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BRIEF-SG Micro sees 2017 net profit up 10 pct to 18 pct | Jan 19(Reuters) - SG Micro Corp
* Sees 2017 net profit to increase by 10 percent to 18 percent, or to be 88.8 million yuan to 95.2 million yuan
* Says 2016 net profit was 80.7 million yuan
* Says that increased product sales as the main reason for the forecast
Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/R5CQPn
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-sg-micro-sees-2017-net-profit-up-1/brief-sg-micro-sees-2017-net-profit-up-10-pct-to-18-pct-idUSL3N1PE1EX |
Speculative U.S. 10-year T-note net shorts fall -CFTC | Jan 19 (Reuters) - Speculators' net bearish bets on U.S. 10-year Treasury note futures fell earlier this week as the benchmark 10-year yield was heading for three straight weeks of increases, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released on Friday. The amount of speculators' bearish, or short, positions in 10-year Treasury futures exceeded bullish, or long, positions by 89,259 contracts on Jan. 16, according to the CFTC's latest Commitments of Traders data. Last week, speculators held 196,853 net short positions in 10-year T-note futures. Below is a table of the speculative positions in Treasury futures on the Chicago Board of Trade and in Eurodollar futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in the latest week: U.S. 2-year T-notes (Contracts of $200,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 413,792 414,419 Short 704,434 682,041 Net -290,642 -267,622 U.S. 5-year T-notes (Contracts of $100,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 562,812 598,720 Short 1,049,072 1,042,485 Net -486,260 -443,765 U.S. 10-year T-notes (Contracts of $100,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 650,652 561,307 Short 739,911 758,160 Net -89,259 -196,853 U.S. T-bonds (Contracts of $100,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 193,344 184,034 Short 126,243 117,297 Net 67,101 66,737 U.S. Ultra T-bonds (Contracts of $100,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 54,978 64,293 Short 178,893 171,080 Net -123,915 -106,787 Eurodollar (Contracts of $1,000,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 787,709 991,778 Short 3,459,896 3,533,032 Net -2,672,187 -2,541,254 Fed funds (Contracts of $1,000,000) 16 Jan 2018 Prior week week Long 163,640 115,417 Short 172,969 187,992 Net -9,329 -72,575 (Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by James Dalgleish)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-bonds-cftc/speculative-u-s-10-year-t-note-net-shorts-fall-cftc-idUSEMNI1F0U9 |
BRIEF-Imex Systems Announces Director Resignation | 26 PM / Updated 14 minutes ago BRIEF-Imex Systems Announces Director Resignation Reuters Staff
Jan 15 (Reuters) - Imex Systems Inc:
* IMEX SYSTEMS INC. ANNOUNCES DIRECTOR RESIGNATION | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-imex-systems-announces-director-re/brief-imex-systems-announces-director-resignation-idUSASB0C0WB |
Merck Announces Second-Quarter 2018 Dividend | KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.48 per share of the company’s common stock for the second quarter of 2018. Payment will be made on April 6, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2018.
About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn .
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site ( www.sec.gov ).
###
View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180123006393/en/
Merck
Media:
Tracy Ogden, 908-740-1747
or
Claire Gillespie, 267-305-0932
or
Investor:
Teri Loxam, 908-740-1986
or
Amy Klug, 908-740-1898
Source: Merck | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/23/business-wire-merck-announces-second-quarter-2018-dividend.html |
Wings Over the Rockies Announces Unique to the Nation Campus at Centennial Airport | DENVER, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than a decade of planning and fundraising, Wings Over the Rockies (Wings), an aerospace focused Colorado non-profit, is proud to announce its unique to the nation entertainment and education campus, Exploration of Flight.
Designed to incorporate future-focused aviation and space centers, Exploration of Flight is a 15-acre campus located on the south side of Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado. The sister facility to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver's Lowry neighborhood, Exploration of Flight will be housed at one of the busiest general aviation airports in the nation, offering visitors incredible experiences that focus on aerospace.
Slated for completion in summer 2018, phase one of Wings' Exploration of Flight campus, the Boeing Blue Sky Aviation Gallery, will offer a visitor experience unlike any facility before it. Entering a world of active flight, the gallery will be filled with interactive exhibits and activities designed to excite and thrill while educating visitors about aviation. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with world-class exhibits, experience a thrilling simulator, tour Centennial Airport, witness live takeoffs, landings and even indulge in flight itself.
"This facility will be unique to the nation," explained Wings Over the Rockies President & CEO, John Barry. "Our Air & Space Museum in Lowry will concentrate on the past while the Exploration of Flight Campus at Centennial Airport will focus on the present and future. One organization, two locations."
For more information about the Boeing Blue Sky Gallery opening or the Exploration of Flight Center, visit ExplorationOfFlight.org .
About Wings Over the Rockies:
Wings Over the Rockies is a Colorado-based non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring all people about aviation and space endeavors of the past, present and future. By utilizing the Air & Space Museum in Denver's historic Lowry neighborhood to preserve the past and the Exploration of Flight Center at Centennial Airport to focus on the present and future, Wings strives to encourage the future aerospace leaders of tomorrow. For more information about Wings Over the Rockies please visit WingsMuseum.org , ExplorationOfFlight.org or like us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter & Instagram , connect with us on LinkedIn , join us on G+ and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wings-over-the-rockies-announces-unique-to-the-nation-campus-at-centennial-airport-300580362.html
SOURCE Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/pr-newswire-wings-over-the-rockies-announces-unique-to-the-nation-campus-at-centennial-airport.html |
BRIEF-Sberbank 2017 Net Profit Under RAS Up At RUB 674.12 BILLION | Jan 15 (Reuters) - SBERBANK:
* DECEMBER 2017 NET PROFIT UNDER RAS OF RUB 49.9 BILLION * 2017 NET PROFIT TO RAS OF RUB 674.12 BILLION (EXCLUDING THE EFFECT OF SUBSEQUENT EVENTS) VERSUS RUB 498.29 BILLION YEAR AGO (INCLUDING SUBSEQUENT EVENTS)
* 2017 NET INTEREST INCOME TO RAS OF RUB 1.21 TRLN VERSUS RUB 1.13 TRLN YEAR AGO
* 2017 TOTAL PROVISION CHARGE UNDER RAS OF RUB 287.44 BILLION VERSUS RUB 253.79 BILLION YEAR AGO Source text: bit.ly/2r7aQuU
Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-sberbank-2017-net-profit-under-ras/brief-sberbank-2017-net-profit-under-ras-up-at-rub-674-12-billion-idUSFWN1P902H |
Leader of Britain's UKIP splits with girlfriend after 'appalling' Markle comments | January 15, 2018 / 9:08 AM / Updated 4 hours ago Leader of Britain's UKIP splits with girlfriend after 'appalling' Markle comments Michael Holden 3 The leader of Britain’s anti-European Union UKIP Party said he had split with his new girlfriend after a newspaper published derogatory comments she made about Prince Harry’s fiancee Meghan Markle and black people. FILE PHOTO - Meghan Markle visits radio station Reprezent FM, with her fiancee Britain's Prince Harry, in Brixton, London January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski/Pool
Henry Bolton, 54, who became the ailing UK Independence Party’s fourth leader in a year when he was elected last September, said he had ended his relationship with model Jo Marney after the “appalling” text messages she sent to a friend were published.
Marney, 25, who began dating Bolton just after Christmas, had described U.S. actress Markle, whose father is white and mother is African-American, as a “dumb little commoner” and said “her seed with (sic) taint our royal family”, according to the texts printed in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
Marney also described black people as ugly.
“The romantic element of the relationship is over,” Bolton told BBC radio, saying they had split up on Sunday night.
“However appalling and insulting those comments she made in those direct personal messages were ... I honestly don’t believe those are her core beliefs.”
Harry said Markle had been subjected to “outright sexism and racism” on social media when he revealed they were first dating in 2016 and that there had also been racial undertones in newspaper comment pieces. The couple announced in November that they were engaged and will marry in May.
Led by the charismatic Nigel Farage, UKIP won nearly four million votes in 2015, 12.6 percent of those cast, on its anti-EU platform, projecting it to the forefront of British politics even though it only managed to win one seat in parliament.
Its success helped force former Conservative prime minister David Cameron, who once dismissed the party as being full of “fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists”, to agree to hold the 2016 referendum on whether to leave the EU and played a role in encouraging Britons to vote for Brexit.
But UKIP has been riven by internal strife since the referendum as it struggles for direction and a clear purpose and it won just 1.8 percent of the total votes cast in a national election last June.
Marney was suspended from UKIP after the texts became public on Sunday and senior party figures called for Bolton, a former army infantry officer who also served in the police, to step down himself.
“People have been able to use Jo in order to attack me,” he said. “I have no intention of resigning and indeed the people who have been calling for my resignation are people who for some time have been trying to work to undermine the leadership of the party in any case.”
He said there had not been a “cold parting of the ways” but his job had to take priority.
“She is utterly devastated. I‘m not defending the comments she made, she’s not defending the comments she made,” he said. “Jo is incredibly upset as am I, I‘m going to stand by her and the family in terms of trying to put her life back together.” Editing by William Maclean | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-politics-ukip/leader-of-britains-ukip-splits-with-girlfriend-after-appalling-markle-comments-idUKKBN1F40XC |
Real Madrid stumble against Numancia but reach Cup quarters | January 10, 2018 / 10:48 PM / Updated 13 minutes ago Real Madrid stumble against Numancia but reach Cup quarters Rik Sharma 2 Min Read
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Troubled Spanish champions Real Madrid stumbled to a 2-2 draw with third tier Numancia on Wednesday but qualified for the King’s Cup quarter-finals 5-2 on aggregate.
With a comfortable first-leg advantage, Zinedine Zidane rested much of his first team, making 10 changes from the line-up that struggled to a disappointing draw at Celta Vigo on Sunday to fall 16 points behind league leaders Barcelona.
Madrid opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Vazquez heading home Dani Carvajal’s deep cross when left unmarked at the back post.
Numancia hit back in the 45th minute, however, with substitute Guillermo, just on for the injured Higinio Marin, applying the finishing touch to a stunning breakaway goal.
Dani Nieto charged into space and fed Marc Mateu on the left, who delivered the perfect low cross for Guillermo to finish and delight the small band of travelling fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Vazquez, who won two penalties for Madrid in the first leg, slammed home his second from close range in the 59th minute, but Guillermo pegged back Madrid again with a brilliant header to cap a superb display and a fine result for his team.
Numancia’s Dani Calvo was sent off in the dying minutes for a cynical foul to stop Isco that earned him a second yellow card.
Earlier, Leganes reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history after losing 2-1 at Villarreal but progressing on away goals after their 1-0 first-leg win at Butarque.
Leganes winger Nabil El Zhar scored a delicious chip to break the deadlock, with Dani Raba’s well-taken strike and Denis Cheryshev’s late winner completing a Villarreal comeback that was not enough to send the hosts through.
Last season’s King’s Cup runners-up Alaves beat third division Fomentera 2-0 to wrap up a 5-1 aggregate win thanks to second-half goals from Ermedin Demirovic and Alfonso Pedraza.
On Thursday, Levante host Espanyol, Cadiz travel to Sevilla and holders Barcelona welcome Celta Vigo to the Nou Camp. Editing by Ed Osmond | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-spain-cup/real-madrid-stumble-against-numancia-but-reach-cup-quarters-idUKKBN1EZ2X9 |
Malaysian court says both parents must consent on children's religion | January 29, 2018 / 10:58 AM / Updated 14 minutes ago Malaysian court says both parents must consent on children's religion Reuters Staff 4 Min Read
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian court on Monday said the religion of a minor could only be decided with consent from both parents, a landmark ruling ending a near decade-old case that widened religious and racial divisions.
The judgement is seen as a victory for ethnic and religious minorities in the Muslim-majority nation who are pushing for greater recognition of their rights, amid what critics see as growing Islamic conservatism in its government.
Five judges of Malaysia’s Federal Court said it was unconstitutional for just one parent to convert a minor to their religion.
“Both parents have equal rights,” the Star Online news site quoted one of the judges, Zainun Ali, as saying.
“The word ‘parent’ - is a case of being lost in translation,” she added, referring to a Malaysian constitutional provision.
The decision upholds a lower court ruling in favour of Indira Gandhi - who challenged the conversion of her three children by her Muslim-convert former husband in 2009.
The conversion of her three children was null and void, the judges added.
Until now, the unilateral conversion of minors by Muslim converts had left women with little recourse, as their complaints would be referred to a sharia religious court, where non-Muslims have no standing to make claims.
“It’s a great victory for many, because finally these unilateral conversions will stop,” said Kulasegaran Murugeson, Indira’s lead lawyer.
Muslims make up about 60 percent of a population of about 30 million, although Buddhists, Christians and Hindus account for a significant minority.
The ruling leaves police with the responsibility to locate and return Indira’s youngest daughter, taken away by her ex-husband, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, in 2009, when she was 11 months old, Kulasegaran said.
Muhammad Riduan has yet to return the child and is believed to have gone into hiding, despite a 2010 high court order that awarded Indira custody of all three children.
However, police have not acted on that order until now, because of a conflict in the jurisdiction of civil and sharia courts.
“The police must go aggressively (to retrieve the child),”
Kulasegaran said. “Locating Muhammad Riduan is not impossible, and any extra day that goes by will only add to the pain of Indira and her family.”
The police will now obey the court order to track down Muhammad Riduan and the girl, media quoted the inspector-general of police, Mohamad Fuzi Harun, as saying.
The verdict was a “huge victory for all Malaysians” and for women like Indira who have faced “grave violations” of their rights, said Malaysian rights group the Women’s Aid Organisation.
The opposition and civil society groups have criticised Prime Minister Najib Razak’s administration for taking a more conservative tack, such as backing a bill to widen sharia courts’ jurisdiction over Muslims in northern Kelantan state.
The government also faced criticism for dropping, as being unconstitutional, a family law change that would have brought cases of unilateral conversion within the purview of civil law. Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Clarence Fernandez | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-malaysia-court-conversion/malaysian-court-says-both-parents-must-consent-on-childrens-religion-idUKKBN1FI14J |
German parties at odds ahead of coalition talks | January 2, 2018 / 3:07 AM / Updated 8 hours ago German parties at odds ahead of coalition talks Andrea Shalal 5 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and Social Democrats (SPD) traded barbs about migration and tax cuts on Tuesday amid mounting questions about whether they can agree to renew the “grand coalition” that ruled Germany for the past four years.
Merkel, under pressure after failing to form a government three months after national elections, hopes to secure a fourth term in office by persuading the center-left SPD to join the government despite punishing losses in September’s election.
Party leaders will meet for preliminary talks on Jan. 3 ahead of exploratory talks scheduled for Jan. 7 through Jan. 12, but a growing number of politicians now say Merkel might have to rule with a minority government, or face new elections.
SPD deputy leader Thorsten Schaefer-Guembel said recent comments by some conservatives were “counterproductive for every form of government formation” and said they had sparked doubts about the will of conservatives to govern together.
He said a deal on a new coalition was far from certain and it was unclear if the talks could develop sufficient trust.
“A minority government remains an option, even if Chancellor Angela Merkel doesn’t want to acknowledge that,” he said in an interview published Tuesday in the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper.
Schaefer-Guembel cited differences with conservatives on a range of issues and rejected as “absurd” proposals by some conservatives to cut taxes for high-income earners.
Conservatives and the SPD are also at odds over healthcare, immigration, Europe, work regulations and pensions.
Schaefer-Guembel said he backed calls by SPD parliamentary leader Andrea Nahles to raise taxes for the wealthiest and urge fresh efforts to prevent big companies from evading taxes.
Merkel’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU, has distanced itself from the SPD through policy papers calling for corporate tax cuts, reductions in benefits for asylum seekers, higher military spending and limits on immigration.
The powerful economic council of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) said it will urge CSU party leaders to push for a minority government when they meet this week, arguing that Germany would face “enormous financial burdens for generations” if the SPD pushed through its spending plans in a coalition.
“A grand coalition will be more expensive in the long term than a minority government,” Wolfgang Steiger, secretary general of the council told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.
The SPD initially wanted to stay in opposition, but agreed to explore the possibility of governing with the conservatives in the interest of political stability after Merkel’s coalition talks with two smaller parties collapsed in November.
Experts say new elections could hand more gains to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party that entered parliament for the first time in September. Merkel says a new coalition would be more stable than minority government.
Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, a CSU negotiator, told the Funke media group his party would insist on limiting immigration levels. It wanted to extend a temporary ban on family reunifications for migrants who were granted “subsidiary protection”, an asylum status for those not officially classed as refugees.
He said his party viewed it as a democratic responsibility to negotiate a new coalition if policy gaps could be overcome.
“I hope the Social Democrats feel the same sense of responsibility,” he said. “We have an urgent need for action on the legislative front.... We urgently need clear majorities in parliament, we need reliable coalitions.”
A top member of the pro-business Free Democrats, which dropped out of coalition talks with conservatives and Greens in November, said such a coalition remained a future possibility.
Alexander Lambsdorff, deputy leader of the FDP’s parliamentary group, also told the Heilbronner Stimme newspaper that he did not exclude the possibility of new elections or a minority government. “That would not be nice, but it also would not result in a constitutional crisis,” he said. Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Peter Graff | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics/german-parties-at-odds-ahead-of-coalition-talks-idUSKBN1ER04K |
BRIEF-Vanfund Urban Investment And Development's Share Trade To Resume On Jan 18 | Jan 17 (Reuters) - Vanfund Urban Investment And Development Co Ltd:
* SAYS SHARE TRADE TO RESUME ON JAN 18 Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2DboT45 Further company coverage: (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-vanfund-urban-investment-and-devel/brief-vanfund-urban-investment-and-developments-share-trade-to-resume-on-jan-18-idUSH9N1PA02D |
Janmark leads Stars in rout of Sabres | Mattias Janmark scored twice and had an assist in the first 26 minutes, as the Dallas Stars ended a four-game road streak by rolling past the hapless Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday afternoon at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Stars earned seven of a possible eight points on the road trip and head home in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
Dallas scored early and often against the Sabres’ porous defense and goaltender Robin Lehner, who allowed four goals in the first 30 minutes of play before being lifted for Chad Johnson.
The Stars’ Remi Elie got the scoring started with a goal at the 5:03 mark of the first period after assists from Janmark and Jason Spezza.
Janmark tallied the next two goals for Dallas, first at the 14:09 mark of the first period off assists by Esa Lindell and Devin Shore and then 6:25 into the second period with John Klingberg and Spezza credited for setting up the score.
The Sabres’ Sam Reinhart cut the Dallas lead to 3-1 with 11:06 to play in the second period on a power-play goal that was garnered by assists from Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. But the Stars needed just 38 seconds to get that goal back as Jamie Benn lit the light after assists from Klingberg and Lindell.
Benn’s goal chased Lehner, and Johnson was greeted with a goal by Lindell less than three minutes later. Alexander Radulov and Benn got the assists on the score. Finally, the Stars pushed their advantage to 6-1 as Radek Faksa tipped in a shot from Stephen Johns after a pass from Antoine Roussel with 2:29 to play in the second period.
Dallas’ Tyler Pitlick scored the game’s final goal at the 7:24 mark of the third period after assists by Klingberg and Faksa.
Kari Lehtonen started in goal for just the second time in Dallas’ past 15 games and stopped 26 shots to earn the victory. Lehtonen opened the road trip for Dallas on Monday with a 3-2 overtime win against the Boston Bruins.
Buffalo has lost seven of its past eight games and is mired in last place in the Eastern Conference with the second-worst record in the league.
--Field Level Media
| https://www.reuters.com/article/icehockey-nhl-buf-dal-recap/janmark-leads-stars-in-rout-of-sabres-idUSMTZEE1KVGGVZ8 |
BRIEF-Egyptian Starch and Glucose Manufacturing FY Standalone Profit Rises | Jan 15 (Reuters) - EGYPTIAN STARCH AND GLUCOSE MANUFACTURING CO:
* FY STANDALONE NET PROFIT AFTER TAX EGP 33.4 MILLION VERSUS EGP 27.6 MILLION YEAR AGO
* FY STANDALONE REVENUE EGP 956.4 MILLION VERSUS EGP 642 MILLION YEAR AGO Source: ( bit.ly/2DwUGxv ) Further company coverage: )
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-egyptian-starch-and-glucose-manufa/brief-egyptian-starch-and-glucose-manufacturing-fy-standalone-profit-rises-idUSFWN1PA01T |
Cranberries Sales and Streams Surge on Apple, Amazon, Spotify | Fortune | By Tom Huddleston Jr. 12:17 PM EST
Fans of the 90s rock band The Cranberries are mourning the loss of singer Dolores O’Riordan by streaming and downloading the band’s music on services like Spotify, Apple , and Amazon .
Digital music streams and downloads of songs by the group, along with O’Riordan’s solo work, surged over the past day in the wake of the singer’s death on Monday. A Spotify spokesperson told Fortune that, since news broke of O’Riordan’s passing, streams of The Cranberries’ catalogue jumped by a whopping 992%. Among the individual tracks seeing the biggest spikes were 1993’s “Linger” and 1994’s “Zombie,” with the hit singles seeing their global Spotify streams increase by 664% and 320% on Monday compared to the same day a week ago, the company said.
Meanwhile, four Cranberries albums currently rank in the top six most-downloaded albums on Apple’s iTunes charts. Stars: The Best Of , a greatest hits album for the band, is second on the iTunes chart behind only the soundtrack for the new 21st Century Fox movie The Greatest Showman .
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On Amazon’s Movers & Shakers rankings for digital music sales, The Cranberries’ most recent album, 2017’s Something Else , ranks second among the most-downloaded albums, seeing a sales surge of more than 940,000% over the past 24 hours. Four of the band’s singles rank in the top five most-downloaded digital songs on Amazon’s list, with “Linger” (up more than 150,000%) ranking second behind “I’ve Been Blind” by The Fratellis. The Cranberries and O’Riordan are also dominating Amazon’s ranking of physical CD and vinyl sales, claiming all of the top ten slots, with O’Riordan’s 2009 solo album, No Baggage, ranking fourth with sales up more than 200,000% in the past 24 hours.
O’Riordan’s publicist announced on Monday morning that the 46-year-old singer had died in London, though the cause of her death has yet to be made public. Throughout Monday, celebrities and fellow musicians shared their condolences and memories of O’Riordan online. SPONSORED FINANCIAL CONTENT | http://fortune.com/2018/01/16/the-cranberries-sales-and-streams-have-surged-since-dolores-oriordans-death/ |
Australia inflation stays subdued in fourth quarter, rate hike still distant | SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian consumer prices remained subdued last quarter as core inflation ended a second whole year below the central bank’s target, leading investors to widen the odds on a hike in interest rates anytime soon.
