk of Brain Cancer in Children a Result of Parents Spraying Pesticides
We already know that pesticides cause cancer in animals, and growing research is linking them to cancer in humans as well. This study analyzed mothers and fathers in homes in four Atlantic Coast states, looking at those who used pesticides and those who didn’t.
The results found an increased risk of brain cancer was present when parents used pesticides. That risk was somewhat reduced when fathers washed immediately after use or wore protective clothing when compared with those fathers who didn’t take any precautions.
Environmental Health News says that brain cancer is the second most common form of cancer in children, though experts aren’t clear on why it develops. While genetics may play a role in some cases, they don’t in all. And scientists believe that those cases of brain cancer in children not related to genetics could be related to environmental factors, like pesticides and other pollutants.
“Parental exposures may act before the child’s conception, during gestation, or after birth to increase the risk of cancer,” said the study. And when the parents are exposed to the pesticides may also play a role in the different cellular changes that lead to cancer.
Most of the parents in the study that were exposed to pesticides, used pesticides around the home and on their lawn. In other words, they weren’t exposed to abnormally high levels, as one would associated with working around pesticides, for example.
The use of pesticides has skyrocketed over the past several years. From being sprayed on all of our vegetables to being sprayed around the house to keep pests out, we have gone more than a little overboard in our reliance on these poisons. To find out which produce are the least contaminated, check out the new dirty dozen list released by the Environmental Working Group – you can also view the cleanest 15.
There are ways to keep such critters out of your home without resorting to the bottled poisons. Keeping a clean house and sweeping and vacuuming frequently can help. Also, using things like cayenne pepper or even baby powder around entrances can also cut down on insects making their way across the threshold. Since pesticides are so rampantly used, and have been tied to an increased rick of brain cancer in children and lower intelligence, among other things, it is crucial to limit exposure as much as possible.
Rather than depending on a quick fix, do your research and keep your family safe instead.
This is What Your Tap Water Looks Like
You’ve probably read countless articles about the horrendous quality of tap water and its numerous contaminants that attack your biology and have been tied to a multitude of health ailments. It is very rare, however, that you can actually see just how terribly polluted your tap water truly is. In the video above, I show you the ‘overflow’ tray of my 12-stage water filtration device that collects the excess amount of gunk that the filters discharge. In other words, this is actually the extra amount of build up amounted from 12 different stages of water filtration and it’s still disturbingly-putrid.
It’s easy to imagine what the rest of the heavy metals, parasites, chemicals, fecal matter, drug residue, dirt, dust, and urine contamination would look like that are cleared by the filters. I may do some future videos showing the insides of the filters as well just to give you an idea.
Upon pulling out the reverse osmosis filter, it’s pretty easy to screw open the top and see a whole lot of brown residue quite similar to that of the video.
I imagine one response many reading this might have is ‘well why doesn’t my water filter look like this?’ The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not you have a really serious high-quality filtration device.
If you’re using something cheap like a Brita filter that you picked up from your local supermarket, you’re not going to see anything near this amount of captured toxins. Why? Because cheap Brita filters don’t grab very much from the tap water you’re drinking, and allow virtually 100% of the fluoride and other heavy metals to pass right on through.
As I explain in my previous article highlighting the top 4 ways to radically transform your health, it’s vitally important to acquire either your own high-quality water filtration device, or use pure spring water.
Alternatively, checkout the website Find A Spring to see if a pure spring is nearby.
Apple slices recalled due to listeria danger
Sliced apples distributed to fast-food and grocery chains across the country are among packaged products being recalled due to possible listeria contamination.
No illnesses have been reported, but listeria was found on equipment used to produce apple products by Missa Bay LLC, owned by Ready Pac Foods Inc. of Swedesboro, N.J.
Packaged apple slices distributed to McDonald’s and Burger King in some states are included in the recall, as well as various apple and fruit snacks with “Ready Pac” labels and apple salad kits with a “Safeway Farms” label.
The recalled snacks have use-by dates of July 8 through Aug. 20, the company said. People should check their refrigerators for products with those use-by dates, the company said, and it asked retailers to check store shelves and inventories to make sure none of the packages are there.
9 Tips for Food Safety When the Grid Goes Down
Recently, 600 million people in India were without power for two days. According to news sources, the suspected cause was one of simple supply and demand: more people wanted power than the Indian infrastructure was able to deliver. It was not only lights out – but lights out for half of the population. Even I have a problem wrapping my brain around a blackout of that magnitude.
It is important to note that in India, for many, electrical power is a luxury, where according to a recent census, one third of the households do not have enough to power even light a single light bulb. Still, when the grid went down so did transportation systems, manufacturing systems, communications systems and of course, household systems.
And what about those household systems? The first thing that may come to mind is air conditioning in a climate where there is 80% humidity in 90 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Sweltering heat can be uncomfortable, yes, but what about refrigeration? How do you keep food safe when the temperature is 90 and the power grid is down for longer than a few hours?
Keeping Food Safe When the Electricity Goes Out
1. Place appliance thermometers in both the refrigerator and the freezer. After a power outage, check the temperature to determine whether your food is still safe to consume. Safe temperatures are 40°F or lower in the refrigerator, 0°F or lower in the freezer.
2. Try to keep your freezer as full as possible. Fill empty juice or milk jugs with water and keep them in the freezer (unless you need the space for food, of course). If the power grid goes down, you can use these frozen blocks of ice to maintain the cold temperature in your refrigeration and/or to keep the temperature in your freezer colder for a longer period. A full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours but only 24 hours if half-full.
In addition, if there are warnings of a severe storm on the way, freeze additional water in one-quart plastic storage bags. They are small enough to fit in around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold and won’t make a mess when the ice melts.
3. Have a minimum of a week’s supply of ready-to-eat food that does not require cooking or refrigeration after being opened.
4. Do not open the refrigerator and freezer doors unnecessarily. Take out what you need quickly then close the doors and keep them closed. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if the door is kept closed.
5. Have coolers on hand that can be used to store the refrigerated foods that you think you will need for the short term. Use the frozen jugs of ice from your freezer to keep the food in your cooler cold. This will mitigate having to open and close the refrigerator door unnecessarily.
6. When the power comes back, check the the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer. Discard perishable food that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.
7. Check each item separately. Throw out any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture, or feels warm to the touch. With frozen food, check for ice crystals. The food in your freezer that partially or completely thawed may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is 40°F or below.
8. Frozen foods that have been partially defrosted during an outage should be cooked or reheated to a minimum temperature of 160 degrees.
9. When in doubt, dump it. And never, ever taste food to determine whether it is safe to eat.
Food Safety Reference Charts
The following charts (which can also be found at the FoodSafety.gov website, can be used as a guide when determining whether your food is safe to eat following an outage. Note, however that these are best case times and temperatures and no fudging allowed. Furthermore, you need to decide on your own comfort level but in my own household, if the temperature goes above 36-38 degrees F for any period of time – even 30 minutes – out it goes.
|Food Safety – Refrigerated Foods|
|Food Categories||Specific Foods||Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours|
|MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD||Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes||Discard|
|Thawing meat or poultry||Discard|
|Salads: Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or egg salad||Discard|
|Gravy, stuffing, broth||Discard|
|Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef||Discard|
|Pizza – with any topping||Discard|
|Canned hams labeled “Keep Refrigerated”||Discard|
|Canned meats and fish, opened||Discard|
|Casseroles, soups, stews||Discard|
|CHEESE||Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco||Discard|
|Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano||Safe|
|Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar)||Safe|
|DAIRY||Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk||Discard|
|Baby formula, opened||Discard|
|EGGS||Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products||Discard|
|Custards and puddings, quiche||Discard|
|FRUITS||Fresh fruits, cut||Discard|
|Fruit juices, opened||Safe|
|Canned fruits, opened||Safe|
|Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates||Safe|
|SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS||Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish||Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hours.|
|Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles||Safe|
|Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces||Safe|
|Fish sauces, oyster sauce||Discard|
|Opened vinegar-based dressings||Safe|
|Opened creamy-based dressings||Discard|
|Spaghetti sauce, opened jar||Discard|
|BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES, PASTA, GRAINS||Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas||Safe|
|Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough||Discard|
|Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes||Discard|
|Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette||Discard|
|Breakfast foods –waffles, pancakes, bagels||Safe|
|PIES, PASTRY||Pastries, cream filled||Discard|
|Pies – custard, cheese filled, or chiffon; quiche||Discard|
|VEGETABLES||Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices||Safe|
|Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged||Discard|
|Vegetables, cooked; tofu||Discard|
|Vegetable juice, opened||Discard|
|Commercial garlic in oil||Discard|
|Casseroles, soups, stews||Discard|
Food Safety – Frozen Foods
|Food Categories||Specific Foods||Still contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated||Thawed and held above 40 °F for over 2 hours|
|MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD||Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ground meats||Refreeze||Discard|
|Poultry and ground poultry||Refreeze||Discard|
|Variety meats (liver, kidney, heart, chitterlings)||Refreeze||Discard|
|Casseroles, stews, soups||Refreeze||Discard|
|Fish, shellfish, breaded seafood products||Refreeze. However, there will be some texture and flavor loss.||Discard|
|DAIRY||Milk||Refreeze. May lose some texture.||Discard|
|Eggs (out of shell) and egg products||Refreeze||Discard|
|Ice cream, frozen yogurt||Discard||Discard|
|Cheese (soft and semi-soft)||Refreeze. May lose some texture.||Discard|
|Casseroles containing milk, cream, eggs, soft cheeses||Refreeze||Discard|
|FRUITS||Juices||Refreeze||Refreeze. Discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops.|
|Home or commercially packaged||Refreeze. Will change texture and flavor.||Refreeze. Discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops.|
|VEGETABLES||Juices||Refreeze||Discard after held above 40 °F for 6 hours.|
|Home or commercially packaged or blanched||Refreeze. May suffer texture and flavor loss.||Discard after held above 40 °F for 6 hours.|
|BREADS, PASTRIES||Breads, rolls, muffins, cakes (without custard fillings)||Refreeze||Refreeze|
|Cakes, pies, pastries with custard or cheese filling||Refreeze||Discard|
|Pie crusts, commercial and homemade bread dough||Refreeze. Some quality loss may occur.||Refreeze. Quality loss is considerable.|
|OTHER||Casseroles – pasta, rice based||Refreeze||Discard|
|Flour, cornmeal, nuts||Refreeze||Refreeze|
|Breakfast items –waffles, pancakes, bagels||Refreeze||Refreeze|
|Frozen meal, entree, specialty items (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, convenience foods)||Refreeze||Discard|
The Final Word
Unlike in India, most Western countries have sufficient electricity to supply every household with the power they need to hook up to the grid. On the other hand, only those who purposely live off grid and rely on solar or generator power know how precious this resource is – especially when it comes to food safety and keeping things cold.
The best time to prepare for an off-grid emergency is now, while the power is still on. The low-cost investment in freezer and refrigerator thermometers plus taking the time to store some frozen jugs of water may make the difference between having a full freezer and refrigerator of food or a dumpster full of smelly, spoiled and unsafe food.
USDA conspires with factory chicken producers to reduce inspections, speed factory output
Saturday, August 11, 2012 by: J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) The federal agency responsible for conducting food inspections has announced a new proposal to screen chickens for disease and contaminates, but the measure has some industry analysts concerned because it would reduce the number of inspectors at processing plants.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed change would mean inspectors at poultry plants would be reduced from four to one and instead rely more on plant employees to fill in and perform more inspection duties.
The USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), said the changes would “ensure and even enhance the safety of the poultry supply by focusing our inspectors’ efforts on activities more directly tied to improving food safety,” agency spokesman Dirk Fillpot said in a statement.
The USDA says the measure is necessary to modernize food inspection while saving taxpayers and the poultry industry money. Rather than peering over production lines, remaining FSIS inspectors would instead focus on issues that pose the greatest health risks to the public, according to reports.
Food safety advocates are, well, crying fowl. They say the plan is filled with negative ramifications, mostly because they say the remaining FSIS inspectors will have virtually no time to inspect the billions of chickens processed each year. In a report about the proposed change, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution put that time at about one-third of a second, because in addition to reducing the number of inspectors, the proposal speeds up production lines by about 25 percent.
Also, they worry that the proposal will create a conflict of interest; in a bid to push profits even higher, advocates fear plant managers will skimp on any process – including the inspection process – that would increase expenditures.
“I went out and bought a food processor so we could make more vegetarian meals,” Felicia Nestor, a food safety advocate and a consultant with the Government Accountability Project. “If the changes go into effect, my husband and I will no longer buy chicken.”
Advocates say the plan could leave “gaping holes” in poultry safety inspection, and could wind up endangering the entire population; most Americans eat an average of 80 pounds of poultry a year.
GMO Tomatoes: Good-looking Poison
Walmart and Monsanto
For those facing hard times, even the most basic needs are not always met. In Washington DC, the need for food assistance has grown exponentially.
“Since 2008 there has been a 25 percent increase in the number of families, children, senior citizens who need our food assistance,” said Shamia Holloway of the Capital Area Food Bank.
The Capital Area Food Bank provides food to organizations who distribute it to those in need. Many of them are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. It’s one of several programs facing extreme cuts in the upcoming farm bill.
“If SNAP is cut, a person who is getting $100 in SNAP could have their benefits reduced to maybe 50 to 60 dollars a month,” said Brian Banks, the Capital Area Food Bank’s director of public policy “And if this is a person that maybe has a family of three or four people and $50 or $60 doesn’t go a long way.”
The future of food stamps is determined in a large and complex piece of legislation known as the Farm Bill which is renewed every five years. The last one passed in 2008 and although the debate in Congress for the new one should have already begun, it’s been pushed to the side time and time again.
One reason for this is that there are simply too many cooks in the kitchen.
In their newly released report, Cultivating Influence: The 2008 Farm Bill Lobbying Frenzy , the group Food and Water Watch breaks down the forces behind the ingredients of the bill.
“Over the course of the debate of the 2008 Farm Bill, over a thousand entitles - companies, trade associations, groups – lobbied,” said Patti Lovera with Food and Water Watch. “They spent $173 million, according to our calculations.”
Major lobbying influences include Monsanto, Kraft Foods, The American Sugar Alliance and The National Restaurant Association. But perhaps the company with the greatest influence is Walmart. They’ve got 4,000 stores across this country – many of them SuperCenters- and just in the last 15 years have gone from having 6 percent to a full quarter of nationwide grocery sales. And that means not just more profit, but much more power as well.
These are companies and organizations with money that often speaks louder than anything. It’s money that dictates profits for farmers and grocers, and determines how much money will go to the SNAP Program.
With greater need facing deeper cuts, it could be a recipe for hardship for more and more Americans.
Popcorn ingredient found to be linked with Alzheimer’s
Movie popcorn has often been criticized for its high calorie count, but now the tasty treat may harm more than just your waistline.
A recent study has found that diacetyl, an ingredient in popcorn responsible for its buttery flavor and smell, may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, UPI.com reported.
The scientists said they focused on the substance, because it has already been associated with respiratory and other health issues in workers at microwave popcorn and food-flavoring factories. According to UPI.com, diacetyl is used in other products such as margarines, snacks and candies, baked goods and in some beers and chardonnay wine.
Filed Under: HEALTH/EUGENICS
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A SCOTS whisky producer is going back to its roots by producing old-style malts.
Back in the 1800s, the majority of Speyside distilleries were producing pungent, peated whiskies, but this trend changed in the 1960s when the US market emerged and a softer, easier-drinking style of whisky was preferred.
BenRiach was one of the first Speyside distilleries of the modern era to release a peated expression, with the 10 year-old Curiositas in 2004.
The new range is a nod to the distillery’s roots
The majority of the distillery’s output is the more traditional, non-peated style that most people associate with Speyside, but the peated range represents a unique selling point.
Over the last few months, the distillery has been working to come up with a revamped, definitive range of four peated expressions that will be available on an ongoing basis.
The final line-up can now be confirmed as Birnie Moss, Curiositas aged 10 years old, Septendecim aged 17 years old and Authenticus aged 25 years old.
Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “Peated malt whisky production only represents approximately six weeks’ worth of the annual production at BenRiach, but the peated whiskies have become an important part of the distillery’s portfolio as they offer something new and unexpected from the Speyside region.
“We wanted to offer our consumers a range of peated BenRiachs that would span the age range – one that would both allow the development of the malt to be charted and also be available on a regular basis. Hopefully, with these four expressions, we will achieve that.”


