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Since the early 1980s, the issues surrounding overweight shipping containers has been much-debated.
Next week, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is set to discuss a draft amendment developed and agreed by 15 governments and 13 industry groups that, if approved, will make the verification of the weight of every loaded container, through a certified process, mandatory.
Prior to the discussions the two sides of the supply chain have been trading blows.
First BIMCO, IAPH, ICS and WSC issued a statement that stressed that the compromise solution should be adopted. The Global Shipper Forum issued a similar call to governments to support the amended proposals on container weight verification.
But a number of freight forwarding industry and shipper groups have now slammed the container weight verification proposal as "ineffective".
A grouping of The European Shippers' Council (ESC), the European and international freight forwarders associations (FIATA and CLECAT) and the European representation of maritime terminals and stevedores (FEPORT) says that while safety of those involved in the supply chain is of paramount importance, "the proposed container weight verification will be ineffective".
They are not convinced that new laws will make containers any safer and suggest that instead, the need for weighing should be based on a proper risk analysis of the data transferred between shipping lines, shippers and Customs authorities.
The bodies also slammed the lack of any idea of what transgressors would face. The problem, they consider, could be dealt with by adding guidance within the relevant sections of the SOLAS Convention (i.e. VI/2 and VI/5.5).
We await to see the outcome of the IMO discussions next week.
Meanwhile, when the COSCO multipurpose heavy lift vessel - Yong Sheng - tied up in Rotterdam this week, she made waves as the first Chinese ship to traverse the Northern Sea Route (NSR) across the top of Russia. Despite excited comment in much of the mainstream media about this voyage, it is perhaps not the game-changer many outside of the industry are claiming, and the NSR should, perhaps, be seen as a "seasonal supplement", not a voyage to make waves.
This week's Friday Flyer is sponsored by Broekman Project Services, located in the Port of Rotterdam, which offers a total solution for handling and assembly of project cargoes - www.broekman-group.com/bps
In the corporate world
Gruber Logistics is now sole owner of Intertransport Hohnholz GmbH, a specialist in maritime transport and project cargo to North America and the Far East.
Greencarrier Freight Services Finland has acquired forwarder Rahtihuolinta Oy.
Röhlig purchased all of the remaining shares in Procargo, its long-standing agent in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, in which it had acquired a 50 percent stake in 2011.
BigRoll Shipping has contracted COSCO Dalian Shipyard to build two MC Class module carriers (pictured top right) for the transportation of ultra large and heavy modular cargoes.
OSD-IMT has secured a design contract for two 1,800 dwt IMT 965 seismic support vessels for China Oilfield Service Ltd (COSL), Beijing to support activities by larger seismic vessels.
The Duluth Seaway Port Authority has been awarded a USD10 million TIGER grant for the rebuilding and expansion of a general cargo dock at the Port of Duluth, Minnesota (pictured second right).
Saudia Cargo's first scheduled freighter service from the UK to Saudi Arabia, with two new flights per week from Manston, will be launched as well as one additional flight per week from Guangzhou to Brussels; an additional weekly flight from Dhaka to Brussels; and two additional flights each week from Nairobi to Amsterdam.
The official steel cutting ceremony has taken place in Shanghai for Atlantic Container Line's five G4 container / ro-ro carriers (pictured bottom right), marking the beginning of actual construction.
On the ocean, Transmarine Services India Pvt Ltd shipped a 164-tonne, 12 package consignment of ethanol/ethylene gas heater machinery and relative components (pictured top right) from Thailand to Egypt for EMCO; Jumbo was awarded a pipelaying contract by Sigur Ros to oversee transportation and installation of 126 gravity anchor spreads; and, Yacht Exports moved a Grand Banks Motor Yacht 50 Eastbay SX from Singapore to Norfolk, Virginia for display at the Annapolis Boat Show 2013.
In the air, Ruslan International transported a rotor (pictured second right) from Chengdu, China to Šiauliai, Lithuania, on an AN-124, while Antwerp's Heavy Logistics handled the door-to-door delivery of a packed cold-former machine from Belgium to Mauston, Wisconsin.
Overland, Van der Vlist shipped two 11.75 m Caterpillar R2900 machines (pictured bottom right) from Antwerp, Belgium to Terneuzen in the Netherlands; Globalink Logistics transportated an out-of-gauge 50-tonne separator from Kyzyl Orda to the Aryskum oilfield in Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan; Steder Group handled the shipment of several items of urgently required marine equipment from Rotterdam to China; Aaras Shipping handled a 104.73 tonne shipment from Karachi to Besham in the Shangla District of Pakistan; and, V. Alexander International Logistics completed a complex project shipment from Germany and Italy to Belgium for use in a chemical plant.
OOG handler L.C. van Tiel Logistics has become the latest member of XLProjects in the Netherlands.
Project cargo handler Benchmark Logistics has signed up to the Pacific Power Logistics Network.
Project Cargo Network (PCN) representative Procam Logistics has established a new joint venture with Caparo Group that will be known as Caparo Procam Infrastructure Limited.
People and places
Erickson Air-Crane has appointed Eric Struik as cfo; his predecessor, Chuck Ryan, will continue to assist the company on a transition basis until the end of the year.
Blue Water Shipping (BWS) is to establish an office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to focus on developing its oil, gas and industrial projects business as well as wind and reefer logistics services.
Twenty-year industry veteran Ria de Bok (pictured right) has joined AIT Worldwide Logistics to head up its new Amsterdam office. The company has also expanded its American network into Omaha, Toronto and Houston.
All about Evie
The girl is London by name, but Coventry by nature. And she welcomes this week's news that production of London's iconic black cabs, which are made in the Midlands' city that was once home of the British car industry, is to restart after the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group rescued manufacturer, The London Taxi Company.
Evie also congratulates the Port of Milwaukee on its idea for planned infrastructure investments as it picks up a Pacesetter award, honouring the port for its increased international cargo volume in 2012. One of eight ports receiving the award this year, Milwaukee has handled a wide range of cargoes including a mining shovel, enormous beer brewing tanks and oversized electrical transformers.


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Mall employee at Tanger Outlet fondled by customer
A woman was sexually assaulted by a customer at a Tanger Outlet store on Friday, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim claimed the man rubbed himself against her while she was grabbing a pair of jeans for him. The report states that when she showed them to the suspect "he pressed the jeans against her breast with his finger and touched her." He did not purchase any items.
Sgt. Ron Bridge said a phone tree was initiated for the surrounding stores in Tanger Outlet, but the suspect was not located.
Bridge said investigators are currently looking through security footage. The suspect is an older man of average height with a thin build. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and carrying a gray windbreaker jacket.
An investigation is ongoing.
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LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A Louisville teen received fake cash after attempting to sell a pair of rare Air Jordans.
Cindy Crawford said her 14-year-old son has been buying and selling sneakers, a hobby that turned into a small business.
"He loves sneakers," she said. "He's been doing it for years."
On Monday, the teen met up with a buyer to sell a pair of yellow and white Retro 4s, released in 2006 and a rare find in the sneaker world.
He originally listed the sneakers on a site to buy and sell goods locally. Crawford said her son went with his father to sell the shoes at a location off New Cut Road and Kenwood, and was given the fake cash.
"When he did the transaction, the guy ended up giving him fake money," Crawford said. "It was three $100 bills that were fake, and twenties that were fake."
The Crawfords didn't notice the money was fake, until they got home.
"Before you know it, we noticed, the word 'Replica' was written on it," Crawford said.
The money was not necessarily counterfeit, but fake for movie-set props. The Crawfords turned it over to the Louisville Metro Police Department and filed a report.
"I would like to tell that guy that if he would be willing to turn himself in or just give the real money, I wouldn't press charges," Crawford said.
Crawford said her son isn't going to quit the sneaker business. The family plans on investing in a money marker pen to help identify fake or counterfeit cash. The Crawfords are going to consider doing their swaps in a safe exchange zone.
St. Matthews Police and Jeffersontown Police have designated exchange spots that are monitored by surveillance video. Crawford said she hopes her son's story will serve as a reminder that such resources are available.
"I just want people to not have to go through this situation," Crawford said. "I think it's happening a lot more than we think it is."
On Sunday, the city of Madison Police Department released information about counterfeit money discovered at Madison businesses. Suspects are apparently using fake $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills in recent weeks. Some bills being used have the same serial numbers and Chinese stamping, and they also appear faded. Madison police officials said they've also gotten reports that some of the bills may have been returned to customers during business transactions.


