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It wasn’t until late Tuesday night that Google responded to Twitter’s comments about the search engine’s announcement that it will start incorporating Google+ information into its search results.
Twitter had spoken out after Google’s announcement about “Your World” earlier that day, saying that showing results from Google’s social network on the main search page was “bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users.” Results from other sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, do not appear on the Google main search page.
Twitter and Google used to have an agreement that allowed Twitter messages to appear in real-time search, but that contract expired in July. The two companies have been tight-lipped about why that deal fell apart, but Google appears to place the blame on the micro-blogging company in its latest statement.
“We are a bit surprised by Twitter’s comments about Search plus Your World, because they chose not to renew their agreement with us last summer,(http://goo.gl/chKwi), and since then we have observed their rel=nofollow instructions,” wrote a Google representative with access to the company’s Google+ account.
“No follow” instructions, for those who aren’t familiar with the search world, is an instruction that sites put in their code to indicate to search engines not to count links to Web sites toward search engine rankings. In essence, Google was saying that it doesn’t index tweets because Twitter doesn’t want them to be indexed.
In an earlier statement, Google said that it would be willing to work with other social networks to enable their users’ personal information to show up in the personal search results. On his blog, Matt Cutts of Google’s Web spam team explained that open, public content that’s hosted on other sites, such as Flickr, also show up in Your World personal searches.
Still, Google+ content appears to be clearly promoted over other social and sharing sites, as Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan has illustrated. His screen shot shows that Google+ results exclusively populate the “suggested People and Pages on Google+,” which provides a huge incentive to brands to rush to the social network and create pages on Google+ rather than on Facebook or Twitter.
Sullivan, who writes exclusively about search engine issues, tracked down Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show to ask him about the new search results. Schmidt said that Google would need to have a “conversation” with sites such as Twitter and Facebook to discuss having their content appear in the search results.
“The core question is, ‘Would we be willing to [include Facebook and Twitter],’” Schmidt told Sullivan, “and the answer is, ‘We’ll be happy to talk to them about it.’”


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In a bid to enhance bilateral trade and investment ties, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (dtic) – in collaboration with Wesgro – will host a virtual wine mission to South Korea.
Wesgro is the Western Cape’s destination marketing, investment, and trade promotion agency.
Thursday’s virtual wine mission, which will get underway on Zoom, will showcase 10 wineries from the Western Cape region.
Deputy Minister of the dtic, Nomalungelo Gina, said the COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted the healthcare sector negatively but the economy in its entirety.
“A sector that has been particularly impacted by COVID-19 has been the wine industry, owing to the ban placed on alcohol sales by government and the accompanying travel protocols. Wesgro identified this to be a critical sector requiring support and had embarked on the concept of a virtual mission that would enable the promotion of small to large size wineries to new markets,” said the Deputy Minister on Wednesday.
She said exports from South Africa have been hindered, owing to travel restrictions, necessitating trade practitioners to develop new platforms for business engagements.
The wineries will present their respective wines to an audience of 20 South Korean wine importers and distributors, who will have an opportunity to taste the wines from these wineries, which were shipped to South Korea ahead of the mission.
Wines of South Africa (WOSA), a marketing organization for South African wine exports, the South African Embassy, and Wesgro, are confident that the wineries selected represent a good mix of established and up-and-coming brands, which have the capability to service the South Korean market.
“South Korea is an important partner for South Africa in the Asian region. Our objective is to strengthen and deepen economic linkages through strong business and governmental cooperation between the two countries,” said Gina.
Total trade between the two countries has been growing steadily, and amounted to R34 billion in 2019, with the trade balance in South Africa’s favor.
“South Africa’s exports have also demonstrated an upward trajectory over the years, from R13.8 billion in 2015 to R21.6 billion in 2019. However, we need to focus our efforts on diversifying the trade basket towards ensuring more value-added goods are exported going forward,” said Gina. – SAnews.gov.za

domain: news


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If necks are having a moment, then iS Clinical will be having theirs in February, when they release Neckperfect Complex, $78, a project which took almost four years to, well, perfect.
Since 2002, iS Clinical has offered clinically-validated skin care products designed to be regenerating and healing. Because they use pharmaceutical grade ingredients paired with advanced technology, it was very hard to find high quality elements that played well with each other, company executives said.
“Since people want quick results with long-term benefits, we had to look for ingredients that can firm instantly and offer penetration and exfoliation without compromising each other while working synergistically,” said Bryan Johns, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Neckperfect Complex is a potent formula of rare botanicals, fruity acids, hydrolyzed quinoa, hyaluronic acid, rice protein and calcium pantothenate, among other ingredients. All are believed to tighten, lift, define, moisturize and address aging issues.
“We’ve been specializing in the face for a long time, and are known for our serums,” said Bryan, “but people want to focus on their neck because the neck is incredibly difficult to treat without a surgical procedure. That’s why a product that can minimize winkles, sagging and lines is needed.”
“We were constantly told by dermatologists and plastic surgeons that if we come up with a neck product, and use neck in the name, we will sell it by the truck loads because this is what their clients are coming in and asking for,” added Alec Call, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of iS Clinical.
Not sold within specialty or department stores, the company gets traction at dermatologists’ and plastic surgeons’ offices, along with important medical facilities, such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins. That means the company depends on social media and word of mouth to spread word on its efficacy.
“Because we are in LA, we have a large celebrity clientele who have been very generous to us. They post items, and then those posts get reposted. That gives us the opportunity to really utilize social media to the maximum. That kind of organic promotion is important to us,” Alec explained.
IS Clinical has adjusted by reducing their advertising budget and increasing their public relations efforts. Like many other brands, they’re also focusing on their website. Product growth continues, too, as “more and more skin care companies are looking to cosmeceutical formulations to attract the consumer,” Alec added. “The consumer has reached a saturation point in fluffy skin care. They want something more serious.”
They also rely on ecommerce. Dermstore.com is their major online presence, but Amazon’s high-end skin care and cosmetic platform, Luxury Beauty, has given the company a new visual voice.
“Amazon is very strategic. They have the formulas for success. They focus on how to place, what to place and where to place an item,” said Alec. “They’ve been featuring our brand quite a bit, which is allowing us to reach the public in a way that we’ve never been able to before.”


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Sales: $908 million.
Key Personnel: John Coleman, chairman; Rik De Vos, chief executive officer; Chris Smith, chief finance officer.
Major Products: Household and personal care products.
Comments: Private label company McBride, based in the UK, reported that revenues topped $900 million.
The company has acquired Danlind, a supplier of auto dishwash and laundry products based in Denmark. The deal gives McBride access to accelerated growth in the key strategic category of auto dishwash tablets, and will enable it to gain entry into growth segments where it is currently under-represented, according to company executives. Danlind, according to McBride, has a significant range of retail and contract customers along with a well-established position in the Nordic region and in the commercial laundry and dishwash markets.
McBride has spent the past few years transforming its business and it continues to make moves in that respect. Last month, for example, it announced plans to sell its European personal care liquids business to Royal Sanders Group for a cash consideration of about $1.54 million. The business includes two manufacturing sites (Bradford, UK and Ieper, Belgium) that supply customers with a range of personal hygiene, haircare and oral care products.
The company is also closing down an aerosol manufacturing site in Hull by next spring as it looks to restore the performance of its hard hit Group’s European Personal Care & Aerosols (PCA) business. As a result of this decision, and the absorption of certain volumes into its French aerosols operation, McBride said it expects its ongoing aerosols operation to break even a year from now.
Shutting down the Hull site could impact 117 jobs in a place where McBride has enjoyed a long history. In a press statement McBride said it “does not underestimate the effect of this proposal on our colleagues, their families and the wider community. We will now commence a process of collective consultation with employees’ representatives where the local management team, in close collaboration with HR, will discuss the proposal in greater detail, explore any alternative scenarios, and set out the support which would be available to any potentially affected colleagues.”
And let’s not forget a major looming issue for any company based in the UK—Brexit. In his statement within the group’s annual review, chairman John Coleman penned: “Exit from the EU has potential implications in a number of areas of McBride’s activities. These include chemical and other regulatory policies, tariffs, currency volatility and availability of staff. A number of colleagues at McBride have migrated to the UK from elsewhere in the EU for employment purposes and are valued members of the business. We urge Governments to quickly clarify the uncertainty over their right to remain in the UK and the timing of any changes to the current free market situation.”


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Recently Motorola Moto X Play has received the Android 7.1 Nougat update in Brazil, and now a new piece of information is there from the house of Motorola.
Motorola Moto G5 Plus units in the US are now receiving the August security update which is a sign that soon Motorola may update the Indian units of the device as well. Though all major brands are providing the Blueborne fix, the Moto G5 Plus has not received the Blueborne fix in the latest update. Well without any further ado, Let’s check out more about this update.
Motorola has provided an update for this device after a long time as the last update was that of the March security patch, and from then no update is there for the smartphone. This update brings the August security patch to the phone which aims to improve the device a lot regarding vulnerabilities and security. However, there is no change in User Interface but users can expect some stability and performance improvements.
Motorola has also confirmed the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the handset. This update doesn’t contain any Blueborne fix which means the device is still prone to Blueborne malware. The update has been released with the built number NPN25.137-83 and is an OTA update. If you haven’t got the latest update, then you can simply check by going to settings menu-about phone-system updates. There is almost no change regarding performance and processing speed, for further updates stay tuned to us.