The local dollar fell a quarter of a U.S. cent as the headline consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.6 percent in the December quarter, missing forecasts for a 0.7 percent rise.
Annual CPI inflation ran at 1.9 percent, again under estimates. Key measures of underlying inflation favored by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) averaged around 1.9 percent for the year, dead on expectations.
Core inflation has now undershot the RBA’s long-term target band of 2 percent to 3 percent for eight straight quarters, the longest period on record.
A major headwind has been wages growth, which slowed to historic lows even as employment boomed, a phenomenon shared with much of the developed world.
“Global competition, increased automation, decreased unionization, reduced collective bargaining and the increased casualisation of the workforce have largely contained pay increases,” said Ryan Felsman, a senior economist at CommSec.
“There is increasing uncertainty about the size and timing of how wage pressures might eventually pass through to prices.”
As a result, the central bank has kept interest rates at an all-time low of 1.5 percent since mid-2016, and appears in no hurry to raise them.
Investors assumed the benign inflation result would only add to the patience of policy makers and pushed out the likely timing of a first hike.
Interest rate futures imply around a 50-50 chance of a move by August. A hike to 1.75 percent is now not fully priced in until December, compared to November before the data.
THE AMAZON EFFECT The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the main price increases in the fourth quarter were petrol, which jumped more than 10 percent, domestic holidays, fruit and tobacco.
Tobacco is a serial offender due to steep annual increases in taxes. Excluding that rise, inflation ran at only 1.5 percent for the year.
The main price falls in the quarter were for traveling abroad, telecoms and computers and televisions.
A fierce price war has broken out in Australian retail in recent years driven by an influx of foreign chains, with no sign of a cease-fire any time soon.
If anything, the struggle is only heating up as online behemoth Amazon launched late last year vowing to beat all the competition - a disinflationary trend that policymakers now refer to as the “Amazon effect”.
Adding to downside pressure will be strength in the local dollar, which climbed from as low as $0.7500 in early December to reach a 2-1/2-year peak of $0.8136 last week.
If sustained, the rise will lower prices for many imported goods that have already been depressed by globalization and the ascent of industrial giants such as China.
Prices for such tradable goods and services edged up 0.5 percent in the December quarter, but were still down 0.3 percent for the year.
Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Sam Holmes
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-economy-inflation/australia-inflation-stays-subdued-in-fourth-quarter-rate-hike-still-distant-idUSKBN1FK0E5 |
A numbing cold wave grips the U.S. | A numbing cold wave grips the U.S. 2:06am IST - 01:08
The torrent of arctic air that poured into many parts of the United States this week tightened its grip on Saturday and brought record cold to some spots. Havovi Cooper
The torrent of arctic air that poured into many parts of the United States this week tightened its grip on Saturday and brought record cold to some spots. Havovi Cooper //reut.rs/2CmuZm6 | https://in.reuters.com/video/2018/01/01/a-numbing-cold-wave-grips-the-us?videoId=377272022 |
Blank Rome Welcomes Consumer Finance Litigation Partner in New York | NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Scott E. Wortman has joined the Firm as a Partner in the Consumer Finance Litigation group in the New York office. At Blank Rome, Mr. Wortman will serve as a litigator and counselor to clients facing scrutiny under consumer financial protection statutes and regulations at both the federal and state level, including individual and class action defense, regulatory proceedings, and administrative investigations. He joins Blank Rome from Warshaw Burstein LLP.
“We are very excited to welcome Scott to Blank Rome,” said Alan J. Hoffman , the Firm’s Chairman and Managing Partner. “Scott’s experience covers a broad spectrum of federal matters related to consumer finance litigation and regulation, bringing valuable perspective to the Firm, particularly in this era of heightened enforcement. Additionally, Scott recognizes the implications of various state regulations placed on consumer financial services companies, and can advise them on everything from licensing rules to requirements set by state attorneys general, as well as codes, structures, and statutes regulating the lending industry.”
Mr. Wortman’s experience includes litigating and resolving numerous matters as related to the Truth in Lending Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, related consumer torts, associated state consumer protection laws, and administrative and regulatory actions.
“Blank Rome’s Consumer Financial Services Industry Team plays an integral role in the regulatory, compliance, litigation, bankruptcy, and government enforcement matters facing our clients,” said Wayne Streibich , Chair of Blank Rome’s Consumer Financial Services Industry Team and Consumer Finance Litigation group. “Scott’s understanding of where current litigation trends and the evolving regulatory structure are taking the consumer financial services market, coupled with his experience in class action, government enforcement, and individual actions, will further enhance and differentiate Blank Rome’s practice in the consumer lending and servicing sector. Scott’s skill set will assist Blank Rome in continuing to provide forward-looking business advantages for our clients.”
In addition to providing litigation counsel to his clients, Mr. Wortman helps financial services firms comply with privacy and data security laws, and assists with due diligence for financial services transactions. For example, on the technology side, law firms are now considered by many federal and state regulators to be vendors. The New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) was the first agency to require that vendors of DFS-licensed financial services companies also comply with the cybersecurity rules set for those organizations. Mr. Wortman helps organizations, like law firms, come into compliance with those rules and regulations.
“It is truly an honor to join Blank Rome’s Consumer Finance Litigation practice group,” said Mr. Wortman. “Blank Rome has a view for the future and an interest in technology, particularly as it relates to emerging industries like cryptocurrency and FinTech, which is a perfect match for my practice. Furthermore, the Firm’s national presence is extremely important to my clients, many of whom are managing consumer finance regulations across the country. I look forward to starting the New Year at Blank Rome and working with all of my new colleagues across the Firm’s practices to strengthen relationships with our clients, and helping them create compliance solutions for changing regulatory frameworks.”
Aligned with Blank Rome’s significant commitment to pro bono and community investment, Mr. Wortman draws on his past experience as the executive director of the Center for Behavior Services, of which he now serves as vice chairman of the board of directors. In this role, Mr. Wortman’s work is dedicated to providing housing relief for individuals who were once incarcerated and are completing work release programs. Through Blank Rome’s pro bono program, Mr. Wortman will continue to make actionable impact in support of marginalized individuals in need of housing.
Mr. Wortman earned his J.D. from the New York Law School, and his B.A. from Queens College, City University of New York.
About Blank Rome LLP
Founded in 1946, Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices and over 600 attorneys throughout the United States and in Shanghai who represent businesses and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entities around the globe. With a strong focus on the key industry sectors of energy, maritime and transportation, real estate, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, chemical, gaming, technology, and manufacturing, Blank Rome advises its clients on a full spectrum of legal matters involving litigation; M&A and securities; finance, business restructuring, and bankruptcy; cybersecurity and data privacy; environment and mass torts; government contracts; insurance coverage; intellectual property; labor and employment; international trade; matrimonial and family law; policy and political law; tax and benefits; and white collar defense and investigations. The Firm also represents pro bono clients in a wide variety of cases and matters. Blank Rome is annually ranked and recognized for its leading middle-market corporate, M&A, real estate, and finance practices, to name a few, and is internationally acclaimed for its global maritime practice and capabilities. For more information, please visit www.blankrome.com .
View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180105005495/en/
Blank Rome LLP
Kate Tavella, 215.988.6988
Tavella@BlankRome.com
Source: Blank Rome LLP | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/05/business-wire-blank-rome-welcomes-consumer-finance-litigation-partner-in-new-york.html |
Tennis-Sabalenka upsets Zhang in Hobart, Watson advances | January 10, 2018 / 7:12 AM / Updated an hour ago Tennis: Sabalenka upsets Zhang in Hobart, Watson advances Reuters Staff 2 Min Read
(Reuters) - Belarus teen Aryna Sabalenka blasted top seed Zhang Shuai out of the Hobart International on Wednesday while former champion Heather Watson had a smooth ride to the quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win over wildcard Jaimee Fourlis.
Big-hitting Sabalenka had felled former world number five Eugenie Bouchard in the first round and the Belarusian’s aggressive strategy paid dividends again as she triumphed 7-6(3) 6-4.
“It was a really good fight between us,” Sabalenka told reporters after firing 37 winners and committing 39 unforced errors.
“This was a match that I really enjoyed. She fights for every point, and it’s always so special when you feel this fight on court.”
Broken early, Sabalenka won four games in a row en route to a 5-2 lead in the first set when Zhang staged a comeback to level it at 5-5 before the Belarusian clinched the set.
Sabalenka was more in control in the second set when she claimed a decisive break at 4-3 before serving out to set up a quarter-final clash with fifth seed Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
“It’s always special when you beat two good players in a row in the same tournament,” Sabalenka said.
“It gives me more confidence. You finish the match and you really just think, ‘When is the next one? I want to go back on court, I want to beat someone.'”
Briton Watson had little difficulty in beating Australian Fourlis, a victory which moves the 2015 champion into a quarter-final against Donna Vekic, and Alison Riske also advanced after Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens pulled out with a right shoulder injury. Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tennis-hobart-women/tennis-sabalenka-upsets-zhang-in-hobart-watson-advances-idUKKBN1EZ0JR |
Heatwave tests Australia's power grid | SYDNEY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Sweltering weather across southern Australia sparked power price spikes on Friday and prompted the national grid operator to put emergency generators on standby.
Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) represent the first major test of the energy grid this year after nearly 2,000 megawatts of extra capacity were added to prevent blackouts that have previously hit household and industrial users.
The extra capacity includes the world’s biggest lithium ion battery built by Tesla Inc, which was switched on last month and provides 120 megawatts.
Scorching conditions stretch the grid as people crank up power-hungry air conditioners, while the heat reduces the capacity of transmission wires to carry electricity.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), which runs the national electricity market, expected a decline in reserves in the states of Victoria and South Australia on Friday afternoon, but no disruption to supply.
It asked generators that feed power into the grid to be on standby to supply extra power in those states.
Forecast wholesale spot power prices for dispatch on Friday afternoon in South Australia and Victoria have spiked to the capped level of A$14,200 ($11,366) per megawatt hour (MWh), AEMO said on its website.
Last summer was the first in eight years to see power failures in Australia’s southeastern states, including outages that forced BHP Billiton to stop production at its Olympic Dam mine for two weeks and Alcoa Corp to shut one of two potlines at its Portland aluminium smelter.
Alcoa, one of the biggest electricity users in Victoria, is one of several industrial customers asked by AEMO to go on standby to reduce electricity demand if necessary on Friday afternoon.
“If managed appropriately Portland smelter can be safely curtailed for short time periods (up to one hour) to provide much needed capacity during peak demand periods,” Alcoa said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for Nyrstar, operator of the world’s biggest lead refinery at Port Pirie in South Australia said it was running as usual.
BHP declined to comment on whether its operations could be impacted.
Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Joseph Radford
| https://www.reuters.com/article/australia-power/heatwave-tests-australias-power-grid-idUSL3N1PE1JG |
Nigeria's Oando says it is working to resolve disputes | January 22, 2018 / 6:27 PM / Updated an hour ago Nigeria's Oando says it is working to resolve disputes Reuters Staff 1 Min Read
ABUJA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not said whether it is calling off a forensic audit of Oando after the oil company settled a dispute with key shareholder Dahiru Mangal, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
Oando said it has been providing information to the regulator since last year and was working on getting all issues resolved this year including lifting a suspension imposed on its share price.
The spokesperson said Mangal’s petition to the SEC had to do with understanding the company’s liabilities and that Oando has paid down over half of its debt since its bought ConocoPhillips’ Nigerian assets in 2014 to 209 billion naira as of the third quarter last year.
Oando said a second petition was still with the regulator. (Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Adrian Croft) | https://www.reuters.com/article/nigeria-oando-regulator/nigerias-oando-says-it-is-working-to-resolve-disputes-idUSL8N1PH67H |
BRIEF-Cresco to acquire 640 shares of solution service and system development service firm | Jan 11 (Reuters) - Cresco Ltd
* Says it plans to acquire 640 shares (representing 91.4 percent of outstanding) of solution service and system development service firm, on Jan. 12
Source text in Japanese: goo.gl/khJzCr
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-cresco-to-acquire-640-shares-of-so/brief-cresco-to-acquire-640-shares-of-solution-service-and-system-development-service-firm-idUSL4N1P62N7 |
BRIEF-Ainsworth Game Technology Says President Of North America business Resigned | Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd:
* MIKE DREITZER, PRESIDENT OF AGT NORTH AMERICA, HAS RESIGNED Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-ainsworth-game-technology-says-pre/brief-ainsworth-game-technology-says-president-of-north-america-business-resigned-idUSFWN1PC1DX |
2 simple steps you can take if you’re miserable at work | 9:19 AM ET Thu, 4 Jan 2018 | 01:14 SHARES
For many people, going to work is simply a way to make a living, unhappily trudging through each day to make ends meet. But happiness expert and bestselling author Annie McKee wants people to escape this harmful cycle.
"If you have adopted that mindset that says, 'Work is grueling, just be happy you have a job, that you're getting a paycheck, it's a good company,' but you're not actually happy, you don't have to accept that," McKee tells CNBC Make It .
"Everyone deserves to be happy at work because if we're not happy at work, we're not happy in life," she adds. show chapters 11:05 AM ET Fri, 15 Dec 2017 | 01:04
As a leadership adviser for Fortune 500 companies and governments around the world, McKee has spent decades researching effectiveness and happiness at work. She details portions of this research in her latest book: " How to Be Happy at Work: The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship ."
"There are three ways to tell if things are not well," McKee says. "There are physical clues that tell us something is wrong, emotional clues based on how we feel on a daily basis over time and clues from the health of our relationships."
If you have seen your unhappiness at work taking a toll on other areas of your life, such as your sleeping patterns, nutrition or family relationships, McKee recommends that you follow these two steps to regain a sense of purpose and happiness. Step one: Reflect
Once you understand you aren't happy at work, the first thing McKee recommends that you do is carve out some time for deep reflection and introspection. Ask yourself, "What is causing me to feel sad or unhappy at work?"
"It's far too easy to habitually tell yourself, 'I'm sad because don't like my manager' or 'I'm sad because didn't get promotion'" McKee says. "And while those things might be true, there's almost always something deeper than that." show chapters 1:00 PM ET Tue, 20 Dec 2016 | 01:25
McKee further recommends that you be honest with yourself and ask if there is something about your own mindset and life that may be contributing to your unhappiness at work.
"Have you gotten trapped by overwork? Has your ambition gotten out of control? Have you chosen jobs and work projects because you think you should or because you actually want to?" McKee says. "Don't get caught in these traps." Step two: Find a friend
Whether it's at work or outside of work, McKee suggests finding a friend to discuss this state of being with.
"Find someone who you can really talk with, who can really tell you the truth about what they see in you, whether it's the strengths or some developmental areas they see in you," McKee says. show chapters 12:22 PM ET Tue, 21 Nov 2017 | 00:59
Your friend can help you decide if you seem to fit in with your current workplace or if the job is not the right fit for you.
"Talking with a friend as if they were your [career] coach could also help you see your attitude about work from a different perspective," McKee says. "And be open to all possibilities. Maybe you need to change your mindset, maybe you need to change what you do on a daily basis"
"We have a lot more freedom than we like to think we do," she adds. | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/10/annie-mckee-2-steps-you-can-take-if-youre-miserable-at-work.html |
Flare-up with Israel tests Hamas effort to keep Gaza on low boil | ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER (Reuters) - The worst fighting on the Gaza Strip front since 2014 is being calibrated by Hamas, which wants to signal defiance of Israel and the United States while being careful not to trigger a new war for the enclave’s penned-in Palestinians.
Since President Donald Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy on Dec. 6 by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Palestinians in Gaza have launched 18 cross-border rockets or mortars - a third of all such attacks in 3-1/2 years of relative quiet.
For Israel’s part, though residents in the south have raised a clamour for harsh retaliation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has counselled caution and targeted mostly unmanned Hamas facilities in night-time airstrikes.
The careful moves reflect the balancing act maintained both by Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, and the Israeli government, old foes who share a reluctance to go to war again.
Gaza’s neighbourhoods still bear the scars of the destruction caused by Israeli attacks during a seven-week conflict in 2014. In Israel, there is little eagerness to endure the daily sirens warning of rocket strikes.
But ordinary Israelis and Palestinians are keenly aware that even a single incident - a rocket causing multiple fatalities in Israel or Israeli forces killing a militant leader - could set off a conflagration that would be beyond their leaders’ control.
Two Hamas gunmen have died in retaliatory Israeli air strikes and 15 protesters from Israeli gunfire.
“The recent weeks of rockets and Israeli bombardment proved an explosion is possible,” said Gaza political analyst Akram Attalla. “How long will Hamas continue to take Israeli strikes to its positions without a response? And how long will Israel’s Netanyahu tolerate internal criticism? There is no guarantee.”
While there have been no Israeli fatalities or serious injuries in the rocket strikes, farmers in communities close to the Gazan border think twice about tilling fields where they might be exposed and children practice duck-and-cover drills should air raid sirens sound.
“Lately we do feel that there is more presence of the army. We have been told to be more careful, to clear the bomb shelter just in case. You never know when the next rocket will come,” said Hila Fenlon, resident of the farm collective Nativ Haasara.
Hamas has responded to Trump’s move by mobilising mass protests at the border and turning a blind eye to other factions firing into Israel in two weeks of daily attacks, which have tailed off recently.
“This saves face for Hamas, as it appears to be the one that stands behind these protests without the need to go to war,” said Attalla.
A more violent response was tamped down in debate among Palestinian factions who agreed that an armed confrontation could erode the international support Palestinians have won diplomatically and shift attention from the political process.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said no-one should underestimate the potential for hostilities to resume under what he called an Israeli occupation, however.
Israel withdrew troops and settlers from the territory in 2005 but remains the conduit for the passage of goods and supplies most of its electricity. Israel and Egypt, citing security concerns, maintain tight restrictions on the passage of Palestinians through their borders with the enclave.
FILE PHOTO: A sign displays distances to various cities and sites in Israel and the Gaza Strip, positioned in an observation point in Nativ Haasara, close to the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, Israel January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo “The situation in Gaza is very difficult and is not tolerable and is doomed to explode,” he told Reuters.
IRANIAN SUPPORT Israel sees an outside catalyst for the violence - Iran, which both Hamas and its sometime ally Islamic Jihad say has pledged unlimited assistance for them as the Syrian civil war, where Tehran deployed reinforcements for Damascus, winds down.
Israel has gone out its way to blame Islamic Jihad and other groups for the rocket and mortar attacks, rather than Hamas, and even gave grudging credit to Hamas for being mindful of Palestinian civilian needs.
“Calls to respond with full force against Hamas are irresponsible,” the top Israeli general, Gadi Eizenkot, said in a speech last week. He noted Gaza’s “danger of humanitarian collapse”, which, he said, had forced Hamas to engage with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and secured a renewed power supply to the enclave.
Slideshow (3 Images) Israel also has problems elsewhere.
Having neutralised much of the rocket threat from Gaza with their Iron Dome interceptor system, and hard at a work on an underground wall that would block guerrilla tunnels from the territory, Israeli defence officials say they worry more about Iran and the combustible northern front with Syria and Lebanon.
They also fear that the $1.1 billion sensor-equipped barrier on the 60-km (37-mile) frontier could tempt Gaza militants to use their tunnels to strike Israel before they lose them.
A range of economic initiatives have been broached, from the construction of an island off Gaza to handle direct imports by sea to the issuing of more permits for Palestinian labourers or agricultural exports to enter Israel.
“There is an effort to help the (Palestinian) population in a way that will not go to the armed wing of Hamas,” said Amos Yadlin, a former Israeli military intelligence chief and head of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, which has prepared a 180-page memorandum on the Gaza crisis.
Israeli concern about worsening Gaza’s internal problems has put it at odds even with the Trump administration, which has threatened to cut U.S. contributions to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that provides essential aid for Palestinian refugees in the enclave, supporting and administering hundreds of schools and dozens of health facilities.
Israel says funds should be cut gradually and UNRWA should ultimately be dismantled and its responsibilities transferred to the United Nations’ global refugee agency.
Cutting aid to UNRWA would spell “huge pressures on Gaza’s residents,” said Saleh Naami, another Palestinian political analyst.
Peter Lerner, a former Israeli military spokesman, agreed.
“While UNRWA is far from perfect, the Israeli defence establishment, and the Israeli government as a whole, have over the years come to the understanding that all alternatives are worse for Israel,” he said.
Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Sonya Hepinstall
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-gaza/flare-up-with-israel-tests-hamas-effort-to-keep-gaza-on-low-boil-idUSKBN1F11M7 |
NIIT Acquires Eagle Productivity Solutions | ATLANTA, Jan. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NIIT Limited ("NIIT"), a global skills and talent development company and leading provider of managed training services, announced today that it has acquired Eagle International Institute, Inc. doing business as Eagle Productivity Solutions ("Eagle") through its wholly owned subsidiary, NIIT (USA) Inc. Headquartered in Rochester USA, Eagle is a top-rated global provider that specializes in training solutions for companies adopting sophisticated cloud-based applications in the Pharmaceutical and Life sciences industry.
The blending of these two companies will further help NIIT expand its capabilities in global application rollouts of enterprise applications requiring high adoption and deepen its domain expertise in the pharmaceutical and life sciences domain. In turn, Eagle's clients will gain access to more evolved service models, expanded capabilities including a richer variety in training content, and a stable and established global structure.
Under the NIIT umbrella, Eagle will continue to exist as an individual practice and maintain its mission to deliver quality, innovation, and above all, results. Eagle also intends to honor all contracts and commitments to all existing customers with no interruption in service.
"This is a major event for Eagle. It allows us to expand," said Bob Cannan, majority shareholder and CEO of Eagle since 1994. "We're being purchased as a practice with expertise intact. It's the ideal fit for Eagle. We see this as a major opportunity to support the explosive growth of cloud software - introduced with expertise, maintained with thoughtful attention. No single company will be more capable of this than this new combination. We can service this market extraordinarily well. We have some of the finest methods and a strong track record."
"The Life Sciences domain and Software Application Adoption expertise have been of keen interest to NIIT. Learning plays a key role as a key enabler of change in both these areas. Eagle's unique mastery learning pedagogy enables their customers to rapidly achieve greater than 90% adoption of new processes and applications. This is a distinguishing reason why Eagle has a loyal and strong list of customers in the Life Sciences space. The coming together of Eagle's expertise and penetration in the Life Sciences space creates great opportunity for NIIT in both the Life Sciences and the Software Application domains. I am deeply excited by what we can achieve together. I look forward to welcoming the Eagle Team and their customers to the NIIT family," said Sapnesh Lalla, CEO, NIIT Limited.
About NIIT
Established in 1981, NIIT Limited, a global leader in Skills and Talent Development, offers multi-disciplinary learning management and training delivery solutions to corporations, institutions, and individuals in over 40 countries. NIIT has three main lines of business across the globe- Corporate Learning Group, Skills and Careers Group, and School Learning Group.
