Stock markets dipped in early Monday trading as fresh data presented a mixed economic picture in the US.
US consumer price inflation rose 0.4% month-on-month in April, twice as much as analysts had expected, while new home starts fell 6.5%.
Stock markets dipped in early Monday trading as fresh data presented a mixed economic picture in the US
The Dow Jones was down 30.28 points, or 0.18%, at 16,750.73 and the tech-heavy NASDAQ fell 4.84 points, or 0.11%, to 4,316.27.
The S&P 500 dropped 3.19 points, or 0.16%, to 1,934.59.
Markets were also nervous as the Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee began a two-day monetary policy meeting.
Forest Oil Corp was the biggest gainer, up 10.5%, after it emerged that a deal for the company to be taken over by Sabine Oil & Gas was going ahead, despite earlier reports to the contrary.
Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that she is far from dedicated when it comes to going to the gym.
“I work out for a sum total of 22 minutes, because that’s all I can bear,” Sarah Jessica Parker admitted to an audience during the Cannes Lion film festival, E! News reported.
Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that she is far from dedicated when it comes to going to the gym (photo Getty Images)
Sarah Jessica Parker, 49, has spoken about her figure in the past, telling Good Housekeeping magazine that a body like hers and other women in the industry shouldn’t be “an example” for other women.
” … No real woman should look to any woman in this industry as an example. It’s simply not applicable because of the enormous number of advantages we have,” the actress told the magazine.
“Women in this country should be reminded to be healthy rather than to be a size zero. I’m not going to kid you: Money changes everything. I’m fortunate enough to have things like private trainers and yoga classes. I realize that.”
Sarah Jessica Parker also claimed she loves to eat: “I love to eat. I think about food all the time.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz offered to help “drain the swamp” of unscrupulous marketers using his name to peddle so-called miracle pills and cure-alls to millions of Americans desperate to lose weight.
He appeared before the Senate’s consumer protection panel and was scolded by Chairman Claire McCaskill for claims he made about weight-loss aids on his TV show, The Dr. Oz Show.
Dr. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, acknowledged that his language about green coffee and other supplements has been “flowery” and promised to publish a list of specific products he thinks can help America shed pounds and get healthy – beyond eating less and moving more. On his show, Dr. Oz never endorsed specific companies or brands but more generally praised some supplements as fat busters.
Dr. Oz has no association with the green coffee company and received no money from sales
Claire McCaskill took Dr. Oz to task for a 2012 show in which he proclaimed that green coffee extract was a “magic weight loss cure for every body type”.
Dr. Oz insisted he believes in the supplements he talks about on his show as short-term crutches, and even has his family try them. But there’s no long-term miracle pill out there without diet and exercise, he said.
Within weeks of Dr. Oz’s comments about green coffee – which refers to the unroasted seeds or beans of coffee – a Florida-based operation began marketing a dietary supplement called Pure Green Coffee, with claims that the chlorogenic acid found in the coffee beans could help people lose 17 pounds and cut body fat by 16% in 22 weeks.
The company, according to federal regulators, featured footage from The Dr. Oz Show, to sell its supplement.
Dr. Oz has no association with the company and received no money from sales.
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission sued the sellers behind Pure Green Coffee and accused them of making bogus claims and deceiving consumers.
Chris Brown has sold his graffiti-covered Hollywood Hills home for $1.79 million, seven months after listing it for sale.
Chris Brown has sold his graffiti-covered Hollywood Hills home for $1.79 million
The singer clashed with neighbors in the exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood last year after covering the exterior wall of his $1.5 million home with graffiti.
The street art, which depicted colorful monsters, sparked numerous complaints from locals, prompting officials to fine him and order the star to remove the bright spray paint.
Chris Brown obliged in July and decided to move out of the area in November.
Ahmed Abu Khattala, the suspected ringleader of the September 2012 raid on a US diplomatic post in the Libyan city of Benghazi, that left four Americans dead, has been captured, the Pentagon says.
Ahmed Abu Khattala was taken into custody in a secret US military raid in Libya on June 15.
He is now being held in a secure location outside the country, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed.
