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Is a rival bid coming in the J. C. Penney bankruptcy?
A group of lenders entangled in the department store chain’s nearly five-month-old Chapter 11 court case isn’t happy with how the retailer plans to carve out who gets what from its proposed sale—and might jump into the fray with a competing bid of its own.
Led by Aurelius Capital Management, the lender group has been vocal in criticizing the three-pronged post-bankruptcy plan under proposal. The strategy would create two real estate investment trusts owned by a larger group of lenders—one for 161 stores and the other to hold JCP’s distribution centers—and a third operating component controlled by the company’s two largest landlords, Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners. Not surprisingly, the lender group’s chief takes umbrage with the so-called Prop Co./Op Co. proposal parceling out the majority of the proceeds to the bigger lending group, led by H/2 Capital Partners LLC, at the expense of all of the retailer’s lenders.
JCP, which filed for bankruptcy on May 15, has a $900 million debtor-in-possession financing facility and about $1.57 billion in first-lien debt. The group led by H/2 holds roughly 94 percent of the DIP claims and 75 percent of first-lien indebtedness. In comparison, the smaller group led by Aurelius hold just 5.6 percent of the DIP claims and 19.6 percent of first-lien indebtedness.
The proposed Prop Co./Op Co. plan, which includes a credit bid, led by H/2 is valued at $1.75 billion, with the landlords contributing $300 million. Under the proposal, the Aurelius-led group would capture just 10 percent of sale proceeds if that transaction goes forward.
However, it’s taking issue neither with the plan’s Op Co. component, nor its sale to the two landlords.
In a court hearing Wednesday, Bankruptcy Judge David Jones responded, “I want to see what your folks can do,” when the Aurelius-led group aired its intent to cobble together a bid.
But the group faces a nine-day deadline of Oct. 16, the date by which the current plan is supposed to be approved. And even though that non-binding deal was agreed to in principle nearly one month ago, it still hasn’t been finalized into a definitive asset purchase agreement.
There’s another hurdle, too: Aurelius-led group would have to come up with $2.47 billion, a sum that would satisfy the $900 million in DIP claims and $1.57 billion in first-lien debt obligations, both of which the existing offer would cover.
The one bit of good news is that Judge Jones has set the sale hearing for Nov. 2, and a Chapter 11 hearing to confirm the reorganization plan on Nov. 24-25. Presuming all goes well, JCP would be poised to exit Chapter 11 proceedings in December. Those dates should help the retailer and vendors see some light at the end of the tunnel, and provide much-needed vendor support as JCP heads into the holidays.
JCP’s attorney acknowledged that some vendors have been hesitant to work with the chain over concerns about its bill-paying ability and fears that a sale might not come to fruition. Joshua Sussberg from Kirkland & Ellis noted that JCP has missed some deadlines, and that “while vendors are supportive of the direction we are heading, many are waiting for a binding deal and closure to fully support, or resume supporting the company.”


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GrahamSpencer Welcomes Sean McClure
GrahamSpencer is pleased to introduce its newest team member, Sean McClure, to our Chicago office. Sean is located at The Connectory in the 1871 incubator at the Merchandise Mart.
A digital brand strategist, his responsibilities will include strengthening GrahamSpencer’s digital, marketing and media skill set, building new client relationships and working with existing GS clients to help them build and sustain their brands on a global scale.
“GS’s team is as smart and talented as I’ve seen anywhere,” said McClure. “The experience they bring to bear with their 30-year history is as broad as it is deep. I am really excited about the power this team has to offer clients of any size in almost any business. And, I’m happy to be part of it.”
“Sean’s experience with brands like Bosch, NBCUniversal, The Guardian (UK) and Chicago Tribune is impressive,” said Jay Graham. “He ‘gets’ digital at a very high level because he’s been involved in best practices as the industry has grown up. Many advertising and brand professionals pretend to have this sort of experience, but few actually do. We’re glad he’s on our team. He’s going to bring a lot of consultative value to our clients.”

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Japanese game producer, Sega, has released one of the legendary game, Sonic the Hedgehog, for the Android platform.
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Quoted from IntoMobile, Tuesday (11/13), January 30, 2013 will be a historic day for the latest platform’s launch.
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PT. Samsung Electronics will soon bring the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the Indonesian market.
And starting Thursday, pre-orders already open. Read Samsung Galaxy S4 Can Ordered Today.
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Website provider of free and paid storage service, Dropbox, today released an announcement stating that they have recorded a remarkable achievement by achieving 100 million users worldwide.
Have you ever imagined playing your favorite PC games with an XBOX controller? If so, your dream might come true with the release of some updates from XBOX. As confirmed by XBOX official website, now it is possible to use an XBOX controller on our PC [...]
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Hewlett Packard (HP) as one of the printer manufacturers claim the new printer, the HP Officejet Pro X Series X476 and X451 Color MFP, the fastest printer in the world.
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You are one of the fans of the game Plants Vs Zombies? If yes, then this time there is interesting info for you.
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News - Ford
Ford Australia faces years of financial pain
Ford set to remain in red in Australia until after switch to full importer in 2016
23 May 2013
By TERRY MARTIN
FORD Australia is not anticipating a return to profitability until after it has completed its transition to a full-line import brand by the end of 2016.
The company today posted a $141 million loss for the 2012 financial year and announced it would pull out of motor vehicle manufacturing in Australia at the end of October 2016, after years of declining large car sales.
The 2012 result follows a loss of $290 million in 2011 – Ford’s largest-ever after-tax loss in Australia – and is being attributed to last year’s cutbacks, which from November reduced vehicle production from 209 cars a day to 148.
Ford says this downsizing of its operations impaired its asset base by $143 million.
It also led to 330 job losses at the company’s facilities at Broadmeadows – where Ford’s locally developed Falcon sedan and ute and the Territory SUV are built – and Geelong, which supplies components and assemblies such as six-cylinder engines, panels and castings.
Another 1200 jobs – some 650 from Broadmeadows and 510 from Geelong – will be lost with the full wind-down of its local manufacturing operations, with many more expected in the supply chain.
Ford’s announcement has come just two weeks after Holden posted a $152.8 million loss for 2012, which included $226 million in one-off charges associated with restructuring its business – mainly revaluing its manufacturing assets to align with reduced demand.
Ford Australia president and CEO Bob Graziano said today that the imported vehicle side of the company’s business was profitable, and that the restructure of the Blue Oval brand to a full-line importer would see the model range increased by 30 per cent over the next three years.
Ford Australia chief financial officer Mark Rearick said the financial results mirror last year’s “realignment”.
“We had a 30 per cent reduction in volume at the end of last year, and our financial results reflect that we had to revalue our asset base by a corresponding amount, accounting for the loss,” he said.
The company said this action was a result of Ford Australia “remaining focused on key aspects of the global ‘One Ford’ plan, including: aggressively restructuring to operate profitably at the current demand and changing model mix accelerating the development of new products that customers want and value financing the plan and improving the balance sheet (and) working together effectively as one team, leveraging Ford’s global assets”.
Ford’s record loss in 2011 included a $30 million worker redundancy bill and a big one-off tax impairment charge of $212 million. Its worst result prior to that was a $274 million loss incurred at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008.
Ford’s result last year would have been worse but for a $112 million co-investment handout from the federal government, mainly under the Automotive Transformation Scheme (ATS), although the company has emphasised that this accounted for just 3.7 per cent of its total revenue for the year.
Ford Australia posted a $25 million profit in 2010 and $12.7 million profit in 2009.
Sales of Ford’s locally built models were down 12.7 per cent in 2012, including a slump of 25.1 per cent for the Falcon sedan. To the end of April this year, new registrations of Ford’s locally built cars are down 12.8 per cent, with Falcon down 27.5 per cent.
In its financial statements released today, Ford said it invested $270 million across research, development and facilities “for a broad range of global and local vehicle development programs”.
It said this brings the company’s total R&D investment in Australia during the past six years to more than $1.9 billion, making it the largest R&D investor of any car-maker in Australia.
Mr Graziano said today there would be no job losses at its research and development centre in Broadmeadows, or at its proving ground at the You Yangs between Melbourne and Geelong.
The Road to Recovery podcast series
23rd of May 2013
Toyota and Holden committed to Australian production
Holden, Toyota stand firm in the wake of Ford Australia closure announcement
23rd of May 2013
End of the line for Ford Australia
A dark day for Australian manufacturing as Ford confirms production to end in 2016
15th of November 2012
D-day for 330 Ford workers tomorrow
Ford shuts plant for a day to provide dignified departure for redundant staff
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Motor industry news


