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Rare vintage rides shine at Fall Classic Car Auction
Muscle cars and vintage pickups still fetch top dollar, but couldn't match the show-stopping power of a special 1999 Prevost
Despite the surprising absence of American bidders taking advantage of the low Canadian dollar and the fact that cruising season is over, prices were strong. Thousands of enthusiasts attended the three-day event at the International Centre, just outside of Toronto, to watch nearly 300 classic cars and trucks cross the block – and one bus that was the star of the show because it was owned by a superstar.
Twain designed the interior of the palace on wheels herself with two separate living suites, an extra-large kitchen, soaker tub and even a recording studio area. The long silver bus has been her transportation hub for three major tours over the past 16 years, logging 225,000 kilometers from crisscrossing North America. Even a trailer hitch was installed to pull a trailer for Twain, who has been a long-time horse lover and incorporated a horse into many performances.
Classic car enthusiasts and Twain fans lined up the first day of the auction, with 600 people going through the Prevost Marathon Entertainer bus that originally cost more than $1 million. Twain had signed the inside of one of the kitchen cupboards.
Twain reportedly cried the last time she stepped out of the bus because it had been such a big part of her life and touring is now over for her. She may also have shed a tear after her tour management spent $110,000 in service work to get her bus ready for the final tour.
The auctioneer began the sale of the bus, which was far too big and heavy to drive on stage. Bidding was spirited but the final bid of $280,000 – plus a 10 per cent buyer’s fee – wasn’t enough to close the deal. When the auction ended, Shania Twain’s tour bus was still for sale.
But sales were strong with many classic convertibles, muscle cars, old pickup trucks and other collector cars changing hands. There were many unusual vehicles offered for sale, along with cars that aren’t made any more.
A red 1939 Hudson pickup truck that featured modern power drew a lot of interest. Another oddball – a 1956 Studebaker President Pinehurst two door station wagon with factory air conditioning – garnered a respectable winning bid of $18,000, plus the 10 per cent buyer’s fee.
Seldom seen was one of only 759 Canadian-built 1958 Pontiac Parisienne convertibles that was hammered down by the auctioneer at $48,000 – a price the owner of the car said wasn’t enough, so it as a no sale.
With thousands attending the fall auction and several hundred vehicles changing hands, the event shows there continues to be strength in the classic car hobby and market. Maybe it was not the right venue to sell the Shania Twain’s personal tour bus, but the auction company is still determined to get it down the road with a new owner.


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-Monroe News photo by TOM HAWLEY Horizon Outlet
The shopping centers along LaPlaisance Rd. could become an industrial park in the next year.
Monroe Township officials and strip mall owners are looking to remarket 175 acres between LaPlaisance Rd., Dunbar Rd. and I-75 for light industrial use, which could attract warehouse and manufacturing operations.
“We’re told there’s a lot of demand for those places, and this is right next to the expressway,” said Monroe Township Supervisor Alan Barron. “It’s an ideal spot.”
The area is zoned C- 2 general commercial and would have to be rezoned for light industrial, which could happen by March. The township is working to amend the master plan to allow future land use in the area to be rezoned for light industrial to make it easier for potential developers to move in.
“Developers want a place to be shovel- ready,” Mr. Barron said. “ We want to make it easier for them and get some of the hurdles out of the way.”
Once the master plan is amended and has taken effect Jan. 1, the rezoning process would have to begin, which takes two to three months, said Kim Fortner, township zoning enforcement officer.
A strip of land on the north end of LaPlaisance Rd. still would be zoned for commercial use, which would hide the industrial park in the back.
Amicus Management, the courtappointed receiver of Monroe Factory Shops, where the Gap Outlet and Monroe City Fireworks are located, solicited quotes for demolition on two of the three buildings for potential buyers. It is selling the property for $1.1 million.
When added with the neighboring Harwood Plaza, which Monroe Bank & Trust is auction- ing Oct. 29, and the former Ilgenfritz Nursery, it creates 175 acres of land that can bring in a major corporation, said Marc Berry, project director for Amicus.
The land is being sold separately, however, and there is no guarantee an industrial developer or corporation will buy the properties.
The location still is advantageous for industries because of its proximity to I- 75, Toledo and Detroit, said Tim Lake, president and chief executive officer of the Monroe County Business Development Corp.
“The retail area has always struggled there for some reason … and we don’t have the demographic there for a big box store, but it makes sense for light industry,” Mr. Lake said. “ The concepts we talked about look like something you might see in Ann Arbor or Plymouth and you can’t tell there’s industry behind the strip mall. It will fit in the environment nicely.”

domain: news


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An Indonesian plastic products end manufacturer revealed to SSESSMENTS.COM that the company has received new import polypropylene (PP) offers from Thailand and the Philippines with an adjustment. According to the ...
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Tags: Asia Pacific,English,Indonesia,News,PP,Philippines,SEA,ThailandPublished on May 30, 2023 4:37 PM (GMT+8)
Last Updated on May 30, 2023 4:37 PM (GMT+8)


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Europe’s energy crisis is intensifying and winter is approaching. Eight-piece winter sets from China are being exported to Europe. Chinese-made winter products such as autumn clothes, bare-leg artifacts, flannel pajamas, hot water bottles, hand warmers, heaters, electric blankets and turtleneck sweaters are being “exploded” by European consumers. .
Europeans are starting to grab the “bare leg artifact”
According to Sino-Singapore Jingwei, autumn clothes and long trousers, which are indispensable for Chinese people in winter, are appearing in the wardrobes of European consumers. According to data provided by AliExpress, a local cross-border platform, sales of thermal underwear have increased by 246% month-on-month since October. Among them, autumn clothes and long trousers have more than tripled the month-on-month growth in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and other countries, reaching 372%, 362%, 365%, 316% and 311% respectively.
Picture source: Video screenshot
In addition, The bare-leg artifact has also become popular in Europe, with sales increasing by 131% month-on-month from October to now, with women from the Netherlands, Germany and France being the most popular. Love these “magic stockings” made in China.
Data show that since October, the sales of domestic hot water bottles have achieved a 300% month-on-month growth across Europe. The sales of hand warmers increased by 447% month-on-month. According to data provided by AliExpress on September 28, in the past month, sales of low-energy “heating appliances” products in Europe increased by 300% compared with the previous month.
Among them, consumers from the Netherlands, France, Germany and Poland are most dependent on Chinese-made “warming artifacts” such as heaters, foot warmers, and electric scarves. Data from the General Administration of Customs also shows that in July this year alone, The 27 EU countries imported 1.29 million Chinese electric blankets, a month-on-month increase of nearly 150%.
Macron is wearing itChinese turtlenecks are also popular!
Recently, France has launched a “new fashion” in winter men’s clothing from the political arena, and turtleneck sweaters may become the best fashion item this year. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, who is second only to the Prime Minister in the protocol order of government members, said in an interview on September 27: “You will no longer see me wearing a tie, (but will be) wearing a round-neck sweater. .”
And posted photos of himself wearing a turtleneck while working in the office on his official social account. In a video released on October 3, French President Macron abandoned his previous habit of “wearing a shirt under a suit” and wore a turtleneck sweater of the same color as the suit.
Left: French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire Right: French President Macron
According to Red Star News, Mr. Luo, the person in charge of an import and export company in Xiamen, told reporters that since the European energy crisis, the company’s sales data in the European market have been relatively impressive, with orders for thickened jackets and turtlenecks increasing rapidly, and European countries The sales volume is basically flat, the return of orders from the B-end (enterprise users) has increased, and the sales of thermal products from the C-end (individual users, consumers) are on the rise. In the last 30 days alone, searches for men’s autumn turtleneck sweaters in the company’s online store have increased 13 times.
“I have friends who are engaged in foreign trade in Guangdong, exporting electric blankets, electric kettles and other heating items to Europe. Due to this year’s abnormal climate and potential energy crisis, they predicted this wave of sales boom very early, starting in April We started preparations and worked overtime almost every day in May and June,” he added. However, Mr. Luo judged that this sales boom may fade away soon. “After all, the cold winter only lasts for two or three months, and some European countries have already prepared to launch plans to deal with the crisis.”


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Search CSP Daily News
The end of the pump price crash: up a nickel
In-store spending increases, with fuel sales expected to follow: Skupos
Steep drop in oil prices drives earnings despite demand destruction
COVID-19-related decline appears to ease, with growth anticipated this summer: Raymond James
NACS State of the Industry Summit reinforces the importance of industry’s strong 2019 operational and financial results
Pent-up demand, low interest rates could fuel spike when businesses reopen, SOI speaker says
In-store sales surpass fuel for the first time this year
Skupos examines changes to sales figures as a result of virus
Couche-Tard reports positive growth ahead of coronavirus crisis as it keeps an eye on Caltex
Travel-center chain cites increased shipments, commits to keeping stores open as pandemic continues
Top 202 details the largest chains in the convenience-store industry and the biggest M&A stories of the past year.
Category sales performance in Beverages, Candy, General Merchandise, Packaged Food/Foodservice and Snacks.
The industry’s largest distributors by sales volume
Corporate retail news affecting the convenience-store industry
The latest information on products and trends in the convenience-store and foodservice industries.
Peek inside new convenience stores to uncover the best in retail store design across North America.


