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Geely Auto Group and Tencent have signed an agreement to carry out strategic cooperation in the fields of digitalization, intelligent cockpits, autonomous drive, and low carbon development.
The agreement between Geely and Tencent is another milestone in automotive and IT cross-industry cooperation. The two parties will work together to fully digitalize all aspects of an automotive product lifecycle from product development, manufacturing, marketing, vehicle utilization, to after-sales service using joint technologies. The two parties will also work to develop the next-generation intelligent vehicle cockpits, integrating both Geely and Tencent ecosystems, opening up new mobile and mobility service applications, and improving user experience. In the field of autonomous drive, the two parties will explore simulated testing and validation of autonomous drive systems. Through this partnership, Geely and Tencent will also promote low carbon development of the automotive industry and carbon neutrality as an industry goal.
An Conghui, President of Geely Holding Group, President and CEO of Geely Auto Group said:
“The global automotive industry is facing profound changes and new technologies are restructuring the industrial ecology. Looking ahead to the future, we must be open to cooperation, joint development, and new innovations. With a cooperative relationship spanning three years, Geely and Tencent is now deepening their partnership and working to digitalize the entire automotive value chain. At the same time, we hope to fulfil our responsibility to society by jointly promoting sustainable low carbon development throughout the automotive industry.”
Tang Daosheng, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and President of Tencent Cloud and Smart Industry Group said:
“Tencent and Geely have cooperated with each other since 2018 and have achieved much together. Today, the digitalization of the mobility sector has reached a new level and the time for Geely to digitally transform all aspects of their automotive product lifecycle is upon us. As Geely’s strategic digital partner, Tencent hopes to help the Geely Auto Group further its digital transformation and promote further sustainable development of the automotive industry.”
In 2018, Geely and Tencent cooperated for the first time to form a joint venture with China Railways developing high-speed Wifi, high-speed railway mobility service applications, and other digital services. In 2019, ECARX, a strategically invested enterprise under Geely Holding Group, signed a cooperative agreement with Tencent Auto to work together on intelligent connectivity services, joint user operations, AI, and cloud services. Currently, Tencent automotive applications have been successfully integrated into several Geely Auto and Lynk & Co models.


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domain: news


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Oriental countries have become a new haven for Russian tourists.
Are Russian tourists refusing to travel around Europe?
In the summer season of 2023, Russian tourists began to prefer the countries of the Middle East instead of European destinations, and also showed more interest in traveling to Africa, Cuba and Venezuela.
According to Megafon, From June 1 to August 25, the number of Russian tourists traveling abroad increased by 17% compared to last year. Turkey remains the most popular destination for Russians, receiving 27% more tourists than last summer. 37% more Russian tourists visited the UAE. In addition, the interest of Russians in vacations in Iran and Saudi Arabia has grown significantly.
Tourist flow to Europe also increased, but only by 15% compared to the same period last year. The harsh conditions of the pandemic still affect the choice of tourists, and therefore the largest number of Russian tourists choose Egypt.


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Popular neobank and crypto trading app Revolut has raised $800 million in a round led by Tiger Global Management and SoftBank’s Vision Fund. According to a Sky News report today, the raise puts Revolut’s valuation at a whopping $33 billion—the highest valuation for a fintech company in the UK.
The company provides many of the same traditional banking services you might find in your local brick-and-mortar institution, but on a smartphone app. In addition to these services, Revolut has also made cryptocurrencies a major focus over the past few years.
First launched in 2018, users can buy and sell top cryptos like and directly in the app. In May 2021, the company announced that it would let its UK users withdraw their Bitcoin to another third-party wallet, like Ledger or Trezor. Earlier this month, it rolled out trading for Dogecoin, one of the market’s most popular meme coins.
The company also reportedly holds crypto on its balance sheet, as Revolut’s financial details included the fair value gains of cryptocurrency assets last month.
Revolut’s moves to cater to a crypto-interested audience appear to be a doubling-down on 2020’s breakout year for the sector. The steady rise in crypto prices since the March crash earned Revolut $45 million, according to CNBC.
Revolut leads London’s fintech scene
Still, the $800 million injection from investment behemoths SoftBank and Tiger Global appears exorbitant even by today’s frothy standards. Sky News reported an expected valuation as high as $15 billion, while Bloomberg anticipated a valuation of $20 billion.
The new valuation now makes Revolut the most valuable fintech company in the UK. Wise, formerly Transferwise, earned a direct listing on the London Stock Exchange at a $12 billion valuation. Monzo, a direct competitor with Revolut, boasts a much lower valuation of $1.7 billion.
Neither Wise nor Monzo deal in crypto, either.
These days, however, crypto has hit something of a rut since its breakout to new highs. Bitcoin has traded sideways for several weeks after halving in value from its all-time high of $64,000 in May.


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VIDEO: Gridlife ATL 2019 Recap #LifeOnAir
Back again at Road Atlanta was another weekend full of racing, drifting, music, and amazing energy. Already looking forward to Gridlife 2020. But until then, enjoy our recap from this year’s event!
Check out the full feature on our YouTube channel:
Get The Latest from Air Lift Performance
Want first access to big sale events, performance suspension news, and exclusive drops that sell out quickly?


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Federal lawmakers are asking Amazon to provide details on Ring's partnerships with local police dating back to 2013. The U.S. House subcommittee on economic and consumer policy sent Amazon a letter with a series of questions about its dealings with law enforcement Wednesday.
Ring unveiled new security steps for customers when logging into their doorbell camera accounts, making two-factor authentication mandatory as the Santa Monica-based company battles criticism about privacy and unauthorized access to its technology.
The Amazon-owned company said in a blog post on Tuesday that the change is now rolling out to customers, and adds authentication to help "prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to your Ring account, even if they have your username and password." Users receive a one-time, six-digit code via SMS or email, and must enter that in before they can access the Ring account.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was back in attendance at the Academy Awards on Sunday night and even though there was no official host, comedians Steve Martin and Chris Rock took notice in a monologue that opened the show.
"Jeff Bezos is here!" Rock said. "Great actor," Martin replied as the camera caught Bezos.
"He's got cash. When he writes a check the bank bounces," Rock said before three more jokes came the way of the billionaire Bezos.


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Apple is all ready to open its largest and newest store in the heart of the Marunouchi business district in Japan on September 7.
Marunouchi is the third store of Apple to open in Japan since last April as part of a multi-year retail expansion and investment in the nation.
At Apple Marunouchi, customers will be facilitated with hands-on service with all of its available products, offered with technical advice, and unlock their creativity with Creative Pros, said the iPhone maker in a statement.
Cupertino-based tech giant Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail and People, Deirdre O’Brien has said that “the opening of Apple Marunouchi marks a significant moment in Apple’s long relationship with Japan.”
“Marunouchi has amazing energy and our teams can’t wait to welcome customers to our largest store in Japan for the first time on Saturday,” he added.
Around half of 130 team members at Apple Marunouchi are about to join from Apple stores across the nation. Collectively, the 130 members team can speak in 15 different languages and are ready to welcome visitors from across the globe starting from this Saturday.


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Jim Kim, Joe Lonsdale, and Brian Koo in San Francisco
Formation 8, a new group of young VCs, is pursuing a fresh take on the location-is-everything mantra. Its investment focus is in Silicon Valley, but it is pouring resources into Asia from the outset. The twist is that Formation 8's Asian outposts aren't meant to beat the bushes for investments but to help U.S.-based entrepreneurs advance their businesses there.
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Scotch whisky industry to start legal fight against minimum alcohol pricing19 July 2012
Scotch whisky producers are set to start a legal challenge against proposals to set minimum alcohol pricing in the UK.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) claims the legislation, which was approved by Scottish Parliament in May, is illegal as it imposes a barrier to free trade within Europe.
The SWA, which represents 56 drinks producers including Diageo and Glenmorangie, is expected to protest to the European Commission.
The legislation will introduce a pricing threshold of 50p per unit in Scotland next year.
The minimum pricing could be extended across the UK after the health select committee today gave its backing for the UK Government’s recommendation to introduce it in England and Wales.
Food ingredients Istanbul
Fi Asia China
Fi South America


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By Aarti Virani
If the scent of roasted cumin wafts over Manhattan this week, it’s thanks to the Second Annual Varli Food Festival.
On April 5, the city’s Metropolitan Pavilion will host over 60 Indian restaurants and 20 celebrity chefs for a gourmet carnival complete with cooking demonstrations, tastings, a silent auction and the pièce de résistance, a spice market, all in the name of delivering Indian food to the people.
“Last year’s response was overwhelming, which is why we’ve decided to go three times bigger this time,” said Varli Singh, founder and publisher of VARLI Magazine, the event’s chief organizer. With an expected attendance of nearly 1,500, this year’s festival features a constellation of high-profile gourmands including Suvir Saran, Vikas Khanna and Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
While New York City’s three Michelin-starred Indian restaurants confirm the cuisine is a formidable player in the Big Apple’s fine-dining scene, Ms. Singh and her supporters are committed to showcasing Indian food’s broad range, a concept that is sometimes overshadowed by the predominance of North Indian flavors.
“There’s much more to it than chicken tikka masala,” said Ms. Singh. “The recognition of Indian food’s diversity is long overdue in this country.” It’s a sentiment that many festival participants like Maneet Chauhan, executive chef at Vermillion, can relate to.
“When I came to the States back in 1998, I would ask people to go out for Indian food and they’d be like, ‘$8.95, all-you-can-eat?’” Ms. Chauhan recalled.
At Vermillion, Ms. Chauhan melds Indian and Latin flavors, resulting in an eclectic fare that is heavy on the heat. “I’ve had the classical training,” she said. “If you ask me to make a mean béchamel sauce tomorrow, I will. But I choose not to because what’s added to my repertoire is my heritage and I want the entire world to love it.”
Though Ms. Chauhan enjoys the many cameos that South Asian ingredients now make at posh eateries in New York City—“you see small things like a Madras curry emulsion or cardamom flavored gelée,” she explained—she’d like to see Indian food attain ubiquity across the U.S. and eventually claim grocery store counters in middle America.
“Given time, it would be amazing to see Indian food seep into the mainstream culture here,” she said, adding that Varli can contribute to that.
For other participating chefs, like Jehangir Mehta of Graffiti and Mehtaphor, Varli Food Festival’s attendees will serve as prime indicators of Indian cuisine’s reach and clout. “Who are we attracting?” he asked. “If I see that the crowd is almost 90% Indian, I would say that we are still steps away from making it a success. I’ve always felt that the day you start putting an imprint on the population of the country you’re in is the day the country will realize who you are.”
At the festival, Mr. Mehta will be one of the chefs without a formal Indian cooking background. “What’s different about my style is that the base is French and American with a few Indian accents,” he shared. At his two New York City-based restaurants, Mr. Mehta’s avant-garde plates—think chickpea-crusted squid and green mango paneer—represent an approach where Indian flavors are used as starting points rather than ingredients that stifle or constrain.
Ultimately, regardless of their different approaches, Ms. Singh remains hopeful of her festival chefs, declaring them brave new ambassadors of an often misunderstood cuisine. “Not only do they introduce Indian food,” she said. “They help it evolve.”
You can follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.