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The City of Lexington has invested in a new portable digital device so the organization can take different messages and information to specific areas in the community.
Tracey White, utilities and marketing director for the City of Lexington, said the city has purchased a four-foot by seven-foot mobile LED trailer that can be downloaded with a variety of information and will be used by multiple departments.
She said the City of Lexington regularly uses online, broadcast and print advertising, but this new piece of equipment can take the selected message directly into the areas they are trying to reach.
“We were trying to figure out how to get messages for some things that we have coming up out into the community,” White said. “Commercials and print ads serve their purpose, but it is a difference audience. There is a certain demographic that reads the newspaper, there is a certain demographic that listens to the radio and watches TV. They aren’t necessarily the same group and you have to reach them where they are.”
Lexington City Manager Terra Greene said the new mobile device is one of several initiatives the city has undertaken, including providing more information to the public.
“Part of that equation is the ever increasing broadband demand to reach our citizenry and utility customers through multiple communication platforms,” Greene said. “As a city that strives for continual innovation, we are seeking creative ways to engage in the community and meet them where they are. What better way to do that than with a traveling billboard that visits our neighborhoods?”
The new portable messaging vehicle cost approximately $32,000. White said although the upfront cost is higher than normal marketing items, the device will pay for itself in two years and it can be used for years to come.
She said the city has spent up to $18,000 a year for different billboards. She said the problem is they are mostly located on the interstate and not in the community and they are only temporary. She said the new mobile device can be used over and over again.
“We had looked at regular billboards, but it was quite expensive to keep a billboard up for any length of time,” White said. “Then it is not usually in a community, it is on the interstate or on the outskirts and we were trying to take these messages into the community. Also, to get something on a billboard you have to know about it a year in advance, for the billboard uptown (Lexington) you have to know about two years in advance.”
White said the mobile billboard is two sided and can display anything from urgent messages to commercials and videos. She said it is also something that can be used by all city departments.
“We can roll it out and put informational message for emergencies,” White said. “The recreation department can use if for movie night, or we can use videos to advertise things that are happening at the amphitheater. We could take it to National Night Out if there was a video about safety that the police department wanted to show…It is like a big computer on wheels.”
White said they will premiere the new equipment during the City of Lexington professional workshop next week before deciding their first placement in the community.
She said the city purchased the equipment to provide more information directly to the public.
“It is hard sometimes to get our message into the community,” White said. “This way we can take it directly into the community, park it where we want and control our own message… We can advertise for $18,000 a year for three months or we can invest the $32,000 and have something we can use over and over; have exactly what we want and put it where we want.”
Sharon Myers can be reached at (336) 249-3981, ext. 228, or email@example.com


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Snapdeal faces a legal challenge, amid talks of a merger with Flipkart, A city court in Bangalore has directed the local police to register a case of cheating against Jasper Infotech and has issued summons to 10 executives including Snapdeal CEO Kunal Bahl. The city magistrate court has summoned all the parties to appear before it on May 27. The court acted following a private complaint by Dream Merchants, an events company, which organises the Bangalore Fashion Week. Snapdeal had promised an association with Bangalore Fashion Week and had restrained Dream Merchants from associating with any other competing brand. The e-commerce company refused sponsorship after the first edition of Bangalore Fashion Week. Snapdeal has been booked under the Section 420 and 120B of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 120B deals with criminal conspiracy and Section 420 deals with cheating. A report by the Times of India claims that event management company had to raise funds and run the event itself. It added that Dream Merchants had approached the police to register an FIR but were forced to file a private complaint, after the police refused to file a report. Court has summoned the following executives: Kunal Bahl: CEO and Co-Founder of Snapdeal Amit Maheshwari: Senior Vice President Fashion Abhishek Passi: Vice President, Business Strategy Mudita Verma: Director, Women's Clothing, Jewellery and The Designer Studio Aditi Soni: Head Events (Fashion) & Communications Anchal Chauhan: Executive Surendra Mohta: Associate Director, Contracts Sushma Earaiah: Executive Puneet Bhaskar: Executive Arghya Chakravarty: Executive Meanwhile, Snapdeal termed the case as "baseless allegations".…
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The Tourism Authority of Thailand brief Pattaya-area tourism businesses on the newly reopened Saudi Arabian market.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, deputy governor for international marketing Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Americas, led the “Mastering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Market and the Middle East” seminar March 9 at the Renaissance Pattaya Resort and Spa. The workshop as aimed at advising tourism operators on the potential and marketing opportunities that come with the restoration of diplomatic ties between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
Chattan said both countries agreed that on the key processes to restore bilateral relation and cooperation in important strategies, and guidelines to promote and strengthen trade and economic relations between both countries.
The TAT initiated strategic planning with marketing networks to prepare for tourism businesses by building marketing knowledge and tools for market penetration for Saudi Arabia to tourism entrepreneurs in the forms of organizing Market briefing/business talks (tabletop sales) between Thailand tourism entrepreneurs and representatives of tour companies from Saudi Arabia, and holding B2B and B2C sale promotional activities.
Chattan said that before the coronavirus pandemic, Pattaya was one of the most popular destinations for Saudi tourists.
The TAT planned for market penetration for Saudi Arabia via three new targets including new generations, families, and medical health care by offering products in health and wellness, beaches and shopping.
The entrepreneurs are required to prepare readiness to support and to respond to tourism behavior of Saudi Arabia tourists in various parts, such as readiness to provide Halal foods to be more standard with adequate portions.
Kachondej Apichattrakul, director of TAT’s Pattaya office, said 393,562 tourists from the Middle East visited Chonburi in 2019. Compared with the same period the previous year, Pattaya is still the popular destination of tourists from the Middle East.


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An East Lothian self storage business has completed an acquisition to triple the size of its operations and extend its footprint into England.
The £13m deal will see Kangaroo Self Storage take over Smart Storage, an independent business based in the north-west of England. It follows last summer's move into Edinburgh by Kangaroo, which also operates freehold stores in Dundee and Glasgow.
The deal for Smart Storage takes the Scottish firm's portfolio to nine stores with a current lettable area of 310,000sq ft and a miximum lettable area of 442,000sq ft. The move has been financed by a blend of debt and equity, with senior debt provided by HSBC .
Chris Stevens, managing director at Kangaroo, will become chief executive of the enlarged group. He said future plans include further geographical expansion through strategic acquisition and investment in the existing portfolio.
"I have spent some time now at Smart Storage's stores and this has allowed me to get to known and listen to staff and customers alike," Stevens said. "I've discovered passion and expertise in a loyal and hardworking workforce."
Occupancy has been increasing across the UK self-storage sector, with the number of sites on the rise. According to the lastest annual report from the Self Storage Association, the UK accounts for 47 per cent of the European market.
“My strategy will be to maintain, develop and invest in the caring, can-do attitude of the staff in both businesses as we realise the substantial growth that I believe is possible," Stevens said. "As awareness is raised in the self storage market, we are well positioned to meet this demand with high quality stores in strong performing local markets.
“I will look to continue our strategy of acquiring complementary businesses and add new stores via organic growth to expand our capabilities. That, plus our ongoing commitment to provide value-for-money, high quality, secure storage rooms coupled with attentive service will enable us to continue to attract and retain customers – across both the business, domestic and student markets.”
The investment in Scotland includes work o the second phase of the Edinburgh store, which is set to begin "shortly".


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Arla commits to being carbon-neutral by 2050
Changes are possible given the rapid pace of change in technology and ever-increasing farm efficiencies, says company.
Europe’s largest dairy co-operative, Arla Foods, has announced its Climate Change initative. Says UK Managing Director Ash Amirahmadi, “One of the greatest challenges facing us all is providing natural, nutritious food for a growing population whilst reducing our collective impact on the world around us….the new ambitions will ensure Arla’s farmers, production sites and products continue to play their part in developing a sustainable world for everyone.”
By 2050, says the company, its operations from cow to consumer will be carbon net zero, with any unavoidable emissions (for example, from farms) entirely offset by improvements elsewhere in the supply chain, will balance nitrogen and phosphorus cycles to support clean water systems and will aim to further increase biodiversity across the countryside.
The co-operative, which is owned by 10,300 farmers across the UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium, says it has set its new targets having shown that business growth can be achieved without environmental impact. Arla says that while it has managed almost 50 per cent more milk since 2005, its CO2 emissions have reduced by 22 per cent across production and packaging; on farms CO2 emissions per kilo of milk have reduced by 24 per cent since 1990.
Arla says it believes that, while ambitious, these changes are possible given the rapid pace of change in technology and ever-increasing farm efficiencies. Arla UK ‘s initiatives to date have seen it cut annual emissions of carbon from the UK’s largest dairy at Aylesbury, Berkshire, by more than half (15,000 tonnes), by switching to using biogas. It has also entered into an agreement with FareShare to redistribute surplus products to charities, and reduced its UK carbon footprint by 48 percent.
Arla farmer owner Jonathan Sharp comments, “We’ve taken some big steps at Arla, but we can’t take our feet off the pedal. Every business and individual in every walk of life will need to think about their impact on the world in the years to come.”