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With this week’s buyout of GreatCall, the Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR just placed a big bet that healthtech for the aging wave of baby boomers will be a big business. GreatCall operates a virtual telecommunications network that provides healthtech products and services for more than 800,000 older consumers throughout the United States. The company, […]
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
FOREIGN LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
2013 - J.P. MORGAN GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS V LLC
AROUND THE WEB
- With GreatCall Deal, GTCR Looks to Expand Healthtech for Boomers
By Bruce V. Bigelow - Friday Jun 9, 2017
- Why J.P. Morgan May Be Getting Its Deal Making Game On
Tuesday Jul 4, 2017
A possible J.P. Morgan bid for U.K. firm Worldpay comes as the payments sector has been a hive of activity in recent years and is seen as ripe for consolidation.
- J.P. Morgan Knew of Trading Risks
Tuesday Jun 12, 2012
Some top J.P. Morgan executives and directors were alerted to risky practices by a team of London-based traders two years before that group's botched bets cost the bank more than $2 billion. David Reilly has details on The News Hub. Photo: Bloomberg.
- Jamie Dimon Goes Off
Friday Jul 14, 2017
The J.P. Morgan CEO savages Washington’s anti-growth culture.
- Why Apple and J.P. Morgan Are Chasing Venmo
Monday Jun 26, 2017
Big tech and finance firms are charging into person-to-person payments with little regard for making money, believing such services will be vital to getting and keeping consumers.
- Rent-a-Center shares soar after rejecting takeover bid
By Carleton English - Wednesday Jul 12, 2017
Rent-A-Center shares soared 8.9 percent to $12.09 on Tuesday after it was revealed that the rent-to-own chain had rejected a $15 a share takeover bid from a Florida private equity firm. The Plano, Texas, retailer called the offer from Vintage Capital “inadequate and opportunistic.” While many investors cheered the move by Rent-a-Center, one investor, activist...


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Bengaluru: Westlife Development
(WDL), the owner of Hardcastle Restaurants
, announced that its shares
are now trading on the National Stock Exchange
The master franchisee of US-based McDonald’s fast food chain of restaurants in West and South India has been listed on Bombay Stock Exchange since 1983.
The NSE has an estimated base of about 6 crore retail investors. The trading of WDL’s shares on NSE will help in broad-basing the investor base and enable more people to participate in the company’s growth, stated the stock exchange filing.
Amit Jatia, vice-chairman of WDL, said, “The Western Quick Service Restaurant industry is poised for accelerated growth with an estimated five-year CAGR of more than 12%. With menu innovation, digitization across operations and continuous investment in footprint growth, WDL will drive growth. The trading of the Company’s shares on the NSE will allow more investors to be a part of this journey and create long-term value.”
Through Hardcastle Restaurants, WDL operates about 300 McDonald’s restaurants across 41 cities in West and South India through various formats and brand extensions including standalone restaurants, drive- thru’s, 24/7, delivery and dessert kiosks. The menu features burgers, finger foods, wraps, salads, beverages and desserts.


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A study found that 3 of the strains tested were able to inhibit cytokine storms and mitigate future risks of developing pulmonary fibrosis.
The company says it is only months from launching its product in Israel and plans to enter the US market next year.
The innovative topical spray is expected to effectively treat atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pain and lesions.
Over 1 in 5 Israelis have refrained or delayed medical treatment for fear of catching the disease.
The current widely accepted treatment for acute pain involves a mix between highly-addictive opioids and other pain relief drugs.
Germany is home to the fastest-growing medical cannabis market outside the US.
Together currently operates two medical cannabis greenhouses in Israel and Uganda and is able to produce roughly 30 tons annually.
Recreational market expected to rake in billions of dollars; CBD-infused cosmetics and food also set to hit supermarket shelves
Only last month, Panaxia became the first Israeli medical cannabis company receive a commercial export license.
While Israel first approved medical cannabis exports almost two years ago, issues with Ya'acov Litzman's 2017 reform have caused the process to stall


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Beginning today June 16, 2015 all Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) will announce their ex-pump prices for petroleum products.
The pricing by the OMCs is the first step towards the full implementation of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)’s petroleum product price deregulation.
The industry regulator, NPA, made this known in a release Monday.
“In line with the [deregulation policy], the NPA will monitor the application of the Prescribed Petroleum Pricing Formula to ensure that all Petroleum Service Providers apply the formula in the right way and defaulters will be duly sanctioned”, according to the release signed by NPA Chief Executive, Moses Asaga.
Mr Asaga further states that the implementation of this first stage of price deregulation will continue into subsequent pricing windows while the Authority reviews the existing legal framework of petroleum products pricing towards a smooth implementation of the full steps of price deregulation.
The deregulation policy is expected to allow marketers and importers of Petroleum products to set their own prices and bring an end to government subsidy on the commodity.
Delays in getting the necessary legal framework from the Attorney General as well as challenges in securing favorable price quotes from importers forced the regulator to move the date to Tuesday.
However, a meeting Monday between stakeholders in the industry and the NPA has allowed the implementation to start.
Meanwhile industry players say the current rate of the cedi's depreciation is likely to substantially increase prices of petroleum products if OMCs set their own prices.
Exchange rate and crude oil prices on the international market are key factors in the pricing formula.
But Civil Society groups and industry experts insist petroleum pricing deregulation holds many benefits for both consumers and government.
Think tank, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education say market pricing of petroleum products would allow consumers to benefit from cost reductions when price of crude oil falls.
“The era of asymmetrical pricing would be a thing of the past, as Government can no longer play politics with the prices of petroleum products. Moreover, competitive pricing from industry players will benefit consumers as they stand to enjoy higher service standards” IMANI said in a comprehensive analysis on the subject last April.
IMANI says allowing full pass-through of market prices will stimulate the economy and bring about efficient use of petroleum products, as consumers due to higher prices - that is if pricing by the OMCs shoot up prices.
“This will ultimately save the country money in terms of reducing oil consumption and imports”, according to the think tank.
Experts believe deregulation and hence de-subsidisation would release needed funds for Government to undertake critical capital projects that will bring about required socio-economic development.
The Government will also have less financial headache as it unshackles itself completely from the risks associated with industry operations, the experts say.
Have your say
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Week Ending 07.21.19
BRAINWORKS SEEKS SERIES A
DODS ACQUIRES MERITGROUP
THUNDER BRIDE RAISING USD 300M IN IPO & OPORTUN RAISING USD 50M
LENDBUZZ RAISES USD 150M IN FUNDING & RECURSION GETS USD 121M IN SERIES C
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PUTS EUR 50M INTO AI RESEARCH
ELECTRIFAI HIRES CEO & STRADIGI AI HIRES FORMER CRAY EXEC
Q2 AI FUNDING NUMBERS
AND MORE ↓
EYE ON A.I. GETS READERS UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST FUNDING NEWS AND RELATED ISSUES. SUBSCRIBE FOR THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER.
LATEST FROM EYE ON A.I.
Brainworks seeks Series A after closing a seed round last month.
The AI company commercializing healthcare technology plans to double headcount by the end of the year, according to a person familiar with the matter. Read more
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Dods, the London, UK-based intelligence, media and events company, said it acquired Meritgroup to extend its AI products and services.
Blue Prism, the London, UK-based business software platform, said it acquired AI company Thoughtonomy.
Integrated Specialty Coverages, the Harrison, New York-based insurer using AI, said it acquired Safebuilt Insurance Services.
Temenos, the Geneva, Switzerland-based banking software developer, said it acquired AI company Logical Glue.
Thunder Bride Acquisition II, the Great Falls, Virginia-based special purpose acquisition vehicle, said it plans to raise up to USD 300m from an initial public offering of 30m shares at USD 10 each. The company plans to invest in companies that include AI firms.
Castle Biosciences, the Friendswood, Texas-based cancer research firm using AI, said it is raising up to USD 53m from an initial public offering on the Nasdaq of 3.33m shares at USD 14 to USD 16 each.
Livongo Health, the Mountain View, California-based healthcare platform using machine learning, said it is raising USD 246m in an initial public offering of 10.7m shares on the Nasdaq at USD 20 to USD 23 each.
NeuroOne Medical Technologies, the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company developing technological treatments for neurological diseases, said shareholders plan to raise as much as USD 29m from the sale of shares they hold in the company.
In September last year the company formed an AI advisory board to be overseen by Kip Ludwig. Ludwig runs the University of Wisconsin’s bioelectronic medicine lab.
Oportun Financial, the San Carlos, California-based financial services company using machine learning, said it is raising USD 50m in an initial public offering on the Nasdaq.
Medallia, the San Francisco, California-based marketing company using AI, saw its shares jump 76% on the first day of NYSE trading.
The company said it and shareholders, which include venture capital fund Sequoia Capital, raised USD 325.5m from the sale of 15.5m shares in an initial public offering at three dollars above the USD 16 to USD 18 range they were marketed on.
The company and shareholders originally sought USD 261m from the sale of 14.51m shares.
In June it acquired Israel’s Cooladata for its AI technology and in May said it was acquiring Strikedeck, a marketing firm using AI and machine learning.
UBTech, the Shenzhen, China-based robot maker backed by internet giant Tencent, said it is weighing an IPO in China, according to a technode report.
Lendbuzz, the Boston, Massachusetts-based lending platform using machine learning, said it raised USD 150m in equity and debt in a funding round led by 83North.
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, the Salt Lake City, Utah-based biotechnology company using AI, said it raised USD 121m in a Series C led by Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust.
Near, the San Francisco, California-based marketing firm using AI, said it raised USD 100m from London’s Greater Pacific Capital.
ContractPodAi, the London, UK-based business software developer using AI, said it raised USD 55m in a Series B funding led by Insight Partners.
Amperity, the Seattle, Washington-based marketing firm using AI said it raised USD 50m in a Series C funding that included Tiger Global Management and Goldman Sachs.
AlphaSense, the New York City-based business services company using AI, said it raised USD 50m in a Series B led by Innovation Endeavors, which was founded by Google’s Eric Schmidt.
Notable, the San Mateo, California-based health technology company using AI, raised USD 40m in a Series B led by B Capital Group and LifeForce Capital, according to a VentureBeat report.
Flybits, the San Francisco and Toronto, Canada-based marketing firm using AI, said it raised USD 35m in a Series C led by Point72 Ventures. The company is focused on the financial services industry.
Neocis, the Miami, Florida-based dental robotics company, said it raised USD 30m in an unspecified funding round led by existing investor Mithril Capital Management.
LANDR Audio, the Montreal, Canada-based professional music platform using AI, said it raised USD 26m in a Series B funding led by a venture capital fund of Japan’s Sony, microphone maker Shure, Canada’s Investissement Québec and Fonds de solidarité FTQ. Warner Music also participated.
scale ai, the Montreal, Canada-based startup incubator, said it raised CAD 23.4m (USD 17.9m) in funding led by Quebec’s Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale.
Exyn Technologies, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based autonomous drone maker, said it raised USD 16m in a Series A led by Centricus. A venture capital unit of Japan’s Yamaha.
Gamaya, the Morges, Switzerland-based agricultural technology company using machine learning, said it raised 12m CHF (USD 12.2m) in an unspecified funding round led by India’s Mahindra & Mahindra.
Submittable, the Missoula, Montana-based human resources platform using AI, said it raised USD 10m in a Series B led by Next Coast Ventures.
RoadBotics, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based road assessment company using AI, said it raised USD 7.5m in Series A funding led by Radical Ventures.
DEARhealth, the Los Angeles, California-based chronic healthcare company using AI, said it raised USD 6.8m in Series A funding from Philips Health Technology Ventures, Vesalius Biocapital III and Health Innovations.
Lexion, the Seattle, Washington-based legal contract management company using AI, said it raised USD 4.2m in a seed funding from unspecified investors.
Dashmote, the Amsterdam, Holland-based AI company, said it raised GBP 2.8m (USD 3.5m) in funding from SPIA, Three Curve Capital and Gaomei Yunjing Investments.
ElectrifAi, the Jersey City, New Jersey-based AI company, said it hired Edward Scott as CEO. The company was formerly known as Opera Solutions.
NCI Information Systems, the Reston, Virginia-based defense industry services company using AI, said it hired Charles Hicks Jr. as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer.
CTBC Bank USA, the Los Angeles, California-based lender, said it hired Ming Lin Chen as COO to build out its AI capacity.
Stradigi AI, the Montreal, Canada-based AI company, said it hired Per Nyberg as chief commercial officer. Nyberg ran the AI unit of supercomputer maker Cray.
OJO Labs, the Austin, Texas-based real estate technology firm using AI, said it hired Chris Heller as chief real estate officer and Karen Starns as chief marketing officer.
The company in October hired former Google executive Peter Kappler as chief technology officer and Qingqing Ouyang as executive vice president of engineering. The company also acquired WolfNet Technologies, the real estate data company, in October.
MaxQ AI, the Tel Aviv, Israel and Andover, Massachusetts-based medical diagnostics company using AI, said it hired Tom Neufelder as chief technology officer.
EVOTEK, the San Diego, California-based data center operator using AI, said it hired Jaeson Galli as vice president of services.
Kingland, the Clear Lake, Iowa-based business software services firm using AI, said it hired Ron Jordan as senior vice president, strategic accounts and partnerships.
AI companies placed second in the second quarter in terms of venture capital funding at USD 4.9bn behind financial technology with USD 5.1bn, according to a report from PwC/CB Insights Money Tree.
The two sectors were tied in terms of the number of deals. The largest AI related deal was San Francisco's Cruise Automation, which raised USD 1.5bn from General Motors, Honda and Softbank.


