TORONTO, Feb 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) -- TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudbay Minerals Inc. ("Hudbay" or the "company") (TSX, NYSE:HBM) today released its fourth quarter and full year 2018 financial results and production and cost guidance for 2019. All amounts are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted.
Operating cash flow before change in non cash working capital decreased to $107.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 from $171.9 million in the same quarter of 2017. The decrease is due mainly to lower realized prices and sales volumes for copper and zinc, partially offset by higher molybdenum concentrate sales volumes. In the fourth quarter of 2018, cash generated from operating activities was $137.3 million, which increased from $129.4 million in the same period of 2017 as cash flows from changes in non-cash working capital more than offset the factors described above. Net loss and basic and diluted loss per share in the fourth quarter of 2018 were $3.5 million and $0.01, respectively, compared to a net profit and earnings per share of $94.3 million and $0.36, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2017.
"In the fourth quarter, we continued our trend of generating strong operating cash flow as we remained focused on our strategic priorities of developing and operating our portfolio of high-quality assets in mining friendly jurisdictions," said Alan Hair, president and chief executive officer. "We are very pleased to release the next phase of our plan for the gold-zinc business at Lalor, which we believe will unlock value in the Snow Lake region through the refurbishment of the New Britannia gold mill and the potential for future resource conversion and further regional exploration success. We are also pleased with the success we've had at optimizing our Constancia mine, which achieved record mill throughput and copper recoveries in 2018, resulting in the business exceeding copper production guidance in 2018."
Hudbay's Board and management remain committed to the company's disciplined approach to driving long-term and sustainable value creation. Over the last several years, Hudbay has grown beyond its Manitoba base through acquisition, exploration and development into a leading mid-tier copper producer with low-cost, long-life assets in Canada, Peru, Arizona, and most recently in Nevada with the acquisition of the Ann Mason project.
Hudbay's management team has a proven track record of successful new mine development and expertise in both open pit and underground mining. In 2015, Hudbay completed the best in-class development and ramp-up of the Constancia mine in Peru, which is now the lowest cost per tonne open-pit copper mine in South America  . Constancia was a greenfield project in a new jurisdiction for Hudbay and the strong community relationships the company has built provides it with the social license to continue to grow its Peruvian business.
During this time, Hudbay also completed the construction of its Lalor underground mine in Manitoba, a deposit that was discovered by Hudbay's exploration team in 2007 and achieved commercial production only seven years after its discovery. Hudbay continues to further unlock value at Lalor through the plan to refurbish the New Britannia gold mill by 2022, which is expected to more than double Lalor's annual gold production over an extended mine life and establish Lalor as one of the lowest cost gold mines in Canada. Hudbay will continue exploration and infill drilling and advance engineering studies on both Lalor and the three satellite deposits in the Snow Lake region that could provide feed for further extensions of the Stall and New Britannia processing facilities. Please refer to Hudbay's February 19, 2019 press release titled "Hudbay Announces Increased Lalor Mineral Reserves and Resources and Updated Mine Plan that Confirms Substantial Increase in Gold Production" for further information.
"Our focus for 2019 is to deliver on a number of near-term catalysts, including advancing our new Lalor gold strategy, developing the high-grade Pampacancha satellite deposit, continuing to maximize throughput and recoveries at Constancia, advancing both near-mine and greenfield exploration activities, and obtaining the final Section 404 water permit at Rosemont and moving the project into development," stated Mr. Hair.
Compared to the same quarter in 2017, copper-equivalent production in the fourth quarter of 2018 decreased by 14%, primarily as a result of lower production in Manitoba following the closure of the Reed mine and lower planned copper grades at Constancia. In the fourth quarter of 2018, consolidated cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, was $0.94, an increase compared to $0.77 in the same period last year. Cash costs per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, increased as a result of lower copper production. Incorporating sustaining capital, capitalized exploration, royalties and corporate selling and administrative expenses, consolidated all-in sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $1.73, which increased from $1.56 in the fourth quarter of 2017, driven mainly by the decrease in copper production.
On a consolidated basis, Hudbay's copper production exceeded 2018 guidance and production of zinc and precious metals were within 2018 guidance ranges. Combined unit costs at Manitoba were within revised 2018 guidance ranges. Combined unit costs at Peru were in line with 2018 guidance ranges after reflecting the cost of higher than expected molybdenum production, and total capital expenditures were in line with expectations.
Cash and cash equivalents increased by $159.0 million from December 31, 2017 to $515.5 million as at December 31, 2018. This increase was a result of cash generated from operating activities of $479.6 million. These inflows were partly offset by $190.9 million of capital investments primarily at the Peru and Manitoba operations, interest payments of $74.8 million, finance lease payments of $20.9 million, net financing fees paid of $20.6 million, and $19.1 million of net cash paid to acquire Mason Resources Corp.
Net debt decreased by $50.9 million from September 30, 2018 to $465.5 million at December 31, 2018, primarily due to free cash flow generation. At December 31, 2018, total liquidity, including cash and available credit facilities, was $937.0 million, up from $878.4 million as at September 30, 2018.
During the fourth quarter of 2018, Hudbay completed a pension de-risking transaction whereby certain defined benefit pension obligations with an estimated solvency liability value of $126.0 million were transferred to a third party insurer in exchange for a payment from plan assets of $120.0 million. The transaction reduced the overall size and risk profile of the company's defined benefit pension obligations, and improved the plans' solvency funding position, which is used to determine funding requirements, by approximately $6.0 million. A non-cash accounting pre-tax loss on the transaction of $2.2 million was recognized in the fourth quarter of 2018.
 Net debt is a non-IFRS financial performance measure with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information, please see page 11 of this news release.
[1 ] Metal reported in concentrate is prior to deductions associated with smelter contract terms.
[2 ] Includes refined zinc metal sold and payable zinc in concentrate sold.
 Cash cost, sustaining cash cost and all-in sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information, please see page 11 of this news release.
In addition to achieving record mill throughput in 2018, Constancia copper recoveries reached record levels in 2018 as a result of several metallurgical initiatives, achieving the recoveries anticipated in the National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 Technical Report issued in March 2018.
During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Peru operations produced 30,834 tonnes of copper and 18,247 ounces of precious metals. The molybdenum plant continued to operate at substantially higher rates during the quarter, resulting in the production of 329 tonnes and 904 tonnes of molybdenum for the current quarter and full year, respectively. Year-over-year copper production increased slightly and exceeded the high end of full year guidance by 6%, due to higher throughput and recoveries more than offsetting lower grade. Production of precious metals and molybdenum also increased year-over-year due to the same factors, and precious metals were within guidance expectations.
Combined mine, mill and general and administrative ("G&A") unit operating costs in the fourth quarter of 2018 were consistent with the same period in 2017. On a full year basis, including molybdenum plant costs, combined unit operating costs of $9.44 per tonne in 2018 were 7% higher than 2017 due to a decrease in capitalized stripping, higher costs for diesel and power, and higher molybdenum production, partially offset by higher mill throughput. Full year 2018 combined unit operating costs also include the signing bonuses for the three-year collective bargaining agreement signed earlier in 2018. Excluding molybdenum plant costs, combined unit costs for the full year were $9.17 per tonne. The molybdenum plant was operated substantially more than expected in 2018 following ongoing plant optimization initiatives, and the increase in revenue from molybdenum sales of $12.9 million from 2017 to 2018 more than offset the additional molybdenum plant costs of $2.7 million over the same period.
We expect continued high utilization of the Constancia molybdenum plant in 2019, resulting in higher molybdenum plant costs, which is reflected in the guidance for combined unit costs as well as expected higher molybdenum production in 2019.
Cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 was $1.31 and $1.36, decreasing by 5% and increasing by 6%, respectively, from the same periods in 2017. The decrease in the quarter is primarily due to higher by-product credits partially offset by lower copper production. The increase for the full year is mainly as a result of higher consumable costs and lower capitalized stripping, partially offset by higher by-product credits. Sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 was $1.65 and $1.57, respectively. This represents a decrease of 13% and 12% respectively, from the same periods in 2017, as a result of reduced sustaining capital spending on heavy civil works in Peru, which more than offset the factors noted above.
During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Manitoba operations produced 27,408 tonnes of zinc, 6,404 tonnes of copper and 24,300 ounces of gold-equivalent precious metals. Zinc production was 17% lower compared to the same period in 2017 as a result of lower grades at Lalor and 777, in line with their respective mine plans. The Reed mine closure in August 2018 affected contained copper production compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. Production of copper and zinc metals met full year 2018 guidance. Precious metals production reflected Hudbay's updated strategy of mining the Lalor gold zones at a later date to achieve higher recoveries with the New Britannia gold mill, as previously announced.
Ore mined at the Manitoba operations during the fourth quarter of 2018 decreased by 12% compared to the same period in 2017. Decreased production at Lalor and the closure of the Reed mine was partially offset by increased production at 777. Overall, copper, gold, zinc and silver grades were 21%, 8%, 4% and 4% lower, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to the same period of 2017. Grade variances reflected anticipated declines in 777 and Lalor grades in accordance with their respective mine plans, together with the cessation of high-grade copper production from Reed following its closure.
Total ore mined at the Manitoba operations during the full year was 8% lower than 2017. Copper and zinc grades for the full year in 2018 were lower than 2017 by 12% and 13%, respectively, while gold and silver grades were 7% and 10% higher, respectively, which is in line with mine plan expectations.
Ore processed in Flin Flon in the fourth quarter of 2018 was 35% lower than the same period in 2017. The lower processing volumes are a result of the Reed mine closure, and sustained improvements at the Stall concentrator resulting in less ore transported to Flin Flon for processing, partially offset by increased ore from the 777 mine. Ore processed was 17% higher and copper recoveries were 5% higher at the Stall concentrator in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017, as a result of ongoing operational and maintenance improvements and better metallurgical understanding of the Lalor ore.
Ore processed for the full year in 2018 in Flin Flon was 11% lower than 2017 as a result of combined mine output. Full year unit operating costs at the Flin Flon concentrator were 31% higher than 2017 as a result of higher overall maintenance costs driven by aging infrastructure and equipment, increased material handling costs realized in the first half of 2018 related to colder than typical weather, and lower volumes from the mines. Ore processed for the full year in 2018 at Stall was 9% higher, and recoveries for all metals at the Stall concentrator were higher than 2017. Full year unit operating costs at the Stall concentrator were 10% lower than 2017, primarily as a result of higher production and improved mill reliability.
Manitoba combined mine, mill and G&A unit operating costs in the fourth quarter and full year in 2018 were 14% and 10% higher, respectively, than in the same periods in 2017 due mainly to the Reed mine closure, higher 777 and Lalor mining costs and Flin Flon mill maintenance.
Cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, in the fourth quarter of 2018 was negative $0.87 per pound of copper produced. These costs were higher compared to the same period in 2017, primarily as a result of lower production due to the Reed mine closure. Cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, slightly increased to negative $0.64 for the full year 2018, compared to 2017, also as a result of lower production.
Sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $1.55, which is higher than the prior year period due to higher cash costs and higher sustaining capital expenditures. Sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, increased by $0.73 for the full year 2018, compared to 2017, as a result of increased capital development expenditures at Lalor and planned increased sustaining and exploration capital spending.
Hudbay's production and operating cost guidance, along with its capital and exploration expenditure forecasts for 2019 are discussed in detail below.
[1 ] Metal reported in concentrate is prior to refining losses or deductions associated with smelter terms.
[2 ] 2018 figures include 100% of Reed mine production; Hudbay owned a 70% interest in the Reed mine.
[3 ] Precious metals production includes gold and silver production on a gold-equivalent basis. Silver converted to gold at a ratio of 70:1.
[4 ] Initial 2018 guidance for Peru precious metals production was 65,000 to 85,000 ounces.
In 2019, production of copper contained in concentrate is forecast to decrease by approximately 12%  compared to 2018 production, primarily due to the closure of the Reed mine in 2018 and slightly lower copper grades at Constancia in line with the mine plan. Production of zinc contained in concentrate in 2019 is forecast to decrease by approximately 7%  compared to 2018 production, due to lower zinc grades at the 777 and Lalor mines, in line with the respective mine plans. Lalor mine ramp-up is on track to reach a nominal 4,500 tonnes per day in 2019 as a result of several recent initiatives including increased drill inventory, improved paste backfill availability, engagement of third party contractors and higher planned equipment utilization.
Production of precious metals contained in concentrate in 2019 is forecast to slightly decrease by approximately 6%  compared to 2018 production, primarily due to marginally lower precious metals grades at Constancia. Manitoba precious metals production reflects the optimization of the Lalor mine plan to prioritize base metal ore in the near term and defer certain areas of high-grade gold and copper-gold ore until the planned restart of the New Britannia mill in 2022, as recently announced.
Peru precious metals production has the potential to be higher than the stated guidance levels in 2019 if the land access agreement related to the Pampacancha deposit is in place by the end of May 2019. Negotiations with the community to secure surface rights over the Pampacancha deposit are progressing, following the election of a new community council in the fourth quarter of 2018.
 Initial 2018 guidance for Peru growth capital expenditures was $45.0 million. This included expenditures for developing the Pampacancha deposit and acquiring surface rights, which, as previously announced, was deferred to 2019.
Total planned sustaining capital expenditures in 2019 are expected to increase by approximately 35% from 2018 levels. The increase is mainly due to an approximate $55 million increase in spending in Peru from 2018 levels, as a major raise of the Constancia tailings management facility is expected in 2019, in line with the NI 43-101 Technical Report filed in March 2018. Planned sustaining capital expenditures in Manitoba include continued drilling of the gold and copper-gold zones at Lalor and elevated spending on tailings management facilities in 2019 to implement upgrades and provide increased storage capacity.
Manitoba growth capital spending of $10 million includes a feasibility study and early works to advance the refurbishment of the New Britannia gold mill and the Lalor gold strategy.
Peru growth capital of $45 million includes initial expenditures for developing the Pampacancha deposit and acquiring surface rights from the local community. This spending is expected to be reduced if a land access agreement related to the Pampacancha deposit is not in place by the end of May 2019. Arizona spending of $20 million on the Rosemont project is intended to support ongoing permitting, legal and mitigation efforts, and would increase significantly if permitting is completed and early works on the project commence during 2019.
 2019 guidance assumes exploration expenditures of $5 million and $10 million for Manitoba and Peru, respectively, will be capitalized.
Hudbay continues to grow its exploration portfolio of owned or optioned mineral properties, which now consists of approximately 885,000 hectares across Canada, Peru, the United States and Chile. Hudbay's 2019 exploration budget of $40 million, which includes option payments, will be focused on exploration near existing processing infrastructure in Manitoba and Peru, as well as exploration properties in Nevada, Chile and British Columbia.
In January 2018, Hudbay acquired control of a large, contiguous block of mineral rights to explore for mineable deposits within trucking distance of the Constancia processing facility, including the past producing Caballito property and the highly prospective Maria Reyna and Kusiorcco properties. Hudbay has commenced permitting, community relations and technical activities required to access and conduct drilling activities on these properties and has been successful in reaching a community agreement covering two of the properties to date with plans to drill those properties in 2019. In Manitoba, the company expects to conduct more underground drilling at Lalor to support the long-term gold strategy in Snow Lake as well as several regional greenfield exploration drill targets in an attempt to expand both the base metal and gold resource base.
Hudbay acquired the Ann Mason property at the end of the fourth quarter of 2018 through the acquisition of Mason Resources Corp. Exploration activities at Ann Mason over 2019 will consist of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and geophysical surveys, as well as diamond drilling to identify potential sources of high grade mineralization that could enhance the feed grade in the early years of a future milling operation.
[1 ] Reflects combined mine, mill and G&A costs per tonne of milled ore. Manitoba 2018 figures include the cost of ore purchased from the joint venture partner at the Reed mine. Peru costs reflect the deduction of expected capitalized stripping costs.
 Combined unit costs are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information, please see page 11 of this news release.
 Initial 2018 guidance for Manitoba unit operating costs was C$110 - 123 per tonne.
 Excluding molybdenum plant costs, combined unit costs for the full year were $9.17 per tonne.
Combined unit costs for Manitoba in 2019 are forecast to be slightly lower  than 2018 unit costs of approximately C$130 per tonne which reflects the closure of the Reed mine, declining ore production at the 777 mine, costs for trucking ore from Lalor to the Flin Flon concentrator for processing and the cost of additional contracted labour at Lalor. Combined unit costs for Peru in 2019 are expected to be approximately 7%  lower than 2018 unit costs as a result of operating efficiencies and the impact of a one-time accrual in 2018 for signing bonuses for the three-year collective bargaining agreement. 2019 Peru unit costs and molybdenum production guidance also reflect expected high utilization rates of the molybdenum plant.
Metal production in any particular quarter may vary from the implied annual guidance rate based on variations in grades and recoveries due to the areas mined in that quarter, the timing of planned maintenance, and other factors. Mining and processing costs in any particular quarter can also vary from the annual guidance rate above based on a variety of factors, including the scheduling of maintenance events and seasonal heating requirements, particularly in Manitoba.
[1 ] Unit costs are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information, please see page 11 of this news release.
Zinc plant production and costs in 2019 reflect a planned maintenance shutdown to support continued operation of the zinc plant through 2021.
Hudbay today released an updated reserve and resource estimate and revised mine plan for Lalor incorporating the refurbishment of the New Britannia mill for processing the gold and copper-gold reserves. Please refer to Hudbay's February 19, 2019 press release titled "Hudbay Announces Increased Lalor Mineral Reserves and Resources and Updated Mine Plan that Confirms Substantial Increase in Gold Production" for further information.
Work continues with the U.S. Forest Service on the draft Mine Plan of Operations. The remaining key federal permit outstanding is the Section 404 Water Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Hudbay has agreed with Wheaton Precious Metals ("Wheaton") to amendments to the Rosemont precious metals stream agreement that was entered into with Wheaton prior to Hudbay's acquisition of Rosemont. The amendments reflect Hudbay's strong financial capability and project development track record. These amendments include removal of the condition that the Rosemont permits be free of all challenges and appeals prior to funding, clarification of the timing of Wheaton's funding obligation and changes to the delay payment structure to more appropriately reflect the de-risked profile of the project. Hudbay has agreed to provide a parental guarantee of Rosemont's obligations and to allow Wheaton to elect to pay the deposit in cash or shares. The stream agreement continues to contemplate an upfront initial deposit of $230 million following the receipt of permits, finalization of the financing plan and commencement of construction, in exchange for delivery of approximately 100% of payable silver and gold produced from Rosemont at a cash price of $450 per ounce for gold and $3.90 per ounce for silver, subject to escalation for inflation.
On December 19, 2018, Hudbay completed the previously announced acquisition of Mason Resources Corp. and its wholly-owned Ann Mason project in Nevada. Ann Mason is a large greenfield copper deposit located in the historic Yerington District and is one of the largest undeveloped copper porphyry deposits in North America. In 2019, Hudbay plans to test drill ready targets over an existing induced polarization anomaly.
Hudbay's Board of Directors has approved By-Law No. 2 relating to advance notice requirements for director elections (the "Advance Notice By-Law"), effective February 19, 2019. The Advance Notice By-Law sets out a clear framework for nominating directors in connection with a shareholder meeting and is similar to the advance notice by-laws adopted by many other Canadian public companies.
The purpose of the Advance Notice By-Law is to (i) ensure that all shareholders receive adequate notice of director nominations and sufficient time and information regarding nominees to make informed voting decisions and (ii) facilitate an orderly and efficient process for the election of directors. The Advance Notice By-Law sets deadlines by which shareholders must submit director nominations to Hudbay and sets forth the information that a nominating shareholder must provide to Hudbay for any director nominee to be eligible for election.
if the meeting is to be held on a date that is less than 50 days after the first public announcement of the meeting date, not later than the close of business on the 15th day following such announcement.
In the case of a special meeting of shareholders (which is not also an annual meeting), notice to Hudbay must be given not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the first public announcement of the date of the special meeting.
The Advance Notice By-Law will be placed before shareholders for approval, confirmation and ratification at Hudbay's next shareholders meeting. In the event that the By-Law is not so approved, confirmed and ratified, it shall terminate and be of no further force or effect.
Hudbay recognizes that Waterton Global Resource Management, Inc. ("Waterton") has announced that it intends to nominate director candidates at Hudbay's upcoming annual shareholder meeting. The Advance Notice By-Law allows Waterton to proceed with these nominations provided they are made in accordance with its terms, which in turn will ensure that the annual meeting is conducted in an orderly manner.
The full text of the Advance Notice By-Law is available under Hudbay's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Hudbay declared a semi-annual dividend of C$0.01 per share on February 19, 2019. The dividend will be paid on March 29, 2019 to shareholders of record as of March 8, 2019.
Net debt is shown in this news release because it is a performance measure used by the company to assess its financial position. Cash cost, sustaining and all-in sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced are shown because the company believes they help investors and management assess the performance of its operations, including the margin generated by the operations and the company. Combined unit operating cost and zinc plant unit cost are shown because the measures are used by the company as a key performance indicator to assess the performance of its mining and milling operations. These measures do not have a meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS and are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate these measures differently. For further details on these measures, including reconciliations to the most comparable IFRS measures, please refer to page 45 of Hudbay's management's discussion and analysis for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
The technical and scientific information in this news release related to the Constancia mine and Rosemont project has been approved by Cashel Meagher, P. Geo, Hudbay's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The technical and scientific information related to the Manitoba sites and projects (including the Lalor gold zone) contained in this news release has been approved by Olivier Tavchandjian, P. Geo, Hudbay's Vice-President Exploration and Geology. Messrs. Meagher and Tavchandjian are qualified persons pursuant to NI 43�?'101. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and resources at Hudbay's material properties, as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates of scientific and technical information may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing or other relevant factors, please see the Technical Reports for the company's material properties as filed by Hudbay on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "guidance", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "strategy", "target", "intends", "objective", "goal", "understands", "anticipates" and "believes" (and variations of these or similar words) and statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" "occur" or "be achieved" or "will be taken" (and variations of these or similar expressions). All of the forward-looking information in this MD&A is qualified by this cautionary note.
Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, production, cost and capital and exploration expenditure guidance, anticipated production at the company's mines and processing facilities, the expected benefits of implementing the metallurgical recovery and optimization initiatives at Constancia processing plant and expectations regarding the schedule for acquiring the Pampacancha surface rights and mining the Pampacancha deposit, the anticipated timing, cost and benefits of developing the Rosemont project and expectations regarding the final Rosemont permits and any litigation challenging Rosemont's permits, expectations regarding the Lalor gold strategy, including the refurbishment of the New Britannia mill, the low costs of the operation and the possibility of optimizing the value of the company's gold resources in Manitoba, the possibility of converting inferred mineral resource estimates to higher confidence categories, the potential and the company's anticipated plans for advancing its mining properties surrounding Constancia and the Ann Mason project, anticipated mine plans, anticipated metals prices and the anticipated sensitivity of the company's financial performance to metals prices, events that may affect the operations and development projects, anticipated cash flows from operations and related liquidity requirements, the anticipated effect of external factors on revenue, such as commodity prices, estimation of mineral reserves and resources, mine life projections, reclamation costs, economic outlook, government regulation of mining operations, and business and acquisition strategies. Forward-looking information is not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking information is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates and analyses that, while considered reasonable by the company at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information.
The risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information may include, but are not limited to, risks generally associated with the mining industry, such as economic factors (including future commodity prices, currency fluctuations, energy prices and general cost escalation), uncertainties related to the development and operation of the company's projects (including risks associated with the permitting, development and economics of the Rosemont project and related legal challenges), risks related to the new Lalor mine plan, including the schedule for the refurbishment of the New Britannia mill and the ability to convert inferred mineral resource estimates to higher confidence categories, risks related to the schedule for mining the Pampacancha deposit (including the timing and cost of acquiring the required surface rights and the impact of any schedule delays), risks related to the maturing nature of the 777 mine and its impact on the related Flin Flon metallurgical complex, dependence on key personnel and employee and union relations, risks related to political or social unrest or change, risks in respect of aboriginal and community relations, rights and title claims, operational risks and hazards, including unanticipated environmental, industrial and geological events and developments and the inability to insure against all risks, failure of plant, equipment, processes, transportation and other infrastructure to operate as anticipated, compliance with government and environmental regulations, including permitting requirements and anti-bribery legislation, depletion of the company's reserves, volatile financial markets that may affect the company's ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, the failure to obtain required approvals or clearances from government authorities on a timely basis, uncertainties related to the geology, continuity, grade and estimates of mineral reserves and resources, and the potential for variations in grade and recovery rates, uncertain costs of reclamation activities, the company's ability to comply with its pension and other post-retirement obligations, the company's ability to abide by the covenants in its debt instruments and other material contracts, tax refunds, hedging transactions, as well as the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Hudbay's most recent Annual Information Form.
 Please refer to Hudbay's February 19, 2019 news release titled "Hudbay Announces Increased Lalor Mineral Reserves and Resources and Updated Mine Plan that Confirms Substantial Increase in Gold Production" for further information.
 Sourced from Wood Mackenzie Q4 2018 dataset. Based on 2018 forecasted operating costs, including mining, processing and general and administrative expenditures on a per tonne basis, for primary copper, open pit sulphide mines in South America. Wood Mackenzie's costing methodology may be different than the methodology reported by Hudbay or its peers in their public disclosure. For details regarding Hudbay's costs, refer to Hudbay's management discussion and analysis for the three months and year ended December 31, 2018.
 Year-over-year forecast changes assume the mid-point of the respective 2019 guidance range is achieved.