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INDIANA — There is growing concern over the months-long shortage of baby formula. It's a situation that can be scary and intimidating when parents are unable to get what they need to feed their babies.
The issue is also bringing central Indiana moms together to help each other out.
Westfield mom of three, Chelsea Stevens has been struggling to find the formula her twins need.
"There is nothing, there's nothing to be found anywhere," Stevens said. "It's extremely concerning, we're not necessarily rationing out because they need to eat."
Pike Township mom, Amanda Foster-Moudy has six kids. She too has been struggling to find what she needs for her son.
"We're talking about my baby's life and health and well-being and what they need to survive and that's scary," Foster-Moudy said.
The stress of trying to find the food you need for your babies can be overwhelming, and many moms are coming together to help each other out. "We're trying to help each other because our kids need to eat," Stevens said.
A Facebook group called "Indy Formula Moms" was launched to help solve the problem.
"There's not an easy solution besides us banding together," Foster-Moudy said.
In the group, moms will post what kind of formula they use, others will post pictures of the shelves showing moms what formula is available near them.
"My husband is running to three or four different stores just trying to find something," Foster-Moudy said.
It's a hunt of sorts and takes a bit of teamwork from everyone," Stevens said. "You have that mom guilt where you don't want to necessarily take it as soon as you see it on the shelf, for fear that someone else [will need it], and take more than one even, but at the same time you have to feed your babies so what are you suppose to do?"
It's important to note, switching to breastfeeding is not a solution for all families.
Babies may be on formula for a wide range of reasons.
It's also not just a simple fix, parents just can't switch to another formula.
"Your baby's body gets used to a certain formula and there might be similar that you might be able to sub for but you can't just go and pick up a different brand," Stevens said.
If you would like to add yourself to the Indy Moms Facebook group, click here.
Some parents have started making their own formula or watering down what they have.
Pediatricians say you should avoid these options at all costs.
"A lot of times those recipes have dangerous components in them, or they're not nutritionally complete for your baby. And watering down formula is definitely dangerous because it can disturb your baby's electrolytes," Dr. Janet Wes said.
President Joe Biden is stepping up his administration's response to the shortage.
Supply chain issues, along with voluntary formula recalls have cut inventory nationwide by more than 43%.
The White House said Biden spoke Thursday with executives from manufacturers Reckitt and Gerber about how they could increase production and how his administration could help.
He also talked with leaders from Walmart and Target about how to restock shelves.
"Well, we've already seen an increase in supply over the past couple of weeks. We're taking every step to increase that. So, our message to parents is we hear you. We want to do everything we can," Biden said.
Federal officials are urging states to allow families to use federal aid to buy more brands of formula.
They're also taking steps to import more formula and cracking down on price gouging.
The House Oversight Committee is also launching an investigation into the shortage.
Abbot Nutrition said it could take 10 weeks to get their products back in stores. Thei Michigan plant was shut down earlier this year after three brands of formula were recalled over bacterial contamination.
The Better Business Bureau serving central Indiana issued a warning this week about shopping online for baby formula.
Scammers are using social media posts or ads showing they have baby formula available.
The buyer contacts the sellers via chat or direct message and makes a payment through PayPal, Venmo or some other means, but the formula never arrives.
Things to look for:
- Check BBB.org
- Do Internet Search
- Take Screen Shot of Order
- Pay With Credit Card
- Think Before You Click


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Kavanaugh joins with liberals in letting iPhone users sue Apple for alleged monopolistic app prices
Photo by Dedi Grigoroiu/Shutterstock.com.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Monday that iPhone users may sue Apple Inc. for allegedly monopolizing the app market to charge higher-than-competitive prices to consumers.
President Donald Trump’s two appointees to the Supreme Court, Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch, wrote the majority and dissenting opinions in the case. The two opinions put differing spins on a 1977 precedent involving indirect purchasers of concrete blocks.
Kavanaugh’s majority opinion was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Apple’s App Store is the only place where iPhone users can legally buy apps. Apple charges app developers a $99 annual membership fee and keeps a 30% commission on sales; the developer sets app prices, although the price must end in 99 cents.
The iPhone users argued that Apple would be under considerable pressure to lower the 30% commission in a competitive environment. If commissions were lower, app prices also would be lowered, the plaintiffs argued.
Apple had argued that app buyers are not entitled to sue under a 1977 Supreme Court decision, Illinois Brick Co. v. Illinois. That decision allowed antitrust suits by direct purchasers of products but not by some indirect purchasers.
Apple argued that app purchasers are indirect purchasers because the app developers set prices.
“We disagree,” Kavanaugh wrote. “The plaintiffs purchased apps directly from Apple and therefore are direct purchasers under Illinois Brick.”
The state of Illinois had claimed in the 1977 decision that Illinois Brick Co. had engaged in a conspiracy to set the price of concrete blocks. Illinois had purchased construction services from general contractors, who bought concrete blocks from masonry contractors, who bought the concrete blocks from Illinois Brick. The decision barred Illinois’ suit.
The Illinois Brick decision “means that indirect purchasers who are two or more steps removed from the antitrust violator in a distribution chain may not sue,” Kavanaugh said.
“By contrast, direct purchasers—that is, those who are ‘the immediate buyers from the alleged antitrust violators’—may sue.”
Kavanaugh cautioned that the Apple case was at an early stage, and that the court was not assessing the merits of the plaintiffs’ antitrust claims.
Gorsuch dissented, in an opinion joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Gorsuch argued that the majority had recast the holding of Illinois Brick. The actual holding, Gorsuch said, was that “an antitrust plaintiff can’t sue a defendant for overcharging someone else who might (or might not) have passed on all (or some) of the overcharge to him.”
The case is Apple Inc. v. Pepper.


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Dear KCS Holders,
We are pleased to announce that CoinPayments, a borderless online payment platform and cryptocurrency wallet that serves as a payment alternative for consumers and merchants, has joined our KCS ecosystem. KuCoin Shares (KCS) have now been integrated into CoinPayments, enabling more than 240 million merchants to accept payments in KCS – Kucoin.
The current KCS ecosystem partners include ETHLend, ADAMANT Messenger, Aave Pay, PlayGame, SwirlPay, and CoinPayments, providing multiple ways to use KCS. We welcome more partners to join us and contribute to the KCS ecosystem!
Founded in 2013, CoinPayments is the first and largest payment processor that allows merchants to accept Bitcoin and thousands of altcoins in their stores through easy to use plugins, APIs and POS interfaces. With over 2.4 million users across 182 countries around the world, CoinPayments.net is the most comprehensive multi-cryptocurrency platform available online.
Thanks for your support!
The KuCoin Team


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WhatsApp messenger finally available in JioPhone, JioPhone 2
WhatApp has finally arrived on the original JioPhone and JioPhone 2. Reliance had announced the messenger would be made available at its annual general meeting in July, where it had also introduced the new JioPhone 2. Jio claims that its smart/feature phone is the largest selling phone in India, and that in the under Rs 1500 category, 8 out of 10 devices sold are the JioPhone. The company has not given its source for this data.
JioPhone already has Facebook and Google Maps, which have been designed for KaiOS, the operating system that powers its device. This is WhatsApp’s first step in entering the 4G feature phone market, which is important in a market like India where it dominates. Feature phones still continue to outsell smartphones in India. For Reliance, the addition of most popular messaging apps in India, will make its JioPhone acceptable to more customers.
Users can go to the Jio app on their original JioPhone or the new JioPhone 2 and hit download on WhatsApp Messenger. The app should download on the phone, and will be ready to run. Users will have to then verify their number on WhatsApp and they can start using the app.


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The growth of motorbikes has come at a the cost of scooters and mopeds. Their share of the two-wheeler segment is around 70 per cent. However, lately, the segment has been under pressure with leading two-wheeler companies entering the market with latest models and various price ranges with an intention to nibble away at the market share.
Consequently, acute competition has not only challenged HHMLs leadership but it has also checked its volume growth. There has been a continuous decline in its sales volume in the last three months. The company sold 1.33 lakh motorbikes in September 2002, 1.36 lakh in July 2002 and 1.39 lakh in June 2002. This is proof enough of rivals benefiting at the cost of HHML.
HHML has devised a strategy of cutting prices as well as launching of new models. It has lowered prices of some of its top selling models. The price of Passion, its leading model, which contributes to around 30 per cent in sales, was slashed twice.It has launched Ambition and Dawn two variants in the economy segment.
The new launches are an important part of the strategy of most motorbike manufacturers as it enables them to incorporate the latest in technology. The fact that Dawn, has yet to click in terms of sales owes to a substantial pricing difference of about Rs 4,000-5,000 between Dawn and Bajaj Autos Boxer, that continues to rule the economy segment. Ambition and Dawn have so far failed to evoke the kind of customer response that CBZ or Passion had once evoked. Splendor that accounts for 50 per cent of total sales volumes continues to the largest selling model while Passion accounts for 30 per cent.
The company has emphasised indigenisation as well as slashed the number of vendors to maintain margins. It reported a hefty 40.2 per cent increase in operating profit to Rs 204.8 crore. The share of raw material (after stock adjustment) in sales was brought down to 68 per cent (69 per cent) and that of other expenses to 12 per cent (13 per cent). This has helped it to improve OPM to 16.6 per cent (14.1 per cent).
The future growth rates in motorcycle volumes are expected to stabilise at around 17-20 per cent even as the entire two wheeler market in general is expected to see a five-six per cent YoY growth. Yet, HHML has set a sales target of 18 lakh bikes, a 26 per cent growth, for FY 2002-03. It would be interesting to see how well HHML tackles the slugfest of intense competition in the motorbike segment during the next couple of quarters.