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U.S. beef markets are starting to recover from several weeks of upheaval after packing plants around the country were hit hard with COVID-19. Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist for Oklahoma State University, said the worst of the disruptions may be over.
“Beef markets were thrown into turmoil in March as foodservice markets were sharply curtailed and beef demand focused on retail grocery. This caused bottlenecks in supply chains and an initial wave of disruptions in product flows,” Peel said.
He said cattle slaughter and beef production decreased on a year-over-year basis for four consecutive weeks. The lowest point occurred the last week of April with slaughter down 34.8% from the prior year. Peel said beef production that same week was down 33.8% compared to the same week one year ago.
“Significant recovery has occurred from that low with estimated cattle slaughter the week ending May 30 down 10.9% year-over-year. With cattle carcass weights increasing sharply due to delays in marketing fed cattle, estimated beef production last week was down just 7.6 % from a year ago,” Peel said.
With reduced production the “choice” boxed beef prices began to rise in late March through late May. After averaging under $210 per hundredweight early in the year, choice boxed beef prices increased in late March. Prices peaked at $459.04 per hundredweight in mid-May. Choice boxed beef prices have dropped to a weekly level of $374.04 per hundredweight at the end of May.
Peel said individual beef products have been on a wide variety of dynamic paths through all the turmoil in both demand and supply since March. Prices for beef products dependent on foodservice demand, including many middle meat cuts, dropped in March before general shortages of products pushed prices higher in April and May.
He said choice wholesale beef tenderloin dropped from an average price just under $970 per hundredweight early in 2020, to a weekly low of $533.33 in early April before increasing to a mid-May peak of $1,238.88 per hundredweight. Choice tenderloin prices have decreased to $1,219.68 per hundredweight by the end of May.
Peel said chuck and round cuts of beef saw increased demand beginning in March continuing through April and pushed even higher by decreased beef supplies to mid-May.
“The last few weeks have revealed much about the nature of specialized beef supply chains and much about the variable demands for the wide variety of beef products. It has also revealed how market prices adjust to wild swings in beef product demand and supply conditions. Additional dynamics are expected as food service continues a slow recovery and macroeconomic conditions continue to affect beef demand, but hopefully, beef product markets are settling back into a much more stable situation and with typical product price relationships reestablished,” Peel said.


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That the very tools of data mining developed to track consumer habits could also be used to sustain totalitarian thought control was conceded in a recent book, The New Digital Age, by top Google execs Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen.
“Despite the expense, everything a regime would need to build an incredibly intimidating digital police state — including software that facilitates data mining and real-time monitoring of citizens — is commercially available right now,” the two wrote
in a Wall Street Journal
article last month. ” … Companies that sell data-mining software, surveillance cameras and other products will flaunt their work with one government to attract new business. It’s the digital analog to arms sales. …”
via Robert Scheer: When Good Sites Sell Out, Who Loses?.


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Pokémon GO and New Pokémon Snap are combining an event coming later this month which will feature the debut of Shiny Smeargle. The paint brush tailed creature has been in the game for a while, often featured during various events, but this will mark the first time you can catch him in the shiny color variant. Along with this will come other bonuses and activities themed around the upcoming Switch game. While no official date was revealed during the announcement, it’s safe to assume it will kick off on April 30th alongside the release of New Pokémon Snap on Switch.
Update: the announcement has been updated to include the date and time of this event. It will start on April 29th at 10am and continue until May 2nd at 8pm, all local time.
Here’s all you have to look forward to during the New Pokémon Snap event in Pokémon GO.
- Pokémon inspired by the deserts, jungles, and underwater landscapes of the Lental region will be appearing more often in the wild!
- and more
- Smeargle will be appearing in snapshots more often than usual!
- Shiny Smeargle spawns are possible
- Will only be available during the event or as announced in the future
- Pokémon inspired by the Lental regionwill be appearing more often in raids!
- Look forward to event-exclusive Field Research and Timed Research that’s focused on taking snapshots!
- A camera avatar item and a camera-themed Gift sticker will be available in the shop during the event! The new Gift sticker will also be available from PokéStops.
The announcement comes two weeks before the launch of the latest Pokémon adventure for Nintendo Switch. While a date wasn’t given for this event’s start it’s easy to assume it will coincide with the release on April 30th, so be prepared for that and watch for more news as the date draws closer. And it should last a few days, with the April events announcement saying “April will end with a snappy event that will continue into May, so keep a lookout for more details later in April!”
Shiny Smeargle will obviously be the big prize of the event, especially since the spawns are limited and he will not be available after the event concludes. Hopefully the shiny odds will be good for this New Pokémon Snap event in Pokémon GO.
- This article was updated on:April 14th, 2021


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“Last year, what started as a small swell on Twitter erupted into a nationwide battle to win an R8 for a day. The #WantAnR8 Twitter campaign allowed Audi fans to engage in a fun, exciting way, and we’re thrilled to bring it back for a second year,” said Scott Keogh, Chief Marketing Officer, Audi of America.
The #WantAnR8 Twitter contest runs until October 29, 2012. The contest is split up into four entry periods, and two winners will be selected in each round. There will be eight winners in total. Winners will have the option to have the R8 delivered to their home or to drive the R8 on the track at the Audi Sportscar Experience in Sonoma, CA.


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Innovative large-format Quebec-based fashion retailer La Maison Simons plans to eventually operate as many as 20 Canadian store locations, according to CEO Peter Simons. The company is aggressively expanding by opening stores Canada-wide which is impressive, considering it currently has only one location outside of Quebec.
Simons’ first location outside of Quebec opened in October of 2012 at West Edmonton Mall. The 126,000 square foot store has seen tremendous success and according to Mr. Simons, is the chain’s second-highest performer. After perfecting its store design with the August 2013 opening of its 115,000 square foot location at Montreal’s Galeries d’Anjou (its eighth store in Quebec), Simons embarked on its ambitious cross-Canada expansion.
Simons has formerly announced five new stores, all of which will be open by March of 2017. In August of 2015, an 80,000 square foot store will open at Les Promenades Gatineau in suburban Ottawa and in October of 2015, a 100,000 square foot location will open at West Vancouver’s Park Royal. In March 2016, a 113,000 square foot Simons will open at Mississauga’s Square One and in August of 2016, a second Ottawa location, measuring just over 100,000 square feet, will open at Rideau Centre. Last month Simons formally announced its first Calgary store, located downtown, measuring 92,000 square feet at the base of the city’s first skyscraper.
Canada is seeing substantial growth and increased competition among upscale retailers. Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue are expanding throughout Canada, carrying some of the same upscale designers as Simons. Simons differs from these other retailers, however, in how it pairs pricey designer products with its substantial moderately-priced private-label in-house fashion. Simons stores also lack cosmetics departments and large footwear areas typical of similar-sized department stores, instead focusing on ready-to-wear, accessories, and some home furnishings.
Mr. Simons tells us that he’s keen to open even more Canadian stores, and that discussions continue for a number of potential locations. He says that he’s very much interested in opening a large store in downtown Toronto, though it may not be at Toronto Eaton Centre, as many have speculated. A second Calgary location could also be in the works, according to Mr. Simons, though he declined to provide details. Mr. Simons says that the retailer was contemplating opening a Winnipeg store, though at the moment it’s concentrating on other Canadian cities. Sources also confirm that Simons has been in talks with Oxford Properties to open a 120,000 square foot location at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre though again, Mr. Simons declined to comment.
Given the assertion that Simons could operate up to 20 Canadian locations, and given the reality that it operates multiple stores in some markets, we speculate that it will operate at least two locations in the Greater Vancouver Area. Simons will no doubt resonate with West Coast shoppers — Simons is fashion forward, and a considerable amount of Vancouver’s apparel is purchased by trend-setting Asian locals and tourists. A suburban Calgary location is also a possibility and would be strategic, given the aversion of many Calgarians to shop downtown.
Mr. Simons told us in passing that, possibly some day, the retailer could expand internationally. For a retailer with such lofty Canadian expansion plans, we wouldn’t be surprised. It will be interesting to watch Simons’ expansion as it moves into Canadian cities where it has limited brand awareness, and we’ll keep you updated on any new store announcements.