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The Bahrain government has denied accusations by non-governmental organisations that it was moving towards normalising ties with Israel.Perhaps, but the US did say that the Bahrain boycott of Israel was illegal under the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement:
The government has faced sharp criticism from NGOs and human rights group since the Israeli air raids in the Gaza Strip this year. The word on the street is since the tiny island is a close US ally; the authorities would not consider opening the Israeli boycott office which was shut down in 2006.
But the government maintained its stance and said there was no need for the office to be reopened as it said laws and regulations forbid public organisations from violating ban on Israeli goods. This was stated in a letter responding to a bill in parliament which called for Anti Normalisation with the Zionists and reopening the office.
Bahrain has no ties with Israeli and has always reacted sharply from calling off Israeli goods in supermarkets to launching a petition calling for reopening the Israeli boycott office.
The Bahrain Society against Normalisation with the Zionist Enemy has collected over 200 hundred signatures to re-open the office.
Abdulla Malik, general secretary of the society said, "The office was set up in 1963 in Bahrain. It was closed after Bahrain signed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US in 2004. We want the office to be re-opened to ban Israeli goods, as by closing it we are sending signs of diplomatic ties with killers."
The Bahrain Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa told Pan- Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview that US never asked them to normalise relations with Israel.
Separate from the FTA obligations, Bahrain confirmed in a letter that it did not apply the “secondary” and “tertiary” boycotts against Israel and stated that it recognized the need to terminate the “primary” boycott of Israel imposed by the Arab League states in 1963. The “primary” boycott prohibits direct trade between Israel and the Arab nations. It is not clear whether this statement is legally binding, though the USTR has claimed that it is binding. The commitment is not enforceable under the Agreement. The “secondary” boycott blacklists companies that do business in Israel, while the “tertiary” boycott applies to companies that have relationships with companies that operate in Israel. Bahrain theoretically has not enforced the “secondary” and “tertiary” boycotts on Israel since 1994, though periodically, Bahraini government documents contain language related to these boycotts.Since the US and Bahrain concluded the agreement, trade between the two countries has increased by over 50% . Perhaps it is time for the US to revisit how well Bahrain is sticking to its side of the bargain?
The boycott decision has been controversial in Bahrain and has led to a strong backlash against the Bahrain FTA – the lower chamber of Bahrain’s Parliament (the House of Deputies) voted overwhelmingly to oppose lifting the boycott. However, this vote was largely symbolic as the Government of Bahrain stands by its statement that it intends to lift the boycott.
The Administration agreed in the Statement of Administrative Action for the Bahrain Act to report on Bahrain’s progress in dismantling its boycott of Israel.


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pThe drama surrounding Ford Motor Company’s recent ousting of CEO Mark Fields is beginning to bubble up to the surface. A new report from Automotive News sheds further light on the sequence of events that ultimately led to Fields’ demise from the company, including his plan to deflect pressure from the Ford board to someone else.
The report, citing anonymous sources, says Fields was planning to fire Joe Hinrichs in the days leading up to his own ousting. Hinrichs has served as Ford’s chief of the Americas region since 2012. The sources claim Fields felt like firing Hinrichs would deflect pressure he himself was getting from the board of directors regarding Ford’s operating performance.
Of course it is unknown if such a plan would have ever panned out. Hinrichs has overseen a division of Ford that has seen record profits under his tenure and successfully launched the aluminum F-150. Basically there were no obvious reasons to scrutinize Hinrichs’ performance other than recent sales declines in the U.S. market.
Fields allegedly went to the Ford board of directors on May 14th to seek approval to remove Hinrichs. Instead of getting approval for that, he was met with a board who was ready to part ways with him instead. The board ultimately promoted Jim Hackett to the CEO spot, replacing Fields.
As for Hinrichs? He was promoted under the recent executive shuffle as well, serving in the newly minted role of president of global operations, overseeing product development and manufacturing.
Ford has declined to comment on what it calls rumor and speculation.


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Easter sales compensated for a “sub-zero” performance at the start of March, according to the latest retail sales figures.
Total sales rose 2.3% year on year in the five weeks to March 31, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG said, exceeding the three-month average of 1.8%.
On a like-for-like basis, sales advanced 1.4%, compared with the same period last year.
However, numbers were positively distorted by the early timing of Easter.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the distortion from Easter pushed sales up by over 15% during the holiday week compared with the rest of the month, “only just making up for a sub-zero performance at the start of the month”.
KPMG head of retail Paul Martin said March was “difficult” for many in the retail industry and added that, although great hopes were placed on Easter trading, “the Easter boost didn’t quite measure up to previous years”.
Over the three months to March, total in-store sales of non-food items fell 3%, and 4% on a like-for-like basis.
Dickinson said there was “no doubt” that the so-called ‘Beast from the East’ played a significant role in deterring shoppers from making store visits, “as well as the ongoing spending squeeze on non-essentials”.
However, online sales of non-food products advanced 7.9% last month, against a growth of 6.6% in March 2017. This is above the three-month and 12-month averages of 6.6% and 7.8% respectively.
Martin said retailers with an online presence were “far more fortunate” last month, with a marked lift in all categories.
“The cold weather clearly persuaded shoppers to peruse from the comfort of their own homes, with beauty and clothing grabbing the most attention,” he said.
The online penetration rate has increased from 20.6% in March 2017 to 22% in March 2018.
Strong appetite for food
In the same period, total food sales jumped 5.3% – up 4.2% like-for-like – marking the strongest three-month average since July 2009.
Unseasonable weather didn’t dampen consumers’ appetites towards food, Dickinson said.
Looking ahead, Dickinson said: “There is hope that, with the gap between inflation and wage growth finally narrowing, consumers’ purse strings will slacken to some extent. But the grip on spending power will persist over the course of the year.”
Martin added: “The start of 2018 has already seen a list of casualties, and with trading conditions unlikely to change in the short term, retailers are increasingly having to be clear on their point of differentiation.
“It appears that unless you’re a grocer, bridging the gap between online and offline sales offers the best means of success in this climate.”


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- FTSE 100 edges up and pound rises in expectation of fresh interest rate rises as oil stays stubbornly high
- Record breaking £101m of fraud prevented by banking and finance industry-funded police unit-UK FInance
- ONS Report: More job vacancies than people unemployed as need for international talent intensifies
- Almost half of UK SMEs have not raised wages in line with inflation-NerdWallet
- Why meme-stock speculators ditching Bitcoin is good for crypto-deVere
- Buy now, pay later-IPlace Global CEO Simon Bath explains why now is the best time to buy a home
- 86% of financial services business leaders lack confidence in data-InterSystems expired
- Axerve white paper explores digital payments trends & the importance of multi-channel and hyper-personalised payments services expired
- Encompass appoints renowned KYC experts to help banks get the most out of digital transformation initiatives expired
- Fixed rates see largest monthly rise in over a decade-Moneyfacts expired
- Santander digitises its core banking with cloud technology to improve service and efficiency expired
- ONS data: Inflation concerns mount for businesses in May in another bleak snapshot expired
13th May 2022
Why is merchant payment growing?-moneytransfer.com
According to data presented by moneytransfer.com, Merchant payments stood at 66bn in 2021, a 94% rise from their 2020 figures. These have also doubled in value, hitting $5.5bn in monthly transactions. Providers say incentives, such as remote onboarding processes, entice enterprises to their platform.
Several reasons explain why the merchant payment option for mobile money is snowballing. First, the fundamentals of merchant processing are straightforward. You register with a merchant payment provider to accept mobile payments from your consumers(and receive payment yourself for all of those payments). Second, the payment processor collects fees from your transactions and deposits the remainder into your business account. Selecting the appropriate choice enables your firm to spend less, get more helpful information, and find solutions specific to your business.
Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak has helped in deploying these payment systems. Most people used virtual, no-contact means to purchase items, pay bills, and raise money for various courses. Besides, the providers charge reasonable transaction fees.
Mobile money has fueled financial inclusion for the world's most disadvantaged, mainly women. These are using mobile money to gain more economic independence. According to the Moneytransfer.com Adoption Survey, 44% of providers now provide credit, savings, or insurance products, allowing marginalized people to invest in their livelihoods and futures. Payment merchants have eased the acquisition of such credits besides insurance premiums.
moneyTransfer.com Trends(9 articles)


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Liquidation sales will begin Friday, March 6, 2020 at all Art Van Furniture, Art Van PureSleep and Scott Shuptrine Interiors company stores in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.
Art Van is expected to file for bankruptcy next week (a Chapter 11 reorganization).
According to their website, Art Van has a total of 176 store locations, including 20 franchise locations. The Warren, Michigan location (near their warehouse) will be the last location to close and is likely to be open until May.
Discount amounts have not been released (and could vary), but sales will continue until all inventory is gone.


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FaceApp’s mushrooming popularity and Data Privacy concerns
20 Aug 2019
Possibilities. What will I look like a few years from now? What if I were a few years younger? If I belonged to the opposite gender? How many of us have resisted the temptation to somehow get a sneak peek into the future or our other selves? It is this temptation that apps like the Russian artificial intelligence app called FaceApp have tapped into. The app was released a couple of years back, but what has brought it back into the limelight is its ageing filter.
The app went viral, and soon enough, everyone and their aunt wanted to get a glimpse of how they’d look in the future. And social media platforms were populated with these images. Indian film stars joined in. Fans created images of their favourite cricketers. #FaceAppChallenge was breaking the Internet last month. Many Indian brands, from Fevicol to Swiggy and Flipkart leveraged the opportunity to encourage engagement and boost visibility. Some brands gave their own twists to the challenge. Lakme, for instance, turned it into #FaceAppChallenged and gave the conversation a fresh spin — anti-ageing. All these are great examples of moment marketing, where brands aim for optimal visibility in an ephemeral moment.
Let’s not lose sight of what it all means to the consumer. While everyone hops on to the bandwagon, and makes hay while the sun shines, what does the user of the app gain? Apart from momentary fun, that is.
There’s also the bigger question — that of privacy. In the era of artificial intelligence, machine learning and Big Data, privacy is a major challenge, because the users stand to bear the consequences of data loss. By agreeing to use the app, users are granting FaceApp permission to use their content in any way the company wants to. The app had over a 100 million downloads on the Google Playstore , as per July reports.
FaceApp may be just as invasive (and worrisome) as any other app that we use on our smartphones. We have all signed in and agreed to give our user info for random quizzes, photo uploads et al on other apps, at some point in our digital journeys.
Once the #FaceAppChallenge craze died down, many even questioned whether the reaction was overblown and the paranoia uncalled for. The pro and anti-arguments will continue to rage, but what remains is the fact that millions of users willingly use apps that promise them a chance to look at themselves. The apps exploit our weakness to constantly put ourselves at the centre of everything — our need for approval, our self-love, our avatars, our curiosity, our tomorrows. It is this very human trait that businesses bank on.