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Two women who allegedly robbed a beauty supply store in Florida were caught in the act on surveillance footage, despite one of the women who was sporting a t-shirt stating otherwise.
Surveillance video shows the women walking into Ulta Beauty Supply in Hillsborough County, Florida, March 15 but one of them clearly wasn't dressed for the occasion.
Her t-shirt read," Won't be caught," even as surveillance cameras proved she was dead wrong in thinking that.
They allegedly dropped $1,478 worth of cologne and perfumes into a bag just before walking out of the store without incident. Moments later they fled the scene in a blue Hyundai. Police are now using that footage to track them down.
Anyone with information on either of the two women is being urged to call CrimeStoppers.
Follow Jon Street (@JonStreet) on Twitter


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Vietnam’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) remained below the 50.0 no-change mark in April, falling to 46.7 from 47.7 in March, according to the S&P global report released on May 4.
The index signaled a fifth deterioration in business conditions in the past six months, with the latest decline the sharpest in the year-to-date.
The April data signaled a further decline in Vietnam’s manufacturing sector as demand remained subdued. Both output and new orders fell for the second month running, with firms scaling back employment and purchasing activity accordingly. Meanwhile, cost pressures continued to ease, providing firms with the opportunity to lower their own selling prices in order to try to stimulate demand.
Manufacturing production decreased for the second month running and at a solid pace as companies reported that securing new orders had been challenging during the month amid demand weakness. The solid reduction was faster than that seen in March.
The difficulties securing new orders were shown by further reductions in both total new business and new export orders at the start of the second quarter. The rate of contraction in total new orders quickened from the previous survey period, while new export business fell at a softer pace.
Declines in new orders meant that firms were able to further deplete backlogs of work, which decreased for the fourth consecutive month. Stocks of finished goods, meanwhile, increased to the greatest extent in two years.
Manufacturers continued to lower their staffing levels, both through the non-replacement of leavers and job cuts in response to lower workloads. Moreover, the rate of contraction was the sharpest for a year and a half.
Firms also scaled back their input purchases in April; the second month in succession this has been the case. A decline in demand for inputs helped lead to a fourth successive shortening of average lead times. Some firms also reported that improved transportation conditions had helped improve vendor performance.
With input buying lower, a fourth consecutive decline in stocks of purchases was recorded. That said, positive expectations for the future encouraged some firms to add to inventories, meaning that overall the rate of depletion was only marginal.
Positive sentiment was reflective of hopes that the current demand weakness would prove temporary, with a recovery taking place over the course of the coming year. That said, optimism was the lowest in the year-to-date.
The rate of input cost inflation slowed for the second consecutive month in April, easing to a slight pace that was the weakest in the current 35-month sequence of inflation amid some reports of lower raw material prices. Where input costs did increase, firms generally linked this to rises in prices linked to fuel and oil. A reduction in cost pressures and a subdued demand environment combined to result in a reduction in output prices, thereby ending a three-month sequence of inflation. Charges were lowered across the consumer, intermediate and investment goods sectors.
“Vietnam’s manufacturing sector appears to be going through a soft-patch at present, with firms finding securing new business challenging,” said Mr. Andrew Harker, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Companies are still optimistic that output will rise over the coming year, although sentiment has faded as new orders have dropped off in recent months.”
“Manufacturers have started lowering their prices to try and stimulate demand, with reduced cost pressures providing some room for maneuver. In fact, input prices increased at the softest pace in almost three years.”


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Exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con 2021 PAC-MAN nanoblock COLLECTORS SET is available!
PAC-MAN will be exhibited at a pop culture event “Comic-Con Special Edition” to be held in San Diego, USA from November 26th to 28th, 2021.
In addition, a limited edition version of the PAC-MAN nanoblock series, which is currently on sale in Japan, will be available at the Bluefin booth in the space next to the exhibition.
In the limited edition, colors of the blocks are translucent and sold in special sets. This is an 8-bit collaboration that reproduces “PAC-MAN” in nanoblocks.
【Exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con 2021 PAC-MAN nanoblock COLLECTORS SET】
Translucent colors, exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con!
Bumpin’ PAC-MAN Phone Case Collection
NEW COLLECTION ” PAC-MAN X KHAKI BROS. ” IN WINTER 2022 !
KURA SUSHI USA AND PAC-MAN™ DEBUT FIRST BIKKURA PON PRIZE COLLABORATION
Announcing PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC – coming August 26th, 2022!
PAC-MAN COMMUNITY Exits Beta, Surpasses 6 Million Players and 16,000 UGC Mazes in First Four Months!


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NFI COMBINES ACTIVITIES NEW FLYER AND MCI WINNIPEG
NFI Group Inc. announced a company-wide transformational initiative called “NFI Forward” to rationalize its business units and facilities. One part of “NFI Forward”is combining the activities of the two NFI brands New Flyer and MCI into one entity. According to Paul Soubry, NFI President and Chief Executive Officer, this step is necessary because of the “drastic and unanticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced us to revisit our unique business definitions.”
New Flyer and MCI have legacies of product excellence dating back to the 1930’s. The combined entity will retain both market-leading brands and will operate under the leadership of New Flyer President Chris Stoddart. “We know the past several months have been extremely hard on all of our customers. The dramatic drop off of the motor coach market, and the challenges resulting from COVID-19 presented an opportunity to integrate MCI into New Flyer, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective combined business. Unfortunately, it also means the elimination of certain executive roles, and I want to recognize and thank those affected for all that they contributed to MCI and to our customers for so many years.”
The combined entity will continue offering all models of New Flyer transit buses and MCI motor coaches, the industry’s widest range of models and propulsion systems. MCI public market sales will be combined under New Flyer Vice President of Sales & Marketing Jennifer McNeill, while MCI private market sales will be led by Brent Maitland, Vice President, Private Sector Sales & Marketing. Pat Ziska will continue to lead private new coach sales team, while Steve Batho will continue to lead MCI technical customer support and service centers.
The NFI Group has more than 9,000 team members operating from 50 facilities across ten countries under brands: New Flyer (heavy-duty transit buses), Alexander Dennis Limited (single and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches), MCI (motor coaches), ARBOC (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts.


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This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)
In an interview for I-HLS after AUS&R 2015, Ophir Gamliel, CEO of ITL spoke about the company’s certification process, helping companies distribute their products globally.
ITL has over 2,000 sq. meters of laboratories to test products for potential countries to which the products are to be exported. Global recognition certification allows the company to produce certification of compliance to any potential country.
The company also provdies guidance and engineering support to have the product comply and it it doesn’t, the company offers consulting in order to fulfill the product’s potential to be exported.
Israel, as an export-oriented country, needs global certification and ITL was the first to recognize this, offering itself as a state laboratory.
ITL serves not only as a laboratory but as a certification body for the Israeli natural gas resources, among many other projects.


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Mercedes Hungary tops premium sales in 2016
The Hungarian subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz sold the most cars in the country in the premium category in 2016, according to statistics published by Datahouse, Mercedes-Benz Hungary said in a press statement sent to the Budapest Business Journal today.
The brand sold a total of 2,572 cars last year in the premium category, a 40% rise compared to the previous year, Mercedes said based on Datahouse data.
Mercedes attributes the success to its refreshed and expanded product line on offer last year. “We were able to close eleven record months [last year], which is chiefly due to our product line,” said Tamás Hesz of Mercedes-Benz Hungary. “We should also mention the premium customer care our clients receive in our salons,” he added.
The company is planning to further strengthen its position in the premium segment, and is therefore expecting to expand its portfolio of cars on offer this year.
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We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.


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With the recent announcement that Star Fox Zero has been pushed back to 2016, good news has been hard to come by when it comes to Nintendo. On the bright side, it looks like their biggest release of the holiday season is off to a great start.
According to Nintendo of America’s Twitter account, Super Mario Maker has surpassed 1 million copies sold worldwide since its release on September 11th. In addition, Nintendo also revealed that 2.2 million user-created stages have been uploaded, with nearly 75 million plays.
While 1 million is relative small change when measured up against other game sales numbers, it’s impressive considering the Wii U’s install base still only sits just over the 10 million mark.
For more on Super Mario Maker, be sure to take a look at our picks for the Most Stupidly Difficult Stages made in the game so far.