JAMAL Fyfield’s 93rd-minute winning goal clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory for York City at Blue Square Bet Premier play-off rivals Grimsby last night.
During a rampant performance that ranked alongside any this season from Gary Mills’ men, it looked like the visitors might pay for a host of missed chances when goals from Jamie Reed and Chris Smith were cancelled out by Anthony Elding and Michael Coulson.
But left-back Fyfield, who had been at fault for the Mariners’ first goal, struck from the edge of the box in front of a delirious away end.
The result was Grimsby’s first defeat in ten league games at Blundell Park.
Mills’ team, meanwhile, have entered the Bootham Crescent history books in belting style – an 11th league game unbeaten on the road breaking a record set during the 1973/4 season.
City made three changes to the side that started Saturday’s 1-0 FA Trophy semi-final, first leg win over Luton with top scorer Jason Walker returning from injury and Matty Blair and Paddy McLaughlin both recalled.
The injured Lanre Oyebanjo dropped out, along with strikers Matthew Blinkhorn and Moses Ashikodi, who were both named on the bench.
Grimsby, meanwhile, were missing 28-goal top scorer Liam Hearn due to a heel problem.
An excellent, competitive first half saw both sides play at a high tempo with a host of chances created at both ends.
In only the second minute, Michael Ingham was forced to tip a looping Elding header over his crossbar and then clawed a 20-yard effort from the same player out of the air after Daniel Parslow’s clearance had cannoned kindly into the former Leeds striker’s path off Louie Soares.
On 11 minutes, Reed scuffed a great far-post opportunity from a cross by Walker, who then shot wide from 15 yards after James Meredith had won a header.
At the other end, Peter Winn hit the roof of the stand after Reed had lost possession in his own half while Walker wasted a promising counter attack when his ambitious 30-yard drive deflected wide off team-mate McLaughlin.
The Minstermen, however, forged ahead in the 19th minute when Mariners left-back Conor Townsend got his feet in a muddle after Blair’s through ball hit a bobble.
A predatory Reed, breathing down Townsend’s neck, capitalised fully when he prodded the ball into James McKeown’s bottom right-hand corner from eight yards.
Blair might have doubled City’s advantage moments later, but shot wide of the near post from a Walker pass and Coulson’s firm drive was well saved by Ingham before a moment of light relief was provided by left-back Fyfield who, following a rush of blood to the head, caught the ball while on the floor and was cautioned by ref Wayne Barratt.
On-loan Stevenage midfielder Winn called Ingham into action again with an edge-of-the-box volley that the former Northern Ireland international pushed around his left-hand upright.
Shortly afterwards, McLaughlin should have extended City’s lead when Blair and Walker both dummied a Fyfield through ball, sending the ex-Newcastle reserve midfielder clear on goal. But McLaughlin fired straight at McKeown from eight yards and then lifted a second chance over when the ball fell straight back to him.
Another weak far-post effort saw Blair fail to extend McKeown and the winger then headed over from three yards but his blushes were spared by an offside flag.
Ingham was again at full stretch, however, to tip over a rising Soares drive and he then caught Ian Miller’s header from the resultant corner under his own crossbar.
City took just two minutes of the second half to claim their second goal with determined skipper Smith shinning the ball over from a yard after McKeown had saved Meredith’s header following McLaughlin’s corner.
Walker should have put the game beyond doubt on 57 minutes but fired wide with the goal at his mercy after Blair had burst down the right and pulled the ball back perfectly into his path.
The Mariners were then handed a 74th-minute lifeline when Fyfield’s poor clearance only found Winn on the left wing. His cross was met by Elding, whose downward header from six yards crept inside Ingham’s bottom right-hand corner despite the City ’keeper’s best efforts to keep it out.
The goal rejuvenated Grimsby and their previously crestfallen fans and, on 81 minutes, Ingham could only punch a Townsend cross up in the air and a lunging Coulson headed in from an acute angle.
Miller then headed narrowly wide from a 90th-minute corner before Fyfield surged forward and found McKeown’s bottom left-hand corner to cue the wild celebrations.
York City: Michael Ingham 9, Jon Challinor 8, Daniel Parslow 9, Chris Smith 9, Jamal Fyfield 8, Scott Kerr 8, Patrick McLaughlin 9, James Meredith 9, Matty Blair 9, Jason Walker 8, Jamie Reed 9.
Subs: Matthew Blinkhorn (for Walker, 80).
Not used: Danny Pilkington, Scott Brown, Chris Doig, Moses Ashikodi.
Star man: James Meredith – a revelation again in midfield for the Minstermen.
Grimsby: James McKeown, Gary Silk, Shaun Pearson, Ian Miller, Conor Townsend, Michael Coulson, Craig Disley, Andi Thanoj (Bradley Wood, 50), Peter Winn, Louie Soares (Rob Duffy, 50), Anthony Elding.
Subs (not used): Dayle Southwell, Charlie I’Anson, Kiernan Hughes-Mason.
Booked: Fyfield 25, Disley 56, Townsend 70, Walker 77, Challinor 90.
Attendance: 4,250 (266 away fans).
Shots on target: Town 7, City 9.
Shots off target: Town 3, City 11.
Corners: Town 6, City 2.
Fouls conceded: Town 12, City 11.
Offsides: Town 5, City 1.


