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Saturday, November 29, 2014

Itau Unibanco Holding SA Given BBB+ Credit Rating by Morningstar (ITUB)


Itau Unibanco Holding SA logoItau Unibanco Holding SA (NASDAQ:ITUB) has been given a “BBB+” credit rating by Morningstar. The investment research firm’s “BBB+” rating suggests that the company is a moderate default risk. They also gave their stock a three star rating. Separately, analysts at Zacks reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Itau Unibanco Holding SA in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. They now have a $17.50 price target on the stock. Itau Unibanco Holding SA (NASDAQ:ITUB) opened at 15.06 on Friday. Itau Unibanco Holding SA has a 52-week low of $10.8546 and a 52-week high of $18.49. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $14.41 and its 200-day moving average is $15.19. The company has a market cap of $82.467 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.10. Itau Unibanco Holding SA also was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors purchased 7,065 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 218% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,223 call options. Itau Unibanco Holding SA (NASDAQ:ITUB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.04. Analysts expect that Itau Unibanco Holding SA will post $1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which is scheduled for Monday, January 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.0059 per share. This represents a $0.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. Itau Unibanco Holding SA is a Brazil-based holding active in the banking sector. The Company divides its activities into four segments: Commercial Banking, which offers retail banking and legal entities customers services, among others; Itau BBA, which offers products and wholesale services for companies as well as investment banking activities; Consumer Credit, which provides financial products and services such as checking accounts, auto loans and credit card transactions, among others; Market and Corporation Activity, which provides excess cash management, subordinated debt surplus administration and leads observations on certain treasury activities, among others. To view more credit ratings from Morningstar, visit www.jdoqocy.comclick-7674909-10651170. Receive News & Ratings for Itau Unibanco Holding SA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Itau Unibanco Holding SA and related companies with Analyst Ratings Network's FREE daily email newsletter.

3 Tips for Using Credit Wisely During the Holidays


Associated Press Using credit to tackle your holiday shopping can be tempting. And offers of a discount for opening a new account, or interest-free purchases for a year or more make it more enticing. But relying on credit without a plan to pay off the debt quickly can easily cost you more in the long run. Carrying higher balances for several months could lower your credit score, making it more expensive to refinance your home, buy a car or qualify for other loans. "No amount of rewards are going to be worth using a credit card and carrying a balance from one month to the next," said Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com, which tracks credit card offers. "There's no credit card that pays you 12 percent or 15 percent or 18 percent back in rewards." Even so, many shoppers will reach for a credit card this holiday season. A recent survey by the National Retail Federation found that about 38 percent of consumers planned to rely on credit to buy their holiday gifts. That's up from 28.5 percent last year and the biggest share in the survey's history. Here are three tips that can help you avoid ending up with a debt hangover this holiday season: 1. READ THE FINE PRINT This time of year, credit issuers and retailers roll out cards with special discounts and interest rate grace periods in a bid to woo borrowers. If you can't resist applying, be sure to read the fine print that spells out the limits on these perks, as well as circumstances that could trigger higher charges or annual fees. Take Macy's and Kohl's. Customers who are approved for a card from either of the department store chains receive a variety of discounts. With Macy's card, new cardholders receive 20 percent off, but the savings max out at $100. Consumers who open a Kohl's credit card account receive 15 percent off on their next purchase and a 20 percent discount when they receive the card. In addition, the card entitles borrowers to at least 12 annual discounts ranging from 15 percent to 30 percent on select merchandise. Macy's lists an annual percentage rate of 24.5 percent for purchases on its card. Kohl's advertises a rate of 23.99 percent. That means those discounts may not be so wallet-friendly should you carry a balance beyond a month or two. Then there are the cards that offer 0 percent interest on purchases for a year or more. They can save you money over time. But often just being late on a single payment is enough to end the interest rate grace period, wiping out your initial savings. "Often, if the balance is not completely paid off prior to the expiration date of the time period, a high interest rate is charged going back to day one," said Ray Benton, a certified financial planner based in Denver. If you're considering using a card offering zero interest on purchases for a period of time, try this: Take how much you would charge on the card and divide it into monthly payments within the interest-free period. This can help you determine whether you can comfortably afford to pay the balance off before the regular interest rate kicks in. If that payment schedule is too much of a financial squeeze, it's likely you'll end up paying interest charges. 2. CASH IN REWARDS If you've been accruing rewards points on one of your credit cards, you may have already earned enough to buy gifts this holiday season. Some cards offer cash back, credits against your balance or even special deals to buy gift items from a points redemption store. Major card issuers such as American Express, Chase, Citi and Discover offer some type of points reward program. 3. HAVE A REPAYMENT STRATEGY Establish a budget for how much of your holiday shopping you can put on your credit cards and still afford to pay off any balance within a realistic, but expedient, period of time. That should also help limit your spending and provide a roadmap for paying off your card balances. Hardekopf also says if you are going to carry a balance, contact your issuer and ask for a lower rate. There is no guarantee that it will be lowered, but it never hurts to ask. And there's no reason to wait until your payment is due. Making small payments twice a month or more can help blunt interest charges. That's because most card issuers charge based on your average daily balance. "You can save quite a bit of money by making micro payments," said Hardekopf.

Which Credit Score Should I Pay Attention to?


There is no one credit score. There are many. The one that matters the most is the credit score that a lender looks at when considering your loan or credit card application. So how do you make sense of all of the credit scores out there? Most lenders use FICO scores or VantageScores when evaluating consumer credit applications. And among those, there are hundreds of custom scores for specific uses. All are based on payment history, debt usage, age of credit accounts, credit mix and credit inquiries — the basics of great credit. And all are designed to predict how likely consumers are to repay a loan. The three major credit reporting agencies have all developed scores as well, and sometimes they develop custom scores for particular clients. Each has its own method to predict which consumers are most — or least — likely to pay loans or credit cards as agreed. The credit bureaus also make some scores available to consumers. These are often given to consumers for free, and they can be good tools for learning about credit and monitoring your credit. Another thing to keep in mind when comparing your credit scores is that they may have different ranges. In other words, the highest score in one model may be 990, while in another it may be 850. That means a similar number using different models may mean something quite different. Though that sounds overwhelming, keep in mind that the basics of all credit scores are the same and are based on key components found in your credit reports — you can get free copies of your credit reports once a year under federal law. Because lenders won't likely tell you the credit score they are using, it's important to pay attention to the basics of good credit. If you are doing that, you should have a good score no matter which score the lender uses. Another advantage of monitoring your credit is that if there's a large, unexplained drop in your score, you will know it right away. That could be a sign of identity theft or fraud, and the sooner you address either problem, the easier it will be to untangle. You can check back each month for a new score and to monitor your progress as you build a positive credit record and credit score by paying your credit and loan accounts as agreed, keeping balances lows, not taking on too much debt. So don't be shocked if a free credit score that you receive on a credit card statement is different from the one you saw when you applied for a car loan last month. You can also get two free credit scores on Credit.com, updated monthly, along with details on how your credit stacks up based on the five credit basics. All credit scores are based on information found in your credit reports. And that's why it's important to monitor your credit reports regularly and dispute any mistakes. If there are accounts you don't recognize, be sure to investigate. Your credit file could have been mixed with another consumer's or, worse, a thief may be opening credit accounts in your name. Correcting errors on credit reports is especially important if you know you will soon be applying to finance a home or car, because your credit profile helps lenders decide which interest rate you qualify for — and having a good credit score can save you money. (You can see just how much you'll spend on debt over a lifetime with this interactive tool.) More from Credit.com Why Do I Have So Many Credit Scores? What's a Bad Credit Score? What's the Easiest Way to Improve Your Credit Score? Credit Score Reports Credit credit score credit reports

Australian lawyer sets up 1.2 million Christmas lights to break world record


A Christmas-crazy lawyer has bagged a world record for setting up the largest ever festive LED light image display. Dad-of-three David Richards strung up almost 1.2 million tiny bulbs in the shape of three gifts in the downtown Canberra CBD mall, reports News.com.au. If laid out in a straight line on the ground, the awe-inspiring show would stretch for 75 miles. The incredible effort was enough to land Richards a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. "It's not just a bunch of twinkle lights, it is a light show," he told the Associated Press. A small army of volunteers helped Richards set up the free-to-see display, which is being powered by electricity donated by a local power company and will last until New Year's Eve. He also revealed he set a similar world best last year for having the most Christmas lights on a residential home. Richards plastered his Canberra home with 502,165 bulbs. But he vowed not to repeat the spectacle because of the amount of traffic it caused around his neighborhood. "I couldn't do it again to my neighbors or my family," Richards said. It prompted the move to the city center, where he hopes to raise cash for the Canberra Sudden Infant Death Syndrome counseling and support service. Richards' started setting up the lights and raising money for the charity after he lost a baby boy in 2002, reports the Herald Sun. The previous world record was held by a family in Shurtan, southern Uzbekistan. Richards' 1,194,380 bulbs beat it by 181,540 lights. The standard he set last year may be under threat, however, by Lagrangeville, NY, Christmas-fan Tim Gay. He is hoping to secure back the title he lost in 2013 by placing more than 600,000 lights on his home. IJ Lawyer Scott Bullock Lists Three Ways to Fight Civil Asset Forfeiture Attorney Scott Bullock heads up the Institute for Justice (IJ) initiative against civil forfeiture. In September, he told Reason about IJ's plans to push back against the overuse of laws that allow unfair confiscation of property by law enforcement. Here are three ways how IJ is fighting the abuse of these procedures. View this article.