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WASHINGTON — Prices for dairy products have risen steeply in recent months because of rising feed costs, strong export demand and short supply, and analysts expect those increases to continue through the summer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates the minimum milk prices received by farmers, recently set the price that processors will have to pay for drinkable milk in July at $20.91 per hundred pounds, a 17% increase from June and an 84% increase over last year.
“On June 22, the USDA announced the Class I minimum price mover — the minimum price that beverage milk processors must pay for farm milk used to make beverage milk products — for July as the second-highest ever,” said Susan Ruland, spokeswoman for the International Dairy Foods Association. “The record of $21.13 per hundred pounds of milk was set in June 2004.”
On June 1, the government announced that the Class I minimum price mover was $17.84 per hundred pounds, which was 66% higher than June 2006.
A major contributing factor to the rising prices in the U.S. is the higher cost of feed for dairy cows. Feed is the largest cost dairy farmers have in their operations, according to the IDFA, and corn prices have been high since the recent, sudden boom in ethanol production. Prices have also risen for soybeans, another feed ingredient.
Also, lower farm milk prices in 2006 triggered production cutbacks by major dairy producers, yet demand has remained steady, leading to higher prices, according to the IDFA.
Meanwhile, international demand for U.S. dairy ingredients has spiked because the European Union has ended its subsidy system for dairy exports, and a drought in Australia has resulted in lower-than-expected exports from there.
The price of nonfat dry milk went up about 30% in early 2007, and the price of dry whey doubled its previous record high before the current run-up in prices.
Because ingredients like nonfat dry milk and dry whey are “component prices” used by the government to determine the government-regulated minimum price that dairy companies must pay for all farm milk within the federal system, all farm milk prices have gone up.
In May, the average retail price of a gallon of whole milk in the U.S. was $3.26, up 6.2% from $3.07 a year earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
Based on futures contract prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, some farm prices were recently showing a peak in July, but futures contracts change regularly, Ruland said.
Cheese prices are also being affected. Cheddar cheese prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange increased 10 cents per pound to $2.10 in the week ending June 22, one of the 10 highest wholesale prices ever, according to the IDFA.
“The activity on the wholesale markets and minimum government-mandated prices for farm milk are very high right now and pushing against historic highs,” Ruland told SN.
“What happens at retail depends on how long these wholesale and farm prices stay high and how manufacturers, marketers and retailers choose to manage the higher input costs.”
Recently, these increases have caused Dean Foods, Starbucks and Hershey's to lower earnings guidance, and have led both Pizza Hut and Papa John's to raise the price of cheese-only pizzas.