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Earlier this year we joined Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz in celebration of a boutique opening in Sydney and since then it’s been forward and upward for Bally’s director duo. This year Bally is celebrating 160th anniversary and this milestone-worthy occasion has put extra pressure on thier creative minds… and let’s face it, the standard has been set in the highest Swiss tradition: unmatched craftsmanship, clean lines and multi-dimensional feel. Just take a look at Bally’s past ad campaigns:
“The challenge for us has been to evolve Bally as a truly relevant, global luxury brand,” said the creative directors. “But to have that opportunity as the brand marks 160 years of excellence is a great privilege. We are committed to defining the future with not only contemporary collections, but also making Bally’s craftsmanship visible in fresh, modern ways.”
Earlier this month an exclusive cocktail event was held in London to celebrate the 160th anniversary capsule collection inspired by the brand’s heritage and revealed in time for September’s biggest global shopping event, Vogue Fashion’s Night Out. Characterized by soft lines and vibrant seasonal tones, each capsule collection piece carries the specially designed 160th logo that incorporates the Bally crest and reflects the brand’s legacy. Here is my personal favourite:
Bally’s 160th Anniversary Collection is available online as of this month.
by Olga Titarenko
One thought on “Bally Celebrates 160 Years”
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The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association annual flagship event – move to its spectacular new home at Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, a fitting return for the UK’s most prestigious rare book fair.
Firsts London, which will take place from 21st-24th October 2021, expects to call the contemporary exhibition space home for the foreseeable future, part of an ongoing move by the ABA to invest long-term in the fair’s success and growth.
In line with previous editions, Firsts London 2021 will see leading international dealers present iconic rare books, manuscripts and works on paper from the ancient world through to the 21st century. Saatchi Gallery’s world-class gallery space will provide an outstanding location in London to showcase selections from some of the world’s finest book sellers.
Thursday 21st October 2021 5pm-9pm (Invitation Only Preview Night and Champagne Reception)* (£50 Entry)
Friday 22nd October 2021 11am-7pm (£10 Entry)
Saturday 23rd October 2021 11am-6pm (Free Entry)
Sunday 24th October 2021 11am-5pm (Free Entry)
*Complimentary entry to the preview night for registered ILAB members and institutional librarians. Kindly RSVP at firstname.lastname@example.org to request a ticket.
This year, additional measures are being put in place to ensure Firsts London maintains a Covid-19 safe environment where visitors and exhibitors can enjoy the best the fair has to offer. The venue has recently installed a state-of-the-art ventilation system, and the fair will also put in place a one-way entry and exit system, in addition to several hand-sanitizing stations throughout the gallery spaces.
“This October Firsts London will offer booksellers and visitors a well-deserved and much anticipated opportunity to reconnect, meet and trade in Saatchi Gallery’s inspiring setting, which I am sure will be particularly appreciated by dealers and rare book enthusiasts alike following an eighteen-month period of only being able to attend online fairs and events,” says ABA President and Fair Chairman Pom Harrington.
“While the success of the online fairs proved the format has a permanent place in the antiquarian book selling landscape, there is nothing that compares to the atmosphere and sense of discovery that a real-life fair provides. This year’s fair artwork, created by children’s’ book illustrator Korky Paul, captures the spirit of this sentiment with his signature colourful characters meeting at our fair’s iconic new venue. We are looking forward to meeting old friends and welcoming new one’s at the fair’s new home,” added Pom.
The ABA is proud to partner with Biblio, Official Partner for Firsts London.
Our 2021 Official Charity Partner is The London Library.
Our 2021 Insurance Partner and Fair Sponsor is Richard Thompson Insurance Brokers.
Firsts London is presented by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association under the auspices of ILAB. All booksellers at the fair are committed to dealing at the very highest levels, and their expertise is second to none.


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News | MW:M22
MW:M18 Talks are now live on Soundcloud
Did you miss some of the inspiring talks by our international line-up of speakers at this year’s convention or wanna dig a bit deeper in some of the topics like AI, VR, the future of music marketing and streaming that MW:M18 was all about? Now you can listen to more than 30 hours (!) of new content on our Soundcloud channel.


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Korean media reports inform us that GM Korea has sold off the planned consignment of 400 special edition Beat models in a few days. The Transformers-loving Korean car buyers didn't wait for the right time to book a Beat decaled with Transformers emblems.
The special edition Beat did not have a redone engine or transmission. Changes were cosmetic with new wheels, a spoiler and Transformers written using the official font in upper case on the bonnet. The company planned only 400 units and they were gobbled up by Korea within days.
Meanwhile here in India, GM has no plans to introduce special editions riding on the success of the Transformers franchise. The diesel variant with a 1L engine emerges on the 25th of this month and we've been told that demo vehicles have reached some dealerships. The diesel model could be priced starting at 4.19 lakh rupees for the base model that comes with air-conditioning.
The Beat petrol was launched a day prior to the Auto Expo last year. It started off well, but weeks later Ford came, saw and conquered the buyer's mind with the Figo. The Beat was forgotten and sales, in later months, were a far cry from the initially projected 5,000 units/month.
With the lowest maintenance costs, ARAI approved fuel efficiency figure of 24kmpl, an electrically-powered steering wheel, softer suspension setup and space-age design, could the Beat diesel beat rivals Maruti WagonR and Hyundai i10? Or will the fizz last only until the new Swift arrival next month with more features and on the back of a much greater hype?
[Source - Gyotongn.com]


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Special to the Minden Press-Herald
Tractor Supply Company in Minden is hosting pet adoptions, a pet supplies drive and more on Saturday, Aug. 25 as part of Out Here With Animals, its month-long event for animals of all kinds and the people who care for them.
On Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., community members and their dogs, cats, pigs, goats and more are invited to make their way to the Minden Tractor Supply to support local pet adoptions.
“Our team members believe that animals of all kinds are worth celebrating,” said Liz McCrery, manager of the Minden Tractor Supply. “Out Here With Animals allows us to do just that by providing us with opportunities to do our part in supporting local animal rescue groups.”
The Webster Parish Humane Association will be on site from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Additionally, customers can support the local animal shelter community by participating in Tractor Supply’s pet supplies drive. Happening all month long as part of Out Here With Animals, the retailer is accepting new sealed food, toys, cleaning supplies and other essential pet accessories such as beds, scratching posts, leashes and bowls to be donated to Minden rescues and shelters.
“The supplies drive is an important component to Out Here With Animals because it allows our customers who don’t have the ability to adopt to still give back in a much needed way,” said McCrery.


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South Korea's consumer prices continued their upbeat mode to touch the 2 percent level in May on high-flying oil and livestock prices, government data showed Thursday.
The country's consumer price index gained 2 percent last month from a year earlier, slightly up from the previous month's 1.9 percent rise, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
Consumer prices have been hovering around 2 percent since the first month of 2017 due to a sharp gain in oil prices, following a 1.3 percent on-year gain in December last year.
From a month earlier, the index edged up 0.1 percent in May.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food prices, increased 1.5 percent in May compared with last year.
The statistics office said rising meat and egg prices contributed to the recent upward trend of consumer prices.
Prices of livestock products rose 11.6 percent on-year in May, with those of egg surging 67.9 percent in the aftermath of an outbreak of avian influenza. Pork prices also jumped 12.2 percent on-year on rising demand in the spring season.
Moreover, a steady hike in petroleum prices pushed up consumer prices last month as prices of gasoline at the pump rose 7 percent last month and those of diesel vaulted 10.3 percent.
Food prices at restaurants and insurance fees added 2.4 percent on-year last month to lend support to the overall gain in consumer prices.
"Crude oil prices has been on a rise for nearly a year, although the upside pace has been slowing down to some extent," said Woo Young-jae, director of the price statistics division at the statistical bureau. "This month, livestock prices and private service charges also played a role in fueling inflation."
On the other hand, prices of vegetables fell 8.4 percent in May from a year earlier on an increased supply, while utility bills retreated 1.6 percent on an electricity price-cut program by the government.
"The upside trend of 2 percent inflation will likely continue further if there are no sudden ups and downs," the statistics office said. (Yonhap)


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Yet another experiment was reported on those long suffering mice – this time at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting.
Why this is a big deal is that it was the first time we can say “yes this sunscreen can protect you against melanoma” noted lead researcher Christian Burd of the team from Ohio State University.
Conventional sun screens protect against the shorter wavelength ultraviolet light (UVB) which is known to cause skin cancer as a whole. In this experiment they took genetically engineered mice (modified to have skin like humans), painted them with a variety of SPF 30 sunscreens, then zapped them with the equivalent of a weeks worth of sunbathing at a time (it doesn’t say if they sat around the ool or went to the beach).
The significance is that this showed it protected the mice specifically from melanoma – which is the nastiest (most aggressive) of the various skin cancers, whose prevalence has doubled in the last 30 years.
Sun Exposure Science
One reservation about this study was it didn’t include the longer wavelength, UVA, which originally, though it penetrates deeper into the skin (and has a general immunosuppressive effect on the body as a whole), was not thought to be as harmful as UVB. But now it is found that it does have a role in skin cancer by damaging DNA, but by forming free radicals rather than directly screwing with the components of the DNA molecule like UVB does.
Newer sunscreens are starting to contain ingredients that protect against UVA.
In terms of carcinogenic effect, intermittent episodes of sunburn/over-exposure seem far more harmful than long-term exposure.
And the best protection is melanin – the pigment in the skin that is formed in response to sun exposure and that makes you tan – if you are not like me with that delicate Anglo-Saxon skin that goes red, peels off and leaves you as vulnerable again as any naked mouse.