Toronto Employment Lawyer, Nicole Simes, Comments on Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace


There has been much discussion in the news about the prevalence of sexual harassment in Canada since the Jian Ghomeshi story broke. Nicole Simes, a Toronto employment lawyer, provides her recommendations on how to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace. (PRWEB) November 29, 2014 Since the Jian Ghomeshi story broke (see New York Times article published on October 27, 2014: http://nyti.ms/1vj9uWt ), Toronto human rights lawyer, Nicole Simes, acknowledges that there has been much discussion on the prevalence of sexual harassment in Canada. However, she finds that suggestions on how to reduce harassment and increase the reporting rate are missing from the conversation. As an employment and human rights lawyer, Simes provides her recommendations: 1. Require Employers to Develop and Post a Human Rights Policy, Train All Employees on Human Rights and Implement a Complaint Process Simes states that “sexual harassment is an affront to a person’s dignity and self-respect. It is also bad for business because harassment can result in lower employee productivity and higher rates of employee absence.” She states that employers in Ontario are already required to implement various workplace policies and workplace training. Simes recommends that the Ontario Human Rights Code be amended to include similar obligations on employers regarding human rights policies and training. She further suggests that there be “a mandatory investigation process which includes requiring the employer to take a complaint of sexual harassment seriously, respond promptly and sensitively, ensure the accused is provided details of the allegations and an opportunity to respond, and provide both the accused and the accuser with the outcome of any investigation and the employer’s proposed remedy.” 2. Changes to the Federal Human Rights Complaint Process Simes recommends changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act (“the Act”). She states that “removal of the Canadian Human Rights Commission as a mechanism which vets complaints and allowing individual to proceed directly to a hearing, would improve the accessibility of the system.” Simes recommends that the Act also be amended to eliminate the $40,000 cap on general damage awards in connection with sexual harassment and other complaints filed under the Act." 3. Increases on Human Rights Awards Finally, Simes argues that the awards against employers in sexual harassment cases have been too low. She states that “increasing what an employer pays if they breach an employee’s human rights would encourage employer engagement in preventing sexual harassment and increase the likelihood that employees would report incidents and pursue their legal rights, if necessary.” Nicole Simes is a lawyer with MacLeod Law Firm, a Canadian Labour and Employment Law Firm. MacLeod Law Firm has represented 1000s of employees over the past 25 years. MacLeod Law Firm's practice includes human rights claims, wrongful dismissal claims, employee terminations, severance packages, employment contract review, employee resignation advice, and workplace safety. For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/11/prweb12359417.htm

Narmada Kidney Foundation Proposes a New Sport For Organ Donors and Receivers


When Special Olympics and Paralympics are gaining a global acceptance and encouragement from the sporting authorities, there might be a new genre of the sports for those who receive or donate body organs if the proposal of Narmada Kidney Foundation (NKF) is accepted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Youth Affair and Sports, Government of India. Narmada Kidney Foundation has been working for kidney patients in the country for over decade and a half. Dr Bharat Shah, Managing Trustee, Narmada Kidney Foundation and Director, Institute of Renal Sciences, Global Hospital, Mumbai and, an eminent nephrologist envisaged the need of such an organization to facilitate the ever increasing kidney patients in the country. As per estimates, every year about 4 lakh people are diagnosed with kidney failure. Whereas, the number of kidney donors is very less. Hence, the gap of increasing number of patients and limited number of donors has been widening year on year. As part of awareness programmes, Narmada Kidney Foundation organizes Transplant Games every year which invites kidney donors and recipients from across the country. This year, the winners may also get to participate in the World Transplant Games to be organized in August 2015 in Argentina. Dr Bharat Shah said, "We will sponsor the expenses for participation of winners at Transplant Games. This is for recognizing their service and encouraging more to join this humanitarian cause. We have written to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Youth Affair and Sports, Government of Indiato officially come into the picture and recognize the event." Global Hospitals Group, a chain of multi-specialty tertiary care Hospitals in India, have been a consistent supporter of the cause of Organ Donation. The Group has carved out a niche for itself by excelling in areas of multi-organ transplantation services for kidney, liver, heart, lungs and pancreas. The Group is one of Narmada Kidney Foundation's consistent supporters. Speaking on the occasion of Transplant Games, Mr. Manpreet Sohal, CEO, Global Hospitals, Mumbai & Hyderabad said, "We are proud to be associated with Narmada Kidney Foundation in their endeavour to help kidney patients and create awareness about organ donation. In a country like ours where a number of patients die because of want of organs, nothing could be nobler than pledging our organs and adding more to patients' lives." Narmada Kidney Foundation conducts regular workshops and camps to educate people on kidney diseases and motivate people to pledge their organs for donation. The Foundation also organizes various activities like, Transplant Games and Donors' Day every year. Donate your unwanted vehicles to a worthy cause Nov. 29, 2014 The National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina is in need of unwanted vehicles - even ones that don't run. The car will be towed at no charge to you and you will be provided with a possible tax deduction. The donated vehicle will be sold at …

ISIS Is Using Children as 'Human Shields', Forcing Them to 'Donate Blood' to Injured Militants, UN Reports


Young boys being taught by ISIS at Syrian children's camps in a video posted in August 2014.(Photo: CNN video screenshot) Young boys being taught by ISIS at Syrian children's camps in a video posted in August 2014. As United Nations statistics estimate that over 5 million children's lives have been affected in Syria as a result of the Islamic State's ongoing jihad, U.N. officials are saying that ISIS has created new and more barbaric ways to utilize children in the conflict, including using them as human shields and forcing them to donate blood to injured jihadis. United Nations International Children's Fund regional child protection adviser, Laurent Chapuis, said in a Thursday interview with Syria Deeply that Islamic State militants are recruiting children, including those of younger ages, to join the caliphate by providing them with various paying roles within the caliphate. Free Sign Up CP Newsletter! Related Escaped Yazidi Refugees: ISIS Cut Throats of Babies; Killed Over 100 Kids in One Yazidi Village UN Expert: ISIS Received Up to Million in Ransom Payments Over the Past Year ISIS, Iraqi Forces Engage in Fierce Fighting Near Gov't Complex in Ramadi ISIS Militant Who Sold Yazidi Girls as Sex Slaves Reportedly Killed in US Airstrike; Families Buying Back Girls Former 15-Y-O ISIS Fighter Details Islamic State's Dangerous Training Process of Child Soldiers 15-Y-O ISIS Fighter: Islamic State Drugs Militants to Commit Suicide Attacks; Killed Woman Because Her Wedding Dress Showed Bare Arms, Neck Although Chapuis says that some children are used in more civil and "domestic" roles like "cooking, cleaning, bringing water or providing medical aid to the wounded," some children are thrust to the front lines and used in military roles like combatants or human shields. "There is conclusive evidence that children in Syria have and continue to be used by all parties to the conflict - as combatants. human shields, messengers, spies, guards [and] porters," Chapuis said. According to a report by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the human rights office of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq, some of ISIS' child soldiers "were forced to form the front line to shield ISIL fighters during fighting," and others "had been forced to donate blood for treating injured ISIL fighters." The report also found that ISIS is using children for propaganda purposes and states that the testimonies tell of one instance where militants went to a hospital and forced two very sick kids with cancer to hold the ISIS flag while posing for a picture with the militants. According to testimony from an escaped 15-year-old former ISIS fighter, the militant leaders are also forcing child fighters to take anti-anxiety pills in order to make them more likely to follow through on a suicide attack. "That drug makes you lose your mind," the ex-militant teen named Mufleh told CBS News. "If they give you a suicide belt and tell you to blow yourself up, you'll do it." Ivan Simonovic, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights, told International Business Times that the reason why ISIS recruitment is so successful with children in the region is because the recruiters really press the importance of fighting and dying for their faith. "What is striking for me is to meet mothers who [tell us], 'We don't know what to do,'" Simonovic said. "'Our sons are volunteering and we can't prevent it.'" Chapuis further added that he thinks the new ways that children are starting to be recruited, trained and utilized in front line roles by extremist groups like ISIS is causing a change to the traditional "child soldier's paradigm." "The geopolitical, regional and international dimensions of today's armed conflicts and the growing polarization around specific ideological, religious and sectarian agendas are all contributing to the emergence of a new 'child soldier's paradigm,' or new ways in which children are being mobilized, recruited and dragged into conflict and extreme violence," Chapuis asserted.

SIT launches 4-year health-related degree programmes


SINGAPORE: From 2016, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will be launching four-year degree programmes in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Diagnostic Radiography, and Radiation Therapy. The degree programmes will lead to a Bachelor of Science with Honours. This was announced by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Saturday morning (Nov 29) at a ceremony to mark an important milestone in the infrastructure development of Sengkang General and Community Hospitals. SIT will start with an initial intake of 235 students across the four programmes, before ramping up progressively. Mr Gan said that with Singapore's ageing population and rising rates of chronic conditions, training allied health professionals is important so that they have the skills and knowledge to offer patients better rehabilitative and preventive care. "To meet evolving healthcare needs, building more hospitals and adding more beds is not a sustainable long-term approach,” said Mr Gan. “We can no longer rely on a hospital-centric system as patients' needs become more complex, which also means they require longer-term care outside the hospital setting." Mr Gan added: "Through the regional health systems, patients will be better enabled to manage their own health and chronic condition so that they will remain well and avoid going to the hospital." With the launch of the new degree programmes, the existing allied health diploma programmes at the Nanyang Polytechnic will admit its last batch of GCE A-Level students in April 2015. Since 1995, over 2,200 allied health professionals have graduated from NYP. Meanwhile, the Sengkang General and Community Hospitals are on track to proceed with the next stage of infrastructure development. Both hospitals will add another 1,400 hospital beds to Singapore's healthcare system. Nationally, from now until end-2020, the Health Ministry will add over 11,000 more acute hospital, community hospital and nursing home beds.