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Clear Junction, a world leader in cross-border payment solutions for regulated institutions, has today announced the acquisition of Altalix, a UK-based fintech firm providing fiat-to-crypto gateway solutions.
Altalix was one of the first UK companies to become registered with the FCA as a cryptoassets firm, accomplished as part of the FCA Regulatory Sandbox programme and with the support of the FCA Innovation Hub. With its compliance-first approach and existing client relationship with the team at Altalix, this acquisition was an ideal proposition for Clear Junction.
This strategic acquisition marks a major milestone in Clear Junction’s growth journey as it works towards becoming a one-stop shop for its customers to manage their payment and treasury needs globally.
As the digital asset market expands, the number of cryptocurrency users is forecast to reach 994.30 million by 2027, with the cryptocurrency market’s revenue expected to grow by 14.40 percent annually, reaching US$64.87 billion by 2027. This growing market offers a great opportunity for emerging fintech companies like Clear Junction, which don’t currently specialize in this sector.
In June 2023, the Law Commission released its final report to the UK Government which suggested that the common law system in England and Wales is well-placed to provide a coherent and globally relevant regime for existing and emerging types of digital assets. In addition, HMRC’s statement that digital assets such as cryptoassets are taxable since they are not considered currency, cash or gambling, demonstrates the inevitable growth of the digital asset market and the need for a roster of fintech and payment companies able to accommodate it. The Prime Minister has also expressed the UK’s ambition to become a world hub for digital assets in the future.
Clear Junction has stated its intention to not trade in digital assets or become an exchange, but it has taken into account market sentiment, the progressive approach of the UK, and the needs of its clients. It believes that, in order to remain competitive in the payment space in the long run, it must be able to offer both fiat and digital services to its customers in the future.
Dima Kats, CEO of Clear Junction, commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with the management team at Altalix, and the wider team while they were a Clear Junction client. We are excited to take this business forward. As part of the acquisition process, Clear Junction was required to undergo a rigorous change in control process with the FCA. Not only have we gained a true competitive edge with the unique pairing of cryptoasset registration and EMI licence issued by the FCA, but the acquisition also holds significance as we look to the future of finance and how the industry will develop. We closely follow the regulatory developments related to digital assets in the UK, and so it is imperative for us to expand our expertise and product offerings in line with the market trends and our vision to provide correspondent account services to regulated institutions.”
Altalix will remain a separate company and will be rebranded to Clear Junction Digital Ltd. However, its business strategy will shift from serving retail customers to solely providing services for regulated institutions in line with Clear Junction’s market focus.
Dima continued: “Clear Junction has always seen compliance as a cornerstone to our business, and we are confident that this acquisition is an investment into our capabilities and stability of service to our clients with a solid infrastructure for offering products that fit the purpose of the future of digital assets. We will spend some time in Q4 bedding in the new business, updating policies and processes (to ensure they are in line with our high standards), and developing pilot products for launch.”
The news of the acquisition follows the launch of CJClique in June – Clear Junction’s new platform enabling its digital asset customers to connect and collaborate – and comes just days after it announced its ISO 27001 certification, the highest global standard that companies can achieve for information security.
Founded in 2016, Clear Junction’s proprietary technology enables fast and secure access to payment accounts, e-money accounts, digital IBANs and treasury services for regulated institutions. By partnering with Clear Junction, clients can reduce the time to market they usually face when establishing banking relationships, access new markets, and leverage cutting-edge technologies and expertise.


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Trump Administration to Give Billions in Aid to U.S. Farmers Hurt by Trade War
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the LeftTrump: “Tariffs are the greatest.” Also farmers need $12 billion in aid because of tariffs.
The administration plans an aid package to shore up the agriculture industry.
From the CenterTrump to offer U.S. farmers billions to ease trade pain
The Trump administration was set to announce billions of dollars in aid for U.S. farmers on Tuesday to help protect them from the repercussions of trade spats between the United States and China, the European Union and others, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters.
From the RightWhy Trump’s tariffs could actually help farmers
Tariffs levied by President Trump against traditional American economic partners like China and the European Union may hurt farmers in the short-term, but according to the CEO of the Summit Agricultural Group, the tariffs could ultimately help the agricultural sector.


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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A longtime favorite, reimagined. The 2025 Toyota Camry will be one of the big stars of the L.A. Auto Show. A very popular family sedan for over four decades, with 13.6 million sold in the U.S. alone.
"It's extremely iconic. It's been the No. 1 selling mid-size sedan in the American market for the past 21 years," said Toyota spokesperson Chad Duchene.
You've been able to get a Camry with hybrid power since the 2007 model year, but in this era of widespread electrification, the new one will only come as a hybrid when it goes on sale next spring. All-wheel drive is available, to help keep this sedan on top of the sedan market. Also as part of that strategy, Toyota really upped the standard content.
"You have dual-zone automatic climate control that's standard, blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, and the list keep going on," Duchene noted.
And a trait the Camry picked up over the years will likely continue: repeat buyers. Many Camry owners have owned multiple examples over the years.
"These are people that want a sedan. They're not even looking at SUVs, so we wanted to give them that perfect unapologetic sedan, sedan to the core," said Duchene.
Yes, the Camry is the iconic mid-size sedan, but a lot of competitive car brands have gotten out of the mid-size sedan market. That's because a lot of people these days prefer an SUV.
Toyota is certainly committed to the Camry, but its other big reveal is the new Crown Signia, an SUV sibling to the Crown sedan that debuted earlier this year, making Crown a sort of sub-brand.
"We want consumers to come into the dealer and say 'I want a Crown.' And we have the option to say, 'Well which kind? Do you want the SUV, or do you want the sedan?'" said Toyota spokesperson Jess Robinson.
Like the sedan, the Crown Signia is being positioned as an upmarket vehicle in the Toyota line, essentially a notch below luxury brand Lexus. Hybrid power and all-wheel drive will both be standard.
And while SUVs are of course all the rage, Toyota's model count won't change next summer when the Crown Signia hits showrooms. The Venza is being discontinued after a pretty short stint on the market.
For more information on the L.A. Auto Show, visit www.laautoshow.com.


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It was a big surprise when America’s first lady Michelle Obama presented the Oscar for best picture during the 85th Academy Awards. Michelle was wearing a long silver/metallic gown made by Naeem Khan, who has dressed Mrs. Obama on several occasions before. The dress has attracted quite some publicity, especially after media in Iran used Photoshop to cover up arms and chest to make it more appropriate for Irani television standards. Controversy aside, Naeem Khan has been a big name in the fashion industry for many years now, dressing the likes of Beyonce, Penelope Cruz and Queen Noor of Jordan and designing clothes for films like ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Dreamgirls’.
Khan was born in India. Both his grandfather and father were designers, well known in India for their work. At the age of 20 Naeem Khan moved to America for his studies. He met famous American designer Halston through his father and soon became his apprentice. Khan launched his own line ‘Naeem Khan’ in 2003 and his clothes are available at luxury department stores all over the world. Khans designs embrace his Indian heritage, but also show his experience working in America alongside Halston. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal Khan explained his work and what influence working together with Halston has had on his designs:
‘This is what makes me who I am, with the clean lines I learned from Halston and complicated Indian over-the-top Bollywood traditions. There’s a lot of confusion in India with design and color, and I have just taken it, simplified it, cleaned it — and this is what I get’
Naeem Khan’s collections ooze luxury and glamour. He often uses deep and bright colors in his designs or metallic’s, gold and silver, which make his gowns stand out from the crowd. His gowns are embroidered by hand and if you look closely you can see the similarities with traditional Indian fashion designs, which shows how beautifully he combined both Eastern as Western styles.
For images from Naeem Khan and other designers please browse our Pinterest page: http://www.pinterest.com/fashionoriental


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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters that the reduced rates are likely to come into effect from January 1, 2019.
After this decision, only 28 goods are left in the highest 28 per cent slab.
Luxury and sin goods as well as mass use items like cement, air conditioners and dishwashers are left in the 28 per cent slab.
Here is the list of items that will get cheaper:
GST slashed from 28 percent to 18 percent
Movie tickets over Rs 100
Monitors and television screens
Pulleys, Transmission shafts and cranks, Gear Boxes
Tyres, power banks of Lithium-ion batteries
Digital Cameras, Video camera recorders, video game consoles
GST slashed from 18 percent to 12 percent
Movie tickets up to Rs 100
Third party insurance
GST slashed to 5 per cent
Parts and accessories for the carriages for disabled persons
Solar power plants and other renewable energy items
Exempted from GST
Services supplied by banks to Basic Saving Bank Deposit (BSBD) account holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) will be exempted.
Services supplied by rehabilitation professionals recognised under Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992at medical establishments, educational institutions, rehabilitation centers established by Central Government / State Government or Union Territories or entity registered under section 12AA of the Income-tax Act will be exempted.
Services provided by GTA to Government departments/local authorities which have taken registration only for the purpose of deducting tax under Section 51 shall be excluded from payment of tax under RCM and the same will be exempted.
Exemption on services provided by Central or State Government or Union Territory Government to their undertakings or PSUs by way of guaranteeing loans taken by them from financial institutions is being extended to guaranteeing of such loans taken from banks.


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British company Centrica is testing the blockchain platform. The use of this technology will allow to improve the local energy market.
It is reported that the British energy company Centrica conducted testing of blockchain -technology, which will allow the company to modernize the business. Centrica is engaged in the storage and supply of gas, the supply of electricity to consumers, as well as the provision of services. The new technology allows to improve the local energy market Centrica (LEM), which plans to conduct mutual trade between energy consumers. In order to achieve these goals, Centrica agreed to work together with the American start-up LO3 Energy, which is engaged in the creation of a "smart network" based on blockchain technologies, in order to sell energy directly to consumers. The British company will be able to use the LO3 Energy blockchain platform in order to keep payments information there. The sales participants can use this platform for buying and selling electricity. And they will be able to do this in just a few clicks. The company also agreed on a partnership with EPEX SPOT. The enterprises will jointly develop a blockchain site that will allow such countries as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg to trade excess energy capacities among themselves. The representatives of Centrica note that the blockchain technology is perfectly suited to their business plans. It makes possible to create the entire decentralized complex process of buying and supplying electricity abroad.