NIIT's Corporate Learning Group (CLG) offers Managed Training Services (MTS) to market-leading companies in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Our comprehensive suite of Managed Training Services includes custom Curriculum Design and Content Development, Learning Administration, Learning Delivery, Strategic Sourcing, Learning Technology, and Advisory Services. With a team of some of the world's finest learning professionals, NIIT is dedicated to helping customers increase the business value of learning and development (L&D). Built on the sound principles of 'Running Training like a Business', NIIT's Managed Training Services and best-in-class training processes enable customers to align business goals with L&D, reduce costs, realize measurable value, benefit from rock-solid operations, and increase business impact.
Visit us at www.niit.com or write to us at businessimpact@niit.com . Follow us on twitter @NIITMTS .
For more information, visit www.niit.com
About Eagle Productivity Solutions
Founded in 1988, Eagle International (dba Eagle Productivity Solutions) specializes in providing training solutions for companies launching sophisticated cloud-based applications across commercial and medical audiences. Eagle creates custom designs for diverse markets - delivering high-adoption results in over 40 countries, 20 languages. Eagle has offices in Rochester, New York and Malaga, Spain.
Eagle is a top-rated global provider specializing in custom training design, development and delivery. Since 1988, we've delivered measurable, high-adoption results to our customers across diverse market segments – government, finance, retail, life sciences – in 40 countries, 20 languages.
View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/niit-acquires-eagle-productivity-solutions-300577140.html
SOURCE NIIT | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/03/pr-newswire-niit-acquires-eagle-productivity-solutions.html |
U.S. 10-year Treasury note supply fetches strong demand | NEW YORK, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday sold $20 billion of 10-year government notes to strong demand at a yield of 2.579 percent, which was the highest since July 2014, Treasury data showed. The ratio of bids to the amount of 10-year notes offered was 2.69, which was the strongest since June 2016. The gauge of overall auction demand was 2.37 at the previous 10-year note auction in December. (Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-treasury-auction/u-s-10-year-treasury-note-supply-fetches-strong-demand-idUSL1N1P51GQ |
A Canadian hockey brat drives the women's game in Korea | January 24, 2018 / 1:43 PM / in 8 hours A Canadian hockey brat drives the women's game in Korea Dan Burns 5 Min Read
NORTH HAVEN, Connecticut (Reuters) - As the daughter of a former NHL coach and a two-time U.S. collegiate champion in her own right, Sarah Murray knows a thing or two about ice hockey and its culture.
She knows you “pinch” the boards with your body to keep a puck in the offensive zone. You jump over the boards for a fast line change.
And you hang on to your stick and helmet during the national anthem.
What is second nature to a Canadian like her, though, has sometimes been a foreign concept to the players she now coaches on the South Korean women’s hockey team.
Murray, hired in 2014 by Stanley Cup winner Jim Paek, now the head of South Korean hockey, recalls her first world championship tournament behind the bench when her players dropped their sticks, helmets, even gloves to the ice as the national anthem started - a major taboo in the hockey world.
“No one had taught them to do it differently. There’s a lot of pieces of hockey culture that they weren’t taught,” Murray said during a recent pre-Olympic U.S. tour.
“The first year was a lot of learning as we go,” Murray said. “Now it’s a lot better. The team is very professional.” ON THE UP
The team is also a lot better at hockey.
Under Murray, South Korea has surged six spots to No. 22 in the world rankings. Last year, they won their division’s world title and earned a promotion.
When she took over, her main goal was growing the sport in a country that has not taken much to ice hockey, especially not by women and girls.
The International Ice Hockey Federation counts just 319 female players in Korea, out of a total fewer than 3000.
”It’s really difficult, the system in Korea,“ Murray said. ”Girls can play youth hockey, but there are no teams once they become teenagers.
”They can practice with the boys teams, but they don’t get to play any games. So that’s not any fun. So then they quit.
“Unless they make our team.”
The result is a squad with the oldest player, at 30, being roughly twice the age of her youngest teammates, who are 16.
“They started with our team when they were 13 because they didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Murray said.
”They were skilled enough that we knew that they had potential. So then we have 13-year-olds and 30-year-olds practicing on the same team. Sarah Murray, head coach of the South Korean women's ice hockey team, leads practice in Hamden, Connecticut, U.S., December 27, 2017. Picture taken December 27, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
“It’s really ... interesting.” FROM HOGWARTS TO SEOUL
Murray grew up in an ice hockey household.
Her father Andy Murray is an IIHF Hall of Famer who coached the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues and has had stints behind the bench with Canada,
She played at Shattuck-St. Mary‘s, a Minnesota prep school broadcaster ESPN once called the “Hogwarts of hockey.” Then she played defense on two national champion teams at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
After college she played professionally in Switzerland before deciding to do something with her teaching degree and heading to a school in China. Slideshow (8 Images)
Even there, hockey was never far away, and she was soon playing in a men’s “beer league” in Beijing.
“I realized I had that fire still,” she said.
She headed to her father’s in Michigan, training to return to the Swiss pro ranks.
While she was there, her father bumped into Paek at a wedding. He had just been named head of South Korean hockey and needed a women’s team coach.
In no time she found herself in an interview at the kitchen table.
She did not hear from Paek before returning to Switzerland for the start of her season, so thought she had missed the job before an email appeared.
“It was my contract.”
The 29-year-old Murray is by far the youngest of the eight head coaches prepping their teams for the Olympics, but her final preparations have been thrown with the International Olympic Committee announcing a unified women’s team with the North would be formed.
Murray told Reuters this week that the team had been placed in a “tough situation”, but she would just adapt.
The decision came after the team had reset their Olympic goals. Their previous aim was to emerge knowing they had done their utmost and with no regrets.
But after some battling performances on a recent U.S. tour, when they won one of their six games, now they have higher ambitions.
”We didn’t talk about who we were going to beat or how many games we’re going to win,“ Murray said. ”We just wanted to advance.
“That’s our goal now. So something challenging, that scares us.” Editing by Greg Stutchbury | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-iceh-murray/a-canadian-hockey-brat-drives-the-womens-game-in-korea-idUSKBN1FD1RT |
News Update – Pre-Markets | The Pre-Markets Rundown: January 10, 2018 2 Hours Ago | https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/01/10/the-pre-markets-rundown-january-10-2018.html |
BRIEF-Allwin Telecommunication passes review of high-tech enterprise recognition | Jan 18(Reuters) - Allwin Telecommunication Co Ltd
* Says it passes the review of high-tech enterprise recognition
* Says it will enjoy a tax preference of 15 percent for three years (2017 to 2019)
Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/t4nYtS
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-allwin-telecommunication-passes-re/brief-allwin-telecommunication-passes-review-of-high-tech-enterprise-recognition-idUSL3N1PD44X |
Skeptics say bitcoin has no value. Here’s why they’re wrong | Bitcoin's price has been on a wild ride since its inception. 2017 alone saw massive gains, starting the year at under $1,000 and, at its peak, breaking $19,000, according to industry site CoinDesk.
On Tuesday, it was trading at $11,943 , a decline of 12 percent, according to CoinDesk.
As bitcoin's popularity surges and its price rises and falls, more and more people are asking the same question: How does bitcoin , something that's essentially invisible and intangible, have value?
Scarcity and utility In economics, something has value if it checks the following two boxes: scarcity and utility. Scarcity just means that something has a finite supply. In the case of bitcoin, the cryptocurrency has a set cap of 21 million bitcoins.
Many analysts note that this set cap makes bitcoin more desirable than other assets, even gold. That's because unlike with gold, there's no need to worry about a digital Gold Rush. A treasure trove of bitcoin won't ever be "discovered," causing the crypto's price to crash with an influx in supply.
"There are potentially millions of times more gold underground than actually has been extracted," said Tom Lee, head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors. Lee was chief equity strategist at J.P. Morgan before co-founding Fundstrat in 2014.
Ben Yu, a blockchain expert living in San Francisco, says technological advances are also making gold easier to mine.
"Today we mine gold at four times the rate that we did just 100 years ago," Yu said.
So if bitcoin has scarcity, what about its utility?
Chesnot | Getty Images Many believe the cryptocurrency's utility lies in its potential to be a more efficient commodity than we already have. Proponents of bitcoin like it for a number of reasons.
First, bitcoin is decentralized, meaning no government, bank or single person has control over it; it can't be toppled by corruption at the top. It's also trivially divisible, meaning you can buy a small item like a doughnut with it as easily as you can buy a house or even a mansion. And finally, the code it's built on is open source, meaning that it's available for anyone to look at, scrutinize and even modify. This means bitcoin is constantly evolving and improving.
None of those uses is intrinsic, however. And that's a point bitcoin skeptics often make. Gold, for example, is thought to have intrinsic value because of its applications in industries like dentistry and electronics. Some people even argue that dollar bills have intrinsic value, since they can be used as kindling or to write on.
But as you break down either of those claims, it becomes clear that gold and paper money don't have that much intrinsic value either.
According to the World Gold Council, in 2016, only 15 percent of gold was used in industries. The majority went toward making jewelry and gold bars and coins — items that have value mainly because they're trusted to be valuable.
With paper money, the Federal Reserve says it costs about 16 cents to create a $100 bill.
So the rest of that hundred bucks — the remaining $99.84 — comes from the trust people place in it.
It can be hard to see the digital currency as having value because you can't hold it in your hand like you can a dollar bill or gold.
As a solution, Lee said to think of bitcoin as a digital business.
"If you ask a baby boomer, 'Can you justify the value of anything that's a digital business?' they probably don't accept that Facebook, Google, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, these are the largest companies in the S&P 500 and they're primarily digital businesses built almost purely on digital trust," said Lee.
"Anyone who thinks digital gold isn't a store value is overlooking the fact that most businesses today are built around digital trust, including the financial system."
Valuing the cryptocurrency It's clear that some people believe bitcoin has value. And if it has value, it's hard not to wonder how much a single bitcoin could end up being worth.
There are two main theories being used to calculate the potential value of one bitcoin.
The first theorizes that bitcoin, which some perceive to be a better asset than gold, could end up replacing either a portion of gold or gold entirely.
bodnarchuk | iStock Editorial | Getty Images Bitcoin on a mound of gold. If it were to replace gold entirely, one bitcoin could be worth $357,000. That's calculated by taking the total value of all the gold ever mined in the world, which is about $7.5 trillion, and dividing that number by 21 million — the total bitcoins that can ever exist.
Lee told CNBC it's more realistic to assume bitcoin will replace 5 percent of gold within five years, making a single coin worth $25,000.
Another theory of Lee's is based on Metcalfe's law, which says that the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of users on the network.
For example, one phone is useless because you can't call anyone else with it. But the value increases exponentially as other people get phones.
Studies have shown that Metcalfe's law holds true for Facebook using 10 years of data. It also holds true for Tencent, China's largest social media company.
Fundstrat looked at users on the bitcoin network and found that the square of this value explained 94 percent of the variation in bitcoin prices since 2014.
Many people think that bitcoin is a bubble, and that's predicted on the concept that bitcoin has no value. But there's reason to believe that that just isn't true.
By definition, bitcoin is scarce. And the cryptocurrency may have utility as a superior way to store and exchange wealth.
WATCH: Bitcoin's creator may be worth $14 billion show chapters Bitcoin’s origin story remains shrouded in mystery. Here's why it matters 6:30 PM ET Fri, 27 Oct 2017 | 06:23 | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/skeptics-say-bitcoin-has-no-value-heres-why-theyre-wrong.html |
European stocks rally on U.S. shutdown deal, DAX hits record | 46 AM / Updated 28 minutes ago European stocks rally on U.S. shutdown deal, DAX hits record Reuters Staff 2 Min Read
LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - European shares rose to new highs on Tuesday after U.S. senators struck a deal to end a three-day government shutdown.
Euro zone stocks reached their highest in a decade. Germany’s DAX jumped more than 0.9 percent at the open and touched a record 13,596 points.
“As the next goal, the bulls have the hurdle of 14,000 points in mind,” said market analyst Milan Cutkovic at trading house AxiTrader. “With the current mood on the stock markets, this is a realistic scenario for the coming weeks.”
After a previous session fueled by M&A news, corporate updates maintained the buoyant mood.
Easyjet led the STOXX 600, itself on a 2-year and half high, with a 6.4 percent jump after reporting first-quarter results.
“A strong performance for new boss Johan Lundgren in his first quarter as easyJet benefited from a combination of Ryanair cancellations and the demise of a trio of peers removing some capacity from the market”, senior ETX market analyst Neil Wilson commented.
Investors cheered giant French retailer Carrefour’s new plans to boost sales. The shares jumped 4.8 percent.
Shares in computer peripherals and mobile speaker maker Logitech jumped close to 5 pct after it reported better than expected sales and raised its guidance.
Online grocery technology provider Ocado lost 5.1 percent after a 27 percent surge on Monday when it unveiled a deal with Canada’s second-largest food supermarket group Sobeys. (Reporting by Julien Ponthus; additional reporting by Danilo Masoni; editing by Tom Pfeiffer) | https://www.reuters.com/article/europe-stocks/european-stocks-rally-on-u-s-shutdown-deal-dax-hits-record-idUSL8N1PI1TY |
BRIEF-Workhorse Group Sees Total Revenue For Year Ended Dec 31, 2017 Up 69% | Jan 23 (Reuters) - Workhorse Group Inc:
* WORKHORSE GROUP INC - ON JAN 23, CO HELD BUSINESS UPDATE CONFERENCE CALL - SEC FILING
* WORKHORSE GROUP - DURING CALL, CO SAYS IT IS SEES TOTAL REVENUE FOR YEAR ENDED DEC 31, 2017 69% GREATER THAN TOTAL REVENUE FOR YEAR ENDED DEC 31, 2016
* WORKHORSE GROUP - DURING CALL, CO SAYS ORDER BACKLOG FOR 2018 IS EXPECTED TO EXCEED $12 MILLION BY THE END OF JANUARY 31, 2018 Source text: ( bit.ly/2n1G5Cm ) Further company coverage:
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-workhorse-group-sees-total-revenue/brief-workhorse-group-sees-total-revenue-for-year-ended-dec-31-2017-up-69-idUSFWN1PI1BH |
BRIEF-Tianjin Tianhai Signs Two Strategic Agreements With Partners | Jan 17 (Reuters) - Tianjin Tianhai Investment Co Ltd :
* SAYS IT SIGNS STRATEGIC AGREEMENT WITH SHANGHAI-BASED INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FIRM
* SAYS IT AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FIRM PLAN TO WORK ON AREAS INCLUDING ASSET SECURITISATION, STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS AND ASSET ACQUISITIONS, WITH INITIAL SIZE OF UP TO 10 BILLION YUAN ($1.55 billion)
* SAYS IT SIGNS STRATEGIC AGREEMENT WITH SHANGHAI DINGFENG ASSET MANAGEMENT CO LTD TO SET UP INVESTMENT FUND WITH INITIAL SIZE OF UP TO 5.0 BILLION YUAN Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2DkVCZa ; bit.ly/2B8MCQH Further company coverage: ($1 = 6.4338 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-tianjin-tianhai-signs-two-strategi/brief-tianjin-tianhai-signs-two-strategic-agreements-with-partners-idUSH9N1PA01W |
Aviragen Board Of Directors Unanimously Recommends That Stockholders Vote FOR The Proposed Merger With Vaxart | Transaction Creates a Leading Vaccine Company and Maximizes Value for Aviragen Stockholders
Updated Investor Presentation Filed with Securities and Exchange Commission and Posted to Aviragen Website
ATLANTA, Jan. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aviragen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVIR) today reiterated its support of the pending merger with Vaxart, Inc., which was unanimously approved by the Aviragen Board of Directors.
In reiterating its support for and recommending that Aviragen stockholders vote in favor of the proposed merger with Vaxart at the special meeting of stockholders on February 6, 2018, the Company notes that:
The transaction maximizes the value of Aviragen: Based on the valuations of a selected set of publicly traded vaccine companies, Vaxart’s estimated potential valuation prior to the merger is approximately $158 million. Based on the ownership structure in the transaction, this would imply a value of the combined company at $264 million, with the potential value of Aviragen in the merger being $106 million, a significant improvement in value compared to Aviragen’s current market capitalization of approximately $23 million i . Aviragen stockholders will have the opportunity to participate in the significant upside potential of the merger: The combined company will be focused on developing Vaxart’s oral recombinant vaccines and Aviragen’s direct-acting antivirals to treat infections that have limited therapeutic options. Vaxart’s oral tablet vaccines have the potential to become major products in the worldwide vaccine market. In a head-to-head comparison with a leading injectable influenza vaccine, Vaxart’s oral tablet vaccine delivered clinical proof of efficacy and an excellent safety profile that significantly de-risks the platform. Further, the combined company will be well-financed to achieve value creating milestones that include efficacy data from Aviragen’s BTA074 HPV Phase 2 data, Vaxart’s Phase 2 norovirus vaccine data, and the filing of additional INDs for new programs. Together, Aviragen and Vaxart will be poised to create meaningful value for stockholders in the near- and long-term. Aviragen’s Board conducted a thorough process that included an extensive review of strategic alternatives: The Company’s Board formed an independent transactions committee that evaluated a number of options, including a business combination or strategic merger, in-licensing clinical stage programs, acquisitions, liquidation or other transactions that would complement Aviragen’s current assets. Ultimately the Board – at the recommendation of the transactions committee – accepted Vaxart’s offer as Aviragen’s directors unanimously agreed that it was in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders. Aviragen notes that, compared to other unrealistic estimates that have been previously assumed by others, the realistic liquidation value of the Company was estimated at only $22.4 million – or $0.58 per share – as of October 31, 2017. More importantly, in a liquidation, there can be no assurances as to the actual amount or timing of available cash left to distribute to stockholders after paying debts, other obligations and setting aside funds for reserves.
EACH VOTE IS IMPORTANT – PLEASE VOTE FOR THE PROPOSED MERGER WITH VAXART TODAY
Each vote is extremely important, no matter how many or how few shares are owned. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of Aviragen common stock properly cast at the Aviragen special meeting, presuming a quorum is present, is required to approve the proposed merger. Aviragen shareholders of record at the close of business on January 2, 2018 are entitled to vote at the special meeting. Please take a moment to vote FOR the proposals necessary to approve the proposed merger today – by telephone, by Internet or by signing, dating and returning the proxy received with the proxy statement.
Stockholders who have any questions or need assistance voting their shares should contact Aviragen’s proxy solicitor, D.F. King & Co., Inc., toll-free at (800)-967-5074.
Updated Investor Presentation Filed with SEC and Posted to Aviragen’s Website
Aviragen has filed an updated investor presentation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in order to provide all stockholders with additional information associated with the proposed merger with Vaxart. The presentation is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.aviragentherapeutics.com .
Advisors
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated is acting as financial advisor to Aviragen, and Dechert LLP is serving as legal counsel to Aviragen. Cooley LLP is serving as legal counsel to Vaxart.
About Aviragen Therapeutics
Aviragen Therapeutics is focused on the discovery and development of the next generation of direct-acting antivirals to treat infections that have limited therapeutic options and affect a significant number of patients globally. It has three Phase 2 clinical stage compounds: BTA074 (teslexivir), an antiviral treatment for condyloma caused by human papillomavirus types 6 and 11; vapendavir, a capsid inhibitor for the prevention or treatment of rhinovirus (RV) upper respiratory infections; and BTA585 (enzaplatovir), a fusion protein inhibitor in development for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus infections. Aviragen also receives royalties from marketed influenza products, Relenza® and Inavir®. For additional information, please visit www.aviragentherapeutics.com .
Aviragen Therapeutics® is a registered trademark. Relenza® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., and Inavir® is a registered trademark of Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd.
About Vaxart
Vaxart is a clinical-stage company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform. Vaxart vaccines are administered using convenient room temperature-stable tablets that can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate risk of needle-stick injury. Its development programs are oral tablet vaccines designed to protect against norovirus, seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxart's first immuno-oncology indication. For more information, please visit www.vaxart.com .
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about Aviragen Therapeutics, Inc. and Vaxart Inc., and their respective businesses, business prospects, strategy and plans, including but not limited to statements regarding the estimated value of the combined company; anticipated preclinical and clinical drug development activities, timelines and market opportunities; the combined company being well-funded to advance its programs; and the combined company’s ability to generate near and long term value for stockholders. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “may,” “can,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “likely,” “will,” “should,” “to be,” and any similar expressions or other words of similar meaning are intended to identify those assertions as forward looking statements. These forwa | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/11/globe-newswire-aviragen-board-of-directors-unanimously-recommends-that-stockholders-vote-for-the-proposed-merger-with-vaxart.html |
Mediterranean diet may reduce risk of frailty in old age | (Reuters Health) - The more “Mediterranean” older adults’ diets are, the less likely they are to become frail over time, suggests an analysis of existing research.
The study team analyzed data on nearly 6,000 older adults who were part of four studies - three of them done in countries that actually border the Mediterranean Sea and one in Asia. No matter where they lived, people whose diets most closely followed Mediterranean diet principles were less than half as likely as those with the least-Mediterranean diets to become frail as they aged.
“The world population is aging with increasing numbers of people living to their 80s and beyond, and there is a lot of attention on how people can stay healthy and independent as they age,” the study’s senior author told Reuters Health in an email.
“Some people with accumulating health conditions and aging can become frail – that is, experience symptoms like lack of energy, muscle weakness, low appetite/losing weight and feel generally slowed up, and find it difficult to bounce back or recover when they become ill,” said Kate Walters, a researcher at University College London in the UK.
This, in turn, is associated with a risk of being admitted to hospital or becoming dependent on others for your care, Walters said. “We have been looking at ways that this can be prevented, including diet and exercise, amongst other things.”
There has been “a lot of research on types of exercise (which show this is good for you) but far less on the role of diet - for example, different types of diet such as the Mediterranean diet,” Walters added.
The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional food patterns typical of Greece and southern Italy and includes lots of plant-based foods like fresh vegetables, legumes and nuts, as well as fish and seafood. The primary source of fat is usually olive oil, rather than animal fat, and alcohol, usually wine, is included in low to moderate amounts, she and her coauthors write in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The researchers reviewed and re-analyzed data from previously published studies conducted in China, France, Italy and Spain. All the studies had scored the participants’ diets according to how closely they adhered to Mediterranean principles, with a score of 6-9 representing the highest adherence and 0-3 representing the lowest. On average, participants were followed for about four years.
People whose diets scored 4-5 had 38 percent lower risk of developing frailty during the follow up period compared to those who scored 0-3, while those with a diet score of 6-9 had 56 percent lower risk.
The average age of people in these studies was 70s-80s, so the findings suggest that following this diet as an older adult may have beneficial effects in maintaining health and independence, Walters said.