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Domestic airports seek new revenue ideas to pull out of financial nosedive
The China Post news staff
August 20, 2012, 12:22 am TWN
Domestic airports must undergo a complete examination of their operational efficiency before seeking solutions to fill in their financial black holes, according to National Cheng Kung University professor Chang Yo-heng (張有恆).
Fierce rivalry among domestic airlines and competition from the high-speed rail system have left airports in Hengchun, Chiayi, Tainan, Taitung, Hualien and Kaohsiung all struggling and seeking new sources of revenue.
Due to a lack of flights and an inconvenient location, Tainan Airport suffers an average daily loss of NT$260,000. The airport is looking at ideas to utilize its vast space and attract citizens to witness planes' departures and arrivals. Its operators have also held negotiations with solar panel industry figures and artists, with eyes on additional revenue from the sale of solar-produced energy and more visitors from art exhibitions.
Far Eastern Air Transport is also assessing potential airline plans of flying from Tainan to select cities in mainland China. This idea is also being looked at by Chiayi and Taitung airports.
As an extra revenue stream, the two airports also rent out idle store space to pineapple cake and egg roll vendors, anticipating that diversified travel demographics could offset miserable sales.
Chiayi Airport Director Chiu Yung-sheng (邱永昇) said the airport currently operates in poor conditions, with only six to eight fights carrying about 300 passengers to the airport running every day. As such, store owners foresee no new opportunities arising in the near future.
Pingtung County's Hengchun Airport, nicknamed "Mosquito Airport" for its poor occupancy rate of 24 percent — giving it more than enough empty space for mosquitoes to breed — is considering opening its space for light aircraft training runs. According to the airport, some business owners have already responded well to the proposal. Tenders are set to be announced in the near future.
As for projections of tourists flying in from mainland China, Hualien Airport Director Hsu Yun-tsu (徐雲祖) and Kaohsiung Airport Director Chu Yao-kuang (朱耀光) said they are optimistic about potential business opportunities brought by the growing number of visitors and their increasing purchasing power.
Hsu said he expects more stores to open branches in Hualien Airport as tourists fly in from China's Wuhan and Hangzhou, and Japan's Ishigaki. Chu said Kaohsiung Airport has prepared to handle increasing numbers of cross-strait flights.


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In less than 24 hours, all COVID-19 business restrictions will be lifted in Connecticut.
Search / 930 results found Showing: 1-10 of 930
It seemed like a feel-good story had run its course.
NEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - The crew that once worked with fallen New Haven firefighter Ricardo Torres is going above and beyond to make sure his f…
"Halston" follows the familiar rise-and-fall structure of cinematic biographies — think "Citizen Kane," only with more sex, better clothes and…
HONOLULU (KGMB/Meredith) -- The search is on for an attempted murder suspect who set a homeless man on fire while he was sleeping downtown. The man is now in critical condition with third degree burns.
Guitars from Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith as well as autographed memorabilia from The Beatles and even strands of hair from Kurt Cobain are some of the highlights of an online rock ‘n’ roll auction that ends over the weekend.
More people are refreshing their wardrobes at department stores again as they head back into restaurants and offices. That's great news for stores like Macy's, Nordstrom and Kohl's— but the comeback is probably fleeting.
Laverne Delgado is spending Mother's Day weekend crisscrossing Los Angeles with bags full of personal care items for single moms who've fallen on tough times.
HAMDEN, CT (WFSB) - Police are turning to the public for help as they continue to search for a missing boy.
HAMDEN, CT (WFSB) – It’s springtime in Connecticut, which used to mean it’s also tick season, but with recent mild winters, scientists and doc…