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The City Lodge Hotel Group (CLHG) has entered into a sale agreement for the City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Katherine Street property in Sandton, Johannesburg.
“The sale agreement includes a restriction on the use of the property for short-term accommodation purposes,” said Andrew Widegger, the group's CEO. He did not elaborate on who the buyer was or what the new owner planned to do with the hotel once the sale was concluded.
The sales agreement was signed on August 14.
The completion of the transaction is dependent on the fulfilment of the conditions precedent, including the conclusion of due diligence. Widegger said the consideration for the sale was expected to be R80 million (€3.9m).
Meanwhile, the CLHG, has begun rolling out its rebranding strategy. It will now be recognised as City Lodge Hotels. It has developed a new look and feel to complement the upgrade and has begun refurbishing some properties, including City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront.
“The group and hotel positioning and brand messaging are being refreshed, tapping into the slogan: ‘Life is hard. Check into easy’. The aim is to stand out from the crowd and strengthen top-of-mind awareness, positioning ourselves for a new generation of business and leisure travellers,” said Widegger.
The group’s annual financial statement revealed that revenues had grown by 55% year-on-year from R1.1 billion (€54m) in 2022 to R1.7 billion (€83m), with profits at R164 million (€8m) – up 100% for the same period. It expects this growth to continue alongside “several significant developments aimed at boosting the bottom line by enhancing the guest experience”, according to Widegger.
“Due to our robust financial position, our refurbishment programmes have recommenced to ensure our products are always in tip-top condition.”


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“A lot of people ask if it will look like a sex shop, and I would have to say no, as it’s really hard to translate sex toys into a bar setting.” As the founder of Feelmore, the feminist, queer-owned adult boutique with locations in Oakland and Berkeley, Nenna Joiner is used to answering all kinds of strange questions. But, with the upcoming opening of her latest project, a bar named Feelmore Social Club, she’s facing a new challenge — opening a Bay Area bar that will truly feel sexy.
Slated to open at the 1542 Broadway space previously occupied by the clothing and accessory store Viscera, Feelmore Social Club — which has already attracted the attention of the SF Chronicle — is a statement, whichever way you look at it, Joiner’s way to command the space. “Twitter and Square are right across the street from one another, so Jack Dorsey gets to walk across the street to manage his business,” she told Nosh. “We’ve been told, as women, to wait while men run the world — this is my opportunity to say that I can run the world, I don’t have to wait. But I have to be strategic.”
Opening a small bar that’s a continuation of her existing business, and located within walking distance, is that strategic move. Joiner, who once operated Feelmore from an ice cream truck, promotes sex education and has been featured in the now-defunct blog Repeller, is an avid traveller who’s been to Japan, casually, “for the Penis Festival.” (That would be the annual Kanamara Matsuri). In Tokyo, her favorite spot, and a source of inspiration, is The Vibe Bar Wild One, a tiny place that combines a sex shop with a bar. “I looked at it and thought, It’s really dope,” Joiner said. She hopes to send her Feelmore customer base to the bar, and the other way around, creating lively cross-pollination.
The premise of Feelmore Social Club is a “strip club without the strip”: no carpeting, no nudity, just an electrifying atmosphere fueled by good drinks, small bites and retro decor, such as a vintage sign spelling “The Lusty Lady,” which Joiner purchased years ago at the closing sale of San Francisco’s famous worker-owned peep show, which shuttered in 2013. “Just something really sexy, a collision space where you can meet someone unique, someone of value, someone who can potentially change your life,” she said.
As the Viscera space already has significant infrastructure, including a bar and a skylight, construction will remain minimal, and the soft opening is slated for January 2022. “We have the majority of the bare bones,” says Joiner. The food will follow the concept of nhau, a Vietnamese word that translates as “together” but also evokes a certain type of communal, shared meal, not unlike the Japanese Izakaya concept. “It may be based on my partner’s mother’s table,” Joiner says. “I’ve never had food like that in my life.” The drinks will be on the lighter side, including palomas and other light cocktails, as Joiner plans to open the space during the day.
As a Black, queer business owner, Joiner is hyper-aware of representation, and ultimately wants to “create a space where I myself will feel comfortable.” Gentle references, like a cocktail named after James Baldwin, will make sure that people of color will feel seen at the bar. “We’ll be making sure there’s space-making for queer and Black people,” Joiner assures, “with things that represent and can communicate with our drink culture and values.”
While there’s no shortage of bars in Oakland, Joiner hopes hers will stand out, and not only thanks to its lusty vibes. “It will add a little bit of character and diversity — and add a queer-owned space,” she says. “We tend to go into other spaces to bring the queer dollar, but it’s not just about a “queer night” once a week, it’s 365 to be queer for a lot of people, so we want to provide a safe space without being performative about money.”
Feelmore Social Club is expected to open in January 2022. It will be at 1542 Broadway (near 17th Street), Oakland.


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As Norman pharmacies prepare to adhere to a mandatory government tracking system, local store owners fear that the system could pass higher costs on to the customer and generate profits for a company outside of the state.
The state requires pharmacies and processors in Oklahoma to use METRC, a Florida-based inventory tracking program, for a seed-to-sale regulatory process. While the original compliance deadline was April 30, a lawsuit in Okmulgee County interrupted the rollout.
Tulsa-based pharmacy and processor Dr. Z Leaf has filed a class action lawsuit legal action against the Oklahoma State Department of Health and OMMA in April for allegations that the authorities are illegally mandating that Oklahoma companies use the METRC system.
Dr. Z Leaf demands that the courts forbid the OSDH and OMMA from enforcing the contract with METRC and asking companies to use the system. The pharmacy and processor is also demanding that government agencies go through a “proper rulemaking process” before ever entering into a new seed-to-sale contract.
While the new deadline for required use of the Seed-to-Sale program could become clearer after a June 29 hearing for the lawsuit in the Okmulgee County Courthouse, Norman Pharmacy owners and management are already working on integrating it into their operations.
Jerry Flowers, owner of UWD in Edmond and Norman, said he began preparations for the April 30th appointment earlier this month.
“We’re prepared for METRC so we’re just waiting to see if it starts June 30,” said Flowers.
Flowers sees METRC as a tool that will help keep illegal activity to a minimum and said he was not aware of any other program that is as comprehensive.
He said he also understands corporate concerns that METRC has benefits in all states it has contracts with, meaning that money spent on compliance in Oklahoma goes outside of the state.
“We have five different licenses that cost $ 40 a month [through METRC]and that money could stay in Oklahoma and I would feel a lot better because it’s going to make millions of dollars a year – why not keep that in Oklahoma? ”Flowers said.
METRC charges 45 cents per plant label for growers, while processors pay 25 cents per packaging label. For vertically integrated pharmacies and large growers, the day fees add up to considerable sums, according to Flowers.
Flowers and Aubrey Mayberry, managers at Bud Brothers Coughy Shop, both believe that the cost of compliance through METRC will be passed on to the customer.
Mayberry said state lawmakers have good intentions to reduce black-market products, but the unintended result is higher costs for medical patients.
Ray Roden and Nick Samfel, co-managers of The Herbal House on Gray Street, also worked with their staff in April to get used to entering necessary business and transactional details into the METRC system.
“Sometimes we had to stay in the store until midnight, then we might have left at 5 or 6 p.m.,” says Samfel. “We put products and strains in METRC, but now we need to build our inventory in METRC [the program] and that’s just a real hassle. “
Buzz Banfield, manager of Native Harvest – a pharmacy with locations across the state, including Norman’s Main Street – said the cost of compliance is worth making sure others in the market adhere to the OMMA.
“As long as you’re doing your own inventory checks and doing what you’re supposed to, it’s really no big deal at the pharmacy level,” said Banfield. “Now we have a cultivation and processing facility that is a little more complicated, but we’re ready.”
Jeff Elkins covers business, life, and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him below [email protected] or @ JeffElkins12 on Twitter.


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BRYAN, Tex. (KBTX) - Looking into straight into sun is nearly impossible to do for longer than a few seconds at a time, but just those few seconds are all it takes damage to your eyes permanently.
While many of us will be trying to enjoy the eclipse Monday afternoon, a local ophthalmologist says in this case, it's certainly better to be safe than sorry.
"So because it's so thin and the power of the sun is so great, it will only take a few seconds to cause permanent swelling and residual burning of the retina. So it's not worth the risk to look at the sun directly today," explained Dr. Bill Riggs with Texas Regional Eye Center.
Dr. Riggs also wants people to understand that no matter now dark or how much UV protection your regular sunglasses have, you need to use the ISO certified eclipse glasses if you plan on looking up. The idea that stacking multiple pairs of sunglasses on your face will be just as good is false.
You can tell when glasses are certified when they have the ISO logo and says meets the requirement for ISO 12312-2:2015. There is a picture of the logo attached to this story.
If you do not already have eclipse glasses, getting creative with a D-I-Y cereal box projector is a safe way to view the eclipse.


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JFC Day is a day for all supporters of JFC and for potential new ones to celebrate the success of the industry’s support for children in need and raise visibility and funds for the charity. JFC Day is the brain child of Steven Vardi, a JFC board member who helped develop the concept along with JFC’s Marketing Committee.
During the inaugural JFC Day in 2018, retailers across the country ran promotions in their stores to celebrate the industry’s success of helping thousands of children through the JFC charity partners. For 2020, Wells Fargo in support of the American Gem Society, has already stepped up as the first sponsor. The JFC charity partners rally their local supporters to visit jewelers and thank them for their support. “The pandemic has presented a host of issues not only for the jewelry industry, but for all of our charity partners as well. Said Debra Puzio, JFC Board Chair. JFC Day presents a unique opportunity for all of us to come together and recognize that issues like childhood illness and abuse and neglect are still occurring and children remain a priority.”
Anyone can participate in JFC Day. Suppliers, retailers and consumers can help us recognize the accomplishment of raising nearly $ 57 million to support kids. Suppliers can reach out to all of their retail customers, asking them to participate in the initiative. Retailers will be asked to reach out to their customer base to educate them about JFC
and invite them to participate in whatever activity the retailer has planned for September 26.
JFC has available materials to make it easier for anyone to participate. A planning guide, including ideas on how to participate, as well as social media materials, sample emails, press releases and videos are available on the JFC website at www.jewelersforchildren.org.