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The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has begun an investigation into customs duties on tablet PCs amid reports that Apple is the only manufacturer importing its products duty-free, while other tablet producers are paying import levies.
The antitrust agency sent letters to manufacturers inquiring how their tablets are classified, which determines customs duties, a source told Kommersant, which was later confirmed by the antitrust agency's information technology head Vladimir Kudryavtsev. Letters went out to 15 companies, including Acer, Samsung, Asus, HP, Lenovo and Sony.
Problems began for producers last fall when the Federal Customs Service changed classification codes for tablet computers with GPS hardware, counting them as navigators instead of computers. This resulted in a 5 percent import duty being levied — which increased prices per unit by several thousand rubles. The customs service offered to cancel the duties if companies could show that the devices really were computers.
On Feb. 9 the Information & Computer Technologies Industry Association sent a letter to the customs service explaining why the iPad should be considered a computer, a source told Kommersant. Representatives of the association and customs chief Alexander Belyaninov met on Feb. 13 to discuss the topic, and the next day the service issued a recommendation that the iPad should be considered a computer.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment from The Moscow Times.
Acer Russia spokesman Denis Kutnikov said his company sent a letter to the customs service in early March not only requesting that their Iconia tablet be considered a computer, but also complaining that their products were routinely delayed at customs. The company has yet to receive a response.
The communication director for Lenovo in Russia and the CIS, Ilya Pozharsky, said the import classification of their devices depends on the customs inspector — half the time it's declared a navigator, the other half a computer.
More than half of the 800,000 tablet computers sold in Russia in 2011 were Apple iPads, Lenovo vice president Gleb Mishin said.


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Aerial Direct wins gold at The Mobile News Awards 2023
Aerial Direct has won the Best B2B Reseller award at the Mobile News Awards 2023, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our people who strive to provide our customers with the best possible service.
At Aerial Direct, we believe that every conversation matters, and we work hard to ensure that our customers receive the highest level of service. This award is a recognition of our commitment to our customers and our drive to continuously improve their experience.
Our people are the backbone of our success, and this award is a testament to their talent, skills, and dedication. We are proud of the strides we have made in recent years, including the development of our innovative Hive Intranet platform, improvements in our customer experience, and expansion of our customer base.
We want to take this opportunity to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment to our mission. Without them, we would not have been able to achieve this great honour. We also want to thank our customers for their trust in us and for giving us the opportunity to partner with them.
As we continue to grow and expand, we remain committed to providing our customers with the value propositions that will help them achieve their goals. Every conversation matters, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that our customers receive the highest level of service.
In conclusion, we are honoured to be recognised as a leader in the mobile industry and are committed to continuing our success. Thank you again to our employees and customers for your support, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.


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Two north-east MSPs are urging businesses in the region to apply for a share of funding to promote town centres.
Scottish Government ministers are providing grants of between £500 and £5,000 to encourage people to shop locally as part of the Scotland Loves Local scheme.
Money given to businesses is designed to enable small-scale improvements to keep staff and customers safe, such as protective screens, physical distancing markers, hand sanitising equipment and PPE.
The initiative has been welcomed by Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin and Banffshire and Buchan Coast representative Stewart Stevenson.
And the pair have urged eligible businesses to take advantage of the campaign.
Ms Martin said: “We all have a role to play in Scotland’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and it’s now more important than ever to consider shopping locally and supporting the brilliant local businesses in the north-east.
“The Scotland Loves Local campaign – which will provide grants of between £500 and £5,000 – encourages people to think how they can safely support people to shop, eat and relax within their community whilst ensuring public health safety.”
Mr Stevenson said: “This £1million fund, delivered by the Scottish Government, is an exciting opportunity for local projects and locally-based online businesses to support town centres and promote their local community.
“I have no doubt this new fund will be a real boost for communities across the north-east.”