Rackspace Hosting Earnings Review: 19 Days after Announcement Shares Up 23.0% (RAX)


19 days ago, on November 10th, 2014, Rackspace Hosting (NYSE:RAX) reported its earnings. Analysts, on average, expected earnings of $0.16 per share on sales of $458.3 million. The company actually reported EPS of $0.18 on sales of $459.8 million, beating EPS estimates by $0.02 and beating revenue estimates by $1.5 million. Since the company's report, shares of Rackspace Hosting have risen from $37.32 to $45.91, representing a gain of 23.0% in the past 19 days. Rackspace Hosting, Inc. delivers websites, web-based IT systems, and provides related services. Rackspace Hosting share prices have moved between a 52-week high of $46.35 and a 52-week low of $26.18 and closed Thursday at 75% above that low price at $45.91 per share. Over the last five market days, the 200-day moving average (MA) has gone up 0.7% while the 50-day MA has advanced 2.2%. Rackspace Hosting (NYSE:RAX) defies analysts with a current price ($45.91) 1.3% above its average consensus price target of $45.29. The stock should find initial support at its 50-day moving average (MA) of $37.26 and further support at its 200-day MA of $34.54.

Web Hosting Friday Sales for November 2014 Announced by HostingReview360


This article was originally distributed via PRWeb. PRWeb, WorldNow and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. SOURCE: HostingReview360 shares several web hosting Black Friday sales and promotions from the best web hosts. And now, people can get the exclusive discount via the given promotional link. San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 28, 2014 The web hosting review site HostingReview360 has announced the sales and promotions offered by leading web hosts including HostGator, BlueHost and InMotion Hosting. The companies enable an up to 70% discount to make the price as low as $2.09/mo. Every company makes a promise to provide customers with cheaper web hosting solution than ever before on the day of Black Friday and makes sure that each hosting solution comes with all needed features along with extra services. 1) HostGator 55% Off HostGator validates this unique promotional link to activate the exclusive 55% discount for $2.23/mo. Once purchasing the hosting package, customers don't need to give a lot of care to the transfer of domain, file, database and script, for these tasks having been taken over by HostGator with no charge. 2) BlueHost 42% Off During the promotion, BlueHost enables a 42% discount for all hosting solutions. On that occasion, people can purchase the service at $3.49/mo through this exclusive promotional link. In this way, some extra services go into effect automatically in the meantime, like CloudFlare CDN, site transfer, domain name, and so on. 3) InMotion Hosting 56% Off InMotion Hosting has three hosting solutions called Launch, Power and Pro, regularly starting at $7.99/mo. With a 56% discount valid for this special Monday, the price is automatically down to $3.49/mo. This company allows an instant activation for the discount via this exclusive promotional link, as well as provides a bundle of extra services, like SSD drives, data backups, 1-click installer, and so on. In addition, A2Hosting offers a 50% discount to make the price starting at $3.49/mo and carries out the promise to give a refund at anytime. For Arvixe, this company releases 30% discount for $2.80/mo along with one domain name for life, $175 advertising credits and 60 days refund policy. JustHost drops the price from $5.99/mo down to $2.50/mo with a 58% discount and guarantees instant account setup without any charge. The company also includes $50 Facebook ad credits, $50 Bing ad credits, and $100 Google ad credits in the hosting solution. For webmasters who run websites on Windows platform, Host4ASP.NET is the best option as it offers a 70% discount for $2.09/mo. The Windows hosting plans from this company come with instant activation and daily backups. To get more Friday offers, visit https://hostingreview360.com/web-hosting-coupon/. About HostingReview360 HostingReview360 is a review site, featuring web hosting reviews, tutorials, beginners' guides and promotions. The website is supported by a group of professional editors with rich experience on website development. For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/web-hosting-sales/special-friday-2014/prweb12356582.htm Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you have any questions or comments about this page please contact pressreleases@worldnow.com.

Inside Khloe Kardashian's First Thanksgiving Hosting at Her Home


PHOTO: Khloe Kardashian is pictured on Nov. 23, 2014 in Los Angeles. Khloe Kardashian is pictured on Nov. 23, 2014 in Los Angeles. C. Flanigan/Getty Images Khloe Kardashian was "really excited" about hosting her first Thanksgiving for her family at her home in California. "We always go2 my mama's house, so this year I'm really really excited," she Tweeted. "This is a first." Kardashian, 30, admitted she had been "cooking for hours" and her treats look delicious. "Happy Thanksgiving my loves!! Good luck cooking and enjoy your loved ones. The idea of thanksgiving should not be limited to one continent or to one day, each day we all should be thankful for what we have so far and for the blessings that we have yet received," she shared on Instagram. Happy Thanksgiving my loves!! Good luck cooking and enjoy your loved ones. The idea of thanksgiving should not be limited to one continent or to one day, each day we all should be thankful for what we have so far and for the blessings that we have yet received. Give thanks to your Creator today and everyday!! Happy thanksgiving my loves! A photo posted by Khloé (@khloekardashian) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:29am PST Next, she shared a pic of a homemade pie and a casserole -- "A sneak peak of my craziness." "I know you see my OCD in high gear when you look at my cookie jars. I have a problem... I know... but I like everything neat and in its place. This kind of stuff makes me SO happy!! #HappyThanksgiving, she added. A sneak peak of my craziness today ?????? I know you see my OCD in high gear when you look at my cookie jars. I have a problem... I know... but I like everything neat and in its place. This kind of stuff makes me SO happy!! #HappyThanksgiving Zdjecie zamieszczone przez uzytkownika Khloé (@khloekardashian) Lis 11, 2014 at 12:50 PST The table setting looked beautiful. My very first dinner party at my house and I couldn't be more thrilled!!!! I couldn't have done it without the incredibly talented @jeffleatham!! You are a flower legend to say the least. #HappyThanksgiving So beyond blessed Une photo publiée par Khloé (@khloekardashian) le Nov. 11, 2014 at 2:43 PST All of my homemade greatness. My first Thanksgiving all by myself ?????? A photo posted by Khloé (@khloekardashian) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:54pm PST Well done Khloe!

Taliban Claim Latest Kabul Attack


KABUL—The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on a foreign guesthouse in western Kabul Saturday, the latest in a string of bombings and gunbattles in the Afghan capital. Security officials from Kabul police district 6 confirmed a blast took place Saturday afternoon in Karte Seh, a neighborhood in western Kabul. Heavily armed police quick-reaction forces rushed to the scene. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said gunmen had entered the guesthouse and were and exchanging fire with security forces. In a text message, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said attackers were assaulting a “center of intelligence and preaching of Christianity,” and claimed many inside the compound were killed. Saturday’s attack follows an hourslong assault Thursday in the heart of Kabul’s diplomatic quarter. The Taliban have vowed to press attacks on foreign targets in what they describe as a bid to drive out U.S. and international forces. —Ehsanullah Amiri and Habib Khan Totakhil contributed to this article. Write to Nathan Hodge at nathan.hodge@wsj.com Eyewitnesses claim the motor rider was riding at top speed The life of a motor rider came to a sudden end when he veered into the lane of a tipper truck yesterday and was crushed in the process. The accident scene The accident scene The deceased, who has been identified as Moses Agbodeke and believed to be in his 40s, died instantly when he ran into the truck at about 11:30 am. The accident happened around Green Valley, Sokode, along the Ho-Accra road. Moses had the portion from his waist down decapitated with the intestines and other organs scattered on the road. The police had to use shovel to collect some severed parts of the deceased’s body. Eyewitnesses claim the motor rider was riding at top speed when the accident occurred. An eyewitness, Kekeli Addo, told DAILY GUIDE that the man was returning from Ho to Kpeve on his motorbike with registration number, 1954-11 VR while the tipper truck with registration number VR 18-10, was conveying sand from Sokode to Ho. He explained that he was on his farm when he heard a large bang which made him rush to the roadside to ascertain what was happening. Kekeli Addo said to his utter dismay, he saw the mutilated body of the motor rider on the road with blood all over, while the motorbike, which was mangled beyond repairs, was stuck under the truck. The visibly disturbed driver who immediately went to report the incident to the police, returned with some personnel to assess the accident. Personnel from the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Volta Regional Police Command have since begun investigation into the accident. They posited that the claim by some eyewitnesses that the motor rider was on phone when the accident happened was yet to be substantiated. The mortal remains of Moses Agbodeke had been conveyed to the Ho Municipal Hospital for autopsy. From Fred Duodu, Ho (freduoo@gmail.com) Do you have a story or an article to publish? Please email us at spyghana79@gmail.com.