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It's our turn for the big news today, after Nintendo's US press conference, and Assassin's Creed for the DS
is leading the pack. Jade Raymond's action-oriented historical quest has been rumored for the handheld for months, but a huge list of upcoming Nintendo releases confirmed the title's existence. In what form, we cannot yet speculate, but suffice to say that we're hoping for the best rendition Ubisoft can squeeze out of a pair of screens, and not some minigame-fueled spin-off.
Lesson: apparently, we should really, really listen to GameStop-fueled rumors
, because they are so often true.


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FLORIDA-BASED parcel delivery network for Latin America SkyPostal has sounded an alarm for disappointments at Christmas
- Warning on Xmas shipments, airfreight capacity crunch push e-commerce to sea
- Liftings at Port of LA reach record 961,833 TEU in August
THE Port of Los Angeles had its best month ever in August, processing a record-setting 961,833 TEU in August
- Air cargo braces for Covid-19 vaccine capacity constraints: survey
AN Air Cargo News survey has shown that the air cargo industry is expecting to face capacity shortages when a Covid-19 vaccine is developed and needs...
- Oman Aviation Group, DHL sign deal to upgrade cargo services
THE Oman Aviation Group (OAG) has signed a partnership deal in the field of air cargo with German express delivery giant DHL at Muscat International...
- Sydney's container congestion sparks anger all round Down Under
SYDNEY's pile up of empties, sorely needed in China ports if liners would only take them there, are causing massive congestion in Botany Bay,...
- Cathay flew 98.8pc fewer passengers and 36.7pc less cargo in August
HONG Kong's Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon carried a total of 102,122 tonnes of cargo and mail in August, a decrease of 36
- Mumbai rival Mundra surpassing JNPT container throughput
INDIA's Adani Ports at Mundra, 475 nautical miles north of Mumbai, increased its July volume six per cent to three million tonnes year on year...
- China mulls enacting blank sailing ban to chill soaring freight rates
BEIJING is considering forbidding ocean carriers to cancel sailings from China as transpacific rates soared to an eight-year high, reported...
- LNG is the only way to decarbonisation, say LNG promoters
LNG (liquid natural gas) is touted as the only viable way to the decarbonisation of world shipping, says SEA-LNG chairman Peter Keller, announcing...
- China witnesses uptick in air cargo as economic activity resumes
AIR freight rates from China to Europe, the US and Japan are rising as China takes the lead in resuming production after the impact of the Covid...
- Boeing lets EVA drop 10 Dreamliners for three 777Fs instead
TAIWAN's Evergreen Airways (EVA Air), a Taiwa has reportedly reached an agreement with Boeing to change seven 787-10 on-order Dreamliners to...
- Importers analysing peak season shipments in LA to Long Beach
THE ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled 53
- Caixin PMI shows marks of recovery in China's services sector
CHINA's services activity again expanded at a solid pace in August, though slightly slower than the previous month, a Caixin-sponsored survey...
- India posts worst GDP fall of major economies as Covid spikes
INDIA's economy fell 23
- Trump calls off talks with China, 'don't want to talk to them now'
US President Donald Trump said he called off trade talks with China, raising questions about the future of a deal that is now the most stable point...
- Association of Asia Pacific Airlines reports July cargo demand stablises
THE Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (PA) reported a stable air cargo demand in July, reports London's Air Cargo News
- Shenzhen Customs posts 13.5pc in July trade growth to US$40 billion
SHENZHEN, south China's metropolis, saw foreign trade grow 13
- North American weekly rail traffic down 12pc, intermodal off 11pc
NORTH American rail volume for the week ending August 22 on 12 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railways totalled 320,649 carloads, down 12
- Airfreight rates from China on the rise
AIRFREIGHT rates from China to Europe and North America are on the rise, with rates from Shanghai to those destinations up about 10 per cent over the...
- Domestic trade to help growth of Chinese ports
DOMESTIC container shipping will be China ports' growth engine as the pandemic impacts on international trade, according to the China Ports and...


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- Heritage Natural Market carried organic products before organic was cool. Then it had to fight to survive when the trend took off and big name grocers Whole Foods and Trader Joes moved to town. The store is celebrating 50 years and a remodel, that included downsizing, this weekend.
- The competition winners will have their recipes sold in Fruitive restaurants in November and will each receive a $1,000 Fruitive gift card.
- Queens Way in downtown Hampton is beautiful this time of year. White lights wrap the limbs and trunks of trees that line the street and sidewalk – an image you’re sure to take in when visiting one of the restaurants on this quaint street.
- Lamberts Point doesn’t have a grocery store to call its own. So you’d think that one would be welcomed with open arms. Problem is, the one that’s being proposed is an organic grocery store. Translation: Out of many Lamberts Point residents’ price range, according to community leaders.


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Perth Fashion Festival 2012 has unveiled its official calendar, with 160 designers set to take part in the event as it enters its 14th year.
The Festival will feature 36 fashion events; with four stand-alone designer runway shows, three Western Australian designer capsule shows and a model search among the highlights.
One Fell Swoop will launch the festival at a VIP opening night staged at Perth Town Hall on September 19.
Guests will be served premium Australian wines and canapes while taking in an archive of transseasonal garments.
Department store Myer will host a fashion luncheon during the week, showcasing the latest spring/summer 2013 collections and racing trends from key suppliers.
These include Aurelio Costarella, Arthur Gallan AG, Ellery, Jayson Brunsdon, Morrison and more.
The event will also see the launch of Fashionably Loud on September 21, a free activation blending fashion and music.
Styled by Zara Bryson, Fashionably Loud will see brands such as Ellery, Kitty Grace and Story by Tang parade their works to the tunes of San Sisco.
Designer brand Flannel will dominate proceedings on September 24, with a dinner to present its spring/summer 2013 collection.
The collection 'Neronis' will be styled by former Vogue fashion editor Meg Gray and staged at the historic Hackett Hall.
The VIP closing night will take place at the Government House Ballroom on September 25.
The intimate evening will see Western Australian designers reveal their take on the classic black dress.
Perth Fashion Festival is supported by the State Government through Eventscorp, the Department of Culture and the Arts and the City of Perth.
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jenny bannister on Target takes a blow
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In a modern museum !"
jenny bannister on The new order