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SinglePoint Inc. (OTCMKTS:SING) had an exceptional third quarter, and the company is looking to build on that going to the fourth quarter and 2020. The company reported its largest Q3 ever after it surpassed $1 million in revenue for the quarter.
The company has continued to experience enhanced growth in the Hemp and Solar markets. Going forward, SinglePoint will continue focusing on the two segments as demand for both continues to grow. Recently SinglePoint launched 1606 hemp that will debut at the MJBIZCON on December 11-13 2019. The company is optimistic that 1606 hemp sales will contribute greatly to the company’s overall growth next year.
1606 Original Pre-rolled hemp to drive growth
Wil Ralston, the President of SinglePoint, indicated that they were thrilled to launch the 1606 Original Pre-rolled Hemp. He added that they expect to quickly scale sales for the product through retail and eCommerce buyers. Ralston further stated that the hemp pre-rolls have significant profit margins to boost growth.
The 1606 pre-rolled hemp cigarettes are tobacco and nicotine-free. Some studies have suggested that hemp cigarette smoking could potentially be a solution to nicotine and tobacco addictions. A survey by Brightfield Group on over 5,000 CBD users across the US indicated that hemp cigarettes have helped 24% of users quit smoking. Most quitters replace the cigarettes with vaping or smokable hemp. Around 41%, according to the survey, replaced tobacco cigarettes completely with hemp CBD.
The hemp market is estimated to grow by $4.6 billion this year, and by 2025 it could be worth $26.6 billion. According to Brightfield Group, the CBD market could grow to around $23.7 billion through 2023.
Solar segment hits $900,000 i8n six months
Besides the hemp segment flourishing, the company’s solar segment has also continued to grow. The company’s subsidiary Direct Solar of America, has continued to drive solar expansion across the US. The subsidiary has contributed greatly to the company’s revenue targets. Direct Solar of America provides homeowners with information throughout the purchasing cycle. In just six months of operation, the subsidiary has surpassed $900,000 in revenue.
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President Akufo-Addo has visited Tamanaa Company Limited, a rice farming and processing company located in Nasia near Walewale, which is also operating under government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative.
As a result of the support received from Government, the company has been able to expand its operations, by adding a 250-metric ton per day rice milling facility, to its already existing 40 metric ton per day plant.
So far, some 148 workers have been employed, with the company generating a turnover of some $1.5 million annually. The company markets 60% of its rice as parboiled and the remaining 40% as non-parboiled under the brand name Nasia Star Rice.
Tamanaa company currently engages over 4,000 rice farmers and aggregators operating in the West Mamprusi, East Mamprusi, Savulugu, Nanton and Mamprugu-Moagduri Districts.


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Lordstown Motors is one of a dozen electric vehicle start-ups that have wowed investors with big plans to revolutionize the auto industry.
But in February, a prototype it was testing in Michigan caught fire. Then, in April, another prototype dropped out of a 280-mile off-road race in Baja California after just 40 miles. Lordstown is also being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and its stock has tumbled from a high of about $30 last year to less than $8.
The swift rise and stunning decline of Lordstown are emblematic of the recent mania for E.V. businesses that are far from making a product, let alone selling it, Neal E. Boudette and Matthew Goldstein report for The New York Times. That frenzy has been driven by investors looking for the next Tesla, a pioneer in the industry that has a strong sales lead over other electric-car makers.
But Lordstown seems far from achieving its goal of churning out electric pickup trucks starting in September and becoming a challenger to G.M. and Ford Motor.
It’s not alone. Shares of Nikola, which is developing heavy trucks, have fallen from around $65 to about $11, for example. The S.E.C. is looking into allegations by an investment firm that Nikola made false statements about its technology.
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Launched Aug. 18, Bidsquare offers inventory ranging from fine art and estate jewelry to furniture and historical artifacts, according to a statement. It also provides a free, searchable database of more than 600,000 auction records. The founders say everything on the site is backed by their establishments and specialists.
“Bidsquare is a game changer,” Ms. Hindman said in a statement. “We're giving collectors an unmatched selection of items chosen by leading experts in the field. For auction houses, we are offering the opportunity to join an esteemed consortium of houses on a platform that was designed for both quality and transparency."
Ms. Hindman partnered with Asheville, North Carolina-based Brunk Auctions; Cincinnati-based Cowan's Auctions; Downington, Pennsylvania-based Pook & Pook Inc.; Lambertville, New Jersey-based Rago; and Boston-based Skinner Inc. to create the new platform.
Currently, the undisputed giant of the high-end, vetted online furniture/arts and antiques marketplace world is 1stdibs.com. Founded in 2001 in Paris, the company sold a majority stake to Benchmark, a venture capital firm that also invested in eBay Inc., in 2011 for $60 million. 1stdibs's CEO is David Rosenblatt, who was previously chief executive of DoubleClick, the online ad juggernaut that sold to Google Inc. in 2008 for $3.2 billion.
In general, arts and antiques have been online laggards because buyers may question the authenticity of items they see and dealers struggle to present the nuanced details of antique pieces. But that's changing as well-heeled customers have grown more comfortable buying expensive collectibles online.
Bidsquare users can search by category or auction house, view catalogs for upcoming auction events, create watch lists, share finds on social media and work directly with auction specialists employed by the founding firms.
Outside auctioneers may also list their wares on Bidsquare for what the founders say are lower prices than competing sites. Sellers receive free access to data on bidders, as well as a shared database of nonpaying bidders.
“The founding members of Bidsquare saw a real opportunity to create a site friendly to both the consumer and the auction house,” co-founder David Rago said in a release. “We came together to fill a void — to provide a trusted platform that offers only the choicest items available at auction.”
In looking at Ms. Hindman's website, it appears that she will use Bidsquare for her lower-priced and specialty items and continue to hold live auctions of higher-priced, more valuable items.


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Hundreds of jobs are set to go in the North Island, with moves to liquidate a roading contractor and stationery giant Croxley considering closing its Auckland factory.
At least 210 jobs are likely to be lost in central Hawke's Bay after the directors of the roading contractor Infracon recommended that the company be liquidated. The business has lost $7.5 million over the past five years.
In Auckland, the country's largest stationery supplier, Croxley, is considering closing the doors to its main factory, which would result in more than 100 people losing their jobs.
The Central Hawke's Bay District Council owns one third of Infracon and the Tararua District Council owns the rest.
Infracon had told the Taraura council that it could provide roading services for less money than anyone else. Its bid was $2 million lower than the next potential contractor.
Infracon's interim board chairman Roly Ellis, who is also mayor of Tararua, said the council and its chief executive at the time were surprised by assurances given, but awarded the contract anyway. "We were amazed when the chief executive asked about it and he was assured that it was perfectly alright."
Mr Ellis said jobs could be lost from branches in Hastings, Waipukurau, Dannevirke, Woodville and Palmerston North.
Workers were told of the liquidation plans today and could expect to be paid up until next Wednesday, he said.
Infracon has suffered losses for the past three years, Mr Ellis said, and its bank has withdrawn financial support, meaning it is unable to continue to trade. The board indicated that Infracon faced losses for the next two years.
Mr Ellis said the councils would try to redeploy staff to other jobs locally.
Meanwhile, Croxley Stationery could cease manufacturing at its factory in Avondale from next year to focus on operating as a dedicated wholesaler.
Managing director David Lilburne said the company is operating in an environment which had seen a decline in postal use and a reduction in demand for traditional paper-based office products.
The final decision on the factory's fate would be be made by 4 September. Some of the company's brands include Olympic, Warwick and Collins.


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The list is largely comprised of major cities, but there are a handful of smaller areas such as Decatur, Alabama, and Fort Smith, Arkansas. Verizon says those markets represent its "commitment to reach deep into medium-sized cities and smaller communities by the end of 2011." The carrier vowed to fill its 3G footprint with LTE by 2013, covering 200 million people. We assume this deployment is still on track.
This announcement follows roughly one week after Verizon unveiled its first 4G LTE smartphone, the HTC Thunderbolt. The device runs Android 2.2 Froyo and features a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, HD video recording, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front camera, and wireless DLNA support. Pricing starts at $249.99 with a two-year service contract.