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Great Lakes Brewing Co. has been fulfilling its expansion plans in the same way fans of its carefully crafted beers and ales slake their thirst — by sipping, not gulping down market share all at once. As a result, the brewer in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood has been growing slowly and methodically within its 65,000-square-foot brewhouse on Carroll Avenue between West 26th and West 28th streets. The latest installment of its expansion effort involves a $6 million investment that would boost its production capacity to meet heightened demand. When the addition of brewing and bottling equipment is complete at the end of 2013, Great Lakes will be at a capacity of 150,000 to 175,000 barrels per year, up a minimum of 50% from its current capacity of about 100,000 barrels. It brewed 87,000 barrels last year. “We've been careful and patient,” said Patrick Conway, co-owner. “We don't want to compromise our quality. I'd say that's a good strategy after two decades.” Even with big distributors throughout the nation courting the craft brewer to carry its beer, Mr. Conway said the operation will remain a neighborhood anchor. “We continue to grow because of the quality of our product, and we're benefiting from the growth of this area and the surrounding restaurants,” he said. “We could go national tomorrow, but that's not in our best interests.” When it opened in 1988 at the site of its brewpub on Market Avenue, Great Lakes Brewing produced 1,000 barrels per year and was Ohio's first microbrewery. It moved its brewing operation in 1992 to the nearby Fries & Schuele Building, then sold the structure in 1998 and moved into its current production plant at the Schlather Building, which in the 1870s served as horse stables and kegging facilities for Schlather Brewing Co. “We bought that building with the goal of gradually growing into it, which we've done over time,” said Daniel Conway, Patrick's brother and the company's other co-owner.
Growth on tap at Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Ohio City brewer creates buzz with $6 million in
capital improvements that will bolster production
Thanks to the latest investment in its brewing operation, Great Lakes Brewing expects to be at a capacity of around 110,000 barrels by the end of 2010. It currently is the nation's 23rd -largest craft brewer, distributing its product in 13 states. Sales growth for 2010 is expected to be 25% over 2009 levels, Patrick Conway said. And during what was otherwise an anemic year for most companies during the recession, the brewer's sales rose 18% in 2009 over 2008. The company does not release actual sales figures. To keep up with that growth, the company hired 15 employees over the last year, bringing to 140 its current staff size, and plans to add another nine positions within the next year. To accommodate the increase in demand, Great Lakes Brewing plans to make maximum use of its plant. It shuttered in July the brewhouse for one month to install new equipment that includes a larger centrifuge, which removes yeast from beer before bottling and kegging and triples processing to 50 to 55 gallons of brew per minute from 15 to 20 gallons per minute. The brewery also invested in new bottling equipment that doubles bottling to 240 per minute from 105 and added a new filler, rinsers and conveyors. Plus, it made packaging efficiency upgrades. The company also just finished installing four fermenters in the “tank farm,” to bring to 28 the total number of 300-barrel stainless steel fermentation tanks. Once eight other tanks are added from 2011 to 2013, Great Lakes Brewing will be able to reach maximum production capacity. The brewer also leased from Lincoln Road Partners about 2,000 square feet at the Culinary Market Building on West 24th Street, behind the West Side Market, for equipment storage. Last year, Great Lakes Brewing quadrupled its merchandise store, which is adjacent to the brewpub, and sales of hats, shirts and the like have spiked 100% so far this year over last year.
The capital improvements are financed through two $3 million bonds, each payable over 12 years. Cuyahoga County on Aug. 31 issued $3 million in tax-free industrial revenue bonds and another $3 million in Recovery Zone bonds, a creation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act designed to encourage economic development in distressed areas. The bonds were secured by a letter of credit from PNC Bank. After 22 years of doing business with Huntington Bank, Daniel and Patrick Conway said they were drawn to PNC's sustainability principles, which aligned closely with the brewer's mission. Great Lakes Brewing continues to incorporate sustainable practices into its operations. It is a stakeholder in the nearby new Ohio City Farm and in the Pint Size Farm at Hale Farm & Village in Bath, and uses produce from each farm in its beer and in food at the brewpub. The brewer over the summer also installed 12 solar panels on the roof of the Elton Hotel Building, which houses the gift store, and Patrick Conway said he would like to add more above the brewhouse. The company recycles everything from cardboard to brewer's barley, and implemented this year energy-efficiency practices that included the renovation of its outdoor beer garden with a retractable “Roman curtain” made of durable canvas, which allows outdoor dining all year. The beer garden facelift includes a radiant heat fireplace and floor and a straw wall bale. Its beer delivery truck runs on vegetable oil reclaimed from its restaurant, and its brewery cooler in the winter blows in the frigid outdoor air to keep the beer cold. Great Lakes also established in 2007 the Burning River Foundation, which has awarded more than $200,000 to local nonprofit organizations such as the GreenCityBlueLake Institute and Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
The expansion of Great Lakes Brewing's production capacity dovetails with Ohio City's plans to brand itself by 2012 — the year of the West Side Market's centennial — as a Market District positioned to be the hub of a complete regional food system. Sam McNulty, owner of nearby Bier Markt, Bar Cento and Speakeasy, is planning to open by early 2011 a Market Garden Brewery & Distillery. He said he sees Great Lakes Brewing's growth as a boon for the area, rather than as a competitor that could affect foot traffic to his new venture. “One of my first calls about the plan was to Pat Conway,” Mr. McNulty said. “He was really excited. The goal of good urban planning is to give people the largest number of choices in the smallest area.” Eric Wobser, executive director of Ohio City Near West Development Corp., said Great Lakes Brewing and the Conway brothers have been “the energy of the neighborhood since the beginning, and their growth shows how committed they are to this area.” Not that the commitment isn't without challenges. Great Lakes Brewing likely will need more space once it reaches maximum capacity at its current location, but it's landlocked because there's only so much space and parking within the neighborhood, Patrick Conway said. “Hopefully we can create a multilevel parking garage at some point, because we're going to need more dock space,” he said. “It's a good challenge to have.”


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By Tracie McMillan
The Guardian • Apr. 14, 2014
A man who applies pesticides to Iowa fields for $14 hour might not seem a likely organic enthusiast. But when I met Jim Dreier last fall, and he mentioned the backyard patch he and his wife had planted with vegetables in the spring, he told me he didn’t use any pesticides. When I asked him why, Dreier surprised me: “I don’t want to eat that shit,” he said. When I went grocery shopping with his wife, Christina, she surprised me, too, by picking out a bag of organic grapes even though she was paying with Snap – food stamps – for exactly the same reason.
I thought about Jim and Christina last week, and my surprise at their organic habits, after Walmart announced it will be adding 100 new organic products to its shelves this month. For as long as I can remember, “organic” has been synonymous with affluence and conscious consumption. Partly, that’s because organic foods are typically 30% more expensive than conventional items. But part of it is our assumption about who exactly buys organic and why. Typically, it hasn’t been families like the Dreiers, who are raising three kids on Jim’s $14 an hour and can’t really afford it. So we tend to think that people who buy organic food are part of a select group: urban, well-meaning, affluent, educated “foodies”.
This is a pernicious myth. In reality, the poor actually consider organic food moreimportant than the rich, according to top researchers – and organic isn’t a “select” phenomenon at all. Three-quarters of American shoppers buy organic food at least occasionally and more than a third do so monthly, according to industry analysis by the Hartman Group. When researchers asked why shoppers didn’t buy organic more often, two-thirds said it was because of the higher price.
And yet the myth that only the rich buy organic persists, driven by a kind of circular logic that conflates preference (valuing organic) with behavior (actually buying it). The cost of organic food keeps the poorest families from buying it often, and since only the wealthy can easily afford organic food, the only people we see buying it are wealthy. That, in turn, makes organic food into a norm for the rich, and a treat for the rest of us.
Organic enthusiasts rarely help to clarify the situation, with some of the most prominent leaders making painfully tone-deaf comments about shoppers’ priorities. In 2008, just as the economy began to tank, respected chef and food advocate Alice Waters argued that shoppers make the choice between organic grapes and “Nike shoes – two pairs”, arguably adding to the perception that the poor simply do not prefer organic food.
As Walmart’s market researchers well know, the poor actually do care about organic. The biggest supermarket chain in America, Walmart has a customer base among the country’s poor and working class. The company estimates that 18% of Snap is spent in its stores, according to a recent series by Slate and Marketplace on the retailer – enough that it currently lists changes to public assistance programs as a potential liability for investors.
Meanwhile, organic food has been one of the retailer’s strongest categories of sales, says Marketplace’s Krissy Clark, who reported the Walmart series. “It makes sense to focus on the growth area,” she told me recently. And with cuts to public assistance from the farm bill going into effect, Clark added, the new organic line could attract “higher income consumers who are also feeling a squeeze, and maybe have reasons they wouldn’t shop at Walmart. This gives them incentive.”
While Walmart made a failed bid at going upscale a few years ago, its new organic line might have better luck. That’s because the new products will be branded under Wild Oats, a longstanding natural foods brand that Whole Foods bought and then resold in the 2000s. (Whole Foods sold the brand after a federal court ruled the merger violated anti-trust laws.) With the glimmer of brand-name recognition that Wild Oats could inspire, middle- and upper-income shoppers may be persuaded to take a closer look at Walmart. And the prices seem low enough to fit the modest shopper’s budget: a can of Whole Foods’ 365 organic corn sells for $1.29 at my local Brooklyn store, but Walmart plans to sell Wild Oats vegetables for 88 cents a can.
Where I live, I can pick from Whole Foods and farmers markets, not to mention food cooperatives that offer organic food affordably, so Walmart’s move doesn’t mean much for folks like me. And precisely what the new line will mean systemwide – how Walmart’s massive scale will affect for organic farmers and prices throughout the market – remains to be seen. But for families like the Dreiers, who – like an estimated15% of Walmart’s own workers – work hard and yet still need Snap to pay for food, it offers something new: an organic option they can afford. And it reminds me that I never should have been surprised that they’d want one in the first place.


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Over a month ago wearing a face mask inside became a 'personal choice' rather than the law.
Since July 19, wearing masks is no longer mandatory by law, but it is advised and requested by most supermarkets.
But he previously said that after July 19, he would continue to wear masks to "protect others and as a matter of simple courtesy."
He also came under fire last week, after a debate in the Commons chamber, where some ministers were not wearing facemasks.
So we decided to visit a supermarket in Slough to see how many people were still wearing their face coverings to do their shop.
What are the rules in place?
Since July 19, which many coined as "Freedom Day," wearing masks indoors or on public transport is no longer a legal requirement.
However, the government "expect and recommend" that people continue to cover their face in "crowded and enclosed spaces" when you come into contact with people you don't normally meet.
An example of this mentioned on gov.uk is on public transport.
But what about Asda? Well, they are encouraging customers to be "respectful" towards one another, and follow government guidance on face coverings.
They added that they will continue to provide face coverings at the storefront for those who decide to wear one.
Here's what we found
Firstly, I couldn't see where the masks were provided when I entered the supermarket. But I was already wearing a mask and I didn't look that hard, so it might have been right under my nose!
Although I did see some relevant signs with reminders to sanitise your hands upon arrival.
I was surprised to find that more people were not wearing masks compared to those who were.
While on public transport and the London Underground, I have found that the majority of people are still wearing masks, but the supermarket was a different story.
This could be explained by the fact that the supermarket aisles are much larger compared to your average indoor area, so there was plenty of space to manoeuvre around the shop without getting too close to anyone.
The lack of masks could also be explained by the fact that the store was not too busy, as I visited at around 2pm, before peak time in the evenings.
While I didn't notice any trends in particular amongst different age groups, I did see that many mothers who were running around after young children did not have a mask on.
Inside the store, I spoke with a nurse who explained why she chose to keep wearing her mask while shopping. She said that it felt "selfish" not to wear it and she had gotten used to having her face covered at work.
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I also spoke to a woman on our Facebook Live who previously had Covid-19, but has continued to wear her mask to "protect herself and other people," including her elderly mother.
But she believes that it is people's choice whether to cover their face, and the law to make it mandatory does not need to be put back in place.
She added that after having Covid, and her two vaccinations, she didn't feel worried seeing others walking around Asda without their mask.
While the coronavirus is "active," she said she plans to continue wearing her mask for the foreseeable future.
While we are now allowed to make our own decisions about covering our face, do you feel that people should keep following the government guidance?
Does seeing other people without masks on at your local supermarket make you feel uncomfortable? Whether you're bothered, in favour of no masks or just don't care either way, let us know in the comments, on Facebook or tweet us @Berkshire_live.
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With billions of users around the world, Reuters is the largest provider of multimedia business and monetary news. Reuters’ services cover the global economy, industry occurrences, and professional business towns. The company’s https://businessinfopoint.com/2019/11/09/business-infopoint-innovation-of-today/ business and financial news is accessible to businesses, journalists, and media organizations. It also reaches customers directly.
Its flagship organization news app, CNBC Disregarding Business News, is a necessary for those who wish to follow the latest business media. The software includes breaking media alerts, stock analysis, and financial info. It also enables you to watch total episodes of CNBC’s organization shows. When you are a stock marketplace investor, the app will allow you to make good decisions and take benefit from opportunities on the market. It also gives you insights into the latest inventory picks and also other news that can potentially affect your ventures.