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AirMap grows — brings on Microsoft, Airbus, Qualcomm, Sony, Yuneec and Rakuten as partners
In 2015 Lux Capital led the initial financing round at AirMap and I joined their Board of Directors. It has been an incredible experience working with Ben and Greg since then, and today the company they co-founded grew a little taller and a little stronger with partners like Microsoft, Airbus, Qualcomm, Sony, Yuneec and Rakuten, all of whom just invested in its $26M Series B. They join existing investors General Catalyst, Social Capital, TenOneTen, BullPen, Wonder Capital, and Haystack.
AirMap is the leading air space management platform for the world — it is expected that drones will power $127B+ of commerce via consumer, commercial and industrial use cases. AirMap is already powering millions of drones around the country (and abroad), and hundreds of drone manufacturers and developers rely on the platform to access the data they need to fly safely as well as provide features consumers may want.
AirMap’s partners include leading drone companies like DJI, Intel, senseFly, Aeryon Labs, and our own portfolio companies CyPhy Works and Hangar. In addition, more than 125 airports already use AirMap’s airspace management dashboard to open surrounding airspace to drones, view past and current drone flights, accept digital flight notices, and communicate with drone operators. The AirMap platform also provides solutions for geofencing, remote identification of drones, and sophisticated in-flight deconfliction.
One may not realize, but millions of drone flights already take place in the US every month. That number is only expected to grow over the coming years. We will have drones doing surveys, inspecting construction sites, monitoring hazardous work environments, directing traffic in congested places, helping police in operations, acting as temporary communication towers, and yes, doing deliveries. Drones (and flying cars) will operate as a network of IoT devices that happen to be mobile, autonomous, and capable of collecting data + insights that could power unparalleled productivity.
AirMap stands to benefit as the organizer and router of data that will be needed to enable such a future. Last year, AirMap launched the AirMap developer platform, which opens the company’s library of APIs and SDKs to industry manufacturers and app developers, and the Digital Notice and Awareness System, an airspace management dashboard used by more than 125 airports. AirMap also significantly expanded its data for situational awareness, flight planning, and geofencing, adding real-time manned traffic alerts, live wildfire information, microscale weather, and more.
AirMap has global ambitions, and with this funding you can start to see how it might roll out. AirMap has opened offices in Berlin, Germany and at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, in addition to its headquarters in Santa Monica, CA. UTM is the regulatory and technological framework that will facilitate data exchange and air traffic control for drones and others flying in low-altitude airspace. And AirMap already participates in UTM project activities like the NASA-FAA Research Transition Team (RTT), and is already implementing technology solutions for UTM.
I am proud of what the AirMap team has accomplished so far, and their eyes are set on even bigger successes in the future. Every single person on the team is working their butts off to make drones become a part of our every day lives in a safe, efficient manner. Recently Daniel Rubio joined the team as CTO, and former NATS CEO Richard Deakin as Chairman of EMEA. Last year, AirMap launched the AirMap developer platform, which opens the company’s library of APIs and SDKs to industry manufacturers and app developers, and the Digital Notice and Awareness System, an airspace management dashboard used by more than 125 airports.


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Sirius and XM are under fire from various industry organizations and the public in general for their upcoming merger. Earlier last month, the two companies agreed to merge in a $13 billion deal that would...
Win a Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE + MD-12 Wireless Speaker!
Editorial: Microsoft finally brought the thunder
The iClever foldable Bluetooth keyboard review
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Microsoft Band custom workouts: Good idea, flawed execution
...of Windows 10 wonders (and a tiny taste of Marshmallow)
Publisher Atari has had a complaint against its print advertising upheld by the UK Advertising Standards Authority, after a reader of Aware magazine objected to an "offensive and unsuitable" videogame ad. The advertisement,...
The Slapper worm, which draws infected machines into a network that can be used to attack other computers, has mutated into two new forms, and is proving surprisingly difficult to kill off, according to antivirus...


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A York man was arrested after arguing over a turkey on Christmas Eve, according to a York Police report.
The report states a clerk at the Bi-Lo grocery store located off East Liberty Street in York called police around 5:30 p.m. Dec. 24 because of an irate customer. Police determined the man, 38, called to ask the store to hold a turkey for him.
When he arrived at the store employees told him there were plenty of turkeys available in the cooler, the report states. The man became angry that the store had not set a turkey aside and reserved it for him.
The police report states a clerk offered to go get a turkey for the man, but he screamed profanities, causing a disturbance in the store.
Police asked the man to calm down but he became more angry. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.


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Numbers are in for the Albany Marathon and they're similar to last year.
Race organizers say nearly 1,300 runners finished the marathon and half marathon.
29-year-old Edward Tabut of Coons Rapids, Minnesota won the marathon in 2 hours and 21 minutes.
To see full results, click here.
Copyright 2013 WALB. All rights reserved.
We're just over a week away from the annual Albany Christmas parade, and this year organizers need your help.
The Festival of Christmas Trees began Friday in Sycamore. Their goal is to spread holiday cheer by giving back to the community.
Local businesses spent Friday preparing for their busiest shopping day of the year -- Small Business Saturday.
With the holiday season upon us, it's important to think about your furry friends too.
People formed a line around the Best Buy in Valdosta just to get inside so they could take advantage of the sweet deals.


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Between 1980 and 2009, the global demand for lithium has tripled. This metal is a key material in a number of growing industries -- including advanced vehicle batteries and consumer electronics. But more specifically, lithium-ion batteries are a vital component in electric vehicles and other rechargeable batteries for consumer electronics, and are used to produce the plug-in electric vehicles on the market today. These batteries also have a major impact on energy storage infrastructure, and are helping integrate renewable energy sources into the electricity grid.
After leading the world in lithium production in the early 1990s, America now imports the majority of its lithium materials and compounds from South America.
The Energy Department is hoping to change that, and with a $28.4 million federal investment the communities of Silver Peak, Nevada and Kings Mountain, North Carolina hope to bring leadership back to the U.S.
Today, Secretary Chu recognized Rockwood Lithium’s expanded manufacturing facility in North Carolina. Together, Rockwood’s projects in Kings Mountain and Silver Peak will create 100 new jobs and dramatically increase the United States’ lithium production capacity. In addition to the federal investment, the project has leveraged more than $46 million in additional private sector funding, building on the Obama Administration’s efforts to grow American manufacturing in clean energy technologies and create jobs in globally competitive markets.
The manufacturing expansion announced today also supports the Energy Department’s EV-Everywhere Challenge, a broader initiative to make electric vehicles more affordable and convenient to own and drive than today’s gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 years.
For more information about our investments in electric vehicle and battery technologies, visit the Vehicle Technologies Program website. And for an outlook on critical materials around the world, check out the Department's Critical Materials Strategy.


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There were two major opportunities Anshu Budhraja saw for direct-selling company Amway India when he first joined as CEO. The first was enhancing the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country. “When we talk about direct selling in India, it’s a billion-dollar industry, and we expect it to multiply by at least three times in the next 10 years,” Anshu tells The CEO Magazine. “I want to make sure that Amway is a choice when people think about guided entrepreneurship.”
“I want to make sure that Amway is a choice when people think about guided entrepreneurship.”
Anshu highlights that entrepreneurship also connects well with the Indian government’s Make in India and Skill India employment programs. “Every month, half a million people are joining the workforce of this country,” he continues. “But we believe there is a clear gap in both employment and employability. So we want to be dominant in this space where we are providing and supporting the efforts of the government in creating jobs.”
To further emphasise the employment challenges in India, Anshu mentions how recently in the railway industry, 100,000 jobs were offered and around 20 million people applied. “Between the ages of 15 and 29 in India, one-third of that population is not in schools, doesn’t have jobs, and is not undergoing any training,” he says. “So there is a huge space to work in as far as emerging industries like direct selling are concerned.”
Amway India provides more than 140 products in the nutrition and wellness, beauty, personal care and homecare sectors. It is the Indian subsidiary of US-based Amway Corporation, one of the largest direct-selling companies in the world.
The second opportunity Anshu saw when he first joined the business, was to ramp up the uptake in the nutraceuticals and health supplements. “There are still multiple myths in the minds of Indian consumers that our regular diet is sufficient for a healthy life. However, due to busy and hectic lifestyles, it is not always possible to consume a balanced diet on a daily basis,” he says.
“But an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. And I believe smart health care with nutraceuticals and health supplements provides significant economic value.” Anshu refers to a few studies which identified that if people in Europe, Australia and the US were to enhance their intake of calcium, vitamin D and omega supplements, they could end up saving billions of dollars by avoiding hospitalisation. These benefits could be the same for India.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
To boost the adoption of nutraceuticals, Anshu highlights the need for creating awareness. “Awareness has to be very simple,” he explains. “For example, a campaign we run successfully in India is to say that each human body kilogram requires one gram of protein. So, a 60-kilogram individual needs 60 grams of protein. Any diet you adopt, whether it be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, will not typically provide you with more than 40–45 grams in a day. Therefore, there is a need to supplement.”
In addition, creating awareness about nutraceuticals means making the message relevant to consumers. “Irrespective of geography, Indian society is moving progressively in the direction where health care is top of mind,” Anshu continues. “Especially with the young, as 65% of the population are below the age of 35. Clearly, people are much more exposed to how healthy living makes a lot of sense, especially with the changing environment.”
“Indian society is moving progressively in the direction where health care occupies top of mind.”
To further enhance this awareness, Amway India is creating greater customer engagement with its products. “We have invested significantly to enhance experiences,” Anshu says. “We put labels on our products that can be scanned to provide traceability on the ingredients used. It provides a lot of transparency for the consumer so they can confirm the efficacy, potency and safety of the product.” The company is also coming up with augmented reality in its offices.
Amway currently has 140 physical stores across India, including 50 Express Pick and Pay stores. Anshu says it wants to increase its footprint to 500 stores in the next five years. “These stores, which are mostly mom-and-pop stores, will be in local shopping areas,” he says. “And people can come, experience the brand, have a beautician or a dietitian talk to them and enjoy our products.”


