Ivan Barbashev, Patrik Berglund and Alexander Steen provided the scoring as the St.Louis Blues maintained their momentum in the first game back from the All-Star break, posting a 3-1 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.The Blues have won three consecutive games and are making a push to take over first place in the Central Division.Goalie Carter Hutton, who started his sixth straight game, finished with 34 saves and was just 1 minute, 7 seconds away from his third shutout of the year.St.Louis was outshot 34-31 but made the most of its chances.The Blues won 34 of 58 faceoffs to dictate the run of play.Carey Price had 28 saves and took the hard-luck loss for the Canadiens, who have lost three of their past four games.Montreal sits near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, and its playoff hopes are fading.St.Louis also beat the Canadiens 4-3 on Dec.5 and have now won four straight in the series.The Blues took the lead 4:38 into the second period on an unassisted goal by Barbashev.

He picked up a loose puck and took a shot around three Montreal defenseman that appeared to screen Price.Canadiens right winger Logan Shaw was penalized for holding with 12:36 left in the second period, giving the Blues their first power play of the night.However, St.Louis could not capitalize on several opportunities.Montreal increased the pressure in the final period to try and find a game-tying goal.That opened up opportunities for the Blues to mount effective counterattacks.The Canadiens committed a costly penalty for too many players on the ice, and Berglund made them pay with a close-range goal with 14:46 left in the game.Montreal never recovered, and Steen scored a short-handed goal in an empty net to increase the lead to 3-0.Charles Hudon’s late power-play goal allowed the Canadiens to avoid their seventh shutout defeat of the season.--Field Level Media


SUNRISE, Fla., Jan.09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Via OTC PR Wire -- Profile Solutions, Inc.(OTC:PSIQ) announced today it has acquired Elite Products International, Inc.Elite Products International Elite Products International Elite Products International Elite Products International Profile is entering the emerging Cannabis, Cannabinoid and Hemp market to distribute and manufacture cutting-edge Cannabis, Cannabinoid and Hemp extracts in the form of edibles, creams, oils, and salves for humans and pets ( www.elitehempproducts.com ).Profiles initial focus shall be Cannabinoid ("CBD").CBD is the part of the cannabis plant that doesn't get you "high" like the THC side of the plant.CBD products are either derived from industrial hemp plants or marijuana plants.CBD is typically used for health reasons such as pain, stress and anxiety relief instead of for recreational purposes.According to a 2013 review published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology , studies have found CBD to possess medical properties to act as an Analgesic, Anxiolytic, Anti-Depressant, Anti-inflammatory and others.The Hemp Business Journal estimated that the CBD market will grow to a $2.1 billion market in consumer sales by 2020 with $450 million of those sales coming from hemp-based sources, a 700% increase from 2016.In 2015, the market for consumer sales of hemp-derived CBD products was $90 million, plus another $112 million in marijuana-derived CBD products which were sold through dispensaries bringing a total CBD market to $202 million last year.Currently there are 29 states plus DC that have legalized medical marijuana including 8 states which have legalized recreational marijuana."We intend to aggressively expand our operations by providing quality hemp-based products at affordable prices to satisfy the demand and requirements of our current and future clients," stated Dan Oran, CEO of Profile Solutions, Inc.About Profile Solutions Profile Solutions, Inc.through its subsidiary Elite Products International, Inc.is a leading distributor and manufacturer in the cannabinoid (CBD) industry.The Company's products contain cutting-edge CBD Hemp extracts in the form of edibles, creams, oils, and salves.

Additionally, the company developed and currently has working prototypes of a climate controlled positive identification secure depository.The CannaSafe is based on remote keyfob or fingerprint biometric access to the device.The Cannasafe was developed to store critical medications or valuables and keep them out of the reach of children or unauthorized access.Please visit the company website at www.elitehempproducts.com , Facebook at , Instagram , Linkedin at ,Twitter at and Blog: .Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "believes," "expects," "potential," "plans," "suggests," "may," "should," "could," "intends," or similar expressions.Many forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results or implied by such statements.These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue to enhance our products and systems to address industry changes, our ability to expand our customer base and retain existing customers, our ability to effectively compete in our market segment, the lack of public information on our company, our ability to raise sufficient capital to fund our business, operations, our ability to continue as a going concern, and a limited public market for our common stock, among other risks.Many factors are difficult to predict accurately and are generally beyond the company's control.Forward-looking statements speak only as to the date they are made and we do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.For information, please contact: Dan Oran, President Profile Solutions, Inc.8411 West Oakland Park Blvd.Suite 201 Sunrise, FL 33351 [REDACTED] (844) 856-8838 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: Source:Profile Solutions, Inc.


MILWAUKEE, Jan.30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A.O.Smith Corporation (NYSE-AOS) today announced record sales of $3.0 billion and net earnings of $296.5 million, which included estimated charges of $81.8 million associated with the U.S.Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (U.S.Tax Reform).Sales for 2017 grew nearly 12 percent from $2.69 billion in 2016.Sales in China grew 16 percent during 2017 and grew 18 percent when the impact from the stronger U.S.dollar is excluded.Net earnings of $296.5 million or $1.70 per share were lower than 2016 net earnings of $326.5 million or $1.85 per share.The decrease in earnings was due to estimated one-time charges associated with U.S.Tax Reform, totaling $81.8 million or $.47 per share.Adjusted net earnings of $378.3 million or $2.17 per share, which excluded the one-time U.S.Tax Reform-related charges, increased 16 percent compared with net earnings of $326.5 million, or $1.85 per share, the previous year.In the fourth quarter, the company earned $22.7 million or $.13 per share on sales of $768.6 million.Fourth quarter 2017 adjusted net earnings were $104.5 million or $.60 per share and excluded $81.8 million or $.47 per share of one-time charges associated with U.S.Tax Reform.Net earnings for the same three-month period in 2016 were $82.7 million or $.47 per share on $698.1 million of sales.A.O.Smith is providing non-GAAP measures (adjusted net earnings, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted effective income tax rates) for 2017 and the fourth quarter of 2017 that exclude the company's estimate of its total tax charges in those periods related to U.S.Tax Reform.Reconciliations to measures on a GAAP basis are provided in the financial information included with this press release."2017 marked another record year for A.O.Smith," Ajita G.Rajendra, chairman and chief executive officer, announced."Our double-digit sales growth in 2017 was driven by continued strong demand for our consumer products in China and positive end markets for our water heaters and boilers in North America.

China sales exceeded the $1 billion milestone and were driven by 35 percent growth in water treatment sales and a near doubling of air purification sales.China on-line sales reached $250 million in 2017." North America segment Sales for the North America segment in 2017 were $1.90 billion, a nine percent increase over 2016 sales of $1.74 billion.The increase in sales was primarily due to higher volumes of water heaters and boilers and pricing actions related to steel cost increases.Water treatment sales, comprised of Hague Quality Water acquired in September 2017, as well as a full year of Aquasana sales, incrementally added approximately $40 million to the company's North America segment sales.Segment earnings increased 11 percent in 2017 to $428.6 million compared with $385.9 million in 2016.The earnings increase was driven primarily by higher water heater and boiler volumes and pricing actions, which were partially offset by higher steel costs.As a result of lower selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses as a percentage of sales, 2017 segment margin of 22.5 percent improved from 2016 segment margin of 22.1 percent.Fourth quarter 2017 sales for the segment of $460.8 million were six percent greater than the prior year's fourth quarter sales of $435.6 million.The increase in sales was primarily due to higher volumes of boilers and commercial water heaters and pricing actions related to steel cost increases.Water treatment sales incrementally added approximately $9 million to North America fourth quarter segment sales.Fourth quarter segment earnings of $104.9 million were 17 percent higher than segment earnings of $89.4 million in the fourth quarter of the prior year.The favorable impacts from higher sales of boilers and commercial water heaters, pricing actions in the U.S.and lower enterprise resource planning (ERP) costs were partially offset by higher steel costs.As a result of these factors, fourth quarter segment margin of 22.


One of the founders of cloud-based supply chain firm Tradeshift said Monday that the U.S.government shutdown will not be a crisis if it lasts less than 10 days.Hundreds of thousands of federal workers woke up today to find the U.S.government still shut down.Senators were set to vote at 12 p.m.ET on a funding bill to get the government moving again.Christian Lanng, Tradeshift's CEO and co-founder, said it was unusual to see "peak Dow" and a government shutdown at the same time."It is kind of strange and obviously, it will have some impact but I do think this is political grandstanding rather than a real economic impact," he told CNBC at The Sanctuary in Davos, Switzerland."I think it will be resolved within 10 days, but if not it will be a crisis." Tradeshift is a firm that claims to simplify procurement, expenses management and business travel.

It stands to benefit from flourishing international trade.But Lanng said isolationist policies, such as those that have been espoused by the U.S.government of late, would not harm his company."Globalization is a trend that has lasted 4,000 years.I don't think people realize how deeply it is integrated into our daily lives."If the U.S.steps out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) then what America might discover is, while it is a very powerful nation with a big economy, the world will move on," he said.


UPDATE 1-Retail gloom helps to end six weeks of FTSE gains Helen Reid * FTSE 100 up 0.4 pct * Carpetright collapses after profit warning * Dignity drops 50 pct (Recasts after afternoon rally) LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Britain's major share index rallied to a higher close on Friday as strong metals prices boosted miners and investors sought out makers of consumer staples following fresh evidence of a slowdown in consumer spending.Profit warnings in the morning from retailer Carpetright and funeral services provider Dignity reverberated across the retail sector and underscored the challenges facing British companies that suffer most when household finances are tight.The FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent.It was down 0.8 percent on the week, its first week of losses in seven, after a stellar start to the year riding the wave of rising global equities.Consumer staples companies whose profits are seen as less volatile to swings in consumer demand such as Unilever and cigarette maker BAT helped pull the index to a higher close.A report showed British shop sales slid by much more than expected in December.That capped the weakest year for retail since 2013 as consumers squeezed by high inflation continued to keep a tight grip on spending."This certainly ties in to much of what we have seen this year," said Colin McLean, managing director at SVM Asset Management."In the past, demand has been quite stable and now it's just a bit more fluid." Consumers' changing tastes and disruption by online businesses were putting pressure on the high street retailers, McLean said.