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Bad-tempered customers are all the rage at a Chinese “anger room”, which is such a hit that 600 vent their fury every month.
Young people in Beijing are paying to rain blows on gadgets, glass bottles, wedding photos, and even mannequins to let out pent-up emotions.
Jin Meng, 25, who co-founded Smash with her friends last September, said that fired-up customers have been destroying a whopping 15,000 bottles every month.
The former public relations worker regards the anger room as a form of therapy, as it helps relieve people’s stress while living and working in major cities such as Beijing.
Among her satisfied customers is teenager Qiu Siyu, who needed just a few sharp blows with a baseball bat to wreck an old car radio.
Two of her friends followed suit, battering telephones, audio speakers, rice cookers and a naked mannequin.
It feels so good when I destroy those bottles and watch them explode
All three paid 158 yuan (£18.20) to spend half an hour in the anger room, a former factory in Beijing.
Before picking up hammers and bats, however, patrons don protective clothing and goggles.
While they channel their frustration on household objects, Smash staff play music of their choice in the background.
Qiu, a bespectacled 16-year-old high school student with braces, said she was there to let out anger about school.
Smiling sweetly, she told Reuters: “It feels so good when I destroy those bottles and watch them explode.”
Not intended to promote violence, Smash aims to help people deal with pressure, Jin said, adding that the target customers are between 20 and 35 years old.
Another happy basher, Liu Chao, 32, looked relaxed and pleased after his session.
He said: “If you have money, you can smash anything – smash some TVs, computers, wine bottles, furniture, mannequins, but the only thing you can’t do is to smash someone.
"This place gives you the pleasure of breaking things. In other places, after you smash one item, you might find the stuff still there or you get fined.
"But it won't happen here."
Jin said: “A woman brought all her wedding photos here, and she smashed them all.
"We welcome people to bring their own stuff. Every time when we come across cases like this, they affirm our belief that we’ve provided a safe place to let out negative energy. And we are happy for that.”
Spurred on by Smash's success, its founders are already planning for expansion, with hopes to open a new anger room in a Beijing shopping mall where people can take a break from their shopping to smash a bottle or two.
Similar ventures already exist in other countries, including the United States.
Source: Read Full Article


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November 15 2021 07:52 AM
Legoland Windsor have unveiled their 2021 Christmas tree, which is made out of 364,481 Duplo and Lego bricks.


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Jeff Bezos announced in an Instagram post last Monday that he will pledge $10billion of his own money to the ‘Bezos Earth Fund’ to fight climate change.
Big Tech has realised, since Davos last month, that sustainability is the new profitability. For companies to be desirable and for the billionaires behind them to be reputable, they need to make the environment part of their business plans – not just their PR strategies.
So although this latest move is welcome, it will take more than $10billion – barely 13% of Amazon’s annual revenues – to offset the systemic challenges in making the company sustainable.
For decades, Bezos has helped consumers like me save time and money. Only recently have we all started to face that it is the environment that ultimately pays the price.
Amazon’s offering of free, fast delivery with frictionless returns means that more cars, trucks and even planes are required to deliver products, and more packaging is needed to transport them in.
This is not a bug of Bezos’s business – it is a feature.
To change this, we need nothing less than a complete re-engineering of how we consume the products we buy not only from his firm but across the economy.
Around a third of all retail products sold online in the UK and US are sold by or through Amazon.
Many of those are through third party retailers, who are not bound by any significant environmental code of practice – Amazon has historically been focussed on volume and speed, not quality and sustainability.
A move towards a more sustainable, circular economy may impact Amazon’s bottom line in the short-term, and make life a little less convenient for time-poor consumers like me. But in the long-term it will allow us to continue to enjoy the perks of modern living.
But it’s a shift we can no longer delay, after a report released by campaign group Global Canopy stated that everyday products purchased on Amazon are linked to the destruction of tropical rainforests.
This urgency is not lost on the firm’s employees. Last April a letter signed by 8,700 of them urged the firm to adopt a wide-ranging plan to tackle climate change. Under the name “Amazon Employees for Climate Justice”, they organised walkouts to protest the company’s policies.
Jeff Bezos’s response to the concerned employees shows how much his attitude has shifted in just a few months – Amazon managers threatened to fire those employees. Less than a year later, the issues they raised are official now policy, led from the very top.
Although sustainability is perhaps alien to Amazon’s initial business model, Bezos’s shift has been months in the making, as the company faces up to its challenges.
Last September, Amazon released a report detailing the magnitude of its impact on the environment.
It revealed that in 2018, the company emitted around 44million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That is greater than the entire carbon footprint of Switzerland (which runs to 39 million metric tons).
But, according to the last official figures from 2017, Switzerland’s economy is around three times the size of Amazon’s.
If Bezos’s business was operating within the same parameters as governments, the firm’s carbon emissions would be similar to those of small developing countries, like Myanmar or Ghana.
In this context, it’s not surprising that some are cynical about whether Bezos can really go green with this limited pledge.
I hope that this is the first of many re-investments by him towards a sustainable future, rather than just a one-off. He can certainly afford to do so, since he made more money last month than he has currently pledged towards Amazon’s course correction on the environment, 26 years into its trading history.
If Bezos can really commit to sustainability, he can lead the way in the green economy in the next two decades, like he has in the online economy for the last two. Last September, he pledged that electric vans would be appearing on roads by 2021, with 100,000 of them in use by 2030. He also declared his aim to make Amazon carbon neutral by 2040, and I, like many others, am eagerly awaiting plans for how this can be achieved.
And there will need to be other strategic shifts in how Bezos does business, beyond just throwing money at the problem.
He cannot continue to court business from the oil and gas industry. And he must not repeat the actions of July 2019, when Amazon sponsored a gala by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Koch brothers funded think tank that actively promotes climate change denial.
Big Tech has long tried to position itself as friendly, ethical, and green. What started with Mark Zuckerberg’s flip flops has spiralled into Bezos’s “Earth Fund”.
But Amazon, like other Big Tech behemoths, must resist the unbridled capitalist urge to treat not only the environment but also its own employees, as well as tax regimes, as a system to be manipulated, a game to be played, a resource to be used and abused.
Pledging money in an Instagram post is a great start – but tech billionaires, as well as the millions of consumers who made them into billionaires, will need to change the way they live and operate if we are going to complete this journey.


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Nine To Noon for Tuesday 9 July 2019
09:05 Local business Cactus Outdoor expands
The outdoor clothing brand Cactus Outdoor says its acquisition of the country's last large-scale domestic apparel producer shows the local manufacturing industry is far from dead. Christchurch based Cactus Outdoor - which primarily makes outdoor clothing and equipment, has bought Albion Clothing - which manufactures garments for the New Zealand Defence Force, Fire and Emergency New Zealand the Police and others. In recent years a series of New Zealand outdoor brands have moved some or all of its manufacturing offshore including Macpac, Icebreaker, Fairydown, Swazi and Swandri. Ben Kepes, part-owner and director of Cactus, says the acquisition will give Cactus the scale and technology to maintain and grow the apparel manufacturing sector in New Zealand and he hopes other brands will return all or part of their manufacturing here.
09:20 Going off antidepressants - take time to quit
What happens when it's time to stop taking antidepressants? In a significant shift in position, in the last few months the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK now accepts that it has not paid enough attention to patients suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms when coming off anti-depressants. The new stance follows a Lancet Psychiatry paper co-authored by David Taylor, the director of pharmacy and pathology at the Maudsley Hospital in London, who has himself experienced withdrawal. In New Zealand, the Royal Australian and NZ College of Psychiastrists advises a cessation of medication over an extended period of time, because withdrawal symptoms may be experienced.
09:45 US correspondent David Smith - diplomatic row with UK
From the US, Washington bureau chief of The Guardian David Smith talks to Kathryn about a rare diplomatic row between the US and the UK. And the Governor of California has declared state of emergency following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake.
10:05 For Sama: rare window on Syrian conflict
It was an instinctual act for student turned journalist Waad al-Kateab to pick up her phone to film the Syrian uprising. What she didn't expect was where that journey would take her - an award winning film called, 'For Sama' dedicated to her baby daughter, to whom she gave birth to in under seige Aleppo. The result is a rare window into a woman's experience of the Syrian conflict. Kathryn Ryan talks to Waad al-Kateab and the film's UK Director Edward Watts.
10:35 Book review - Postcard Stories by Richard von Sturmer
Stella Chrysostomou reviews Postcard Stories by Richard von Sturmer, which is published by Titus Books.
Richard von Sturmer has chosen 100 postcards from his collection, arranged them into thematic groups and added text (prose and verse), creating narrative dimensions that resonate on multiple levels. Postcard Stories is a gem of a book - charming, curious and just a little strange.
10:45 The Reading
The Quiet Spectacular by Laurence Fearnley told by Katherine McRae (Part 7 of 10)
11:05 Business Commentator, Rod Oram - criticism of the Reserve Bank
Rod Oram talks to Kathryn about criticism of the Reserve Bank for its handling of CBL, the insurer that went bust. Also ANZ and Westpac’s Australian parents weigh in on Reserve Bank’s capital proposals.
11:30 Behind the scenes with Rialto's founder
David Ross and his business partner Kelly Rogers started the Rialto chain of cinemas back in 1990 and also have a hand in some beloved small cinemas around the country. David owns the Rialto Channel on Sky Television - which is about to turn 20. He joins Kathryn to talk about his passion for quality, independent cinema.
11:45 Media with Gavin Ellis - Air NZ's ditching of newspapers
Gavin claims that Air New Zealand's removing of newspapers from its lounges for environmental reasons is disingenuous. He labels it - simple cost-cutting and says they should be honest about it.