Conference Call: Recapping the Tomlin presser


Rested and relaxed after the bye, Mike Tomlin appeared in a pleasant mood for his first press conference in two weeks on Tuesday. With his team at 7-4 and in control of its own playoff destiny, there’s not too much for Tomlin to complain about. Times Steelers Writer Chris Bradford gives you the recap: kAmkDEC@?8m%p{zx}v !~x}%$k^DEC@?8mk^Am kAmY %@>=:? :D H6== 2H2C6 @7 E96 A2C:EJ 2C@F?5 E96 =628F6 2?5 :? E96 5:G:D:@?[ 96 24 H6’C6 :?[” 96 D2:5] “(6’C6 :? E96 E9:4< @7 E92E] x7 H6 5@ H92E H6 ?665 E@ 5@[ :E’D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 C6BF:C65 E@ =@@< 2C@F?5]”k^Am kAmY #q sC: pC496C 4@F=5 36 :? =:?6 7@C 2? 6IA2?565 C@=6 :? E96 @776?D6 \\ “x’> DFC6 96’5 36 6I4:E65 23@FE E92E[” %@>=:? D2:5 \\ 3FE 9:D 4@249 H@F=5?’E D2J 9@H >F49 :7 2E 2== 96’== 36 FD65 E9:D H66<] w@H pC496C :D 56A=@J65 H:== “56A6?5 @? 82>6 4:C4F>DE2?46 2?5 9@H H6 49@@D6 E@ 2EE24< WE96 $2:?EDX 2?5 9@H {6’'6@? Wq6==X :D 5@:?8[” %@>=:? 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D2:5 E96 $2:?ED’ @776?D6 368:?D H:E9 "q sC6H qC66D[ H9@ :D “w2== @7 u2>6\H@CE9J]” … %@>=:? 24:?8D 282:?DE E:89E 6?5D 2?5 E92E y:>>J vC292> H:== AC6D6?E 2 9F86 492==6?86] w6 D2:5 :E H:== E2<6 2 8C@FA 677@CE E@ 5676?5 E96 $2:?ED’ DE2C E:89E 6?5[ H9@ 24ED 2D 2 8=@C:7:65 C646:G6C] … }6H ~C=62?D’ G6CD2E:=:EJ @? 5676?D6 >2<6D E96> 52?86C@FD 2?5 :D H92E J@F’5 6IA64E 7C@> #@3 #J2?[ E96 $2:?ED’ 5676?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C] … %@>=:? D2:5 96’D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ E96 >2E49FA 36EH66? $2:?ED rq z66?2? {6H:D 2?5 (# p?E@?:@ qC@H?] {6H:D DA6?E a__h\`a H:E9 E96 $E66=6CD 367@C6 D:8?:?8 2 =F4C2E:G6 7C66 286?E 4@?EC24E H:E9 }6H ~C=62?D]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8m"&~%t(~#%w*k^DEC@?8mk^Am kAm“x’5 C2E96C 92G6 x<6 @? E96 8C2DD]” \\ %@>=:? @? rq x<6 %2J=@C[ H9@ 92D DA6?E E96 A2DE ?:?6 H666D E92E 2 5:G:D:@? 92D 925 7@FC E62>D E9C66 82>6D @G6C ]d__ :? =628F6 9:DE@CJ 2E @?6 A@:?E] %92E 5:DE:?4E:@? 36=@?8D E@ E96 pur }@CE9 27E6C q2=E:>@C6 56762E65 }6H ~C=62?D @? |@?52J ?:89E]k^Am kAm`i (:?D 7@C }ur $@FE9 E62>D :? `a 82>6D 282:?DE pur }@CE9 ~AA@?6?ED E9:D D62D@?] %96 @?=J E62> E@ =@D6 :D E96 $E66=6CD 282:?DE %2>A2 q2J :? (66< c]k^Am © 2014 Timesonline.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscription Required Thank you for reading The Times. Thank you for reading the Times. A subscription is required to access this premium content. If you are already a subscriber, please log in below with your username and password. If you are a registered Timesonline.com user you can submit announcements, photos, articles, youtube links, blog posts and letters to the editor. You can also submit calendar events and manage your business listing. 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A’s trade Donaldson to Blue Jays for four players


Susan Slusse, San Francisco Chronicle By Susan Slusser Updated 11:21 pm, Friday, November 28, 2014 Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Image 1/7 gallery_thumbnails_show|article-gallery-5924047|article-gallery-5924047|0 gallery_overlay_open|article-gallery-5924047|article-gallery-5924047|0 gallery_overlay_open_thumbs|article-gallery-5924047|article-gallery-5924047|0 Image 1 of 7 Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Josh Donaldson was one of the A’s top sluggers during the past three seasons. Josh Donaldson was one of the A’s top sluggers during the past... Image 2 of 7 Photo: Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press Third baseman Brett Lawrie is among four players the A’s acquired. Third baseman Brett Lawrie is among four players the A’s acquired. Image 3 of 7 Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson throws to first base for an out during the first inning of his baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, July 9, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif. Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson throws to first base... Image 4 of 7 Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle A's third baseman Josh Donaldson high fives fans as he is introduced before the game against the Indians on Monday. The Oakland Athletics played the Cleveland Indians at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, March 31, 2014. The A's lost their home opener 2-0 to the Indians A's third baseman Josh Donaldson high fives fans as he is... Image 5 of 7 Photo: Kevin N. Hume, The Chronicle Josh Donaldson was named to the American League All-Star Team on Sunday as the A's take the four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 4-2 on Sunday, July 6, 2014 in Oakland, Calif. Josh Donaldson was named to the American League All-Star Team on... Image 6 of 7 Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Oakland Athletics' Josh Donaldson singles in 6th inning against Philadelphia Phillies during MLB game at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, September 21, 2014. Oakland Athletics' Josh Donaldson singles in 6th inning against... Image 7 of 7 Photo: Brant Ward, San Francisco Chronicle Josh Donaldson (20) celebrated with teammates after his 6th inning home run scored two. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-1 in the last game of the Bay Bridge series Thursday July 10, 2014 at AT&T park. Josh Donaldson (20) celebrated with teammates after his 6th inning... A’s trade Donaldson to Blue Jays for four players gallery_overlay_close|article-gallery-5924047|article-gallery-5924047|0 Back to Gallery gallery_thumbs_close|article-gallery-5924047|article-gallery-5924047|0 It seems almost unthinkable, but on Friday the A’s dealt away their best player, All-Star and MVP candidate Josh Donaldson, sending their No. 3 hitter to Toronto for infielder Brett Lawrie, shortstop Franklin Barreto and pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin. “I’m so shocked,” Donaldson said by phone. “I just got off the phone with Billy Beane, and I guess they got an offer that they couldn’t resist. I’m definitely a little emotional about it. Oakland is my home. “The most important thing is that Billy gave me an opportunity to be on that team, and I am very grateful for that, and for all the fan support I’ve had. I’m so glad to have been a part of that. But at the end of the day, it’s a business, as much as it hurts emotionally. The guys in that clubhouse are my brothers. The coaches are my father figures.” Beane, the A’s general manager, said on a conference call that the A’s were adamant they would not deal Donaldson when Toronto called, but Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was persistent and finally had enough parts in the deal to get it done. Over the past two years, Donaldson’s WAR (wins above replacement) has been second only to Mike Trout’s in baseball, but Beane said that the A’s felt that after finishing 11 games behind the Angels and barely holding off the Mariners in the wild-card race — and looking at losing free-agent shortstop Jed Lowrie, starter Jon Lester and reliever Luke Gregerson — they needed to make a move “that wasn’t timid and got us into a position to get better every day, rather than one that was maybe starting to deteriorate.” The A’s do have a major need at shortstop with Lowrie possibly leaving and with top prospect Addison Russell traded to the Cubs in July. Barreto, 18, is several years away, but “he’s a hell of a hitter,” one scout said, saying Barreto could be a Rafael Furcal-type player. Beane said the A’s believe Barreto to be one of the best prospects in the minors. The Venezuelan hit .311 with six home runs, 61 RBIs and 29 stolen bases in 73 games with short-season Class-A Vancouver. Lawrie is a third baseman, and one American League exec called him Gold Glove caliber at the position and an “explosive offensive player — when he’s healthy.” That’s been the biggest issue. Lawrie has had three oblique strains in three seasons, as well as a broken finger that cost him time last season. Graveman is a potential fifth starter, one scout said, and Nolin, a left-hander with a plus-changeup, could be a very nice bullpen pickup, the exec said, though Beane said that the A’s are looking at him as a starter. Donaldson turns 29 the week after next, and he was a super-two player this year, meaning he was going to arbitration a year early, and he was going to start to get expensive. Lawrie also is entering arbitration for the first time, but after three years of service time. He will turn 25 in January, so is four years younger than Donaldson, which is not insignificant. If the A’s can keep him on the field, he should just be entering his prime. With Donaldson — a terrific story when he converted from catcher to third base to start the season in 2012 — the A’s have gone to the postseason three years in a row. “We’ve had so much success, it’s going to be difficult to leave, but when you’re with Oakland, you understand that this day is eventually going to happen,” Donaldson said. For his teammates, though, it’s tough to see an everyday player — one who was on the field despite numerous injuries down the stretch — head elsewhere. “It doesn’t make sense to me,” outfielder Josh Reddick said. “We traded our best player the past two years. It seems like we’re going into a rebuilding drive. “It’s sad any time you see your best player go, not just as a player but as a person. And he’s our three-hole hitter and best defensive player. He was big for our team.” Starter Jeff Samardzija could also be dealt. The A’s still need a shortstop, and 10 teams have expressed interest, including the Red Sox and the White Sox. To clear spots on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated right-handed pitcher Josh Lindblom and first baseman Kyle Blanks for assignment. Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: sslusser@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @susanslusser. Trading places Career stats for Josh Donaldson and Brett Lawrie, both of whom have spent parts of four seasons in the majors: Donaldson Stat Lawrie 405 Games 345 63 Home runs 43 228 RBIs 157 .268 Average .265 313 Strikeouts 234 168 Walks 95

Governor attempting to set up conference call with legislative leaders on security in St. Louis area