US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others were killed in the attack.
“There were no civilian casualties related to this operation, and all US personnel involved in the operation have safely departed Libya,” Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm John Kirby wrote in a statement.
Benghazi attack lead suspect Ahmed Abu Khattala was taken into custody in a secret US military raid in Libya on June 15
After the announcement, President Barack Obama praised the courage and professionalism of the military, law enforcement and intelligence personnel who tracked and captured Ahmed Abu Khattala, who the US describes as a “key figure” in the attack.
“With this operation, the US has once again demonstrated that we will do whatever it takes to see that justice is done when people harm Americans,” he said in a White House statement.
Ahmed Abu Khattala would face the “full weight of the American justice system”, he said, an indication the US will try him in a civilian court rather than hold him at the military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In August, the New York Times reported that federal prosecutors had prepared secret charges against him, accusing him of murder for his role in the attack.
On September 11, 2012, gunmen stormed the US consulate in Benghazi and set it on fire.
In addition to Chris Stevens, information technology specialist Sean Smith and security workers and ex-Navy Seals Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed.
The White House initially said the attack stemmed from anti-American protests over a crude video produced in the US that was deemed insulting to Islam.
Government investigators soon determined it was an organised attack planned by local militias, although the New York Times claimed after an extensive investigation that some of the attackers were indeed motivated by the film.
The US quietly offered as much as $10 million for information in the months following the attack.
In subsequent years, the incident has become a political lightening rod, with Republicans accusing President Barack Obama’s administration of covering up the involvement of militant groups in the days after the attack in order to assist Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
Ikea has made IkeaHackers – a fan site featuring ideas for customizing the company’s furniture – remove all adverts.
The founder of IkeaHackers.net said she had been issued with a “cease and desist” letter in March, in which Ikea had said the site’s name had infringed upon its intellectual property rights.
An agreement was reached in which IkeaHackers could keep its domain, “without commercial elements”.
Ikea has made IkeaHackers remove all adverts in a rights row (photo Ikea Hackers)
An Ikea representative said other sites using its name “creates confusion”.
Jules Yap, a blogger living in Malaysia who started IkeaHackers in 2006, wrote in a blogpost: “Needless to say, I am crushed.
“I don’t have an issue with them protecting their trademark but I think they could have handled it better.
“I am a person, not a corporation. A blogger who obviously is on their side. Could they not have talked to me like normal people do without issuing a C&D [cease and desist]?”
Jules Yap added that she had agreed to Ikea’s demand to remove advertising because she did not have “deep enough pockets to fight a mammoth company in court”.
Fans of the site, which Jules Yap says attracts about 180,000 visitors per week, expressed their outrage at the decision on social media sites.
In a propaganda film, North Korea has revealed footage of a newly developed cruise missile.
The North Korean missile is believed to be similar to the Russian KH-35 missile, which came into service in 2003.
Cruise missiles are short-range weapons guided by on-board computers, used to attack specific targets. The majority of the North’s known missiles are much larger, longer-range missiles.
North Korea is under UN sanctions over its weapons and nuclear programs.
The North Korean missile is believed to be similar to the Russian KH-35 missile
Many in the West believe Pyongyang is trying to develop a nuclear weapon.
But analysts say North Korea does not appear to have successfully manufactured a warhead small enough to be carried by its missiles.
North Korea’s suspected new cruise missile was revealed for only a split second at the end of the 50-minute propaganda film.
It appeared in between montages of soldiers shouting, tanks firing in unison and leader Kim Jong-un laughing.
From that brief glimpse, some analysts have deduced that the missile is a modified version of the KH-35 anti-ship missile.
It is unclear whether North Korea previously owned any cruise missiles.
South Korean media has already speculated that the cruise missile could pose a potential new threat to the South’s navy.
HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 4 finale drew 7.1 million viewers on Sunday, beating the 5.4 million who tuned in for the previous season’s last episode.
Once repeats were taken into account, the finale for the fourth season was seen by 9.3 million people.
Total viewing figures, including video on demand and mobile streaming have not yet been released.
Game of Thrones is now HBO’s most popular series, surpassing The Sopranos.