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The national oil company of Abu Dhabi (ADNOC), which is the state oil company of the United Arab Emirates, announced the successful pilot launch blockchain-system supply chains of oil, which was developed in cooperation with IBM.
According to a press release, the pilot project demonstrated the work of “a single platform that tracks quantitative and financial performance of each bilateral transaction” between parties through an automated accounting system.
The decision was presented by the head of the digital division, ADNOC, Abdul Nasser al Muhairbi at the summit of the World Energy Capital Assembly, held in London, noting that “this may be the first use of the blockchain in the production of oil and gas.”
“The blockchain technology that changes everything. It will significantly reduce our operating costs by eliminating time-consuming processes, strengthening marketing and trade our products and creating long-term sustainable value,” he added.
The IBM representative Zahid Habib (Habib Zahid), in turn, said that the system “includes the ability conclusively to track every molecule of oil and its cost, from the wellhead to the customer.”
Edition ArabianGazette also adds that in the future consumers and investors will have access to the data “lead to a smooth integration process” to interested parties.
“The system will reduce the time required for transactions between companies, and will greatly enhance operational efficiency across the value chain. It will also improve the accuracy of production data, ensuring a high level of transparency of transactions,” — said in a press release.


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The funds will be used to build a gaming ecosystem based on Libplanet blockchain technology. Planetarium Labs, a community-driven gaming company, has raised $32 million in Series A funding from Animoca Brands, Samsung Next, and WeMade. The funds will be used to create a blockchain-based gaming ecosystem in which players can participate in the game network while also giving community members a seat at the table.
The company announced on Thursday that it is developing a gaming environment based on Libplanet blockchain technology, which will allow gamers to join the game network while also giving users a voice in open source content development.
Planetarium Labs will expand basic tools for community-driven gaming and player governance, as well as enable key studios to deliver sophisticated Web3 gaming experiences. To encourage participation, the company intends to focus on the Libplanet ecosystem for decentralised gaming and establish a variety of projects such as an ecosystem fund and community assistance programmes.
The capital raise also establishes a broad network of connections for Planetarium Labs throughout Asia, including Krust Universe, the investment arm of South Korean technology behemoth Kakao, and WeMade, a global publisher of the play-to-earn MMORPG MIR4 on the WEMIX platform. Animoca Brands is a prominent investor in the Web3 space. Other investments include The Sandbox (SAND) and Axie Infinity (AXS). In April, the gaming and venture capital firm completed its historic acquisition of Eden Games, creators of the Gear.Club, Test Drive series, and other popular racing games.
In recent years, blockchain gaming has become a popular use case for the technology as the industry seeks to move away from the centralised models that have previously been the norm. Crypto gaming has exploded in popularity as the number of gamers grows and digital assets are collected and traded, providing a consistent revenue stream for game developers while also creating value for players. Despite overall market bearishness, game finance, or GameFi, appears to be resilient and developing as bears take control of the crypto market and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) floor prices fall.
Finally, fantastic gameplay and robust in-game economies with a high degree of economic freedom may assist GameFi in surviving the harsh market conditions of 2022. For many gamers, the marriage of gaming and decentralised finance opens up a world of previously unimaginable possibilities, allowing them to earn a living while playing high-quality, entertaining games.


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New Delhi: In a bid to help housing societies, industries and other bulk buyers of diesel, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has launched an application from where they can purchase fuel in bulk and get it (diesel) delivered at their doorstep with one tap. At present, BPCL has launched its first portable fuel station at Sector 95, Noida but very soon the service will be available at other locations.
Confirming the expansion of the operations, Jitendra Singh, engineering officer, BPCL, told a portal,”We will soon expand to other locations. This will be a big help to industries and big institutions, which will not have to carry fuel in unsafe and unmetered containers.”
Notably, the bulk buyers can fuel with the help of FillNow app, which is available on both Android as well as iOS platforms. Android users can download the app from playstore, while iOS users can get it via Apple store.
To avail the service, one needs purchase at least 100 litre diesel. Once the order is placed, the fuel delivery vehicle will reach the BPCL dealer with all the necessary information about the customer, i.e, name, phone number, quantity required, address and time slot of the delivery. The customer will receive a notification message before the fuel truck reaches the location. They can make payment both offline and online. No delivery or transportation cost will be charged.
Earlier, Indian Oil Corportation (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) had launched home-delivery of diesel in Mumbai. Indian Oil Corp (IOC) had in March launched home-delivery of diesel in Pune. Like IOC, HPCL too had mounted a diesel dispenser, similar to the one seen at petrol pumps, on a midsized truck along with a storage tank for delivering the fuel at customers doorsteps in Pune.
Last year, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had stated that the government was looking at options to home deliver petrol and diesel to cut queues at fuel stations and give consumers an option. For home delivery of fuel, a clearance from PESO is required as both petrol and diesel are highly inflammable fuels and require adequate safety precautions.


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Huawei P20, P20 Pro may no longer receive security updates
Despite reports suggesting that the popular P20 and P20 Pro may be getting an update to Android 10, this could be the end of the line for these Huawei phones when it comes to future updates.
Both models have now been removed from the site’s security updates list, which would mean important future security patches will not be rolled out.
Huawei’s flagships aren’t the only well-known devices that are being shelved by manufacturers. The likes of Motorola and Samsung are also pulling support for smartphones that they launched in the last few years.
To find out how to stay safe while using an old phone, read our guide on smartphone security.
P20 and P20 Pro no longer supported
First released in March 2018, Huawei’s flagship P20 devices join other models from the manufacturer that are popular enough to be in wide circulation, but may pose a security risk due to a lack of support.
In April, the Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro disappeared from its list of devices receiving monthly and quarterly security updates. Although Huawei started its global rollout of Android 10 to the P20s in May, both models are still notably absent from the brand’s guaranteed list of supported devices.
The P20 and P20 Pro retailed for £599 and £799 respectively at the time of their launch and after only two years of updates, they appear to have reached their ‘end-of-life’. It was a similar story for the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, which was delisted from the tech titans’ updates list only 28 months after its launch.
Security updates protect your phone from malware that you may encounter through vulnerabilities in your phone, such as dodgy apps or connecting to an insecure network. Without them, the personal data in your smartphone could end up in the wrong hands.
Things might be about to get worse for Huawei owners
Huawei and Google first locked horns in May 2019, when the Chinese company was placed on the US government’s ‘Entity List’, which essentially halted its collaboration with American companies.
Huawei was able to buy some time by acquiring a temporary licence that allowed it to conduct limited business with US companies. Most importantly, this meant that Huawei devices sold before 16 May 2019 would continue to receive Android updates.
However, this licence expired on 13 August 2020, and as it appears that it will not receive any more extensions, Huawei smartphone users were left with questions about the fate of their phones.
When asked on Twitter, the manufacturer confirmed on 17 August that it ‘will continue to share security and software updates to [their] devices’.
But we think owners should keep a sharp eye on how the situation develops.
Kate Bevan, Which? Computing Editor, said:
‘This is another potential blow to owners of older Huawei devices. While the company claims there will be no impact on existing devices, we believe users of older models – which include the popular P30 and Mate 20 series, along with Honor phones – should keep a sharp eye on developments.
‘As we stress in our reviews, if phones and tablets stop receiving important security patches, it makes them more vulnerable to hackers. As such, many users will need to consider replacing their device far sooner than they would have liked.’
These developments could affect older Huawei and Honor phones that received Google support before the previous ban was implemented. This includes the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro, Honor 20 range and any phones before that (such as the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, P20 and P20 Pro). It also includes the Nova 5T, which was released in August 2019 and was registered before the ban, so did include support for Google services.


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By Brian Livingston
Thanks to massive publicity about the subject, computer users are now widely concerned that their machines might be infected with "spyware" programs. These applications monitor users’ activities and perhaps transmit to a hacker the users’ passwords and other confidential information. But many Web sites that claim to “scan your computer” to detect spyware are, in fact, spreading spyware themselves.
In one of the latest examples, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced on Mar. 11 that Spyware Assassin, a $29.95 program sold by MaxTheatre Inc., was promoted by bogus pop-up windows. These windows falsely claimed, "You have dangerous spyware virus infections on your computer. Click OK to install the latest free update to fix these errors."
The FTC said that if a computer user clicked OK, a phony "local scan" then reported that spyware has been found, displaying a phony list of supposedly infected files and folders. Both the original message and the "local scan" reported problems even if the computer was free from infections, the FTC said.
The federal agency persuaded the U.S. District Court in Spokane, Wash., where MaxTheatre is based, to issue a temporary restraining order. The site is now shut down.
This kind of scam is now so common on the Web that it’s generating its own macabre jokes. One wag suggested in a Slashdot posting that, if the FTC really got serious, we’d soon see the following story:
- "The Federal Trade Commission has shut down Microsoft, alleging the company participated in fraudulent practices with its Windows and Office software, which purportedly gave the illusion of an operating system and/or increased productivity at work, even though no improvement was done and in most cases, the user machine would stop working correctly after a day. The company’s site then offered the user a $30 product to enhance security, which the commission reports ‘didn’t do a thing.’“
All kidding aside, the number of bogus programs that now pose as "antispyware" applications is enormous and still growing.