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Valley Co-op celebrates season with May Day at the Market
Valley Co-op celebrates season with May Day at the Market
Cori Rohrer can thank chocolate milk for getting her connected with Valley Co-op.
Her son came home from a friend’s house claiming he had drank “the best chocolate milk in my life.” The friend’s parent was a founding member of the co-op and the milk in question could only be purchased through them.
Coincidentally, Rohrer and her husband were toying around with the idea of raising animals on their five-acre farmette.
“I joined the co-op as a member,” she said. “I started ordering. We bought chicken. Now we raise lamb pork and beef for friends and family.”
And today, Rohrer is manger for the same co-op for which she was a loyal customer.
Founded in 2010, Valley Co-op started out with members, before opening a store front from 2014 to 2016, that was opened to the public. In 2017, they moved to City Farmers Market in downtown Hagerstown, and also returned to becoming the members-only co-op it started as.
And to celebrate the bounty that comes to the Valley Co-op, as well as to introduce people to what the business is all about, the store is hosting May Day at Market from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 5, at its downtown Hagestown location.
Rohrer said there will be a collection of activities at the Valley Co-op that day. Ellen Matheny who owns Stonewall Angus Farm in Fairplay will have an agricultural education trailer in the Farmers Market parking lot, where kids can learn how food gets to the table. The Waltz Family Farm in Chewsville will have animals for a mini petting zoo. JT&R Exotic Meats of Middletown, Md., will set up the grill in the parking lot so people can sample meats such as water buffalo and European wild boar sausage. There will also be yoga from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and again at 11:30 and noon, taught by Aaron Clayton, who regularly teaches classes at the co-op.
“Inside the market there’s going to be live music,” Rohrer said. “We are going to have back here, seed planting and painting of love rocks. And sampling of other local foods.”
Rohrer hopes that the event can shine not only what the Valley Co-op is doing, but the Farmers Market as a whole.
“It’s the right place for us to be that is what our area has historically been very agricultural,”” she said of being at Farmers Market. “Bringing that to a central location it can be presented to anybody whether you live in one of the apartments down here, or you live in an outlining area with a plot of vegetables, chances are you’re not raising your own meat. We have an opportunity to bring something back to life, sort of speak. It’s going to take the whole community getting behind this and demanding better for their families.”
How the co-op works
In order to purchase food from the co-op, shoppers must be members. The $35 a year subscription allows access to the online market, as well as a newsletter and the opportunity to sign up for text reminders.
“The online market is updated weekly. Obviously we’re in a very seasonal business, what we have to offer changes week by week,” Rohrer said. “Our suppliers, which are anywhere from 20 to 30 on given cycle — update their own lists of what they have to offer for the upcoming week.”
The cycle opens at 6 p.m. Saturday and stays up until 10 p.m. Tuesday night.
“Members log onto to our site, they fill a virtual shopping cart with whatever they like, as much as they like, as little as they like, there’s no minimums,” she said. “Our suppliers pull their orders off on Wednesday. They bring it here to the market on Thursday morning with your name on it. And I aggregate it.”
Orders can be picked up from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday or 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Although the City Farmers Market is only open on Saturdays, customers can pick up their orders Thursday and Friday in the back alley.
“Most of our members will pick on Thursday because everything is cut Thursday morning. Or if you got coffee it was roasted Wednesday night,” she said. “If you pick it up on Thursday, the fresher it is. We do our best to get everything together, we keep it as fresh as absolutely possible.”
Membership numbers range. Rohrer explained that there are about 180 members who are eligible to take advantage of the ordering.
“We probably get around 30 to 35 orders a week. And active members who order once a month, that’s 60 to 70 people,” she said. “A lot of people order every other week or once a month. We do have probably 15 or so people consistency every single week. It varies. ... We could handle a lot more. That’s kind of been our recent drive and focus and that’s trying to get current active members to get into the habit of ordering.”
She said when the co-op first started, members mostly were from the Boonsboro/Keedysville/Sharpsburg area. When the co-op moved to Hagerstown, the customers changed.
“We’ve had a switch over and seeing a lot more people joining in town, who live in the North End of Hagerstown, and that’s fantastic,” she said. “We just have to let people know we are here and we are still functioning.”
New member Shana Ruff of Hagerstown came in Saturday for the first time to pick up her order. She said she had family and friends who were members and felt the co-op aligned with her own food philosophies.
“It’s a good way to support local farmers and get high-quality vegetables and meats,” she said.
She said fresh, locally grown food just tastes better.
“And it makes you feel good supporting local farmers,” she said.
Local means local
Rohrer said local is the buzz word when you think of food, but local to a consumer might not be the same for chain grocery stories.
“Local for us is within an hour-and-a-half driving distance,” she said. “And I have personally visited the farms that are supplying us. I don’t go there to inspect, but I go there, I go talk to the people, I know their names. They have my personal cellphone number. They contact me with all their questions and problems. It’s truly local.”
There are between 20 and 25 farmers and producers who are consistently listing.
“We’ve got some others that are getting ready to come back and join us because they’re very seasonal, so it will be another month or two before they start listing with us,” she said.
Although Rohrer knows that some people might think the food costs are higher, she said, but there is a is range.
“We’re going be on the higher end of meat or eggs, but if you go to farmers markets I don’t think you go that far off,” she said. “Are we going to compete with Walmart and Aldi? Absolutely not. But you know exactly where these foods are coming from. You can ask questions. I can tell you exactly what’s going on and exactly what that stuff is coming from.”
Meats such as lamb, beef and pork are sold at the co-op, but many wouldn’t think of fresh fish raised locally.
“We have locally raised tilapia. I sell it. It’s right there in my freezer,” she said.
That’s especially important, she said, when you’re talking about salmonella outbreaks or worse. Recent news indicated tilapia from Mexico and China was being fed human waste.
But South Mountain MicroFarm in Boonsboro raises tilapia as well as hydroponic produce. And it’s sold at the co-op. And knowing where the food comes from, she said, helps to keep your family safe.
“The government doesn’t require on the meat package anymore the origin where the meat comes from,” she said. “... buy your 99 cent a pound burger (at the chain grocery). Roll the dice, you don’t know where it’s coming from.”
Melaine Sumpter of Rohrersville has been a member since 2016, as well as the co-op’s board secretary.
“I love the Valley Co-op because I’m passionate about supporting local farmers,” she said while picking up her order. “If we don’t support local farmers, then we don’t have local farms.”
She said she wanted to become a member because of the co-op’s philosophy of keeping it local.
“It feels wrong to purchase something so far away,” she said.
Rohrer said she hopes that those who support the co-op and comes to the May Day event that they learn about their food.
“That they know and understand exactly where their food is coming from. That they’re giving something good and healthy to their family, but at the same time they’re also supporting our local economy, right here local Western Maryland, Hedgesville, W.Va., Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., and you’re supporting people within a two-hour radius of downtown Hagerstown,” she said “When you’re buying eggs, you’re supporting the Britt Family in Clear Spring. When buying bacon, you’re supporting the Waltz family from Chewsville. Your money is actually going to where you can put a face to.”
Oh, and that chocolate milk? The co-op no longer sells the chocolate milk her son raved about. It was from Trickling Springs Creamery, and Rohrer said the farm has outgrown the co-op. They now use South Mountain Creamery.
“My son enjoys the chocolate milk just as much,” she said.
If you go
WHAT: May Day at the Market
WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 5
WHERE: City Farmers Market, 25 W. Church St. downtown Hagerstown
COST: Free admission
CONTACT: 240-329-2395 or valleycoop.org


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LEON, Mexico (CBS/RTV) -- Outgoing Pope Benedict will trade in his red papal shoes for loafers given to him by Mexican shoemakers last year, the Vatican has announced.
As the Pope prepares to retire on Thursday (February 28) he will discard his papal attire in exchange for a "simple white cassock" and loafers from the Ackerman shoe company given to him during his visit to Leon, Mexico in 2012, the Vatican said.
Armando Martin Dueñas, chairman of Ackerman, said the Pope's gesture shows his appreciation for Leon and should make his workers and the people from the city proud.
"The fact the Holy Father is happy with his shoes, wants to continue wearing them for the rest of his life and loves the shoes we made for him, is a show of his love towards us. We should feel very proud of this gesture and commentary from His Holiness," he said.
Leon is known for its shoemaking, and residents in the city have thrived on the leather and footwear industry for decades.
Dueñas said his company thoroughly researched in order to find the softest leather and perfect color for the shoes.
"We set upon the task of investigating, once we had the confirmation (that he would wear them) and we tested more than seven types of leather until we found natural calfskin, a leather that is very soft due to its characteristics and we tested different colors to reach our final choice. The color we used is called 'bishop red,'" he said.
Dueñas said several priests and bishops have requested similar shoes from the shoemaker.
Ackerman has already sent three pairs of shoes to Pope Benedict, including some pairs in black. The company employs 65 people and makes about 83,000 pairs of shoes annually.
Pope Benedict bid an emotional farewell at his last general audience on Wednesday (February 27), in an unusually public outpouring for such a private man. Benedict will move to the papal summer residence south of Rome on Thursday night (February 28) and later to a convent in the Vatican.


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To help IT admins optimize I/O performance, PernixData offers Architect, a real-time analytics app for..
A breakdown of the work conditions that affect employee productivity. Via:: Entrepreneur
Voice interaction platform The device is just 5 inches tall and weighs just over a..
A global report released today by the OECD found that students who use computers ‘very..
Checking email may seem productive but is actually a leading productivity killer at work. Via::..
Above: GrowMobile is adding engagement to its services. Image Credit: GrowMobile Engagement and re-engagement is..
The Leaf health-tracking smart jewelry line from Above: The Bellabeat Leaf tracks your steps. Image..
Google Capital has made a $32.5 million investment in the online health insurer and doctor..


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14 May 2013 16:41 [Source: ICIS news]
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US national average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline rose 6 cents/gal week on week to $3.58/gal, making it the largest weekly increase since February, automobile organisation AAA said in its Fuel Gauge Report on Tuesday.
In 2012, the price peaked at $3.94/gal on 5-6 April. Afterwards, gasoline prices declined 82 out of 87 days for a total of 61 cents from 6 April to 2 July, according to the AAA.
In comparison, the average price this year has increased for the past eight days to reach its highest price in more than a month.
“With this in mind, it is likely that the year-over-year discount will continue to fade in the coming days,” said AAA’s Michael Green.
The 2013 peak price still holds at $3.79/gal from 27 February.
Furthermore, AAA said motorists in every state except West Virginia and Ohio are paying higher prices at the pump.
“While higher crude oil prices have put upward pressure on retail gasoline prices across the country, it has been tight supplies and refinery maintenance – both planned and unplanned – in midcontinent and west coast that has squeezed prices substantially higher for drivers in those regions,” said Green.
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Retail sales continued a stronger than expected recovery in July, up 3.3 per cent despite stricter COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria that dragged sales in that state down.
Preliminary retail data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that sales fell 2 per cent in Victoria in July as stage three restrictions were introduced, but it was the only state to record a monthly fall.
The overall increase in sales across the country was the sixth-biggest monthly rise since records were first kept in 1982. Turnover rose 12.2 per cent in July 2020 compared with July 2019, in seasonally adjusted terms.
The jump was driven by household goods retailing, which was 30 per cent above the levels of July 2019, with sales of furniture, white goods and electrical items remaining high.
This bodes well for a further increase in earnings for retailers such as furniture retailer Nick Scali, which raised its dividends last week following surprisingly strong earnings.
Online retailers of household goods Temple & Webster and Kogan also reported booming sales in the June quarter.
The figures show that turnover continued to increase in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing, and cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services. Retail sales bounced 16.9 per cent in May after having fallen 17.7 per cent in April. They again climbed 2.7 per cent in June.
The continued rise in sales reflects the billions of dollars of government stimulus working their way into the economy.
So far the government has spent $41.8 billion in JobKeeper payments, and has also disbursed $9.2 billion worth of $750 special payments to welfare recipients and another $8.5 billion in supplement payments to people on JobSeeker.
Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra said the July figures were a good sign of the recovery.
“There is a lot to be positive about in the July results,” Mr Zahra said, “Although we are cognisant of the vastly different resuylts in areas such as tourism areas.”
“We believe the results are fuelled by the government’s stimulus in JobKeeper and JobSeeker as well as the superannuation withdrawals.”
“We also think that because people are still limited to what they can do and where they can spend. They can’t go overseas so I think they are putting the money back into the domestic economy,” Mr Zahra said.
The preliminary sales surprised economists. NAB had forecast a modest 0.5 per cent rise for July.
“This forecast reflects the level of retail sales being 7.2 per cent higher than its pre-pandemic February level. It also reflects the renewed Victorian lockdowns, where for most of July Melbourne and Mitchell shire were in stage three lockdown,” NAB said.
Australian Bureau of Statistics director of quarterly economy Wide Surveys Ben James said the rise across the rest of the country outside Victoria was driven by continued strength in household goods retailing, and the recovery in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services, and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing.
This story originally appeared in the Australian Financial Review. Read the original story here.