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October 02, 2019
MrMiSocki (Mr-Mi-Socki) was created for people who wanted to show off their creative side. Based on a comic we created about a sock who wakes up in the dryer only to realize that he’s lost his other half. MrMiSocki is … Continued
The post MrMisSocki is Back with a New Edition of Labbit Socks appeared first on Kidrobot Blog.
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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced before now that Betway has been authorised for a a few-day live exam launch as an on-line sportsbook and casino in the condition. Should the 3-working day examination go devoid of a hitch, Betway would be granted approval for long term online gaming operations commencing Thursday, July 1st.
The test time period for Betway’s sportsbook and casino will operate from 1 to 9 PM on Monday, 11 AM to 9 PM on Tuesday, and 9 AM to 9 PM on Wednesday, June 30th.
Betway would turn out to be the 13th on the internet sportsbook and 17th online on line casino to run in Pennsylvania, where by the growth in gaming has surged considering the fact that the U.S. Supreme Courtroom dominated PASPA as unconstitutional in 2018, overturning the mandate following 26 yrs in effect. The point out had legalized on-line athletics betting and casinos the preceding yr, but was forced to wait right until the federal legislation were stricken.
Under Pennsylvania regulation, an world-wide-web gaming company should have an arrangement with a single of the state’s certified on line casino operators. In accordance to reports, Betway has secured an agreement with the Cordish Gaming Team owned Reside! Philadelphia on line casino. Earlier, Stay! entered an settlement with FanDuel to operate retail sportsbooks at two of their destinations. Neither of the Reside! agreements with FanDuel or Betway is exceptional.
As we reported, Pennsylvania ranked next in on the web sports activities betting handle for May well, guiding only New Jersey.
Betway Proceeds To Extend Get to In U.S. Sector
Before in 2021, Betway debuted on the internet casinos and sportsbooks in Colorado and Indiana. It has built different advertising and marketing associations in latest months with U.S. sports entities, most notably the NHL, to get started growing its brand consciousness. Betway is in an agreement with Electronic Gaming Corp. United states, primarily based in New Jersey to offer you its gaming solutions in the United States. Betway’s mum or dad corporation is headquartered in the United Kingdom, wherever they have lengthy been lively in the gaming sector in that nation and in other places in Europe.
Betway is specified to inch their way into other states in the long term. Earlier this yr, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced a partnership with Betway to offer Betway video games to their fans as soon as on-line and cell sports betting is legalized in that state.


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Nintendo have announced their upcoming Kirby game Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn has received an official release date. The company revealed the game...
Razer have officially released their Razer Turret keyboard and mouse for Xbox One. This is the first wireless keyboard and mouse combo for the Xbox...
Bandai Namco have released the opening movie for their upcoming flying game Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown releases on...
Kadokawa Games have announced that their upcoming love simulation game has been delayed in Japan. The game was scheduled for release on February 14,...
Meta Athena looks to make a major statement in the upcoming Overwatch Contenders Korea with the organization announcing they have signed Ho-jeong...
Major news for fans of Prison Architect as Paradox Interactive have announced they have acquired the IP from Introversion Software.
Sony Interactive Entertainment


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Tesla, Coinbase, Tyson Foods and more
Find out which companies are making headlines for midday trading.
Diamondback Energy – Exploration and production stocks fell about 3% on falling oil prices. At one point on Monday, benchmark US West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell more than 4%. In November, Occidental and Schlumberger fell about 2%. Pioneer Natural Resources and Devon Energy each fell about 1.7%.
After Tesla-Jeffreys upgraded the business to Buy Pending, EV inventories rose more than 2%. A Wall Street company said Tesla “leads the way in income dynamics and capital allocation.” Jeffreys raised his price target from $ 700 to $ 850 per share.
Coinbase-Cryptocurrency Exchange shares jumped about 7.2% from the quarterly earnings report released on Tuesday. Stock prices are closely tied to Bitcoin prices, as Coinbase generates most of its income from transactions. Bitcoin hit $ 46,000 on Monday for the first time since May, surpassing the 200-day moving average.
Robin Hood – Shares of a recently announced online brokerage firm climbed nearly 4% at noon Monday. Robin Hood shares have fluctuated since the IPO and have received a lot of attention from a host of retail investors.
Tyson Foods – Tyson Foods shares rose 8.3% after beef and chicken producers released better-than-expected quarterly earnings reports. According to Refinitiv, the company’s quarterly profits are $ 2.70 per share, well above the consensus estimate of $ 1.62 per share.
Sanderson Farms – Shares of Sanderson Farms jumped 7.2% after poultry producers announced they would be acquired by private food producer Cargill and farm investment firm Continental Grain for $ 203 a share. Full cash trading is 11.3% above the Friday closing price.
Victoria’s Secret – Victoria’s Secret’s share rose 7.2% after JP Morgan Chase began reporting overrated lingerie retailers. The company said the current share price would be an “attractive entry point” and said it was the leading market share player in the lingerie category.
Darden Restaurant – The restaurant company’s share price fell more than 4% after Evercore ISI lowered its share price from outperformance to line. The company said in a note to clients that inflation, including rising wages, will hurt stock prices as the economy recovers.
– CNBC’s Tanaya Macchel, Maggie Fitzgerald, Jesse Pound and Yun Li contributed reporting
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Arla Foods consolidating UK cheddar sites
Arla Foods has announced changes to a number of its corporate group functions and to its cheese production and logistics in the UK as part of the ongoing internal transformation programme, Calcium. The company has announced a proposal to cease production at its Llandyrnog creamery, consequently moving cheddar cheese volumes to its Taw Valley and Lockerbie creameries. In addition, Arla is proposing the integration of all its cheddar cheese packing lines into its Oswestry packing facility, which will result in the closure of its smaller Malpas and Lockerbie packing operations.
The proposed consolidation, subject to the completion of the consultation process, could put around 154 roles at risk of redundancy by the end of 2018.
Earlier this year, farmer-owned Arla Foods launched a three-year programme to achieve over €400 million savings and efficiencies and transform Arla Foods into a stronger and more competitive company, it says. The Calcium programme aims to reshape Arla’s organisation to focus more on the frontlines of the business, where the value exchange takes place with customers and consumers.
One of the requirements to achieve this is the streamlining of the company’s corporate operations and support functions. This process has now begun, starting with global functions such as finance, legal & IT, corporate strategy, member relations, HR & corporate affairs.
As a result, 195 positions are expected to be made redundant across the affected corporate support functions. The impact is predominantly at the company’s head office in Aarhus, Denmark, however with smaller numbers of positions affected at the company’s administrative offices elsewhere in Europe.
Over the next three years, it is hoped that the Calcium programme will transform activities throughout Arla, including production, products, procurement, promotional marketing and people.
“We want to achieve the goal of building a stronger, more competitive Arla, which serves our customers and consumers better and provides higher returns to our farmer owners and that requires us to make tough decisions. In order for Arla to continue to deliver on our Good Growth 2020 strategy that brings innovative dairy products to millions of consumers around the world, we must become one of the most agile and frontline-obsessed companies in today’s fast-paced and complex global food industry,” says CEO of Arla Foods Peder Tuborgh.
“It is never easy to say goodbye to valued colleagues, especially in these circumstances, and I would like to thank those people who are leaving us for the contribution they have made to Arla Foods, and I wish them well for the future. We will provide our full support to those colleagues affected during this process,” he says.
With the Calcium programme still in its early stages, it is too early to disclose what the specific consequences will be within other specific areas of the company, including the total number of jobs that will be added or removed by the ongoing work, however the company expects the net number of positions to be lower.
Arla expects to communicate openly about the process over the course of the programme.


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Walmart, Tango and Alibaba bring conversational commerce to fruition
Mobile messaging application Tango is partnering with Walmart and Alibaba Group to move into the mobile message shopping frontier, driving sales in what promises to be a more convenient way for consumers while bringing the idea of conversational commerce to the forefront.
The partnership and new feature introduces big names into the mobile messaging commerce sphere, and with consumer demands for simpler, personal ways of shopping increasing, this could mean a giant leap for messaging purchase services. Many believe that brands have not yet unlocked the potential of mobile commerce and this may be that big next step, especially with consumers looking more and more toward the fastest, easiest and most individualized experience available.
“Nowadays, nearly 50 percent of all commerce traffic is driven by mobile,” said Chi-Chao Chang, vice president of Tango Labs. “The mcommerce industry is growing extremely fast with millions of people shopping on their mobile phones every day.
“We saw the unique opportunity to provide an even better shopping experience for our members and to make it easier than ever to shop using a simple app,” he said.
“In contrast with other apps that prompt users to download a separate app for commerce, we have created the functionality whereby our members are able to shop and share their purchases, without ever having to leave the app.
“Both Wal-Mart and Ali-Express will have the opportunity to reach a new audience of Tango users who may have never shopped on a mobile device before. Consumers will have the convenience of searching, sharing and saving products all within the Tango app before purchasing.”
Tango will release the feature as an included tab in the app for users to converse with a representative and have their shopping done for them at their fingertips. The Tango representatives create curated lists based off of the user’s request from inventory from Walmart and Alibaba Group ecommerce retailer AliExpress, which can be easily shared through the messaging feature of the app with other users and purchased through the message thread.
How it works
With ecommerce rising to 50 percent of all sales occurring through mobile, it is an obvious choice for brands to foray into the mobile commerce space. Mobile messaging makes the experience much more customized, which is what consumers are progressively looking towards, particularly on the mobile space as devices are so personal.
The president/CEO of Radialpoint during a presentation at the Mcommerce Summit: State of Mobile Commerce 2015 claimed that retailers looking to stay ahead in today’s tumultuous digital industry should explore the possibility of commerce through mobile messaging, which has the potential to change mobile commerce (see more).
With the introduction of shopping, Tango is looking to be the go-to messaging app to take care of consumers’ need, which is the type of app users are leaning towards rather than numerous apps for various services taking up space on their mobile devices.
The addition of conversational commerce fulfills that idea.
The shop feature tab is located with other tabs such as games, channels, chat and featured posts at the bottom of the app. Users then go into the page to see featured lists of merchandise personally created by Tango editors, options to chat with specialists and friends, access to special deals and products, ability for users to curate their own shareable collections and the capability to search for merchandise themselves or have an editor find products.
To pay for purchases users enter their credit card information right into the app itself during checkout, with the option to save their information for faster future shopping.
Customers can easily share purchases and merchandise with friends within the app
Searching for products, details and purchasing steps are all seamless and native to the app, meaning users will not have to leave the app to continue all steps of the buying process. The experience is optimized for the best experience possible for shoppers, which is imperative for a service such as this.
The more steps it takes for the consumer to complete purchasing, the less likely it is for him or her to continue to completion of sale. The team of editors is also focusing on finding affordable and seasonal apparel so users will not feel taken advantage of or swindled.
This is important, especially in the early stages of a venture to create an authentic, trusted experience and representation for the user, to ensure continued use of the service.
One of a kind
This is the first mobile messaging app to include the addition of native shopping. Many other similar apps are used for this purpose but do not offer this feature.
However, there are numerous start-up companies developing various methods, apps, platforms and services in the conversational commerce field such as a one named Magic that offers a concierge service through SMS where users text to request a service or product, and the team members will procure it for them.
It is not unlike Walmart to foray into emerging mobile commerce features, as it is no stranger to the mobile and mobile commerce realm.
A Walmart.com executive at eTail West 2015 discussed the importance of attribution in search engine marketing and stressed the need for mobile bidding as the mcommerce sector grows larger, suggesting that cross-device attribution should be at the forefront of retailers’ minds (see more).
“Tango will have the ability to offer users new and exciting ways to find interesting things and offer [the brands’] customers personally curated items to connect with them,” Mr. Chang. “The goal for Tango Shop is to create the most convenient way for users to shop on their mobile devices.
“Tango’s ultimate goal is to become the center of your mobile life,” he said. “Our platform already includes news, chat, channels and games, and with the launch of Tango Shop, we’ll become more of a one-stop shop for our members’ needs.”
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily