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Date: Thursday, February 3rd, 2011, 06:35
Category: iPhone, News
Apple is set to launch iOS 4.2.6 for Verizon’s CDMA iPhone 4 on February 10, but a 4.3 update may be made available just days later, bringing Personal Hotspot WiFi sharing to AT&T users.
Per AppleInsider, David Pogue of the New York Times noted that the new Personal Hotspot feature would come to existing AT&T iPhone users on February 13, a date that no longer appears in his review.
The reader said that Pogue’s review originally stated, “the single new feature in Verizon’s iPhone is Personal Hotspot, where the iPhone becomes a Wi-Fi base station. Up to five laptops, iPod Touches or other gadgets can get online, using the phone as a glorified Internet antenna.
“That’s incredibly convenient. Many other app phones have it — AT&T’s iPhone gets it on Feb. 13 — but Apple’s execution is especially nice. For example, the hot spot shuts itself off 90 seconds after the last laptop disconnects. That’s hugely important, because these personal hot spot features are merciless battery drains.”
The review now simply states, “AT&T says its iPhone will get it soon” without mentioning a date. While the February 13 date falls oddly on a Sunday, making it an unlikely date for an iOS release, it appears that iOS 4.3 will at least be released around that day.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.


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It’s no secret that Michael Rosenberg likes to collect candy memorabilia. After all, the president and ceo of The Promotion In Motion Companies admits to having more than 100,000 pieces in his collection, many in the Museum Room at the company’s corporate offices. In fact, Rosenberg stores them in a secure temperature-and humidity-controlled room with a special FM-200 gas system to protect the priceless contents by extinguishing flames with gas, rather than water, in the event of a fire.
In a year or so, Rosenberg looks to expand that collection. But instead of memorabilia, he hopes to collect visitors, some 500,000 plus annually. Thanks to a planned expansion project that involves both the addition of a visitors center to one of the company's three Somerset, N.J. buildings, and the renovation of a 30,000-sq.-ft. existing building, the plan has been set into, well, motion.


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According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), more than 41.5 million Americans will travel this upcoming holiday weekend, nearly five percent more than last year and the most since 2005. (The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 24 to Monday, May 28.) In New England alone, nearly 1.9 million residents are expected to travel – 1.7 million of them by car, despite the highest gas prices since 2014. AAA estimates 36.6 million people will drive to their destinations while 3.1 million will travel by air.
“As a strong drive market, we keep a watchful eye on the consumer confidence index and external factors that can impact spending decisions, including gas prices and weather,” said Evan Smith, president and CEO of Discover Newport in a news release that was issued by Discover Newport on Monday. “At the same time, weddings and multi-day ticketed events like the Tennis Hall of Fame Open, the 50th annual Newport Music Festival and the already sold-out Newport Folk Festival are just some examples of local happenings that continue to bring a substantial number of visitors to our destination, rain or shine. We’re optimistic that with Mother Nature’s cooperation and Newport’s reputation as an authentic, one-of-a-kind destination, it will be a successful and exceptional summer travel season.”
Discover Newport is the non-profit destination management organization dedicated to the promotion of the City of Newport and its eight surrounding townships in Newport and Bristol Counties, which includes Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Warrepremierpremiere destination for business and leisure travel.
Smith says summer is arguably the best time to enjoy the spoils of the great outdoors in Newport and its surrounding coastal communities. “Newport is a recreational paradise and now is the time to enjoy boating, sport fishing, kayaking, surfing, standup paddle boarding, hiking, cycling, golfing, tennis and so much more,” he said. “With our miles of coastline and ample green spaces, it’s time to get outside and recreate. We invite you to take some well-earned time to relax, unwind and plan your next getaway or vacation in our destination.”
For more information on Discover Newport, visit www.discovernewport.org.


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McDonald's adult Happy Meals with toys selling out
McDonald's adult Happy Meals have already sold out at some restaurants across the country, the fast-food chain confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: Demand for the viral Cactus Plant Flea Market Box that includes one of four collectible toys is outpacing supplies. At the same time, the toys have sold on eBay for as much as $250.
What's happening: McDonald's launched the boxed adult meals at restaurants nationwide Oct. 3.
- They come in two varieties: a Big Mac Box and 10-piece Chicken McNuggets both with fries, a drink and a toy.
What they're saying: "The hype for the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box was so real that some of our restaurants have sold out of the limited-edition experience," McDonald's said in a statement to Axios.
- "As a first of-its-kind collaboration, we worked closely with our suppliers, distributors, franchisees and partner, Cactus Plant Flea Market, to bring the nostalgia of so many fans’ McDonald’s memories to life, and we’re thrilled by the excitement we’re seeing."
Flashback: McDonald's past collabs with celebrities including Travis Scott, BTS and Mariah Carey have helped drive restaurant sales and created a buzz for the chain.
- The Travis Scott Meal, McDonald's first celebrity meal since 1992, was released in September 2020 and led to nationwide ingredient shortages.
Adult Happy Meal price
Between the lines: The meals cost more than regular combos with the toy and the box being the difference.
- At a McDonald’s in Miami, Florida, the 10-piece nuggets meal was $10.89 with a medium drink and fries compared with the nuggets combo for $8.49. Large fries and a drink are available as an option.
- Prices vary across the country and Axios found the 10-piece nuggets meal for $12.99 at a New York City location with the app.
How to find McDonald’s Cactus Plant Market Box meals
Be smart: Not all McDonald's have sold out of the meals as of Friday but you might have to travel to find them in stock. Sold-out locations have the meals listed as "currently unavailable" on the chain's app.
- The app can help you find where the meal might be available and also order before heading out.
Yes, but: Supplies can change quickly so even placing an order is not a guarantee.
- Ordering on the app also gets you an automatic entry into a sweepstakes for a chance to win weekly giveaways of "Cactus Plant Flea Market x McDonald’s" items.
What's next: McDonald's said the limited-edition "Cactus Plant Flea Market x McDonald’s collection" is available on a special website until 11am ET Monday, Oct. 10.
- More nostalgia returns to McDonald's Oct. 18 with Halloween pails, also known as Boo Buckets.
More from Axios:


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Knowridge Science Report takes an in-depth look at drinks attributed with weight loss. There are lots of so-called diet drinks on the market that are supposed to help people lose weight. However, research has shown that replacing those drinks with just drinking water instead can actually be more beneficial to weight loss.
- replacing low calorie ‘diet’ drinks with water can help increase the rate of weight loss in obese women with type 2 diabetes
- 81 overweight and obese women with type 2 diabetes who were trying to lose weight to control their diabetes were recruited.
- For the post-lunch drink, these women were asked either to substitute water for diet drinks, or to continue drinking diet drinks
“”The result showed that women drinking water after their main meal at lunch time over 24 weeks lost on average 1.16kg more than the women who drank diet drinks after their meal.””