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KLM has launched a pop up in San Francisco, inviting travellers to discover more about the Dutch airline and experience its innovation.
KLM has launched a promotional pop up at San Francisco’s Union Square, inviting travellers to discover more about the Dutch airline and experience its innovative approach to service and design. The initiative aims to showcase the brand’s amenities and unique offerings.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the carrier’s World Business Class, enjoy a virtual reality simulation of the KLM Boeing 787 Dreamliner as well as stand to win roundtrip tickets to Amsterdam. The pop up will be open from 14-22 October 2016 at 445A Sutter Street.
Fans can earn up to five entries for the ticket giveaways with an RFID bracelet that allows them to check in at five interactive stations throughout the pop up. Each highlights signature features including all-day social servicing, sustainability, vast global network, and best-in-class products.
Followers will also be able to relax in a lounge, drink coffee, and eat Dutch stroopwafels on selected days. Parents are invited to bring their kids to the airline’s Kid’s Corner featuring games and the cartoon plane mascot, Bluey. From 10 October, its citywide Helpvertising campaign debuts.
The push expects to include free water bottle distribution and feature crossing guards and billboards that help people take a great selfie or even find their lost pets. The exercise endeavours to drive awareness around the marque’s great customer service and how much KLM cares about its passengers.
“The Bay Area and West Coast are important and rapidly growing markets for the company, and we look forward to animating how our design and digital innovation offer our passengers best-in-class service and travel experience,” said Eric Caron, Vice President and GM, Air France at KLM USA.
KLM was a winner at the 2016-2017 World Branding Awards under the Airline (National) category.


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Second IHOP to Open in Harlem
April 8, 2011
IHOP, the beloved pancake chain, has announced it's opening an outpost in East Harlem.
IHOP's stack of pancakes will soon be available in a new East Harlem location, officials said. (www.galveston.com)
By Jeff Mays
HARLEM — IHOP has moved one step closer in its bid to open up 24 new stores in Manhattan — picking the spot where the chain will open up an outpost in East Harlem, company officials said.
The new restaurant will be located at Lexington Avenue and 125th Street, IHOP spokesperson Jennifer Pendergrass told DNAinfo.


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Jumeirah Vittaveli is setting up to unveil its newest line of suites; the Royal Residence, on the 30th of March. According to the resort, the Royal Residence is designed for families and groups of friends looking for the ultimate beach front retreat. This stunning residence boasts five bedrooms and extends across several individual villas over 3,500 square metres. […]
Centara held a special function to commemorate the contributions of its top local Destination Management Companies. The DMC Top Seller Awards night saw the presentation of awards to the top 10 travel agencies of the two properties in the Maldives; the Centara Grand Island Resort and Spa Maldives and Centara Ras Fushi Resort and Spa […]
Hotelier Maldives – the only dedicated magazine for hospitality professionals in the country – holds a Revenue Management Concept Workshop. The two-day workshop is organized by Hotelier Maldives and IDeaS, in association with Champa Central Hotel. The workshop, held at Champa Central Hotel from February 15 to 16, is facilitated by Tracy Dong – Lead Advisor […]
Reveries Diving Village celebrated their 5th anniversary by hosting a traditional Maldivian banquet, as well as a music show to the local population of Laamu Gan. A large crowd from Laamu Gan joined in on the festivities along with senior executives from Bison Maldives Pvt Ltd, the proud owners of Reveries attended the ceremony. During […]
The bi-monthly print and online magazine launched in January 2014 celebrated two years in print with a dinner hosted for partners and friends. The event was attended by resort GMs, representatives from prominent hotel suppliers, airlines and international hotel management companies.
Jumeirah Vittaveli releases new photos of their beautiful island.
Over the festive period, Santa Claus made a number of appearances throughout the Maldivian resorts – arriving by banana boat, jet ski and even from the sky!
The Chefs Guild of Maldives celebrated International Chefs Day 2015 today under the theme ‘Healthy Kids, Healthy Future’ with children at Ahmadhiyya School.
The three-day job fair, which was organised to celebrate World Tourism Day, offered locals a chance to meet with representatives from 60 resorts.
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives inaugurated a new Basilur Tea Shop & Bar on September 29th, which is supplied exclusively by Felicitas Trading.
The 11th Hotel Asia Exhibition saw hundreds of exhibitors representing brands from across the globe at the three-day event at Dharubaaruge.
The four-day Hotel Asia International Culinary Challenge saw 480 chefs compete in 18 categories – here are some of the highlights.


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Ullman’s 5-cent beverage bottle and can deposit program legislation is the model for upcoming Senate bill
HARRISBURG, June 11 – State Rep. Wendy Ullman, D-Bucks, said she was proud to announce that state Sen. Sharif Street, D-03, would be introducing a companion bill in the state Senate that is modeled on Ullman’s legislation, H.B. 1322, which would create a 5-cent beverage bottle and can deposit program in Pennsylvania.
Ullman’s bill is part of the House Democrats’ “Zero Waste PA” legislative package, which is aimed at reducing single-use plastics and addressing pervasive issues of litter and the various environmental harms caused by a “throwaway” society.
“We all know litter is unsightly and pollutes our streets, countryside and waterways, but it is also COSTLY,” Ullman said. “PennDOT spends upwards of $10 million a year cleaning up litter. Reducing the amount of beverage containers in the litter stream will bring a significant cost savings to taxpayers.
“The fact that beverage containers alone make up about 6% of our waste stream and half of all litter shows that we need to do more to promote recycling in Pennsylvania. My legislation will support and reward recycling, which will ultimately reduce waste throughout Pennsylvania and keep our outdoor areas beautiful and free from litter.”
Ullman’s 5 cent beverage bottle and can deposit program in Pennsylvania would include a redemption rate of 5 cents on returnable containers and a handling fee of 2 cents per container for retailers and redemption centers to help cover their costs associated with the handling and storage of returnable containers. Additionally, any unclaimed or abandoned deposits forfeited by consumers would be recaptured by the commonwealth and deposited into the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund.
Beverage container deposits dramatically increase recycling rates for aluminum, glass, and plastic bottles and cans. According to the Container Recycling Institute, in the 10 states that have beverage container deposit -- “bottle bill” laws -- recycling rates for aluminum and glass are as high as 80% and 70%, respectively. In states that do not have these laws, the recycling rates fall to 46% for aluminum and 12% for glass.
“I think it is wonderful that Senator Street will be pushing for similar legislation to help clean up PA,” Ullman said.
Ullman’s H.B. 1322 has been referred to the House Finance Committee.


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ACV Off To Iceland
Air Canada Vacations’ (ACV) new Europe and Cruise brochure will be released this week with Iceland being the final addition to the operator’s portfolio.
Complementing Air Canada Rouge’s new service to Reykjavik in June, ACV’s program will focus on Fly & Drive Vacations which will include flights, car rentals, accommodations, meals and suggested itineraries, allowing travellers to explore the destination at their own pace.
Featured itineraries include Around Iceland and Classic Iceland centering on the country’s natural wonders and formations including glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes and hot springs.
Air Canada Rouge’s summer seasonal service to Reykjavik, Iceland is scheduled to operate four times weekly from Toronto and three times weekly from Montreal.
Accompanying the launch of its new Europe collection, ACV is offering clients savings of $300 per couple; a reduced deposit; free seat selection; and 4,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles – 10,000 extra miles on Ireland packages. This promotion is applicable on all pre-bundled air-inclusive packages. This is valid until March 31 for travel from April 1 to Oct. 31.


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Federal Reserve Easing to Spur Gain in China's Yuan, OppenheimerFunds Says
The U.S. Federal Reserve may be more effective than Congress in persuading China to let its currency strengthen versus the dollar, according to OppenheimerFunds Inc.
The Fed will buy an additional $600 billion of Treasuries to boost growth in the world’s largest economy, policy makers said yesterday. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure on Sept. 29 that would let American companies seek duties on imports from China to compensate for the effect of a weak yuan, a move that the Asian nation said will do nothing to cut the U.S. trade deficit.
“The quantitative easing that the U.S. is doing is putting far more pressure on China to adjust their currency than the loud-mouthed Congress are,” Art Steinmetz, who helps oversee $52 billion as the chief investment officer at OppenheimerFunds, said in an interview in New York. “Clearly, the negative effects of linking the two currencies are going to start to outweigh the positives from the Chinese standpoint.”
The dollar fell to a nine-month low versus the euro after the Fed said it will pump more money into the economy by boosting asset purchases to spur inflation and employment, debasing the world’s reserve currency. China has limited the yuan’s advance to about 2 percent since relaxing a two-year dollar peg in June, fueling criticism that Beijing keeps its currency artificially weak to gain export advantage.
With the Fed easing monetary policy, China may find difficulty in raising interest rates to tame inflation without attracting foreign capital and adding pressure for the yuan to appreciate. Consumer prices in China jumped 3.6 percent in the 12 months through September, the biggest annual increase since October 2008.
“The dollar is the boat anchor and it’s pulling this rubber raft below the surface of water,” said Steinmetz, referring to the U.S. currency’s impact on the yuan. “That rope is getting ever more stretched. At some point, it’s going to get cut or it’s going to get snapped.”
It’s “in China’s interests” to keep the yuan appreciating, he said.
Steinmetz manages Oppenheimer’s $13.9 billion International Bond Fund, which has returned 12.6 percent this year, beating 81 percent of competitors, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Twelve-month non-deliverable forwards for the yuan climbed 1.2 percent in the past month to 6.43 per dollar, reflecting bets the currency will strengthen 3.9 percent from 6.6761 yesterday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The yuan may rise at least 5 percent in a year as authorities widen currency swings to dampen speculation, Sara Zervos, who oversees the Oppenheimer Emerging Markets Debt Funds, said in the interview.
“They are trying to say it’s not a one-way bet,” said Zervos. The appreciation will “gradually occur,” she said.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Papadopoulos at email@example.com