NORMAN, OKLAHOMA -- They are the giants of the orchestra, the tall, fat guy with the deep voice stuck in the back.
String Bass is not a glamor instrument.
they don't get much of a turn at the melody.
Solos are few and far between says Dr. Anthony Stoops, Bass professor at the University of Oklahoma.
"Although the secret is that we lead without anyone really knowing it," he smiles.
But once a year kids who play the bass come from all over Oklahoma and even Texas to take part in something another bass teacher, Mark Osborn, thought might be a good idea years ago.
Mark Osborn, who teaches strings in Norman Public Schools, recalls, "There was a need for some bass instruction on the middle school and high school levels.
The annual Oklahoma Bass Bash started in 2004 with fewer than 20 junior and high school kids.
This year there are 40.
Luke Campbell still remembers Mr. Osborn trying to talk him out of learning to play.
Luke, an 8th grader says, "Mr. Osborn asked if anyone still wanted to play bass and I said, yup. Count me. I'm in."
Osborn does actually try to steer kids to other instruments partly because of the bass' ponderous size.
"I try to steer them away," he repeats, "And if they say, 'no. That's the one I want to play', then I know they'll be hooked."
For Mady Hendryx this Bass Bash is her sixth.
She plays for her school orchestra and several different honors groups, but this event has become a kind of touchstone.
"I get to re-learn different things, new techniques and take away something different."
It is a rare sight to see this many string basses on one stage making music.
Teachers talk about rattling windows on certain low notes.
But the bass is nothing if not a versatile instrument, capable of highs and very lows, the rhythmic leader of any group, always in demand, and very powerful when they get together.