Nixon Nixon St. Louis – Today, Governor Nixon reached out for the first time since the rioting began in August to legislative leaders with a text message attempting to set up a conference call to “provide an update on Ferguson and the security of the [St. Louis] region. He would also like to discuss the cost of national guard and Hwy patrol providing security for the region, the availability of resources to satisfy those obligations, and the potential necessity for a special session to address any shortfalls in spending authority.” The move is not being met with a warm response from legislative leadership, as this is the first communication from his office since the unrest in St. Louis, especially since it is an attempt to solicit increased funding without keeping them informed of the situation over the past four months. The Missouri Times has seen two versions of the text message and has spoken with one legislator invited. One legislator who was invited to be on the call commented to The Missouri Times, “It’s unbelievable that he hasn’t spoken with legislative leaders over the past four months about this, and now wants to drag us into the debacle he created to try and mask his blunders – unbelievable.” Nixon has been under scrutiny over his communication with local officials, including the Mayor of Ferguson, who claims the Governor hasn’t spoken to him in weeks, and for not deploying the National Guard immediately to prevent the looting and burning of local business Ferguson and Dellwood. The Governor’s office did not immediately return calls for comment. UPDATED (8:15 p.m.): The Missouri Times has learned that the Missouri National Guard will be over budget and unable to make payroll by the middle of December. The Guard will need more money to continue to provide security in the Ferguson area due to the riots. While various lawmakers we have talked to will support the Guard, they have little faith in the governor’s ability to manage the crisis and will require short-term contingencies on how funds will be used. We reached out to Speaker-elect John Diehl (R-Town and Country) and he provided the following statement. Diehl Diehl “I believe both parties in the legislature are committed to ensuring the men and women in law enforcement and in the national guard are fully compensated for their service in protecting our communities during this unrest,” Diehl said. “Since the crisis in Ferguson began we have had little to no communication from governor Nixon . Even the mayors of those cities being overrun by looters and vandals calls go unanswered by the Governor Nixon. Without consultation or communication the Governor Nixon has spent millions of taxpayers dollars while making poor decisions impacting the safety of our communities. Tonight the governor finally is willing to communicate for the purpose of requesting more taxpayer money. Governor Nixon and has yet to provide us with a written plan and has not provided basic answers to the decisions that have put us in this situation “It is time Governor Nixon to come forward and provide answers,” Diehl continued. “We are open to a special session to address this crisis, but we will expect governor Nixon and his staff to come forward with a written and responsible plan. We also expect Governor Nixon and those on his staff that made decisions during this crisis to come forward and appear before the legislature. It is time for an accounting and for leadership that will not only communicate but work with the legislature to solve this crisis. UPDATED (8:30 p.m.): Gov. Nixon has called a special legislative session to address the funding issues regarding the Missouri National Guard. The date has not yet been announced. In a call with legislative leaders tonight, the Governor emphasized the importance of taking action quickly to ensure that Guard members are paid on December 15. Additional details regarding the timing and scope of the special session will be released in the coming days. The Fiscal Year 2015 state budget approved by the legislature included $4 million for National Guard state emergency duty response costs and $3.4 million for the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for expenses incurred by state agencies, including the Highway Patrol, in responding to disasters and emergencies between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. “This was a productive discussion,” said Gov. Nixon regarding tonight’s call with legislators. “It’s clear these legislators share our commitment to public safety and understand the need for prompt action. I look forward to working with legislators in the coming days to ensure these vital resources are available.” The 98th General Assembly is set to reconvene at the beginning of January for regular session – less than 6 weeks away. Nixon has called 3 special sessions since his election in 2008. UPDATED (9:00 p.m.): ”We will do whatever is necessary to support the Guard and the Highway Patrol,” Senate Budget Chairman Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) said. “As part of that process the Governor will need to tell us how he’s already spent the $19 million we gave him for emergencies and how much more money he anticipates needing. This evening’s call was the first we’ve heard from the Governor on this issue. I look forward to seeing what his proposal is.”

Flash boys hitting speed bumps as new trading platforms gain momentum


If high-frequency traders felt under siege this month on both sides of the North American border, they could look to a single place for the root of their problems: Royal Bank of Canada. RBC, Canada’s biggest bank, is a key shareholder in Aequitas Innovations Inc., which was blessed by regulators on Nov. 13 with a “recognition order” approving the creation of a new trading platform and exchange. Terence Corcoran: Flash Boys’ rigged tale ignores high frequency trading’s revolutionary effect on markets This is the story of how Michael Lewis, veteran producer of Wall Street pot boilers, rigged media coverage for his new book, Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt, and conned just about everybody. And I mean rigged A key plank in the Aequitas plan to is to provide a “safe haven” from “predatory” high-frequency electronic traders that use their lightning-fast speed to squeeze profits from tiny price differences between exchanges. Critics say HFT strategies disrupt normal trading and drive up the costs for ordinary retail investors. And there is no critic as devout as former RBC trader Brad Katsuyama. Mr. Katsuyama, who was hired at RBC by an executive who is now the bank’s point man on the Aequitas project, just took his latest venture — an anti-HFT dark pool called IEX Inc. — to a landmark threshold of 1% market share of U.S. equity trading. Mr. Katsuyama’s anti-HFT crusade exploded into public consciousness with the publication of Flash Boys, Michael Lewis’s best-selling takedown of Wall Street. The book, which was published in March, has contributed to his venture’s success since its launch just over a year ago, he told the Financial Post in an interview this month. “Our first day we could very well have traded nothing. We had no idea,” the Canadian-born Mr. Katsuyama said. The market share milestone this month gave his team “a tremendous amount of optimism…. It’s all moving in the right direction,” he said. Whether high-frequency traders are the disruptive force portrayed in Flash Boys remains a subject of fierce debate on Wall Street and Bay Street, but Canadian regulators kept the anti-HFT momentum going this month by granting approval to Aequitas Innovations Inc. The company — which is backed by a consortium of Canadian money managers, pension funds, and banks — was formed to create a new trading platform and stock exchange that will go head-to-head with Toronto Stock Exchange owner TMX Group beginning next year. Aequitas and IEX are not working together to challenge the incumbents. But both come at their business from the perspective that lightning-fast high-frequency strategies can put other traders at a disadvantage. Both alternative trading platforms will use speed bumps to slow traders down, and both companies are also planning to launch full-on securities exchanges to compete with the industry’s biggest players. The parallel developments are not surprising given that Mr. Katsuyama formed his views on high-frequency trading when he was a cash trader at Royal Bank, which is now a key investor in Aequitas. Greg Mills, RBC’s lead player on Aequitas, was Mr. Katsuyama’s boss when he first joined RBC. Around 2009, when Mr. Katsuyama was at RBC’s New York office, he worked on a project aimed at thwarting HFT strategies that were hurting the bank’s clients. The technology he helped develop, dubbed THOR, is still at work within RBC and has been patented in the United States. While that technology has been well received, both Aequitas and IEX are now going beyond a single product that is limited to a particular broker’s market share. They are aiming to solve issues that affect an entire marketplace. As Mr. Katsuyama puts it: “THOR was a guide through the jungle, IEX is about creating an entirely different jungle.” Aequitas, too, is looking beyond THOR with plans to offer market-wide access. The upstart says its combination of technology and routing strategies are designed to “protect” traders from “parties leveraging speed in today’s fragmented market landscape.” In addition to speed bumps, the plan is to discourage high-frequency trading on certain platforms through financial disincentives such as higher fees for execution. Mr. Mills, who is head of the global equities division at Aequitas shareholder RBC Capital Markets, says the numbers posted this month by his former trader’s dark pool in the United States are encouraging. The IEX market share “shows there’s strong support by the industry for a market that protects the interests of long-term investors from predatory HFT strategies,” Mr. Mills told the Financial Post shortly before regulators approved Aequitas. There are other numbers Mr. Katsuyama’s IEX can boast about. It has become the fourth-ranked alternative trading system south of the border by volume for tier-1 stocks listed on the S&P 500 and/or Russell 1000, according to FINRA, and last month traded a record 88 million shares in a day. IEX now boasts 130 subscribers, up from 19 when it went live just over a year ago. On opening day, it traded just 568,000 shares. This style of trading probably contributes positively to market quality Despite the growth, Mr. Katsuyama says he still battles a “state of inertia where people don’t want to do things differently.” Still, he knows he is trying to persuade them to “make fundamentally different choices” when it comes to trading, and recognizes that when fighting the status quo “it’s hard to predict how well you can do that.” Aequitas, too, plans to shake up the status quo. And it seems to be working. Already, the incumbent TMX Group has unveiled a plan to implement its own short order processing delay – or speed bump – on a trading platform called Alpha. The challenge from Aequitas will be one of the top challenges facing new TMX chief executive Lou Eccleston. He has a background in technology, which could help, and industry watchers say strength in the area would have been one of the key reasons Mr. Eccleston was hired. Not everyone, however, is convinced IEX and Aequitas have staying power, or represent the new world order. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd., for example, which manages $33-billion in assets, takes issue with the premise that high-frequency trading is a demon that must be defused or pushed out of the marketplace. “While we agree there are certain HFT strategies that lead to higher investor transaction costs, we do not agree that HFT, as a whole, is bad,” the money manager wrote in a letter sent to the Ontario Securities Commission in September. “In fact, on net, this style of trading probably contributes positively to market quality.” Connor Clark’s letter criticized the Aequitas proposal, saying it will add “considerable complexity” to the marketplace and also takes aim at too broad a swathe of traders. “Unfortunately the Aequitas Proposal casts a wide net … one that includes beneficial forms of HFT as well,” the money manager wrote. Richard Nesbitt, who ran the parent company of the Toronto Stock Exchange from 2004 until 2008, says he isn’t convinced HFT is all bad either. But neither is he willing to criticize the upstart rival to his former exchange. “Having that alternative out there is great, and I think it’s healthy to see the TMX reacting in a competitive way,” said Mr. Nesbitt, who retired this year from his job as chief operating officer of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. “My view is markets should be about choice and the more alternative structures there are the better.” He said it “shouldn’t be a surprise” if TMX loses market share to Aequitas, adding that market innovation should be embraced, so long as it doesn’t put particular dealers or clients at a disadvantage. Still, he expects there will be an evolution in the market, rather than a revolution, with some products and ideas falling by the wayside if they don’t work. “To put artificial constraints on something like speed is only going to last for a short period of time,” predicted Mr. Nesbitt, whose former employer CIBC gained trading market share by embracing high-frequency traders. “There’s generally a better way to do it than slowing the whole race down and throwing [only] slow horses into the Kentucky Derby.”

Can CME Keep Up Trading Momentum?