The study cannot prove, however, that adhering to a Mediterranean diet is what prevents frailty, she acknowledged.
“The four included studies aren’t interventional studies (where people are assigned to eat a Mediterranean diet and some aren‘t); they’re observational studies comparing people who chose on their own to eat a certain way and their risk of frailty,” Dr. Michael Bogaisky of the Department of Medicine (Geriatrics) at Montefiore Health System in New York, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.
Any differences seen in risk of frailty may be due to other factors associated with being the type of person who eats a Mediterranean diet rather than the diet itself, he noted.
“For example, olive oil, fish, nuts, fresh fruits, and vegetables can be expensive. People who can afford these foods may also afford better access to healthcare, and that might explain why they’re more likely to have better outcomes,” Bogaisky said.
They may also be more educated or health conscious and thus more likely to eat healthier foods and more likely to exercise, all of which can influence their risk for becoming frail outside of what foods they eat, he added.
Nonetheless, he thinks it’s an “interesting finding” and that there’s strong evidence supporting eating a Mediterranean diet to prevent cardiovascular disease.
“Preventing frailty may be another reason to eat this kind of a diet,” he said.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2DJnxyF Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, online January 11, 2018.
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-frailty-mediterranean-diet/mediterranean-diet-may-reduce-risk-of-frailty-in-old-age-idUSKBN1FJ329 |
Wal-Mart may have to unload stake in Brazilian unit at discount | SAO PAULO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc ( WMT.N ) is looking to sell part of its operations in Brazil, where it has struggled for a decade, yet missteps by the U.S. retail giant have narrowed the field of potential buyers and could lower the value of any deal.
The world’s largest retailer is shopping a major stake in its Walmart Brasil Ltda unit to buyout firms with Latin American experience, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Sunday.
Wal-Mart’s operating losses in Brazil, which began in 2009, will likely attract investors with turnaround plans and modest valuations in mind, according to one of the sources, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks.
The company reported almost 30 billion reais ($9.4 billion) of Brazilian revenue from about 500 stores in 2016, but poorly integrated acquisitions, labor disputes and headwinds from Brazil's economic downturn have hurt its bottom line. ( reut.rs/2DWNOtp )
Making matters worse, some stores Wal-Mart opened during Brazil’s economic boom a decade ago are poorly located and have little appeal to rivals. Several retailers passed up the chance last year to make an offer on them, the same source said.
To lure buyers with the prospect of robust online growth, Wal-Mart combined its local e-commerce unit with its Brazilian brick-and-mortar operations in December, according to two people with knowledge of the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer’s plans.
The company declined to comment on the talks with buyout firms or its problems in the Brazilian market.
Investors were largely unsurprised by reports of Wal-Mart shopping a stake in the Brazilian unit. Wal-Mart Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon announced in 2016 that he was planning to review global operations.
“If they have decided to pull out of Brazil after being there for as long as they have, they have realized their model is not working,” said Charles Sizemore, founder of Sizemore Capital Management LLC, which owns shares of Wal-Mart.
“I can definitely see Wal-Mart making similar decisions about other international businesses going forward,” he added.
Wal-Mart shares closed higher on Monday but gave back some of those gains on Tuesday.
FOCUSING ELSEWHERE Wal-Mart’s struggles in Brazil are a far cry from its performance in Mexico, the company’s largest market outside the United States. Wal-Mart de Mexico SA de CV ( WALMEX.MX ) is Mexico’s No. 1 retailer.
That success is due to Wal-Mart’s decision to partner with Mexican retailer Cifra to launch the operation in the 1990s as well as help from local executives who have kept it attuned to the market, according to Carlos Bernal, an analyst with brokerage Actinver in Mexico.
In contrast, Wal-Mart struggled to gain traction from the $1 billion it spent in 2004-2005 on a patchwork of acquisitions in northeast and southern Brazil, two regions with stark economic, geographic and cultural differences.
Poor real estate investment decisions, incompatible computer systems and unforeseen tax and labor costs added to the difficulties integrating the disparate network of stores, dragging on the Brazilian unit’s earnings for years.
Analysts and former executives in Brazil said one of Wal-Mart’s biggest setbacks in Brazil was losing a bidding match for cash-and-carry wholesaler Atacadão to rival Carrefour SA ( CARR.PA ), which paid $1.1 billion for it in 2007.
Atacadão and rival Assaí, which was acquired in the same year by French retailer Casino’s ( CASP.PA ) subsidiary GPA ( PCAR4.SA ), went on to dominate the booming cash-and-carry segment, delivering profits even during the country’s recent recession. Wal-Mart’s entry into the segment was largely a flop.
Wal-Mart now looks ready to focus elsewhere while retaining what may be a more passive interest in Brazil, said one of the sources familiar with the conversations between the company and private equity firms.
The source added that the details of a partnership have not been clearly established.
“They still want to retain a stake there so they can be around and not take attention away from what they must focus on,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank in Chicago. “This does fit into the strategy that Doug McMillon laid out a couple of years ago. Wal-Mart is focusing more domestically where they have a dominant share.”
One of the funds that Wal-Mart has spoken to, according to one source, is Acon Investments LLC, which bought regional Brazilian retailer GBarbosa in 2005 and resold it two years later to Chile’s Cencosud SA CEN.SN.
Another is Advent International Corp, which invested in Brazilian apparel retailer Restoque Comercio e Confeccoes de Roupas SA ( LLIS3.SA ) and home improvement chain Quero Quero. A third, GP Investments Ltd GPIV11.LU, has a stake in sporting goods retailer Lojas Centauro, which recently filed for a Brazilian initial public offering.
Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Nandita Bose; Additional reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City; Writing and additional reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Paul Simao
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-walmart-brazil-m-a/wal-mart-may-have-to-unload-stake-in-brazilian-unit-at-discount-idUSKBN1FC222 |
Big Bash League Standings | January 17, 2018 / 11:53 AM / Updated 26 minutes ago Big Bash League Standings Reuters Staff 1 Min Read Jan 17 (OPTA) - Standings of the Big Bash League on Wednesday P W L T Ded RR PTS Adelaide Strikers 8 6 2 0 0 .886 12 Perth Scorchers 8 6 2 0 0 .103 12 Hobart Hurricanes 8 5 3 0 0 -.269 10 Melbourne Renegades 7 4 3 0 0 .345 8 Brisbane Heat 8 4 4 0 0 .167 8 Sydney Thunder 8 3 5 0 0 -.200 6 Sydney Sixers 8 2 6 0 0 -.233 4 Melbourne Stars 7 1 6 0 0 -.917 2 Note: Ded-Deductions; RR-Net Run Rate | https://uk.reuters.com/article/cricket-australia-standings/big-bash-league-standings-idUKMTZXEE1HP7KO8A |
British PM May says honored by French loan of Bayeux Tapestry | 12 PM / Updated 17 minutes ago British PM May says honored by French loan of Bayeux Tapestry
SANDHURST, England (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday she was honored that France will lend Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th century treasure that tells the story of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066.
“Our shared history is reflected in the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK in 2022, the first time it will be on British soil in more than 900 years,” May said in a statement as she welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron on a visit to Britain.
“I am honored at the loan of such a precious piece of our shared history which yet again underscores the closeness of the UK-France relationship,” May said.
The loan would be part of a wider cultural exchange between Britain and France over the next four years, she said. Slideshow (4 Images)
The 70-metre long work, the precise origins of which are obscure and which has not left France in its nearly 950-year known history, is currently on display in the town of Bayeux, in the northwestern French region of Normandy.
Macron told reporters that the France and Britain were now fighting wars together, a reference to cooperation between the two former European adversaries against armed Islamist movements including in countries Mali.
“We are in a way making a new tapestry together,” he said.
A French official said on Wednesday the loan would not take place immediately because work needed to be done on the tapestry to ensure it was safe to move it. Writing by William Schomberg; editing by Guy Faulconbridge | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-france-tapestry/british-pm-may-says-honored-by-french-loan-of-bayeux-tapestry-idUSKBN1F72SJ |
Ash-spewing volcano in Papua New Guinea forces villagers to flee | SYDNEY (Reuters) - A remote island volcano in Papua New Guinea has begun spewing ash into the air, forcing the evacuation of more than 500 residents, media and non-profit groups have said.
Kadovar Island, a 365-metre (1,197-ft) -tall volcano on the north coast of PNG, was thought to be dormant until it began erupting on January 5.
“It’s just a continuous emission of volcanic ash at the moment,” Cheyne O’Brien, a forecaster at the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, told Reuters by telephone on Sunday.
The ash clouds have been thrown up steadily to a height of 2,133 meters (7,000 feet), forming a plume that is travelling west-northwest, he added.
The plume does not yet pose a hazard to aviation, but a change in wind direction could hit operations at PNG’s Wewak airport, O‘Brien said.
All residents of the island have been evacuated with no loss of life, U.S.-based charity Samaritan Aviation, which operates seaplanes to remote areas of PNG, said on Facebook.
“We do not have any details yet as to where all of the families have gone and hope to have further information in the near future,” the non-profit added.
Reuters could not immediately reach authorities in Papua New Guinea by telephone for comment.
The population of the island ranges from at least 500 to more than 600, media have estimated.
The eruption may become explosive, bringing a risk of tsunamis and landslides, domestic online media Loop PNG Quote: d the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory as saying.
There are no confirmed records of a previous eruption of Kadovar, said Chris Firth, a vulcanologist at Macquarie University, but scientists speculate it could have been one of two “burning islands” mentioned in the journals of a 17th-century English pirate and maritime adventurer, William Dampier.
Dampier may have recorded the last eruption of Kadovar during a voyage in search of “Terra Australis”, the southern continent once thought to be mythical, Firth said.
Vulcanologists are interested to observe its behaviour now, Firth added.
“It’s hard to predict what might happen, as there’s nothing to compare it to.”
Reporting by Alison Bevege; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
| https://in.reuters.com/article/papua-new-guinea-volcano/ash-spewing-volcano-in-papua-new-guinea-forces-villagers-to-flee-idINKBN1EW05H |
Tennis - Volatile times ahead as slams plan return to 16 seeds | January 24, 2018 / 8:31 AM / Updated 3 hours ago Tennis - Volatile times ahead as slams plan return to 16 seeds Simon cambers 4 Min Read
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Roger Federer took on Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday, a blockbuster clash at the business end of a grand slam event.
But from 2019, under plans to reduce the number of seeds from 32 back to 16 at the four major tournaments, the match could happen in the first or second round instead.
In June 2001, Wimbledon instigated the change to 32, having been spooked the previous year when a number of players, angry at being bumped from the seedings in favour of grass-court specialists, boycotted the championships.
Since then, the top players have often cruised through the opening rounds, especially in the men’s draw, with the number of early shocks significantly lower than before the change.
It is a change that has divided players but Federer gave it his tentative support when the plans were first announced last November.
”Having 16 seeds, that might be interesting,“ Federer said during the ATP Finals in London. ”The draw could be more volatile, better matches in the first week.
“The top guys have made a habit of not cruising but getting through the first week quite comfortably for a long period of time. Playing against the numbers 17, 19 or 20 in the world is not something I really want to do, but it is what it is.”
Statistically, the change reduced the number of defeats for top-16 seeds in the first two rounds at grand slams, but only really in the men’s draw.
At the Australian Open, the average number of top-16 seeds losing in either round one or two averaged 7.2 in the five years before the change, falling to 3.63 between then and 2017.
At the French Open, the average went from six to four; at Wimbledon, it fell from 6.5 to 4.65 and at the U.S. Open, it dropped from 6.25 to 4.11.
In the women’s draw, in three of the four grand slams, the early exits even went up, marginally.
At a time when players are talking about receiving a greater share of tournament revenue through increased prize money, the change should allow more players a better chance to earn more by getting further in the grand slams.
Some players, though, are not so sure.
“I don’t see much the benefit, for the grand slams,” sixth seed Marin Cilic said at Melbourne Park. “The draw is huge, and I think that the draw, the seeding should be the same as now.”
Madison Keys, seeded 17th, joked that the women’s event did not need any more excitement, not least since 10 of the top-16 seeds went out before the third round this year, compared to only six in the men’s event.
“I think the 16 seeds, I don’t understand the point of it,” Keys said. “I guess we need more drama and more upsets. It will be interesting, to say the least.”
Some former players, on the other hand, are in favour.
“With 16 seeds you have more interesting matches earlier, more fun, more excitement,” 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic told Reuters.
”You should have to work to win a grand slam. You get some parts of the draw where some guys walk to the quarter-final without losing a set, so with 16 seeds you know you could play a guy ranked 17 in the first round.
“I think it’s a rule change that is good.”
Paul Annacone, once ranked number 12 and a former coach of Pete Sampras, Tim Henman and then Federer, sees it from both sides.
“My position as a fan is I’d like to see 16 seeds, but if I put my coach’s hat on, or players’ hat on, I get why they don’t want it,” Annacone told Reuters.
”One year I had to play (John) McEnroe first round of the U.S. Open and I was one of the next few seeded, I think, so ... I understand it, it adds for some excitement, but it also adds for some unnecessary heartbreak too.
“In many ways, it would make the beginning potentially more exciting and more dangerous, (so the change is) probably better for the game but not as good for the (top players).” | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tennis-ausopen-seeds/tennis-volatile-times-ahead-as-slams-plan-return-to-16-seeds-idUKKBN1FD0RC |
BRIEF-Bus Online Says Share Trade To Halt From Jan 23 Pending Announcement | Jan 22 (Reuters) - Bus Online Co Ltd:
* SAYS SHARE TRADE TO HALT FROM JAN 23 PENDING ANNOUNCEMENT Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2n33pR1 Further company coverage: (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-bus-online-says-share-trade-to-hal/brief-bus-online-says-share-trade-to-halt-from-jan-23-pending-announcement-idUSH9N1PD01K |
Iran to dominate many Tillerson conversations in Europe next week | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran will dominate many of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s conversations in Europe next week, when he is visiting London, Paris, Warsaw and Davos, Switzerland, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Friday.
“Inevitably, Iran will dominate a lot of the conversations that the secretary has with our NATO allies and partners in Europe,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. “We really emphasize close coordination with the British, in particular, and the French in our efforts to close the gaps (in the Iran nuclear deal) and in next steps on how we curtain Iranian malign influence in the (Middle East) region, so I think that will be a very high priority of his conversation.”
Reporting By Arshad Mohammed
| https://in.reuters.com/article/usa-iran-diplomacy/iran-to-dominate-many-tillerson-conversations-in-europe-next-week-idINKBN1F82A3 |
CareDx Reports Preliminary Fourth Quarter and FY2017 Financial Results | BRISBANE, Calif., Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareDx, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNA), a molecular diagnostics company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value diagnostic solutions for transplant patients, today reported preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2017.
Fourth Quarter highlights:
AlloSure® commercially launched on October 9, 2017
- As of December 31, 2017, 32 U.S. transplant centers providing AlloSure testing to patients
- Preliminary AlloSure testing revenue expected to be $0.5 million, representing 282 test results provided to kidney transplant patients
Preliminary fourth quarter total revenue expected to be between $12.3 million and $12.5 million
- AlloMap® testing revenue expected to be between $7.9 million and $8.1 million in the quarter, with quarterly test volume increasing 8% year-over-year to 3,840 tests
- Product revenue expected to be $3.7 million in the fourth quarter
“2017 was a banner year for CareDx. We received Medicare reimbursement for and launched AlloSure, plus the PAMA-related reimbursement increase for our AlloMap test became effective on January 1, 2018,” said Peter Maag, CareDx President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are very pleased with the initial AlloSure interest and traction, with 32 centers offering this high-value diagnostic test to kidney transplant patients across the US as of December 31, 2017. With the AlloSure launch fully underway and our portfolio of core transplantation products delivering steady growth, we believe CareDx is positioned for accelerated growth in 2018 and profitability in the second half of the year.”
Preliminary Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results
These financial results for the year and three months ended December 31, 2017 are preliminary and subject to the completion of the audit of the Company’s financial statements as of, and for the year ended, December 31, 2017, and will be updated with the filing of the upcoming annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
Revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2017 is expected to be between $12.3 million and $12.5 million, an increase of 13%-15% compared with $10.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. Testing revenue for the quarter is expected to be $8.4 million to $8.6 million compared with $7.4 million in the same period in 2016. Product revenue in the three months ended December 31, 2017 is expected to be $3.7 million, compared to $3.5 million in the same period of 2016.
Revenue for the full year ended December 31, 2017 is expected to be between $48.1 million and $48.3 million, an increase of 18%-19% compared with $40.6 million in 2016. Testing revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017 is expected to be $32.9 million to $33.1 million compared with $29.7 million in 2016. Product revenue for the full year 2017 is expected to be $14.6 million, compared with $10.7 million in 2016.
Preliminary total cash was $26.5 million as of December 31, 2017, which consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $16.9 million and restricted cash of $9.6 million. The change in cash and cash equivalents from $6.0 as of September 30, 2017, is due to approximately $19 million net cash received from a public offering of common stock and exercises of common stock warrants and options, approximately $6 million net cash used to repay debt, bank overdraft and deferred purchase obligations, and approximately $2 million net cash used in operating activities.
CareDx will report full fourth quarter and full-year 2017 financial results and provide financial guidance on its March 2018 earnings call.
About CareDx
CareDx, Inc., headquartered in Brisbane, California, is a molecular diagnostics company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value diagnostic solutions for transplant recipients. CareDx offers products across the transplant testing continuum, including AlloMap and AlloSure for post-transplant surveillance and Olerup SSP®, Olerup QTYPE®, and Olerup SBT™ for pre-transplant HLA testing.
For more information, please visit: www.CareDx.com .
Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements, including expectations regarding the Company’s fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2017 revenue, testing revenue and product revenue, prospects and drive toward future profitability. These forward-looking statements are based upon information that is currently available to CareDx and its current expectations, speak only as of the date hereof, and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including completion of the audit of the Company’s financial statements as of, and for the year ended, December 31, 2017, general economic and market factors, among others discussed in CareDx’s filings with the SEC, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 filed by CareDx with the SEC on April 21, 2017 and the periodic reports that CareDx has subsequently filed with the SEC. Any of these may cause CareDx’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by CareDx’s forward-looking statements. CareDx expressly disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, or undertaking to update or revise any such forward-looking statements.
CONTACTS:
CareDx, Inc.
Sasha King
Chief Commercial Officer
415-287-2393
sking@caredx.com
Investor Relations
David Clair
Integrated Corporate Relations, Inc.
646-277-1266
david.clair@icrinc.com
Source:CareDx, Inc. | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/globe-newswire-caredx-reports-preliminary-fourth-quarter-and-fy2017-financial-results.html |
UK crematorium operator Dignity warns on 2018 results after funeral price cut | Jan 19 (Reuters) - Crematorium operator Dignity said it would reduce simple funeral prices by about 25 percent to draw back customer after warning on results for 2018.
The funeral operator said the price cut was meant to protect market share, adding that customers are becoming “increasingly price-conscious” in an over-supplied industry.
The company said it will also freeze prices for traditional funerals in the majority of its locations. (Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/dignity-outlook/uk-crematorium-operator-dignity-warns-on-2018-results-after-funeral-price-cut-idUSL3N1PE2JY |
Biogen posts fourth-quarter loss on income tax charge | Jan 25 (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Biogen Inc reported a quarterly loss compared with a year-ago profit on Thursday due to a hefty income tax charge for recent changes to the U.S. tax code.
The company paid $1.57 billion in income tax in the quarter.
Net loss attributable to Biogen was $297.4 million, or $1.40 per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31. The company had a profit of $649.2 million, or $2.99 per share, a year earlier.
Total revenue rose to $3.31 billion from $2.87 billion.
Reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur
| https://www.reuters.com/article/biogen-results/biogen-posts-fourth-quarter-loss-on-income-tax-charge-idUSL4N1PK44D |
A sampling of tracking technologies for traditional stores | Brick-and-mortar retailers are using different tracking technologies to better understand their customers and keep up with e-commerce giant Amazon. Here is a sampling of the different tracking methods available to stores:
FLOOR SENSORS
Paper-thin tiles developed by Milwaukee-based Scanalytics measure foot compressions to analyze people's movements over time so stores know what products displays draw customers' attention and for how long. That allows businesses to study what sells, know when to schedule staff for busy times, and what store layout is most effective. The technology might still be too pricey for smaller retailers, however.
INTELLIGENT VIDEO CAMERAS
Companies such as Toronto-based Vendlytics and San Francisco-based Prism use artificial intelligence with video cameras to analyze body motions. That can allow stores to deliver customized coupons to shoppers in real-time on a digital shelf or on their cellphones on an app.
MOTION SENSORS
Sunglass Hut and fragrance maker Jo Malone are using laser and motion sensors from Perch Interactive to tell when a product is picked up but not bought. The technology can also make recommendations for similar items on an interactive display.
WI-FI BEACONS
Wi-Fi beacons can track customer movements — as long as they connect to the store's internet. Because not everyone opts in, stores have a smaller sample size to analyze. Another drawback is that it's not possible to tell whether a customer is inches or feet from a product. | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/15/the-associated-press-a-sampling-of-tracking-technologies-for-traditional-stores.html |
BRIEF-PRA Group Announces Changes To Board Of Directors | January 2, 2018 / 9:36 PM / Updated 24 minutes ago BRIEF-PRA Group Announces Changes To Board Of Directors Reuters Staff
Jan 2 (Reuters) - Pra Group Inc: * PRA GROUP ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
* PRA GROUP INC - MARJORIE (MARGE) CONNELLY WAS APPOINTED TO COMPANY‘S BOARD OF DIRECTORS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2018 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-pra-group-announces-changes-to-boa/brief-pra-group-announces-changes-to-board-of-directors-idUSASB0BZHZ |
Noble Group nets less than expected from oil unit sale to Vitol | LONDON (Reuters) - Struggling commodities trader Noble Group has completed the sale of its U.S.-focused oil business to the world’s largest oil trader Vitol, but net proceeds from the deal are lower than a previously announced estimate, the company said on Monday.
In a statement, Noble Group said net proceeds from the sale of Noble Americas Corp (NAC) to Vitol were expected to be about $400 million.
In October, Hong-Kong based Noble said gross proceeds from the deal would be about $1.42 billion and it expected to make about $580 million after repaying loans.
Noble said the lower return on the sale that closed on Jan. 12 was “primarily due to operating losses of NAC from Oct. 1 2017 to the closing date.”
The Singapore-listed company, which had a market capitalization of $6 billion in early February 2015, was plunged into crisis after a report by blogger Iceberg Research later that month questioning its accounting.
Noble stood by its accounts and rejected the report’s allegations but coupled with a major commodities downturn, the firm was unable to recover investor confidence.
Its market value has shrunk to around $200 million as it has progressively sold off large parts of its business to stay afloat.