Britain's biggest flooring retailer, Carpetright sank to a record low, slumping 39 percent after warning that profits would miss expectations.Sales in the core flooring category fell 7.1 percent in the post-Christmas period .Crematorium operator Dignity sank 50 percent after warning on 2018 profit.A price battle forced it to cut funeral prices by about a quarter to preserve market share.Home improvement retailer Kingfisher fell 2.3 as traders read across to other retail names.Dixons Carphone fell 3.6 percent and small-cap DFS Furniture fell 4 percent.The UK's general retail index fell 2 percent."Lots of the retailers are quite high risk -- businesses which used to be quite solid are finding customer activity going down," said SVM's McLean."Quite a few, even if they are not showing high debt, have lots of leases and other rigidities in their balance sheet that make it difficult to unscramble," he added.Among other notable movers, EasyJet rose to the top of the blue-chip index, up 4.7 percent, after an upgrade from Morgan Stanley analysts, citing consolidation in the short-haul airline industry and a strong euro-sterling exchange rate as supportive factors.(Reporting by Helen Reid; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)


January 1 saw the official legalization of recreational marijuana in California, and with it a potential huge boost to an industry that one research company estimated could be worth $6 billion by 2021 .And those living in and around Los Angeles should get set for trucks driving around the city wrapped in advertising for MedMen, one of the stores "mainstreaming marijuana," and a company that has spent more than $500,000 on marketing already.But the ads — which have already run on billboards around LA's wider metropolitan area — won't feature any buds, blunts or bongs.Instead, the posters will show close-ups of people's faces with phrases such as "Heal.It's legal," and "Relax.It's legal." MedMen An ad for marijuana store MedMen They are real MedMen customers, said Daniel Yi, the firm's vice president of corporate communications."This is not about marijuana," he told CNBC in an email."This is about the people who use cannabis for all the reasons people have used cannabis for hundreds of years.Yes for recreation, just like alcohol, but also for wellness." MedMen lists six stores in Southern California and three in New York on its website, and Yi added that each has more than 1,000 different products."Many of them have nothing to do with 'getting high'...This is about giving choice and a safe and inviting environment for adults who want to make cannabis a part of their lives," he said.

Bloomberg | Getty Images A MedMen store in West Hollywood, California, on 2 January 2018.As well as the pure product itself, stores will sell skin creams, bath bombs and teas infused with cannabidiol (known as CBD), one of the active elements of cannabis.MedMen's "Faces" ads have featured on billboards around the Whisky a Go Go nightclub on Sunset Boulevard and the company has also run print and digital ads in what Yi claims is the "largest marijuana marketing campaign in history." It's an adspend that MedMen will be hoping will keep sending people into its shops.CEO Adam Bierman told CNBC's " The Profit " in August 2017 that each customer spends $85 on average.With about 180 customers a day, that would equate to $15,000 takings per store.show chapters A hi-tech high 6:52 PM ET Mon, 7 Aug 2017 | 01:08 Until 2018, marijuana use was allowed only for medicinal purposes and not recreational purposes in California.But, as of January 1, not all businesses have yet received state licenses to sell it .Delivery business Eaze, for example, sells vaporizers, drinks and mouth sprays, among other products, and expects to be able to deliver in San Francisco from January 5.Rules will operate in the state, governing opening hours and advertising — for example, cannabis must not be marketed to those under 21.


If you're new to estimated taxes, it can be trickier.Generally speaking, however, you can start by subtracting your business expenses from your business income.You'll also need to know what deductions and credits you will be taking for 2018 — there aren't many left for individuals to take — and what income tax rate you will pay.(You pay that in addition to the self-employment tax).If you have other sources of income — whether from a job that withholds taxes or from, say, interest or dividends — those amounts also should be part of your calculation.Remember that any tax withholdings from a paycheck count toward your total expected tax burden."You should be putting away 30 cents of every dollar that comes through the door in preparation of taxes." -DeDe Jones, Managing director of Innovative Financial After you arrive at a number that you need to pay throughout the year, divide it by four and make plans to mail off your payment by the due date.Estimated tax payments are done using Form 1040-ES.And don't forget your state might also want its share.Then, most importantly, you need to set aside some of your income so you have the money to pay those taxes.

"You should be putting away 30 cents of every dollar that comes through the door in preparation of taxes," said certified financial planner DeDe Jones, managing director of Innovative Financial in Lakewood, Colorado."If you never the see the money, you can trick yourself into thinking you don't have it." If you have additional income from an employer that withholds taxes from your paycheck, you also can increase your withholdings to reflect the higher tax bill you'll pay due to self-employment.It's also important to keep good records of your business expenses, Jones said.Online apps can help you keep track of receipts, mileage and other business-related costs.Jones also recommends setting up online payments with the IRS to make your estimated tax payments easier.More from Your Money Your Future: That 20 percent tax break for small businesses is no free-for-all.How to navigate Student loan nightmare: Some borrowers have to start over 5 key differences between Roth and traditional IRAs


Jan 19 (Reuters) - Bt Group Plc: * COURT RULES ON INDEX FOR BTPS PENSION INCREASES * HIGH COURT HANDED DOWN JUDGMENT ON FRIDAY WHICH CONFIRMS THAT IT IS CURRENTLY NOT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE FROM RPI TO ANOTHER INDEX * “DISAPPOINTED WITH DECISION AND WILL NOW CONSIDER JUDGMENT IN DETAIL IN ORDER TO DECIDE NEXT STEPS” * RELEVANT INDEX FOR PENSION INCREASES FOR MEMBERS IN SECTIONS A AND B OF BTPS REMAINS UNCHANGED AS CONSUMER PRICE INDEX * N

EXT STEP INCLUDES POSSIBILITY OF AN APPEAL * CONTINUE TO REVIEW FUTURE PENSION BENEFITS UNDER OUR MAIN DEFINED BENEFIT AND DEFINED CONTRIBUTION SCHEMES IN UK * TRIENNIAL VALUATION IS PROCEEDING; STILL EXPECT TO COMPLETE VALUATION IN FIRST HALF OF 2018 CALENDAR YEAR * HAVE JUST COMPLETED A CONSULTATION WITH AFFECTED EMPLOYEES AND ARE NOW CONSIDERING THEIR FEEDBACK BEFORE CONCLUDING REVIEW Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan.18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoAlert is pleased to announce that its new COO is long-time Ford Motor Co.executive Jim Benintende.A Ford employee who started on the assembly line, he eventually became the first President of its Middle East and Africa (MEA) business unit.Benintende led that venture from its 2013 inception until August 2016.During that time, he oversaw a business unit made up of 67 countries and 3,800 employees.Over that period Ford's Ranger truck production spiked by 46% and exports of the vehicle expanded to 150 countries.After leading the MEA Business Unit development, Benintende returned to the United States as Ford's Director of Sales Support to work on and facilitate the restructuring of the company's U.S.sales and service field force, improve its digital presence, and develop a "go to market" strategy for 2017.He retired from Ford in December 2016."AutoAlert is fortunate that Jim has joined the team," says AutoAlert CEO Mike Dullea."His strategic experience will help guide us as we continue to grow relationships with our current customers, and his experience overseas will help propel our rapid growth in international markets." Adds Benintende: "I'm excited to join the AutoAlert team.Its track record of finding a better way to do business, for both dealerships and OEMs, is proven.

My background will hopefully expand the reach of its already successful suite of products and services and continue to bolster its loyal customer base." Benintende worked at Ford from the ground up starting at age 20, as an assembly line worker.From there, he held a series of marketing and sales positions domestically until he was promoted, in 1993, as Sales Manager of Export Operations of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.In 2002, Benintende became Managing Director of Ford Middle East and North Africa.During his tenure at Ford, Benintende was known not only for his leadership skills, but for fostering the same qualities as a mentor to other employees through integrity, collaboration, respect, courage and overall team building.A pioneer in equity mining and new client engagement, AutoAlert was founded in 2002 and now leads the automotive industry in data-mining, communication platforms, and other software solutions.AutoAlert's technology bridges the communication gap between a dealership's management, employees, and customers, creating high-quality sales opportunities, increased gross margin, and improved customer retention.Visit www.autoalert.com to learn more about AutoAlert's software solutions for growing and supporting dealerships.CONTACT: Ryan Rigdon, [REDACTED] View original content with multimedia: SOURCE AutoAlert


(Adds CEO comments) Jan 12 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co set aside $3.25 billion in the fourth quarter to cover legal expenses related to probes into its mortgage and sales practices, but its 2018 cost outlook met analyst expectations as the bank tries to rebound from the scandal in its consumer banking business.The bank, which has been under intense scrutiny because of its actions, set a 2018 expense target of up to $54.5 billion, indicating that efforts to control costs are gaining traction.Shares of the bank on Friday rose 0.5 percent at $63.35 in early trading.Analysts and investors have kept close tabs on the San Francisco-based lender's expenses, which topped 60 cents per dollar of revenue after the sales scandal erupted in September 2016.The bank has since struggled to improve that key metric.The bank introduced a 2018 cost target of $53.5 billion to $54.5 billion in its fourth-quarter earnings statement on Friday."We've made progress on our efficiency initiatives and remain committed to our target of $2 billion of expense reductions by the end of 2018, which are being used to support our investments in the business, and an additional $2 billion by the end of 2019," Chief Financial Officer John Shrewsberry said.Wells Fargo had vowed to slash $4 billion in costs by 2019 through shuttering hundreds of branches and other measures, half of which will be reinvested into businesses.Chief Executive Tim Sloan has called expense levels "unacceptable" several times and said in December the bank would offer more detail on costs.It reported non-interest expenses of $16.80 billion for the fourth quarter, bringing total non-interest expenses for the year to $58.48 billion.Analysts had estimated on average that non-interest expense would be $54.62 billion for 2017.