Game of Thrones Season 4 finale drew 7.1 million viewers
The average audience during series four, including catch-up services, has been 18.6 million per episode. The Sopranos’ audience peaked at 18.2 million in 2002, giving it the HBO record until now.
The show is engaged in a ratings war with zombie thriller The Walking Dead, which attracted 15.7 million viewers for its season finale in April.
However, broadcaster AMC said its audience jumped to 28 million once repeats and on-demand figures were taken into account.
The final Game of Thrones episode, The Children, saw many of the show’s leading characters making key decisions which will impact them in future episodes, while several met a typically grisly end.
Season five has already been confirmed.
Game of Thrones TV series is based on the books, A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin, set in the mythical, medieval land of Westeros.
In the north, a massive wall of ice keeps out barbarian “wildlings” and zombie-like “white walkers”. South of the wall, there is a bitter war between rival claimants for the Iron Throne and rule of the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
Meanwhile, a princess exiled to distant lands with three dragons has rallied an army of freed slaves.
Game of Thrones is full of intense political intrigue, with war and its aftermath depicted in brutal detail. The show first aired in 2011 featuring actors including Peter Dinklage, Charles Dance, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams.
Tracy Morgan’s condition has been “upgraded” to “fair”, 10 days after he was badly injured in a car crash, his spokesman has said.
The comedian has made a “great improvement” and “his personality is certainly starting to come back as well”, Lewis Kay said.
Tracy Morgan’s medical condition has been upgraded to fair, 10 days after he was badly injured in a car crash
Tracy Morgan, 45, was described as “critical but stable” last week after breaking his legs, nose and ribs when a Wal-Mart truck driver crashed into his vehicle.
Driver Kevin Roper charged with death by auto and assault has pleaded not guilty.
Kevin Roper, 35, made his plea in court on June 11. Prosecutors said he had not slept for more than 24 hours before the accident on June 7.
He swerved to avoid traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, crashing into Tracy Morgan’s van and killing comedian James McNair, known as Jimmy Mack.
The driver’s bail has been set at $50,000 and he could face more than a decade in prison if convicted.
Jeff Millea, Tracy Morgan’s 36-year-old assistant, who was also in critical condition after the crash, has been upgraded to fair condition as well. Fellow comedian Ardie Fuqua Jr. was also seriously injured.
At least 15 people have been killed in a new attack by Somalia’s Islamist militants near Mpeketoni in Kenya.
Local police say the gunmen raided two villages overnight.
Somalia’s al-Shabab group said it had carried out the attack, telling Reuters that its “operations in Kenya will continue”.
At least 48 people died after the al-Qaeda-linked group attacked hotels and a police station in the town on Sunday.
Al-Shabab said it was revenge for the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia and the killing of Muslims.
Somalia’s al-Shabab group has claimed the recent attacks on Kenyan town of Mpeketoni
Kenya sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to help the weak UN-backed government defeat the militants.
“We raided villages around Mpeketoni again last night,” al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters on Tuesday.
He was later quoted by the AFP as saying that the militants “have been going to several places looking for military personnel”. He said most of those killed were police officers and wildlife wardens.
Kenyan police said that the gunmen raided two villages in the Poromoko district near Mpeketoni.
The authorities said the militants jammed a telecommunication system before the killings to prevent villagers from sounding the alarm.
In Sunday’s attack, al-Shabab appeared to target men, in many cases leaving their wives and children unharmed.
Mpeketoni, near Lamu Island, is not a tourist resort. It appears the attackers were not interested in foreigners or their interests, our correspondent says.
After last year’s Westgate attack in Nairobi – al-Shabab’s most deadly raid in Kenya – the group received a lot of criticism for killing women and children.
Kenya has been on high alert recently following warnings that al-Shabab was planning more attacks.
Heavy clashes took place between Iraqi government forces and Sunni Islamist militants who have made major advances in the past week.
Reports say parts of the city of Baquba – just 37 miles from Baghdad – have been taken over by the rebels.
The US is deploying up to 275 military personnel to protect staff at its huge embassy in the capital.