Noble also sold U.S. gas and power business to Mercuria for less than previously announced - $168 million compared with $250 million.
Paul Brough, a restructuring specialist who oversaw part of the liquidation of Lehman Brothers, was appointed chairman last year and said he was taking steps to avoid insolvency.
The company has also been closing what remains of its global oil trading business, returning to its roots as an Asian hard commodities trader.
Noble said it had generated about $525 million in net proceeds after the sales to Mercuria and Vitol as well as monetizing what was left of its oil business within UK incorporated Noble Clean Fuels Ltd.
On top of the approximately $400 million from the Vitol deal, the trader said it had “generated over $100 million of cash proceeds” from the wind down of working capital balances in NCFL, which was largely concluded in December 2017.
Included in the total was $20 million released from escrow to the group from the deal with Mercuria.
Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Mark Potter
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-noble-grp-vitol-oil/noble-group-nets-less-than-expected-from-oil-unit-sale-to-vitol-idUSKBN1F419E |
Eastbridge Consulting Group announces promotions effective January 1, 2018 | AVON, Conn., Jan. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gil Lowerre, president of Eastbridge, announces that Nick Rockwell has been promoted to Vice President effective the first of the year. Nick came to Eastbridge at the beginning of 2016 with over 14 years of experience in sales, distribution and marketing strategy development, management, training and business leadership. Immediately prior to joining Eastbridge, Nick brought LifeLock into the voluntary benefits market.
At Eastbridge, Nick has been involved in managing and delivering consulting projects for more than two years. He also leads the company’s involvement in working with new forms of voluntary benefits and on distribution-related product development. Nick has developed a growing reputation for knowledge and understanding of the voluntary business and is a frequent speaker at industry events and webinars.
Also effective January 1 st , Bonnie Brazzell was promoted to Senior Vice President. Bonnie is in her 19 th year with Eastbridge. In addition to handling numerous consulting projects, she manages the company’s research and marketing areas. She is an industry spokesperson, author and presenter on all aspects of the voluntary industry.
“Both Nick and Bonnie have been instrumental in our company’s growth and success over the years,” adds Lowerre. “I am confident they will continue to thrive as they take on their new leadership roles at Eastbridge.”
Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. is a marketing advisory firm serving insurance and financial services organizations in the United States and Canada.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jennifer Davis (860-676-9633)
Source:Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/03/globe-newswire-eastbridge-consulting-group-announces-promotions-effective-january-1-2018.html |
An allegedly damning memo about the FBI and DoJ is electrifying Republicans—online and in Congress | SHARES Getty Images Special counsel Robert Mueller (2nd L) leaves after a closed meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee June 21, 2017 at the Capitol in Washington, DC.
Republicans are clamoring for the public release of a memo detailing alleged abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) related to the special counsel's investigation of potential Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election.
"The House must immediately make public the memo prepared by the Intelligence Committee regarding the FBI and the Department of Justice," Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fl., said . "The facts contained in this memo are jaw-dropping and demand full transparency."
The rallying cry to "release the memo" has exploded both online and in Congress. The hashtag #releasethememo went viral on Twitter and other social media sites on Thursday, and Republican members of Congress issued statements of alarm about its contents.
"I am shocked to read exactly what has taken place. I would think that it would never happen in a country that loves democracy and freedom," Rep. Mark Meadows , R-N.C., said Thursday on the House floor. "It is time that we become transparent in all of this."
While still classified to the public, the four-page memo has become an instant fixation online — thanks in part to Russian propaganda accounts, according to a website claiming to track Russian influence in real time.
The website Hamilton 68 , named after one of the Federalist papers authored by founding father Alexander Hamilton, claims to track 600 Twitter accounts "linked to Russian influence operations."
The site's analytics show activity for #releasethememo increased in frequency among the tracked accounts by 265,100 percent in the last 48 hours.
The push from some Republicans follows the release of intelligence-gathering firm Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson's testimony to the House Intelligence Committee . The prior week, Simpson's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee was released by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein .
The memo was disclosed for House members following a party line vote within the House Intelligence Committee. It is currently only available to House members in a classified briefing room called the Congressional Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.
President Donald Trump on Friday signed a reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, assuring Americans in a tweet that this version of the bill was "NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election." | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/19/republicans-call-house-intel-committee-to-releasethememo-on-fisa-fbi.html |
How John Kelly’s White House made “build a wall” moderate | Getty Images White House Chief of Staff John Kelly speaks during a White House briefing October 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. In an exasperated statement to reporters Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) identified the root of the problem in stalled negotiations between the White House and the Senate: the White House itself is divided on immigration, with hardliners dominating the discussion.
On one side, there are Trump's most conservative advisers — from White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly and Senior Policy Adviser Stephen Miller, to immigration hawks on Capitol Hill — who have the president's ear. They reportedly scrapped a Democratic offer for $20 billion worth of border wall funding and are holding out for a conservative overhaul of the legal immigration system.
"Every time we have a proposal, it is yanked back by staff members," Graham, one of the key Republicans in immigration talks, told reporters Sunday afternoon. "As long as Steven Miller is in charge of negotiating immigration we are going nowhere. He's been an outlier for years."
He tweet
On the other side of the White House drama is a president whose signature campaign promise was to build a "great, great wall" across the southern border and who has also said he "loves DREAMers" , the 700,000 young unauthorized immigrants who would lose legal protections if a deal is not reached. A package that combines the two has appealed to Trump, but not always. He wavers, switching positions seemingly on a whim.
While Graham said Trump himself has been open to proposals from Senate Democrats and moderate Republicans, this hardline faction has had the final word over the direction of negotiations, making it difficult to resolve a government shutdown.
Suddenly Democrats are in a strange position; where they once vowed to prevent a border wall because it symbolized immigration extremism, they now see supporting one as the route to a more moderate, bipartisan deal.
Read more from Vox:
Trump is proposing the "nuclear option" on the government shutdown. It makes no sense.
The Women's March showed its power on a day Donald Trump's presidency stood still
Some libertarians cheer when the government shuts down. Here's why they shouldn't
"I'll take a bucket, take bricks, and I'll start building it myself," said a visibly frustrated Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), one of Congress's most progressive voices on immigration. "We will dirty our hands, in order for the Dreamers to have a clean future in America. Then, why haven't we settled this? It's ransom."
But as long as conservative hardliners aligned with the White House stay in control, remaining unwilling to compromise — and Trump's personal beliefs remain unclear — Congress, and the government, remain at a standstill.
Democrats made a major concession on the wall. But that wasn't enough.
Since the start of Trump's term in office, Congressional Democrats have held firm against the southern border wall — a tangible act of resistance to the president's immigration platform.
But in a scramble to get the government working again, Democrats put the wall on the table. In a White House meeting Friday, Sen. Chuck Schumer said he told President Donald Trump to name a price for the Southern border wall, and he would accept it. Trump said $20 billion in exchange for a deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, securing legal protections for nearly 700,000 young, unauthorized immigrants. Schumer thought the two of them had reached an agreement that would keep the government open and establish a path forward on immigration.
Then it all fell apart.
"Yesterday, Sen. Schumer sat down and brought up some of the most delicate and tough political issue, like the wall itself. He embraced it. Two hours later, called back and rejected it," Durbin told Vox Saturday . "It's very difficult to bargain with someone who is so unpredictable."
Durbin pointed to Kelly as the person who quashed the progress between the president and Schumer.
"As soon as the guest leaves the office, Gen. Kelly calls in the right wingers and they bat it down and say you can't do it," Durbin said. "We'll never reach an agreement unless there's a more open approach at the White House and the president is more constructive."
It's not the first time the wall has signaled a divide in the White House. Kelly met with Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill last Wednesday, repeating what many have known for a long time : A physical border wall will not stretch the entire southern border, Mexico won't be paying for it. Then Trump tweeted Thursday morning that the wall "will be paid for, directly or indirectly, or through longer term reimbursement, by Mexico."
Joshua Roberts | Reuters A Senate staffer places a sign blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for shutdown of the Federal Government before a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2018. The latest breakdown in immigration talks is over legal immigration
The biggest breakdown in immigration talks is no longer over the wall. Senior White House officials like Kelly and Miller have ensured that immigration negotiations prioritize ending legal immigration programs like the diversity visa program, and protections for children crossing the US border alone.
Gutierrez said Kelly has "now turned into one of the most ardent proponents of very restrictive immigration policy," and aligned himself with conservative immigration hardliners in the Senate including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Sen. David Perdue (R-GA). Gutierrez added he hoped a White House Chief of staff would remain independent on these issues, but said he's seeing no such autonomy from Kelly.
For Gutierrez, the recent developments are a signifier of something else coming from the White House: prejudice against Hispanics and other immigrants.
"I don't really believe it's about security. It's about saying 'brown people, stay out of the country.' And the president said as much," he said. "It's very demeaning to demand a wall. For me, why don't you take your middle finger and just point it at Mexico and point it at everybody. Because it's the same thing."
Despite seemingly agreeing to bipartisan immigration deals in the moment, Trump has repeatedly backtracked meetings with moderate Republicans and Democrats, instead doubling down on assurances he's made to conservatives. This week Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told reporters that Trump promised not to back any immigration deal that didn't have Meadows or Cotton's blessing.
Their vision, however, goes far beyond a deal Democrats could sign on to.
The silence is deafening Earlier this week, Kelly met with 25 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Publicly, CHC members said the meeting was positive, but Gutierrez said that Kelly displayed a certain "naïveté" as when he told lawmakers he envisioned a merit-based immigration system where people speaking English and educated were allowed into the United States.
"That's the naïveté, that you could come to 25 members of Congress whose moms and dads came out here without speaking English, and without any formal educations, and say to us, 'Those are the wrong people. Your moms and dads are the wrong people, and if they hadn't been here, I wouldn't have to be negotiating with you,'" Gutierrez said.
Since Friday afternoon, communication between the White House and the Senate Democrats seems to have gone into radio silence.
As of Sunday morning, neither Trump nor Kelly had spoken with Schumer, MSNBC's Kasie Hunt reported . And Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), one of the moderate Senate Republicans working with Democrats to come to a bipartisan immigration deal said he knew of no communication from the White House to the Senate.
"From the White House, I don't know of any negotiations that are going on," Flake said. "The only negotiations I know of are among us, here."
Rather than negotiating with Democrats and moderate Republicans who are working on a bipartisan immigration legislation bill, the Trump White House seems to be limiting their talks to hardline conservatives in the House and Senate. House conservatives have the president's ear.
If there's going to be a DACA deal on the president's desk, some of these promises will have to be broken. But as long as Trump and Republican leaders are keep their word with conservatives, there's no deal to be had. | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/21/how-john-kellys-white-house-made-build-a-wall-moderate.html |
BRIEF-Infosys Retains FY 18 Rev Guidance In Constant Currency At 5.5-6.5 Pct | Jan 12 (Reuters) - Infosys Ltd:
* FY 18 REVENUE GUIDANCE IN CONSTANT CURRENCY RETAINED AT 5.5 PERCENT-6.5 PERCENT
* FY 18 OPERATING MARGIN RANGE UNCHANGED AT 23 PERCENT-25 PERCENT
* NET EMPLOYEE ADDITION 3,251 IN DEC QUARTER * COMMITTEE OF DIRECTORS STANDS DISSOLVED W.E.F JAN 12 Source text: bit.ly/2FvlsqE
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-infosys-retains-fy-18-rev-guidance/brief-infosys-retains-fy-18-rev-guidance-in-constant-currency-at-5-5-6-5-pct-idUSFWN1P702G |
LaDue's first NHL goal helps Kings top Stars | Paul LaDue scored his first NHL goal and Drew Doughty scored his 100th as the Los Angeles Kings throttled the Dallas Stars 3-0 Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
Darcy Kuemper, getting a start in net as Los Angeles placed Jonathan Quick on injured reserve, stopped 28 shots to earn his second shutout in just 11 starts this season.
Quick missed the All-Star Game with what the team termed a lingering injury, but he would have drawn a one-game suspension from the NHL for opting out of the event had he remained on the active roster.
Alec Martinez also scored for the Kings, who won their second consecutive game after dropping six of seven just before the All-Star break. The Stars stayed in fourth place in the Central Division with 60 points, only one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild.
LaDue initiated the scoring at 3:05 of the first period, thanks to big efforts from linemates Alex Iafallo and Anze Kopitar. Iafallo kept the puck in the zone, and Kopitar skated around multiple defenders to set up LaDue in the right circle. LaDue wired a wrister past goalie Ben Bishop.
Doughty made it 2-0 on the power play at 5:09 of the second period. Fellow defenseman Jake Muzzin teed him up at the right point for a one-timer that Bishop appeared to stop. However, the puck escaped Bishop and appeared to nick defenseman Stephen Johns in the skate just before crossing the goal line.
Martinez added insurance only 65 seconds into the third period, shortly after a Dallas power play concluded. Bishop stopped Tanner Pearson on a breakaway, but Torrey Mitchell collected the rebound, and Martinez picked up the puck along the left boards. Martinez’s wrister tipped off a defender’s stick and beat Bishop to the short side.
Bishop made 39 saves in the losing effort as the Stars dropped their second consecutive game. Dallas failed to convert any of its four power-play chances.
--Field Level Media
| https://www.reuters.com/article/icehockey-nhl-dal-lak-recap/ladues-first-nhl-goal-helps-kings-top-stars-idUSMTZEE1VEK75MG |
White House: Trump to host bipartisan meeting on immigration next week | January 4, 2018 / 7:37 PM / Updated 25 minutes ago White House: Trump to host bipartisan meeting on immigration next week Reuters Staff 1 Min Read
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump would hold a bipartisan meeting on U.S. immigration reform next week. Flanked by Senator Chuck Grassley (L) and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen (R), U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican members of the Senate about immigration at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
“Next week the president is inviting a bipartisan group of senators to the White House to discuss the next steps on responsible immigration reform,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Katanga Johnson; Editing by David Alexander | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-immigration-trump/white-house-trump-to-host-bipartisan-meeting-on-immigration-next-week-idUKKBN1ET29D |
Rocket Pharmaceuticals Prices Public Offering of Common Stock | NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCKT) (“Rocket”), a leading U.S.-based multi-platform gene therapy company, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 5,500,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $13.25 per share. The gross proceeds to Rocket from the offering are expected to be $72,875,000 before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses. Rocket has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 825,000 shares of common stock. All the shares in the offering are to be sold by Rocket. The offering is expected to close on or about January 26, 2018, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Rocket intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the continued development of its pipeline of gene therapies for rare diseases, enhancements to in-house manufacturing, and general corporate purposes.
Cowen and Evercore ISI are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.
The shares are being offered by Rocket pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that was previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A final prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of this offering will be filed with the SEC. When available, copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to these securities may be obtained from Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Services, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by telephone at (631) 274-2806 and Evercore Group L.L.C., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 55 East 52nd Street, 36th Floor, New York, NY 10055, by telephone at 888-474-0200, or by email at ecm.prospectus@evercore.com . You may also obtain these documents free of charge by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov .
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCKT) (“Rocket”) is an emerging, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class gene therapy treatment options for rare, undertreated diseases. Rocket’s multi-platform development approach applies the well-established lentiviral vector (LVV) and adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) gene therapy platforms. Rocket's lead clinical program is a LVV-based gene therapy for the treatment of Fanconi Anemia (FA), a difficult to treat genetic disease that leads to bone marrow failure and potentially cancer. Preclinical studies of additional bone marrow-derived disorders are ongoing and target Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD), Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I) and Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis (IMO). Rocket is also developing an AAV-based gene therapy program for an undisclosed rare pediatric disease.
Forward-looking Statements
Various statements in this release concerning Rocket’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation, Rocket’s expectations regarding the safety, effectiveness and timing of products that Rocketmay develop, including in collaboration with academic partners, to treat Fanconi Anemia (FA), Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I), Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD) and Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis (IMO), and the safety, effectiveness and timing of related pre-clinical studies and clinical studies, may constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws and are subject to substantial risks, uncertainties and assumptions. You should not place reliance on these forward-looking statements, which often include words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "will give", "estimate", "seek", "will", "may", "suggest" or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of those terms. Although Rocket believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Rocket cannot guarantee such outcomes. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation, Rocket’s ability to successfully demonstrate the efficacy and safety of such products and pre-clinical and clinical studies, its gene therapy programs, the pre-clinical and clinical results for its product candidates, which may not support further development and marketing approval, the potential advantages of Rocket’s product candidates, actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials of its product candidates, Rocket’s and its licensors ability to obtain, maintain and protect its and their respective intellectual property, the timing, cost or other aspects of a potential commercial launch of Rocket’s product candidates, Rocket’s ability to manage operating expenses, Rocket’s ability to obtain additional funding to support its business activities and establish and maintain strategic business alliances and new business initiatives, Rocket’s dependence on third parties for development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of product candidates, the outcome of litigation, and unexpected expenditures, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by Rocket with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its recently completed merger. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and Rocket undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180124005635/en/
Claudine Prowse, Ph.D.
SVP Corporate Development and IRO
Rocket Pharma, Inc.
The Alexandria Center for Life Science
430 East 29 Street, Suite 1040
New York, NY 10016
cp@rocketpharma.com
Source: Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/business-wire-rocket-pharmaceuticals-prices-public-offering-of-common-stock.html |
Here's why every industry should be looking at blockchain | Here's why every industry should be looking at blockchain 37 Mins Ago The technology behind bitcoin may prove as transformative as the internet. With or without cryptocurrency, blockchain looks here to stay. | https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/01/11/heres-why-every-industry-should-be-looking-at-blockchain.html |
Spain's Telefonica in talks to include Netflix content on TV platform -source | MADRID, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Telefonica and Netflix are close to reaching an accord which will permit the Spanish telecommunications company to include the U.S. group’s content as part of its television service, a source close to the talks said on Monday.
The two companies were close to an agreement which would most likely take a few weeks to finalise, the source said.
Telefonica, which has some 3.7 million subscribers for its television service Movistar+, declined to comment.
Netflix, which was not immediately available for comment, has around 1.16 million subscribers in Spain. (Reporting by Carlos Ruano; writing by Paul Day; editing by Jason Neely)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/telefonica-netflix/spains-telefonica-in-talks-to-include-netflix-content-on-tv-platform-source-idUSL8N1PO2OO |
Exclusive - Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger role on arms sales: sources | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is nearing completion of a new “Buy American” plan that calls for U.S. military attaches and diplomats to help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the U.S. weapons industry, going beyond the limited assistance they currently provide, officials said.
U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House from Camp David, in Washington, U.S., January 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert President Donald Trump is expected to announce a “whole of government” approach that will also ease export rules on U.S. military exports and give greater weight to the economic benefits for American manufacturers in a decision-making process that has long focused heavily on human rights considerations, according to people familiar with the plan.
The initiative, which will encompass everything from fighter jets and drones to warships and artillery, is expected to be launched as early as February, senior officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A key policy change would call for embassy staffers around the world to act essentially as a sales force for defense contractors, actively advocating on their behalf. It was unclear, however, what specific guidelines would be established.
But under this more proactive approach, embassy staffers would engage more aggressively with foreign counterparts to push for U.S. arms sales and brief visiting senior U.S. officials so they can help advance pending deals, according to a person familiar with the matter. One senior administration official described the proposal as a “180-degree shift” in the current arms-length approach to foreign weapons sales.
Trump is seeking to fulfill a 2016 election campaign promise to create jobs in the United States by selling more goods and services abroad to bring down the U.S. trade deficit from a six-year high of $50 billion.
The administration is also under pressure from U.S. defense contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia. But any loosening of the restrictions on weapons sales would be in defiance of human rights and arms control advocates who said there was too great a risk of fueling violence in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia or arms being diverted to be used in terrorist attacks.
ARMS REGULATIONS Besides greater use of a network of military and commercial attaches already stationed at U.S. embassies in foreign capitals, senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said another thrust of the plan will be to set in motion a realignment of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). It is a central policy governing arms exports since 1976 and has not been fully revamped in more than three decades.
This expanded government effort on behalf of American arms makers, together with looser restrictions on weapons exports and more favorable treatment of sales to non-NATO allies and partners, could bring additional billions of dollars in deals and more jobs, the senior U.S. official said, without providing specifics.
The strategy of having the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department take a more active role in securing foreign arms deals could especially benefit major defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin ( LMT.N ) and Boeing Co ( BA.N ).
“We want to see those guys, the commercial and military attaches, unfettered to be salesmen for this stuff, to be promoters,” said the senior administration official, who is close to the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.
A State Department official, asked to confirm details of the coming new policy, said the revamped approach “gives our partners a greater capacity to help share the burden of international security, benefits the defense industrial base and will provide more good jobs for American workers.”
The White House and Pentagon declined official comment.
Defense industry officials and lobbyists have privately welcomed what they expect will be a more sales-friendly approach.
Trump, a Republican, has the legal authority to direct government embassy “security assistance officers,” both military personnel and civilians, to do more to help drive arms sales.
Administration officials see this group, which until now has had more limited duties such as helping to manage U.S. military aid overseas and providing some information to foreign governments for buying U.S. arms, as underutilized by previous presidents.
Graphic on U.S. arms sales: tmsnrt.rs/2CZkZMB
‘BACK SEAT’ FOR HUMAN RIGHTS?
One national security analyst said that easing export restrictions to allow defense contractors to reap greater profits internationally would increase the danger of top-of-the-line U.S. weapons going to governments with poor human rights records or being used by militants.
“This administration has demonstrated from the very beginning that human rights have taken a back seat to economic concerns,” said Rachel Stohl, director of the conventional defense program at the Stimson Center in Washington. “And the short-sightedness of a new arms export policy could have serious long-term implications.” The administration officials said human rights and regional security concerns would remain part of the formula for arms sales decisions. But they said such reviews would now afford greater weight than before to whether a deal would be good for the U.S. economy and strengthen America’s defense industrial base, in which case red tape would be cut accordingly. Rules to make it easier to sell U.S.-made military drones overseas and compete against fast-growing Chinese and Israeli rivals are also expected to be in the Trump plan, officials said.
Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, also sought to make it easier to sell to America’s most trusted allies but in a more cautious approach that his administration billed as a way to boost American business while keeping strict controls against more dangerous arms proliferation. Foreign weapons sales soared during his tenure, with the United States retaining its position as the world’s top arms supplier.
Shares of the five biggest U.S. defense contractors, including Lockheed, Boeing, Raytheon Co ( RTN.N ), General Dynamics Corp ( GD.N ) and Northrop Grumman ( NOC.N ) have more than tripled over the last five years and currently trade at or near all-time highs. Foreign military sales in fiscal 2017, comprising much of Trump’s first year in office and the final months of Obama’s term, climbed to $42 billion, compared to $31 billion in the prior year, according to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The Trump administration has already moved forward on several controversial sales. Those include a push for $7 billion in precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia despite concerns they have contributed to civilian deaths in the Saudi campaign in Yemen’s civil war and the unblocking of $3 billion in arms to Bahrain, which was also held up by human rights concerns under Obama.