It also booked a $3.25 billion pretax expense from litigation costs for regulatory probes, its sales practices and other consumer-related matters.Efficiency ratio - a closely watched measure of revenue divided by expenses - was 76 cents on the dollar for the fourth quarter, driven by higher operating losses.For all of 2017, it came to 66.2 cents - well above its target range of 55 to 59 cents in costs per dollar of revenue.It was expecting to spend 61 cents per dollar of revenue in the fourth quarter, it had said in its third-quarter results.TAX BOOST Net income applicable to shareholders rose to $5.74 billion, or $1.16 per share on GAAP basis, in the quarter ended Dec.31, from $4.87 billion or 96 cents per share a year ago.The quarter included a $3.35 billion one-time boost from writing down its deferred tax liabilities to reflect the new U.S.corporate tax rates.While other banks have reported one-off charges related to the tax law, Wells gets a boost to its bottom line because it will owe less tax in the future on income from a set of businesses, including mortgage servicing.Additionally, the 14 percentage point corporate tax cut applies to income earned in the United States, and unlike lenders with a larger global footprint, Wells Fargo does very little business outside the U.S.Earlier, JPMorgan & Chase reported a decline in quarterly GAAP profit, hurt by a one-time repatriation charge under the new tax law.However, it reported higher-than-expected adjusted quarterly profit on higher interest rates, which offset a slowdown in trading revenue.Wells Fargo is largely immune from the trading-related volatility that can steer the earnings of other big U.S.lenders.(Reporting By Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)


Jan 15 (Reuters) - Experience Co Ltd: * SKYDIVING OPERATIONS & ACTIVITY RESUMED AT NZONE SKYDIVE IN QUEENSTOW

N AFTER CONSULTATION WITH CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY ON JAN 14 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


Jeff Bezos recently made headlines for becoming the world's richest man. And after the launch of Amazon Go this week, Bezos tacked on another $2.8 billion to his net worth. But there's another story that's not getting as much attention. Ten percent of Amazon 's Ohio workforce is on food stamps, according to a snapshot study done by a nonprofit liberal-leaning policy research group called Policy Matters Ohio. And it was released just days before Bezos ' net worth broke the world record at $105 billion . The report looked at data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. It found that roughly 700 employees, more than 1 in 10, at Amazon's Ohio warehouses received SNAP benefits in August. SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps qualifying families purchase groceries through what's commonly known as "food stamps." And it turns out, these Amazon employees relying on food assistance cannot even shop at the company's new cashier-free store, Amazon Go, the company has confirmed to CNBC. That's raised further questions about Amazon's demographic priorities. Back in December, Piper Jaffray found that more than 80 percent of the richest U.S. households use Prime, Amazon's paid membership program. Though the company did seem to be making an effort to court a lower-income customer base. It recently launched a monthly payment plan feature, and discounts for people on government assistance. Here's what Amazon told CNBC in a statement: "Amazon full-time hourly employees in Ohio earn between $14.50 and $15 an hour as a starting wage with regular pay increases, plus Amazon stock and performance based bonuses. We also provide comprehensive benefits which include health, vision, and dental insurance coverage starting on day one, generous maternity and family leave, tuition for career education, and a network of support to succeed." In Ohio, Amazon ranked 19th among all the state's employers with workers needing food assistance. And according to Policy Matters Ohio, the company wasn't even in the top 50 just months before. "Why is it that we have a significant number of employees and family members of a company that is so wealthy, that have to avail themselves of using food benefits?

" said Zach Schiller, research director at Policy Matters Ohio. Many of those employees, both full time and part time, are likely from Amazon's warehouses near Columbus. Though the company also operates data centers, wind farms and Whole Foods stores in the state. ""Why is it that we have a significant number of employees and family members of a company that is so wealthy, that have to avail themselves of using food benefits?"" -Zach Schiller, research director at Policy Matters Ohio The e-commerce giant wasn't the only big name to make the list. The nonprofit said both Walmart and Target had large numbers of workers relying on food assistance as well. Walmart and Target did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Frazier Healthcare Partners today announced Mary Brainerd, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Minnesota-based HealthPartners, has been named a Senior Advisor to the firm’s Growth Buyout team.“We are delighted to have an executive of Mary’s caliber joining Frazier as a Senior Advisor.She has extensive leadership and management experience in integrated healthcare, including care delivery and health plans.Her insights and guidance will be most valuable to the firm and our growing slate of portfolio companies,” said Ben Magnano, General Partner.“Innovation, especially new services, products and approaches in health care, are essential to top-quality, affordable care, and improved health and well-being in our country,” said Ms.Brainerd.“I am looking forward to working with the team at Frazier Healthcare Partners as they bring forward innovative solutions to the health care challenges we face.” Ms.Brainerd joins an esteemed group of Frazier Senior Advisors including Dr.Tom Cooper, John Grotting, Bob Lefton, Dr.René Lerer, Mark Parrish, and Bob Zollars.About Mary Brainerd: Ms.Brainerd retired from her position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Minnesota-based HealthPartners in mid-2017 after a very successful 15-year career.HealthPartners is the largest, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation.The company incorporates both health care delivery, with 1,600 physicians and 6 hospitals, and a health plan covering 1.5 million members.

Under her leadership and direction, HealthPartners experienced record growth and is recognized as a national leader in the health care industry.Prior to joining HealthPartners, Ms.Brainerd held senior level positions with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, including Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.She was also Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Plus.Ms.Brainerd grew up in St.Paul and has been actively involved in the Twin Cities community for many years.She is one of the founding CEOs and former Chair of the Itasca Project, a group of 40 government, civic and business leaders addressing the issues that impact long-term economic growth, including jobs, education, transportation, and economic disparities.She is previous chair of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank and currently serves on the boards of Minnesota Life/Securian, Bush Foundation and Stryker, Inc., Bremer Financial Corporation and Minnesota Public Radio.Ms.Brainerd holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of St.Thomas, and a Bachelor-of-Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.For more information about Frazier Healthcare Partners, visit the company’s website at .View source version on businesswire.com : Frazier Healthcare Partners Carol Eckert [REDACTED] Source: Frazier Healthcare Partners


ANCHOR BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Dollars in thousands) (unaudited) December 31, 2017 June 30, 2017 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,418 $ 14,194 Securities available-for-sale, at fair value 19,829 21,170 Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost 4,200 4,949 Loans held for sale — 1,551 Loans receivable, net of allowance for loan losses of $4,128 and $4,106 398,225 377,908 Bank owned life insurance investment, net of surrender charges 20,288 20,030 Accrued interest receivable 1,453 1,332 Real estate owned, net 3,346 867 Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock, at cost 3,048 2,348 Property, premises and equipment, net

8,887 9,360 Deferred tax asset, net 4,869 8,011 Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,229 805 Total assets $ 472,792 $ 462,525 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY LIABILITIES Deposits: Noninterest-bearing $ 50,285 $ 52,606 Interest-bearing 288,167 292,581 Total deposits 338,452 345,187 FHLB advances 63,000 45,500 Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance 1,199 1,195 Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan liability 1,724 1,709 Accounts payable and other liabilities 3,220 3,083 Total liabilities 407,595 396,674 STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share authorized 5,000,000 shares; no shares issued or outstanding — — Common stock, $0.


Jan 29 (Reuters) - Obuv Rossii: * Q4 REVENUE RUB 3.6 BILLION, UP 6.5% VERSUS YEAR AGO * Q4 LIKE-FOR-LIKE SALES UP 10.9% * IN 2017 GROUP R

ETAIL CHAIN INCREASED BY 83 NEW STORES * PLANS TO OPEN ABOUT 500 STORES OVER THE NEXT 3 YEARS Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)


Jan 30 (Reuters) - Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd: * DEC QUARTER PAT 1.63 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 1.43 BILLION RUPEES YEAR AGO * DEC QUART

ER REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 5.04 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 4.09 BILLION RUPEES YEAR AGO Source text - bit.ly/2E0d9VM Further company coverage:


Jan 24 (Reuters) - Premium drinks maker Fevertree Drinks said its full-year results would significantly exceed current market expectations on strong sales in the UK.Fevertree, which makes flavoured tonic water and other mixers, forecast a 66 percent rise in full-year revenue to about 169 million pounds ($237.1 million).Full-year UK revenue is expected to rise about 96 percent, Fevertree said, citing “particularly notable” performance over the Christmas period.

Fevertree, which plans to set up an office in North America, said full-year U.S.revenue was expected to grow 39 percent.Shares of the company, which have jumped more than 14 times since their debut on London’s junior market in November 2014, rose last week on speculation that Unilever Plc was looking to buy the company.($1 = 0.7128 pounds) (Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan wants to raise the matter of two Reuters reporters detained in Myanmar with the Myanmar government at appropriate opportunities, including a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to that country this week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.Journalists take part in a protest outside the court where Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo attend a hearing in Yangon, Myanmar January 10, 2018.REUTERS/Stringer Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the reporters’ lawyer said.

“The Japanese government has conveyed its concern about this matter to the government of Myanmar and going forward, wants to discuss and make appeals at appropriate opportunities, including Foreign Minister Kono’s visit to Myanmar,” Suga said in response to a question about the issue.He said it was important to guarantee freedom of expression and basic human rights in any country.Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Writing by Linda Sieg; Editing by Martin Howell


Jan 17 (Reuters) - ERNST RUSS AG: * ASSETANDO REAL ESTATE SELLS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF AMSTERDAM * FURTHER DETAILS OF THE CONTRACT OF SALE CONDITIONS CONFIDENTIAL.

Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)


Jan 30(Reuters) - Guangdong Transtek Medical Electronics Co Ltd * Sees FY 2017 net profit to decrease by 70 percent to 87.5 percent, or to be 10.1 million yuan to 24.2 million yuan * Says FY 2016 net p

rofit was 80.5 million yuan * Says exchange loss and decreased gross margin are the main reasons for the forecast Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/LJBBZv Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)


59 PM / Updated 18 minutes ago Hungary's Richter expects Esmya drug ruling in first half: CEO Gergely Szakacs 3 Min Read BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian drugmaker Richter expects European health inspectors to deliver a ruling on its Esmya medicine in the first half of 2018, its chief executive told Reuters, adding that uncertainty about the drug could delay earnings guidance.Hungarian drugmaker Richter Chief Executive Gabor Orban speaks during an interview in Budapest, Hungary January 5, 2018.REUTERS/Gergely Szakacs In December the European Medicines Agency (EMA) opened a review into Esmya, used to treat non-cancerous tumors in the womb, after four reports of serious liver damage in patients treated with the drug, three of whom ended up needing liver transplants.Richter has said its clinical data indicated no demonstrable link between liver damage and Esmya, one of its flagship products, which accounted for about 6 percent of revenues in the first nine months of 2017.“We maintain the view that this is an effective and safe method of treatment for a wide population of patients,” Chief Executive Gabor Orban said in an interview on Friday.Asked whether the uncertainty, which sparked a sell-off in Richter’s shares early last month, spilled over into sales of the medicine, Orban said it was too early to assess any fallout.“Sales in the first eleven months (of 2017) were on track” for the drug to reach its full-year revenue target of 85 million euros ($102 million), Orban said.Orban said December sales data was generally “difficult to interpret,” while he had seen no data for January yet.

Richter shares closed 1 percent higher at 6,735 forints ($26) on the Budapest Stock Exchange on Friday, having underperformed the blue-chip index over the past three months.Orban said if current levels of uncertainty around Esmya persist, Richter, which makes gynecological, cardiovascular and central nervous system drugs, may not issue earnings guidance next month, as it usually does.The last time that happened was in 2009, during the global financial crisis, when the company said the market environment was too unpredictable to give reliable forecasts.“We will see what happens with the turnover of Esmya and the level of uncertainty in a month,” Orban said.The EMA has said it would next discuss the issue in February.Richter, which has a market capitalization of $4.8 billion and earns most of its revenue from exports, will publish fourth-quarter earnings on February 8.Orban said there were no further cases of liver damage since the inquiry was launched.Asked about a worst-case scenario, Orban said as with any medicine, that would be health regulators withdrawing the registration of Esmya, adding that he saw “zero sign” of that happening.“This is entirely unrealistic,” he said.Orban added that Richter, whose biggest markets are Russia and the European Union, had nearly 100 billion forints ($390 million) of cash to spend on acquisitions and while there were several possible targets, no deal was imminent.The CEO also said the outcome of the Esmya probe would have no impact on dividend policy.Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle


January 22, 2018 / 2:20 PM / in 8 minutes BRIEF-Carl Icahn Says Xerox Should Immediately Commence A Process With New Independent Advisors To Explore Strategic Alternatives Reuters Staff Jan 22 (Reuters) - Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason: * CARL ICAHN AND DARWIN DEASON RELEASE JOINT STATEMENT REGARDING XEROX * CARL ICAHN SAYS XEROX SHOULD IMMEDIATELY COMMENCE A PROCESS WITH NEW INDEPEND

ENT ADVISORS TO EXPLORE STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES * CARL ICAHN SAYS HE, DEASON FORMED “GROUP” WITH RESPECT TO CONTEMPLATED SOLICITATION OF PROXIES TO ELECT 4 NEW INDIVIDUALS TO XEROX BOARD * CARL ICAHN, DARWIN DEASON - IF XEROX IS EXPLORING DEAL WITH FUJI THAT MAY RESULT IN CHANGE OF CONTROL, THEN CEO JACOBSON SHOULD NOT LEAD NEGOTIATIONS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


HEAD-TO-HEAD (Federer 8 - Cilic 1) 2017 - Federer d Cilic 6-7(5) 6-4 6-1 (ATP Finals, hard) 2017 - Federer d Cilic 6-3 6-1 6-4 (Wimbledon, grass) 2016 - Federer d Cilic 6-7(4) 4-6 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3 (Wimbledon, grass) 2014 - Cilic d Federer 6-3 6-4 6-4 (U.S.Open, hard) 2014 - Federer d Cilic 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4 (Toronto, hard) 2012 - Federer d Cilic 6-3 6-4 (Shanghai, hard) 2011 - Federer d Cilic 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2 (U.S.

Open, hard) 2011 - Federer d Cilic 6-4 6-3 (Monaco, clay) 2008 - Federer d Cilic 6-3 6-4 (Paris, hard) (Compiled by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)


Jan 19 (Reuters) - Jiang Zhong Pharmaceutical Co Ltd : * SAYS PRELIM 2017 NET PROFIT UP 10 PERCENT Y/Y AT 418.0 MILLION YUAN ($65.38 milli

on) Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2Dp1GQ5 Further company coverage: ($1 = 6.3931 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom)


30, [REDACTED] Operating Activities Net income (loss) $ (823 ) $ 235 $ (142 ) $ (131 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operations: Depreciation and amortization 535 514 1,068 1,022 Stock-based compensation 99 102 196 201 Deferred income taxes 129 (30 ) 165 117 Loss on disposal of assets 11 6 12 10 Write-off of issuance costs and amortization of debt discounts 13 11 23 258 Other non-cash operating activities, net 5 54 16 60 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net 1,213 168 977 (37 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 1,182 1,060 2,315 1,500 Investing Activities Purchases of property, plant and equipment, net (251 ) (146 ) (406 ) (329 ) Activity related to Flash Ventures, net (378 ) (43 ) (509 ) (70 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (6 ) - (99 ) - Other 6 75 7 83 Net cash used in investing activities (629 ) (114 ) (1,007 ) (316 ) Financing Activities Employee stock plans, net 73 80 32 106 Proceeds from acquired call option - - - 61 Dividends paid to shareholders (148 ) (142 ) (295 ) (284 ) Settlement of debt hedge contracts 2 - 28 - Proceeds from debt, net of issuance costs 2,958 - 2,958 3,985 Repayment of debt (4,052 ) (12 ) (4,114 ) (8,254 ) Net cash used in financing activities (1,167 ) (74 ) (1,391 ) (4,386 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash - (9 ) 1 (9 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (614 ) 863 (82 ) (3,211 ) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 6,886 4,077 6,354 8,151 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 6,272 $ 4,940 $ 6,272 $ 4,940 WESTERN DIGITAL CORPORATION PRELIMINARY RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (in millions, except per share amounts; unaudited) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Dec.


BERLIN, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The German government has raised its 2018 growth forecast to 2.4 percent from 1.9 percent previously, people familiar with the updated projections said on Monday.The government expects exports to grow by 5.3 percent this year and imports to rise by 5.8 percent, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding that unemployment was seen falling to 5.3 percent from 5.7 percent in 2017.The German economy, Europe’s largest, last year grew by 2.2 percent, the strongest rate since 2011.

Adjusted for calendar effects, the economy expanded by 2.5 percent in 2017.Acting Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries, a senior member of the Social Democrats, will present the government’s updated growth forecast during a news conference on Wednesday.(Reporting by Gernot Heller,; Writing by Michael Nienaber,; Editing by Joseph Nasr)


15 PM / Updated 7 minutes ago BRIEF-Relevium Signs JV For E-Commerce AI With Blockchain Technology Integration Reuters Staff 1 Min Read Jan 11 (Reuters) - Relevium Techn

ologies Inc: * RELEVIUM SIGNS JV FOR E-COMMERCE AI WITH BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION, PROPOSES INITIAL COIN OFFERING Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan.02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gulfport Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:GPOR) (“Gulfport”) today announced that Donnie Moore has been appointed by the Company's Board of Directors to serve as Chief Operating Officer effective January 8, 2018.Michael G.Moore, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented, “Donnie has demonstrated exceptional management and technical leadership throughout his career and I believe his proven track record will play a vital role in Gulfport’s future success.He holds significant experience across all facets of the business, in his most recent positions managing multibillion dollar capital programs and also leading the development of the asset across multi-disciplinary teams within the organization, resulting in production growth of over five times in a two and half year period.We are pleased to be adding another key member to our team and look forward to working with him as we continue to seek the greatest value from our portfolio of assets and maximize shareholder return.” Mr.Donnie Moore joins Gulfport from Noble Energy, Inc., where he most recently served as Vice President of Noble’s Texas operations for the Eagle Ford and Delaware Basin assets.Prior to that, Mr.Moore held various leadership roles including Vice President of the Marcellus Business Unit, Manager of Operations for the Wattenberg/DJ Basin Business Unit, Manager of Operations for the Gunflint discovery in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, and Development Manager for Noble’s Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast positions.Prior to joining Noble Energy in 2007, Mr.Moore held a variety of roles with ARCO Oil and Gas Company, Vastar Resources, and BP America from 1989 to 2007 and brings to Gulfport over 28 years of operations and subsurface leadership experience.Mr.Moore is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.Donnie Moore commented, “I’m eager to join Gulfport and build upon the significant momentum created by the Gulfport team.I look forward to working with Gulfport’s dedicated employees and continuing to efficiently execute the operations across its top-tier asset base.” Gulfport’s Board of Directors conducted a nationwide search for the Chief Operating Officer position with Russell Reynolds Associates.