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To use our advanced search functionality (to search for terms in specific content), please use syntax such as the following examples:
Between 2014 and 2017, the German Environment Ministry and the Robert Koch Institute examined blood and urine samples of 2,500 children. The study found plastic by-products in 97 percent of those samples (Deutsche Welle, September 14, 2019). One of the study’s authors reported, “Our study clearly shows that plastic ingredients, which are rising in production, are also showing up more and more in the body.”
According to researchers, “Plastic from cleaning products, waterproof clothing, food packaging and cooking utensils frequently comes into direct contact with the body.” However, the plastics from non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing were most concerning to scientists, as these products are most dangerous to the reproductive systems and the liver. “Plastic byproducts are also blamed for disrupting hormone function, which could lead to obesity, reproductive disorders, cancer and development delays in children.” The youngest children and those from the poorest families had the highest levels of plastic in their bodies.
Plastic is ubiquitous in our throw-away society. Today, plastic pollutes pristine wilderness areas, it is found in surface ice core samples in remote areas, and now it is showing up inside the bodies of our children. While plastic is inexpensive to produce and saves manufacturers and consumers money, human beings are reaping the consequences of plastic pollution. The Apostle Paul noted that “the whole creation groans” and “eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God,” when it will be delivered into “glorious liberty” (Romans 8:19–22). However bad things are now—and however bad they may become—this passage of Scripture shows there is a better, safer time coming. To learn more about the real hope for the future, read or listen to “A Time of Restoring.”


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The Obama Administration's re-election mobilization continues: Witness Eric Holder's attempt to play the race card and perhaps twist the law in a campaign against voter identification laws.
In the Attorney General's telling, the movement in the states to require voters to show some ID is a revival of minority disenfranchisement a la Jim Crow. A growing number of minorities, he said in a speech last week, are now worried about "the same disparities, divisions and problems" that beset the country in 1965 and "many Americans, for the first time in their lives . . . now have reason to believe that we are failing to live up" to the promise of democracy for all.
Up to $10 off your entire order + free delivery with DoorDash discount code
Walmart Samsung Sale - Up to $1,430 off the new Galaxy S23 Series
Expedia Coupon - 15% off for members
Journeys Coupon: $20 off $100 + free shipping with email sign up
20% Off Activities + Extra 25% Off Beauty & Wellness w/ Groupon Promo Code
60% off running shoes and apparel at Nike without a promo code


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You have searched for "retail sector"
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BATU KAWAN (Bernama): Some 45,960 retail sector workers have been vaccinated against Covid-19 under the Retail Industry Vaccination Programme (RiVAC) carried out in four states since July 26.
THIS memorandum represents the collective view of the industry and has been jointly written and supported by the following business associations
THIS memorandum represents the collective view of the industry and has been jointly written and supported by the following business associations.
PUTRAJAYA: Priority for Covid-19 immunisation must be given to trade, distribution and retail industry players due to their importance as the country’s economic engine, says Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
The uncertain economy has left many bosses and employees navigating the job market cautiously. But a report has shown healthy growth for certain industries like IT and merchandising which have seen a spike in job vacancies.
PETALING JAYA: Fresh graduates are shying away from the retail industry as they feel it does not give them enough opportunities to go for higher posts, the Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA) said.
Employees share how some employers have blatantly ignored the law and denied them their basic rights.
PETALING JAYA: Revenge spending may be on the cards for many retailers as crowds head back to shopping malls with the reopening of most economic sectors.


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Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India
Mukesh Agarwal & Rajesh Agarwal
Madhuram Fincap Pvt Ltd
Increasing prices and lack of demand main issues facing industry
Fashion shows are also encouraging and highlighting sustainable fashion
'Worsted wool is the ideal fabric for menswear'
The mission of Swiss company Datacolor is to empower its customers to make ...
Switzerland-based Sedo Engineering develops technologies for the denim...
Comec Italia Srl is a world leader in the production of printing machines. ...
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, serves hundreds of ...
University of Texas -Dallas

A team of scientists and researchers have discovered twistrons,...
Birmingham City University (BCU)

A technological breakthrough could see people getting messages about...


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We are all waiting for Cyberpunk 2077 for a few years now. It has actually been that long that there are people making fun of the fact that they’ve seen the first trailer during their adolescence years and now they’ve finished school. How long will it be though before we get to dive into its world though? Why is it taking so long?
As we already knew, CD Projekt RED has been struggling with internal problems as The Witcher 3 has been in development alongside Cyberpunk 2077. Both were incredibly ambitious projects, leading to Cyberpunk being a sideway plan for a long time.
During E3 2018, where a new trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 was released alongside a behind-closed-doors demo of it, Marcin Iwiński, co-founder, and co-CEO of CD Projekt Red had the chance to speak with Kotaku and reveal the reason behind the game’s delay.
When asked if the rumors about Cyberpunk 2077 being rebooted somewhere during the past years, Iwiński revealed that it’s not actually that the case but instead they’ve taken their time to change a lot of things that made sense at the beginning but felt wrong later on:
If we don’t like something, we have no problem saying, ‘OK, we have to redo this part.’ It can mean we are throwing away six months of work, and there were bits and pieces happening like that.
He didn’t leave out the fact that people weren’t too happy about that course of action but it was necessary to make sure that what they showed at E3 2018 was standing up to the expectations.
As it seems, CD Projekt RED did take their time when it comes to preproduction and development of Cyberpunk 2077. This raises the stakes even more, since each year that passes with the game not releasing, fans know that something good is “getting cooked”.
At the end of the day, now that the advertising phase of Cyberpunk 2077 has started, there’s no turning back. We expect more and more news about it to start popping out before one day we finally get its release date. Until then here’s everything you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077.


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Covered Bridge chips boycott call will be escalated, union says
United Food and Commercial Workers official says leaflets will be dropped at stores selling chips
The union representing striking workers at Covered Bridge Potato Chips near Hartland is promising to escalate attempts to get customers to boycott the popular brand of chips during the contract dispute.
The 32 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1288P have been in a legal strike position since June and some members walked off the job on Tuesday.
Carl Flanagan, a national UFCW representative, said in an interview that about 20 people are on the picket line on Wednesday in the chilly –20 C temperatures.
Flanagan said the company's owner is bringing in workers so he can continue to supply his potato chips.
The union official said the striking workers plan to drop leaflets at large stores, such as Superstore, Sobeys and Costco, to encourage more people to leave the chip bags on the shelves.
"When he is using scab labour, he is still producing products so we are asking the product that is being produced by scab labour, please don't buy it."
Ryan Albright, the company's president, refused an interview on Wednesday to discuss the strike.
The company released a statement on Tuesday saying the company would emerge from "a small bump in the road."
He said the business will continue despite the strike.
Wage, seniority issues
The contract dispute is revolving around the issues of pay and seniority rights when it comes to scheduling, layoffs and call-backs. Most of the workers earn minimum wage.
Flanagan said other unions will also help spread the word about the contract fight and the boycott.
The union official said he understands that some people may not support the work stoppage.
"The problem is people aren't educated, it is easy to sit back and say those buggers are trying to ruin that small business in Hartland, New Brunswick," he said.
"We are not. We are just looking for fairness. These people are just looking for fairness, a living wage and job security is not a lot to be asking for in 2016."


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Xiaomi Mi A1, the Chinese company’s first Android One smartphone, was launched in India back in September. It was heavily marketed as the device “created by Xiaomi and powered by Google”, while being made available in Black and Gold colour variants. The company is now introducing a brand new Rose Gold colour variant. At India launch, Xiaomi had promised that the Rose Gold colour will be made available in the country at a later date. The all-new Rose Gold Mi A1 will be going on sale from Tuesday, November 21 at 12:01am IST and will be available via Mi.com and Flipkart. It will be also made available via Mi Home stores, Mi Preferred Partner stores, and retail partner stores. As before, the Xiaomi Mi A1 price in India is Rs. 14,999.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 (Review) is a dual-SIM smartphone that runs stock Android 7.1.2 Nougat with some company-specific enhancements. It features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM.
Coming to the dual rear camera setup, the Xiaomi Mi A1 bears two 12-megapixel sensors, with one featuring a wide-angle lens with a 1.25-micron pixel sensor and f/2.2 aperture, and the other sporting a telephoto lens, an f/2.6 aperture, and capable of delivering 2x optical zoom. The smartphone bears a 5-megapixel front camera with a real-time beautification mode.
The smartphone bears 64GB of inbuilt storage that is expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). It offers 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C port, and 3.5mm headphone jack as connectivity options. The smartphone bears a 3080mAh battery, measures 155.4×75.8×7.3mm, and weighs 168 grams.