Similar concerns have been raised over the administration’s preparations to make it easier for American gun makers to sell small arms, including assault rifles and ammunition, to foreign buyers.
A draft of the overall policy recently finished by teams of State, Defense and Commerce Department officials coordinated by Trump’s National Security Council must now be approved by a senior cabinet members before being sent to his desk, the government | https://in.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-weapons/exclusive-trump-to-call-on-pentagon-diplomats-to-play-bigger-role-on-arms-sales-sources-idINKBN1EX0X1 |
BRIEF-Petroshale Announces Financing Transaction And Operations Update | 11 PM / Updated 10 minutes ago BRIEF-Petroshale Announces Financing Transaction And Operations Update Reuters Staff
Jan 2 (Reuters) - Petroshale Inc:
* PETROSHALE ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC FINANCING TRANSACTION AND OPERATIONS UPDATE
* PETROSHALE INC - ENTERED INTO AN INVESTMENT AGREEMENT WITH FIRST RESERVE FOR FINANCING FOR GROSS PROCEEDS OF US$75 MILLION
* PETROSHALE INC - FIRST RESERVE AGREED TO ACQUIRE US$75 MILLION OF SERIES A PREFERRED SHARES IN CO‘S WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY, PETROSHALE (US), INC | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-petroshale-announces-financing-tra/brief-petroshale-announces-financing-transaction-and-operations-update-idUSASB0BZEG |
Britain will not hold a second EU referendum: May's spokesman | LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will not hold a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, her spokesman said on Thursday in response to growing calls for a new vote on Brexit.
Earlier, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said he was warming to the idea of holding a second referendum, arguing that another vote would see “Leave” win again and end the debate. Many pro-EU supporters also support another vote, saying Britons were not given all the information in the first referendum and that public opinion was changing.
Reporting by William James, writing by Elizabeth Piper
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-referendum/britain-will-not-hold-a-second-eu-referendum-mays-spokesman-idUSKBN1F01CV |
BRIEF-Union Bankshares Q4 Earnings Per Share $0.35 | 54 PM / in 8 minutes BRIEF-Union Bankshares Q4 Earnings Per Share $0.35 Reuters Staff
Jan 23 (Reuters) - Union Bankshares Corp:
* UNION BANKSHARES REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR RESULTS AND DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND * Q4 EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.35
* Q4 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.50 -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S * Q4 OPERATING EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.52
* FOR Q4 OF 2017, NET INTEREST INCOME WAS $73.4 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF $2.2 MILLION FROM Q3 OF 2017
* DURING Q4 2017, CO RECORDED $6.3 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL TAX EXPENSE BASED ON COMPANY‘S PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF IMPACT OF TAX ACT Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-union-bankshares-q4-earnings-per-s/brief-union-bankshares-q4-earnings-per-share-0-35-idUSASB0C1V1 |
EMERGING MARKETS-Currencies jump as dollar dips; Argentina's Merval breaches 35,000 | EMERGING MARKETS-Currencies jump as dollar dips; Argentina's Merval breaches 35,000 Rodrigo Campos Published 11:05 AM
35,000@ (Updates with final prices, Mexico details) NEW YORK, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Mexican peso touched its strongest against the dollar in nearly four months on Thursday as the U.S. currency continued to weaken, while Argentina's Merval stock index briefly broke above the 35,000-point mark for the first time. Many emerging currencies hit multi-year highs against the greenback, with the dollar index languishing at more than three-year lows after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin departed from traditional U.S. currency policy, saying "obviously a weaker dollar is good for us." Colombia's peso added to Wednesday's 1.4 percent gain against the dollar to reach its strongest since July 2015, while the Chilean peso could close under 600 per dollar for the first time since May 2015. Brazilian markets were closed for the Sao Paulo anniversary holiday but are expected to soon extend a rally that boosted the benchmark Bovespa stock index to an all-time high above 83,000 points on Wednesday. That advance came after an appeals court upheld a corruption conviction of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Although the conviction could derail his plans to run again for the presidency, Lula, who is leading opinion polls for the October election, said on Thursday he would appeal the decision. Brazilian and Argentine shares have led a Latin American equities rally to start the year that has MSCI's gauge of the region's stocks set for its largest January gains since 2006.
Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1545 GMT:
Stock indexes daily % YTD % Latest change change MSCI Emerging Markets 1262.45 0.29 8.66 MSCI LatAm 3198.99 0.92 12.09 Brazil Bovespa 9.53 Mexico IPC 50881.41 0.27 3.09 Chile IPSA 5824.19 0.45 4.67 Chile IGPA 29265.95 0.4 4.59 Argentina Merval 34773.14 -0.5 15.66 Colombia IGBC 12262.79 -0.42 7.85 Currencies daily % YTD % change change
Latest
Brazil real 3.1470 0.35 5.28 Mexico peso 18.4500 0.29 6.77 Chile peso 598.68 0.62 2.67 Colombia peso 2790.37 0.73 6.87 Peru sol 3.209 0.12 0.87 Argentina peso (interbank) 19.5400 0.67 -4.81 Argentina peso (parallel) 19.9 0.65 -3.37
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Bernadette Baum) | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/25/reuters-america-emerging-markets-currencies-jump-as-dollar-dips-argentinas-merval-breaches-35000.html |
Over 200,000 sign petition in South Korea to stop bitcoin regulation | A petition in South Korea against cryptocurrency regulation has reached the number of signatures that would induce a government response.
As of Tuesday morning, ET, more than 212,700 had signed a petition launched Dec. 28 on the website of the South Korean presidential office. A Google translation of the website states that if more than 200,000 people support a petition within 30 days, officials will respond.
"Our people have been able to make a happy dream that they have never had in Korea because of virtual money," the anonymous author of the petition wrote, according to a Google translation. "People are not stupid. ... virtual money is invested because it is judged to be the fourth revolution."
The petition did support South Korea's recent actions on cryptocurrencies, such as banning anonymous trading accounts .
"However, I wish that the economy will not decline due to unjustifiable regulations in the present situation," the Google translation of the petition said.
Unemployment among South Korean youth, or those ages 15 to 29, is around 9 percent, nearly three times the national average, according to Statistics Korea. Young people are generally more interested in buying and selling digital currencies than their elders.
In the last several months, South Korea has accounted for a significant portion of the trading volume in digital currencies such as bitcoin, ethereum and ripple. Earlier this month, ripple prices appeared to plunge in U.S. dollar terms after CoinMarketCap said it was excluding price information from some Korean exchanges due to "extreme divergences in price from the rest of the world."
South Korean regulators have become increasingly vocal in the last few weeks on trying to limit speculation in digital currencies.
Bitcoin briefly fell more than 17 percent to a six-week low after South Korea Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said that shutting down digital currency exchanges is still an option for the government, according to an English-language report Tuesday from South Korea's Yonhap News.
However, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said in a separate Tuesday report from Yonhap that shutting down the digital currency exchanges would require approval from the National Assembly. | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/over-200000-sign-petition-in-south-korea-to-stop-bitcoin-regulation.html |
BRIEF-Anika Therapeutics Expands Strategic Collaboration With Institute For Applied Life Sciences | Jan 24 (Reuters) - Anika Therapeutics Inc:
* ANIKA THERAPEUTICS EXPANDS STRATEGIC COLLABORATION WITH THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES (IALS) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE THERAPY FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-anika-therapeutics-expands-strateg/brief-anika-therapeutics-expands-strategic-collaboration-with-institute-for-applied-life-sciences-idUSFWN1PJ19U |
New U.S. sanctions attempt to influence Russia before election: Tass | January 13, 2018 / 1:04 PM / Updated 9 hours ago New U.S. sanctions attempt to influence Russia before election: Tass
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A new round of U.S. sanctions expected against Moscow is an attempt to influence Russia’s domestic affairs ahead of a presidential election, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Saturday.
Washington is expected to impose fresh penalties against Russia as soon as early February for its alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential vote. Russia has repeatedly denied this.
Moscow expects the United States to present two anti-Russian reports with the sanctions, Ryabkov told Tass news agency.
One of the reports will likely extend the number of Russian officials and companies on the sanctions list, while the other will analyse whether sanctions so far have proved to be effective, Ryabkov said.
“We see this as yet another attempt to influence our internal situation, especially ahead of the presidential election,” he said.
Russia will hold its next presidential vote on March 18 when President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win another six-year stint.
In August, U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a new package of sanctions drafted by U.S. lawmakers. The new legislation also limits Trump’s own ability to lift any sanctions against Russia.
The first U.S. sanctions against Russia were imposed in 2014 for its role in the Ukrainian crisis and for annexing Crimea. The European Union has also imposed penalties against Moscow, prompting it to retaliate with banning food imports from countries that sanction Russia.
The new round of U.S. sanctions could possibly include a ban on the purchase of Russian treasury bonds. Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; editing by Clelia Oziel | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-us-sanctions/new-u-s-sanctions-attempt-to-influence-russia-before-election-tass-idUSKBN1F20GN |
Toshiba sees $3.7 billion balance sheet improvement from Westinghouse deal | (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp said on Thursday it had clinched an agreement to sell its claims in bankrupt U.S. nuclear plant maker Westinghouse Electric Co LLC in a deal that would add $3.7 billion to the Japanese owner’s depleted capital base.
The Japanese conglomerate has also agreed to transfer its Westinghouse-related shares to Canada’s Brookfield Business Partners ( BBU_u.TO ), which earlier this month agreed to buy the unit for $4.6 billion - money that will be used to repay the nuclear plant maker’s creditors.
These deals could help clear Westinghouse’s path out of bankruptcy before Toshiba’s financial year ends in March, while also allowing the Japanese firm to resolve its negative net worth and stay listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Toshiba said in a statement that it would sell its claims against Westinghouse to a group of hedge funds led by the Baupost Group, and that the deal that would contribute about 410 billion yen ($3.68 billion) to its capital base.
The deal, first reported by Reuters earlier in the day, will make the group of hedge funds Westinghouse’s biggest creditor, helping cut down the fights among several creditors that had threatened to slow down the resolution of the bankruptcy.
The group led by Baupost has already bought claims worth more than $2.2 billion from Scana Corp, a South Carolina utility that contracted Westinghouse to build two reactors.
The South Carolina project, and another in Georgia, went billions of dollars over the fixed-price contract, forcing Westinghouse into bankruptcy in March.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the American company Westinghouse is pictured in Le Bourget, near Paris October 14, 2014. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Westinghouse’s bankruptcy pushed Toshiba into a crisis and prompted Toshiba to sell its memory chip business for $18 billion to shore up its balance sheet. The Japanese firm also forecast a negative net worth of 750 billion yen at end-March.
But finances are set to be shored up by the Baupost deal, which includes an after-tax profit of about 170 billion yen from the sale of claims and tax benefits of about 240 billion yen, Toshiba said. It added the company would promptly announce any revised forecasts as appropriate.
Toshiba shares rose as much as 2.9 percent in early trade on Thursday, and was flat at around 0443 GMT, while the Nikkei was up 0.46 percent.
Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse, which traces its roots to the 19th century, was acquired by Toshiba in 2006 for $5.4 billion at a time of increased interest in cleaner fuel sources.
In recent weeks, Citibank N.A. on behalf of the Baupost group of hedge funds has claimed it is owed as much as $7.5 billion by Westinghouse, alleging among other things gross negligence. The allegations are based on the South Carolina claims that the Baupost group has acquired.
Westinghouse disputed the new claims and said it threatened to delay the resolution of the case.
($1 = 111.4100 yen)
Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Minami Funakoshi in Tokyo; Editing by Leslie Adler and Himani Sarkar
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toshiba-accounting-westinghouse-bankr/toshiba-sees-3-7-billion-balance-sheet-improvement-from-westinghouse-deal-idUSKBN1F7028 |
U.S. service member killed, four injured in Afghanistan | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One U.S. service member was killed and four others wounded during a “combat engagement” in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, the U.S military said in a statement on Tuesday.
The incident took place on Monday in Achin, Nangarhar province, the statement said.
Two of the wounded service members are being treated at a medical facility and in stable condition, it added.
Nangarhar, on the porous border with Pakistan, has become a stronghold for Islamic State, generally known as Daesh in Afghanistan, which has grown to become a dangerous militant group since it appeared around the start of 2015.
The Taliban and Islamic State have frequently fought each other in Nangarhar and both have been targeted by sustained U.S. air strikes.
The exact nature of the relationship between the two groups is little understood. There have been isolated incidents in Afghanistan in which the fighters of both appear to have cooperated.
There are currently about 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and under President Donald Trump’s South Asia strategy, U.S. troops are allowed to accompany Afghan forces at the battalion level, potentially putting them at greater risk.
Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Tom Brown
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-military/u-s-service-member-killed-four-injured-in-afghanistan-idUSKBN1ER1EX |
Romana Food Brands Corp. to change its name to Romana Food Blockchain Corp. | OAKVILLE, ON, Jan. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Romana Food Brands Corp. (OTC: RFBC) announced today it will be changing its name to Romana Food Blockchain Corp. further to the announcement on the development of the next generation blockchain food traceability and control application.
According to the company, the name change is representative of the change to its core corporate focus on the development of the next generation blockchain food traceability and control application. The company intends on filing the name change with FINRA in the coming days.
"The popularity of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, such as Ethereum, is not surprising due to the great underlying blockchain technology which enables the coins." said Mr. Morrie Fogelbaum, Chairman of Romana Food Brands Corp. "Using the same blockchain protocols, and designing a new approach to traceability, Romana will be able to capture a significant portion of the growing $16 billion market" further added Mr. Fogelbaum.
About Romana Food Bands Corp.
Romana Food Brands Corp is an emerging leader in the authentic Italian Food sector. The company is in the process of acquiring food processing plants specializing in Italian products. It is currently in the final stages of acquiring plants in North America and in Italy.
Safe Harbor Act: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
For more information visit Romana's website at: http://romanafoodbrands.com
SOURCE Romana Food Brands Corp | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/pr-newswire-romana-food-brands-corp-to-change-its-name-to-romana-food-blockchain-corp.html |
Chinese Auto Maker Dumping ‘Trumpchi’ Name for U.S. Push | Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. is planning to be the first Chinese auto maker to enter the U.S. market, but first it needs to ditch its “Trumpchi” brand name.
Guangzhou Auto aims to start selling vehicles to American buyers in 2019, but it has decided the Trumpchi name is too politically charged for the U.S. venture. In an interview Monday at the Detroit auto show, GAC executive Yu Jun said the company decided to pull the plug on the name even though it has been active in China for several years.
... | https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-auto-maker-dumping-trumpchi-name-for-u-s-push-1516058192 |
Eleven EU members back Swiss in dispute with Brussels | January 30, 2018 / 3:21 PM / Updated an hour ago Eleven EU members back Swiss in dispute with Brussels Reuters Staff 3 Min Read
ZURICH/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Finance ministry officials from 11 European Union countries have backed non-member Switzerland in a dispute with Brussels over Swiss stock exchange access to the single market, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The letter to the European Commission from the 11 -- including Germany, Austria and Britain -- said Switzerland was treated unfairly last month when its exchanges got only one year of market access.
Bern has threatened to retaliate against what it calls unacceptable discrimination, hurting ties with its main trading partner that had been easing after the Swiss parliament in 2016 skirted voters’ demands for immigration quotas on EU citizens.
The Commission must certify that other countries’ exchanges have rules in place that are equivalent to new EU standards.
All 28 EU members except Britain, which is leaving the EU, backed the one-year access proposal in December after the Commission changed tack from an original proposal in November for unlimited Swiss access, which won member approval.
Such a switch was warranted “only in very exceptional cases”, the letter said.
“Although we did not express our opposition to the resubmitted draft equivalence decision due to the need for an equivalence decision to be in place for 3 January 2018, we continue to pursue the goal of an unlimited equivalence recognition of the legal and supervisory framework applicable to stock exchanges in Switzerland,” it added.
One EU diplomat said there was a risk of setting a dangerous precedent that might be used for Britain after its exit from the bloc.
A Commission spokesman stressed that the eventual decision had been unanimous.
“The fact that somebody then after the decision wrote a letter is another matter,” he said.
Bern wants the same regulatory status for Swiss bourses as those in other countries have, enabling EU investors to trade in Switzerland, a crucial source of exchange volume.
Diplomatic sources say the hardball approach arose from Commission ire over Swiss foot-dragging on a new treaty that Brussels wants to replace a patchwork of 120 bilateral accords now governing ties.
The project has hit obstacles as right-wing and conservative parties in Switzerland baulk at giving the European Court of Justice a say in settling disputes over EU laws that Switzerland would have to adopt as the price of enhanced access to the single market.
Many argue that Switzerland should await the outcome of British-EU Brexit negotiations before signing any new accord.
New Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is supposed to present his cabinet colleagues on Wednesday with proposals to break the logjam. Reporting by Michael Shields in Zurich, Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels; Editing by Adrian Croft | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-swiss-eu/eleven-eu-members-back-swiss-in-dispute-with-brussels-idUKKBN1FJ253 |
Simmons' triple-double leads Sixers past Bulls | EditorsNote: minor edits
Ben Simmons posted a triple-double consisting of 19 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists in leading the Philadelphia 76ers past the visiting Chicago Bulls 115-101 Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Simmons registered his fifth career triple-double in just his 43rd NBA game. Only Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (14) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (seven) have more triple-doubles than Simmons this season.
Joel Embiid scored 22 points, Dario Saric added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Robert Covington contributed 16 points for the Sixers, who moved two games above .500. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Justin Anderson had 12 apiece.
For Embiid, it was his 26th game of at least 20 points this season.
The Sixers were short-handed without guards T.J. McConnell (personal reasons), JJ Redick (leg) and Jerryd Bayless (wrist).
Philadelphia never trailed and led by as many as 25 points as it has won eight of its last 10 games.
The Bulls were led by Bobby Portis with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 21 points, Nikola Mirotic added 15 and Lauri Markkanen had 12. David Nwaba contributed 10.
The Sixers were hot from beyond the arc, going 16 of 32.
The Bulls, however, hit just 11 of 37 from 3-point territory after starting 4 of 24.
Chicago made a brief push in the fourth with an 8-0 run, but the Sixers responded with a jumper by Covington and a three-point play by Embiid for a 108-88 advantage with 4:35 left.
It was more than enough of a cushion.
Embiid knocked down a 3-pointer for a 25-point bulge, 79-54, with 4:24 remaining in the third.
The Bulls did run off eight in a row to close within 79-62, but Philadelphia was still able to end the third up 85-67.
Simmons nearly compiled his triple-double by halftime with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, and the Sixers held a 55-41 lead at the break. Simmons swept 11 rebounds in the first quarter alone and nearly tied a franchise record for rebounds in a quarter held by Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain.
--Field Level Media
| https://www.reuters.com/article/basketball-nba-phi-chi-recap/simmons-triple-double-leads-sixers-past-bulls-idUSMTZEE1P3AYRY6 |
A single ticket wins the $450 Mega Millions prize | A single ticket wins the $450 Mega Millions prize 01:08
Lottery officials say one Mega Millions ticket holder in Florida is the winner of the $450 million jackpot prize -- the fourth largest in the game's history. Jillian Kitchener reports.
Lottery officials say one Mega Millions ticket holder in Florida is the winner of the $450 million jackpot prize -- the fourth largest in the game's history. Jillian Kitchener reports. //reut.rs/2CNHneV | https://uk.reuters.com/video/2018/01/06/a-single-ticket-wins-the-450-mega-millio?videoId=379616067 |
Argentina's Bioceres says planned IPO will power its growth plan | BUENOS AIRES, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Argentine biotechnology firm Bioceres will use the $100 million it seeks by way of an initial public offering to power its current business, pay debt and make a minor acquisition, company CEO Federico Trucco said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
Two days earlier the company applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate on Wall Street.
Bioceres is a developer of agricultural genetics in Argentina, the world’s top exporter of soymeal livestock feed.
“The capitalization is fundamentally for a growth plan having to do with the commercialization of products that we have ready today,” Trucco said. “There is going to be a minor acquisition and repayment of debt.”
Rosario-based Bioceres develops genes for soy, corn and wheat that withstand drought and cold temperatures. It makes insecticides, fungicides, bio-fertilizers and chemical-based fertilizers.
On Monday it filed a registration statement with the SEC for a proposed initial public offering of American depositary shares (ADSs) representing its ordinary shares. The number of ADSs to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.
Bioceres also has filed a petition to offer its ordinary shares in Argentina before the local market regulator.
Foreign investors have been seeking more opportunities to buy Argentine equities since market-friendly President Mauricio Macri took office in December 2015. (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Editing by Bill Trott)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | https://www.reuters.com/article/argentina-ipo-bioceres/argentinas-bioceres-says-planned-ipo-will-power-its-growth-plan-idUSL1N1P51AP |
MISTRAS Group Names Edward J. Prajzner Chief Financial Officer | PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE:MG), a leading "one source" global provider of technology-enabled asset protection solutions, named Edward J. Prajzner its new Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective January 5, 2018.
Prior to joining MISTRAS Group, Mr. Prajzner served as Chief Financial Officer of CECO Environmental Corporation, a global service provider to environmental, energy and filtration industries.
Dennis M. Bertolotti, MISTRAS President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We are pleased to have Ed join the MISTRAS team. He brings us extensive experience as a senior financial officer who helps drive effective accounting and internal control disciplines. We look forward to leveraging his expertise, which includes a strong track record in managing the balance sheet and investor relations. I want to thank Jon Wolk for functioning as both our Chief Operating Officer and our acting Chief Financial Officer for these last several months. Effective with Ed joining the Company, Jon is transferring to Ed his former responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer."
Prior to serving as CECO Environmental's CFO, Mr. Prajzner, a CPA, began his career at Ernst & Young before holding senior finance roles at CDI Corporation (now AE Industrial Partners), and American Infrastructure (now Allan Myers). He earned a BS from Villanova University and an MBA from Temple University.
About MISTRAS Group, Inc.
MISTRAS is a leading “one source” global provider of technology-enabled asset protection solutions used to evaluate the structural integrity of critical energy, industrial and public infrastructure. Mission critical services and solutions are delivered globally and provide customers with asset life extension, improved productivity and profitability, compliance with government safety and environmental regulations, and enhanced risk management operational decisions.
MISTRAS uniquely combines its industry-leading products and technologies - 24/7 on-line monitoring of critical assets; mechanical integrity (MI) and non-destructive testing (NDT) services; destructive testing (DT) services; process and fixed asset engineering and consulting services; and its world class enterprise inspection data management and analysis software (PCMS™) to provide comprehensive and competitive products, systems and services solutions from a single source provider.