About Gulfport Gulfport Energy Corporation is an independent natural gas and oil company focused on the exploration and development of natural gas and oil properties in North America and is one of the largest producers of natural gas in the contiguous United States.Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Gulfport holds significant acreage positions in the Utica Shale of Eastern Ohio and the SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer plays in Oklahoma.In addition, Gulfport holds an acreage position along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, a position in the Alberta Oil Sands in Canada through its approximately 25% interest in Grizzly Oil Sands ULC and has an approximately 25% equity interest in Mammoth Energy Services, Inc.(NASDAQ:TUSK).Forward Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release are intended as “forward-looking statements.” These statements include assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions or beliefs about future events.Gulfport cautions that actual future results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements due to a various factors.Information concerning these factors can be found in Gulfport’s filings with the SEC, including its Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s web site at .Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak only as of the date of this release and, except as required by law, Gulfport undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, even if Gulfport’s expectations or any related events, conditions or circumstances change.Gulfport is not responsible for any changes made to this release by wire or Internet services.Investor & Media Contact: Jessica Wills – Director, Investor Relations [REDACTED] 405-252-4550 Source:Gulfport Energy Corporation


January 16, 2018 / 12:11 PM / Updated an hour ago Pope, in Chile, expresses 'pain and shame' over Church sex abuse scandal Philip Pullella , Dave Sherwood 4 Min Read SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Pope Francis expressed his “pain and shame” on Tuesday over a sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Chile, seeking forgiveness for a crisis that has scarred its credibility and left many faithful sceptical of reform.Pope Francis speaks at the La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile, January 16, 2018.REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi “Here I feel bound to express my pain and shame at the irreparable damage caused to children by some ministers of the Church,” he said in the presidential palace, drawing sustained applause from his listeners.Francis was making his first official address of the trip in the presence of President Michelle Bachelet, other Chilean top officials, cardinals, bishops and foreign diplomats.“I am one with my brother bishops, for it is right to ask for forgiveness and make every effort to support the victims, even as we commit ourselves to ensuring that such things do not happen again,” he said.Catholics have been upset with Francis’ 2015 appointment of Bishop Juan Barros to head the small diocese of Osorno in south-central Chile.Barros has been accused of protecting his former mentor, Father Fernando Karadima, whom a Vatican investigation found guilty in 2011 of abusing teenage boys over many years.Karadima has denied the allegations and Barros said he was unaware of any wrongdoing.But the scandal has gripped Chile, and, along with growing secularization, has hurt the standing of the Church that had been praised for defending human rights during the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.A poll by Santiago-based think tank Latinobarometro this month showed that the number of Chileans calling themselves Catholics fell to 45 percent last year, from 74 percent in 1995.A group opposed to the visit posted on Twitter: “No more abuse, no more cover-ups, no more hypocrisy.” At least eight Catholic churches have been attacked in Chile over the past week, including one with a homemade bomb where unidentified vandals left a pamphlet reading: “Pope Francis, the next bomb will be in your robe.” No one was injured in the attacks and no one has claimed responsibility.

ANTI-POPE GRAFFITI Chile's President Michelle Bachelet speaks next to Pope Francis at the La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile January 16, 2018.REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi Hours after the pope arrived, two churches were attacked and burned to the ground almost simultaneously in a small village near Temuco that the pope had planned to visit on Wednesday.A church in the capital was also attacked during the night, causing minor damage.Vandals burned Chilean and Vatican flags at the site and tossed pamphlets with threats against the pope.Graffiti on one church in the capital read ”Burn pope and “pope accomplice.” Pope Francis and Chile's President Michelle Bachelet reach out to shake hands at the La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile January 16, 2018.REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado But the welcome most Chileans have given the pope has been warm, with thousands of mostly young people lining the streets of the capital and hundreds of thousands attending a Mass in a Santiago park.Francis read the speech in the Moneda palace, which Pinochet’s forces bombed from the air and with ground artillery on Sept.11, 1973 while democratically elected President Salvatore Allende was inside.The pope referred to that dark period, saying the country had “faced moments of turmoil, at times painful.” He praised the consolidation of democracy but said more had to be done to help the unemployed and native people.Bachelet told the pope: “How wonderful to be able to tell you that today Chile has changed ...we strengthened our democracy, with more tolerance, more freedom and more transparency.” Chile, with a population of about 17.4 million, is the world’s top copper producer, the fifth-largest economy in Latin America and one of the region’s most stable.After a private meeting with Bachelet, Francis said Mass for tens of thousands of people in the capital’s sprawling Parque O‘Higgins.Angelina Soto, 67, of San Francisco de Mostazal, south of Santiago, said she and her family arrived before sunrise.“We are very committed Catholics, we’ve been singing all morning,” she said.“I think (the visit) will change Chile, it will make us more generous, and help to close the gap between rich and poor.


January 15, 2018 / 12:55 AM / Updated 18 hours ago China punishes officials for tampering with smog monitoring Reuters Staff 3 Min Read SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has punished officials in the provinces of Jiangxi and Henan for tampering with pollution monitoring equipment in order to reduce smog readings, the environment ministry said in a notice on Sunday.China has been waging a “war on pollution” since 2014 in a bid to reverse the environmental and political damage done by more than three decades of untrammelled economic growth, but enforcement has been a constant problem.The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said officials in the cities of Xinyu in Jiangxi and Xinyang in Henan, sought to reduce emissions readings by spraying water on their air quality sensors.Both cities are major producers of polluting and energy-intensive nonferrous metals like aluminum and copper.The two local governments said the officials responsible were dismissed or subjected to “administrative” punishments.“Regardless of whether they deny deliberately tampering and whether or not it has an obvious impact on emissions data, spraying water on air quality monitoring sampling points...

disrupts the normal operations of air quality monitoring,” the ministry said on Sunday.The MEP has tried to establish a real-time nationwide emissions monitoring system to help fight against pollution and ensure its rules are being enforced throughout the country.But it has also been forced to crack down on the widespread falsification of data, with local officials accused of trying to evade responsibility by misusing or disabling monitoring equipment.Some firms have also sought to evade monitoring by operating only at night.The ministry has sought to reduce “administrative interference” in its emissions data by bringing all its 1,436 monitoring stations under central government control and denying local authorities access to the equipment.This isn’t the first time Henan has been castigated for failing to maintain the integrity of its air quality data, with the ministry accusing local firms of providing fraudulent emissions figures in March last year.Local environmental officials in the northwestern city of Xian have also been punished for stuffing sensors with cotton and removing surveillance tapes.Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Michael Perry


Published: Jan 22, 2018 6:58 p.m.ET Share Common Cause says Trump campaign may have violated the law Getty Images Michael Cohen, a personal attorney for President Trump, reportedly arranged for the payment.By Michael Rothfeld Joe Palazzolo A government-watchdog group filed complaints Monday with the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department asking the agencies to investigate a $130,000 payment arranged by President Donald Trump’s lawyer to a former adult-film star before the 2016 presidential election.Common Cause, based in Washington, D.C., said the payment, revealed in a Wall Street Journal report earlier this month, may have violated reporting requirements and exceeded contribution limits under the Federal Election Campaign Act.

The group asked the Justice Department to investigate whether President Trump may have violated a criminal law against making a false statement to the FEC by omitting the transaction from campaign filings.The Journal reported that lawyer Michael Cohen arranged for the payment to Stephanie Clifford in return for signing a nondisclosure agreement that prevented her from publicly discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, citing people familiar with the matter.


Google takes on Amazon for the top spot in voice assistance 5:22am IST - 02:05 Google is taking on Amazon for the top spot in voice assistance and at the Las Vegas tech expo CES splashed out with flashing ads, colorful games, and a debut in many big name electronic makers' latest smart home gadets.Jane Lee reports.▲ Hide Transcript ▶ View Transcript Google is taking on Amazon for the top spot in voice assistance and at the Las Vegas tech expo CES splashed out with flashing ads, colorful games, and a debut in many big name electronic makers' latest smart home gadets.

Jane Lee reports.Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code


Here some past Reuters stories on the PIR effect and below a chart showing how Italian small/mid caps have outperformed their peers in Europe over the last 12 months: BUZZ-Italian real estate stocks rise on PIR inclusion rumours BUZZ-Equita drops expectation of Italy small-caps correction BRIEF-Banca Mediolanum confirms target of 3 bln euro PIR inflows in 2017 Bubble risks loom for Italy's small caps as new fund scheme sparks rally (Danilo Masoni) TIME TO RE-ENGAGE WITH DEFENSIVES?(1030 GMT) According to Deutsche Bank strategists, it is. In their latest update they affirm their overweight stance on defensives versus cyclicals and upgrade utilities from benchmark to overweight: "Defensives have sold off by more than would have been suggested by the rise in bond yields". That being said they point to property firms Vonovia and Deutsche Wohnen, tobacco group Imperial Brands and beer company Heineken as buy-rating stocks that are beneficiaries of a renewed fall in bond yields. For those who instead believe yields should continue to rise, they highlight BNP Paribas , Credit Suisse, Saint Gobain and AXA. (Danilo Masoni) OPENING SNAPSHOT: EUROPE BOUNCES BACK (0835) European shares have opened higher this morning, bouncing back from a one-week low hit in the previous session, as the euro pulled back from a 3-year high. In corporate news, a well-received update from LVMH a dividend increase at Telia and upbeat broker notes for Michelin and Thales are helping the STOXX 600 index rise 0.3 percent. Here's your opening snapshot: (Danilo Masoni) WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE EUROPE OPENS (0744 GMT) European shares are expected to bounce back on Friday with main stock index futures pointing to gains of around 0.3 percent. Such gains however would not be enough to prevent the STOXX 600 from scoring its first weekly loss this year. Luxury goods makers will be in focus after LVMH said it had made a favourable start to 2018 after a revival in Chinese demand boosted sales last year and spurred on some of its major brands like Louis Vuitton. Its Q4 like-for-like sales were higher than forecast. There were strong results and a bullish forecast from Intel, which could help ease market jitters about semiconductor demand, while Commerzbank could be supported after Handelsblatt reported that Goldman, Barclays and SocGen are interested in buying its EMC division. Eyes also on Zalando and Ocado after big price target increases by RBC. Other stock movers: Telecom Italia deputy chairman gives up operational powers - sources Nestle to cut 400 jobs in France CFM says LEAP engine output 4-5 weeks behind schedule Telia Q4 core profit matches forecasts SSAB Q4 operating profit lags forecast, proposes first dividend since 2012 Givaudan confirms targets after double-digit profit rise BRIEF-Autoliv announces goodwill impairment in Autoliv Nissin Brake (Danilo Masoni and Tom Pfeiffer) EUROPE STOCK FUTURES EDGE UP (0715 GMT) The euro is rising again this morning but remains below the fresh three-year peak of $1.25 hit yesterday, with the dollar recovering following U.S. President Donald Trump's Davos forex "coup de theatre". Just one day after his Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin sent the dollar plunging, Trump surprised markets by saying in a CNBC interview he "ultimately" wanted a strong dollar. You can watch the interview here: goo.gl/iyNhLt The euro pull-back is set to help European shares this morning, with futures on main regional benchmarks all rising around 0.3 percent. (Danilo Masoni) LUXURY GOODS MAKERS IN FOCUS AS LVMH SOUNDS UPBEAT (0643 GMT) Luxury goods makers could be among the stocks to watch today after LVMH said it had made a favourable start to 2018 after a revival in Chinese demand boosted sales last year and spurred on some of its major brands like Louis Vuitton. Here in bullets the key highlights from results at the world's biggest luxury goods maker. * Operating profit up 18 pct in 2017, as expected * Q4 like-for-like sales higher than forecast * Chinese demand continues to boost luxury goods market (Danilo Masoni)


Facebook will chip away at Google's dominance in digital advertising thanks to the growth of Instagram and video ads, according to a new research note from Cowen.Cowen analysts, which surveyed 50 senior ad buyers, said Facebook and Instagram ad budgets will increase in 2018 and 2019, and budgets for Google ads will decline slightly.Google and Facebook together dominate digital advertising, with about 63 percent between the two of them in 2017, according to eMarketer.This year, the firm projects Google will make $40.08 billion in U.S.digital ad revenue, while Facebook is poised to bring in $21.57 billion.Though YouTube is still the preferred digital video platform to advertise on, Facebook is encroaching on its top position.