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Have you discovered the power of press releases yet? You’ll get traffic, without getting “press” per se. This is the way publicity works now; you’re going directly to your customers.
Press releases are simple and effective marketing.
You can do very well with press releases if your business is new, as I mentioned here:
He wasn’t trying to attract media attention (just as well, because he didn’t get it), he was aiming to build an online presence fast… Here’s the thing: he got a trickle of traffic, sure. But for over a year later, he made SALES to customers who told him they’d first heard of his company online — via the press releases.
If you’ve tried other sources of traffic, and are disappointed, give press releases a try.
This article, Five ways to get your story in the press, has some useful tips:
” Tailor your story to the particular media audience or outlet
Daines says many small business owners make the mistake of simply buying media lists and sending out generic mass mail-outs about their product or service.
‘Sending out a mass email approach that’s been blind cc-ed is lazy. You will fail to engage the reporter if you haven’t researched what they write about, what they’ve done in the past or what they’re interested in,’ Daines says.”
Big tip: think in terms of a media campaign, rather than a single release. This applies whether you’re using old-style press releases, or online press releases.
You’ll need to tell your story yourself
With old-style press releases, you target the media. With luck, a journalist will give you a call, and will interview you.
Sadly there are fewer journalists and media outlets than there used to be.
This means, that you need to tell your story yourself:
* Make sure your releases are supported by content;
* Promote your story on your website and elsewhere;
* If you’re launching a product or service, start your push BEFORE the launch.
Compared to other forms of advertising, press releases are inexpensive. They perform well as basic content for your site too, because they help build trust and credibility.
Writing for the Web? Go Beyond the Words
The Web is changing fast. Are you changing with it?
Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter…
Images, video and audio enhance content on the new Web. Do you know how to create them and use them to enhance your Web writing?
If you’re a newly minted Web writer, start by becoming a master at creating Web articles.
Then get experience as an audio-visual writer, and you’ll be streets ahead of other writers – you’ll out-pace the competition, and you can charge more.
Ready to master the new Web, and become a master content creator?


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Sydney, Australia, 27 April 2015: International investment firm Pro-invest Group and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have signed a franchise agreement for a 245-room Holiday Inn Express hotel in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD. The hotel will be the first Holiday Inn Express in the city and the third to be developed under the master development agreement between Pro-invest Group and IHG which will see the roll out of Holiday Inn Express hotels throughout Australia’s key markets.
The new build hotel will be located on Adelaide’s thriving Hindley Street, in close proximity to North Terrace, the Adelaide Convention Centre and the upcoming Royal Adelaide Hospital. Leisure travellers can enjoy a short walk to the Adelaide Casino and sporting hub Adelaide Oval, whilst the accessibility to major corporate offices within the CBD from the hotel will be a draw for business travellers.
Ronald Barrott, Chief Executive Officer of Pro-Invest Group said, “Together with IHG we are progressing very well in securing strategic, high in-demand locations to develop Holiday Inn Express hotels. Adelaide in particular has seen some excellent occupancy in recent years and we are pleased to have secured this prime location in the city’s CBD for the third hotel in our portfolio.”
Karin Sheppard, Chief Operating Officer for Australasia, Japan , Korea the Middle East and Africa, IHG, said, “The development of the new Holiday Inn Express Adelaide CBD is the latest in a series of milestones for IHG and our partner Pro-invest Group. The site is exactly in the right location for the Holiday Inn Guest and hits our strategy of bringing the brand to key Australian cities.”
Providing everything guests need and nothing they don’t, Holiday Inn Express Adelaide CBD will offer guests a smart and convenient stay which includes:
Pro-invest Group, in close collaboration with IHG and leading hotel designer Joseph Pang, has tailored the design of the typical Holiday Inn Express hotel to meet the requirements of the Australian market. Hotels developed by Pro-invest Group will be leading in design, value and personality in order to provide modern business and leisure travellers a value-driven guest experience. In addition, all hotels will be part of IHG’s Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 84 million members worldwide.
Set to open in early 2017, Holiday Inn Express Adelaide CBD is the third Holiday Inn Express to be signed in Australia. The first hotel is due to open early next year at Macquarie Park, Sydney and the second hotel will follow in the second half of 2016 in Brisbane’s Spring Hill.
Tim Sherlock, Managing Director, Pro-invest Developments said, “With the construction of Holiday Inn Express Sydney Macquarie Park well advanced and Holiday Inn Express Brisbane Spring Hill coming out of the ground imminently, Pro-invest Group is on track to developing the Australian Holiday Inn Express portfolio under its partnership with IHG. Our development team continues to actively scour the country for strategic locations within capital cities and key business hubs showing strong hotel fundamentals.
Pro-invest Group is currently in advanced negotiations on another five sites and is actively seeking additional sites to develop Holiday Inn Express hotels. It expects to announce further acquisitions in the coming months.
Presenter Stephen Dixon SKYNews invited Dr Sabine Schaffer, Managing Partner & Co-CEO, to talk about running a carbon-neutral business to attract today’s eco-conscious guests to our hotels.
Making friends with NABERS – the Fifth Estate wrote a compelling story on Pro-invest and CEFC’s collaboration for the roll-out of 5-star NABERS rated hotels across Australia under the Pro-invest Australian Hospitality Fund II. A topical announcement in an industry that is increasingly shaped by sustainability trends, the Fifth Estate reinforces the leading edge of Pro-invest within the
One of Australia’s largest hotel owners and operators, Pro-invest Group, today announced it had purchased the Campbell5 Hotel in Canberra, marking the first asset purchase under its third discretionary investment fund (Fund III).
Global investment firm Pro-invest has acquired the luxury 5-star Primus Hotel in the first significant hotel transaction since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic following an intensely fought competitive sale process managed by JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group. The purchase, which completes in August, was negotiated through JLL Hotels Managing Director Mark Durran. “We are


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Following a busy National Hot Dog Day that generated nearly 500 million impressions online, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) received additional positive media hits last week.
The latest quarterly report of the Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education (Foundation) is available here.
The Chinese government approved several domestic companies to buy U.S. products - including cotton, corn, sorghum and pork - with lower or no retaliatory tariffs.
“So many misconceptions were put to rest”
Washington, DC---Seven food writers recently participated
in a food and farm excursion to see...
WASHINGTON, DC – The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) applauds the Trump Administration’s successful efforts to expand access for U.S. beef exports to the European Union (EU).
WASHINGTON, DC – More than 50 members of Congress and over 1,000 congressional staff, meat industry representatives and members of the media today filled the Rayburn House Office Building Courtyard on Capitol Hill to celebrate July as National Hot Dog Month at the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) Annual Hot Dog Lunch.
This week the environmental activist group Mighty Earth issued a report titled “Mystery Meat II: The Industry Behind the Quiet Destruction of the American Heartland,” which seeks to blame the meat industry for any real or perceived environmental impact it can find... read more
It is rare that I sit in a session at a conference and am riveted by the entire presentation. But that was the case when David Klurfeld, Ph.D., USDA’s National Program Leader for Human Nutrition in the Agricultural Research Service, spoke at our recent Meat Industry... read more
What happens when you tell people to stop eating meat? They get mad! And why wouldn’t they? Meat is both delicious and nutrient dense. In 2016, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans confirmed once again that meat can play a key role as part of a healthy diet... read more