Reports from Baquba – capital of Diyala province on the northern approaches to Baghdad – say rebels are reported to have taken over several quarters and captured the main police station, seizing many weapons.
At Tal Afar, a strategic city west of Mosul in the province of Nineveh, there are reports that reinforcements have arrived to boost government forces trying to recapture the town from rebels. The Iraqi air force is said to have been carrying out strikes in the area.
Heavy clashes took place between Iraqi government forces and Sunni Islamist militants who have made major advances in the past week (photo AP)
The city of 200,000 people, which has a mixed Sunni and Shia population, lies between Mosul and the Syrian border and was taken just before dawn on Monday.
In Anbar province to the west of Baghdad, Sunni militants shot down a government helicopter near the city of Falluja, and say they destroyed several tanks in fighting there. They also say army forces fled from a military base near Ramadi, the provincial capital.
Qasem Suleimani, the commander of an elite unit of Iran’s revolutionary guards, is reported to be in Baghdad, helping military leaders and Shia militias co-ordinate their campaign against the rebels.
In Vienna, US officials held brief discussions about Iraq with their Iranian counterparts at a meeting about Tehran’s nuclear program, but American officials have been quick to dismiss reports of military collaboration with a major foe.
In a letter to Congress, President Barack Obama said the 275 military personnel being sent to Iraq would protect US citizens and the embassy in Baghdad, and would remain there until the security situation improved.
A White House statement said that their main role would be to help embassy staff to relocate to US consulates in the cities of Basra in the south and Irbil in the north, and provide airfield management and security.
President Barack Obama has already ruled out sending in ground troops to fight alongside Iraqi government forces, but drone strikes remain a possibility.
The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush has been deployed to the Gulf, accompanied by two more warships.
The UN says that ISIS fighters have carried out hundreds of summary executions since their offensive began last week.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said that systematic killings in the north of the country “almost certainly amounted to war crimes”.
Two massive tornadoes hit the state of Nebraska killing at least one person and leaving at least 19 injured.
The town of Pilger, about 100 miles north-west of Omaha, with a population of 350 people, was devastated by the twisters.
Jerry Weatherholt, county commissioner, said half the town is damaged.
The tornadoes were a mile apart, says the National Weather Service, and another massive tornado has been tracked near Burwell, central Nebraska.
Two massive tornadoes hit the state of Nebraska killing at least one person and leaving at least 19 injured
“It was like God dragged two fingernails across the land,” Gregg Moeller told the nearby Norfolk Daily News newspaper.
Pilger saw significant damage to a school, a bank and a church in town, and many homes in the southern portion of the town were destroyed or damaged.
“More than half of the town is gone – absolutely gone,” Jerry Weatherholt said.
“The co-op is gone, the grains bins are gone, and it looks like almost every house in town has some damage. It’s a complete mess.”
Faith Regional Health Services hospital spokeswoman Jodi Richey told the Associated Press news agency one person had died and 16 were being treated for injuries.
Providence Medical Center in nearby Wayne also treated three hurt by the tornado, two who have been already released, hospital spokeswoman Sandy Bartling said.
The governor of the state has declared an emergency, which will allow the use of Nebraska’s National Guard.
Stanton County emergency manager Sanford Goshorn told CNN his agency was still in response mode and said the number of those injured could rise.
GM is recalling 3.16 million more cars in the US because of ignition switch problems, which date from 2000 to 2014.
Switches can move out of the run position if cars are jarred, and disable power steering.
Last week General Motors recalled more than 500,000 Chevrolet Camaro cars after finding a fault with its ignition system.
In March, the carmaker recalled 2.6 million cars because of a faulty ignition switch.
GM is recalling 3.16 million more cars in the US because of ignition switch problems
GM says it is aware of eight crashes and six injuries related to the latest recall.
A company statement said: “If the ignition switch moves out of the <<run>> position, there is an effect on power steering and power braking.
“In addition, the timing of the key movement out of the <<run>> position, relative to the activation of the sensing algorithm of the crash event, may result in the air bags not deploying.”
GM has now also raised its expected second-quarter charge for recall expenses to $700 million, up from $400 million.