In its recent earnings, CME Group witnessed 7% annual growth in clearing and transaction fee revenues, with trading activity rising for interest rate and foreign exchange derivatives during the quarter. Keeping up the trend of the quarter ending September, trading activity rose significantly in October (both sequentially and year-on-year). Average daily trade volumes rose to a record 17.6 million contracts a day in October – 60% higher than the year-ago period. It was also the fourth consecutive quarter of y-o-y growth in trading volume. The last time CME witnessed four consecutive quarters of growth in trade volumes was back in April 2011, with an aggregate 15% rise in trading volumes in that period. Comparatively, CME’s derivative trading volumes have risen by 24% in the four-month period ending October. Given the current trading environment, trading activity could remain healthy through the end of the year, giving the global exchange operator the longest period of sustained growth in the last five years. See our full analysis for CME Group Trading Volumes Rise Across All Asset Classes CME’s combined trading volumes across all derivative classes including interest rates, energy, equities, metals and foreign exchange, rose both sequentially (+15.2%) and annually (+58.5%) in October to 17.6 million contracts traded per day. November volumes thus far have also been higher than the year ago period at 13.1 million contracts. However, it is important to note that the comparable year-ago period was witnessing a slump in trading volumes after high trading activity in Q2 2013 due to speculation about the Fed’s future monetary policy, especially concerning QE tapering. Interest rate derivatives constituted over half of CME’s overall volumes at 9.2 million trades per day – up from 7.2 million contracts per day in Q3 and 4.8 million contracts per day in the year ago period. Rising in trading activity for interest rate derivatives began in August, as traders began to speculate when the Fed will start raising interest rates in 2015. This speculation led to a record 211 million interest rate contracts traded during the month of October. At the end of October, the Fed announced that it was ending the QE program and has confirmed that interest rates will rise, though with no clear indication as to when. However, interest rate derivative trading has been slow in November thus far, with only about 6.2 million contracts traded per day. The surge in interest rate trading seems to have subsided, at least for now. We currently forecast CME’s interest rate derivatives trading volumes for the full year to be 12% higher than the prior year period at 6.7 million contracts per day. Foreign exchange derivatives trading volumes were suppressed from September of last year through August 2014 – twelve consecutive months of year-on-year declines in trading activity. Trading picked up in September, with the number of contracts traded per day crossing the 1 million mark during September for the first time since November 2012. The rise in volumes since August is attributable to growing speculation among traders about possible changes in monetary policies from the Fed and the European Central Bank. The Fed announced the end of the QE program, which could help increase Treasury yields. On the other hand, the ECB announced that it would be reducing rates, which led the Euro to a one-year low. The surge in FX trading continued through October, with an average of 986,000 trades per day – 53% higher than the year-ago period. FX derivatives trading could remain high through the end of this year, due to which we forecast an average of 750,000 trades per day for FX contracts. Metal derivative trading rose by almost 10% y-o-y to 330,000 trades a day in October, while trading activity has further risen to just under 480,000 trades a day in November thus far. Additionally, the company announced that it will launch low-grade iron-ore futures starting December, to further boost volumes. The company expects strong sales for metals in the coming months as it raised the position limit for Copper to 1,000 lots from 400 currently. CME’s commodities trades rose by over 30% y-o-y to 1.3 million contracts per day in both October and November. We forecast commodities and metals combined to trade an average of over 1.4 million contracts for the full year. According to our estimates, CME’s adjusted EBITDA margin in the most recent quarter was almost a percentage point higher than the prior year quarter at 65.4%. Since most expenses incurred by exchanges are fixed in nature, revenue growth for CME had a direct impact on the company’s margin improvement. Higher trade volumes through the end of the year could help the company post healthier margins. We currently forecast CME’s adjusted EBITDA margin to be around 65% for 2014 with a gradual rise to 70% through the end of our forecast period. We have an $80 price estimate for CME’s stock, which is roughly in line with the current market price. View Interactive Institutional Research (Powered by Trefis): Global Large Cap | U.S. Mid & Small Cap | European Large & Mid Cap More Trefis Research Like our charts? Embed them in your own posts using the Trefis WordPress Plugin.

Insider John Binary App 810 Review The Truth About The Insider John Callaghan Trading Software


This article was originally distributed via SproutNews. SproutNews, WorldNow and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Insider John Binary App 810 software is a binary trading software that’s meant to help traders get involved in binary options trading with less risk than traditional investment opportunities. The software was created by John Callaghan who is the professional binary trader behind the software. Find out all about Binary App 810 software by John Callaghan. Insider John Binary App 810 is a brand new binary options trading software that has been getting a lot of attention from binary options traders all over due to the recent launch. As you probably already know there are a lot of people promoting the products via email and you may have gotten an email yourself. In this Insider John Binary App 810 review we plan on uncovering the truth about the new software and Insider John Callaghan. Binary options have grown into a billion dollar industry over the last decade and traders all over the world are making thousands of dollars using binary options as their main investment strategy. In order to start trading with binary options you need to have a binary options broker account setup through the Binary App 810 website. Reserve your free copy and $300 trading bonus – Click here now! By using the software you will get instant trading signals that will alert you on exactly what binary options you need to trade that can generate ROI as quickly as possible. The whole point of Binary App 810 is to let you know what options you need to trade so that you can head to your options broker and place that trade in seconds. As long as you can follow the binary options signals that the software produces you can start trading binary options by today. The only way to get your hands on the software for free is by signing up at the official site, adding your name and email so that you can reserve your copy of the free software, and finally fund your account so that you can start trading with the software within minutes. The software is currently trading at a higher than average success rate which is uncommon in the binary options trading industry. Binary App 810 is reaching as high as 91% successful trades rate, according to Insider John Callaghan. Here’s a couple functions of the Binary App 810 : 1) 100% automated trading system 2) easy-to-use interface 3) start trading in seconds with John’s signals. 4) This offer is completely free Receive $300 Insider John Binary App 810 Software BONUS – CLICK HERE TO CLAIM! If you want to place a trade by today and be able to reach 95% or more profit per trade you need to sign up at the official Binary App 810 website. The setup process can typically take about 15 minutes from start to finish and that includes signing up for the software, reserving a free copy, and funding your account with one of the brokers of your choice. According to John Callaghan, “The key benefits of the software is that any level trader can get invested into binary options and not have a huge background or any trading skills at all. The trader simply needs to follow the exact signals that my software produces so that he can generate the successful trades. Binary App 810 is currently very, very high in comparison to the rest of the industry. Placing each trade takes a few seconds and you can use special techniques like hedging which you’ll learn by using Binary App 810.” It’s a well-known fact that no other option software can ever reach 100% accuracy because there are a number of factors that determine your profit potential in the market including volatility, time of trade, and many other factors. That said Insider John has done his best to get the software to a level that can exceed most all binary options traders expectations at 91% success. The software produces signals throughout the trading day and you can count on it reaching over 700 signals per day. There are some robots in the industry that produce less than 10% of the signals that Binary App 810 produces which can help you make more each trading day. There are a few features of the software that are getting some negative feedback and some people want to know what those are. Firstly, the software cannot guarantee 100% successful trades. What that means as well is that there is no level of guaranteed success when you use the Binary App 810 software. As with any investment opportunity that has upside potential, there’s also a potential downside risk which means you can lose money on each trade you place just as easy as you can profit. The software has been specifically trained to guide you through each and every trade which is why it’s highly suggested that you stick to the software and do not trade on your own emotions. This will limit your risk as well as your loss of ROI on each trade you place with the Insider John Binary App 810 system. You can start trading in 15 minutes. Go to this site to reserve your free copy of Insider John Binary App 810 today. Disclaimer: Trading binary options does come with it’s own level of risk and it may not be the best opportunity for every investment seeker. It is a good idea to contact a professional before you start trading binary options. While there is potential to make upside ROI there is also the risk of losing your investment in whole or in part. A common investment strategy is to not trade anything you’re not willing to lose. Take note of all the risks that come along with binary options trading as well as the Binary App 810 software. Media Contact Company Name: Insider Options Contact Person: James Swanson Email: Send Email Phone: 907-408-6975 Address:407 9th St City: Craig State: AK Country: United States Website: http://tinyurl.com/insjohn810 Source: www.abnewswire.com ReleaseID: 20301 Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you have any questions or comments about this page please contact pressreleases@worldnow.com

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Polish enterprises embrace cloud and virtual disaster recovery