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DealPotential is proud to announce five new groundbreaking options on its investment intelligence system: Corporation indicators, Workforce facts, Tech Stack, News & Relations. The company’s dedication to innovation and constant advancement has led to the growth of the new attributes.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN / ACCESSWIRE / August 25, 2023 / DealPotential is very pleased to announce the introduction of five new groundbreaking attributes to its Expenditure intelligence system. The company specializes in sourcing choice information on non-general public firms. The platform serves as a in depth useful resource for buyers, supplying distinctive insights that generate informed expense conclusions via investment, sector and business facts on the personal market.
Deal Potential’s commitment to innovation and steady advancement has led to the development of five new attributes, set to greatly enhance the abilities of the trader intelligence platform: Company indicators, Crew facts, Tech Stack, Information & Relations.
Even more Enhancements: The DealPotential product enhancement crew is repeatedly doing work on refining and maximizing the person working experience, guaranteeing that the platform stays at the forefront of innovation. Considering that its effective launch in March of this calendar year, DealPotential’s investor intelligence system has garnered substantial focus and praise in the investment community. By delivering necessary knowledge and intelligence, the platform bridges the hole involving venture capitalists (VCs), private fairness corporations (PEs) – who are looking for the very best expenditure chances and enterprises in search of expenditure. The platform’s one of a kind benefit proposition lies in its means to give significant facts that empowers buyers to recognize and assess acceptable investment possibilities across numerous sectors and geographies.
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Additional info about the operation and rewards of each individual new feature will be launched in the coming months, giving a further comprehension of how buyers can leverage these instruments to boost their expense strategies.
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+46 73 414 50 83
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https://www.accesswire.com/776871/DealPotential-Announces-New-Options-to-Greatly enhance-World wide-Financial investment-Choice-Producing


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That helps explain why orders for the pony car in the UK already number almost 2,000 units, which ties up production past July 2016. Ford UK released a few details on the order habits of that kingdom united, saying 80 percent have taken the coupe over the convertible, and 70 percent have gone for the 410-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8. That compares to 52 percent of US buyers taking the V8 instead of the V6 or the 2.3-liter Ecoboost. The UK V8 output number is 25 ponies down on our US model because of the switch to right-hand drive, the steering assembly location requiring a new exhaust manifold. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the only other engine offered there.
The row-your-own set nips the slushbox crowd, 55 percent of buyers choosing the six-speed manual, and Race Red is the most popular of the ten available colors with 23-percent uptake. The graphic above breaks it all down, the press release below spells it all out.
BRENTWOOD, Essex, UK, August 24, 2015 – Almost 2,000 Ford Mustang orders have been taken in the UK since January as the first right-hand drive cars begin to roll off the production line at Flatrock Assembly Plant in Michigan, North America.
The Ford Mustang – introduced in the U.S. more than 50 years ago – has excited fans across the globe, but has never been available to order with right-hand drive, until now. The first UK customer deliveries are expected from November, with extra supply secured to meet the greater than expected demand.
So far, 80 per cent of UK customers have opted for the fastback body style over the convertible and 70 per cent have specified the 416PS 5.0-litre V8 engine over the more fuel-efficient 317PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. Mustang's six-speed manual transmission is the slightly more popular choice (55 per cent) over the six-speed automatic, which comes with sporty SelectShift paddle control.
Over half of UK Mustangs have been specified with the Custom Pack which includes satellite navigation, a Shaker Pro 12-speaker audio system, heated and cooled front seats, a rear view camera, Luster Nickel silver alloy wheels and extra chrome detailing on fastback models.
Race Red is the most-popular exterior colour among UK buyers, with 23 per cent of Mustang orders. Magnetic Silver and Shadow Black are joint second choice with 16.1 per cent each and Deep Impact Blue (10.7 per cent) and Triple Yellow (8.6 per cent) complete the top five. Ebony Black is the top pick for interior colour, selected by more than 75 per cent of customers.
The right-hand drive Mustang is available to order in the UK from £29,995 (EcoBoost) and £33,995 (V8) and features a Thatcham Category One alarm as standard.
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About Ford of Europe
Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 47,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 67,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 22 manufacturing facilities (13 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and nine unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.co.uk


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At The Rental Show 2013 in Las Vegas, three exhibitors will celebrate 50 years of exhibiting at the world’s largest rental-specific convention and trade show organized by the American Rental Association (ARA).
The three companies are Alan Manufacturing, Niles, Ill.; Doosan Portable Power, Statesville, N.C.; and New Holland Construction, Racine, Wis.
“Our involvement dates back to my grandfather, Vernon Brooks, participating at the early tabletop shows with Leonard Hawk in Moline, Ill.,” says Philip Brooks, sales manager, Alan Manufacturing.
His father, Philip Brooks Sr., continued the family tradition and Brooks remembers going to some of the regional shows when he was small boy. Today, he says attending the show is a must to continue to build rapport with customers for the company’s floor and carpet care products for installation, maintenance and removal of flooring.
“We’re more of a mail-order company, so the convention is our only real physical contact with the rental stores, so it is very important for us to go to see our customers,” he says.
While Doosan Portable Power has had different owners and different names over the past 50 years, exhibiting at The Rental Show has been a constant.
“It’s the best, cost-effective way to get face-to-face with as many customers as possible within a short period of time. People recognize us at the show and people want to do business with people they know,” says Joe Jabbour, Doosan Portable Power’s sales and marketing manager, who says The Rental Show 2013 will be the 41st consecutive show he’s attended.
“Our commitment is to every phase of the show. We have exhibit space, we are a gold sponsor and we donate equipment to the ARA Foundation auction. Through good times and bad times, ARA is there for us and we want the rental industry also to count on Doosan the same as ARA,” Jabbour says.
David Stahlman, vice president, Doosan Portable Power, says the show also gives the company an opportunity to educate and share information about its new products. “We’re there to help our customers learn and grow,” Stahlman says.
Curtis Goettel, brand marketing manager at New Holland Construction, says The Rental Show is an important part of the company’s strategy to focus on rental companies.
“The Rental Show is the premier event in the rental industry, bringing thousands of equipment rental business owners and managers together to make critical purchasing decisions and build relationships with New Holland Construction and other equipment manufacturers and suppliers,” Goettel says.
“Our long-term relationship with the ARA and The Rental Show helps us maintain strong ties to the rental industry through the many advocacy, business development, education and training, networking and marketplace opportunities available to us as a member of ARA. Our 50 years of exhibiting history with The Rental Show is only one marker of New Holland Construction’s continued service and dedication to outstanding excellence in the rental industry,” he says.