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Published January 3, 2018
With a patchwork of marijuana laws spread throughout California, reporters from this news organization have been collecting policy information from cities and counties for months.
We wanted a way for individuals to be able to see the specific policies in the cities where they live, work and visit. And we wanted businesses to be able to see where they could open, how tax rates compare and more.
Readers can sort this local marijuana policy data alphabetically or by score (points) that show how lenient a city is (higher points) or how strict a city is with its marijuana regulations (low points). They can also filter searches by county or by which places allow which business types, from recreational sales to medical testing labs (more on those types below the database). And they can select certain cities for side-by-side comparisons of their policies.
And remember, each city's regulations are likely to change over time as the state adapts to the new system. We will be updating this database as things change.
Here’s a look at what’s legal and what’s not when it comes to marijuana in California cities.
Filter cities by county and/or whether they allow or disallow medical and/or recreational sales, growing, testing, distribution and goods manufacturing. To view just the laws in a city of your choice, filter first by county and then jump to Step 5 to select your city.
Glossary of terms
About the database
Marijuana laws in California can vary widely from one city to the next, making it tough for residents to know where they can shop for legal cannabis, open a marijuana business or even what they can do in their own homes.
That’s because, while Californians have been free to carry up to an ounce of marijuana and consume it in private since Proposition 64 passed in November 2016, state law gives local governments full authority to regulate or ban most other marijuana activity in their borders.
We asked about local rules for all types of cannabis businesses, since cities (or counties, if the proposed address is in an unincorporated area) can choose to regulate these operations or ban them entirely.
We also asked cities and counties about regulations they’ve imposed on the right (per Prop. 64) of residents 21 and older to grow up to six marijuana plants per home out of public view, since local governments can ban outdoor gardens and add other “reasonable” regulations.
We then used this information to give cities and counties a score from zero to 100, with zero for cities that are as strict as they can be under state law and 100 for cities that are the most permissive. (Learn more about that methodology here.)
So far, for Southern California, this database includes all of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. And for Northern California, it includes Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
We’ll be adding to the database soon. And we’ll be updating it frequently, with cities and counties passing new cannabis regulations each week.


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- XRP moved above the range-bound market after a significant consolidation.
- The XRP coin reached a 50-day excessive of $0.4099 final night time.
- The market cap of XRP crypto has elevated by 5.4% to $18.8 billion within the final 24 hours.
In the earlier 24 hours, XPR has damaged out of its range-bound part. Ripple (XRP) was accumulating for resistance between the $0.30 and $0.38 shopping for stress in preparation for a breakthrough. The bears dragged the value beneath the July 25 shifting common, however they have been unable to take care of the decrease ranges and attacked the strong help at $0.30, which served as a significant defensive zone.
As lengthy as consumers don’t cross the unfavourable development line, the value motion of the XRP coin attracts a lower-high formation. Likewise, the bears have given up a key promoting mark at $0.38. Furthermore, the bulls’ defensive zone is near the 2022 low of $0.29. Conversely, XRP was buying and selling at $0.3891 on the time of writing.
After the breakout, consumers managed properly for the altcoin value above this horizontal vary at the moment. As a outcome, the market cap of the XRP crypto has elevated by 5.4% to $18.8 billion prior to now 24 hours, based on CMC. Furthermore, XRP pairing with bitcoin is up 6% within the inexperienced zone at 0.0000164 satoshis.
The enhance in buying and selling quantity this week signifies heavy volatility within the coin. Therefore, the XRP token reached a 50-day excessive of $0.4099 final night time. Buyers are more likely to pull again close to the $0.45 degree.
The purchaser must hit the $0.50 mark as quickly as potential
During the every day value scale, the RSI indicator is shifting in direction of an overbought zone. Simultaneously, the MACD indicator additionally strikes in optimistic territory.
Buyers are ready for the weekly value closing of XRP. However, there was a breakout of the horizontal space, so consumers can transfer on to the subsequent resistance space.
Support degree – $0.35 and $0.30
Resistance degree – $0.45 and $0.50
The views and opinions acknowledged by the creator, or any folks named on this article, are for informational concepts solely. They don’t set up monetary, funding, or different recommendation. Investing in or buying and selling crypto belongings comes with a threat of monetary loss.


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As religious violence and American drone strikes continue to plague Pakistan, the country's latest fashion week promises some respite from the turmoil.
Unknown to most of the world, fashion plays a huge role in Pakistani life.
Pakistan's Fashion Weeks
Since 2009, Pakistan has hosted dozens of fashion weeks. These ‘Fashion Weeks’ offer the world a rare glimpse into a blossoming and professional industry that illustrates cultural norms in Pakistan aren't as rigid or conservative as most believe.
This Spring/Summer 2013 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week will be followed by two more fashion events in April – the Bridal Couture Week in Karachi which will focus on wedding wear and then Lahore will host another Fashion Week.
Global Voices interviewed three designers ahead of the event, who explained that despite their nation's circumstances, they are constantly innovating and creating:
Designers are also coming up with high tech ways to reach their market. A great example is this E Store which will be carrying these collections hours after they walk the ramp, for anyone to purchase locally or internationally.
Fashion Pakistan Week is set to break social media boundaries in the country, as well. Not only will the event be livestreamed, but fashion bloggers like Nida Moughal and some Twitterati will be covering the event. The Internet is a big worry though; the whole region is plagued by broadband issues because two out of the four submarine cables that link Pakistan to the web have been damaged.
Fashionistas Against Taliban
Security concerns and Taliban threats at the first Pakistan Fashion Week in 2009 also marked the beginning of the Fashionistas Against Taliban (#FAT) movement. The event pulled war correspondents from neighboring countries into Pakistan to cover fashion and has been the source of satire-loaded tweets, memes and this Facebook Group which has developed cult-like status amongst the country's social media users.
Sabahat Zakariya (@sabizak_) whose Twitter profile says she is a ‘reverse snob and tweeter about life’ remarks:
On more than one occasion though #FAT is poked a little bit for fun on Pakistani social media.
Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) A recovering bureaucrat and columnist known for his dry wit quips:
Investigative blogger and Twitter user Shahid Saeed (@shahidsaeed) tweets a picture of a Pakistani politician who's known for sporting punk-like hair colour:
Samra Muslim (@samramuslim), a self-described lover of shoes, marketing, and media tweeted about the social media hype surrounding Fashion Pakistan Week:
Umair Mirza (@Umairmirza) celebrated the fashion week joining the “digital age”:
This event, which may offer a peek to a different side of Pakistan, will be available to watch here:


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Search and social are key for fashion e-tail says Nosto report
Fashion ecommerce brands looking to drive more engagement are encouraged to look at their social media and search performance, according to data from a new report.
A study of 1.19 billion visits to ecommerce sites globally during the three busiest months of the retail calendar (from November 2018 to January 2019) found that search and social sites include Facebook and Google are playing a leading role in driving traffic and sales.
The report from Nosto, an ecommerce personalisation and retail AI platform, said that search and social media sites accounted for 34% of traffic, 28% of orders and 26% of the total order value of large online fashion retailers during that period.
Notably, organic and paid social only accounted for 9% of all traffic, whilst organic and paid search generated the remaining 25% of traffic, but Nosto CEO Jim Lofgren said the results may not reveal the full picture.
“Social sites such as Facebook and Instagram are important destinations for branding and product discovery, especially in the fashion space. You can’t judge their full power only by looking at the last click from either paid or unpaid sources that are driving visitors to merchants’ stores. Instagram in particular is an extremely popular platform on which shoppers follow fashion influencers to learn about new styles and brands, but that higher-funnel discovery process won’t show up in ecommerce marketers’ website analytics data,” he said.
“The modern ecommerce fashion shopping journey is highly complex, and more often than not the shopper finally arrives at a retailer’s site by heading there directly or via Google search.”
So where are brands getting more bang for their buck? The study highlighted that the four main social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat) Facebook and Instagram are the biggest drivers of traffic and orders from paid and organic social.
Both in paid and unpaid social, Facebook accounts for the largest share of traffic, orders and total order value when compared with Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest. In fact, Facebook is by far the most influential platform, representing 73% of all traffic and 89% of all orders within paid social; and 53% of all traffic and 59% of all orders on the paid social site.
Paid social also goes a long way on Instagram, generating 16% of all traffic and 10% of all orders, while on the organic side Instagram accounted for 41% of all traffic and 41% of all orders.
Together, Snapchat and Pinterest accounted for just 6% of organic social traffic.
But beyond social media, the report uncovered that visits and transactions for fashion e-tailers are either generated by direct traffic, from sources such as marketing emails, ad networks and affiliate sites, or from dark social.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


text: LONDON (AP) — One month after Britain made a New Year split from the European Union’s economic embrace, businesses that once traded freely are getting used to frustrating checks, delays and red tape. British meat exporters say shipments have rotted in trucks awaiting European health checks. Scottish fishermen have protested at Parliament over the catch they can no longer sell to the continent because of complex new paperwork. Manufacturers’ organization Make U.K. said Monday that 60% of manufacturing companies have experienced “significant disruption” since Jan. 1. The British government says the troubles are “teething problems,” but companies say they are causing serious pain.