In particular, 41 percent of the survey takers considered Facebook video the best place to launch a new ad campaign over TV (25 percent) and YouTube (10 percent).While the digital ad market is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 13 percent between 2018 and 2023, Google is only expected to increase 11 percent.There was also increasing interest in advertising on Snapchat -like service Instagram Stories, with ad buyers saying they preferred Instagram Stories over Snapchat.Both Facebook and Google shares are expected to outperform, with Facebook's price target at $220 while Alphabet's at $1,230.


DAVOS, Switzerland Jan 24 (Reuters) - The appointment of a new leader of South Africa’s ruling party has removed political uncertainty that contributed to the depreciation of the rand currency and has been welcomed by investors, the country’s central bank governor said on Wednesday.The new leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, narrowly won the race to succeed President Jacob Zuma as party leader in December.South Africa’s rand currency has surged since Ramaphosa - the deputy president - won the contest.It steadied against the dollar early on Wednesday, holding at a two-and-a-half-year high.At 0645 GMT it traded at 12.0300 per dollar.

“The depreciation of the rand last year was overdone and it was overdone because there was so much political uncertainty,” said South Africa Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago.“High frequency indicators in South Africa do show that the South African economy is demonstrating a resurgence,” he told Reuters speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting of business and political leaders in Davos.“For a long time we had spelled out that the exchange rate is sensitive to the political uncertainty.The uncertainty is gone,” he added.(Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Toby Chopra)


MILAN (Reuters) - Italy’s Luxottica ( LUX.MI ), the world’s biggest eyewear maker, is forecasting a “strong growth” in 2017 adjusted net income after meeting its full-year revenue guidance pushed by a strong fourth quarter.Luxottica is awaiting antitrust approval of the 50 billion euro ($62 billion) merger it agreed a year ago with rival Essilor ( ESSI.PA ) to create a lens-to-frame manufacturer with a global shop network and a portfolio of top brands such as Ray Ban and Chanel.Sales last year totaled 9.16 billion euros ($11.3 billion), up 2.2 percent net of currency moves, in line with a Thomson Reuters SmartEstimate analyst consensus.

Luxottica had guided for a ‘low to mid’ single-digit growth in sales at constant currencies this year and forecast a broadly similar rise in its adjusted operating and net profit.“Adjusted net income (is) expected to grow strongly,” the company said on Monday.The group will publish full 2017 results on Feb.26.($1 = 0.8095 euros) Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Giulia Segreti


Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was subpoenaed last week to testify before a grand jury in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election, The New York Times reported Tuesday.The move marks the first time Mueller's team has used a subpoena to try to get information from a person close to President Donald Trump , the newspaper reported.Citing a "person with direct knowledge of the matter," the Times said Bannon may be able to skip grand jury testimony if he answers questions in a different setting.The special counsel's office declined to comment to CNBC, and Bannon's attorney did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.The report came as Bannon answered questions Tuesday in a closed-door session with the House Intelligence Committee.It is one of multiple congressional panels also investigating Russia's role in the election and whether Moscow coordinated with the Trump campaign.Bannon was the Trump campaign's chief executive in the final months of the 2016 election.

Comments attributed to Bannon in Michael Wolff's book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" sparked more questions about the Russia investigation — and a feud between Bannon and the president.Bannon called a June 2016 meeting that included the president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer "treasonous." Bannon also said there was "zero" chance that the younger Trump did not bring the meeting attendees to see his father in Trump Tower.The White House has repeatedly defended Trump Jr.'s decision to take the meeting, during which he expected to get dirt on his father's opponent Hillary Clinton .After Bannon's remarks were published, Bannon's top financial backers, the Mercer family, pulled away from him, and he stepped down from Breitbart News .He apologized for his comments and said they were aimed at Manafort, not the president's son.Read the Times report here.


(Adds detail, Quote: s, statement from Ryanair) LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Ryanair said it would allow Britain’s pilots’ association to start negotiating on issues such as pay and holidays after the Irish budget airline recognised a trade union for the first time in its 32-year history.Europe’s biggest budget airline was forced last year to recognise unions in order to avoid a Christmas strike, after it had to cancel 20,000 flights earlier in the year due to a shortage of standby pilots.Ryanair thanked the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) for its constructive engagement and called on others around Europe to follow suit.“Given Ryanair’s previous hostility towards unions, today’s agreement is an historic one,” Brian Strutton, General Secretary of BALPA, said in a statement.“While we were initially sceptical about Ryanair’s sincerity in offering recognition to us and other unions, our conversations and meetings with them have shown that they are genuine in wanting a constructive trade union relationship.” BALPA said it would open an election for representatives among its members to lead negotiations with Ryanair on pay, holidays and the rostering of pilots.

Issues with pilot rostering triggered last year’s mass flight cancellations.Ryanair is negotiating with other unions across Europe, who have demanded to meet collectively with Ryanair, saying that individual talks were unsatisfactory.The airline has so far refused those demands, “We now call on these unions to stop wasting time and act quickly to deliver 20 percent pay increases to our pilots in February, and conclude formal recognition agreements, which they are presently sitting on,” Eddie Wilson, chief people officer at Ryanair, said in a statement.Pilots at all Ryanair’s UK bases have voted to accept Ryanair’s proposed pay increase, with pilots at Stansted approving the package earlier this month.Those votes were separate to negotiations with BALPA.BALPA’s Strutton also said that he hoped Ryanair would be able to agree deals with other European unions soon.“I am hopeful that this is (the) beginning of a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between BALPA and Ryanair and I urge Ryanair to agree deals with pilot unions in other countries and with cabin crew unions,” Strutton said.Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Kate Holton


DENVER, Jan.31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc.(NYSE: DVA), a leading independent medical group and a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, announced today that it will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss fourth quarter results on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 5:00 p.m.Eastern Time.The company plans to release its results after market close the same day.This call is also being webcast and can be accessed at the DaVita IR web page.You can join this call as follows: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 Starting at 5:00 p.m.EST Dial in number: 877-918-6630 International dial in: 517-308-9087 Webcast: investors.davita.com When calling in, please provide the operator the password "Earnings" and provide your name and company affiliation.Investors unable to listen to the conference call will be able to access a replay via our website at investors.davita.com .There will be no telephone replay.About DaVita Inc.DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and DaVita Medical Group.

DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease.As of September 30, 2017, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,470 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 196,000 patients.The company also operated 230 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States.DaVita Medical Group manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner.DaVita Medical Group's teammates, employed clinicians and affiliated clinicians provided care for approximately 1.7 million patients.For more information, please visit DaVita.com/About .Contact Information Investors: Jim Gustafson (310) 536-2585 [REDACTED] View original content with multimedia: SOURCE DaVita Inc.


LONDON (Reuters) - Asian spot LNG prices slid this week on improving production and uncertain demand for cargoes in March amid indications that Chinese importers have largely covered their first-quarter needs.Asian spot prices for March delivery fell 10 cents to $10.40 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).Chevron’s Wheatstone project in Australia potentially had surplus supply to offer as well as one or two other exporters.The apparent retreat of Chinese demand for Q1 put further pressure on prices.“I expect spot prices to drop to $7.50 per mmBtu soon as Chinese slow down their buying,” a trader said.Plunging temperatures in South Korean capital Seoul could spark additional demand for spot LNG purchases from Kogas as heating needs spike at a time when 11 nuclear reactors are offline.Peer POSCO meanwhile seeks a March 2-5 delivery cargo into Gwangyang.Indian demand looked healthy.Gail called for a March 1-17 delivery via spot tender to counteract delayed production from Dominion Energy’s new Cove Point liquefaction plant in the United States.Other buyers including Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum also sought H1 March deliveries.Gujarat State Petroleum closed a tender for a delivery in the first half of February this week.With snowfall in Tokyo and temperatures forecast below-average until mid-February, Tohoku Electric took a cargo unloading in March 18-22 for an estimated $10.30 per mmBtu.LNG supply to Japan was disrupted by a partial outage at Petronas’ Bintulu project in Malaysia, where Tohoku is an off-taker.

Petronas substituted lost output with at least one spot purchase, though not from the AP LNG project in Australia as first reported, market sources said.Bintulu volumes are lower than usual with the disruption delaying loadings by one to two weeks, a Singapore-based trader said.Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass facility on the U.S.Gulf Coast restarted exports on Wednesday after freezing weather disrupted water supply used in the plant’s turbines, forcing a partial shutdown.Sliding March prices tightened arbitrage opportunities for traders seeking to transfer LNG from Atlantic to Pacific markets with charter rates fetching about $78,000 per day.Several reloads were offered from north-west European terminals to Asian buyers.Organising a shipment within the next week would yield fatter margins as Asian spot prices in early March carry a $0.70/mmBtu premium to late March.On the demand side, Mexico’s CFE tendered to buy four LNG cargoes for delivery across February and March.The tender closed on Jan.25.Argentina sought nine cargoes due between April and June via its first spot tender of the year, closing on Feb.6.Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) is speaking to its Q1 LNG suppliers - Gas Natural, Trafigura, Glencore and Vitol - to buy five cargoes for Q2, traders said.Others believed EGAS was trying to line up supplies under a government-to-government deal via Middle Eastern, Russian, Caribbean and European companies.Additional reporting by Jessica Jaganathan; Editing by David Evans


BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia on Friday put into action a military unit aimed at combating illegal armed groups that have begun to seize areas once controlled by Marxist FARC rebels in strategic drug-trafficking territory in the south of the Andean nation.The so-called Hercules task force, the largest military unit activated in two decades, will have 9,000 troops with the mission of regaining control of a broad region bordering the Pacific Ocean and Ecuador.In southern Narino province, which concentrates the majority of coca leaf crops - the raw material that makes cocaine - there are hundreds of former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who decided not to adhere to the peace accord signed late in 2016.Scores of crime gangs and right-wing paramilitary groups jostle with the dissident FARC for control of the drug trafficking routes to the Pacific.“The FARC has ceased to exist, now all this deployment, all our force must be directed against these organizations that still threaten the tranquility of the country,” President Juan Manuel Santos said at the launch ceremony in the city of Tumaco.