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4 reasons why 2016 Subaru WRX/STI achieves best August on record
Our neighbors up north are snatching up the 2016 Subaru WRX/STI performance cars in record numbers. They are also fond of the XV Crosstrek crossover as both models in the Subaru lineup achieved the best August ever in Canada. Consumers in Canada are being drawn to the brand because of Subaru’s core values that created a niche market that is keeping the Japanese automaker number one in growth in the industry.
There are four core values that Subaru touts as the keys to their success. They are sporty performance, adventure, active lifestyle and safety. Each one is contributing to the brands overall success. We can see each one of these values in every vehicle in their lineup. From the number one selling Forester SUV to the high-performance WRX STI, they all hold the keys to Subaru’s success around the globe.
Subaru Canada is experiencing another record year even with limited inventory. Subaru is pumping out their vehicles as fast as Fuji Heavy Industries can make them. The brand is appealing to a wider audience and is attracting new buyers who have never purchased a Subaru vehicle. Shiro Ohta, chairman, president and CEO of Subaru Canada says, “This rate of growth has created extraordinary consumer interest even with limited inventory.”
The 2016 Subaru WRX STI is an iconic performance car with a history that goes back to it’s World Rally Championship (WRC) roots. Some of those WRC cars will be on display at the LA Global Rallycross event this coming weekend. Performance enthusiasts will get to see eleven iconic WRC championship cars, Subaru WRX STIs and BRZs that will be on display.
2016 Subaru WRX STI is selling well all over the globe and performance enthusiasts in Canada are no different from those in the U.S., Australia and Europe. The new generation itineration is the evolution of the iconic rally-bred sports car that is as high on the fun-to-drive meter as you can get.
Media source: Subaru Canada


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Flipkart Massive Billion Days 2022 sale is reside with thrilling gives and reductions. The week-long sale started on September 22 for Plus Members, and from September 23 for all different prospects. Flipkart is offering a few of the finest offers and reductions on the smartphones from a number of manufacturers together with Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, Motorola and others. The Flipkart Massive Billion Days 2022 sale is providing alternate gives for purchasers keen to purchase funds smartphones below Rs. 20,000. Furthermore, ICICI and Axis Financial institution prospects can avail an extra 10 p.c on the spot low cost on every buy. Right here, we now have compiled a few of the finest smartphone offers below Rs. 20,000.
Flipkart Massive Billion Days 2022 sale: Finest offers on smartphones below Rs. 20,000
The Redmi Notice 11SE, which sports activities a 6.43-inch AMOLED show with 1,080 x 2,400 pixels decision, is on the market for Rs. 12,249 for the only 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. The handset from Xiaomi was launched just lately in India on August 26. It’s powered by a MediaTek Helio G95 SoC, coupled with Mali-G76 MC4 GPU. Redmi Notice 11SE comes with a quad rear digital camera setup which includes a 64-megapixel major sensor. Clients can even purchase the smartphone with an alternate supply low cost of as much as Rs. 11,700.
Purchase now at: Rs. 12,249 (MRP Rs. 16,999)
Flipkart Massive Billion Days 2022 sale is providing Motorola Moto G5 at beginning value of Rs. 12,999 for the bottom 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. The smartphone, launched in April this 12 months, comes with a 90 Hz refresh price and a 6.60-inch touchscreen show. The Motorola Moto G52 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. The handset boasts of offering a 5000mAh battery. For these all for shopping for the smartphone, Axis financial institution and ICICI financial institution are providing an on the spot 10 p.c low cost. One can even get an extra off as much as Rs. 12,400 on alternate supply.
Purchase now at: Rs. 12,999 (MRP Rs. 17,999)
The Samsung Galaxy F13 smartphone coupled with a 60 Hz refresh price and a 6.60-inch touchscreen show, is on the market at a 36 p.c low cost, making the efficient value with out gives at Rs. 15,999. The Samsung Galaxy F13 is powered by an octa-core Samsung Exynos 850 processor. The bottom 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant might be accessible at a cheaper price when mixed with financial institution gives and particular reductions.
Purchase now at: Rs. 15,999 (MRP Rs. 24,999)
One other nice smartphone deal below Rs. 20,000 throughout the Flipkart Massive Billion Days 200 sale is Vivo T1 44W, accessible for a diminished value of Rs. 13,499. The included alternate supply can scale back its value by as much as Rs. 12,850. The smartphone comes with a 6.44-inch touchscreen show and powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. The Vivo T1 44W additionally helps proprietary quick charging.
Purchase now at: Rs. 13,499 (MRP Rs. 19,990)
The Oppo K10 5G‘s 8GB RAM + 128GB variant might be bought for a diminished value of Rs. 15,999 throughout the Flipkart Massive Billion Days 2022 sale. With the included alternate supply, one can avail a reduction as much as Rs. 15,300. The smartphone packing 6.59-inch touchscreen show runs Android 12 and supplies a 5000mAH non-removable battery. Oppo K10 5G comes with a triple digital camera setup headlined by a 64-megapixel (f/1.8) major digital camera and a single entrance digital camera setup that includes a 16-megapixel sensor.
Purchase now at: Rs. 15,999 (MRP Rs. 25,999)
The Realme 9 4G includes a 6.40-inch touchscreen show. Below the hood, this smartphone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680SoC. It has a 108-megapixel triple rear digital camera setup and a 16-megapixel selfie sensor. Flipkart can also be providing an alternate supply of as much as Rs. 14,950 on the smartphone.
Purchase now at: Rs. 15,499 (MRP Rs. 22,999)


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- ITBusiness.caSep 09 12:46 PM
Do you remember when Google had an exclamation mark in its logo?
- PR Newswire via Yahoo! FinanceOct 06 09:00 AM
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Yext, the global leader in Digital Location Management, announced it has again expanded the PowerListings Network and strengthened its international footprint with the addition of two new global publishers, Brownbook.net and Yalwa, and UK news site Belfast Newsletter. Brownbook.net, based in the UK, is the world's largest global business directory and...
- Puck Daddy via Yahoo! SportsOct 05 07:59 AM
And boy, are they blingy.
FANDANGO LAUNCHES FANDANGOLABS, A NEW RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GROUP DEDICATED TO INNOVATING THE MOVIEGOING EXPERIENCEPR Newswire via Yahoo! FinanceOct 05 08:30 AM
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Fandango, the nation's leading digital destination for moviegoers and fans, announced today the formation of FandangoLabs, the company's new research and development unit dedicated to innovating moviegoing products and services. FandangoLabs will explore bringing to market exciting new ways for consumers to experience movies on the big screen and share...
Z100's Jingle Ball 2015, Presented by Capital One, Rings in the Season with Annual Star-Studded Holiday ConcertBusiness Wire via Yahoo! FinanceOct 05 02:00 PM
Z100, New York's No. 1 Hit Music Station, today unveiled the star-studded lineup for its annual holiday concert, Z100's Jingle Ball 2015, presented by Capital One, taking place on Friday, December 11, at 8 p.m.
- PR Newswire via Yahoo! FinanceOct 05 05:35 AM
NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The average fee for using an out-of-network ATM rose four percent over the past year to a record $4.52 per transaction, according to Bankrate.com's (NYSE: RATE) 18 ...
- Ball Don't Lie via Yahoo! SportsOct 01 08:14 AM
Old meets new in the District, and keeps its shoulders and upper arms toasty warm.
- PR Newswire via Yahoo! FinanceOct 06 06:00 AM
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Treasure Data, the leader in analytics for large-scale event data, today unveiled a new set of enterprise-level integrations with Amazon Web Services, Salesforce and Marketo, along with new features to simplify event data analytics management. The company will demo the latest solutions in its booth (#947) at AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas October 6...
- PR Newswire via Yahoo! FinanceOct 06 02:32 PM
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Harwood Feffer LLP ( www.hfesq.com ) is investigating potential claims against the board of directors of PMC-Sierra, Inc. ("PMC-Sierra" or the "Company") ...
- Business Insider via Yahoo! FinanceSep 25 01:35 AM
Good morning. Here's everything you need to know in the world of advertising today. 1. New data...


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WTO deal faces threat as mediator set to quit
Geneva , June 21, 2008
The diplomat overseeing one of the most fractious areas of global free trade talks said he will leave his post in August, adding pressure on World Trade Organisation (WTO) member states to settle their differences before he goes.
The WTO's Doha round, launched in November 2001, has missed deadline after deadline because of many countries' reluctance to expose their firms and farmers to more foreign competition.
Don Stephenson, Canada's ambassador to the WTO since 2004, has for the past two years mediated talks over cutting tariffs on industrial goods such as cars, shoes, fuel and timber.
"My term as Canadian ambassador ends in August," Stephenson said on Friday, adding his last official duty as industry chairman would be a report to the WTO's 152-country membership "in the last few days of July."
His departure aligns with a critical moment for the Doha round, given WTO director-general Pascal Lamy has been pushing for trade ministers to meet before August to address the most politically-sensitive issues in the talks, such as the size of tariff and subsidy cuts on industrial and agricultural goods.
That would make it possible for an overall Doha deal to come together by the end of this year, before a new US administration enters the White House and creates uncertainty for negotiators.
Many developing countries have accused Stephenson of pushing them to open up their fledging industries too much, fearing job losses if their manufacturers cannot keep up with products imported from the US, Europe or China.
At the same time, wealthy nations have pushed for more business opportunities in emerging economies such as Brazil and India, and have called on Stephenson to seek deeper tariff cuts with fewer exceptions for sensitive industries.
Diplomats said Stephenson's departure was an added incentive to resolve the industry issues in the next two months.
"If the modalities package is done already, the Nama group doesn't become so pressing," one official said, using the trade acronym for industrial goods or Non-Agricultural Market Access (Nama).
"Nobody is thinking much past July." Stephenson's post - formerly held by Stephen Johannesson of Iceland and Pierre Louis Girard of Switzerland - is widely seen as thankless given the huge gaps between countries in the area.