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Photo Credit: Kevin Tachman| Getty Images
Nas is starting off the first quarter of 2018 with a hefty bag of money. Nas’ investment into the doorbell security system ‘Ring’ which was bought by Amazon for 1.2 billion dollars has earned Nas a hefty forty million dollars.
Nas was one of the first early investors into the Ring company. This isn’t the only investments he has been working into. His firm and himself are invested in Lyft, Dropbox, Rap Genius and SeatGeek.


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Good morning. Temperatures will be in the high 30s, with afternoon rain along the coast, and snow inland and farther north.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
–Paul Baldacci Jr., son of the late Paul Baldacci Sr., last week opened Momma Baldacci’s Italian Street Food, a food truck serving up things like chicken parmesan, meatballs and family marinara sauce — all with a personal twist from Baldacci Jr., a classically trained chef.
The restaurant run by four generations of Baldaccis closed a decade ago.
–A nationwide outbreak of the E.Coli virus linked to romaine lettuce coming out of California has created an increased demand for locally grown greens in Maine.
“When something like this happens, people default to remembering we have a fairly large and significant [local] food scene in Maine and people seek it out,” said Michael Walter, produce manager at the Belfast Co-op. “Our farmers [in Belfast] have been selling out of greens quickly.”
–Belfast city councilors unanimously voted to stop Mayor Samantha Paradis from speaking on behalf of the City Council during Tuesday night’s contentious special meeting.
They also voted, three to two, to have Belfast leave the Mayors’ Coalition on Jobs and Economic Development, with City Councilors Neal Harkness and Paul Dean voting against the action.
“The council has lost confidence in the mayor,” Councilor Eric Sanders said while making his first motion.
–While more than 30,000 deer already have been registered thus far, there’s still plenty of hunting to be done by those toting muzzleloader rifles. The muzzleloader season runs from Nov. 26 through Dec. 8 in some Wildlife Management Districts.
–The effort continues to find Marvin, a German shepherd-greyhound mix who was ejected from his owner’s car on I-95 in Medway on Sunday following a weather-related accident. The sister of Marvin’s owner is asking people near the accident site to check their sheds, garages and other structures, as Marvin might have taken shelter in them.
–Back in the days before household electricity, manual kitchen tools were kitchen staples. Hand crank egg beaters, butter churns, apple peelers and bread makers — these human-powered tools allowed people to process and prepare food more efficiently. But nowadays, many of these traditional appliances have been replaced by electronic ones.
–Stonewall Kitchen — a company based in York, and has multiple other retail locations around Maine and New England — will open a cooking school and cafe in California.
The new location will be located in a Macy’s department store in Costa Mesa and represents a big jump for the local company.
CEO John Stiker called it an “exciting evolution” in which Stonewall Kitchen works with the retail chain to create “interactive retail experiences for our guests that can’t be found anywhere else.”
In other news…
Your Morning Update is published every weekday. To receive this in your inbox weekday mornings, or to check out our range of free newsletters, click here.
To subscribe to the Bangor Daily News, click here.


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Millions of Americans are facing serious substance use problem. Luckily, there are several recently launched startups aiming to help customers fight their destructive behaviors. Workit Health, an Oakland, CA and Ann Arbor, MI–based innovative digital program for overcoming addictive behaviors, is one of them.
Fortune News: Workit Health have launched to change your destructive behaviors
Fact Checked and Peer Reviewed


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viastore systems, a leading material handling automation systems and software company, was selected by Dicastal North America, the North American division of CiTic Dicastal Co. Ltd. of Qinhuangdao, China to supply and install an automated conveyor solution for the company’s new manufacturing facility in Greenville, MI (near Grand Rapids).
Dicastal selected viastore after reviewing several companies. While being a Michigan-based company played a role in the selection, Dicastal also selected viastore because of an innovative design solution that reduced Dicastal’s upfront capital costs. “viastore was able to design a system for us that made sense and was economical to your needs to today, yet allowed for growth for tomorrow,” said Bernie Polzin, GM/VP, Dicastal. “We’re eager to get the project underway.”
For viastore, the selection also made sense. “Dicastal is a good fit for viastore as we are both global companies and both manufacturers,” said Tom Tobin, CEO of viastore. “The company is making an investment in the West Michigan region by expanding manufacturing into the US market, and viastore’s global presence and experience with work in progress manufacturing automation made viastore an ideal partner for this project.”
Bringing manufacturing from China to the West Michigan region, once a powerhouse for manufacturing, resonates with Birgit Klohs, President and CEO, The Right Place, Inc. “The attraction of Dicastal North America to West Michigan not only brings new jobs to the region, but also new opportunities for our local supply chain manufacturers,” said Klohs. “We are pleased that viastore was able to capitalize on Dicastal’s investment in the region and bring new business to West Michigan.”
viastore systems, Inc. will be exhibiting at the 2016 MODEX event April 4-7, 2016 at the Georgia World Congress Center at Booth #1439. At MODEX, solutions needed to solve tough manufacturing and supply chain challenges, identify best practices, exceed customer demands and gain competitive edge are available. viastore, a proud member of MHI, will be presenting a special session titled, “An Incremental Approach to Automation and ROI” on April 5, 2016 from 12:45-1:30 in Theater H.?
The link to register is: http://bit.ly/1O70T0a
About viastore systems, Inc.
For over 40 years,?viastore systems, Inc. has been a leading international provider of automated material handling solutions including AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval systems) and conveyor systems, warehouse management systems software, material flow and process controls, and integrated SAP logistics solutions. The company employs over 470 people worldwide and has annual sales of over $140 Million. viastore’s focus is on consulting and planning, together with the implementation and constant improvement of intralogistics solutions with locations in Germany, USA, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Russia, China, Croatia, Turkey, Poland, Israel, Ukraine, Sweden, and Brazil. viastore, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, is an integrated and certified partner for all major ERP system database and operating system suppliers such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft. viastore earned a return spot on Food Logistics’ 2015 FL100+ list of software and technology providers whose products and solutions are key to the global food supply chain. viastore is a proud member of MHI. ?
Read the week viastore blog at blog.viastore.com
Follow viastore on Twitter at @viastoresystems
Company Name: Viastore systems Inc.
Contact Person: John Clark
Address:4890 Kendrick Street SE
City: Grand Rapids
Country: United States


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Zitro will showcase its newest offerings at the upcoming trade show FADJA Columbia to be held on 10–11 April at Bogotá. The company has recently launched Link King in Colombia, a multigame progressive Link that is causing tremendous hype within the player community worldwide.
The company will introduce more games, like Link Me, a progressive Link with panoramic Sign, Hit me Up!, a local area progressive with a 6 level-jackpot and tons of exciting features, as well as new standalone multigame sets such as Hot Deal and Smarts Spins at the trade show.
Alejandra Burato, Director of sales for Latin America comments: “Since we have started with Bryke in the region, our market share is growing constantly, and operators are by now including our products as part of the must-have brands in their casinos. In Colombia, players have embraced our Link King product immediately while providing excellent results to the operators, and at FADJA we will show them how deep the range of product is that Bryke has to offer by now.
The results of the games we have already on the field and the library of games that are already available, makes of Bryke a secure investment and a sure bet.”
You’ll find Zitro’s team and products at booth#70 at Corferias Bogotá, during FADJA April 10th to 11th.