Shalane Flanagan has options, lots of them.
It's been two weeks since Flanagan became the first U.S. woman in 40 years to win the New York City Marathon, and Flanagan is beginning to think about what is next.
She could retire at 36 as one of the most accomplished distance runners in U.S. history, having made four Olympics teams, won an Olympic silver medal and 18 U.S. championships in addition to the NYC title.
She could start a family. Already co-author of a cookbook that landed on the New York Times Best Seller's list, with another cookbook on the way, she could turn to publishing.
Or Flanagan could continue training and competing with the Portland-based, Nike-sponsored Bowerman Track Club and take aim at the Boston Marathon, a race that she grew up following as a child in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
She even could make a run at a fifth Olympic team and another medal.
"It's important to me from here on out to spend time on the things that are really important to me, that give me a reason to get up in the morning," Flanagan says.
Running and training has filled that niche for most of her adult life.
And maybe she isn't quite ready to close the door on some unfinished business in, say, Boston.
She came across seventh in the 2014 Boston Marathon, a race Rita Jeptoo won. Jeptoo tested positive later that year for the banned drug EPO, and was stripped of the Boston title.
Flanagan was ninth in Boston in 2015, and missed the race this year because of lower back fracture.
"Boston has my heart," she says. "It would be really hard to pass that up. I'm still formulating those plans and weighing it with my family."
There is lots to weigh. Being a marathoner isn't just about the racing. Training for a major marathon is a lifestyle, and a necessarily self-centered one.
Training is punishing and time consuming, and at least some of it takes place at high elevation.
"The time away from home and family is getting harder," she says. "It's so important for me to weigh what races I'll run if I continue, with what is weighing on me to stop. There is the chance to start a family. I'm open to all sorts of families - foster care, adopting, or my own."
Flanagan and her husband, Steve Edwards, fostered two teenage girls during the last school year. She enjoyed the experience.
Whatever decision Flanagan makes is fine with Bowerman Track Club coach Jerry Schumacher.
"She could have a few more years of doing this," Schumacher says. "She is really at her best now, and that's exciting. Do I think she could run an American record? Absolutely. Could she win Boston? Absolutely? Could she continue to perform at a high level and make a fifth Olympic team? Absolutely.
"Does she want to? She has to think about where she is in life and decide. If she wants to continue, there are some exciting moments ahead. If she's done, what a great way to end it."
The victory in New York in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 53 seconds, and the way she bore down to close with the three-mile sprint that dusted three-time champion Mary Keitany and Mamitu Daska, was vintage Flanagan.
So was the expletive she emoted at the finish line.
Flanagan says winning that race meant more than any in her career.
"This had been so long in the making, and I'd been working at it so diligently," she says. "I feel I put more effort into this than any other achievement. I don't think I was born a marathoner No one is. It's definitely been a work in progress."
She didn't beat a lightweight field either.
"Mary Keitany is one of the best marathoner of the last decade," Flanagan says. "She was the alpha runner that day."
Schumacher says he is proud not only of the victory, but the way Flanagan went about it. No shortcuts, just hard, disciplined training, guts and determination.
"She has had some other cracks at winning a major, and they didn't happen," he says. "But honestly, in fairness to her, the outcomes of some of the other ones aren't really legitimate."
For instance, there is the 2014 race in Boston. If Jeptoo hadn't been there, and hadn't broken the race open, who knows what would have happened? As it was, Flanagan finished less than three minutes out of second.
"If she is in it with three miles to go, I like her chances," Schumacher says. "She's a pit bull. That moment was stolen, not only from Shalane, but from the other athletes in the field."
It's beginning to look, though, like there are other moments and more races in Flanagan's future.
"My heart is leaning toward ticking one more thing off," she says. "Or, a few more things."


LONDON (Reuters) - Boris Johnson, who was a leading figure in the campaign to take Britain out of the EU, said Brexit was becoming “soft to the point of disintegration” after Prime Minister Theresa May asked to work with the opposition Labour party to secure an exit deal.
Johnson, who quit as Britain’s foreign minister over May’s handling of Brexit, said he was bitterly disappointed with her move on Tuesday and said the country was now likely to remain in a customs union with the European Union, a much softer form of Brexit.
“I think it’s very disappointing that the Brexit process has now been entrusted to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party, and I think that the result will almost certainly be, if Corbyn gets his way, that we remain in the customs union,” he told Sky News.