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2019 is turning out to be great for Indian internet ventures.
It’s not even mid-way into the year, and the country has already seen two internet firms achieve unicorn valuations, and at least one more is close to the milestone.
On May 06, online grocer BigBasket said it has received $150 million (Rs1,040 crore) in funding from South Korea’s Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, UK’s CDC Group, and existing investor Alibaba, at a valuation of over $1 billion.
This comes just a month after Hong Kong-based asset manager Steadview Capital bought an undisclosed stake in fantasy sports gaming platform Dream11, valuing the company at over $1 billion.
And on March 31, online beauty products retailer Nykaa had said it had raised Rs100 crore ($14 million) from private equity firm TPG Growth at a valuation of over $700 million. Experts have said the Mumbai-based venture could touch a billion-dollar valuation soon.
“These developments prove that investment activity and the pace of growth has picked up in the startup space,” said Yugal Joshi, vice-president of consultancy Everest Group.
These new unicorns highlight that investors are moving beyond just the handful of large internet firms, such as Ola and Paytm, which have so far devoured the lion’s share of venture capital (VC) funding in India.
In 2017 and 2018, VC funds in India invested more money in India but in far fewer companies, which led to a tapering in the number of such deals.
In addition, the two new unicorns and the one “soonicorn” (a startup that is expected to turn unicorn soon) operate in varied business segments—Nykaa is the poster boy of online cosmetics business, Dream11 is all about gaming and BigBasket represents the other world of grocery—highlighting investors’ appetite for diversity.
“It is also good to know that different types of businesses in the country are attracting investments,” Joshi of Everest said.
The rise of BigBasket and Nykaa is also reflective of evolution in Indian internet businesses, said Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder and CEO of Greyhound Research.
“The companies that we are talking about, be it BigBasket, Nykaa, or Dream 11, are not overnight stars. They have been working their way up quietly for some time,” Gogia said. “BigBasket for one has been investing in the supply chain, logistics and technology for long to reach where it is now.”
BigBasket was founded in 2011 by Hari Menon, a successful entrepreneur who had earlier sold his brick-and-mortar retail chain Fabmall and Trinetra to Aditya Birla Group. Meanwhile, Dream11 was co-founded by University of Pennsylvania alumnus Harsh Jain and his friend Bhavit Sheth in 2008. And Nykaa was founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayar, a former investment banker.
Their success in cracking difficult segments, like delivery of perishables in the case of BigBasket, will go a long way in boosting global investors’ confidence in the India story. “Within the grocery space, we will see an emergence of more hyper-local platforms. It’s a big market, one player cannot serve all the pockets,” said Gogia. “A few years down the line, the industry will head for consolidation as is the case with most of the industries.”
But it’s not going to be a joyride for these ventures, for sure. Unlike companies such as Ola, which have tasted gigantic success in India, a BigBasket may struggle to go beyond what it does currently, experts said. In addition, internet ventures today are pressed for profits more than earlier years.
“After gaining scale in domestic business, Ola quickly launched international operations. However, BigBasket’s model is not like Ola’s. Does it have a market outside India? In all likelihood, the answer is no. So, looking beyond tier 1 and tier 2 markets, BigBasket has to see whether it’s now out there to chase growth or profitability.” Joshi said.


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Low cost airline Ryanair has announced three new routes and increased flights to popular Greek holiday destinations from the UK.
They involve Teesside Airport as well as Liverpool and Manchester and the destinations are Chania, Corfu, Kos, Rhodes and Santorini.
These new routes and extra frequencies will commence in July as part of Ryanair’s extended UK summer 2021 schedule.
Those booking flights have the option to use Ryanair’s zero change fee should plans change, according to the company.
As part of the announcement, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares available from £19.99 for travel until the end of October 2021, which must be booked by midnight on Friday, April 23 on the Ryanair.com website.
Ryanair’s Director of Commercial, Jason McGuinness, said: “As vaccination rollout programmes continue in the coming months, air traffic is set to soar and we are delighted to announce three new routes and extra flights connecting the UK to a host of popular Greek destinations this summer.
"Mindful that Covid restrictions change regularly, customers can now book flights for a well-deserved break knowing that if they need to postpone or change their travel dates, they can do so up to two times with a zero change fee until the end of October 2021."
The new route from Teesside Airport is to Corfu with one weekly flight. From Manchester there will be two weekly flights to Santorini and from Liverpool, one weekly flight to Kos.
The company also announced more flights from Manchester to Chania and Rhodes, as well as more flights from London Stansted to Rhodes.
To access the low fares offer, people should log on to www.ryanair.com


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French advertising giant Publicis says Kevin Roberts, the chairman of its Saatchi & Saatchi unit, would resign on September 1 after the legendary advertising boss said some women lacked "vertical ambition".
"The supervisory board and the chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe took note of Kevin Robert's decision to step down with effect from September 1st 2016, prior to his retirement date due in May 2017," Publicis said in a statement.
Mr Roberts had been stood down as chair over the controversial comments in an interview with website Business Insider, in which he said of women: "Their ambition is not a vertical ambition, it's this intrinsic, circular ambition to be happy."
Sharon Henderson, who runs the agency Federation, says the statement wasn't just untrue, but damaging.
"I find that phrase incredibly sad and I think it couldn't be more damaging or more wrong," she says.
"It's actually quite a disparaging comment and I'm pretty sure that's probably the one sentence in that entire article that has created such an uproar and upset so many people."
Some in the advertising industry point to the fact many women - like Ms Henderson - run successful advertising companies in their own right, but they say many of their female colleagues have left the big companies because of gender bias and lack of leadership roles.
Reuters / Newshub.


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Pragmata is an adventure game set in a dystopian near-future on Earth’s Moon, developed and published by Capcom.
UPDATE: Sony removes third-party release dates in re-uploaded trailer
But exec calls pre-order performance “the first step in a much longer marathon”
Xbox's next-gen consoles are seemingly off to a positive start in the region
Take-Two recently set pricing at $70/£65, while others say they're monitoring industry trends
Series X is “the world's most powerful console”
See everything announced during first next-gen software showcase
Science fiction game coming to next-gen consoles and PC in 2022


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The survey of around 600 dairy farmers, including those in the South West, reveals 9% of producers believe they are likely to stop producing milk by 2025 – up from 7% last year. A further 23% said they were “unsure” if their business would continue producing milk beyond 2025.
87% of dairy ‘farmers’ who responded said they are concerned about the impact of government regulation, with feed prices (84%), energy prices (83%) and cash flow and profitability (80%) other key factors that would curtail milk supplies.
Meanwhile, 91% of dairy farmers said the main factor to them increasing milk production would be the scale of investment needed for things such as suitable slurry storage to ensure their farms are compliant - this supports the NFU call for Defra’s Surry Infrastructure Grant to be extended to cover more areas and to lower the minimum spend threshold needed to access the funding.
Cost of production
NFU South West regional dairy board chair Stephen Dark, who farms in Cornwall and represents farmers across the region, said: “Obviously dairy farmers are concerned at present because of the current low milk price with many receiving less than the cost of production.
“With the majority needing to invest in infrastructure to comply with current slurry and the forthcoming air quality regulations, an improvement in returns is essential for farmers to have the confidence to commit.
“The dairy processors and retailers need to be careful not to squeeze the industry too far because a consequence of the price being too low for a considerable period of time will see their milk pools diminish. This can be seen in the results of the survey as potentially up to 31% could quit production within the next two to three years.”


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Motorists have been urged to use alternative methods to stay cool this Easter weekend as the spring weather has finally arrived. Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “Making changes to the way we drive can help the fuel last in our tanks a little longer, which could ultimately save you money. on high gasoline and diesel costs.
“When you check your fuel level at home, also check your tire pressure, as this can impact how much fuel your car uses.
“And when you’re driving, reduce your acceleration, stop idling by turning off your car. If you’re stationary and you open the windows when it’s hot rather than turning up the air conditioning which uses fuel.
When driving at 45 mph, many variables can affect the amount of fuel used, including weather, car weight, and driving style.
If a driver drives at this speed and uses the air conditioning, it can increase fuel consumption by around 10%.
READ MORE: Drivers warned blocking traffic could result in massive £5,000 fine
“Our research has revealed that more than half of the drivers going on a trip this weekend will be on the roads on Saturday, so it’s expected to be very crowded.
“To avoid traffic jams, planning trips in advance and considering alternative routes that aren’t as popular will hopefully mean you’ll see less traffic.
“We also found that one in two motorists said they would check their fuel level before any other car checks before setting off, so clearly fuel is still an issue as prices remain very high. “
He continued: “But when we have to refuel, there is no avoiding it.
“Knowing where your cheapest options for buying fuel are can be confusing, so it’s definitely worth checking before you go this weekend so you don’t get stuck with the most expensive place.
“Our gas price finder allows you to look up approximate prices in your area to help you choose the cheapest from the most expensive pumps.
“Staying with these could help save you money in the long run until we start to see fuel costs start to stabilize.”
Drivers looking to travel this weekend could benefit from balancing the use of air conditioning with having the windows open, allowing them to travel more and stop to use less fuel.


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DHL Supply Chain has introduced its largest ever single implementation of autonomous forklifts to date, with 15 embedded in its warehouse operations at Tyrefort, United Kingdom.
The autonomous forklifts form part of DHL’s operation for a major customer in the automotive sector, taking over picking, put-away and replenishment of products and empty media in the warehouse. The vehicles reduce the number of manual pallet transfers without requiring significant changes in warehouse infrastructure.
The indoor robotics transporters work safely up to 11.5 metres high – believed to be a first in the logistics industry – easily reaching the highest warehousing racks to handle a range of pallets, stillages and waste cages. [Read more…] about DHL Supply Chain accelerates roll-out of autonomous forklifts with largest single implementation