Military control of the area, which will be accompanied by investment to reduce poverty and coca eradication and substitution programs, is essential to guarantee a stable peace with the FARC and prevent other armed groups from strengthening, Santos said.Santos, who leaves office in August after two terms, signed a peace agreement with the FARC in 2016 after four years of negotiations in Cuba.The FARC is now a political party with a presidential candidate for the May elections.The task force will include officials from the army, the police, the air force and the navy, Santos said.Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Helen Murphy; Editing by Susan Thomas


January 26, 2018 / 3:27 PM / in 2 hours PRECIOUS-Gold inches back toward 17-month peak as dollar moves lower Reuters Staff 3 Min Read * Spot gold set for sixth weekly gain in seven weeks * Dollar resumes decline after late Thursday bounce * GRAPHIC-2018 asset returns: tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl (New throughout, updates prices, market activity and comments; adds second byline and NEW YORK dateline) By Renita D.Young and Jan Harvey NEW YORK/LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Gold rose on Friday, climbing back toward the previous day's 17-month peak as a report of slow economic growth pushed the U.S.dollar lower, days after the greenback was hammered by a senior U.S.official backing a weaker currency.The dollar was on track for its biggest weekly decline since May.President Donald Trump's comments on Thursday that he wanted a "strong dollar" failed to lend much support, a day after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a weaker greenback would help short-term U.S.trade balances.Spot gold was up 0.3 percent at $1,351.86 by 1:37 p.m.EST (1837 GMT), up 1.5 percent this week.On Thursday, bullion hit $1,366.07, its highest since August 2016.U.S.gold futures for February delivery settled down $10.80, or 0.78 percent, at $1,352.10 per ounce."The dollar is weak, driving gold higher.Gold is still in an uptrend," said Michael Matousek, head trader at U.S.Global Investors in San Antonio.Dollar weakness makes assets priced in the U.S.unit less expensive for holders of other currencies.

The U.S.economy grew 2.6 percent in the final quarter of 2017, slower than the 3 percent forecast by economists polled by Reuters."GDP is light so there’s a question as to whether the Fed will do so many rate hikes throughout the year and that tends to drive gold higher," Matousek added.Higher yields on bonds make gold investment less attractive because gold pays no interest.World stocks were set for their 10th straight week of gains.Gold could benefit if that scorching run cools, Thomson Reuters GFMS analysts said, predicting volatility in equities and concerns over global politics could lead gold prices up past $1,500 an ounce this year.Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.7 percent at $17.42 an ounce.On Thursday, silver touched $17.69, its highest in more than four months.It was strongest weekly rise among precious metals, up 2.4 percent from last Friday's close."The U.S.dollar remains in the driving seat of the metal markets, causing a lot of volatility for silver," Julius Baer said in a note."We remain neutral but lift our 12-month price target to $17.50 per ounce due to signs of improving industrial demand." Platinum was up 0.4 percent at $1,014.40 an ounce, flat from last week.Palladium was down 0.7 percent at $1,088.47 an ounce.After recently hitting record highs, palladium was on track for its second weekly loss.It hit a two-week low of $1,080 per ounce.(Additional reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio)


* U.S.crude inventories fall 6.9 mln barrels last week - EIA * Cushing crude stockpiles drop by largest amount on record -EIA * OPEC forecasts higher output from U.S., other non-OPEC * Nigeria's Niger Delta Avengers threaten oil sector attacks (Adds U.S.inventory data, updates prices, changes dateline, previously LONDON) NEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Oil rebounded after slipping below $69 a barrel on Thursday, supported by a record drawdown of U.S.crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub, despite concerns that OPEC-led output cuts will increase supply from the United States.Crude is just below its highest price since December 2014, supported by supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and concern that unrest in producer nations such as Nigeria could further curb output.U.S.crude inventories fell 6.9 million barrels last week, compared with forecasts for a 3.5 million-barrel draw, the U.S.Energy Information Administration said.Crude supplies at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S.crude futures fell 4.2 million barrels in the week, the largest draw since at least 2004.After falling the previous week due to cold weather, U.S.crude production rose to 9.75 million barrels per day last week.OPEC's monthly report on Thursday raised its forecast for oil supply from non-members in 2018."Higher oil prices are bringing more supply to the market, particularly in North America and specifically tight oil," OPEC said in the report, using another term for shale.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, pared losses, trading at $69.30, down 8 cents a barrel, by 11:26 a.m.EST (1626 GMT), after earlier slipping to $68.80 a barrel earlier in the session.On Monday it touched $70.37, the highest since December 2014.U.S.crude was up 1 cent at $63.98, having hit its highest since December 2014 on Tuesday.Brent has risen from $61 a barrel in early December and some analysts say the rally may be about to run out of steam."The upside is now limited for oil prices," said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at brokerage Forex.com ."U.S.oil producers will ramp up production in the coming months." OPEC's report follows a forecast from the EIA on Tuesday that it expects U.S.oil output to continue to rise in February with production from shale increasing by 111,000 bpd.The agency previously said U.S.output could reach 10 million bpd in February and 11 million bpd in 2019.Even so, traders said prices were unlikely to fall far due to the OPEC-led curbs and the risk of further disruptions.Militant group Niger Delta Avengers threatened to attack Nigeria's oil sector in the next few days, potentially hampering supplies in Africa's largest exporter."The impact of such a threat, if carried out, would be significant on the global supply and demand balance," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM."The market is still sensitive to geopolitical developments." (Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore and Alex Lawler in London; Editing by Dale Hudson and Marguerita Choy)


Trump: Tax bill also restored health care freedom 2 Hours Ago President Donald Trump addresses an audie

nce in Western Pennsylvania, and touts his tax reform plan at H&K Equipment in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.


TORONTO, Jan.10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Waste Connections, Inc.(TSX/NYSE: WCN) announced that it will report financial results for the fourth quarter of 2017 and outlook for the full year 2018 after the close of the stock market on February 14, 2018.The Company will be hosting an investor conference call related to this release on February 15 th at 8:30 A.M.Eastern Time.To access the call, listeners should dial 800-786-6705 (within North America) or 212-231-2933 (international) approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and ask the operator for the Waste Connections conference call (a Passcode is not required).A replay of the conference call will be available until February 22, 2018, by calling 800-633-8284 (within North America) or 402-977-9140 (international) and entering Passcode # 21879922.The call will also be broadcast live over the Internet through a link on our website at www.wasteconnections.com .A playback of the call will be available on our website.Copies of financial literature, including this release, are available on the Waste Connections website at www.wasteconnections.com or through contacting us directly at 832-442-2200.Waste Connections also announced that executives of the Company currently plan on presenting at the following events during the first quarter of 2018: January 11 th AltaCorp Annual Institutional Investor Conference (Toronto, Canada) January 24 th – 25 th CIBC Annual Whistler Institutional Investor Conference (Whistler, Canada) March 5 th Raymond James Annual Institutional Investors Conference ( Orlando, FL) The Company will post the presentation slides on its website at www.wasteconnections.com under the tabs titled Investor Presentations and Investor Relations.

The slides will be posted some time during the 24-hour period prior to the scheduled presentation time.About Waste Connections Waste Connections is an integrated solid waste services company that provides waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services in mostly exclusive and secondary markets in the U.S.and Canada.Through its R360 Environmental Solutions subsidiary, Waste Connections is also a leading provider of non-hazardous oilfield waste treatment, recovery and disposal services in several of the most active natural resource producing areas in the United States, including the Permian, Bakken and Eagle Ford Basins.Waste Connections serves more than six million residential, commercial, industrial, and exploration and production customers in 39 states in the U.S., and five provinces in Canada.The Company also provides intermodal services for the movement of cargo and solid waste containers in the Pacific Northwest.CONTACT: Worthing Jackman / (832) 442-2266 Mary Anne Whitney / (832) 442-2253 [REDACTED] [REDACTED] View original content with multimedia: SOURCE Waste Connections, Inc.


Wall Street soars to new highs 9:53pm GMT - 01:15 Stocks extended their rally on Wall Street as earnings season kicked off with solid results from banks.Fred Katayama reports.

Stocks extended their rally on Wall Street as earnings season kicked off with solid results from banks.Fred Katayama reports.//reut.rs/2AVm6Ko


OTTAWA (Reuters) - Lending to Canadian small businesses perked up in November after declining for the past six months on gains in the construction and transportation sectors, which could bode well for economic momentum heading into the end of 2017, data showed on Monday.The PayNet Small Business Lending index rose to 116.9 from an upwardly revised 115.3 in October, making for the first increase since April 2017.However, the measure of borrowing by medium-sized firms declined to 201.1 from 217.3.Lending to small companies in the construction sector rose to 155.5 from 151.4, while transportation rose to 96.3 from 93.7.Retail companies also rose to 201.8 from 198.2, though the manufacturing sector continued to lag, with its index falling to 59.4 from 60.8.Although lending activity to small firms was down 1 percent compared to a year ago, the month-over-month gain is a positive sign that such firms could help lead economic growth, said PayNet President Bill Phelan.