For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.mistrasgroup.com or contact Nestor S. Makarigakis, Group Director, Marketing Communications at marcom@mistrasgroup.com .
Source:MISTRAS Group, Inc. | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/globe-newswire-mistras-group-names-edward-j-prajzner-chief-financial-officer.html |
BRIEF-Phoenix Group Says Central Management And Control, And Head Office Will Move From Jersey To United Kingdom | Jan 30 (Reuters) - Phoenix Group Holdings:
* WITH EFFECT FROM 31 JANUARY 2018 CENTRAL MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL, AND HEAD OFFICE, OF PGH WILL MOVE FROM JERSEY TO UNITED KINGDOM
* PGH WILL BE RESIDENT IN UNITED KINGDOM FOR TAX PURPOSES FROM JAN. 31
* CHANGE IN TAX RESIDENCY IS NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT PGH SHAREHOLDERS, OTHER THAN UK STAMP DUTY RESERVE TAX Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Bangalore.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-phoenix-group-says-central-managem/brief-phoenix-group-says-central-management-and-control-and-head-office-will-move-from-jersey-to-united-kingdom-idUSFWN1PP06V |
Bumble majority owner Badoo looking to sell for about $1.5 billion | Badoo, the majority owner of the dating application Bumble, which gives women sole power to initiate conversations, is seeking a sale that could value the company at about $1.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Badoo owned 79 percent of Bumble as of March 2016, according to TechCrunch . While Bumble is Badoo's largest U.S. property, Badoo's eponymous dating app has been one of the most downloaded dating apps in the world.
Match Group, non-U.S. based strategic buyers, and private equity buyers could be interested, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Badoo has hired J.P. Morgan Chase to help it find a buyer, the people said.
Bumble is best known for its dating app, which allows only women to initiate online conversations after a man and woman "match" by swiping right on each other's picture. The #metoo movement and growing attention to female empowerment against sexual harassment has made Bumble a particularly enticing asset to own right now, one of the people said.
The Bumble app has user growth of about 100 percent year over year, making it one of the fastest-growing dating properties, one of the people said. The app had more than 12.5 million users last year, according to Forbes.
In October, Bumble expanded its offerings with a business networking app called BumbleBizz. Like the main app, it will allow only women to initiate conversations.
Badoo is owned by Russian entrepreneur Andrey Andreev.
Bumble's founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, was also a co-founder of popular dating app Tinder. She left the company in 2014, and later filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against it, which was reportedly settled for "just over" $1 million.
WATCH: Bumble CEO breaks down the dating start-up's new business networking app show chapters Bumble's new Bizz redefining how we think about networking: CEO 4 Hours Ago | 04:02 | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/23/bumble-majority-owner-badoo-looking-to-sell-for-about-1-point-5-billion.html |
UPDATE 1-U.S. urges railroads to quickly install anti-crash safety system | (Adds details from letter, background)
WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao urged the nation's railroads and transit agencies to take all possible measures to meet deadlines to install a safety system called positive train control (PTC) to prevent crashes.
Letters dated Dec. 27, which were made public on Tuesday, said Chao wanted railroads to "greatly accelerate" efforts to meet congressional deadlines. A deadly Amtrak crash last month near Seattle that killed three occurred on a section of track that did not have the PTC system operating.
The system is designed to prevent derailments caused by excessive speed. Investigators have said several deadly U.S. train crashes in recent years could have been prevented if the system was in place.
In 2008, Congress mandated the implementation of PTC nationwide by the end of 2015, then extended that deadline until the end of 2018 when its installation became more complex than anticipated. The government can extend the deadline to 2020 to complete some aspects of the system.
The National Transportation Safety Board said last month the Amtrak train that derailed onto a highway near Seattle was going 78 miles per hour (125.5 km per hour) in a 30-mph zone.
The letters went to the chief executives of railroads, including Amtrak, BNSF Railway Co, Canadian National Railway , CSX Corp, Norfolk Southern Corp, Union Pacific Corp and transit systems in Chicago, Boston, New York, Boston, Newark, Seattle and Los Angeles.
Amtrak said last month it was "imperative that the rail industry urgently work together to get PTC activated on the national network as soon as possible - and certainly by the December 2018 federal deadline, if not before."
The Transportation Department said 12 of 41 railroads covered by the requirements report having installed less than 50 percent of the hardware required for their PTC systems as of Sept. 30. The government said the systems are in operation on 45 percent of route miles owned by freight railroads and just 24 percent of passenger railroads
Chao's letter said the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) leadership plans to work with railroads "to help create an increased level of urgency to underscore the imperative of meeting existing timeline expectations for rolling out this critical rail-safety technology."
The Association of American Railroads said on Tuesday that railroads are making progress on installing and testing PTC technology and freight railroads are on track to meet the deadlines established by Congress.
Separately, the Transportation Department wrote to U.S. senators on Tuesday asking them to approve the nomination of Ronald Batory to head the FRA. Batory, a former Conrail president, was approved unanimously by a committee but has been held up due to a dispute over a New York area infrastructure project.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Tom Brown and Susan Thomas) | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/02/reuters-america-update-1-u-s-urges-railroads-to-quickly-install-anti-crash-safety-system.html |
How to use the new Google app that matches your face with paintings | How to use the new Google app that matches your face with famous paintings SHARES Published 50 Mins Ago A new Arts & Culture app from Google can analyze your face and match it with well-known paintings. The results might vary depending on your hair or if you have glasses on and off It's a pretty fun way to discover a famous painting that looks at least somewhat like you.
A new app from Google attempts to accurately match your face to one in a famous painting, and it's getting a lot of attention.
The Google Arts & Culture app went viral over the weekend as people discovered the funny results it can provide. Some are accurate while others aren't so much.
Here's show you how to use it. First, download the Google Arts & Culture App from the App Store. Todd Haselton | CNBC Here's the link to the Google Play Store if you use Android. Open the app and you'll see this screen Todd Haselton | CNBC Scroll down until you see this: "Is your portrait in a museum?" Tap "Get started." Todd Haselton | CNBC Take a picture of yourself Todd Haselton | CNBC Now see your matches! Todd Haselton | CNBC
It says my mug matches most with Franklin Knight Lane by Ivan Olinksky, but also with the anonymous Portrait of a Man, and Jan gerrits van Egmond. Todd Haselton | CNBC Without my glasses I look like the child Master Robert Chase by William Merritt Chase. Go ahead and try it for yourself! | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/how-to-use-the-new-google-app-that-matches-your-face-with-paintings.html |
Walmart wage hike may show wage pressures building for lowest paid | January 11, 2018 / 8:37 PM / Updated 11 minutes ago Walmart wage hike may show wage pressures building for lowest paid Reuters Staff 5 Min Read
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Walmart’s tit-for-tat minimum wage battle with Target, ratcheting to $11 an hour for the least experienced workers with likely pressure to move higher, may signal broader gains to come for workers in a tightening U.S. labor market - a moment politicians and policymakers have been hoping for.
There are still problems, labor economists note, with overall wage gains weaker than would be expected with a 4.1 percent unemployment rate, comparatively large numbers of people in part time jobs, and millions of prime age adults between 25 and 54 years old not even looking for work.
But the Wal-Mart Stores Inc announcement, its third boost in entry level wages in as many years, is a possible sign wage pressure is building in general, as gains filter down to the lowest-paid jobs and the least-educated workers.
“This may be evidence that we are starting to see the wage acceleration,” that officials at organizations like the Federal Reserve have been anticipating as unemployment dropped to a 17 year low, said Jed Kolko, chief economist at the jobs website Indeed.
That, in turn, could boost U.S. economic growth overall and strengthen a U.S. inflation rate whose weakness has bedeviled the Fed for the last five years.
Kolko noted that while overall wage increases were modest last year at around 2.5 percent, data through November showed that workers with only a high school degree got average raises of 3.6 percent, while hourly rates for less well-paid positions rose 3.1 percent.
Wage increases at the lower end of the scale are typically a sign that labor markets are tight, said Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute.
“When you get low unemployment rates, that affects lower-wage workers the most,” Gould said. “Slack is diminishing.”
Whether slack is fully gone, however, is another question, and one which policymakers at the Federal Reserve and elsewhere are struggling to understand.
Along with the headline unemployment rate, a broader measure of joblessness that includes discouraged workers who have largely stopped job-hunting, as well as those only able to find part-time jobs, stood at 8.1 percent at the end of 2017. That is comparable to the hot economy years before the 2007 to 2009 economic crisis.
The Fed’s Beige Book research report in recent months has been filled with anecdotal stories, gathered by policymakers from the central bank’s 12 regional branches, of entrepreneurs struggling to fill positions and of wage pressures building.
Even at 2.5 percent, current wage growth is “likely to be greater than inflation, which means households would continue to enjoy gains in purchasing power,” Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist with the Economic Outlook Group, wrote in a recent analysis.
But the Fed isn’t claiming victory yet.
Job creation is expected to slow in coming months, as it inevitably does late in a recovery, with unemployment now well below the 4.6-percent level central bankers estimate the economy can sustain over the long run.
Yet, participation rates for prime-age workers remain around three percentage points below their late 1990s peak, translating into around 3 million 25- to 54-year-olds who could be employed or looking for jobs.
“We still have many months, if not a year or two, to get as tight we like,” said Gould.
The Walmart announcement may also be a product of dynamics other than the demand and supply of labor.
The company said it was merely passing along to workers some of the savings it will get from a cut in the corporate tax rate.
But Target Corp, a main competitor, pushed its entry level wage to $11 last fall and has pledged to hit $15 by the end of 2020.
In addition, states have been steadily raising the legal minimum wage, with 14 now at $10-an-hour or more as of this year.
California hit $11 on Jan. 1 and New York will move to $11.10 this summer. Wal-Mart employs around 130,000 people in the two states out of a U.S. workforce of 1.5 million, according to the company’s website. Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Nick Zieminski | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-walmart-wages-economy-analysis/walmart-wage-hike-may-show-wage-pressures-building-for-lowest-paid-idUSKBN1F02T8 |
UPDATE 1-Internet Association to join expected net neutrality lawsuit | (Adds Etsy also plans to join the lawsuit)
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Internet Association, a trade group representing companies such as Google parent Alphabet Inc and Facebook Inc, said on Friday that it intends to join an expected lawsuit against a decision to roll back net neutrality rules.
One of the group's members, e-commerce site Etsy Inc , said that it would separately also join the legal effort. Several states including New York, and public interest advocacy groups have said they intend to sue to stop the mid-December ruling by the Federal Communications Commission.
The approval of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's proposal in a 3-2 vote marked a victory for internet service providers such as AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc, handing them power over what content consumers can access.
Democrats, Hollywood and companies such as Google and Facebook had urged Pai, a Republican appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump, to keep the Obama-era rules barring service providers from blocking, slowing access to or charging more for certain content.
"The final version of Chairman Pai's rule, as expected, dismantles popular net neutrality protections for consumers. This rule defies the will of a bipartisan majority of Americans and fails to preserve a free and open internet," the Internet Association said in a statement.
Etsy called the decision to overturn net neutrality rules "deeply disappointing."
"Etsy is continuing to fight for a free and open Internet; thats why we intend to challenge Chairman Pais order in the courts," Althea Erickson, Etsy's head of advocacy and impact, said in a statement.
The new rules give internet service providers sweeping powers to change how consumers access the internet but must have new transparency requirements that will require them to disclose any changes to consumers.
Internet Association members also include Airbnb, Amazon.com and several dozen online and social media companies. (Reporting by Chris Sanders and Diane Bartz; Editing by Susan Thomas) | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/05/reuters-america-update-1-internet-association-to-join-expected-net-neutrality-lawsuit.html |
Cricket-India's Kohli says team must reflect on S.Africa defeat | January 17, 2018 / 3:58 PM / a few seconds ago India's Kohli says team must reflect on South Africa defeat Reuters Staff 2 Min Read
PRETORIA (Reuters) - India captain Virat Kohli wants his team to reflect on their decision-making and commitment after a 135-run second test defeat by South Africa on Wednesday handed the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Kohli cut a visibly disappointed, and at times irritated, figure after his side failed to chase down 287 for victory, losing seven wickets in the morning session on the final day to be bowled out for 151 in their second innings.
“We have not come here to play the way we have done,” Kohli told reporters at the post-match news conference.
“That is something that we need to definitely speak about. We need to be hard on ourselves. We need to ask ourselves if we are giving 120 percent for the team every time we bowl a ball or play a ball or field a ball.
“That is something individuals need to reflect on themselves, but as a team we are definitely going to lay out these things in the open. We will ask the guys to be honest about what they were feeling at particular stages in the game.
“Unless you speak about it and lay it out in front of everyone, there is very little chance of improving. The mistakes that we made have been really about not putting attention to detail at important stages of the game.”
Kohli appeared particularly irritated when quizzed on team selection and whether the right XI had been selected for the second test, saying he and the selectors had picked a side they believed could win the test.
“What’s the best XI?” he said. “You are telling me we could have played the best XI. So you tell me the best XI and we’ll play that. I‘m saying the loss obviously hurts. But you make one decision and you back it.
“We certainly don’t sit here and say, ‘Oh, if you fail in one game you are not good enough to be at this level.
“We played with teams before that have looked really strong and have lost as well.”
The third test starts in Johannesburg on Jan. 24. Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ken Ferris | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-cricket-india-kohli/indias-kohli-says-team-must-reflect-on-south-africa-defeat-idUKKBN1F622F |
BRIEF-Swedish Patent And Market Court Dismisses Allegations Towards Nasdaq | Jan 19 (Reuters) - NASDAQ INC:
* JUDGEMENT FROM THE SWEDISH PATENT AND MARKET COURT - NASDAQ DISMISSED OF ALL ALLEGATIONS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-swedish-patent-and-market-court-di/brief-swedish-patent-and-market-court-dismisses-allegations-towards-nasdaq-idUSFWN1PE0T9 |
Lawsuit saying Twitter aided Islamic State thrown out by U.S. appeals court | (Reuters) - A federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled on Wednesday that Twitter Inc is not liable to families of two U.S. government contractors killed in an Islamic State attack in Jordan for having failed to block that group from using its accounts and messaging services.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that the families failed to show that the Nov. 9, 2015 shooting deaths of Lloyd Fields and James Creach at a police training center in Amman resulted from Twitter’s knowing material support of Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the attack.
Circuit Judge Milan Smith said no damages were justified under the federal Anti-Terrorism Act because the plaintiffs, who include the victims’ widows, did not show “at least some direct relationship” between their injuries and Twitter’s conduct.
He said the plaintiffs did not show any connection between Twitter and the shooter, Jordanian police officer Anwar Abu Zeid, or that the attack was helped by or resulted from Islamic State’s presence on Twitter. The gunman was later killed by local security forces.
“Communication services and equipment are highly interconnected in modern economic and social life, such that the provision of these services and equipment to terrorists could be expected to cause ripples of harm to flow far beyond the defendant’s misconduct,” Smith wrote. “Nothing in [the law] indicates that Congress intended to provide a remedy to every person reached by these ripples.”
Joshua Arisohn, a lawyer for the families, said in an email that his clients were “extremely disappointed” and were weighing their legal options.
“Requiring a more direct connection between the provision of material support to terrorists and the attacks that they carry out contravenes the central purpose of the Anti-Terrorism Act: holding enablers of terrorists accountable,” he said.
Twitter and its lawyer, Seth Waxman of WilmerHale, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Wednesday’s decision upheld an August 2016 ruling by U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco.
Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc have also faced damages lawsuits for allegedly letting entities that U.S. authorities view as terrorist groups use their online platforms.
The case is Fields et al v Twitter Inc, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-17165.
Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Frances Kerry
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-islamicstate/lawsuit-saying-twitter-aided-islamic-state-thrown-out-by-u-s-appeals-court-idUSKBN1FK2QD |
Sharps Compliance Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2018 Conference Call and Webcast | HOUSTON, Jan. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharps Compliance Corp. (Nasdaq:SMED) announced today that it will release its second quarter results for the period ended December 31, 2017, before the opening of the financial markets on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. A conference call and webcast will follow at 11:00 a.m. ET, in which management will discuss the Company’s financial results, key market initiatives and business strategy.
The Sharps conference call can be accessed by domestic callers by dialing (877) 407-0782. International callers may access the call by dialing (201) 689-8567. The webcast can be monitored at www.sharpsinc.com .
A telephonic replay will be available through February 23, 2018. To listen to the replay, domestic callers should dial (877) 481-4010 and international callers should dial (919) 882-2331 and enter replay ID number 24077. Transcript will also be posted to the Sharps website, once available.
About Sharps Compliance Corp.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sharps Compliance is a leading full-service national provider of comprehensive waste management services including medical, pharmaceutical and hazardous. Its key markets include healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, home healthcare providers, assisted living / long-term care, surgery centers, retail pharmacies and clinics, and the professional market which is comprised of physicians, dentists and veterinary practices. The Company's flagship product, the Sharps Recovery System, is a comprehensive solution for the containment, transportation, treatment and tracking of medical waste and other used healthcare materials. The Company also offers its route-based pick-up service in a twenty-three (23) state region of the South, Southeast and Northeast portions of the United States.
More information on the Company and its products can be found on its website at: www.sharpsinc.com
Safe Harbor Statement
The information made available in this news release contains certain forward-looking statements which reflect Sharps Compliance Corp.'s current view of future events and financial performance. Wherever used, the words "estimate," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "may" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and the company's future results of operations could differ materially from historical results or current expectations. Some of these risks include, without limitation, the company's ability to educate its customers, development of public awareness programs to educate the identified consumer, customer preferences, the Company's ability to scale the business and manage its growth, the degree of success the Company has at gaining more large customer contracts, managing regulatory compliance and/or other factors that may be described in the company's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and/or other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Future economic and industry trends that could potentially impact revenue and profitability are difficult to predict. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results, express or implied therein, will not be realized.
Company Contact:
Diana Diaz
Sharps Compliance Corp.
Email: ddiaz@sharpsinc.com
Office: (713) 660-3547
Investor Contact:
John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau
Institutional Marketing Services
Email: jnesbett@institutionalms.com
Office: (203) 972-9200
Source:Sharps Compliance Corp | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/globe-newswire-sharps-compliance-announces-second-quarter-fiscal-2018-conference-call-and-webcast.html |
Activists say Bahrain human rights deteriorate as world looks away | BEIRUT (Reuters) - Human rights in Bahrain have deteriorated significantly in the past year because international pressure on the Gulf Arab kingdom has weakened, activists said on Thursday.
“Bahrain is now clearly sliding in a new and very dangerous direction with 37 people arrested yesterday alone,” said Brian Dooley of U.S.-based Human Rights First.
“The fairly weak level of restraint that was there before has all but gone,” he said, adding that countries influential in Bahrain such as the United States and Britain needed to step up their criticism.
Bahrain, where the Shi‘ite Muslim majority is ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family, has pursued a crackdown on opposition activists since quashing 2011 protests calling for democracy.
Authorities have closed opposition political groupings, revoked dissidents’ passports and arrested suspected militants. Activists say many arrests are for political reasons and breach detainees’ human rights.
Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based, denies clamping down on dissent. It says it faces a militant threat backed by arch-foe Iran on the opposite side of the Gulf.
The Bahraini Embassy in Britain, responding to a request for comment, cited an earlier statement which said that the Gulf state was committed “to transparency and the protection and safeguarding of Human Rights enshrined in the Constitution, as well as in international treaties and obligations”.
Human rights activists, at a news conference in Lebanon on Thursday, said the situation has taken a turn for the worse with 19 people now sitting on death row, renewed reports of torture in detention and military courts now trying civilians.
In January 2017 Bahrain executed three Shi‘ite men convicted of killing three policemen in a 2014 bomb attack. They were the first such executions in over two decades, and sparked protests.
Bahrain is due to hold parliamentary elections in 2018.
The activists also said they have concerning new information about the health of detained prominent rights campaigner Nabeel Rajab, and demand he be given access to adequate healthcare.
“Recently alarming signals have multiplied ... regarding his detention condition,” said Dimitris Christopoulos, president of human rights organization FIDH, calling for his release. Rajab is FIDH’s deputy secretary general.
Rajab, a leading figure in the 2011 pro-democracy protests, has been in and out of detention since that time. He faces up to 15 years in jail over Twitter statements he made about the war in Yemen. A verdict is expected on Feb. 21.
“Nabeel is in real danger,” said Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
Bahraini authorities said Rajab had received medical checks twice in December and January and his health was “stable”.
“We take very seriously the safety and wellbeing, including healthcare both in terms of access and adequacy, of any person, whether in prison or in detention,” the director general of the prisons authority said in a statement.
Reporting by Lisa Barrington; editing by Mark Heinrich and Stephen Powell
| https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-rights/activists-say-bahrain-human-rights-deteriorate-as-world-looks-away-idUSKBN1FG0JB |
Israel's Netanyahu says Indian peace hero Gandhi an inspiration | 20 PM / Updated 10 minutes ago Israel's Netanyahu says Indian peace hero Gandhi an inspiration Malini Menon 3 Min Read
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the home of Mahatma Gandhi on Wednesday, saying modern India’s founding father and promoter of peace was an inspiration for humanity.
Netanyahu is making the first visit by an Israeli prime minister in 15 years and the nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rolled out the red carpet, seeing Israel as an ally in the fight against terrorism.
Modi hosted the Israeli leader in his home state of Gujarat where hundreds of people waving Indian and Israeli flags lined up the streets as the motorcade passed.
The two men, accompanied by Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, went to Gandhi’s ashram on the banks of a river where Netanyahu tried his hand at a spinning wheel, a pastime Gandhi made popular while he was jailed during British colonial rule.
“An inspiring visit to the hearth of one of humanity’s great prophets of inspiration - Mahatma Gandhi”, Netanyahu and his wife wrote in the guest book. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assists Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara as Netanyahu looks on during their visit to Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India, January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Amit Dave
Netanyahu and Modi have pledged to deepen economic and security ties in a more open embrace of the relationship which New Delhi had long kept at a low profile, largely for fear of upsetting Arab nations on which it depends for oil.
Modi said India’s cooperation with Israel was diverse and benefited both countries. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said the two countries were discussing ways to strengthen cooperation to fight the menace of radical Islam that they both faced. Slideshow (3 Images)
On Thursday, Netanyahu will travel to Mumbai to join a memorial event for the parents of an 11-year-old Israeli boy who was among the 166 people killed during an attack by Pakistan-based militants in 2008.
Ahead of that trip, a small group of people staged a protest in Mumbai holding placards denouncing Netanyahu and accusing him of atrocities against Palestinians.
Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East, the European Union and the United Nations have all opposed the U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last month as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator.
Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump’s move. Netanyahu said it was “an important step towards peace” and it was “our goal from Israel’s first day”. Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Nick Macfie | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-israel/israels-netanyahu-says-indian-peace-hero-gandhi-an-inspiration-idUSKBN1F61M7 |
BRIEF-GE - Harbin Electric Corp Awarded GE Power Order For 2 9F.05 Gas Turbines For State Power Investment Corporation's Langfang Power Plant | #Market News 30 PM / Updated 2 minutes ago BRIEF-GE - Harbin Electric Corp Awarded GE Power Order For 2 9F.05 Gas Turbines For State Power Investment Corporation's Langfang Power Plant Reuters Staff 1 Min Read
Jan 8 (Reuters) - General Electric Co:
* GE - HARBIN ELECTRIC CORPORATION AWARDED GE POWER ORDER FOR 2 9F.05 GAS TURBINES FOR STATE POWER INVESTMENT CORPORATION’S LANGFANG POWER PLANT Source text ( bit.ly/2Fc5wcN ) | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-ge-harbin-electric-corp-awarded-ge/brief-ge-harbin-electric-corp-awarded-ge-power-order-for-2-9f-05-gas-turbines-for-state-power-investment-corporations-langfang-power-plant-idUSFWN1P30PP |
BRIEF-Limoneira Q4 Loss Per Share $0.19 | Jan 8 (Reuters) - Limoneira Co:
* LIMONEIRA COMPANY ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND FISCAL YEAR 2017 FINANCIAL RESULTS AND REITERATES FISCAL YEAR 2018 EPS GUIDANCE
* REAFFIRMS FY 2018 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.55 TO $0.65 * Q4 LOSS PER SHARE $0.19 * Q4 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $-0.08 -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S
* Q4 REVENUE $15.9 MILLION VERSUS I/B/E/S VIEW $16.1 MILLION
* LIMONEIRA - FOR FY 2018, CO EXPECTS TO SELL BETWEEN 3.1 MILLION AND 3.3 MILLION CARTONS OF FRESH LEMONS AT AN AVERAGE PRICE OF APPROXIMATELY $24.50 PER CARTON
* - FOR FY 2018, COMPANY EXPECTS TO SELL APPROXIMATELY 6.0 TO 6.5 MILLION POUNDS OF AVOCADOS AT APPROXIMATELY $1.30 PER POUND
* FY2018 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.59 -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-limoneira-q4-loss-per-share-019/brief-limoneira-q4-loss-per-share-0-19-idUSASB0C089 |
EU says banks' bad loan woes ease but need capital buffer hikes | 58 AM / in 16 minutes EU says banks' bad loan woes ease but need capital buffer hikes Francesco Guarascio 3 Min Read
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union banks’ holding of bad loans is decreasing but remains high, the European Commission said on Thursday as it prepares measures to force higher provisioning for future soured debt.
The 2008-2009 global financial crisis left European banks saddled with piles of non-performing loans (NPLs) which they struggled to recoup from distressed firms and households.
But as the bloc’s economy recovers, the amount of bad debt is slowly receding, the European Commission said in a report. Using data from the European Central Bank, the EU executive said NPLs accounted for 4.6 percent of banks’ total loans in the period between April and June, a 1 percentage point drop from a year earlier.
Despite the trend, bad loans were still worth 950 billion euros ($1.16 trillion) in the 28 EU countries and accounted for 5.4 percent of total loans in the euro zone, the European 19-country currency area.
To tackle the problem, the Commission is planning new legislative measures, probably in March, to speed up banks’ unloading of bad debts and to prevent a future build-up of NPLs.
An overhaul of insolvency rules and a strengthening of the secondary market for bad loans are among the measures planned to reduce the existing stock of soured debt.
Against a future growth of NPLs, the Commission plans to introduce “statutory prudential backstops to prevent the risk of under-provisioning of NPLs,” the Commission said in a document, stressing that this would apply only to “newly originated loans that later turn non-performing”.
The move clarifies the Commission’s intentions. It had previously said legislative measures on buffers were possible but not certain.
It will still need to decide what could constitute a new loan and when the requirements would apply, EU officials said.
There is still debate on whether new loans should include restructured debt and new payments of installments on old loans.
The cut-off date for new loans is also under discussion. The Commission is considering four options: last November; the date of publication of the new proposals, likely to be in March; the date of the entry into force of the new measures, which could be two years away; or an even later date.
Italy, one of the EU countries with the highest level of bad loans, has long called for a gradual reduction of NPLs to avoid fire sales that would leave huge holes in banks’ balance sheets.
Other states, led by Germany, have called for a faster offloading of bad loans to reduce risks in the banking sector, which could lead to euro zone’s deeper financial integration. Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; editing by Philip Blenkinsop | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eurozone-banks-npls/eu-says-banks-bad-loan-woes-ease-but-need-capital-buffer-hikes-idUSKBN1F719T |
Deborah Weinswig Named to Xcel Brands, Inc. Board of Directors | NEW YORK, Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB) announced today the appointment of Deborah Weinswig to its board of directors. A leading global retail analyst, Weinswig is the Managing Director of FGRT (Fung Global Retail & Technology), the think tank for the Hong Kong-based Fung Group.
Robert D'Loren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Brands, Inc. said, "We are thrilled to add Deborah to our board of directors. She is a highly respected innovator in retail and technology and brings deep expertise and thought leadership to our organization. I look forward to working together to drive change and develop new solutions for today’s retail challenges.”
As Managing Director of FGRT, Weinswig built the team’s research capabilities and provided insights into the advanced technologies that are changing the global retail industry. Earlier, Weinswig served as Head of the Global Staples & Consumer Discretionary Team at Citi Research. She was ranked as the #1 analyst by Institutional Investor for 9 consecutive years, and in 2012 was named one of Business Insider’s “36 Best Analysts on Wall Street.”
"It is exciting to be joining the board of Xcel Brands, a company I have long admired for its bold leadership in disrupting the retail environment,” commented Weinswig. “The combined forces of Xcel’s senior executive team and board of directors will continue to leverage breakthrough technologies that expand the business and create greater value to shareholders, retail partners, and consumers.”
Weinswig is a member of the advisory board of numerous accelerators including Alchemist Accelerator, where she serves as faculty mentor; The Cage, a Hong Kong–based accelerator powered by The Lane Crawford Joyce Group; Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator; Grand Central Tech; New York Fashion Tech Lab; Plug and Play; Revtech Accelerator; Techstars; TrueStart (UK); and XRC Labs. Weinswig also serves as an advisor to companies such as Eventable, Enterworks, Fashwire, LincGlobal, Nanopay, Rich Receipts, Smartzer, Tooso, SupplyAI, TigerTrade, and TRIVVER.
Weinswig was named among the top five retail influencers of 2018 and 2017 by Vend, the cloud-based point-of-sale and retail platform, and is a recipient of the Asia Retail Congress’s Retail Leadership Award.
In addition, she serves as an e-commerce expert for the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC’s) Research Task Force and was a founding member of the Oracle Retail Industry Strategy Council. She is a member of the board of directors of Kiabi (affiliated with the Auchan Group); an executive board member of The Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the University of Arizona; and an advisory board member of the World Retail Congress and a founding member of the Goodwill Retail Advisory Council. She also serves on the boards of numerous philanthropic organizations, including GoodXChange and Street Soccer USA.
Ms. Weinswig’s appointment to Xcel’s board fills a vacancy following the retirement of Edward Jones. In accordance with Xcel’s board procedures, Ms. Weinswig will be a candidate for re-election to the board at the company’s annual meeting of stockholders.
About Xcel Brands ( www.xcelbrands.com )
Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB) is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, production, licensing, marketing and direct-to-consumer sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, jewelry, home goods, and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded by Robert W. D'Loren in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment and social as one. Xcel owns and manages the Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Ripka, H Halston, C. Wonder and Highline Collective brands, pioneering an omnichannel sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through direct-response television, internet, brick and mortar retail, and e-commerce channels. Headquartered in New York City, Xcel Brands is led by an executive team with significant technology, design, merchandising, production, marketing, retailing, and licensing experience and a proven track record of success in elevating branded consumer products companies. With a team of over 100 professionals focused on design, production, and digital marketing, Xcel maintains control of product quality and promotion across all of its product categories and distribution channels. The total lifetime retail sales of its brands exceed $7.5 billion.
Contact
Stephanie Taylor
347-727-2483
staylor@xcelbrands.com
Source:Xcel Brands, Inc | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/25/globe-newswire-deborah-weinswig-named-to-xcel-brands-inc-board-of-directors.html |
As Trump heads to Davos, survey points to rising risk of war | As Trump heads to Davos, survey points to rising risk of war 2:38pm GMT - 01:12
The risk of political and economic confrontations between major powers, including outright military conflicts, has risen sharply, according to a survey released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) days before its annual gathering in Davos. ▲ Hide Transcript ▶ View Transcript
The risk of political and economic confrontations between major powers, including outright military conflicts, has risen sharply, according to a survey released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) days before its annual gathering in Davos. Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code https://reut.rs/2B9WERs | https://uk.reuters.com/video/2018/01/17/as-trump-heads-to-davos-survey-points-to?videoId=386700684 |
French cycling hero retires - at 106 | January 10, 2018 / 2:47 PM / Updated 6 hours ago French cycling hero retires - at 106 Reuters Staff 1 Min Read
PARIS (Reuters) - French cyclist Robert Marchand is retiring at the age of 106, a friend of the bike-mad centenarian has announced. FILE PHOTO: French cyclist Robert Marchand, aged 105, rides on his way to cover 22.528 km (14.08 miles) in one hour to set a new record at the indoor Velodrome National in Montigny-les-Bretonneux, southwest of Paris, France, January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo
The decision to quit comes a year after the tenacious sportsman set what was widely billed as a world record for the over-105s category: he completed 22.528 km (14.08 miles) in one hour.
The feat, at an indoor track near Paris, drew intense media coverage and a moment of international celebrity for Marchand, an amateur who has been in the saddle for well over 90 years.
His retirement, at not far off twice the average retirement age in France and three or four times the age at which top-notch athletes usually bow out, was announced to AFP news agency by a neighbour and friend. Reporting By Brian Love Editing by Jeremy Gaunt | https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-cyclist/french-cycling-hero-retires-at-106-idUKKBN1EZ1UG |
Vandeweghe hit with $10k fine for obscene outburst | January 19, 2018 / 9:16 AM / Updated 5 hours ago Vandeweghe hit with $10k fine for obscene outburst Reuters Staff 1 Min Read
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - CoCo Vandeweghe was fined $10,000 for shouting an obscenity at her opponent in her first round match at the Australian Open on Monday, organizers revealed on Friday.
The fine, the highest levied at the tournament so far, was for unsportsmanlike conduct during the American 10th seed’s loss to Hungarian Timea Babos.
Vandeweghe, who had been suffering from flu, told reporters that Babos had been “getting in my face”, prompting her to shout at her and fling her racket to the ground.
The 2017 Australian Open semi-finalist was docked a point for the outburst after already having been handed a code violation for refusing to play while she waited for a banana to be delivered to her on court. Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Amlan Chakraborty | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-ausopen-vandeweghe/vandeweghe-hit-with-10k-fine-for-obscene-outburst-idUSKBN1F80UL |
TUNE Taps Brian Marcus as Vice President of Global Marketing | SEATTLE, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TUNE , the global leaders in marketing and advertising measurement, announced the promotion of Brian Marcus to Vice President of Global Marketing.
Brian brings more than two decades of digital marketing leadership and expertise to the company, including 10 years building and managing high-performance teams at Google, Ebay and Teespring. In this new role, he will focus on extending TUNE's market leading position within the Fortune 1,000, where TUNE's suite of performance marketing solutions help companies find and win new customers at scale. In addition, Brian will oversee the global expansion of the TUNE brand, narrative and go-to-market activities.
"Brian is an outstanding leader who knows the marketing world inside and out, and in fact helped create several of the largest and most successful performance marketing programs to date," said Ryan Buma, Chief Commercial Officer at TUNE. "He's played a pivotal role in the creation, execution and expansion of enterprise-focused marketing initiatives that enable us to drive new sales around the world. Not only is he a world-class marketer, but he's also one of the most passionate competitors I've ever met. Brian is the perfect person to lead TUNE marketing efforts."
Prior to TUNE, Brian served as Global Director of the eBay Partner Network, eBay's largest paid acquisition channel at the time. At eBay, Brian and his team drove double-digit growth and marketing efficiency gains while simplifying the program for thousands of affiliate publishers. Prior to his work at eBay, Brian was a leader at Google, where his team launched Google's first full-scale affiliate network, Google Affiliate Network (GAN). Under Brian's leadership, GAN managed thousands of affiliate programs that ranged from the world's largest retailers and credit card issuers to self-service advertisers, and launched the original beta platform for what has evolved into Google's Product Listing Ads. While at Google, his team helped grow top-line revenue more than 30 percent year over year, and drove over $1B in online retail sales through the platform annually.
Most recently, Brian served as Vice President of Marketing and General Manager at Teespring, a venture-funded custom apparel company. While in this role he was responsible for building and marketing the industry's best e-commerce platform to talented creators and performance marketers.
"Over the course of my career, I've had a chance to meet and work with many amazing people in the performance marketing space," said Brian Marcus, VP of Marketing at TUNE. "I've always admired the TUNE team for its inventiveness and persistence in the creation of the first SaaS performance marketing and mobile attribution platform. As mobile and performance intersect to create new channels of revenue for CMOs and digital marketers, TUNE is poised to continue shaping the industry. I'm thrilled to play an important role in this mission."
About TUNE
TUNE delivers innovative measurement solutions that help marketers and their partners effectively manage campaigns, engage the right audiences, optimize ad performance, and grow their business. TUNE's solutions are trusted by innovative mobile marketers, the largest advertising platforms, and the world's most iconic brands. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington with over 300 employees in nine offices worldwide, TUNE solutions are used by Expedia, CVS, Subway, The New York Times, Line Corporation and more. For more information visit: www.tune.com .
View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tune-taps-brian-marcus-as-vice-president-of-global-marketing-300586427.html
SOURCE TUNE | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/23/pr-newswire-tune-taps-brian-marcus-as-vice-president-of-global-marketing.html |
BRIEF-Hill-Rom Announces CEO Retirement And Transition Plan | January 26, 2018 / 11:56 AM / Updated 9 minutes ago BRIEF-Hill-Rom Announces CEO Retirement And Transition Plan Reuters Staff
Jan 26 (Reuters) - Hill-Rom Holdings Inc: * HILL-ROM ANNOUNCES CEO RETIREMENT AND TRANSITION PLAN
* HILL-ROM - SEARCH PROCESS TO IDENTIFY NEW CEO EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED DURING FISCAL Q3
* HILL-ROM HOLDINGS INC - JOHN J. GREISCH,CEO, HAS INFORMED BOARD OF HIS INTENTION TO RETIRE FROM HILL-ROM DURING COMPANY‘S FISCAL Q3 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-hill-rom-announces-ceo-retirement/brief-hill-rom-announces-ceo-retirement-and-transition-plan-idUSASB0C2JV |
Cognex Announces Fourth Quarter Earnings Release Date and Conference Call | NATICK, Mass--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX) will release earnings for the fourth quarter of 2017 on Thursday, February 15, 2018, after the market closes, and will host a conference call that same day at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The earnings release and conference call are scheduled to coincide with the company’s expected filing of its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
The telephone number for the live call is (877) 704-4573 (or (201) 389-0911 if outside the United States). A replay will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 15, 2018, and will run continuously until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18, 2018. The telephone number for the replay is (877) 660-6853 (or (201) 612-7415 if outside the United States) and the access code is 13674455.
Internet users can listen to a real-time audio broadcast of the conference call or an archived recording on the Cognex Investor Relations website: http://www.cognex.com/Investor .
About Cognex Corporation
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of image-based products, all of which use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that give them the human-like ability to make decisions on what they see. Cognex products include machine vision systems, machine vision sensors and barcode readers that are used in factories and distribution centers around the world where they eliminate production and shipping errors.
Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 1.5 million vision-based products, representing over $5 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, USA, Cognex has offices and distributors located throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For details visit Cognex online at www.cognex.com .
View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180111006117/en/
Cognex Corporation
Susan Conway, 508-650-3353
Senior Director of Investor Relations
susan.conway@cognex.com
Source: Cognex Corporation | http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/11/business-wire-cognex-announces-fourth-quarter-earnings-release-date-and-conference-call.html |
BRIEF-Oxford Immunotec Announces Preliminary Revenue For Q4 | Jan 8 (Reuters) - Oxford Immunotec Global Plc:
* FY2017 REVENUE VIEW $104.1 MILLION -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S
* OXFORD IMMUNOTEC ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY REVENUE FOR FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2017
* SEES FY 2017 REVENUE $103 MILLION TO $103.5 MILLION * SEES Q4 2017 REVENUE $24.9 MILLION TO $25.4 MILLION * Q4 REVENUE VIEW $26.1 MILLION -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
| https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-oxford-immunotec-announces-prelimi/brief-oxford-immunotec-announces-preliminary-revenue-for-q4-idUSASB0C04A |
Cramer's S&P 500 and Dow charts indicate a strong start to 2018 | In light of the new year, CNBC's Jim Cramer wanted to zoom in on two of the market's top benchmarks to see how they'll fare in 2018: the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average .
So the " Mad Money " host recruited technician Bob Lang, the founder of ExplosiveOptions.net and one of the three minds behind TheStreet.com's Trifecta Stocks newsletter, to get an analytical take on the action.
Cramer and Lang began with the weekly chart of the S&P. For the first time ever, the index did not have a single losing month in all of 2017, perhaps even more impressive than its nearly 20 percent annual gain.
"With so much momentum coming into this year, Lang thinks it would be a big mistake to get too bearish on this one," Cramer said.
In the fourth quarter, more stocks in the S&P started to trade above their 50-day moving averages, a good indicator of the breadth and strength of the index's rally.
Cramer attributed the strength to institutional buying after the S&P's small dip in November, and said that the strategy was a winning one going forward as well.
"Until we see any evidence that these institutions want to start selling en masse, and we have none, Lang thinks you should keep buying the S&P into any dip if we get one," Cramer advised. "Last year, the S&P only had two pullbacks, and they both went to its 20-week moving average ... and both [of] these turned out to be excellent buying opportunities."
All in all, Lang wouldn't be surprised if the S&P logged yet another double-digit gain in the new year, he told Cramer.
What of the Dow industrials? First and foremost, Cramer noted the average's 25 percent gain for 2017, calling its weekly chart "picture-perfect."
From the Chaikin money flow oscillator, which measures buying and selling pressure, to the Relative Strength Index, which measures momentum, the Dow's technical indicators were red-hot for most of 2017, indicating high levels of institutional buying.
"From a momentum perspective, Lang says this chart is a thing of beauty," Cramer said. "Volume trends are positive, the money flow remains very strong — what's not to like?"
Lang even said that trying to call a top for the Dow would be "pointless" given its strength and predicted a 12 to 15 percent rise in 2018, keeping the possibility of Dow 30,000 on the table.
"[These] charts give us a lot of reasons to be feeling pretty darned good about 2018," Cramer said. "No, we don't want to get too euphoric. No, we don't want to be complacent. But I also think it's a big mistake to get too cynical — that's right, too sardonic — for your own good. Irony never made a dime for anybody. Let's face it: we've got a phenomenal bull market going here. Why don't you just enjoy it?"
WATCH: A year of Dow and S&P 500 charts with Cramer show chapters Cramer's S&P 500 and Dow charts indicate a strong start to 2018 20 Hours Ago | 05:30 | https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/02/cramers-sp-500-and-dow-charts-indicate-a-strong-start-to-2018.html |
Golf-Johnson cruises to victory in Hawaii | January 8, 2018 / 3:08 AM / Updated 3 hours ago Golf-Johnson cruises to victory in Hawaii Reuters Staff 1 Min Read
Jan 7 (Reuters) eased to an eight-shot victory Sunday.
Johnson entered the final round with a two-shot advantage and blew away the field with an eight-under-par 65 at the wide open
The 33-year-old, who won four times last season, picked up four birdies on the first nine and added three more to go along with an eagle at the par-4 12th hole to shut the door on the competition. His only blemish was a bogey at the 11th.
Spain’s Jon Rahm shot a four-under-par 69 and finished second at 16-under. Brian Harman, who entered the day as the nearest challenger at two shots back, ended at 15-under.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Americans Rickie Fowler and Pat Perez were another shot back at 14-under. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | https://uk.reuters.com/article/golf-sentry/golf-johnson-cruises-to-victory-in-hawaii-idUKL4N1P31E9 |
As drone demand soars, New Jersey poised to bar drunken droning | NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. drone sales in 2017 topped $1 billion for the first time ever, but don’t raise a glass too quickly if you are in New Jersey, where lawmakers are poised to outlaw drunken droning next week.
It is one of a wave of U.S. states moving to bring the unmanned aircrafts’ high-flying fun back to earth.
New Jersey’s Assembly is slated to vote on a bill approved by the state Senate to ban inebriated or drugged droning, as well as to outlaw flying unmanned aircraft systems over prisons and in pursuit of wildlife. The vote was set for Thursday but postponed until Monday because of a severe snowstorm that triggered a state of emergency in New Jersey.
“It’s basically like flying a blender,” said John Sullivan, 41, of New York, a drone buff and aerial cinematographer. He said he opposed drunk droning but also fretted about regulatory overreach. “If I had like one drink, I’d be hesitant to even fly it.”
A 2015 drone crash on the White House lawn fueled debate in the U.S. Congress over the need for drone regulations.
It was a drunken, off-duty employee of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency who flew the 2-foot-by-2-foot (60 cm by 60 cm) “quadcopter” from a friend’s apartment balcony and lost control of it over the grounds surrounding the White House, the New York Times reported.
FILE PHOTO: A small drone helicopter flies over Coney Island in New York, U.S., August 29, 2013. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo New statistics set for release next week show 3.1 million drones were sold in the United States last year, up 28 percent from 2016, said Richard Kowalski, manager for the Consumer Technology Association.
“This was the first year that drone revenues reached $1 billion,” Kowalksi said in an email.
At least 38 states are considering restrictions on the devices this legislative year, including Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, said Amanda Essex, senior policy specialist for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“Like any technology, drones have the ability to be used for good, but they also provide new opportunities for bad actors,” said Assemblywoman Annette Quijano of Elizabeth, New Jersey. She backed the bill, which would impose a punishment of up to six months prison and a $1,000 fine for drunk droning.
If the Assembly passes the bill, Governor Chris Christie must sign it into law before he leaves office in less than two weeks or the legislation is dead, said Quijano’s Chief of Staff Shane Derris.
Already, nine states prohibit drones from operating near or over prisons, including Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, Essex said.
A drone carrying wire cutters and a cell phone likely aided a prisoner’s escape in July from a maximum security prison in South Carolina, officials said.
Reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Scott Malone, David Gregorio and Frances Kerry
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