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Growing Houston port draws in intermodal, cold chain investments
The port of Houston, which was one of the fastest-growing US container gateways last year, ...
Contship Italia has revealed that cut-throat competition from North African ports has led to a dramatic decline in transhipment volumes at Italy’s largest port, Gioia Tauro.
The port is locked in an intense battle for transhipment traffic with other hubs, such as Malta and Piraeus, as well as the emerging facilities at Port Said at the north end of the Suez Canal.
The port operator’s marketing and communication director Daniele Testi told The Loadstar that volumes at Gioia Tauro, located on the tip of Italy’s toe, have dropped by almost 1m teu since 2008, to 2.8m teu.
He said this was largely down to carriers looking to streamline business costs, leaving the port with stiffening competition from its neighbours.
“We are having to compete with the North African ports,” said Mr Testi. “And with their cheaper labour costs, it has left us, quite frankly, suffering.”
Instead, Contship has focused on building up volumes from northern Europe, with several large investments in its intermodal and rail facilities. The port operator also recorded 10% growth in its logistics business between 2015 and 2016, and Mr Testi expects a similar performance this year.
“We increased our logistics handling volumes from 247,000teu to 271,000,” he said. “And we handled 25% of the 1m teu of Italy’s intermodal traffic.”
Over the past two years, the operator has been pushing its Rail Hub Milano facilities, which, following a €45m investment, provides mainland Europe with 7,000 trains’ worth of rail cargo.
“We are expecting a seismic shift in the use of rail freight across Europe,” said Mr Testi. “The perception of it is changing; before, rail services were government-owned with no competition.”
Since 2008, Mr Testi said, this has changed, with more private firms investing in rail. In the past nine years, volumes of freight carried by rail have increased by 37%.
“We now run three trains a week to Basel,” he said. “By offering rail services to our ports, we are also allowing shippers the opportunity to mitigate their risks by splitting shipments between ports in the north and south of Europe.”
Despite the difficulties being experienced in Gioia Tauro, the company is nonetheless expecting a buoyant 2017 and predicts healthy growth in terminals and logistics activities over the course of the year.
Last year saw the terminal operator increase volumes by 1.7% to 6.4m teu. More than 80%, or 5.2m teu, was handled by its Italian ports, equating to 50% of the country’s container shipping volumes.
“While as a listed company we cannot give forecasts, what we can say is that we are expecting good things,” said Mr Testi. “I would expect an average increase of 10% in our gateway terminals.”
The company also owns a stake in Morocco’s Tangier Med facilities.
Peak season hopes dashed as freight rates slip again
CMA CGM liner trades pummelled in Q1 – and there's worse to come
Pessimistic Yang Ming to refocus on 3PL, terminals and yards
Mexican rail seizures give near-shoring interests pause for thought
Digital forwarder Freightwalla's failure reveals home truths
A joint DHL + Mærsk effort – what investors want
Will US seize C17 commercial opportunity as Antonov grasps monopoly?
Retailers outsource ecommerce fulfilment in structural shift
Major box lines still fighting over diminishing supply of smaller ships
Evergreen and Wan Hai face up to bearish market as profits tumble
UPS names John Bolla new president of global healthcare
Bitter airline battle over carrying US mail heats up in the Pacific
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Eighth annual holiday shopping survey shows budgets are flat; consumers focused on responsible retail
Most of us are aware of how Canadian consumers feel about beginning Christmas holiday promotions too early. We do have a good reason for early promotion online, however, since our season ends earlier due to shipping. While we can be forgiven for that, we still have an obligation to respect our fallen heroes, and those […]
Welcome to our annual compilation of Canadian holiday season online shopping forecast data and statistics. Sharing a combo of Canadian online shopping predictions in one place, allows our readers to quickly evaluate their marketing and sales strategies. As we update throughout the holiday season, you can make strategic adjustments to ensure a highly profitable fourth […]
Canadians were spending much more online during the 2015 holiday shopping season, reports MasterCard SpendingPulse. Both November and December 2015 broke online sales records, claiming the highest percentage of all retail sales. November brought the highest eCommerce sales ever in Canada, at 9.7%. December broke that record when online sales rose to 9.9% of all […]
Everyone is wondering if Canadians will be doing more of their holiday shopping online this year, along with what they’ll be buying, where they’ll be buying it, and how they’ll be doing so in 2015. Statistically, it depends on who you ask. To provide a broader picture of this year’s predictions for those who sell […]
Online marketing for the Holiday season has to start early due to shipping time. However, many Canadian consumers don’t understand that and may find it disrespectful when they see Holiday promotions before Remembrance Day. The last thing we want to do is upset shoppers, but what is an online business to do?
Online shopping for Halloween is expected to grow in Canada for 2015, if last year’s statistical trends are anything to go by. We spent more than 380 million dollars on candy alone, according to Statistics Canada. You still have time to lure people to your website as consumers become nervous about US shipments arriving too […]
In most Canadian shopping circles, women rule. They’re a huge target market as the person in the household who does most of the shopping, both for themselves and their families. Internet shopping is a bit different though, especially when it comes to holiday shopping online. For example, a recent Ipsos holiday shopping survey found Canadian […]
Google Canada’s 2014 Holiday Shopper survey found 4 hot holiday shopping trends and all of them revolve around eCommerce. Mobile shopping in Canada is expected to grow significantly, along with online shopping in general.
The 2014 FedEx Express Canada Online Shopping Intentions Survey (Angus Reid) indicates the West has been won by the Internet in Canada. British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan are expected to show double-digit growth in online numbers, and most of them intend to shop online this holiday season. Other Provinces aren’t too far behind, as Canada […]


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One of the three new cars sold in Norway today is an electric car or at least a rechargeable hybrid. Norway is a complete escape in this respect, the only larger country in the world where electric cars are so represented and where the Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf, or other pure electric cars can become the best-selling car.
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
We hear the proponents of electric vehicles. Theoretically, it could be good if Norway had naturally come to this. Nothing like this had happened, however, and the leadership of the country had decided to command the winds of the rain and sweep the way for electric-powered cars of the generous support of all kinds. She wanted to show the world that it was possible that when the right conditions were set, electric vehicles could be in demand. Instead, it shows the world something quite different – that it is not possible.
Electric cars are not only worried about their price or practical usability, but the problem is that if they were to sell millions in the near future, as some politicians say, there is nothing to charge them. So much electricity that such a mass of cars would need today is simply no way to produce. And while this does not have to be a problem locally and to a lesser extent, there is one more problem – the lack of infrastructure to charge more cars as needed for longer journeys. So usually at least tens of minutes, if not hours.
This is the problem the Norwegians are now facing, lured by subsidies, reliefs, and other benefits to buying electric cars. In Oslo, there are about 50,000 electric cars and 30,000 plug-in hybrids, a total of 80,000 cars, and 1,300 public charging stations in Oslo’s city of 7,000. That is a lot at first glance, we doubt that there would be 1,300 fuel dispensers in Oslo. But nobody spends such a long time with them, so they just aren’t enough and new ones aren’t fast enough.
“Every year we increase the number of charging points by 26%, but the number of electric vehicles increases by more than 100% per year. The scissors are opening more and more, ”says Sture Portvik of the city’s management. Even now, Petter Haugneland of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association does not recommend that people buy electric cars unless they can recharge at home – others are not reliable, often not available at all.
Why is there so much interest in electric cars in Norway? Is it enough for the Norwegians to reach their limited range?
Moreover, there is at least half a year really cold, which is not ideal for batteries. As we have already indicated, the essence lies in very strong support programs for the purchase of electric vehicles and, at the same time, to take advantage of them, huge taxes on the purchase of a conventional car.
As a result, VW e-Golf in Norway today costs about 250 thousand Norwegian kroner (about 699 thousand CZK), while comparable petrol Golf costs about 300 thousand NOK (about 838 thousand CZK). And when one gets free fuel, which is another factor that makes public charging stations unavailable, and the other costs an average of just over $ 1.00 per liter, which car do you choose?
Incentives to buy an electric car in Norway include exemptions from car registration taxes, VAT, tolls, parking fees, and, as we mentioned, public electricity chargers. Previously, electric car owners could even run in lanes for buses, but they “occupied” them so quickly that this advantage had to end.
These benefits were introduced in 2012 as an effort to encourage the sale of electric cars, with the aim that by 2020 90% of all new cars sold in Norway would be electric or at least plug-in-hybrid. This goal was confirmed by the government, with the additional idea that by 2025, 100% of new cars sold will run on electricity. Today, Norway is at 35% in this respect and is already in trouble. And this is to say that we are still talking only about the share of the number of newly sold cars – the total number will increase each year.
Norway wanted to show how the fast transition to electric vehicles works, but it shows the opposite. Even the chargers are a bigger problem than it seems because 60% of Oslo’s inhabitants have no way to charge their electric vehicles elsewhere, they live in apartments without their own garages. Such an electric car is useless without a publicly available charger and, as we have mentioned, it is still not possible to second their construction to today, still a minority of electric cars. And it is still something to recharge electric cars – in the current development, it may be a problem in a few years and even …


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Coronavirus Closures: Small Business And Arts
Half of Maryland jobs are in small businesses--most now shut down in the pandemic, like the rest of the economy. We talk with Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz to hear about loans and grants available to business owners. Plus we check in with Ken Skrzesz, executive director of the Maryland State Arts Council and Brendan Dorr, president of the Baltimore Bartenders Guild to hear how arts organizations and bartenders coping amidst the closures.
Visit this link for the Maryland Business Express assitance.
To visit the Virtual Tip Jar where you can support Baltimore area bartenders, visit this link and for the Baltimore Area Restaurant Industry Relief Group, visit this link. For a list of online performances, visit this link.