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Start the conversation
At first glance two of the major trends reshaping the semiconductor industry seem like polar opposites….
On the one hand, the industry is in the midst of a major boom. On the other, it's also contracting.
For tech investors these conflicting indicators raise two questions:
First, how is this contradiction possible?
Second, and more to the point, how can we make money from it?
After looking at the trends, I've come up with a plan for us to outperform the market over the long term with one easy investment…
Here's What's Driving This $30 Billion Industry
Turns out, the industry's boom is being driven by several expansions happening concurrently. We're talking growth in mobile, tablets, game consoles, and the broadband gear needed for e-commerce and online video streaming.
These drivers have had a substantial impact on semiconductor sales…
In fact, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) recently announced that global sales reached $26.86 billion for the month of May. Not only is that figure impressive in its own right, it also represents fantastic industry-wide growth.
Moreover, it shows that global semiconductor sales have grown 8.8% year over year for the month of May, and 2% from the prior month. Research and Markets forecasts an additional 4.4% increase in worldwide chip sales for 2014.
And yet… the industry is consolidating. By that I mean we're seeing a major wave of mergers and acquisitions throughout the field.
Truth is, over the last several months chip firms have been on the prowl for mergers and acquisitions that add market share, sales, profits, and new patents to strengthen their current standing in the sector.
No doubt, these M&As had their original catalyst in an sector-wide slowdown in 2011 and 2012. These two lean years showed the industry had excess capacity.
But all the while, another catalyst was gathering force…
An ETF Capitalizing on a Seismic Industry Shift
I am referring to the rise of fabless semiconductor firms. These companies specifically focus on the design aspect, contracting out the actual production element of their operations. It gives them higher margins, which investors love to see.
And there was one more key event that helped lay the groundwork for the current wave of M&As.
Three years ago, Micron Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) had nowhere near as much clout with investors as it does today. Now it is a clear leader in computer memory products.
It's also proved to be a very savvy acquirer. In many ways, Micron has really written the M&A playbook for chipmakers.
Last year, Micron bought Elpida Inc., a well-known supplier to Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL).
At the time, Micron's financials were a bit of a mess – it had reported losses in five of its ten fiscal years. Now, the company is in excellent financial shape.
Other major chipmakers followed suit, sparking a flurry of merger activity that continues to change the semiconductor landscape…
Last year, analog chip leader Avago Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: AVGO) announced a $6.6 billion deal to buy LSI Corp., a provider of memory products. The deal closed back in May.
Earlier this year, TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. (Nasdaq: TQNT), a company focused on radio frequency and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) agreed to merge with RF Micro Devices Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD). RF Micro is a manufacturer of high performance radio frequency systems, and the deal was valued at $1.6 billion.
And in June, Analog Devices, Inc. (NasdaqGS: ADI), which specializes in data conversion and signal conditioning, announced its plan to buy Hittite Microwave Corp. (Nasdaq: HITT), a fabless chip designer.
This is a trend that is likely to hand windfall profits to savvy tech investors. And I have a play in mind that provides plenty of upside while still reducing the risk inherent in focusing on a single stock in such a broad sector…
About the Author
Michael A. Robinson is one of the top financial analysts working today. His book "Overdrawn: The Bailout of American Savings" was a prescient look at the anatomy of the nation's S&L crisis, long before the word "bailout" became part of our daily lexicon. He's a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and reporter, lauded by the Columbia Journalism Review for his aggressive style. His 30-year track record as a leading tech analyst has garnered him rave reviews, too. Today he is the editor of the monthly tech investing newsletter Nova-X Report as well as Radical Technology Profits, where he covers truly radical technologies – ones that have the power to sweep across the globe and change the very fabric of our lives – and profit opportunities they give rise to. He also explores "what's next" in the tech investing world at Strategic Tech Investor.


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The famous Four Lads from that viral meme have announced on TikTok that they’re getting their own Netflix series.
One of this year’s most popular internet memes has been the Four Lads in Jeans meme, and it’s completely taken over the social media.
First going viral in 2020, the Four Lads meme is an image of four British men all standing in front of a bar. It’s used to represent the stereotypical British man in 2021, with some of their defining features being Alexander McQueen trainers, tight shirts, and tattoos.
The meme blew up again last month, and now rumours are flooding social media that the four lads are getting their own Netflix documentary, but is it true? Let’s find out…
The Four Lads announce their own Netflix show
On Monday (February 1st), the Four Lads took to their official TikTok @fourladsinjeans to reveal a very exciting announcement. They’re starring in a Netflix show!
In the video, the lads returned to the spot where they took the original photo and wore exactly the same clothes, but this time they had a full camera crew.
They wrote in the caption: “Making a Meme. Coming to Netflix December 2021.”
The video has had a huge 1.7 million views in just 24 hours and has gone viral on TikTok.
Netflix haven’t actually made an official announcement, but fans are taking this as proof that the lads have got their own Netflix documentary, and they’e been taking to Twitter to react.
Twitter users react to the Four Lads’ Netflix series
Fans can’t quite believe that four normal men from Birmingham whose night out photo was accidentally turned into a viral meme have become so famous that they’ve got their own Netflix show.
One person tweeted: “So you’re telling me them four lads in tight jeans have a Netflix documentary coming out this year…”
“As if the four lads in jeans are getting a Netflix special,” said another.
Another person wrote: “No way are the four lads in jeans getting their own Netflix series.”
So what form will the Netflix series take? Here’s everything we know…
What is ‘Making a Meme’?
The Four Lads revealed that their Netflix special is called Making a Meme, but do we know anything else about it?
Well, unfortunately the Four Lads have been pretty minimal with the details. We know that it’s coming in December 2021, but that’s about it.
Fans are speculating that it’ll be a documentary about how they became a viral meme, but we’ll have to wait for Netflix to release some more details to know for sure.
In other news, Where was On My Block filmed? Is Freeridge a real place?


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The Association “Russian Automobile Dealers” (ROAD) calls for the use of only new spare parts when repairing cars under OSAGO. At the moment, there is no shortage of components, so you should not resort to extreme measures.
The Russian Automobile Dealers Association clarified that manufacturers have officially confirmed the availability of stocks in warehouses and warned against the use of non-original parts. Earlier, the All-Russian Union of Insurers sent a proposal to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation to allow, in some cases, to repair OSAGO using used spare parts.
The Bank of Russia opposed the reuse of spare parts under OSAGO. The Central Bank believes that it will be impossible to provide high-quality repairs in such cases, and the use of unreliable parts can lead to tragedies on the roads.
At the same time, the Association of Distributors of Automotive Components (ADAK) announced an acute shortage of spare parts. The organization said that to date, most automakers and independent suppliers have stopped importing parts and consumables into Russia. For this reason, prices for existing products in warehouses within the country have skyrocketed several times.