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Panama Covid-19 update – authorities says more than 900 people had been turned back at the cordons sanitaire set up at various points to prevent movement into and from the city. Also reported that 2 stores in a border town have been closed for serving Costa Ricans violating the biosafety restrictions – a duty-free store was found to be open with more than 80 people inside, not complying with the national lockdown.
On a sadder note, the news reports the burial of 46 unclaimed bodies from the morgues of Panama, La Chorrera, Aguadulce and La Palma.
Another 2,633 new cases reported today, the final day of the Christmas total lockdown, with another 41 fatalities. There are now 41,551 active cases, with 183 in ICU, 1,848 in other wards, 695 in hotel rooms and the rest at home. On the other hand, another 2,444 people are said to have “recovered”, and that 80.3% of all those affected so far are said to have recovered. The largest number of cases since March, nearly 93,000, were in the 20-39 age range, but with only 180 deaths.
27 DECEMBER 2020
PAKISTAN: CUSTOMS FOILS BETEL NUT SMUGGLING BID
On 27 December, the Express Tribune reported that Port Qasim export collectorate foiled a bid to smuggle betel nuts, being imported under the guise of goods of domestic use, after importers had received 2 consignments from Saudi Arabia several months ago. When Customs officials examined the said consignments, they found over 26 tonnes of betel nuts along with water dispensers, shoes, mattresses, exercise machines, furniture and several other household goods – all of which were confiscated.
KENYA: A GOLDMINE FOR CROOKS SELLING LUXURY CARS USING FORGED PAPERS
On 27 December, an article from The Standard said that making money from the sale of smuggled cars in Nairobi is now as easy as buying candy on the streets; with a “communion” of crooked car dealers, conniving State agents and cross-border criminal networks with tentacles in prison. The newspaper reports on a multi-layered racket which extends to South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan. It says that, in this complex trade, some foreigners too have dominated the automotive sector and are reportedly using their dealership as a front for money laundering.
FRENCH INVESTIGATORS TO QUESTION CARLOS GHOSN IN LEBANON
On 26 December, AP reported that a team of French investigators will go to Beirut in January to participate in interrogating former Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn who fled Japan in a dramatic escape that drew headlines last year. He is facing a number of legal challenges in France, including tax evasion and alleged money laundering, fraud and misuse of company assets while at the helm of the Renault-Nissan alliance. At least 2 investigations were opened in France. One focused on suspicious transactions between Renault and a distributor in Oman, as well as suspected payments for private trips and events paid by Renault-Nissan’s Netherlands-based holding company RNBV. Another investigation focused on suspected misuse of company funds for a party for Ghosn at Versailles.
BANGLADESH: COURT ORDERS FREEZING 617 BANK ACCOUNTS OF LAWMAKER
On 27 December, New Age Bangladesh reported that a has directed the authorities concerned to freeze some 617 bank accounts of independent lawmaker Mohammad Shahid Islam, aka Papul. This was in response to an application filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Police had filed a money laundering case against Shahid, his daughter, brother, sister-in-law and 4 others.
VIDEO: LIFESTYLES OF KAZAKHSTAN’S RICH AND POLITICALLY CONNECTED
On 22 December, Rferl published a short 3-minute video involving a villa in Cannes, a Swiss chateau and an entire block in London – among the investments made by relatives of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned in 2019.
UK: 21 ARRESTS IN NATIONWIDE CYBER CRACKDOWN
A news release from the NCA on 25 December advised that 21 people have been arrested across the UK as part of an operation targeting customers of an online criminal marketplace that advertised stolen personal credentials. Those targeted were customers of WeLeakInfo, a site that hosted 12 billion stolen credentials from over 10,000 data breaches before it was taken down in January 2020 following an NCA investigation.
SHELL OIL SITE SEIZED BY NIGERIAN STATE OVER UNPAID DAMAGES
On 23 December, Bloomberg reported that an oil site operated by Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Nigerian unit has been seized by one of the country’s state governments due to a dispute over an oil spill that occurred decades ago. Kidney Island is located in the oil hub of Port Harcourt. Shell is involved in a long-running legal battle with a local community in Rivers state which has successfully sued the company for millions of dollars in damages for polluting its land.
JAPAN PROSECUTORS SEARCH FORMER MINISTER’S OFFICES ON BRIBERY SUSPICION
On 25 December, The Japan News reported that prosecutors have begun investigating former agriculture minister Takamori Yoshikawa and searched his offices, as well as other related locations on suspicion of bribery allegedly offered by a major egg company. Yoshikawa has already resigned as a Diet member after being hospitalised to treat his chronic heart failure and other ailments.
UP TO 10,000 CLIENTS AFFECTED AS HONG KONG LAW SOCIETY SHUTS DOWN MAJOR CONVEYANCING FIRM
On 24 December, the South China Morning Post reported that the Society alleges that a former clerk of Wong, Fung & Co had misappropriated unspecified sums of money from clients. It also alleges overdrawing of money from client accounts and allowing unqualified staff to sign off documents.
NORTH KOREA: KIM JONG-UN EXECUTES CURRENCY TRADERS AND TIGHTENS GRIP ON ECONOMY
On 25 December, the Sunday Times reported that Kim Jong-un is executing traders and threatening to reverse market reforms as he tries to reduce the devastation caused by isolating his country from the coronavirus. This includes the arrest of currency traders who exchange US dollars for North Korean won, and at least one has been executed, according to a briefing by South Korea’s intelligence agency.
UN: PILOT PROJECTS OF NEW FRAMEWORK TO CALCULATE THE COSTS OF ILLICIT TRADE AND BUSINESS PRACTICES
On 21 December, the UN Conference on Trade & Development reported that it and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime are involved with pilot projects are using the new framework to calculate the costs of illicit trade and business practices in Afghanistan, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama and Peru. The framework is the result of extensive expert consultations held in 2017-2018 and reflects the thorough considerations of an international task force in 2019-2020 involving international organisations and national tax, customs and statistics experts.
The Conceptual Framework for the Statistical Measurement of Illicit Financial Flows was published in October.
FRAUDULENT ADVERTISING ONLINE: EMERGING RISKS AND CONSUMER FRAUD
In July, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) have produced a report on the prevalence of fraudulent advertising appearing on shopping and social media platforms. It says that better educated consumers are in a better position to defend themselves against fraud. Whenever fraudulent advertisements are found, the report suggests in the first instance that these are reported to the relevant platform on which they appear and, where appropriate, to law enforcement or government regulators. The report says that fraudulent advertising is rapidly emerging as a new risk to consumers shopping online, where millions of consumers are exposed to thousands of fraudulent advertisements taking them to thousands of illegitimate e-commerce websites that defraud and/or sell counterfeit products and deceitful services. The report focuses on frauds, IP theft, data theft and use by organised crime. It recommends, among other things, improved “Know Your Business Customer” processes.
TECH GIANTS ARE GIVING CHINA A VITAL EDGE IN ESPIONAGE
On 26 December, Real Clear Defense carried an article from Foreign Policy that said that US officials say private Chinese companies have been enlisted to process stolen data for their country’s spy agencies. A number of Trump Administration officials emphasised the national security threats posed by Chinese tech giants.
BANK OF ENGLAND REBUKED OVER ‘MISSING’ $67 BILLION OF CASH
On 7 December, the New York Times reported that a Parliamentary committee found about £50 billion worth of cash in circulation is not being spent, and blasted the Bank for a lack of “curiosity” about where it is. A report released said that £50 billion of paper money is “missing” from the country’s cash supply and that the Bank of England “seems to lack curiosity” about where it’s all gone. The report says that it may be hidden away in unreported household savings, squirreled away for a rainy day, or is being used for more nefarious purposes.
JERSEY FSC FEES FOR 2021
Following a consultation earlier this year (which the FSC says received no responses from some sectors) the FSC has issued fee rates for general insurance mediation businesses (GIMB) money service businesses (MSB) trust company businesses (TCB) and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBP). Also published alongside the fee rates and a report on feedback on the consultations.
THE UK-EU TRADE AGREEMENT – THE EARLY EMERGING PICTURE
On 27 December, The Law & Policy Blog from David Allen Green comments on the draft trade agreement between the EU and UK and related documents were published on 26 December. It says that while there has not been time to properly review the entire agreement, there are some ways to get an idea of the contents, including pros, cons and possible consequences. It refers one to the “excellent team” at the Institute of Government which have provided initial analyses of the provisions, and other initial thoughts and views put out on Twitter.
HAND SANITISER BRAND SEIZED IN EUROPE OWNED BY HEAD OF TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS GROUP
On 16 December, Turkish Minute reported that the EU anti-fraud office OLAF had coordinated seizures of some 140,000 litres of hand sanitiser gel originating from Turkey on the grounds that it contains “dangerously high levels of methanol”. The news site claims that it has learned that the seized gel sold under the Viapro brand was produced by a company owned by Ali Osman Akat, president of the Turkish-American Business Association/American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey (TABA/AmCham).
I had omitted the following link (as it did not seem to generate much interest!), but it seemed time to add it again and say that, if you would like to make a (polite) gesture and help me with my removal and computer costs, I have a page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y


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The Great E-pression
Call it the Great E-pression. Online spending growth in October fell to its lowest rate in seven years, and given the tenor of economic news these days, it’s almost certainly headed lower still.
According to research outfit comScore, online spending grew by just one percent over October 2007. That was its lowest monthly growth rate since 2001, the year comScore first began tracking it. Worse, it was the sixth consecutive month in which growth declined.
Dismal news for Internet retailers, who now find themselves offering steep discounts to court customers with less discretionary income. Of course, lower price-points mean less profit. But better some profit than none at all. “A lot of these retailers aren’t running on big margins to begin with, so it’s pretty challenging,” Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore (SCOR), told the New York Times. “But it’s a Catch-22 situation: They have to run these deals because that’s what consumers are looking for this season.”
Sad to say, but the e-commerce sector’s holidays will be anything but happy ones.


text: While everyone will be showing off new supplements and teasing upcoming products at this weekend’s Arnold Classic. Scivation have confirmed what they’ll have available at their booth that’s not new but should encourage attendees to stop by. Seeing as the brand have already unveiled a handful of new items this year with their new flavor of Xtend and the energized Xtend Go, it shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that supplement wise they haven’t announced anything new for the Arnold. As mentioned however booth #1847 isn’t going to be completely excitement free as Scivation have confirmed a show special that they’ll be running. The brand have put together a custom Scivation and Xtend BCAAs bag, promoting both the company and their widely known product. The item has been previewed in two colors purple and red, although it isn’t its looks that will be attracting Arnold visitors. Scivation’s price on the bag is in fact just $10, a value you’ll very rarely even see on cheaper merchandise like tees and hats. The brand are also promoting the sale of their relatively new Xtend RTDs, which as they say will see them taking care of your gains and goodies for the day.