The backlash against internet and hi-tech stocks claimed another high profile victim yesterday when the Japanese electronics group Fujitsu abandoned plans for the £5bn stock market flotation of its British subsidiary ICL.
Keith Todd, ICL's chief executive, has resigned after insisting for the past two years that the business would refloat in 2000 come what may.
Mr Todd ended a 13-year association with the company on Friday by clearing his desk after the Fujitsu-dominated ICL board decided to postpone the flotation "indefinitely".
"In the light of Keith Todd's close identification with the flotation of ICL, he had tendered his resignation as chief executive," a statement from ICL said.
ICL would have been one of the stock market's largest listed technology companies but now finds itself placed amid a growing band of hi-tech businesses suffering as a result of the sharp turn in investors' sentiment.
As recently as May Mr Todd was maintaining that the flotation of ICL would go ahead and that "substantive" businesses would not be affected by the market correction.
A statement from Fujitsu said the decision to suspend the flotation indefinitely had been taken "in the light of current difficult trading conditions in the IT industry and the company's financial performance".
It is thought that ICL insiders have been disappointed by the relatively static revenue growth and widening losses, despite a reduction in staff numbers.
The planned summer flotations of two subsidiary businesses have also been delayed, while the IT services sector has been hit by a wave of profit warnings.
A Y2K-related slowdown in business had taken longer than anticipated to recede, a spokesman added.
"The board felt that a flotation would be a distraction from the more important task at hand of building sustained growth and' profitability." UBS Warburg was ready to underwrite the issue in the fourth quarter of this year.
ICL in April announced costly plans to transform the company into one focused on e-business - just a month after the sea change in attitudes to the internet.
The plans involved ICL altering the focus of its core business from the manufacture of computers and hard ware, and retraining its entire 22,000 strong workforce in e-business skills.
Despite yesterday's setback ICL said it was still considering the £1bn flotation of its Nordic company ICL Invia on the Helsinki exchange. It might also still seek a listing in London for Knowledgepool, its e-learning business.
Analysts believe ICL could now be forced to mount a radical disposal programme to unlock "hidden value" and give individual divisions greater autonomy.
"We hope that Fujitsu will belatedly realise this," said Richard Holway of Holway Research. "If they retain the status quo - as they have done for so many years - they will just preside over a slowly dying offspring. Surely no parent wants to see that?" Guardian IT and Technology plc have already been successfully spun-out of ICL.
Mr Todd is temporarily replaced in his £600,000 a year job by Richard Christou, commercial and legal affairs director.
ICL said the search for a full-time replacement was under way. Mr Todd was promoted from finance director to chief executive five years ago when then chief executive Peter Bonfield was poached to take the top job at BT.
Keith Todd may have found it a tough task transforming ICL from lumbering computer hardware manufacturer into nimble e-business group but some things have got faster within one of Britain's largest technology companies.
By lunchtime yesterday Mr Todd's 13 years of service with the group had been consigned to history and the management team section on ICL's lavish corporate website made no reference to him.
Mr Todd, an accountant by training, began his career with the Royal Ordnance Factories.
He joined ICL as finance director in August 1987, having held a similar position at Marconi. Before that Mr Todd spent five years as chief financial officer of Cincinnati Electronics in the US.
When Peter Bonfield left ICL in 1995 to become chief executive of BT, Mr Todd stepped up to take the top job.
One of the tasks that has tested Mr Todd most is the on-off £1bn Horizon project to install touch-screen computer technology in 19,000 Post Office outlets nationwide. It has been hampered by the government changing its mind about what kind of system is wanted. It is due for completion in spring 2001, giving the Post Office Europe's largest secure retail/banking computer network.
Since 1998 the well-liked boss has been promising that ICL would be floated on the stock exchange by the end of 2000.
When parent company Fujitsu decided that ICL was not ready to float it was inevitable that Mr Todd would go.
He will also resign from the board of lottery operator Camelot Group, where he is ICL's representative.
Shares in Lastminute.com plummet after arguably the most hyped flotation the stock market had witnessed. Critics pointed out that it generated turnover from commissions of £190,000 -and was at one stage valued at £1bn. The sell off of technology stocks begins, triggered by nervousness on Wall Street.
Nina Brink, chair of pan-European internet group World Online resigns after it emerged she sold a large part of her holding before the company's flotation, causing the shares to plunge shortly after. The technology sell off gathers pace.
Fashion retailer Boo.com becomes the highest profile casualty so far when it collapses after eating up £80m of its investors' money.
Filmgroup, an internet-based video on demand company, pulls its flotation at the 11th hour.
Amazon.com shares lose more than 20% of their value in a single day as Wall Street analysts issue doubts about its long-term prospects.
Natural health website Clickmango closes. Letsbuyit.com joins the market but at the third attempt and with a valuation of £300m instead of the £1bn first mooted.
Rupert Murdoch's News International disbands its new media division.


As it turns out, Donald Trump is the hope-and-change president.
According to James B. Comey, Trump hoped that the then-FBI director would find a way to drop his investigation of ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and help blow away “the cloud” concerning the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia. When Comey didn’t, Trump changed Comey — right out of a job.
“You’re fired,” the apprentice-president bravely conveyed to Comey via the very news media he so abhors, except when he doesn’t. Was Trump’s “hope” a “direction,” as Comey testified Thursday that he took it to mean? As in, The Don hopes ol’ Jimmy does the “right” thing? Or was it simply hope? As in, good golly, I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend?
If one were a young child, one might go for the weather-forecast interpretation — because what child wants it to rain on his or her parade? If one were an adult with full knowledge of the president’s pre-political history and the common sense of an investigator, one might reasonably conclude that the hoper in chief was making a strong suggestion, the ignoring of which could have dead-horse-in-your-bed consequences.
Comey, obviously, smelled a dead horse.
In his exchanges with the president, he carefully selected his words and took mental notes, after which he wrote down his recollections.
But Comey’s concentration on the president’s hope may have doomed him. Not only did he lose his job, but also his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee seemed weak tea in the broader context of the president’s potential criminality. Expressing “hope” — a word that’s open to interpretation and nowhere near evidence of obstruction of justice — is clearly not a crime.
In his testimony, Comey further revealed that he personally had leaked his memos, again to the benighted media via a Columbia University law professor and friend. Comey said he was concerned that Trump might lie about their discussions and other details leading up to his firing.
During the hearing, several senators pressed Comey about why he didn’t ask obvious follow-up questions, as when Trump allegedly said to the director, “We had that thing.” What thing? Comey also might have queried, “Mr. President, what do you mean when you say you ‘hope’?” Or, as various commentators have suggested, why didn’t Comey say, “I’m sorry, Mr. President, but this is highly inappropriate and I’m going to have to excuse myself”?
Ask any reporter, whose skills are essentially investigative, and the answer is: You don’t ever interrupt when the subject is spilling beans. Remember that Flynn was under investigation at the time, as was Trump’s campaign, though apparently not Trump himself. All of this was surely in Comey’s mind when Trump allegedly expressed his hope.
In real life, we rely upon our instincts, experience, interpretation of facial expressions and body language, and historical knowledge to make judgments and instruct our words and actions. We do this usually without conscious effort — unless we’re driven by a purpose.
For Comey, what was the higher moral position? To stop the president of the United States from talking — or keep the conversation going while you gather your wits and see what else might be forthcoming but could aid in an ongoing investigation? Most likely, Comey’s mind was frantically trying to assess the situation and wondering, Lordy, why didn’t I wear a wire?
He hinted as much Thursday, albeit with weirdly undermining self-deprecations. Comey said he felt he needed to pay attention and was too stunned to react to the “hope” comment. “Maybe if I were stronger,” he said, explaining why he didn’t end his conversation with Trump. Please. What’s with the 6-foot-8-inch weakling act from a man routinely praised for his brilliance and integrity? Why telegraph feebleness to Trump, his lawyers and a skeptical public if he’s secure in his rectitude?
Presumably, Comey was trying to convey his humility juxtaposed with the steamrolling Trump. What Comey may be constitutionally unable to fully grasp, however, is that integrity is no weapon in a knife fight.


Nokia has updated its camcorder-focused mobile phone with a new N93i version. Pocket-lint was given the chance to have a play with the new mobile phone at CES 2007.
The good news is, from the offset that the N93i is considerably smaller than its predecessor the Nokia N93. That's not to say it isn't still on the large side, but at least it now has some chance of fitting in your jeans pocket rather than you having to rely on carrying it in a separate bag.
For all intents and purposes the design and form factor are the same as before. The phone is structured around a hinge at the top of the device, which also stores the 3.2 megapixel digital camera and swivelling the phone from this point gives you access to the phones features.
On the one swivel is the 2.4in screen and on the other is the keypad. Additionally there is a joystick on the outside of the phone (in a very similar position to the Sayno Xacti range) and this offers video control and zoom features. There is also dedicated camera key to capture images, switch shooting mode and operate the flash quickly and easily.
That digital camera allows you to shoot DVD quality footage in MPEG4 VGA video capture at up to 30 frames per second. The phone also supports stereo audio recording and offers digital stabilisation so you're films won't be shaky.
With the 1GB miniSD card included in the box, Nokia seems keen to emphasise this as more than a phone, and the card will allow you to capture up to 45 minutes of DVD-like quality video or up to 1250 high-quality photos.
New to the mix, the phone now features Wi-Fi connectivity and a shiny front, which like the Z610 from Sony Ericsson can get rather smudged - in our play we had to wipe the screen a couple of times to clearly see what was going on (see pictures).
Inside and the interface is the same as the N93 and the phone still allows you to upload videos directly to the Internet to share your experiences straight away and Nokia has teamed up with video and photo blogging service called Vox to allow you to upload on the fly.
It's a simple case of selecting your video or photos in the gallery of your Nokia N93i and upload them directly from your device to Vox in their original size. Users can do this via 3G or the included Wi-Fi connection and our test video using a Wi-Fi connection was up on the Vox site within seconds.
While some praised the Nokia N93 we weren't so keen: it was bulky, unslightly and something that we wouldn't want to be seen with.
Fast forward a year from our First Look experience all that seems to have changed. The new N93i version, although by no means small, the size has come down noticeably, while the feature set including the Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and the 3 megapixel camera mean that if you are looking to capture your life on the go, this might just be the camera phone to do it with.