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We’re in January, which means that it’s time for the most imortant football games of the year for both college and the professional ranks — especially for college, because today’s the day in which we figure out who’s the best team in college football. This year’s National Championship game is staking place in Tampa, and it’s a rematch of last year’s game — #3 Clemson vs. #1 Alabama.
When it comes to the uniforms and the field, there aren’t too many surprises in store. Oregon is a long way away from this game, so we won’t be seeing any special uniforms here. Clemson will be wearing orange pants with white jerseys, while Alabama’s going with their super-traditional home uniforms. The only special additions are the “diamond-studded” Nike swooshes that both teams will be sporting and the 2017 Championship game patch.
The field design is almost a carbon-copy of last year’s field. The main difference is that the CFP logos have been updated for 2017. That’s about it.
So there aren’t too many surprises in store logo-and-uniform-wise when it comes to this year’s title game, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Both of these teams have great uniforms, so it’s good to see that they’re sticking with them. The field is bland, but that’s what the CFP has gone with ever since they came into existence, so there’s nothing that can be done about that until they decide to make a change. Until then, we’re stuck with the black endzones.
What do you all think, though? This is going to be a decent-looking National Championship Game, right?


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It’s maybe the second-most famous drink in movie history, right after James Bond’s “shaken, not stirred” martini.
The movie is “The Big Lebowski,” the drink is the White Russian and it’s made with a product bottled at Fort Smith’s Hiram Walker plant — Kahlua.
The plant also blends and bottles Smithworks Vodka, an American-made vodka launched last year that uses water from Lake Fort Smith and corn from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Smithworks was started in a partnership with country music star Blake Shelton, who helps promote the brand. It calls itself “the Spirit of the Heartland.”
The Hiram Walker facility, owned by Pernod Ricard USA of New York, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard of Paris, blends and bottles a number of spirits, including Pernod Ricard’s Seagram’s Gin, the bestselling gin in the United States, and Hiram Walker liqueurs, ranging from peppermint schnapps to watermelon schnapps to triple sec to blackberry brandy. It produces about 6 million cases of various alcoholic beverages annually.
In a city hard hit by manufacturing declines during the past decade, the plant, set on 32 acres at the south end of town, is a bright spot, employing 230 workers.
A year ago, in an announcement in Fort Smith attended by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, executives of Pernod Ricard USA announced that the Fort Smith plant would be expanded to bottle its Malibu Rum line, to be sold by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville in markets where it is licensed to sell liquor.
Pernod Ricard transferred some production of the rum from its plant in Canada to Fort Smith, with the goal of producing 150,000 cases of Malibu Rum annually. The partnership was part of Wal-Mart’s Made in the USA program to bring more manufacturing back to the United States.
Pernod Ricard said at the time that the expansion would mean an extra 6,000 man-hours at the plant in the coming year, although it didn’t specify how many new employees that might mean. But news accounts at the time put the Hiram Walker workforce at 205.
Melissa Hanesworth, the managing director of the 357,000-SF Hiram Walker plant, said that a year later, the plant had hit its target of Malibu Rum production “and probably a bit more” and has added a few jobs.
As for Smithworks, it was initially distributed in five states, including Arkansas, and is now up to 12. The vodka, which sells for about $20 for a 750-milliliter bottle, received a gold medal at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and reviews appear to have been good. “It’s a nice little vodka, honestly,” Hanesworth said.
The Hiram Walker plant was opened in 1981 to produce 1.5 million cases of cordials yearly and has expanded several times since.
The Great Recession meant something of a slowdown in business, Hanesworth said, particularly since the plant produces premium spirits. “But it’s been pretty good the last few years,” she said. “We’ve seen some nice, steady growth.”
And despite losses, Fort Smith’s manufacturing base remains strong, Hanesworth said. Recent statistics, in fact, indicate an uptick. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 18,100 manufacturing jobs in the city in September, up 0.6 percent from a year earlier, though that’s far below the high point of 30,600 in 1999.
A tour reveals a spotless facility touched at every level by technology. Tanks of liquid sugar and the ingredients used in the blending of cordials also mean it’s sweet-smelling. Robots in a fully automated warehouse move cases of liquor from one part of the building to another.
“We may do 2 million cases of gin a year and then you may have a ginger brandy and one SKU [stockkeeping unit] — you only do 500 cases a year,” Hanesworth said. “It’s a fairly complex portfolio, but it’s fun.”
Inputs like sugar and the concentrate used in blending products are shipped by rail and truck to the plant, which sits on a rail line.
As for quality control, Hanesworth said, “Everything is sampled everywhere along the way.”
In the lab, workers do sensory evaluations of products, testing for smell and taste. They have to qualify as panelists, demonstrating, for example, that they can tell that two samples of liquor are from the same bottle or that it’s been spiked with something not supposed to be there.
“Some people are very good at whiskeys or scotches,” she said. “Some people are very good at vodka. Some people are very good at sweet. Some people aren’t very good at sweet.”
Testing, of course, isn’t limited to what humans can detect. High-tech equipment tests for pH, for example. A stereo microscope is used to detect any adulterants.
Labeling and bottling are highly automated. The line that handles all 175-ml bottles, whatever the flavor, can fill 120 bottles per minute.
Hanesworth, a brisk, no-nonsense woman who’s been at the plant for 16 years, is proud that Hiram Walker still employs the first employee hired by the plant in 1981 and the average tenure is 12 years.
The job is fun, Hanesworth said. “I call it Willy Wonka for adults. If you’re going to make something, it’s not so bad.”


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Garments Factory will be Lockdown Free: BGMEA
Sunbd Desk || Published: 2021-06-26 13:25:35 || Updated: 2021-06-26 13:25:35
The government plans to shut down everything except emergency services in a severe lockdown from June 28 to prevent the outbreak of corona in the country. However, BGMEA said that the garment factories made in the announced lockdown will be free from the lockdown.
They say that if the factory is open, the workers will work according to the hygiene rules.
This information has been given in a press release signed by the Secretary General of BGME Md. Faizur Rahman.
Asked about this, BGMEA President Farooq Hasan said, “We want to keep the factory open in the lockdown.” If the factory is open, the workers will be in discipline. Hygiene rules will be followed. So in the interest of the workers we want to keep the factory open.
- Central bank proposed a further 1 percent incentive in remittances
- Biden approves $100m emergency funds to resettle Afghan refugees
- Tokyo Olympics officially begin under spectre of pandemic
- Mosque in Indian capital’s Rohingya camp bulldozed: Refugees
- Danish infamous cartoonist Kurt Westergaard dies
- 50,000 phone numbers worldwide on list linked to Israeli spyware: reports
- BCB ICL Growth Fund declares 8% dividend
- Tamijuddin at the top of falling prices
- Embezzlement: Case filed against two persons including manager of Madhumati Bank
- Onion imports increased ahead of Eid
- Customs houses will be open during Eid holidays
- 800 cows arrived in Dhaka on Cattle Special Train
- Cotton worth Tk 750 crore imported in Bhomra
- bkash suspended payments to 10 online merchants including evaly
- Fear of catastrophe in India’s tea sector due to increasing imports
- Industrialists wants keeping export oriented industries open
- Government fixed the prices of leather


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NBA simulation video game franchise NBA 2K has selected Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners as its new integrated marketing agency of record, following a review.
The assignment will include developing and executing a cross-campaign across broadcast, digital, brand partnership and point-of-sale marketing, promoting the release of NBA 2K19. BSSP’s first work for the brand will launch in spring of 2018.
“We chose BSSP for their ability to deliver concepts beyond advertising that drive consumer awareness and resonate with the NBA lifestyle,” NBA 2K vice president, marketing Alfie Brody. “The agency showed an innovative way of thinking about our brand that leverages our existing equities as well as expanding into opportunities that go beyond traditional marketing.”
“NBA 2K is a world-class gaming franchise, emerging as a brand with cultural connectivity,” added BSSP executive creative director Tom Coates. “They value creativity and work that is interesting and memorable. We are excited to be on their team.”
CP+B L.A. previously handled creative duties for the NBA 2K franchise, after taking over for Zambezi in 2014. Their recent work for the brand includes a campaign last December promoting the most recent version of the game’s Fitbit partnership and last April’s “Legends Live On” Kobe Bryant tribute.
Earlier this month we learned that CP+B is shrinking the size of its Los Angeles office, after itlaid off around five percent of the office back in August Earlier this year, Infiniti moved parts of its global ad business from CP+B to 72andSunny, although the agency retains the U.S. portion of the account. CP+B L.A. officially became global headquarters for the Infinti account last March. Hulu recently tapped CP+B L.A. to handle an integrated campaign scheduled to launch in 2018.
For BSSP the account wins follows Mitsubishi naming the agency as AOR in September, following seven years with 180LA. BSSP resigned from the Mini account ahead of a procurement-mandated review back in March. The agency had served as U.S. agency of record for Mini since 2005.
NBA 2K spent just under $6 million on paid media promotions last year, according to Kantar Media.