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C ristiano Ronaldo’s choice to eliminate one or two Coca-Cola container off consider at a press conference, and you can dent the worth of the newest fizzy take in manufacturer’s sponsorship regarding the fresh new Eu Tournament, provides highlighted the risks names deal with associating that have sporting events superstars generated strong by the social networking era.
The latest Portugal master, a prominent wellness fanatic who eschews sodas and you will alcoholic drinks, underlined their section from the holding a container out of liquid whenever you are stating “agua”, Portuguese and you will Language to own drinking water. Water brand under consideration are belonging to Coca-Cola also, nevertheless destroy – because of the a major sports superstar that have 550 million social network followers – try over.
Nike decided, stoically, to face from the Padraig harrington since the golf prodigy lost sponsors along with Gillette and you can Gatorade once good 2009 intercourse scandal
“It’s without a doubt a large time for any brand in the event that earth’s very accompanied footballer to the social media do something similar to one to,” claims Tim Crow, a sports marketing associate which advised Coca-Cola into sporting events support for two years. “Coke will pay tens out-of hundreds of thousands as good Uefa sponsor and as part of that we now have contractual debt to possess federations and teams, including playing push group meetings that have company logos and things. However, there are usually dangers.”
“Ronaldo is right on top of social media earners,” says Advertising specialist Mark Borkowski. “It is about the rise of your personal brand name, the non-public route, it includes such soft energy. That’s what has actually welcome Ronaldo making a spot [regarding leading a healthy lifestyle].”
Today thirty-six, the newest earth’s most famous footballer has established an empire who’s seen him make more $1bn (?720m) in sports salaries, bonuses and you may commercial products eg sponsorships. What is actually very important ‘s the global system social media has given him – 50 % of an effective mil followers into Instagram, Twitter and you can Fb – with freed him away from following commercial regulations out of nightclubs, tournaments and their sponsors. He is the best earner toward Instagram, ruling $1m for each and every paid down post, sufficient reason for more $40m into the money in the social networking program per year the guy renders over their salary in the Juventus.
“Everyone is claiming this will be from the runner activism as there are certain basic facts to that particular,” says Crow. “Sports athletes are delivering an even more activist view, we have been seeing that, lately from inside the drive meetings. And we’ll view it once again.”
Yet not, Ronaldo’s social snub represents an alternate form of possibilities towards the once cosy industrial harmony away from fuel ranging from stars and names, that produced of the social media time
Into the Tuesday, the newest France midfielder Paul Pogba, an excellent practising Muslim, eliminated a container regarding Euro 2020 recruit Heineken’s non-alcoholic 0.0 brand name regarding press conference dining table when he sat off to dicuss with the media shortly after their team’s step one-0 win over Germany. 3 years back mobile video chat rooms, he was certainly one of a small grouping of Manchester United superstars just who boycotted an effective contractual event to have sponsors in order to protest during the club’s poor travelling agreements that had impacted Champions Group video game.
Crow states the most important exemplory case of athlete activism arrived last week whenever Naomi Osaka, the latest Zero 2-rated women golf member, removed from the French Discover immediately after are fined $15,100000 and you will endangered which have expulsion from the organisers having claiming she’d skip contractual mass media debt from the influence on the lady mental wellness.
Osaka, having more than 4 million social media supporters, used Fb to explain the girl “grand waves out of stress” and the “dated laws” ruling people and you will mass media meetings, and you may mention she try pulling out off Roland Garros.
“Activism has become for each sponsor’s radar,” states Crow, just who thinks Ronaldo’s flow you may draw the beginning of the conclusion off product positioning-packed push group meetings.
“My personal have a look at is that for some time now having sponsors’ activities up for grabs before sports athletes in press conferences seems outdated and inauthentic and it’s time and energy to retire it,” he says. “That it incident highlights you to facts. Many of my personal recruit customers features mentioned this prior to now, including people targeting more youthful people. It is really not because if sponsors do not have sufficient branding throughout tournaments and occurrences anyhow.”


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Oppo K10 is ready to be launched in India. This phone will be launched in India on March 23, and before the launch, many special features of the phone have been leaked. This phone will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. This Chinese phone maker said that this will be a mid-range phone, and it will be made available on the e-commerce platform for purchase. The Oppo K10 will come with RAM extension technology, and it will be the first phone in the series.
Oppo K10 will be launched on 23 March through Flipkart. The company has already made the Notify Me page live. Along with Oppo K10, the company will also introduce TWS Enco Air2.
Oppo K10 has been seen on the micro page in two color variants. It comes with 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. The upcoming Oppo K10 punt hole display design has been given, which comes with a selfie lens.
Can get 5000mAh battery
It is being said about Oppo K10 that this Budget It will be a segment phone, and for this it will also have similar features. For example, a 5,000mAh battery can be given in Oppo K10, which will come with an 18W charger. It is expected that it will come with Android 11 out of the box. Oppo K10 can come with at least 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
According to the leaked report, Oppo K10 can be offered in India for less than Rs 20,000. However, Oppo has not given any such information. Apart from Oppo K10, Oppo TWS, Enco Air2 will get 13.4mm dynamic driver and three equalization modes at the event. The company claims that it comes with a playback time of 24 hours.


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Staff at a newly-opened mall have been accused of kicking out shoppers for 'looking too gay', holding hands or not covering tattoos.
City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, Utah opened in March but has reportedly been inundated with complaints over its strict rules.
One shopper complained on Facebook that he was harassed by City Creek security guards after he wore women's clothes at the mall.
'I was in heels and my makeup was fierce,' Skinny Rose reported, 'And they kick me out for looking too gay.'
Another shopper, Dallon Thorup, said security guards spoke to him sternly about his tattoo, a Chinese symbol which is on his upper arm.
'I got approached by someone that asked do you mind covering up? I laughed, and asked why, and he said, "Some people might find your tattoo offensive".
Others complained that they had been asked to leave for holding hands.
But the mall's management has denied the online complaints, saying everyone is welcome to City Creek Center.
In its code of conduct, the management does not refer to tattoos, a dress code or public displays of affection.
Director of marketing, Dee Brewer, said: 'If they were holding hands, or kissing, or have tattoos… those are not things that would draw the attention of our security.'
The code states: 'Any activity or conduct, which is detrimental to or inconsistent with a first-class, family oriented shopping center is prohibited.
'Management’s interpretation of these Rules of Conduct is conclusive and binding.'
Many people have said they will no longer be shopping at the mall after the reported complaints.
The downtown shopping centre opened on March 22 and has more than 90 stores, including a Macy's, among indoor and outdoor centres.


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- Major corporation to pair up with growing blockchain firm Ripple
- MoneyGram set to improve cash flow and improve transaction times
- “Through our partnership with Ripple, we will also have the opportunity to further enhance our operations and streamline our global liquidity management”, says MoneyGram’s CEO
Leading international money transfer platform Ripple has announced that it will make a $30 million investment in MoneyGram.
Ripple is a blockchain-based payment platform which has been adopted by a number of money transfer providers in recent times.
MoneyGram has left the door open for future support too, and Ripple can choose to buy some common stock or warrants in the firm to a value of two-thirds of its current investment level.
According to MoneyGram, the partnership means that it will no longer have to rely on buying up forex before setting a transaction – and will instead be able to sell crypto as a new means of liquidity.
It will also now be able to cut down on its expenditure as a result of the streamlined Ripple system and manage its cash flow better.
The partnership will last for two years, at least at first. However, industry media suggested that the move may in fact be extended once the trial period is over.
According to MoneyGram’s chair and CEO Alex Holmes, the partnership will offer a chance to “further enhance our operations”.
“As the payments industry evolves, we are focused on continuing to improve our platform and utilizing the best technology as part of our overall settlement process”, he said.
“Through our partnership with Ripple, we will also have the opportunity to further enhance our operations and streamline our global liquidity management.”
The partnership was in some ways foretold by Holmes’ colleague, the firm’s global head of product and innovation Youri Bebic, who gave an interview on the topic in recent weeks.
He recently said: “the money’s already there. We pre-fund bank accounts all over the world, and then we do value transfer.”
However, the new strategy will mean it will be possible “to sell cryptocurrency against local currency and deposit that into the bank account or give it in cash for our user”, he added.
The news from MoneyGram comes just weeks after it announced it would be working alongside the firm Canada Post to vastly improve its presence in the North American country.
For anyone who regularly watches the online money transfer world, this news that blockchain-powered Ripple is investing in a major remittance services corporation will be of great interest. Ripple has been making waves in the industry recently, and it has started to get involve with many cash transfer firms. As time goes on, it’s increasingly likely that firms in MoneyGram’s league will begin to uncover the commercial benefits of super-fast transactions, higher security, better cash flows and more.
Keep up to date with the latest new from platforms like Ripple and others in this sphere over at our news page.


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Honda, on Monday announced that has restarted production of some motorcycle and power products in Thailand. The company halted motorcycle production since 11 October.
However, work at Honda’s car plant, in the central city of Ayutthaya, which was halted on October 4, remains suspended.
Thailand’s worst floods in half a century have come down heavily on Honda, while the other Japanese auto makers have a scope to recuperate soon.
The car and motorcycle maker late last month suspended its earnings forecast for this fiscal year through March due to the difficulty in assessing the impact of disrupted production in Thailand after the flooding.
Honda plans a return to normal production in all of its plants in Canada and the United States in early December.
In other news, Honda plans to set up at least two more plants in India in pursuit of its ambition to become India’s largest selling two-wheeler company in the next 10 years.