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Kolkata, April 15
VAT-related input tax credits and classification of commodities are two areas in which the West Bengal Commercial Taxes department is receiving the maximum number of queries from traders.
Participating in an interactive session on `VAT: issues and solutions,' organised by the Merchants Chamber of Commerce here on Wednesday, Mr C.M. Bachhawat, Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, West Bengal, said the representation from trade bodies for more number of commodity classifications was now being examined by the Government. Any such compilation takes time, he pointed out.
He also hinted at more innovative administrative measures to make VAT more acceptable to the trade. Assuring greater transparency on the part of the department, he clarified that all pre-VAT exemptions/incentives, like deferment remittance, will continue, without, however, disturbing the VAT chain. He said the State VAT administration too was now on a learning curve and the specially created amendments cell within the commercial taxes department was now looking closely at many of the suggestions received from trade representatives.
He urged the trade to bring to the Government's attention cases where input costs have gone up because of VAT. He also appealed to the trading community to submit the stock statements within the allowed period of 90 days. Pointing out that VAT registration has been further simplified, he said as far as books of accounts are concerned, only a VAT account has to be maintained by the traders.
Urging consumers to insist on a cash memo from the registered dealers, under the new regime, Mr Bachhawat said this would increase VAT compliance a great deal. He expected the prices of some important commodities to come down under VAT. On inter-State VAT issues, he gave an assurance that all problems would be ironed out soon.
Among the queries raised by the MCC members are important issues like, why input tax was being denied if goods are manufactured with local materials in other States and sold finally in West Bengal, or whether input tax credit can be availed for VAT above 4 per cent in case goods are sent on stock transfer basis to other States otherwise than by way of a sale.


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- Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak: Special Gigs arriving Sept. 20
- Team Psycho Soldier gets to singing, kicking in King of Fighters XIV
- Doom trailer showcases free Update 2, Unto the Evil DLC dated
- First screenshots released from revamped Pathologic
- Dead Rising 4 gameplay footage released from Comic-Con
Fancy A Date?
Developer- and Publisher-specific Articles: Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
More Tor news today. Tor Books has announced that bestselling author Karen Traviss (Star Wars, Gears of War) will be writing the follow-up to Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. The unnamed novel will be the first part of a multi-book deal …


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It is with profound sadness that Marriott International announces that Arne M. Sorenson, President and CEO, unexpectedly passed away on February 15, 2021. In May 2019, the company announced that Mr. Sorenson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On February 2, 2021, Marriott shared the news that Mr. Sorenson would temporarily reduce his schedule to facilitate more demanding treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Mr. Sorenson became the third CEO in Marriott’s history in 2012, and the first without the Marriott surname. A visionary leader, Mr. Sorenson put the company on a strong growth trajectory that included the $13-billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. During his tenure as CEO, Mr. Sorenson was tireless in driving the company’s progress, creating opportunities for associates, growth for owners and franchisees and results for the company’s shareholders. Known for his leadership on difficult national and global issues, Mr. Sorenson steered Marriott to make significant progress on diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability and human trafficking awareness.
“Arne was an exceptional executive – but more than that – he was an exceptional human being,” said J.W. Marriott, Jr., Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board. “Arne loved every aspect of this business and relished time spent touring our hotels and meeting associates around the world. He had an uncanny ability to anticipate where the hospitality industry was headed and position Marriott for growth. But the roles he relished the most were as husband, father, brother and friend. On behalf of the Board and Marriott’s hundreds of thousands of associates around the world, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Arne’s wife and four children. We share your heartbreak, and we will miss Arne deeply.”
When Mr. Sorenson stepped back from full-time management in early February, the company tapped two veteran Marriott executives, Stephanie Linnartz, Group President, Consumer Operations, Technology and Emerging Businesses, and Tony Capuano, Group President, Global Development, Design and Operations Services, to share responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company’s business units and corporate functions, in addition to maintaining their current responsibilities. Ms. Linnartz and Mr. Capuano will continue in this capacity until the Marriott Board appoints a new CEO, which is expected to be within the next two weeks.
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 7,500 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 132 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy™, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.
Investor Relations Contact:
Jackie Burka McConagha


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As part of his promises to the country in his first 100 days of reign, Hon. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has announced that the 2019 budget will include approximately MVR 104.2 million for tourism-related purposes. This amount is said to be thrice the usual amount, making it the first time that the Maldives has seen such a large budget for the industry.
In addition to expanding the budget, he also stated that a notable sized gathering of guesthouses will also be happening within these 100 days. There will be an increase in the marketing efforts made to expose the Maldivian tourism industry to more influential and renowned markets.
His Excellency also proposes to improve the tourism industry as a whole so that we can provide the most satisfactory service in such a way that we become an eminent tourism market in the international market.


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Leading the way online, expanding globally, and marketing agressively, Patrick Kennedy has turned bookmaker Paddy Power into one of Ireland’s most dynamic and successful companies.
In August Paddy Power announced a pre-tax profit of €68.7mn for the first half of 2012, an increase of 21% on the same period last year. This continued the success from 2011, which was in itself a record breaking year for Paddy Power with total income of €499mn and a pre-tax profit of €121mn. To put that in context pre-tax profit for the financial year 2005 was €31.3mn.
When Kennedy took over as Paddy Power chief executive in January 2006, the share price was hovering around €12 per share whereas at the time of going to print, the stock had climbed to just under €54 per share. This is a testament to the growth that has occurred under his stewardship which has also seen a doubling of staff from 1,500 to 3,000 since 2007.
No bookmaker has taken advantage of the explosion in online gambling in quite the same extent that Paddy Power has. The growth in online revenues and customers continued in the for the first six months of this year with customer acquisition up 50%, active customers up 41% to €1.2mn and net revenue up 41% to €191mn.
Paddy Power has also grabbed the lead in the booming mobile gambling market and has the largest market share in the industry. In the first half of this year net mobile revenue was up a staggering 239% in constant currency to €53mn.
Most impressively the move into online gambling has allowed Kennedy to internationalise the business, partnering or acquiring businesses Canada, the UK, France, Bulgaria and Australia as well as having online operations in over 150 countries.
Under Kennedy’s tenure paddy Power has not being shy about aggressively promoting the brand and has been successful in pulling off some spectacularly successful publicity stunts. At the recent UEFA European Championship Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner was fined €100,000 for displaying the Paddy Power logo on his underpants while celebrating a goal, Paddy Power gained further publicity by stating it would pay the fine. Paddy Power also threatened legal action against London Olympics organisers LOCOG after the organisers complained about a billboard campaign by the bookmaker they said infringed on the Olympic brand. Paddy Power has also had several controversial TV ads banned in the UK including the most complained about ad in the UK in 2010.
In February of this year Patrick Kennedy was interviewed by Business & Finance about the firm’s success and its growth plans, here is some of what he said.
On the new 1% retail tax on bets in bookies and the prospect of it increasing:
“I think there is a realisation that price levels and tax levels do matter and drive consumption. The profitability in the overall Irish retail market in 2011 was roughly €20mn on a turnover of €3bn so that is less than 1% of operating margin. So if the tax is changed from 1% to 2% as some people propose that would wipe out the profitability overnight and it would decimate the industry.”
On taxing betting online:
“One of the big challenges we see is that of the top ten online bookmakers providing services to Irish customers, eight are based overseas so it is really important that whatever is done from a taxation point of view does not penalise the two Irish companies because it will give advantage to eight offshore firms who do not pay tax here.”
Business & Finance, Business Person of the Month
Business & Finance, in association with MERC Partners, has been awarding excellence in business through the ‘Business Person of the Month’ award over the last number of years. These awards seek to recognise noteworthy achievements in business leadership, and particularly those that make a telling contribution to the wider business community in Ireland.


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SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA ticket office announced Friday that mini plans for the upcoming football season will go on sale on Monday, July 16.
The "WAC Pack" is a three-game plan that consists of tickets to all
three Western Athletic Conference home games. It includes the San Jose
State (Oct. 20) and Utah State (Oct. 27) contests and the I-35 Rivalry
game against Texas State on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 24).
Prices are $135 (Club Level), $75 (Lower Level Sideline/Corner) and $30 (Upper Level).
The plan will give Roadrunners fans the opportunity to purchase seats before single-game tickets go on sale in August and the cost is at least a $10 savings off the single-game ticket price for the three contests. Every account order also will receive a $5 Yard House gift card (one per account, not per ticket purchased).
Fans can order mini plans by calling the UTSA Ticket Office at (210) 458-UTSA (8872) or by clicking here.
UTSA is coming off an inaugural football season that saw it win four games and set NCAA startup program records for opening game (56,743) and single-season attendance (35,521).


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I posted about the upcoming DLC for Minecraft Dungeons the other day but a lot has come out since then. Quite a few more interesting bits of information has leaked out by modders, hackers, and others who have gone through the game files and used other methods.
Sea of Thieves at the moment is an acquired taste like Marmite. If you are willing to look pass all its shortcoming there is some fun to be had but it is undoubtedly a skeleton of a game. Therefore I have come up with three very easy ways the game could be improved by the developers in literally a few hours.
A Ukraine report has announced that apparently Bethesda Softworks the publisher of great games such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3 have gained the publishing rights to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. The new S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 game was canceled earlier this year when the developer GSC Game World when out of business.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has stated that the company has examined the possibility of an Xbox Live style online service which requires a monthly fee, but has said that they don’t think it will be the right choice of action.
SNK plans to release an officially licensed portable device that includes twenty Neo Geo games.
According to Famicom Plaza, this system, which has a temporary name of “Neo Geo Portable Device” will have a 4.3 inch screen, two gigs of internal storage, and twenty Neo Geo games built-in. It measures 170 x 72 x 15mm, which is slightly larger than an iPhone.
Read more to see the game list, device screenshots, a classic Neo Geo Pocket Colour commercial and more information.
Update! 31/01/12: There is a site which claims to be the official site for the new Neo Geo. The new handheld is apparently called the Neo Geo X. There isn’t much on the site however you can register your interest in the Neo Geo X. I havent tried it out seeing as it might be a fake site.