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We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
This *content* is a press release from our partner Business Wire. The AP newsroom and editorial departments were not involved in its creation.
Todd Doyle has been an internet marketer since 1994. Owner of several website domains and several online social profiles, Todd Doyle continues to be at the forefront of all emerging technologies.


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By Peter Egwuatu
Architects under the aegis of Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria (ACAN), have commended Vitapur Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, for manufacturing of modern building materials that serve as sources of foreign exchange for Nigeria.
According to ACAN, Vitapur has made a giant stride in the manufacturing of building materials such as insulation boards, pre-insulated roofing sheets and sandwich panels amongst others that are predominately imported into Nigeria.
Addressing a group of architects who visited the company’s facilities in Lagos on Monday, ACAN’s honourary Treasurer, Feyi Ogunneye expressed optimism that Vitapur’s quality products would make modern building materials readily available in Nigeria as scarcity of forex has made importation expensive. She commended the company’s management for the foresight and breakthrough at a period when everyone is yearning for local content.
Corroborating her, another ACAN member, Mr. Emediong Nsimah said, “This is an era of embracing local content. For many years, Nigeria depends of foreign countries for virtually everything. I am impressed with Vitapur’s efforts. Our visit has exposed us to a lot about the company’s products.”
Vitapur’s General Manager, Engineer Yemi Mofikoya, explained that the company was a major player in West Africa, adding that the company embarked on backward integration to ease the challenges of importation.


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In few days Android 8.1 is ready to reach the people’s phone.Google has started the new mobile operating system to Nexus and Pixel devices in next two week. The biggest improvement will be for low-cost Android, but also there are plenty of important improvements — particularly if you have a Pixel 2.
If you have Google’s latest handsets like Nexus and Google Pixel phone, 8.1 unlocks the Pixel Core chip so that third-party apps can take advantage of the Pixel 2’s AI-powered photography. Any app that uses the standard Android camera platform can take richer photos and spare you from having to switch apps.
You don’t need one of the newer phones to see the other benefits. Android 8.1 includes a neural network toolkit. Apps which are running the TensorFlow Lite and other AI frameworks on-device, instead of leaning on a distant server. Apps can make better use of autofill forms, and there’s an obligatory round of bug fixes.
When other devices get Android 8.1 is up in the air. Most of the phone which are launched are rolling for 8.0 updates, and they may not delay for 8.1 updates. In some cases, you may stand a better chance of getting 8.1 through a brand new device.


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Georgina Kirby, General Manager at Norwegian company Kari Traa, shares insights on empowering women, fostering community and promoting gender equality in the outdoor industry while shedding light on the significance of International Women’s Day and Kari Traa’s commitment to inclusivity and authenticity. From organizing community events like Girl Shred to creating an inclusive workplace culture, Kari Traa continues to challenge the status quo, emphasizing empowerment over exclusivity and building a brand that resonates with women on a personal level. Kirby highlights the importance of authenticity, community and flexibility in navigating the challenges and successes of Kari Traa’s business model, offering valuable lessons for brands aiming to attract and empower women in the sports and outdoor space.
SGI Europe: Today is International Women’s Day. Does this day have any significance for you?
Georgina Kirby, GM at Kari Traa: At Kari Traa, it has a big meaning. On International Women’s Day, we sponsor an event called Girl Shred, which takes place in Voss, our hometown, where Kari is from and where our brand was founded. This event is representative of what we want to achieve at Kari Traa: empowering women, bringing women together in communities and increasing self-confidence in the outdoors.
In the Nordic countries, there are various outdoor sports groups of women, and they all come together for this event. In Voss, we take over the [snow] park and build a series of jumps and rails that are a bit easier to conquer. It’s all women and girls all day long. So there aren’t these scary kids intimidating others. It’s an opportunity for women and girls to try something they might otherwise be afraid of. For us, Women’s Day is a poignant reminder of the progress we’ve made in promoting women in sports and outdoor activities. And this event epitomizes just that for us.
Challenges and successes of Kari Traa’s business model
Is this the first time you’ve organized this event?
No. We’ve done it several times, and we get very positive feedback every time. It’s just a nice community event. Our ambassadors are there, and Kari herself is always there, too. It’s a very nice environment.
Communication strategies tailored for women
Kari Traa is a brand by women for women. Do you have 100 percent women working for you?
We are part of Active Brands. And as a group, we buck the trend that sports and outdoor is still male because 70 percent of us in this group are women. But the team that works exclusively on Kari Traa is 95 percent women. We were 100 percent women, but a few weeks ago, a great man joined us to take care of our product merchandising.
So men also have a chance to join your team…?
Absolutely. When Kari founded the brand, she did it to challenge the establishment. It was never about excluding men. We want to celebrate femininity, community and obsession with the outdoors. That’s what defines us as a brand, and we realize that women find this approach attractive. But some men are attracted to it and want to be part of it, too.
Why is it important that Kari Traa is predominantly made by women?
We think it’s particularly important in terms of design because we develop clothing that is tailored to and made for the female body. I think it was Kari who started this approach and built the company on a really strong foundation of women and community. The sense of community that we have as a predominantly female group is really special. Perhaps it was also easier to realize because we are a Nordic company. I think equality is very strongly anchored in society here.
Balancing work and family: Insights from Kari Traa
What else makes Kari Traa different from other brands that also want to attract women?
Well, I think we emphasize authenticity and develop products and brand messages that resonate with women on a personal level. I don’t think we do anything overtly different when it comes to running the business. We still have big goals, and we hold each other accountable, but it’s more gentle. It’s more about empowerment than power.
Gender equality in Norway and its impact
Do you have an example? What is it that makes your work different?
For example, we had to make a big budget cut at the last minute before a sales meeting. So we got our whole team together, right down to customer care, and said: “OK, what do we think could help everyone in this room feel part of what we’re trying to achieve?” We got together and even ended up doing a line dance. And then we just put on some music and used the team as models – in all shapes and sizes – and presented the products in a really fun way. We put the products on and just went out on the catwalk and celebrated.
Check out more of these interviews and also data about equality and diversity on our dedicated landing page.


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A recent post from Meziu boss, J. Wong confirmed that Meziu 16 will be shipped to overseas countries. The phone which was recently launched in China is Meziu flagship smartphone packed with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 strong. According to the Meziu boss, the phone will be sold in Hong Kong.
However, as a result of failure to pre-load NFC on the Meziu 16, J. Wong promises a future update to this features. Phones without NFC generally will not made certain payment platform like Google Pay work on the phone. Meziu is powered by Android 8.0 Oreo with 6.4 inch screen size. The phone has no notch, although, it is a bezel-less smartphone. As well as many interesting specifications.


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The NFL is looking at expanding ticket access beyond its primary partner. The league thinks such a move has the potential to make buying tickets more convenient, reach new fans and provide greater revenues. In the meantime teams are using mobile ticketing to creatively fill empty seats.
For teams whose stadiums are not filled with season ticket holders, broader ticketing options offers these clubs the ability to collect valuable information on new buyers and add it to the vast fan data that's mined to fuel fan engagement efforts.
The thinking is that potential football fans want to buy tickets where they spend their time, whether it's on social media (Twitter), streaming live NFL content (Amazon) and other places beyond long-time league partner Ticketmaster, which also runs the NFL Ticket Exchange.
ICYMI, the NFL has been working with companies in these categories as distributors of live games and on-demand content. The list includes Twitter, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Verizon/Yahoo to reach a larger audience in different ways.
Core questions from fans will center on whether greater access would also come with lower prices and wider availability? Would it make the buying process easier? The NFL likely wonders if greater competition could help it make more money in a ticket market with little real incentive to evolve.
Moving to an expanded ticketing strategy would likely create a daunting technology challenge; integrating multiple channels to support what has been reported as "an open platform." Ticketmaster, a division of Live Nation, has expanded its IT infrastructure over the years. It's used by all but one NFL team - the Detroit Lions.
Mobile Ticketing Movements
While some in the NFL continue to consider expanded channels for ticket access going forward, teams looking for creative and fan data-producing ways to move tickets now are using mobile tech to address the business challenge.
Mobile ticketing in the NFL is anything but new, dating back to 2012, when much of the emphasis was on savings from cutting use of paper and streamlining venue access. But teams of late are finding new ways that benefit fans and power marketing efforts by providing different game experiences.
Teams are looking to mobile ticketing to move unsold tickets, eliminate counterfeiting and acquire data on game-goers that can be used for team marketing efforts including team loyalty programs that create and strengthen connections between teams and their fans.
Just last week, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs introduced a mobile-only season ticket that costs $200 and allows fans to sit in seats in Arrowhead Stadium's upper bowl. Filling seats in upper levels of stadiums is especially difficult, even for teams like the Chiefs who have made the playoffs in recent years.
Recently, the New York Jets, who haven't won a Super Bowl since Joe Namath was the QB in 1969, launched in innovative mobile ticketing program that features a season pass that lets fans sit in different seats in the stadium for every home pre- and regular-season home game.
Big Data, Big Opportunities
At first glance, both teams' efforts squarely target moving inventory, which means widening revenue streams. But by using a team app on a smartphone for ticketing, it's fan data that likely carries a higher value to marketing-savvy clubs looking to forge strong links (engagement) with participants.
That's especially the case with NFL team's whose stadiums are essentially sold out but thirst for fan data that can be used to support an array of so-called loyalty programs. The fan connection can also be used to market team merchandise, content, and other team events/assets and rewards.
For teams whose stadiums are not filled with season ticket holders, mobile ticketing offers these clubs the ability to collect valuable data on new buyers and add it to their fan bases and connect these individuals to their fan engagement efforts.
The mobile tickets are managed through the team's mobile apps. Club-specific apps typically offer a destination for items and benefits of interest to fans beginning with information and video, point based on usage toward purchases, access to the team's pro shop, and special promos using social media.
All this is part of a bigger picture effort by the NFL and other sports to "monetize the fan." Many forward-looking NFL franchises have taken their marketing efforts to those waiting for season tickets to become available by creating waiting lists. Those on these lists often pay a fee and - in addition to receiving certain perks (pre-sale for stadium concerts etc.) - present a large marketing greenfield.
Perk-wise, randomly selected Chiefs game day pass holders will be upgrade to the Bud Light Party Lounge during every game. The Jets Boarding Pass is sponsored by JetBlue which has promised to offer purchasers "special opportunities and other JetBlue perks."
How it Works
- Kansas City Chiefs: For $200, the Bud Light Game Day Pass guarantees a ticket to 10 Chiefs games, eight in the regular season and two pre-season games. The seats will be in the upper levels at Arrowhead Stadium.
The mobile-only tickets will be delivered to the cell phone of the registered purchaser the morning of the game and cannot be printed, the team explained. The purchaser can buy up to four tickets together, but that purchaser will own all four passes and will need to present the tickets at every game for the group to gain access to the stadium.
- New York Jets: The Jets Boarding Pass unlocks the chance to sit in a different seat location every game, varying from the lower bowl to the 300 level. Pass holders will be notified of their seat location through the team app upon arrival at MetLife Stadium on game day within two hours of kickoff, according to the team.
The Jets are making their mobile-only ticket offer more attractive by allowing fans to purchase it in a single payment of $725, or sign up for a payment plan that includes a down payment of $145 at the time of purchase and four monthly payments of $145.
The Jets explained that "if a fan attends all ten games, the face value of the tickets received is guaranteed to exceed the purchase price of the Boarding Pass." Jet fans can buy up to six game passes so that fans can sit together.
The Bottom Line
With last year's TV ratings drop combined with the ongoing challenge to engage young(er) age groups (broadbanders) that watch little or no traditional TV, it's little surprise that NFL is looking to reach potential new fans where they spend most of their viewing, messaging and playing.
Ticketmaster remains the exclusive ticketing company for the NFL, but when that deal ends, you can expect to see a broader ticketing strategy that includes several other companies in the mix.
Bob Wallace is a technology journalist with over 30 years of experience explaining how new services, apps, consumer electronic devices and video sources are reshaping the wide world of sports. Wallace has specific expertise in explaining developments at the intersection of sports and technology. He's the Founder of Fast Forward Thinking LLC.