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Recent Neiman Marcus shoppers might want to check their bank statements for suspicious activity. The company confirmed that 1.1 million payment cards could have been scraped for data.
Through a statement posted on Neiman Marcus’ website, the company said that malware was installed on the company’s systems and actively collected data from debit and credit cards used in-store between July 16 and October 30, 2013.
Neiman Marcus also confirmed that 2,400 customers had seen fraudulent charges on their payment cards.
Social security numbers were not compromised during the breach. The company also said that online shoppers and Neiman Marcus card holders have not reported suspicious activity on their accounts.
This is the second retail data breach in recent months. Target Corp was victim to a similar malware attack in mid-November, which scraped data including names, credit and debit card information, and home and email addresses. The breach potentially impacted 110 million customers, according to Target.
Neiman Marcus did not give specific details on how it plans to beef up security, but the company did mention that it is currently reviewing and “hardening” its systems.


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Check out all the on-demand sessions from the Intelligent Security Summit here.
Here’s the latest action:
Meg Whitman, governor of California? — That’s the rumor following Whitman’s resignation from the boards of eBay, Procter & Gamble and Dreamworks SKG. Current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (yes, the Governator) will leave office in 2010, and term limits prevent him from seeking re-election. Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, and, like Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has hinted that she may run. One potential rival in the primary could be Steve Poizner, the current state insurance commissioner and former founder of Silicon Valley-based SnapTrack — which sold to Qualcomm in 2000 for a billion dollars. CNET has more.
Sling Player Mobile for the iPhone unveiled — Another Macworld announcement has Sling Media, makers of the popular Slingbox, entering the iPhone App Store with an app to stream television content to the device. But unlike Joost, which does the same, Sling streams it from your DVR and allows you to manage your box remotely using the iPhone software, as CNET points out. The app will launch sometime in Q1 2009. The company also plans to use Macworld to show off Slingbox HD streaming for Mac computers.
Google launches Picasa for Mac — Macworld technically started today (though the keynote address is tomorrow and we’ll be covering it live), and Google took the opportunity to finally unveil a Mac-compatible version of its Picasa software. It manages your photos and easily syncs them with Google’s online portion of the service, Picasa Web Albums. The big question is: Will this get Mac users to switch from iPhoto? Probably not. If you use Picasa Web Albums this is nice, but it’s kind of ugly (reminds me of Firefox on the Mac — not the prettiest software), and will require you to move all your photos over. The Google Blog has more — or watch the video below.
Is Gmz the Twitter hacker? — TechCrunch thinks so after finding some posts on a hacker site called Digital Gangster. Their source says that Gmz obtained the login information for the various celebrities that had their Twitter accounts hacked and posted the information on the site.
Listen to 2008’s hot music for free with Music Blog Zeitgeist — A collection of the top songs, artists and albums from last year are all streaming for free on the new site from MP3 blog aggregator Hype Machine. It’s a nice layout and has some great music — all for free thanks to streaming provided by Imeem. ReadWriteWeb has all the details.
FileMaker Pro gets a new interface — The popular database software for the Mac (which also works with Windows) has launched version 10. The company says it’s the first new interface in ten years.
Toshiba is moving into the solar energy business — I guess consumer electronics aren’t hot enough, Toshiba is now chasing the sun! The plan is to build utility-scale solar power plants rather than cells for home use, according to CNET.
AT&T iPhone tethering also launching at Macworld? — We know it’s coming, but TUAW hears from a “trusted source” that it could come as soon as this week. It would cost an extra $30 a month to let you use your iPhone as the internet access point for a computer. There would be a 5GB limit on data usage — which is the same cap that you get with AT&T’s stand-alone high speed internet cards for $60 a month.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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One of the last remaining independent high-end Unix suppliers, Sequent Systems, has launched a family of Intel Pentium Pro servers based around its Non-Uniform Memory Access (Numa-Q) technology. The...
The Minimal Agency Consensus Scheme is a best-of-both-worlds between blockchain and DAG, the startup says
LIBOR expires in 2021 and banks face an uphill struggle to change all their existing contracts
Jaguar, Audi, Mercedes and Land Rover security considered 'superior' by experts at Thatham Research
The experiment, known as 'Wigner's Friend', was first postulated in 1961 by the physicist Eugene Wigner


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Monokuma makes the move from handheld to your home console
I’ve heard more than a few people despair about the fact that the Danganronpa games have only been on the handheld market.
I was talking about that with my coworker a little while back — about how sad it was that PS4 owners were missing out on some of the quirkiest characters and greatest storytelling of our time — and then he had an idea.
Well, guess what? That’s exactly what’s happening in early 2017 with Danganronpa 1&2 Reload, dood!
You read that right. Monokuma’s making his mark on PS4 in early 2017 in Europe. All of you awesome PS4 owners will finally be able to enjoy the maniacal machinations of this murderous bear in the comfort of your own home.
This endeavor on the PS4 will mark the first time Danganronpa has been on home consoles in Europe, and we’re really excited to see everyone’s reaction!
Is there more to come? We’ll see! Puhuhuhu…


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Two major things happened this week: Apple said HELLO to a whole bunch of non-iPhone related hardware and Nokia said GOODBYE with a swan song of Windows [Phone] 8 devices large and
Both events were excellent in their own right, but to find out what our fearless podcasters thought, you’re going to have to have put Episode 071 of The Voicemail in your ears pretty darn quick.
Regular listeners will know that Stefan is currently on leave, so this week James is joined by the biggest thing to come out of Austria since Schwarzenegger, Mr Michael Hell (who’s definitely not a Bond villain).
[Episode 071, 33 minutes, 01 seconds, 31.7 MB]
One thought on “Episode 071”
[…] about the recent Apple iPad announcements / the new Nokia devices revealed this week, then why not give us a listen (we’re on iTunes […]


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BIC is to sponsor the 2016 National Stationery Week, along with Sheaffer, Maped Helix, Nu Notebooks and Staedtler.
Now in its fifth year, National Stationery Week celebrates the written word and all things stationery, and is organised by the London Stationery Show. Last year’s campaign generated millions of pounds worth of media coverage and retail sales, and reached over 20-million consumers in the UK with the message that writing by hand matters and has a vital part to play in personal communications in an increasingly digital world.
The theme for 2016 is “Writing matters”.
Jonathan Skyrme, general manager at BIC UK and Ireland, says: “We’re thrilled to be a sponsor for National Stationery Week 2016, particularly as this year’s theme sits so well with our mission to also get Britain writing.
“Last year saw the launch of our #JustWrite campaign to promote the benefits of handwriting and making it accessible to the nation, which was marked by a series of activities across the UK. We have even bigger plans in place for #JustWrite Day this year.”


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OVATION AND CONDÉ NAST ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE
THE FASHION FUND
New Television Series Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of The Fashion Fund, premieres in November.
CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee Includes Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour, CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg, and Top Fashion Executives such as Jenna Lyons and Andrew Rosen
Los Angeles, CA – July 29, 2013 Today, Ovation, America’s only arts network, and Condé Nast Entertainment announced The Fashion Fund, a premier television fashion series. The series documents the excitement of emerging fashion designers vying for the chance to be named the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner. The Fashion Fund premieres this December, only on Ovation.


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Patented Fertility Calculator Could Create The Perfect Baby
A consumer genomics company has developed a patent for helping future parents choose traits for their child.
23andMe, a company that analyzes customers’ DNA and provides info about their health and ancestry, has recently received a U.S. patent for a system that can help future parents choose the traits they want for their would-be children.
The patent, titled Gamete Donor Selection Based On Genetic Calculations, describes a system of computing the likely genetic outcomes of the combinations of the customer and the donor and then identifying which combinations would most likely result in the desired traits. In effect, the technology can be used to identify the donor who matches the desired genetic profile and in turn create a baby with the traits that the parents had in mind. The system is more specific than the general or broad kind of selection that is being done in fertility clinics.
Some of the traits mentioned as examples in the patent include height, weight, hair color, risks of congenital heart defects, estimated life span, among others.
The technology raises several ethical concerns, but it can potentially help future parents have healthier babies by screening out donors with genes predisposed to specific illnesses.
According to an article on the company’s website, 23andMe applied for the patent some five years ago to cover the technology that supports one of the company’s existing tools, the Family Traits Inheritance Calculator, a tool that tells customers the potential traits that their child may inherit from them. At the time of the filing, the company was already aware of the potential applications of the technology in fertility clinics, but 23andMe claims that it has no plans of using the patent in that way.