“The small businesses are the canary in the coal mine, the leading economic indicator,” Phelan said.Although the economy is expected to have moderated in the second half of 2017 after a blistering first half, fourth-quarter growth is still anticipated to be relatively robust.The PayNet report showed companies’ financial health continued to look strong in November, with the number of firms that were delinquent by 30 days or more declining to 0.86 percent from 0.88 percent.Those that were 90 days or more behind also fell to 0.25 percent from 0.28 percent.Reporting by Leah Schnurr


- Strong Support by Shareholders Approving Merger Proposal - - Multi-Platform Approach to Develop Gene Therapies for Rare Diseases - - Multiple Programs in the Clinic in 2018; Data from One or More Programs During the Year - NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., a leading U.S.-based multi-platform gene therapy company addressing challenging rare diseases, today announced the completion of its merger with Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Inotek”).The combined company (“Company”) will be named Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NASDAQ: RCKT) (“Rocket”) and will focus on advancing a pipeline of gene therapy programs targeting rare and undertreated diseases.Rocket’s common stock will be listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “RCKT” and is expected to be begin trading on January 5, 2018.Rocket is based in New York City and led by President and Chief Executive Officer Gaurav Shah, M.D., who previously was a Global Program Head in the Cell & Gene Therapies Unit at Novartis.“The support for this transaction by both Inotek and Rocket shareholders was evident today, underscoring support for our long-term growth strategy to become a fully-integrated, multi-platform gene therapy company,” said Dr.Shah.“The closing of this merger provides immediate value to grow our operations, execute on our clinical development goals, and expand our in-house manufacturing and analytics capabilities.As we enter this next stage of growth as a publicly traded company, we are focused on driving Company value by bringing our current pipeline of five programs to major value inflection points as rapidly as possible, and achieving first mover advantage in these markets.” Rocket’s Pipeline Rocket utilizes a multi-platform development approach that leverages the well-established lentiviral vector (LVV) and adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) gene delivery methods and is initially targeting devastating rare diseases in children that lead to early mortality in the absence of bone marrow transplant or other invasive procedures.The Company’s lead program, a Phase 1/2 LVV-based gene therapy for Fanconi Anemia (FA), is currently in clinical trials with academic partners in the U.S.and Europe.FA causes genetic instability due to mutations in DNA repair genes resulting in early bone marrow failure and malignancy.Early results in FA patients have demonstrated clinical engraftment of ex vivo-transduced autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).

The proportion of gene-corrected cells increases over time, confirming the selective advantage of gene-corrected cells in the bone marrow without requiring conditioning (i.e.destruction of bone marrow prior to transplant).Functional correction and clinical proof of concept have also been observed.Both blood and marrow cells demonstrate resistance to DNA-damaging agents (sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents is a diagnostic feature of FA).Patients demonstrated stable or improving blood cell counts during the months following treatment despite decreases noted during the months and years preceding gene therapy.Additional patient data are expected in 2018, with a registration study anticipated to start in 2019.Three additional LVV-based programs are currently in preclinical development and target Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I), Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD) and Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis (IMO).The LAD-I program is expected to advance into the clinic in 2018, with the PKD and IMO programs to follow in 2019.An undisclosed AAV-based gene therapy program is expected to enter the clinic in the next year and has demonstrated encouraging histological correction of the disease phenotype.This program targets a monogenic pediatric disease with early mortality and represents the first gene therapy being developed for this large class of indications.Rocket’s Management The combined Company’s executive management team will be led by Dr.Shah and will consist of: Jonathan Schwartz, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, who led several biologics approvals as Vice President of Clinical Development at ImClone Systems/Eli Lilly and Company; Kinnari Patel, Pharm.D., MBA, newly appointed Chief Operating Officer, who led regulatory filings for six rare disease agents as well as for Opdivo while at Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Brian Batchelder, MBA, Vice President of Finance, who previously served as Chief Financial Officer of ImClone Systems, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company.In addition, Rocket appointed Claudine Prowse, Ph.D., as Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations Officer.Previously, she was Head of Strategy at Inotek, where she was integral to the merger transaction with Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.Prior to that, she was Vice President of Investor Relations at Biogen.About the Merger Prior to the closing of the merger, Inotek effected a 1 for 4 reverse split of its common stock.


Jan 30 (Reuters) - Guangzhou Yuetai Group Co Ltd : * SAYS IT EXPECTS 2017 NET PROFIT TO RISE 775-825 PERCENT Y/Y VERSUS 145.1 MILLION YUAN ($22.87 mi

llion) YEAR AGO Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2Fvi3rc Further company coverage: ($1 = 6.3436 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom)


Ten U.S.citizens killed in Costa Rica plane crash Sunday, December 31, 2017 - 00:41 Officials say a plane crash in Costa Rica killed 10 U.S.citizens and two local pilots.Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Officials say a plane crash in Costa Rica killed 10 U.S.citizens and two local pilots.Rough Cut (no reporter narration).//reut.rs/2zV9zWY


77 Three Months Ended December 31, 2017 Nine Months Ended December 31, 2017 Sequential Year Over Year Year Over Year Non-GAAP software and products revenue reconciliation GAAP software and products revenue $ 81,443 $ 81,443 $ 228,224 Adjustment for currency impact 309 (3,339) (3,523) Non-GAAP software and products revenue on a constant currency basis (6) $ 81,752 $ 78,104 $ 224,701 Three Months Ended December 31, 2017 Nine Months Ended December 31, 2017 Sequential Year Over Year Year Over Year Non-GAAP services revenue reconciliation GAAP services revenue $ 98,923 $ 98,923 $ 286,254 Adjustment for currency impact 298 (2,287) (2,252) Non-GAAP services revenue on a constant currency basis (6) $ 99,221 $ 96,636 $ 284,002 Three Months Ended December 31, 2017 Nine Months Ended December 31, 2017 Sequential Year Over Year Year Over Year Non-GAAP total revenue reconciliation GAAP total revenues $ 180,366 $ 180,366 $ 514,478 Adjustment for currency impact 607 (5,626) (5,775) Non-GAAP total revenues on a constant currency basis (6) $ 180,973 $ 174,740 $ 508,703 Three Months Ended December 31, Nine Months Ended December 31, [REDACTED] Non-GAAP free cash flow reconciliation: Net cash provided by operating activities $ 31,210 $ 26,768 $ 60,828 $ 71,054 Purchase of property and equipment (2,663) (2,405) (5,297) (4,485) Non-GAAP free cash

flow $ 28,547 $ 24,363 $ 55,531 $ 66,569 Three Months Ended December 31, 2017 Americas EMEA APAC Total Software and Products Revenue $ 40,783 $ 29,472 $ 11,188 $ 81,443 Customer Support Revenue 59,225 19,478 9,151 87,854 Professional Services 6,287 2,944 1,838 11,069 Total Revenue $ 106,295 $ 51,894 $ 22,177 $ 180,366 Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 Americas EMEA APAC Total Software and Products Revenue $ 41,804 $ 26,228 $ 10,623 $ 78,655 Customer Support Revenue 54,738 16,323 8,079 79,140 Professional Services 5,385 2,574 1,307 9,266 Total Revenue $ 101,927 $ 45,125 $ 20,009 $ 167,061 Nine Months Ended December 31, 2017 Americas EMEA APAC Total Software and Products Revenue $ 121,498 $ 74,293 $ 32,433 $ 228,224 Customer Support Revenue 173,619 55,214 26,688 255,521 Professional Services 17,113 8,248 5,372 30,733 Total Revenue $ 312,230 $ 137,755 $ 64,493 $ 514,478 Nine Months Ended December 31, 2016 Americas EMEA APAC Total Software and Products Revenue $ 121,527 $ 61,014 $ 29,932 $ 212,473 Customer Support Revenue 162,223 49,385 24,237 235,845 Professional Services 17,770 8,143 4,042 29,955 Total Revenue $ 301,520 $ 118,542 $ 58,211 $ 478,273 Footnotes - Adjustments (1) Represents noncash stock-based compensation charges associated with stock options, restricted stock units granted and our Employee Stock Purchase Plan.


Yemeni gov't holed up as separatists seize Aden 10:58am GMT - 01:09 Southern Yemeni separatists have seized control of the port city of Aden and blockaded the internationally recognized government in the presidential palace. The new frontline opens a potential rift in the Saudi-led coalition waging a military campaign in Yemen. Southern Yemeni separatists have seized control of the port city of Aden and blockaded the internationally recognized government in the presidential palace. The new frontline opens a potential rift in the Saudi-led coalition waging a military campaign in Yemen. //uk.reuters.com/video/2018/01/31/yemeni-govt-holed-up-as-separatists-seiz?


HOUSTON, Jan.26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: AMID) ("AMID") today announced that the Board of Directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.4125 per common unit, or $1.65 per unit annually.The fourth quarter 2017 distribution represents the twenty-sixth consecutive quarterly distribution since the Partnership's initial public offering in 2011.The distribution will be paid February 14, 2018 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on February 7, 2018.About American Midstream Partners, LP American Midstream Partners, LP is a growth-oriented limited partnership formed to provide critical midstream infrastructure that links producers of natural gas, crude oil, NGLs, condensate and specialty chemicals to end-use markets.American Midstream's assets are strategically located in some of the most prolific offshore and onshore basins in the Permian, Eagle Ford, East Texas, Bakken and Gulf Coast.American Midstream owns or has an ownership interest in approximately 5,100 miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines, as well as ownership in gas processing plants, fractionation facilities, an offshore semisubmersible floating production system with nameplate processing capacity of 100 MBbl/d of crude oil and 240 MMcf/d of natural gas; and terminal sites with approximately 6.7 MMBbls of storage capacity.For more information about American Midstream Partners, LP, visit: www.americanmidstream.com .The content of our website is not part of this release.Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements related to the Partnership's expectations regarding the timing of the proposed offering and use of proceeds.

We have used the words "could," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "would" and similar terms and phrases to identify forward-looking statements in this press release.Although we believe the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions could be incorrect.Many of the factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict.These factors include the risk factors described in Part I, Item 1A.in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2017, our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, filed with the SEC on November 9, 2017, and our other filings with the SEC.All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the previous statements.The forward-looking statements herein speak as of the date of this press release.We undertake no obligation to update such statements for any reason, except as required by law.Investor Contact American Midstream Partners, LP Mark Schuck Director of Investor Relations (346) 241-3497 [REDACTED] View original content: SOURCE American Midstream Partners, LP