Disaster recovery and business continuity have evolved quickly in recent years. It’s not so long since disaster recovery simply meant taking tapes off-site, or even to a different part of the same site. But now the options for disaster recovery – and the ease and speed of restoration in case of unforeseen events – have been boosted by virtualised environments, high-speed WAN connections and the cloud. Meanwhile, customers’ attitudes to disaster recovery have also evolved. Once disaster recovery was seen as an obligation, enforced by law or regulation. Now, effective business continuity and disaster recovery are increasingly recognised as essential – and that businesses that don’t have such plans and systems in place usually go out of business when disaster strikes. Some customers in Poland stick to the old methods, with the cheapest possible solutions carried out in-house. Organisations carry out risk assessments and often conclude that, while business continuity is a necessity, they don’t want to spend money on current technology that may cost a bit more, but is much more effective. “We find organisations that can estimate the risk, but still choose the cheapest methods and do not want to pay for more advanced options,” says Jaroslaw Smulski, research manager at IDC Poland. Accelerating data recovery A lot of companies store their key data on tapes and move them to vaults at another location. This protects data and enables the business to recover, but it’s an approach measured in timescales of several days and only protects the data that is moved before disaster strikes. It’s still a common way of doing things in Poland, but such procedures are increasingly obsolete in the age of high-speed data networks, server virtualisation and the cloud. Often nowadays those kind of approaches and timescales are simply not adequate, says Artur Matzka, director of infrastructure development at IT services provider Integrated Solutions. “The cost of data loss or lack of access to information can be dangerous, and not only in financial terms. For companies operating in a really competitive market, even 10 days without access to key data could cause an outflow of customers and the death of the business,” he says. “The consequences of a disaster can be data inaccessibility and, in extreme cases, even its destruction,” says Tadeusz Czichon, CEO at ATM, a Polish hosting and networks provider. “Such a situation leads to paralysis in decision-making processes and results in financial loss and corrupting the company's image.” So, for an enterprise that wants more than to just take tapes off-site, there is a need for some kind of secondary disaster recovery site. Traditionally, that meant creating a physical mirror of the primary site, complete with a full software duplicate of the operating environment. “Before the virtualisation era, such an investment was expensive. Mirroring the physical environments in separate locations could only be afforded by the biggest and richest companies,” says Zbigniew Szostakiewicz, service and datacentre development team manager at IT service provider, CK Zeto. “But now almost every company can invest in a backup datacentre, because buying a single virtual server is no longer an expense a company cannot afford.” Case study: Volkswagen Bank Poland Volkswagen Bank Poland initiated a business continuity project so it could move beyond operations at only one location. “We needed to ensure the ability to continue our business, but in another safe location,” says Kai Fischer, IT director at Volkswagen Bank Poland, which has its headquarters in Warsaw. “Design assumptions are translated into numbers: The maximum time to restore the process (RTO – Recovery Time Objective) and the maximum potential data loss (RPO – Recovery Point Objective). These values enable us to define resource requirements and IT strategy with regard to the disaster recovery plan.” Volkswagen Bank Poland turned to IBM with a proposal of co-operation. In response, IBM helped to translate the concept into concrete technological tools. It provided hardware and software, ensured optimal configuration and carried out testing. The project took 14 months, including preparatory work. “The main challenge for us was to co-ordinate the project and configure different technologies,” says Pawel Bondar, business development executive, IBM Polska. “The IT environment at Volkswagen Bank Poland is a complex heterogeneous structure. There are IBM technologies which co-operate with products from suppliers such as Cisco, Adva and CheckPoint. Integrating everything to achieve the RTO and RPO required knowledge, experience and a lot of work.” Fischer says: “The plan took into account the creation of a spare contact centre with office space and the equipment needed to perform normal bank tasks.” Virtualisation dramatically simplifies the deployment of disaster recovery services and significantly increases their efficiency Krzysztof Waszkiewicz, VMware Virtualisation and cloud change the game IBM has provided server, network and storage hardware in its datacentre at Blonie, 30km west of Warsaw, and has assured the configuration of the whole system in data replication, switch failover and security. According to the disaster recovery plan, key business processes as well as systems supporting them must be restarted within one hour of disaster. “Currently, failover between the primary and backup datacentres takes a short time. From the user’s perspective, there are no changes. In practice, it is impossible to notice the difference. Volkswagen Bank Poland can deliver its services even if the building and the infrastructure located there are not fit for use,” says Fischer. The growth of virtualisation and cloud services have completely changed the disaster recovery market. “Virtualisation dramatically simplifies the deployment of disaster recovery services and significantly increases their efficiency,” says VMware business solutions architect, Krzysztof Waszkiewicz. “Virtualisation simplifies disaster recovery by abstracting the physical hardware, data, operating system and applications to encapsulate them within a virtual machine. “Virtualisation adds a key element, critical to modern disaster recovery: Unified management and automation. Typically, companies must manage multiple steps in disaster recovery, because it is required for disparate physical components and layers of the infrastructure. Modern disaster recovery focuses on protecting and restoring virtual machines.” Disaster-recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) is when data is replicated to hosted servers, physical or virtual, on a provider’s infrastructure. “Data written to the primary datacentre is confirmed only after acknowledgement is received that it has been written to the backup datacentre. It means that, in case of emergency or disaster, the backup datacentre can immediately restore the system and start service provision, with zero lost data,” says Artur Matzka. Case study: Lublin Coal Bogdanka Lublin Coal Bogdanka (pictured above) is one of the largest coal mines in Poland and supplies mainly industrial customers. The dynamic growth of the company in recent years has caused the rapid development of its IT infrastructure. In 2013 Bogdanka’s board of directors created a business strategy with one of its priorities the creation of a modern IT infrastructure to support the business and eliminate defects in data management. “One of our priorities became ensuring high availability of data and its protection,” says Zbigniew Łoś, IT manager at LC Bogdanka. “The company’s IT administrators were challenged to choose an IT architecture that avoids large expenditures but enables high availability for our IT systems.” The company built out its own environment using virtualisation. Now the entire IT architecture comprises three elements. The first is a cluster of VMware virtual servers. The second is the storage cluster built on DataCore SANsymphony storage software. The third is a cluster of servers for backing up the whole IT environment. Implementing the virtual environment was like an operation on a living organism Zbigniew Łoś, LC Bogdanka Consolidating the IT infrastructure "Virtualisation has enabled us to spread our systems over two locations. We doubled all critical components and systems to ensure continuity of operations," says Daniel Szymanski, IT principal administrator at Bogdanka. “Implementing the virtual environment was like an operation on a living organism. We did not even have a test environment. However, we did it successfully without disturbing the work of the mine,” says Zbigniew Łoś. But operating all IT systems in one location does not guarantee sufficient security, and data loss is a real threat. So, Bogdanka looked to DRaaS, provided by an external provider, while the mine’s existing systems were enhanced with new technologies. “It was necessary to add VMware vSphere Site Recovery Manager software, which allowed us to manage virtual environments in the different locations,” says Łoś. Virtualising the servers and storage has allowed the company to consolidate its IT infrastructure and re-use its existing resources to create a failover site. “DRaaS tools eliminate the complexity of our traditional runbooks and automatically orchestrate all the steps needed to ensure the desired level of protection. Manual runbooks are no longer good enough to manage recovery plans for applications and expanding infrastructure,” says Szymanski. Email Alerts Register now to receive ComputerWeekly.com IT-related news, guides and more, delivered to your inbox. By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Privacy Read More Related content from ComputerWeekly.com RELATED CONTENT FROM THE TECHTARGET NETWORK

How the Data Show the Economic Recovery Is Still Young


Not much changed in the revised third-quarter gross domestic product data: Growth was a bit faster than the first estimate indicated, largely because inventory investment slowed less rapidly. But the preliminary estimates of third-quarter corporate profits, also released Tuesday, were more interesting. It’s a common historical pattern that capital incomes (profits and net interest payments, mostly) fall sharply as a share of corporate-sector income during recessions but rise rapidly in the early phase of recoveries. As recoveries mature and labor markets tighten and wages rise, the capital share of corporate-sector income then tends to fall. And the share of corporate-sector income claimed by labor compensation (wages and salaries) follows a mirror opposite pattern: rising sharply during recessions, falling in early recoveries, and then rising again in mature stages of the business cycle. The behavior of these capital and labor income shares is a pretty good way to assess whether a recovery is “young.” And Tuesday’s data highlight that the recovery from the Great Recession, despite having gone on for more than five years, is still very young. In making this “young recovery” argument, a colleague and I noted (in this paper) that the first-quarter data on corporate profits should be largely discounted, as the sharp drop in profits in those months was driven by a tax change (the end of accelerated depreciation at the beginning of the year). Goldman Sachs research notes also indicated that according to capital income share measures the recovery was still young and that it was too early to declare that this share had peaked in 2013. Tuesday’s data confirm this: The share of corporate-sector income accruing to capital-owners reached 27.3%–the highest since the recovery from the Great Recession began and the highest since 1950. Even stripping out the recent abnormally high profits earned by the Federal Reserve leaves the profit share just 0.1% below its post-Great Recession high point, and it still remains higher than any pre-Great Recession level since 1950.

Recovery of explosives, encounter ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in Assam


Guwahati: An ULFA (I) militant was killed in a police encounter and huge cache of explosives was recovered in two separate incidents, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Assam from November 29. Acting on a tip-off, police recovered four rocket launchers, a carbine, 40 live cartridges and five explosives from a field in Gorsinga No 2 Tokajan village of Tinsukia district this morning, Additional Superintendent of Police Sauravjyoti Saikia said. In another major haul, three cartons containing 30 packets of gelatin sticks, 1,800 packets of detonators and 12 packets of cordex wire hidden inside gunny bags were recovered during routine checking of vehicles on the Gauahati-Shillong Road in Dispur police station area in the early hours. The vehicle was coming from Meghalaya and its driver and the lone passenger were detained, Guwahati City Senior Superintendent of Police A P Tiwari said. Meanwhile, an ULFA(I) cadre was killed in an encounter with police while three others managed to escape at Betonisuk in Dibrugarh district, police said. ULFA(I) militants struck back killing an employee of a petrol pump and critically injuring two others at Khelmati in North Lakhimpur district, Superintendent of Police P K Bhuyan said. Search operations have been intensified following intelligence inputs on Wednesday that two youths, possibly belonging to the ULFA (Independent), were planning to keep explosives in city buses and that ULFA(I) may indulge in violence ahead of the prime minister's visit, police officials said.

Silver Grant : MAJOR TRANSACTION PROPOSED TRANSFER OF 49% EQUITY INTERESTS IN YANGQUAN TIANTAI (in PDF)


Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement. SILVER GRANT INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED (incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability) (Stock Code: 171) MAJOR TRANSACTION PROPOSED TRANSFER OF 49% EQUITY INTERESTS IN YANGQUAN TIANTAI PROPOSED TRANSFER OF EQUITY INTERESTS The Board wishes to announce that on 27 November 2014, the Company resolved to sell (subject to the Shareholders' approval) 49% equity interests in Yangquan Tiantai (being the Subject Equity Interests) at the Base Price of RMB873.2 million (equivalent to approximately HK$1,116.6 million) by way of public auction at Chongqing United Assets and Equity ExchangeC!!llllit �ffiXHJiJ("Auction"). Upon obtaining approval from the Shareholders at the EGM on the proposed Transfer of Equity Interests, the Subject Equity Interests will be listed on Chongqing United Assets and Equity Exchange for public auction at the Base Price. Upon the completion of the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Group will no longer have any interest in Yangquan Tiantai, which will cease to be an associated company of the Company and its financial results will no longer be accounted for in the consolidated financial statements of the Company. - 1 - LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS - MAJOR TRANSACTION As one or more applicable percentage ratios for the Transfer of Equity Interests is more than 25% but less than 75% (assuming the Subject Equity Interests is successfully bidded at the Base Price), the Transfer of Equity Interests will constitute a major transaction of the Company under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules and is subject to the reporting, announcement and Shareholders' approval requirements under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules. It is expected that no Shareholder has any material interest in the Transfer of Equity Interests, and, therefore, no Shareholder will be required to abstain from voting at the EGM on the resolution(s) to approve the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Agreement and the related matters (if any). Should the successful bidder of the Auction is a Shareholder of the Company, necessary step(s) will be taken in accordance with the relevant Listing Rules to confirm and rectify the Transfer of Equity Interests (as and when appropriate). A circular containing, among other things, further information in relation to the Transfer of Equity Interests and a notice of the EGM will be despatched to the Shareholders on or before 18 December 2014. As the Auction and the Transfer of Equity Interests may or may not proceed, Shareholders and public investors are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the Company's shares. INTRODUCTION The Board wishes to announce that on 27 November 2014, the Company resolved to sell (subject to the Shareholders' approval) 49% equity interests in Yangquan Tiantai (being the Subject Equity Interests) at the Base Price of RMB873.2 million (equivalent to approximately HK$1,116.6 million) by way of public auction at Chongqing United Assets and Equity Exchange. Assets to be transferred The Subject Equity Interests, representing 49% equity interests of Yangquan Tiantai owned by Beijing Runda, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Base Price The Base Price of RMB873.2 million (equivalent to approximately HK$1,116.6 million) was determined by deducting the unaudited loss attributable to the Subject Equity Interests for the period commenced from 1 January 2014 and ended on 25 November 2014 ("Period") of approximately RMB68.1 million (equivalent to approximately HK$87.1 million) from the appraised NAV of Yangquan Tiantai as at 31 December 2013 attributable to the Subject Equity Interests of RMB941.3 million (equivalent to approximately HK$1,203.7 million) determined by an independent valuer which qualification is recognised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the Shanxi Province. - 2 - The Auction Upon obtaining approval from the Shareholders at the EGM on the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Subject Equity Interest will be listed on Chongqing United Assets and Equity Exchange for public auction at the Base Price. Chongqing United Assets and Equity Exchange is responsible for administering the Auction. Further announcement will be made by the Company regarding the successful bid for the Transfer of Equity Interests under the Auction and the terms of the Agreement. INFORMATION ON YANGQUAN TIANTAI Yangquan Tiantai is a limited company established under the laws of PRC on 21 October 2009 with a registered and paid-up capital of RMB 2,000,000,000. It is principally engaged in the development of underground coking coal mine. As at the date of this announcement, the registered capital of Yangquan Tiantai is owned as to 49% by Beijing Runda (being the Subject Equity Interests) and as to 51% by Yangquan Coal and, hence, Yangquan Tiantai is an associated company of the Company. The key financial information of Yangquan Tiantai extracted from its accounts for each of the two financial years ended 31 December 2013, 31 December 2012 and six months ended 30 June 2014 are as follows: For the period ended 30 June 2014 HKD (unaudited) For the year ended 31 December 2013 HKD (audited) For the year ended 31 December 2012 HKD (audited) (approximately) (approximately) (approximately) Revenue 60,664,000 55,224,000 - Loss before taxation (75,399,000) (277,920,000) (162,047,000) Loss for the year (75,399,000) (282,317,000) (161,863,000) - 3 - As at 30 June 2014 HKD (unaudited) As at 31 December 2013 HKD (audited) As at 31 December 2012 HKD (audited) (approximately) (approximately) (approximately) Net assets 2,052,934,000 2,128,333,000 2,340,664,000 Net assets attributable to the Group 1,005,937,000 1,042,883,000 1,146,925,000 REASONS OF AND BENEFITS FOR THE TRANSFER OF EQUITY INTERESTS The Group is principally engaged in property investment, other investments, distressed assets business and production and trading of petrochemical products. In March 2010, Beijing Runda, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, contributed 49% of the capital increase in Yangquan Tiantai with the view to extend its business to the coal resources industry in the PRC, thereby diversify the source of income and increase the financial returns of the Group. Nevertheless, due to the nationwide unfavourable environment in the coal industry, the pile up of coal inventories and the continuous drop of coal prices in the PRC, the financial performance of Yangquan Tiantai was unsatisfactory for the past few years. During year 2013, Yangquan Tiantai deliberately slowed down the construction and redevelopment works of its coal mines in order to minimize operating costs and avoid selling coals at a loss. For the year ended 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2013, the Group's share of loss of Yangquan Tiantai amounted to approximately HK$79.3 million and HK$138.3 million respectively. In addition, the Directors are of the view that coal price will remain stagnant without significant and prolonged rebound in the near future. As disclosed in the 2013 annual report of the Company, the Directors were seriously evaluating various proposals regarding a possible restructuring of Yangquan Tiantai in order to tackle the loss burden from Yangquan Tiantai. Hence, the Directors consider that the disposal of the Subject Equity Interests represents a good opportunity for the Group to exit its investment in Yangquan Tiantai and to improve the future financial performance of the Group as a whole. Further, the Directors believe that the proceeds from the Transfer of Equity Interests can further strengthen the cash position of the Group and will provide funding for the Group to make alternative investment as and when suitable opportunities arise. As at the date of this announcement, the Company is considering the investment potential of certain energy projects but no concrete plan has been formulated up to the date of this announcement. The Directors, including the independent non-executive Directors, consider that (i) the terms of the Agreement to be entered into with the successful bidder of the Auction are normal commercial terms and are fair and reasonable; (ii) the determination of the Base Price with reference to the appraised NAV of Yangquan Tiantai as at 31 December 2013 and the operating results of Yangquan Tiantai during the Period was appropriate; and (iii) the transfer of the Subject Equity Interests is in the best interest of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole. - 4 - FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF THE TRANSFER OF EQUITY INTERESTS Upon the completion of the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Group will no longer have any interests in Yangquan Tiantai, which will cease to be an associate of the Company, and its financial results will no longer be accounted for in the consolidated financial statements of the Company. Upon the completion of the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Group is expected to receive a net proceeds of RMB873.2 million (equivalent to approximately HK$1,116.6 million) from the transfer of the Subject Equity Interests assuming the Subject Equity Interests is successfully bidded at the Base Price. It is expected that the Group will recognize a disposal gain (before legal and professional fees and withholding tax) of approximately HK$160.8 million from the Transfer of Equity Interests which is calculated based on the difference between the proceeds and the carrying value of Yangquan Tiantai. It is expected that the net proceeds of the Transfer of Equity Interests will be applied as the Group's general working capital and funding for future investment as and when suitable opportunities arise. LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS - MAJOR TRANSACTION As one or more applicable percentage ratios for the Transfer of Equity Interests is more than 25% but less than 75% (assuming the Subject Equity Interests is successfully bidded at the Base Price), the Transfer of Equity Interests will constitute a major transaction of the Company under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules and is subject to the reporting, announcement and Shareholders' approval requirements under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules. It is expected that no Shareholder has any material interest in the Transfer of Equity Interests, and, therefore, no Shareholder will be required to abstain from voting at the EGM on the resolution(s) to approve the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Agreement and the related matters (if any). Should the successful bidder of the Auction is a Shareholder of the Company, necessary step(s) will be taken in accordance with the relevant Listing Rules to confirm and rectify the Transfer of Equity Interests (as and when appropriate). A circular containing, among other things, further information in relation to the Transfer of Equity Interests and a notice of the EGM will be despatched to the Shareholders on or before 18 December 2014. As the Auction and the Transfer of Equity Interests may or may not proceed, Shareholders and public investors are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the Company's shares. DEFINITIONS Unless otherwise specified, the following words and phrases have the following meanings in this announcement: "Agreement" an agreement in the prescribed form designated by Chongqing United Assets and Equity Exchange to be entered into between Beijing Runda and the successful bidder of the Auction; - 5 - "Beijing Runda" JR !M � � � )t � � 1. � � 0 � (transliteration "Beijing Runda International Investment Management Limited"), a company established in the PRC with limited liability and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company; "Board" the board of Directors; "Base Price" the base price of RMB873.2 million (equivalent to approximately HK$1,116.6 million) proposed by the Company for the Auction; "Company" Silver Grant International Industries Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability, the issued shares of which are listed on the Stock Exchange; "Director(s)" the director(s) of the Company, including the independent non-executive Directors; "EGM" the extraordinary general meeting of the Company to be convened for, among others, considering, and if thought fit, approving the Transfer of Equity Interests, the Agreement and the related matters (if any); "Group" the Company and its subsidiaries; "Independent Third Party(ies)" a person(s) or company(ies) who or which is/are independent of and not connected with the Directors, chief executive or substantial shareholder of the Company, or any of their respective subsidiaries or associates as defined under the Listing Rules; "Listing Rules" The Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange; "PRC" the People's Republic of China; "Shareholder(s)" holder(s) of the shares of the Company; "Subject Equity Interests" being the 49% equity interests of Yangquan Tiantai owned by Beijing Runda, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company; "Stock Exchange" The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited; "Transfer of Equity Interests" the transfer of the Subject Equity Interests by Beijing Runda to the successful bidder of the Auction; - 6 - "Yangquan Coal" �*��C�IJx5t��0� ("Yang Quan Coal Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.") (formerly known as " LlJ f@ � � JT § x 5t � � 0 � " ("Shanxi Guoyang New Energy Co., Limited")), a joint stock limited company incorporated in the PRC, the shares of which are listed on The Shanghai Stock Exchange; "Yangquan Tiantai" � * � � � I x � )t � � � 0 � ("Yang Quan Coal Industry (Group) Tiantai Investment Limited") (formerly known as " ��x�)t���0 � "(transliteration "Guoyang Tiantai Investment Limited")), a company established in the PRC with limited liability; "HK$" Hong Kong dollars, the lawful currency of Hong Kong; "RMB" Renminbi, the lawful currency of the PRC and for the purpose of this announcement, Renminbi is translated into Hong Kong dollars at a fixed rate of RMB0.782 = HK$1.00; "%" per cent. By order of the Board Silver Grant International Industries Limited Gao Jian Min Managing Director Hong Kong, 27 November 2014 As at the date of this announcement, the Board comprises Mr Gao Jian Min (Managing Director), Mr Liu Tianni (Deputy Managing Director) and Mr Gu Jianguo as executive Directors; Mr Chen Xiaozhou (Chairman), Mr Hui Xiao Bing (Vice Chairman) and Mr Chen Qiming (Vice Chairman) as non-executive Directors and Mr Liang Qing, Mr Zhang Lu and Mr Hung Muk Ming as independent non-executive Directors.