City court judges across New York state will receive a scheduled pay increase this week, boosting their annual compensation from $175,500 to $187,200.
Among them is embattled Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio, who remains on probation for a drunken driving conviction and has not been hearing cases since her February 2016 arrest.
The raises, which went into effect April 1, were enacted by a state commission on judicial compensation in 2015, which recommended salary increases to be rolled out over the years that followed.
Astacio was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. A state trooper testified he found Astacio's SUV on the side of Interstate 490 near Mt. Read Boulevard with extensive front-end damage and both driver's side tires flat. She was found guilty of driving while intoxicated after a bench trial in August 2016.
She was subsequently sentenced to three years of probation in July 2017 after being found to have violated terms of the original sentence to her drunken driving conviction, which was a one-year conditional discharge. Her efforts to appeal the terms of her probation were unsuccessful.
State Supreme Court Justice Craig Doran, the administrative judge for regional courts, ordered Astacio to return to work in February after a six-month absence. She had earlier said a physician found her current work — administrative tasks in a small room — to be overly stressful.
The Commission on Judicial Conduct, which considers allegations of misconduct by judges, is now scrutinizing the conviction and other actions by Astacio, including violations of her original post-conviction guidelines. The only mechanism for removing Astacio from office would be a recommendation by the commission, which would then have to be approved by the Court of Appeals.
Astacio was elected to a 10-year term that runs through the end of 2024.


A leading NATO official has said that Turkey will face “consequences” if it purchases a Russian air-defense system.
“The principal of sovereignty obviously exists in acquisition of defense equipment, but the same way that nations are sovereign in making their decision, they are also sovereign in facing the consequences of that decision,” said Gen. Petr Pavel, chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, on Oct. 25 during a Washington meeting with a group of reporters hosted by the Defense Writers Group.
Pavel said Russian missiles cannot integrate with the NATO systems.
NATO-ally Turkey is not seeking to antagonize the U.S.-led alliance by purchasing Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles and is in talks with France and Italy to buy similar weapons, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an on Oct. 9 interview with Reuters.
Ankara’s decision to buy the Russian system has been seen in some Western capitals as a snub to the alliance, given tensions with Moscow over Ukraine and Syria, while the deal raised concern because the weapons cannot be integrated into NATO defenses.
“There hasn’t been any request from Turkey to integrate the S-400 into NATO air defense system,” Stoltenberg had said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blamed NATO countries for failing to propose a viable alternative to the long-range Russian missiles, but Stoltenberg said Erdoğan was now talking to Paris and Rome for similar systems, a move the alliance chief welcomed.
“He told me that Turkey is in dialogue with France and Italy on possible delivery of air defense systems from them... on top of the S-400,” Stoltenberg said.
Turkey has said it has made an advance payment for the S-400 system and hopes to see them delivered in 2019 but the paperwork has not been finalized yet.
It is “fair among allies to have that discussion, to raise all concerns and potential difficulties,” said Pavel.


Pakistan's powerful military is likely to continue its hostile approach towards India, including supporting terror activities in J&K, if Khan's PTI wrests power as it is projected to.
NEW DELHI: There is very little possibility of any improvement in New Delhi's ties with Islamabad if Imran Khan becomes Pakistan's prime minister as he has been "propped" by the Pakistani military, politicians and strategic affairs experts here said today.
Pakistan's powerful military is likely to continue its hostile approach towards India, including supporting terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, if Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) wrests power as it is projected to, they said.
The flamboyant cricketer-turned-politician, 65, is set to become the next prime minister of Pakistan with his PTI emerging as the single largest party, but falling short of a majority.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and several other parties have questioned the outcome of the election results, alleging vote-rigging in favour of Khan by the Army.
"He (Khan) is the Army's man. He is expected to do what the Pakistani Army tells him to do," said former diplomat G Parthasarathy, who has served as India's high commissioner in Islamabad.
Echoing his views, Union minister R K Singh said there was no possibility of any change in Pakistan's policy of hostility towards India under Khan's leadership.
In his first public address to the nation after leading the PTI to victory in the elections held yesterday, Khan said Pakistan is willing to improve its ties with India. "If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least we need a start," KHan said. He also said Kashmir is the "core" issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.
"I do not think Pakistan will change its policy towards under Khan at all as he has been backed by Pakistan Army," said R K Singh.
K C Singh, another former diplomat, said there was not much possibility of improvement in ties between the two neighbours. With general elections scheduled in India in the next 10 months, the Modi government is unlikely to reach out to Islamabad for any engagement, he said.
"It is too early to talk about (the impact on India-Pakistan ties if Khan becomes PM). It will depend on who he chooses as coalition partners. It will depend on shape of his government," he said.
Former Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor added that he does not expect Pakistan to stop its proxy war with India under Khan's leadership as he has been "propped" by the Pakistani military establishment.
"They will continue with the proxy war. They will continue to create disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir. I do not think there will be any improvement in the relationship between the two countries," said Kapoor.
Sachin Chaturvedi, director general of the think-tank Research and Information System (RIS) said the Pakistani Army played a role in elections in that country but hoped Khan would show the courage in favouring good relations with India.
"It will be in the larger interests of people of Pakistan," he said.