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Phillip Gillespie, neighborhood CEO of crypto market maker B2C2 who managed its acquisition by Japanese bank SBI Monetary Companies and products, is stepping down, the corporate acknowledged on the present time.
Fantastic Nov. 4, recent U.S. CEO Nicola White assumed the goal of neighborhood CEO because the Tokyo-basically based Gillespie looks to capture on a mission goal with SBI in the digital asset attach apart. White used to be beforehand Castle Securities’ world chief running officer of fastened profits and joined the market maker in July final one year.
“Whereas we’re experiencing unsafe times in the crypto market, our agency has persisted to originate excessive, deep liquidity to our prospects,” White acknowledged in a assertion. “B2C2’s goal as a pioneer that creates a sustainable ecosystem, is to enhance our prospects and the market as a complete, with staunch liquidity and sturdy threat management. Despite the hot stresses the market is experiencing, in the extinguish the crypto market will emerge stronger.”
An organization spokesperson wired that the appointment wasn’t linked to recent market upheaval spurred by fears over FTX’s probably insolvency, but had been planned over the previous three months.
Primarily based in 2015, the UK-basically based agency operates as a market maker in the digital asset attach apart and moved into suggestions and lending products final one year after its 2020 acquisition.
The FTX fallout
The market maker confirmed to The Block that it has no stammer exposure to FTT or Alameda and that its small exposure to FTX as a secondary procuring and selling venue had been hedged. It acknowledged that amid designate volatility considered in the wake of this week’s events, the procuring and selling agency has considered day to day person depend amplify by about 30%.
Other digital asset market-making firms bag also disclosed their exposures to FTX in the wake of the switch’s ongoing collapse. The previous day, Genesis Buying and selling acknowledged that its derivatives arm had $175 million locked up on the switch. Fellow market makers GSR and Wintermute also well-known FTX exposure but acknowledged their scenarios had been manageable.
Gillespie joined the corporate in February 2018 as chief executive officer of B2C2 Japan, sooner than entering into the neighborhood CEO goal. He beforehand held positions at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Barclays.
As the crypto market has been rocked by the collapses of Terra-Luna, Three Arrows Capital, and most no longer too long in the past FTX, crypto firms bag considered different executive management shakeups in recent months. Closing month, Bitmex CEO Alexander Höptner stepped down, following in the footsteps of Kraken’s Jesse Powell, NYDIG’s Robert Gutmann and Genesis CEO Michael Moro.


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The money Store, one of the greatest chains, has grown from 168 places from the spring of 2006 to 564 for the 2013. Photograph: Jonathan Nicholson/Demotix/Corbis
The bucks Store, one of the primary stores, is continuing to grow away from 168 locations in the spring season out-of 2006 so you’re able to 564 when you look at the 2013. Photograph: Jonathan Nicholson/Demotix/Corbis
The fresh UK’s large roads now have a minumum of one brief-identity mortgage search for most of the seven banking institutions and you may building societies, centered on research ready to accept the new Protector, which shows just how large-prices moneylenders are extremely a familiar sight in many neighbourhoods.
Search of the Agency off Investigative Journalism demonstrates that Glasgow was the fresh payday loans resource of British, having forty places run from the biggest small-dollars stores. Into the an each capita foundation, new London borough away from Lewisham contains the very areas, with nearly 7 high-street financing sites for every single 100,one hundred thousand residents.
The information revealed that a portion of the loan providers today work at 1,427 sites when you look at the England, Scotland and you may Wales, and you can a much deeper 49 from inside the North Ireland. Of several large avenue have also viewed smaller chains open for providers while the beginning of the economic crisis, and so the rates give a conservative image of exactly how many is actually today towards nation’s higher streets.
Because financial crisis, this new pay check financing industry has exploded, that have online and high-street stores loaning all in all, to ?2bn to at least one billion individuals from inside the 2012
Compared with small-title lenders, banks was basically diminishing the systems. Barclays recently said it was considering closure doing 400 branches around the nation. A current statement in the College out of Nottingham discovered that indeed there have been ten,348 financial or strengthening people branches remaining in 2012.
The research worried about this new 7 greatest organizations off small-title lenders – such as the Currency Shop, Bucks Converters, Bucks Generator and also the Cheque Hub – and you may looked at brand new branches advertising small-identity fund close to pawnbroking or other qualities
Paul Blomfield, the MP having Sheffield who may have campaigned facing pay day financing, said: “Such staggering numbers show the shape of one’s pay day lending epidemic towards the the higher streets. Their corrosive feeling will then be have a tendency to made worse by the companies clustering the sites during the aspects of large deprivation.”
Rates in excess of step one,000% Annual percentage rate is common, and although financing are made to feel paid down shortly after a matter from days otherwise days, borrowers often roll-over money, definition can cost you easily mount up. One to financial obligation foundation recently helped a consumer whose ?two hundred obligations got adult to help you ?1,851 within just three months.
Very pay check lending is completed on line, on Competition Payment recently finding that sites lenders, together with providers like Wonga and you can QuickQuid, was basically responsible for 80% from money. The watchdog together with learned that borrowers playing with high-street agencies were a whole lot more almost certainly than just online users becoming personal clients, partly-date works or out of work, solitary parents, unqualified otherwise to the lowest revenue.
The fresh BIJ mapped brief-label lenders’ twigs – the first time it has been done – as well as the distribution from stores is actually in contrast to authoritative government investigation to the deprivation.
The huge lenders, many of which was owned by overseas agencies, have offered rapidly recently. The money Shop, part of good You business, has expanded from 168 locations about springtime out-of 2006 so you can 564 inside the 2013. Oakham, that is United kingdom-possessed and will be offering loans more 3 to 6 days, went from 1 store during the their launch from inside the 2007 in order to 22 today and states be beginning twigs for hours.
Since the Currency Store recently established a shop for the well-from Muswell Slope within the northern London area, this new mapping suggests that financing storage try clustered when you look at the areas of deprivation. Lewisham ‘s the sixteenth very deprived of the 326 regional authorities in the England, depending on the Company to have Organizations and Regional Government’s score.


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We recently received developer approvals for Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U. The game will be out in the first half of 2015 for PC and MAC, and the Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U will follow as soon as possible.
The development story so far:
- Development of Earthlock: Festival of Magic began in early 2011
- The game was nominated as Selected Game at Game Connection America 2013
- We showcased a working alpha for the first time to the public at PAX PRIME 2013 in Seattle and received a wonderful positive response
- After PAX we breezed through the Steam Greenlight process in 14 days
- We launched a kickstarter for Earthlock: Festival of Magic (known then only as Festival of Magic) in December 2013. Due to unfortunate timing with the launch of new consoles, as well as the Holiday Season the campaign was postponed
- Development has continued in the meantime, and we are now back with an even better Kickstarter campaign and a lot better timing!
- Unity has chosen Earthlock as one of their showcase titles at their stand at GDC in San Francisco in March, and we will be there with the latest build of our alpha!
- Following our recent developer approvals, we are happy to announce the release of Earthlock on Xbox One, Wii U and PS4 in addition to the PC/MAC!


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Johns Manville (JM), a global building products manufacturer and a Berkshire Hathaway company, is one of only 14 companies nationwide to be honored as a “Partner of Choice” by David Weekley Homes, the nation’s largest privately-held residential home builder. The prestigious and highly selective “Partners of Choice” award recognizes the home builder’s strongest performing suppliers as part of its rigorous supplier evaluation platform. This year, for the third consecutive year, JM earned an “A,A” award for excellence in product quality and customer service and is the only insulation manufacturer to receive the honor.
“Johns Manville has been recognized with a “Partner of Choice” award five times in the last six years. This is a remarkable accomplishment when you consider that many of the 200 companies participating in this process over the last 12 years have never won our award,” said Bill Justus, vice president of supply chain services and developer of the home builder’s unique evaluation process. “Johns Manville’s strong commitment to our partnership ultimately helps David Weekley Homes achieve our purpose of building dreams, enhancing lives for our team, our customers, and our community.”
David Weekley Homes implemented its comprehensive supplier evaluation system and the industry acclaimed “Partners of Choice” award in 2004. The unique evaluation platform allows David Weekley Homes to analyze supplier performance in diverse industries, provide feedback and recognize those truly outstanding providers. Under this process, David Weekley Homes team members are first asked to rate each supplier’s performance in product quality and service. Then, through a series of one-on-one discussions, follow-up and coaching calls, and strategic planning sessions, David Weekley Homes and its suppliers identify the best way to achieve excellence together.
“The award serves as further motivation for our team to provide customers with the products and solutions that meet their needs, and we are humbled to be recognized by David Weekley Homes for the fifth time,” said Keith Chambers, national builder sales manager at JM. “This recognition highlights our commitment to looking for innovative ways to improve our processes and products.”
With more than 150 years as a trusted advisor providing world-class customer service and innovative building product solutions, JM offers a complete and growing line of insulation products to meet contractor and builder needs. For more information, visit www.jm.com.
About David Weekley Homes
David Weekley Homes, the nation’s largest privately-held home builder, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2016. Headquartered in Houston, the company operates in 24 cities and 13 states across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes “America’s Best Builder,” “National Housing Quality Award” and “National Builder of the Year.” David Weekley Homes has also appeared 10 times on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” list. Since 1976, the company has closed more than 80,000 homes. For more information, visit www.davidweekleyhomes.com.
About Johns Manville
Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B), is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing, and roof insulation, as well as fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications. JM serves markets that include aerospace, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment, filtration, waterproofing, building, flooring, interiors and wind energy. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has annual sales of approximately $2.6 billion and holds leadership positions in many of the key markets that it serves. JM employs approximately 7,000 people and operates 44 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com.