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Crimson Galeria Pivots From Office to Residential; 3-Story Addition Planned in Harvard SquareAugust 25, 2023
Cambridge — Nauset Construction has begun implementing significant building support measures and structural steel upgrades to the Crimson Galeria building in Harvard Square as the owners pivot from office uses to apartments for the planned three-story vertical addition. The owners originally permitted the building to construct office space on top of the Crimson Galeria, but during the COVID-19 pandemic decided to pursue a residential addition to the building instead, for which they received a special permit.
“There is an obvious need for both market-rate and affordable units in this market – certainly more than there is currently for office – and this addition will deliver both,” said Crimson Galeria LP principal Rachna Balakrishna. “We own and operate another mixed-use property with apartments and ground-floor retail in Harvard Square that is always oversubscribed and continues to perform well for us, and we fully anticipate that the Crimson Galeria apartments will also do well.”
Designed by NELSON Worldwide, the new residential addition will be home to 38 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, with approximately 20% designated as affordable. The initial phases of the project began before the pandemic and are now complete. These phases focused on interior upgrades to the existing retail space within the Crimson Galeria, as well as the construction of an Eversource vault to provide increased power for the new addition. To provide additional support for the multifamily units, Nauset is now orchestrating the installation of 42 micropiles, four super columns, and significant additional structural steel building upgrades.
During the entire construction process, the retail portion of the property, which includes Shake Shack, Maharaja, Veggie Grill, Menya Jiro, and Core Power Yoga, has remained open. The Galeria is adding two new tenants, Cookies and Achilito’s Taqueria, and longtime tenant Bonchon will soon re-open, bringing the Galeria to full occupancy.
“It’s a very heavily trafficked retail area, with lots of tourists and visitors, and Nauset superintendent Kevin Randall has done a great job working with the Harvard Square Business Association, the building tenants, and other neighbors to minimize the impact on the local businesses,” said Balakrishna.
“This project involves working on a tight, occupied, urban infill site – something that we consider to be one of our strengths as a construction manager,” said Nauset Construction President Anthony Papantonis. “Safety is paramount when working in highly trafficked areas, as well as ensuring that our construction efforts are minimally disruptive to the retailers and their customers.”


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UK tax system costs SMEs £500m per year, say FSB
30th September 2013 | News
The complexities of the UK tax system cost the country’s small businesses £500 million a year to deal with, according to a new report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
The body estimates that small business owners spend an average of 12 working days a year to fill out forms and calculate tax bills – time that could better be taken up working on their businesses.
Over 75 per cent of firms informed the FSB they spent up to £5,000 a year in paying professionals and upgrading software systems in a bid to keep up with evolving tax rules. Subsequently, the FSB estimates its members spend around £500,000 each year on administrating their tax liabilities.
John Allan, chairman of the FSB, said: "Small firms are losing a serious amount of time completing these forms and it’s tantamount to money down the drain as they could spend that time growing their business."
Half of respondents take between two and eight hours a month meeting tax obligations. But despite this effort, one-fifth of SMEs surveyed said they have been forced to pay their taxes late as a result of failing to properly understand the rules.
The FSB is urging the Government to consider a simpler tax system, which would reduce the burden on fledgling businesses and give them time to grow instead.
"There have been long-running issues with complex tax statuses if you’re a sole trader or running an incorporated business," added Allan.
"Creating one new tax system, removing the choice will make it simpler. It will free up time for businesses, it will give them the time to grow and contribute further to the prosperity of UK plc."


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Online sales continue to reach record levels as the end to the 2011 holiday season quickly approaches. Comscore reported today that total holiday eCommerce spending for the first 46 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season has reached $30.9 billion, a 15% increase versus the same time in 2010. Free Shipping Day 2011 (Friday December 16) ended with an astonishing $1.07 billion in eCommerce sales, a 14% increase from 2010.
Free Shipping has been a major eCommerce trend from the start this holiday season. Dydacomp CEO Fred Lizza was recently quoted in a recent article for eCommerceTimes discussing the power of free shipping. Fred stated:
“We’ve seen statistics suggesting that over 50 percent of retailers are offering free shipping this year. Retailers have found room in their budgets to provide this to lure more consumers to shop with them. And it’s working…” Click here to continue reading the eCommerceTimes article.
Accurate inventory management was another influential factor on eCommerce sales this holiday season. It enables eCommerce business run efficiently and ensure customers received their orders on time. Fred was quoted in a BizReport article advising merchants on the importance of inventory management during this busy holiday season:
“Inventory tracking is a ‘gotta-have’. In today’s economy, there’s a very high price for lost sales because of out-of-stock conditions, and absolutely nobody wants to carry excess inventory. Shoppers will not tolerate ordering a product, then being told later it’s out of stock. They want to know at the time of placing an order – online, by phone or in-store – that the items is available, in-stock and when it will be shipped and delivered. That’s especially critical as the holidays get closer…” Click here to continue reading and to learn more eCommerce tips to end this holiday season a high note.
Be sure you also take a minute to review Fred’s top five tips, from an article in Retail Online Integration, to ensure your eCommerce site is optimized and ready to finish the holiday season strong.
What tips do you have to share with other merchants on what enabled you capture eCommerce sales this holiday season?
Good luck and we hope wish you a successful end to 2011 holiday season.


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Founded in 1998, Majestic Stone had a solid reputation – shipping products everywhere from southern California to New York – but on a small scale. But after struggling through the recession, the owners sought to sell it to someone that could invest in its potential and turn it around. In 2016, Patrick Wells became the new chief executive officer – bringing fresh ideas and strategies for growth. In two and a half years, Majestic Stone has increased its production of local Tennessee stone tremendously and expanded its list of distributors.
“Alderman Holdings bought it when it was in transition,” said Wells. “It had a pretty good size fabrication shop, and the company had built a great name, but it got hit hard. It needed something more. The owners came to us. We bought it out of bankruptcy.