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WATCH: Search for a North Carolina grenade
ATF is trying to find the person who bought a World War II era grenade from an North Carolina antique store this summer because the grenade might still be live.
SHALLOTTE, N.C. — Visit just about any antique shop or thrift store and military items are a dime-a-dozen, but one summer shopper left the fancy flea antique mall in shallotte with a whole lot more than they bargained for.
The ATF believes someone unknowingly bought a potentially live grenade.
“For devices like this, again, you have a lot of collectors, veterans, people that are just interested, history buffs.” said ATF Public Information officer Corey Ray “They’ll buy these as a prop or novelty item, and that’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing against that. However, for a live grenade, that’s considered a destructive device by ATF, and that is illegal to possess.”
It’s a story that’s getting a lot of attention across the Carolinas and one that hits close to home for Lynn Holler and her husband who shop at the store.
“I guess my main, my main thing is that i just hope it doesn’t accidentally go off.” said Holler, “And so this morning, I asked my husband, ‘Did you see that story last night about the antique mall that we were just at yesterday,’ and he goes, ‘What are you talking about?’ and I said, ‘Supposedly they think there was a grenade that they now think may be active, and so they’re looking for people,’ and I just thought it was sort of odd because we had just been there yesterday.”
The ATF believes the seller didn’t know the grenade could be live, but it leaves the question, where is the grenade?
Officials only know that it was bought on June 13, but the store doesn’t have cameras, and the rare antique was bought with cash. Now investigators hope to make their own special discovery, and keep everyone safe in the process.
“With so many tourists in the middle of summer, we knew this is very challenging to try to locate this, but we’re hoping through these different channels,” continued Corey Ray, “Through word-of-mouth, through broadcast and social media, that someone might see something.”
ATF said they found out about this particular purchase of the grenade as they worked another similar case recently.


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A laboratory in Denver found that some of the top selling, low-priced wines in the United States have high levels of arsenic.
There are allegations that a company is filling a popular swimming and kayaking area in Denver with dangerous pollutants.
A new report says you may be getting a surprise as you are eating rice: arsenic. And as you probably know, arsenic is not good for you. Right now, there’s a lot of disagreement about this report. Dr. Dave Hnida has some tips.
The Food and Drug Administration may consider new standards for the levels of arsenic in rice as consumer groups are calling for federal guidance on how much of the carcinogen can be present in food.
An environmental group says the South Platte River is the most polluted waterway in Colorado.


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Cybersecurity company Silent Circle is opening a new office in Columbia, said Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Joshua Konowe.
The company has about 15 employees working out of Cirql, a new office space on Columbia Gateway Drive. Employees there will be a mix of company leaders, tech and sales staffes, Konowe said. Silent Circle, which has about 70 employees, will keep its Fairfax office, Konowe said.
Earlier this year, Silent Circle named Gregg Smith as CEO. He formerly led Baltimore-based OptioLabs. The five-year-old company has a new B2B focus after sales of its privacy-focused smartphone, called the Blackphone, struggled.
The company makes a software product called Silent Phone, which is designed to secure functions like calls, messaging and file sharing on mobile phones. Along with encryption, it has capabilities to delete messages after a period of time set by a company. The product is sold to enterprises. Konowe said the company is looking to sell to government contractors, healthcare and insurance firms. Silent Circle recently released version 6.0 of the product. The new version is faster, and the company looked to create more consistency between iOS and Android products, Konowe said.
Silent Circle also added hardware recently with an acquisition of Kesala. That company’s product is a small box that encrypts data before connecting to the internet, Konowe said.-30-
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Verizon is looking for the brightest ideas on how to use its 5G technology
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Penske Truck Leasing and NFI have agreed to partner in operating Freightliner’s Electric Innovation Fleet of eCascadia heavy-duty trucks and eM2 106 medium-duty trucks, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the parent company of Freightliner, has announced.
The move is the next phase of a co-creation process that DTNA is using to actively involve customers in the development of commercial electric vehicles (EVs) to meet the most valid target applications.
Starting late this year, Penske will begin taking delivery of 10 eCascadias and 10 eM2s for use in California and the Pacific Northwest, while 10 eCascadias will begin being delivered to NFI for drayage activities from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to warehouses in California’s Inland Empire. Additionally, DTNA plans to operate electric trucks within its own product validation engineering (PVE) test fleet in Oregon to further expedite research and development of the technology.
“Freightliner is excited to be working with Penske and NFI on this critical learning process as we further develop and refine our commercial electric vehicle technology. Running multiple trucks in real-world applications will provide better insights for our engineers into the requirements of integrating electric commercial vehicles into fleet operations,” comments Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of DTNA. “We are partnering with these two customers for this phase of the co-creation process because they have use cases that closely fit the target applications we have identified. Both Penske and NFI are forward-thinking partners eager to take on the challenge, effort and investment that will be required during this important development phase.”
DTNA has also announced the Electric Vehicle Council, designed to prepare customers – with viable use cases – to integrate commercial EV solutions into their operations. DTNA plans to offer consulting services to assist with site selection based on truck applications, available government incentives, infrastructure deployment and route identification.
“The DTNA approach to bring commercial electric vehicles to market is holistic. With the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet, we will be working hands-on with Penske and NFI,” explains Richard Howard, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Freightliner Trucks. “As a separate part of a co-creation process, we will also launch the EV council that emphasizes shared learning before we begin series vehicle production.”


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Bottled water should be available everywhere, says 93 percent of Americans
from Beverage Daily
A new study from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) says that 93 percent of Americans want bottled water available everywhere drinks are sold, and prefer it over all other beverages, furthering its rise to the no. 1 soft drink in the world.
7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063


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Malawi Moving In Right Direction To Develop Economically As APM Officially Opens Salima Sugar Factor
President Peter Mutharika has described the opening of the Salima Sugar factory as a clear testimony of his government’s vision to make the nation an exporting country.
Professor Mutharika made the remarks at Chikwawa in Traditional Authority Khombeza in Salima when he officially commissioned the factory on Monday.
The Salima Sugar Factory becomes the second producer of ugar, after Illovo Sugar Limited which operates in Nchalo Chikwawa and Dwangwa in Nkhotakota.
Speaking during the function, the president said establishing factories in rural areas will help in his vision to industrialize rural areas.
”There was a time we were closing down factories in this country. This is the time we are opening new industries. Salima Sugar Factory is a symbol of our vision to accomplish rural industrialization in our country,” he said.
“There was a time we were taking all development to the cities. This is the time we are taking development to the people. We are taking factories, new industries, roads, and community colleges to rural areas because economic growth must never marginalize rural people,” he added.
According to the President, the factory will bring jobs to communities around it.
“This factory will bring an economic rural growth centre. That is how Dwangwa and Nchalo grew,” he disclosed.
“This factory will enable small holder farmers to diversify their sources of income. This factory will empower sugarcane farmers because it brings competition among sugar manufacturers.
This factory will bring foreign exchange earnings to Malawi. It is in creating jobs, creating new wealth, economically empowering rural people, producing and exporting that we develop Malawi,” Prof. Mutharika disclosed.
The Malawi leader said the Democratic Progressive Party-DPP administration has a shared vision which remains to make Malawi a producing and exporting nation. He said the factory is an illustrative symbol of this celebrated dream.
“We are opening this factory soon after we opened a Cotton Ginning Factory in the same spirit of becoming a producing and exporting nation. This Sugar Factory tells every Malawian that we share a living vision,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the sugar company, Mr. Shirieesh Betgiri said his company will diversify into the other agricultural products such as fish farming, maize production and others.
The sugar company is part of government’s dreams under the Green Belt Initiative which seeks to promote irrigation agriculture and in the long-run end the country’s perennial hunger.


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Duracell’s Smart Power Lab gives light to those in need
BETHEL, Conn. — Duracell is taking its mobile Smart Power Lab tour to the next level.
After collecting human-generated power to light the 2011 numerals during the New Year’s Eve ball drop ceremony in New York’s Times Square for the third year in a row, the battery brand said it is taking the tour to cities across the country that have been affected by natural disasters. The Smart Power Lab will be deployed to provide power relief and also will provide a place for members of the affected community to recharge, reconnect and recover, Duracell said.
"The next phase of our journey will … provide [users] with power and tools they need to reconnect with loved ones and start the recovery process," said Bob Jacobs, Duracell marketing director, North America.
IRS announces tax on drug makers
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has released its guidance on the healthcare-reform law’s tax on drug makers, according to documents posted on the agency’s website.
The tax applies to branded drug companies with total sales of at least $5 million to government health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and programs administered by the defense and veterans affairs departments.
The tax is expected to raise more than $2 billion per year, according to published reports. Drug companies have until Jan. 20 to obtain a fee calculation from the IRS, and until June 2 to offer comments.
Dollar General drives job growth
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Building on its plans to open 625 new stores in fiscal 2011, Dollar General on Monday resolved to create 6,000 new jobs.
In addition to expanding within its 35-state operating area, Dollar General also has targeted such new markets as Connecticut, Nevada and New Hampshire.
“Bringing our store model of convenience and value to more people in more states is an exciting opportunity for us,” stated Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO. “We believe the new communities and states we are entering will benefit from the new jobs, shopping choices and dedication to community found at Dollar General.“
By expanding its presence in new suburban, rural and metropolitan markets, Dollar General will be bringing more than 6,000 new jobs to local communities. The anticipated jobs follow two years of positive job growth for the company. From 2009 to 2011, the company will have created more than 15,000 new jobs, Dollar General stated.
In addition to 625 new stores, the company plans to remodel or relocate 550 stores.


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Porsche India has recently announced its plans to introduce the new Porsche 911 range to the Indian market on June 29. The 2016 911 range will include four models: 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S, 911 Turbo and the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. The new 911 range comes with minor cosmetic changes to the exterior which give them a more a sharper appeal. Along with that, Porsche offers the new cars with slightly tuned engines to offer increased power and better performance.
At the front end of the car, significant changes like a new pair of...
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Updated Date: Jun 14, 2016 13:59:32 IST