I have been on vacation in Hawaii this week waiting for the hurricane. It missed us but apparently hit the Oscars instead.
Sitting in my beach cabana I made calls and sent emails to see if the perspective from Academy members matched the social media firestorm — and I mean firestorm — aimed at the Oscar’s additions. A new category for “Popular” film; a two-week move backward in the calendar; the telecast downsizing of some undetermined below the line categories.
On the surface I would say the Board Of Governors’ vote at Tuesday night’s meeting is a brilliant way to answer all the criticism aimed at the Oscar show, at once. What’s so bad about a new category that reflects movies ABC’s viewers actually see, OR promising a streamlined three-hour telecast not bogged down by speeches from people you have never heard of, OR shortening the endless awards season to make the Oscars a little more relevant? Isn’t this exactly what the complainers have complained about? But the way things have been going, you just had to know that, in trying to address constant criticism about the Oscar show, the Academy once again became a punching bag once it revealed instantly controversial solutions from ‘the gang that couldn’t shoot straight’ according to its critics.
Nobody wanted to be quoted, but here is a sampling of what I heard from the front lines.
Another member: “I was horrified when I got the very brief email and then started reading up more about how bad a deal this really is. It is embarrassing how the Academy is destroying itself and every bit of good it has done throughout history.” This member then went on to list a litany of grievances about recent diversity moves, taking in “unqualified” members, and politicizing the Oscar show itself. This person might be onto something there. The Academy, like other Hollywood-based kudos fests may be turning off Trump’s America by not curtailing the infusion of politics into the show, an additional cause of ratings erosion.
This from a new member: “It’s horrible – most people hate it – it so downgrades the Academy. I think they should have let all the members vote on it, but they just care about ratings and taking categories off the show. Ugh.” This member’s thought was echoed by a top major studio executive to whom I spoke, who also suggested that a membership meeting should have been called for input from the Academy’s rank and file, before making any drastic moves pinned to a desire for better ratings. Ironically this particular exec and his studio’s films, could actually stand to benefit from the introduction of a “popular” category.
OKAY, then. I guess the Academy has some explaining to do, even though it wasn’t making newly re-elected President John Bailey available yesterday. At a recent private screening event we both attended, Bailey told me that he was running again, and if elected, he planned to try and “radically” change the Oscar show, with the hope of making it feel less like the Independent Spirit Awards. There has been an uncanny match between the Best Picture choices of both organizations, with the notable exception of 2017. The Shape Of Water took the Best Picture Oscar, but was shut out at the Spirits, even though it was eligible.
The more severe critics of yesterday’s move called it a simple ratings grab, that the Academy, which used to be devoted to a mission of excellence in film, had succumbed to ABC’s desire for bigger ratings which only come when there is a blockbuster in contention like Titanic or The Lord Of The Rings. In my conversations with Bailey, he seemed genuinely concerned that the Oscar show was headed in the wrong direction. This was even when I first met him a few years ago and he told me of his concern about the Neil Patrick Harris-hosted show that had aired three days earlier.
I am persuaded these moves weren’t borne of sudden desperation. Various Academy committees have been meeting in recent months on this issue. A few months ago I heard of a ludicrous proposal being floated in which there would be a requirement to have three audience-favored movies guaranteed Best Picture slots. I completely dismissed it, believing this was not the conservative Academy I knew. The rough idea, as I understood it, would involve having two ballots with one listing only the “popular” movies. Three top vote getters from that ballot would then be integrated into the other ballot in which all films were eligible, thus creating your Best Picture nominees. It seems the new “Popular” category might have evolved from something like that, as unlikely as this idea sounded at the time. It is pretty much in theory how the nine foreign language finalists are chosen by a committee, not the entire membership.
It is ironic that it has come in a year in which a Best Picture nomination for Black Panther is possible, the first Marvel film and comic book movie to be so honored, if it happened. Perhaps the “Popular” category was rushed in as an insurance policy to make sure Black Panther ( a Disney-distributed film from the company that owns Oscar broadcaster ABC) was represented properly. Its omission, after all, would have inevitably sparked new outrage at Oscar and slapped the org’s attempt at diversity in the face again ala #OscarsSoWhite. Disney has been prepared to launch a major Best Picture campaign on its behalf and even hired top campaign consultant Cynthia Swartz to help orchestrate it. Does this new category diminish its chances for a Best Picture nomination, even though the Academy later clarified all “Popular” movies would also be eligible for Best Pic too? Will voters feel the “Popular” designation covers it? How ironic would that be since these changes were clearly orchestrated with heavy input from Disney owned ABC?
I am as concerned as other purists. I study the Oscars. I love the Oscars. The Academy might look to its British counterparts for help clarifying this new category. The Brits have a popular category called EE Rising Star Award (formerly sponsored by Orange), most recently won by Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya. It is a specially blue-tinted BAFTA statuette that goes to a winner voted by the people. It’s given prime exposure and equal time on the BAFTA show. That’s a radical idea for the previously insulated Oscar process. But why not design a special statuette and turn the vote for Popular Film to the masses? It would deliver a marketing hook and might compel more people to watch and root on someone they nominated. It would also remove the embarrassment some Oscar voters might feel being forced to vote for a film based on its popular appeal. Just sayin’. It would also help not tarnish the value of a Best Picture win. The Academy could even make money off of it by enlisting a top sponsor associated with moviegoing, just as BAFTA does. How about Coca-Cola’s Popular Movie Oscar? If you are going to do this, why not present it in a transparent way?
As for doling out some of the crafts categories during commercials, with speeches edited to play via tape later in the show, I remain astounded this ever got the approval of a Board dominated by crafts branches. I confess I never thought I would see the day. It is bound to cause in-fighting among those Governors involved, who gets relegated to this second tier treatment. It is the way many awards shows operate, including the Tonys, Grammys and even the Critics Choice Awards (the group to which I belong). All of them hand them out in pre-shows and merge them into the main show one way or another.
When I was a Governor (for six years) representing the writers branch of the Television Academy, we were faced with the prospect of losing some of our guaranteed writing categories on the prime time telecast. We fought that and won. I learned that if you give an inch, the networks are likely to take a mile. By enlisting the Writers Guild in our effort, we never gave an inch. In the case of past Oscar producers like Gil Cates, they’ve tried different ideas to deal with the less viewer friendly categories, like handing Oscars to some winners in their seats, or lining up documentary directors onstage and declaring a winner. Like the Miss America pageant. It was never revisited, but I wonder if this idea should be given a chance in the spirit of ratings boosting. Seeing these dramatic changes enacted under a second term president who is a cinematographer and hails from one of these branches is akin to Nixon opening up China to the U.S. No Democratic President could have done that and lived to tell the tale.
As for moving up the ceremony by two weeks starting 2020, the Academy was nice enough to give other shows the chance to reshuffle their own dates. AMPAS motivation behind this is to eliminate the feeling of ennui among viewers who watch the same winners march to the stage and hone their speeches prior to the Oscars. This won’t stop, but at least it will all be over sooner. The dilemma is the move gives Oscar voters less time to actually see the movies. That is a complaint I heard commonly even before this. One Academy member told me he hoped the show would move to April, as it was in the 60’s. Good luck with that. It’s a new era. The bigger question is will it become a new error?


Assessing The Damage After Hurricane Matthew Hits Haiti Hundreds of people were killed and thousands displaced after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti this week. Washington Post Mexico City bureau chief Joshua Partlow speaks from Les Cayes, Haiti.
Hundreds of people were killed and thousands displaced after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti this week. Washington Post Mexico City bureau chief Joshua Partlow speaks from Les Cayes, Haiti.
We're going to turn now to Haiti where people are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew which made landfall there on Monday. Tens of thousands of people were displaced because their homes were destroyed. The death toll is in the hundreds and is growing. U.N. officials are calling it Haiti's worst humanitarian crisis since the earthquake that struck six years ago. We wanted to hear more, so we reached Joshua Partlow. He's Mexico City bureau chief for The Washington Post, but he was able to get to Les Cayes, Haiti, which is on the south on the Caribbean coast. Joshua, thanks so much for joining us.
MARTIN: So what is the extent of the damage that you've seen so far? And we're hearing very different casualty figures. So can you shed some light on that as well?
PARTLOW: Yeah, sure. And the extent of the damage from what I've seen has been pretty massive. I flew into the country from the Dominican Republic on a helicopter with a medical group a couple of days ago. And you could see a lot of houses had been destroyed, roofs torn off, I mean, thousands. There's a lot of flooding along the southern coast of Haiti. You could see signs of the storm surge. And in the towns I've explored since, on the ground, I mean, it's just only looked worse.
I'm in Les Cayes, which is one of the main towns along the southern coast. But in the remote villages all up and down the coast, there are these palm tree groves, and the trees have been knocked over by the wind and smashed these houses that are, you know, made of cinder blocks with tin roofs or sometimes thatch huts. So there's a lot of devastation. There're roads that have been washed out and blocked by trees, and there have been bridges that have been washed out as well. So it's hard to access a lot of these areas.
MARTIN: What is the government saying as far as loss of life, and why are there different figures coming out?
PARTLOW: The death toll has been rising pretty much every day since the storm. Right now the government has confirmed about 400 deaths. A news organization has published their own independent tally that puts it more than 800. It's just hard to determine because I've heard estimates that half a million people just along the southern coastline haven't even been reached outsiders yet because their towns and villages are cut off, you know, only accessible by helicopter, basically. And the phone lines have been cut as well, so communication is difficult. So that's why you're not seeing a good solid number about how many people have died in the storm.
MARTIN: Now, you mentioned that you were able to fly in with a medical aid group. Are aid and relief efforts able to get underway at this point?
PARTLOW: There have been some. There are supplies coming in. The Western aid groups have given medicine to some clinics, but no, I mean, it's not a very robust relief effort so far. I mean, people are - who have been - had their homes destroyed - are now staying in makeshift shelters. I was in a school today where more than 1,200 hundred people are camping out. I mean, all of them that I talked to said their homes were damaged or destroyed. They've had one shipment of rice at the school in a week, they said. And one presidential candidate is here, who's known as - he's a banana businessman - had delivered a truckload of bananas. So you know, there's - they're hungry, people are worried about cholera, people are worried about fresh water. So it's really elemental needs at this point.
MARTIN: Haiti had been scheduled to hold elections this Sunday, as I understand it. What is going to happen with that?
PARTLOW: Yeah, so the election got postponed after the storm, and there's no date that's been set for a new election at this point. That presidential candidate I talked about - Jovenel Moise - he had arrived in Les Cayes yesterday. He toured the South and then delivered some food and fruit, like I mentioned, to some people down here. He's one of the leading candidates. He was hoping that the election will happen as soon as possible. But, you know, he fears that the government will postpone the election indefinitely, and there's already been, you know, more than a year of uncertainty about who the elected president is here.
MARTIN: Joshua Partlow is the Mexico City bureau chief for The Washington Post. He was able to get Les Cayes, Haiti, and we reached him there. Mr. Partlow, thanks so much for speaking with us.


The manager of Fidelity Investments' stock-picking unit held an emergency meeting last week to reiterate the firm's policies against sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, a person familiar with the matter said.
The meeting followed the departure of two portfolio managers earlier this month after one was accused of sexual harassment and the other of making inappropriate comments, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.
The meeting and allegations were previously reported by the Wall Street Journal.
"Fidelity's policies specifically prohibit harassment in any form," company spokesman Vincent Loporchio said. "When allegations of these sorts are brought to our attention, we investigate them immediately and take prompt and appropriate action."