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As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the globe, we're monitoring key consumer behavior thresholds to help fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands and retailers understand the status of each market, as well as how to best respond.
Consumers have more snack choices than ever these days, and it’s changing the way they think about snacking. Premium snacks are just one sub-category that’s emerged in recent years.
There’s a new retail revolution underway, and it’s going to affect the global food industry in ways the market hasn’t seen before. The revolution comes at the hand of store-branded products, which continue to gain share across all major geographies around the globe.
Around the world, consumers are looking for a taste of the good life. And it’s not just those who are wealthy. Sales of products in the “premium” tier are growing at a rapid pace. In fact, the growth of the premium sector in many markets is outpacing total growth for many fast-moving consumer...


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Most of us watched the Goodwood Festival of Speed to see hundreds of awesome road and race cars storm up the Hill. Others, including many past and present racing drivers, travel to Goodwood to hoon the vehicles we drool upon. But there’s a third category of motoring enthusiasts that take trips to England to pay million for the classic cars sold each year by Bonhams, one of the world’s oldest and largest auction house.
This year’s event brought together nearly 100 vehicles and more than 400 automotive-related collectors items, raising a staggering £22.6 million (nearly $39 million as of 06/27/2014). One car alone sold for nearly half that amount, with two more fetching more than $1 million each, rounding up yet another successful event.
Not surprising, the most expensive vehicle sold at Goodwood was a Ferrari . Maranello classics are already a common occurrence at such events, and very few change hands for less than $5 million. On the other hand, how often do you see a 102-year-old vehicle sell for more than $1 million? Head over below to find out more about the most expensive classic cars auctioned at Goodwood.
Click past the jump to read more about Bonhams’ sale at Goodwood
This beast is powered by a 4.9-liter, V-12 engine, a true classic in the Ferrari lineup.
The star of the auction was a 1954 Ferrari 375 Plus penned by Pininfarina. The two-seat race car changed owners for £10,753,500 ($18.3 million as of 06/27/2014), which comes at no surprise given its condition, rarity and racing heritage. Back in the days when it used to wear a livery, this Prancing Horse ran in iconic races such as the Mille Miglia , the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone. The new owner will get to sit in the same cockpit as aces Umberto Maglioli and Jose Froilan Gonzalez, an expensive privilege as it turns out.
This beast is powered by a 4.9-liter, V-12 engine, a true classic in the Ferrari lineup. The unit delivered 347 horsepower in its hey-day and could be revved to 8,000 rpm. Restored to the last bolt in Modena, the 375 Plus is ready to take the track once again.
1902 De Dietrich
De Dietrich ventured into automobile manufacturing for less than ten years.
Next in line is a vintage vehicle that goes by the name of De Dietrich 16-HP. Built in 1902 in France, this motorized carriage is powered by a 4.0-liter four-cylinder that delivers 16 horsepower. It may sound awfully slow to today’s standards, but vehicles like this one were the race cars of the early 1900s. Its tip-top shape and limited availability were decisive for the £998,300 ($1.7 million as of 06/27/2014) price tag, which is rather uncommon for the brand. De Dietrich ventured into automobile manufacturing for less than ten years. Production commenced in 1896 and ended in 1905. De Dietrich is famous for hiring Ettore Bugatti to design its cars.
Finished in a gorgeous shade of metallic blue, the Countach still carries its blue and "Ice" white interior.
The Lamborghini Countach , the supercar most of us grew up hanging posters of on our walls, needs no further introduction. However, this specific 1975 Countach LP400 is a rare, right-hand drive example that has only 7,767 miles on its odometer. It was initially delivered in Malta before being registered in the United Kingdom in 1990 and it remained in remarkable condition to this day. Finished in a gorgeous shade of metallic blue, the Countach still carries its blue and "Ice" white interior. Powered by a 4.0-liter, V-12 engine with 370 ponies on tap, this beautiful example made the hammer drop at £953,500 ($1.6 million as of 06/27/2014). Guess someone’s leaving Goodwood wearing a big grin on his face.
Why It Matters
Bonhams Auctions is known for organizing the most sought after sales during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and this year’s event was no exception. Raising nearly $39 million in a matter of hours, the auction proved yet again that the classic car market is still safe before the global recession affecting the automotive industry.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed’s annual Bonhams sale earned a staggering £22.6 million on the opening day of the world’s largest motoring garden party on Friday, June 27.
The star attraction was the incredible 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus, as used in iconic road races such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Carrera Panamericana, which sold for £10.7 million following a fierce battle between bidders.
A 1902 De Dietrich - formerly part of the Michael Banfield Collection - achieved at Goodwood today an astounding £998,300.
Few cars can have come to light as spectacularly as this magnificent veteran, which was discovered during World War Two when a German bomb demolished the stable in which it had been sleeping on blocks since 1912. With just four owners from new, the powerful four-cylinder 4078cc De Dietrich is identical in specification to the works racers built for the 1902 Paris-Vienna challenge.
From ancient to modern, the Bonhams sale supplied all tastes. One of the most iconic sports cars of the 20th Century - a 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopio’ Coupé - sold for a new world record £953,500 ($1.6 million USD).
Bonhams and Goodwood racing car historian Doug Nye, said: “This Sale has offered a phenomenal range of really special and important cars with their various classes. Above all, each of the prime cars offered has links with some of the greatest racing drivers of all time. Names like Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Surtees and so many more. It’s always a pleasure to see new owners’ delight as the gavel falls. After all, they’re winners too.”


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Thursday, 31 October 2019
Ghana Merchants Association closes shops owned by Nigerians
On Thursday, October 31, members of the Ghana Association of Trade Unions (GUTA) closed Nigerian-owned stores in five markets in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region.
It was the second time this year that the association closed Nigeria-owned stores, claiming that it was waging a war against foreign retailers in the country.
According to the GUTA, foreign retailers are unaware of Article 27 of Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) Law 865, which prohibits them from participating in the sale of goods or the provision of services in a market. at retail or in the street. The sale of property occupying any position must be reserved for Ghanaians.
The law also prohibits foreigners from operating taxis, beauty salons, selling medicines, producing and selling water in sachets, among others. The markets on which Nigerian merchants have been excluded are Kejetia, Suame Magazine, Adum and Asafo.
GUTA Public Relations Manager Albert Mensah Offei told Joy FM that the action would soon be extended to other parts of the country. However, according to Ghanaweb.com, the action of the association is interpreted as a retaliatory measure following the closure of the Nigerian land border, which affected traders in the West African region.
GUTA recently noted that the closure of Nigeria's trade borders with Benin and other neighboring countries constituted a total violation of the ECOWAS treaties. Association President Joseph Obeng, who spoke with Accra-based Joy FM, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ECOWAS parliament had not checked Nigeria. He argued that this was sufficient evidence that all ECOWAS treaties and protocols were ineffective.
"Nigeria made a blatant mockery of the ECOWAS protocol if there is such a thing already. Surprisingly, the Foreign Ministry has not solved this problem, nobody talks about it and for two months, Ghana's assets have been immobilized in Nigeria. This act by the Nigerian government cancels the entire ECOWAS treaty on the free movement of people and goods, "he said.