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Fast-fashion Brand ZARA in China (Bloomberg)
According to The Wall Street Journal, a growing number of Western brands in China are creating online stores to reach more consumers, adopting a formula that Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has exploited with much success.
The promise of e-commerce in China has attracted foreign companies for years. Yet Western companies, such as eBay Inc., EBAY +0.22% Google Inc. GOOG +0.20% andGroupon Inc., GRPN -4.49% have struggled in China, partly because of competition from domestic giants. Western retailers also have had concerns about the difficulties of distribution in the country and its Web shoppers’ insistence on low prices.
But China’s e-commerce—which, by some measures, overtook the U.S. this year as the world’s largest online retail marketplace—has become too big to ignore. Online retail sales in China are expected to reach about $540 billion by 2015, compared with roughly $345 billion in the U.S., according to consulting firm Bain & Co. China’s online retail sales have increased more than 70% annually since 2009, compared with 13% in the U.S.
“If you’re going to be in China, e-commerce is going to be the first thing you consider, and if you’re already there, you’re scrambling to adapt,” says Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, an investment advisory firm in Beijing.
Inditex SA ITX.MC +0.51% ’s Zara fast-fashion brand, high-end handbag makerCoach Inc. COH -0.27% and luxury-department-store chain Neiman Marcus Group Inc. began selling online in China late last year.
Posted by camelliacamellia on October 28, 2013
Asian Stock Market (Asian News)
According to The Wall Street Journal, Asian stocks moved lower Friday, though Australia managed to rise, in a session heavy in corporate earnings.
South Korea’s Kospi slid 1.1%, with the index’s largest single constituent, Samsung Electronics 005930.SE 0.00% down 1% after it reported third-quarter net profit had risen 25.6% to another record. Before the results, the stock enjoyed a strong run-up, and remains 5% higher so far in October.
Also in Seoul, LG Electronics 066570.SE -3.42% dropped 3.7% after it reported a 34% decline in net profit over the same period.
In Hong Kong, shares of Chinese auto maker Great Wall Motor GWLLY -4.22% shed 5.8% after reporting weaker profit margins in the third quarter.
In Japan, Canon 7751.TO -1.60% fell 1.1% after it lowered its full-year net profit forecast to ¥240 billion ($2.46 billion) from a previous estimate of ¥260 billion set in July. Mitsubishi Motors 7211.TO +1.17% Corporation added 1.8% after the car company increased its profit outlook.
More broadly, the absence of fresh catalysts left regional markets to drift lower.
In Japan, the Nikkei remained under pressure from a yen that has firmed up in recent sessions. The Japanese currency maintained its strength, last at ¥97.21 to the dollar, helping to pull the Nikkei down 1.7%.
Posted by camelliacamellia on October 25, 2013
According to Bloomberg, Indonesia’s most aggressive monetary tightening since 2005 is set to slow economic growth without denting soaring property demand in the world’s fourth-most populous nation.
A young population, elevated inflation and property-price gains that outpace interest rates are spurring real-estate sales from Jakarta to Manado. Home prices in the third quarter probably rose 14.6 percent from a year earlier, according to a Bank Indonesia survey, while the Indonesian Real Estate Association predicts housing sales will climb more than 50 percent this year.
“Indonesia has a huge population, that’s a potential market for us,” said Setyo Maharso, chairman of the Indonesian real estate association, which predicts 2013 property sales will rise to 400,000 units from 260,000 last year. “For our buyers, as long as they have the ability to pay monthly installments, sales will keep increasing till the year end.”
With foreigners restricted from owning property in SoutheastAsia’s biggest economy, Indonesia is confronting a surge in local demand rather than the capital inflows that spurred record home prices in neighboring Singapore and Hong Kong. After the central bank imposed stricter loan-to-value ratios for mortgages, persistent price gains may prompt the government to raise some real-estate taxes, PT Bank Danamon Indonesia said.
“By giving a luxury tax, especially for high-end properties, it would help to curb home-price increases,” said Anton Gunawan, chief economist at Bank Danamon who was a candidate for the No. 2 job at the central bank this year. “Returns from property remain high as there’s an expectation that home prices are still rising.”
Posted by camelliacamellia on October 23, 2013
According to The Wall Street Journal, risky bonds are making a comeback in Asia after falling out of favor over the summer, as recent developments in the U.S. have prompted investors to embrace increased risk in exchange for higher yields.
Buoyed by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program, investors in Asia took advantage of high-yield, or “junk,” bond issues early this year to increase returns against an otherwise low-interest backdrop. In the first five months alone, new junk bonds issued in Asia outside of Japan totaled $22.4 billion, exceeding the $15.3 billion total for all of last year. But indications from the Fed in late May that it could dial back its stimulus spending earlier than expected damped enthusiasm for the risky securities.
The Fed didn’t announce a pullback in spending after policy meeting last month, however, leading investors to expect at least a brief reprieve.
“The market has returned to a more risk-on mode since early September,” said Job Campbell, Hong Kong-based senior portfolio manager at Income Partners Asset Management, a $1.4 billion fixed-income manager. The fund has recently bought high-yield bonds issued by Chinese property firms including Yuzhou Properties Co. and Greentown China Holdings Ltd. 3900.HK -1.15% , he said.
Investors who were cautiously dipping their toes back into higher-yield bonds after the mid-September decision may have gotten more bullish since the U.S. budget and debt-ceiling standoff this month, the resolution of which has provided more certainty that the Fed will continue its stimulus effort at least until early next year, when the next showdown could occur.
Posted by camelliacamellia on October 22, 2013
According to Bloomberg, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) has agreed to sell 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, the tower built byDavid Rockefeller, to Fosun International Ltd., the investment arm of China’s biggest closely held industrial group, for $725 million.
Fosun, which invests in properties, pharmaceuticals and steel, is buying the 60-story, 2.2 million square-foot, lower Manhattan tower, according to a statement it filed to Hong Kong’s stock exchange.
China’s developers and companies are expanding in overseas property markets as the government maintains curbs on housing at home to cool prices. Greenland Holding Group Co., a Shanghai-based, state-owned developer, this month agreed to buy a 70 percent stake in a residential and commercial real estate project in Brooklyn.
“There’s a lot of excess capital in China that needs a way out at the moment,” Simon Lo, Hong Kong-based executive director for Asia research and advisory at property broker Colliers International, said in a phone interview today. “Also, by investing in markets like New York, they believe they can gain from the recovery of the U.S. economy and real estate market.”
Fosun (656), owned by Chinese billionaire Guo Guangchang, fell 0.3 percent to HK$6.79 at the midday trading break in Hong Kong. Shares in the Shanghai-based company have gained 37 percent this year, compared with the 2.6 percent increase in the benchmark Hang Seng Index.
Posted by camelliacamellia on October 22, 2013
China Developers’ Financing Hopes Revive on Share Sale Plans
Chinese developers may resume share sales on the country’s mainland exchanges as announcements of such plans by property companies in the past week add to signs that the government may allow new equity financing to proceed.
Sundy Land Investment Co. (600077), a Shenyang-based developer, plans to raise as much as 1.5 billion yuan ($245 million) in a private placement to finance two housing projects, the company said in a statement to Shanghai Stock Exchange yesterday. China Merchants Property Development Co. (000024), the country’s third-biggest developer by market value, plans to sell shares to buy assets, according to a statement posted to Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
The planned share sales reinforce expectations that regulators will ease limits on fundraising by developers, according toHaitong International Securities Group Ltd. (665) China will seek “stable and healthy” development of the property market, the Communist Party’s Politburo said July 30, the first time this year that authorities didn’t mention further tightening of restrictions, according to Credit Suisse Group AG and Orient Finance Holdings (H.K.) Ltd.
Posted by admin on August 7, 2013
Dublin energy company secures £87m from Japan
A JAPANESE trading company will today unveil a €100 million (£87m) equity investment in an energy company behind plans for a 450 megawatt (MW) wind farm off the Fife coast.
Marubeni Corporation will take a 25 per cent stake in MainstreamRenewable Power, which the Dublin-based firm said would enable further big projects to be financed.
The deal gives Marubeni a seat on Mainstream’s board alongside banking giant Barclays, which invested in the company in 2008.
The Marubeni deal signifies a “long-term strategic alliance” for both companies, which will see them working to accelerate Mainstream’s key projects globally. Marubeni already has interests in the renewables sector, including the offshore wind industry in Europe and the electricity supply business in the UK.
Posted by admin on August 5, 2013
HSBC likely to see substantial fall in profit
HSBC is expected to report a significant decline in pre-tax profit for the second quarter from the same period last year.
Eleven analysts, on average, estimated the bank’s pre-tax profit would fall 26.7 per cent to US$6.16 billion, a Bloomberg survey found. The banking giant will post its interim results today after the market closes.
Market participants said they were looking for indications of asset quality health in emerging markets – which showed signs of deterioration at rival Standard Chartered – and progress in cost cutting and revenue generation.
A marked turnaround in its businesses in Europe and North America helped HSBC to post significantly higher results in the first quarter.
Posted by admin on August 5, 2013
With few big deals, private equity moves to be Asia’s new banker
Aug 5 (Reuters) – In three years, global private equity firm KKR & Co has provided over $1.5 billion in loans to companies in India, a business traditionally handled by state-owned and private sector banks.
Encouraged by that success, KKR – which rose to prominence with its hostile $25 billion takeover of U.S. food and tobacco giant RJR Nabisco in 1989 – plans to expand the niche business in China and across Asia.
The move by private equity into lending comes at a time when buyout deals in Asia are few and far between and as traditional banks retreat. Apollo Global Management, KKR and Olympus Capital are raising credit funds as they seek out alternative sources of income. At least $6.6 billion is being raised by 12 funds for investment in Asia, according to Private Equity International and Thomson Reuters data.
Posted by admin on August 5, 2013