Magnus Carlsen, the world chess champion, has a great capacity for putting people at ease. Flight delays have made me an hour late, but there he is at the top of the stairs of his Oslo home, holding open the door and saying: “It’s all right, I understand.” Yet this is, probably, the greatest player in the game, mobbed by screaming fans wherever he goes and in such commercial demand that his black cotton jacket is a veritable advertising billboard. On one breast is the logo of a law firm, on another an investment bank, on one arm an electrical company, and on the other a prominent Oslo newspaper — just some of the deals that earn him about £1m a year.
His house is a curious blend of styles. From a distance the heavy, gently sloping wooden roof and well-supported eaves suggest a traditional Swiss-style chalet. Yet the house, which has thick concrete walls, was built just 40 years ago by a Norwegian entrepreneur who was in the concrete business. Situated in Holmenkollen, in the west of Oslo, it overlooks the less prosperous east.
Carlsen was attracted by the view overlooking the Nordmarka (northern woodlands), with Bogstadvannet lake on one side and the Oslofjord, which connects to the sea, on the other. A short drive away is Oslo’s famous ski-jumping slope and the national arena for cross-country biathlon. Not that Carlsen skies much. A Real Madrid fan, his great recreation when not moving chess pieces is playing football with friends. And while he still keeps a flat in the centre of the city, this is home. With six bedrooms, it has space both for his parents and his three sisters.
Carlsen’s favourite object is the hammock in the centre of the terrace. “I come here and sit when I want to think how to beat opponents.” It also serves as a place for post-match reflection. “Even if I win a game, if I have made an avoidable mistake, or missed something in my calculations, I get very angry and sulk.” When that happens, he stretches out on the hammock and uses the mistake to motivate himself to be flawless next time.
Not so far away is November and Carlsen’s defence of his world chess championship title, which he has held since 2013. The match against 26-year-old Russian Sergey Karjakin takes place in a venue in New York with panoramic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and is billed in certain quarters as the 21st-century version of the 1972 cold war clash in Reykjavik between the maverick American Bobby Fischer and the Soviet world champion Boris Spassky. Fischer’s victory was regarded by some as proof of the superiority of the free world over the communist bloc. So will Carlsen be standing up for western values when he takes on Karjakin?
Carlsen hopes to find a way through the Russian’s defences via military history. “Not so long ago I read a book about Hitler, not in a Fischer kind of way admiring him, but an objective analysis of Hitler’s [military] successes and mistakes.” He had moved on to Hitler from Napoleon, whom he admired as a child “because he was up to a certain stage a great strategist”.


They keep piling on Albert Haynesworth.
Yes, they sure do. But we’ve found even more reasons for Haynesworth to show up at training camp for the Washington Redskins in a little more than a month. There is someone else coming after him for money – his ex-wife Stephanie wants what should legally be hers.
Unable to meet his obligations on the field for the Redskins – Haynesworth skipped mandatory minicamp earlier this month – he allegedly hasn’t met his obligations off the field either. This comes as no surprise, not with a Tennessee bank suing Haynesworth for defaulting on a $2.38 million loan and a New York stripper coming after him for million after he allegedly got her pregnant and promised to take care of her. Oh yeah, then there is the Tennessee man suing Haynesworth for a wreck he alleges Haynesworth caused in his Ferrari that left him partially paralyzed. Corey Edmonson is going after Haynesworth for multiple millions of dollars.
Haynesworth’s divorce was finalized in January, according to the Associated Press, and Stephanie Haynesworth did not receive alimony or a pay off in the settlement. Per the report, her attorney filed a petition on Monday to change the outcome as well as the “parenting plan” for their two kids.
If Haynesworth, who has been paid $32 million by the Redskins in the last 16 months or so, had simply fulfilled his duties as a football player, he wouldn’t have quite the microscope on him. But his failure to live up to that contract has made him a marked man and with the mounting off-field distractions, he’s not going to be attractive for any other team. Remember, this is the player who stomped on Andre Gurode’s face. Trouble just seems to have a way of following Haynesworth.
You have to wonder if a man with pockets as deep as Daniel Snyder is capable of buyer’s remorse. We’re betting he is. In this instance.


For would-be parents who are unable to have children without medical assistance, one possible option is to use an egg donor. This method involves a donor anonymously giving her eggs to an infertile patient to help them give birth. But after undergoing the (sometimes tough) decision to have fertility treatment, hopeful-moms-to-be are faced with a second question: “Will my kid look like me?” Ovobank, a pioneering egg bank in Spain, has a high-tech answer to the conundrum — and it involves using facial recognition to match up patients to similar-looking donors.
Until now, this process was achieved by looking at the patient’s phenotypical characteristics — referring to their height, hair color, eye color, and skin color. The facial matching part was then a subjective decision made based on the doctor’s choices. What Ovomatch offers instead is a facial-recognition matching algorithm, which allows the patient to find their idea donor by snapping a quick selfie through a mobile app.
After this process is carried out, the app sends out two reports: One to the collaborating IVF center so they can begin to program the treatment, and the other to Ovobank so that it can prepare the necessary paperwork related to the egg donation. Finally, Ovobank will get in contact with the collaboration center, and arrange shipment of the eggs.


spi is short for stateful packet inspection and is a technique used in higher-end firewalls. it analyzes packets based on their relation to sessions, or previously sent packets. for example, if a user sends a message to someone on im, and receives a reply, the spi firewall will look at the reply to see if it was requested. if not, it is blocked.
a smurf attack is an ip address spoofing denial of service attack named after the exploit program used in the attack. the program sends icmp echo (ping) traffic to servers, which reply to the spoofed address (victim). if enough machines reply to the single spoofed address, it causes a denial of service on the victim. a fraggle attack uses a similar technique. a detailed explanation is here.


As we all know, content that takes forever to load will increase your site’s bounce rates, decrease your conversions, and undeniably scar your bottom line. And by “forever” I mean more than a few seconds. A recent study by KISS Metrics found that page abandonment rates increase drastically after a load time of just four seconds or more.
The greater the physical distance between your users and the host servers where the content is stored, the more likely it is they’ll experience slow load times. If your site is heavy with visual content and has a national or multi-national audience, your content delivery challenges increase. You need to be able to store your content locally to ensure fast load times and positive user experience. But how?
The answer is to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
Image and video optimization platform, Cloudinary today announced a multi-CDN feature that routes users to different CDNs based on geography, server load, and other parameters, ensuring quick media load time.
A CDN is a network of servers that deliver web content based on the geographic location of the end-user. They allow you to store your site’s content in strategic locations so that users receive it quickly.
The CDN market is growing rapidly as developers and content managers continue to realize the benefits of maintaining multiple points of presence. In fact, the global CDN market is expected to grow from nearly $6 billion in revenues in 2016 to nearly $23 billion in 2021, according to MarketWatch.
But CDNs aren’t without drawbacks. Individually, they can be expensive and time-consuming to set up. They may also perform inconsistently in different locations, and none of them have 100 percent uptime, despite the claims in their marketing materials. They may also want to lock you into using their services regardless of whether they offer the best content delivery options as your needs evolve. This means you might get stuck using a sub-optimal CDN that can’t get your content as close to your users as you’d like.
If you can use multiple CDNs at once, you can redirect user requests to the most efficient server based on your user’s location and your company’s needs. However, manually implementing multiple CDNs can be a nightmare — among other things, you need to set up and maintain an account for each one and manage its integration into your own network. Moreover, since CDNs keep a cached version of the content served through them, tracking and synchronizing caches on multiple platforms can be expensive and error-prone. The resources, time, and energy needed for these undertakings can ultimately undermine the benefits.
Cloudinary’s multi-CDN offering promises all the advantages of using multiple CDNs without the drawbacks of managing each one yourself. Before Cloudinary deploys images to the various CDNs, its proprietary image optimization software condenses the image to the smallest file size for each screen combined with the highest quality possible. It also gives developers many advanced options for image management.
“A multi-CDN strategy is something that big online brands like Facebook and Netflix have already developed themselves, however, most organizations don’t have the technical resources to build them on their own. Using a multi-CDN solution like ours enables you to manage your online content the same way as these online business leaders at a fraction of the cost,” said Ran Rubinstein, vice president of solutions at Cloudinary.


Cisco, Dell EMC and HPE’s collective hold on the $11bn cloud infrastructure market appears to be weakening, as the public cloud providers’ use of original design manufacturers’ (ODM) datacentre hardware continues to grow.
Synergy Research Group’s first quarter look at the cloud infrastructure sector tracks how sales of the hardware and software used to kit out hyperscale datacentres are faring, as the demand for public cloud services continues to grow.
Its findings suggest the traditional, big-name legacy technology suppliers are finding their share of the market increasingly under siege from the ODM (or white-label) supplier community, as the hyperscalers favour lower-cost, commodity hardware to kit out their server farms.
As such, Synergy’s research shows the ODM manufacturers are growing their share of the public cloud infrastructure market by around five percentage points a year, and now account for around 30% of the overall market.
As direct result, the opportunities available to the likes of Cisco, Dell-EMC and HPE to grow their collective share of the cloud infrastructure market are shrinking and being “squeezed hard”, claims Synergy.
“ODMs, in aggregate, continue to run away with the market and now account for almost 30% of total revenues,” said Synergy, in a research note.
A Huawei executive makes the case for dedicated high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, despite the growth of public cloud services that have democratised access to HPC and AI capabilities.
Google is to open 12 datacentre regions between 2016 and 2017, as it steps up its efforts to grab a larger slice of cloud infrastructure services market.
The ODM community is particularly strong in the server and storage market, said Synergy, while Cisco continues to dominate in the networking space, and Microsoft and VMware remain the ones to watch in the cloud infrastructure software segment.
Overall, the hyperscale cloud giants are continuing to ramp up the amount of money they spend on their datacentre kit, with Synergy’s data confirming a 32% year-on-year uptick in Q1 spend.
Its data also suggests the amount being spent on public cloud-enabling infrastructure per quarter now exceeds $11bn.
John Dinsdale, chief analyst and research director at Synergy Research Group, said the data highlights just how strong the demand for public cloud services continues to be, and is likely to remain for a long time to come.
“Our forecasts show that IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and public cloud workloads generally are all going to continue to grow rapidly over the next five years, which will continue to drive ever-increasing levels of spending on datacentre infrastructure,” he said.