In May, GM was fined $35 million for failing to address defects which have been linked to 13 deaths.
GM has now recalled more than 17 million cars in the US this year – more than the carmaker sold in 2013.
Previous recalls have involved possible faulty seat belts, transmissions and air bags, as well as potential fire issues.
GM’s announcement was made after the close of the New York Stock Exchange, where its shares had ended the day up by 1.21% at $30.06.
Former running back Rodney Thomas has died at the age of 41 after a 7-year NFL career.
Rodney Thomas played for Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.
Rodney Thomas played for Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons (photo AP)
He died Saturday at the home in Groveton, a small East Texas town where he grew up, that he bought for his mother after signing his first professional contract, Groveton Funeral Home owner Terry Cartwright said Sunday.
The cause of death wasn’t known and an autopsy was underway, Terry Cartwright said.
Rodney Thomas had been living in Spring, near Houston, with his wife and 4-year-old child, and that he often visited Groveton on business and to see his mother and other relatives who live in town.
The US army has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s disappearance from an Afghan outpost.
Major General Kenneth Dahl, who served in combat in Afghanistan, has been appointed to lead the investigation.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 28, returned to the US after five years in captivity on Friday.
Shortly after his release, several commentators and soldiers came forward to brand him a deserter and call for him to be punished.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl returned to the US after five years in captivity
The Pentagon has previously concluded Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked off base in Paktika province without authorization, but officials have not determined whether he intended to desert.
Bowe Bergdahl was flown from a military hospital in Germany to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas on Friday, where he will complete the final phase of the reintegration process.
He was released by the Taliban in late May in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay detainees, a move that has been criticized by some lawmakers.
In a statement, the defense department said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl would have access to evidence gathered in 2009 shortly after Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was captured.
But officials will not be able to interview him until a team working on his “reintegration” will allow it.
“We ask that everyone respect the time and privacy necessary to accomplish the objectives of the last phase of reintegration,” the department said in a statement, adding there is no timeline for wrapping up the investigation.
On Friday, Maj. Gen. Joseph DiSalvo said Bowe Bergdahl “looked good” as he returned to Texas and was in uniform and saluted.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl had not yet been in contact with his family, which officials described as his own choice.
Thirteen people have been executed for “terrorist attacks” in Xinjiang province, western China, state media say.
The 13 – who reportedly include Muslim ethnic Uighurs – were accused over seven cases including attacks in June 2013 that killed 24 people.
It comes as three other men – who reports say also appear to be Uighurs – were sentenced over a fatal car crash in Beijing last year.
Beijing has blamed Uighur groups for several attacks across the country.
Those executed on Monday had been charged with crimes including “participating in terrorist groups; murder; arson; theft; and illegal manufacture, storage and transportation of explosives”, state-run news agency Xinhua said.
Thirteen people have been executed for terrorist attacks in Xinjiang province
The report named three defendants who were convicted of attacking a police station, hotel, government building and other venues in Lukqun, Xinjiang province, on June 26.
The attack killed 24 police officers and civilians and injured 23 others, Xinhua added.
Verifying reports from the Xinjiang region is difficult because the flow of information is tightly controlled.
Also on Monday, three men were given death sentences in connection with a crash in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square last October, when a car ploughed into a crowd.
Two tourists and three people in the car were killed. Dozens of others were injured.
Xinhua news agency said Husanjan Wuxur, Yusup Umarniyaz and Yusup Ahmat were guilty of “organizing and leading a terrorist group and endangering public security”.
Five others were given jail sentences.
Reports said several of those sentenced or executed on Monday appeared to be from Xinjiang’s Uighur ethnic minority, based on their names.
Beijing has blamed Uighur separatists for a string of attacks around China, including deadly bomb and knife attacks on railway stations in Urumqi in Xinjiang, and Kunming in south-west China.
Uighur leaders deny that they are coordinating a terrorist campaign.
Activists have accused Beijing of exaggerating the threat from Uighur separatists in order to justify a crackdown on the Uighurs’ religious and cultural freedoms.
Correspondents say Uighurs, who number around 9 million, have long complained of repression under Chinese rule – an accusation Beijing denies.
Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry were “looking cozy” last Friday during a post-premiere party in Los Angeles for his well-received movie The Rover, Page Six reported.
Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry were looking cozy during a post-premiere party in Los Angeles
Katy Perry, 29, who since her February split from John Mayer has been linked to DJ Diplo, rapper Riff-Raff and rocker ex-boyfriend Robert Ackroyd, has said she even contacted Robert Pattinson’s repeat ex-girlfriend Kristen Stewart to tell her the hookup talk wasn’t true.
The singer said: “I sent her a text message saying, <<I know you’ve seen all this stuff, but you know I would never disrespect you. I’m not that person>>.”
Last week, Eve married Maximillion Cooper at Blue Marlin, Cala Jondal Beach in Ibiza, Spain.
But who is Maximillion Cooper?
Maximillion Cooper, also known as Maximillion Fife Alexander Cooper, is a British entrepreneur, skateboarder and race car driver.
He was born on June 7, 1972, and has a net worth of $50 million.
Maximillion Cooper is probably most famous for being the founder of the Gumball 3000 car race.
Born in Stone, Staffordshire, England, Maximillion Cooper launched his first company in 1999 after earning a Degree in Law from Sussex University. The Gumball 3000 is a popular international racing company that also puts on concerts and has a clothing line. The race is a 3000 mile international rally across public roads. The route is different every year and racers must finish the course in just seven days. Participants typically use exotic super cars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis to complete the race.
Maximillion Cooper has four children with his ex-wife Julie Brangstrup, with whom he also co-founded the Gumball.
The entrepreneur and rapper Eve have been dating since 2010.
Eve and Maximillion Cooper actually met when she participated in the rally for clothing brand Puma, a few years back. They have been together ever since and today Eve is considered the First Lady of Gumball.
On The Chelsea Handler Show, Eve opened up about the fact that this is her and his first interracial relationship: “I’ve never been the type of person to discriminate.”
“But I honestly have to say I never thought I’d be with a white guy ever. But it just happened. It’s amazing. I’m the first black girl he’s ever been with too.”
On December 31st, Eve announced to her Instagram followers that she and Maximillion Cooper were engaged. Max proposed with a large diamond ring on Christmas day in Scotland surrounded by their family and friends.
Kris Jenner was upset that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West gave up an $11 million deal to sell their first wedding photos, according to GossipCop.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West decided to release their wedding photos on social media a la Beyonce and Jay Z (photo Instagram)
The tabloid claims that Kris Jenner was “seething” after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West decided to release the images themselves on social media a la Beyonce and Jay Z.
Medtronic Inc. is to buy Irish Republic-based Covidien PLC in a $42.9 billion cash and shares deal.
The US medical device maker’s wide portfolio includes heart stents and surgical tools.
The deal allows Medtronic to take advantage of a so-called tax inversion, by moving its headquarters to a European country with lower taxes.
The main corporate tax rate in Ireland is set at 12.5%. Meanwhile in the US, the business tax rate can reach up to 35% – among the world’s highest.
When the deal is completed, a new entity will combine the two businesses under the banner of Medtronic PLC.
The Covidien deal will allow Medtronic to take advantage of a so-called tax inversion, by moving its headquarters to a European country with lower taxes
Medtronic said in a statement: “It will have its principal executive offices in Ireland, where Covidien’s current headquarters resides and where both companies have a long-standing presence.”
The company will also “continue to have its operational headquarters in Minneapolis, where Medtronic currently employs more than 8,000 people”.
Medtronic PLC will be led by Omar Ishak, the current chairman and chief executive at Medtronic.
The combined business will have more than 87,000 employees in more than 150 countries.
The merger is expected to result in annual cost-savings of at least $850m by the end of the firm’s financial year in 2018.
The savings will come from optimizing combined global back-office, manufacturing and supply chain operations.
The acquisition is subject to approval from the shareholders of both companies.
And it also needs regulatory clearances from the US, the EU, and China.
Medtronic and Covidien expect the transaction to be completed by early next year.
Generators are a costly, but essential, piece of equipment for building companies and plant hire managers.
People working in these sectors will know only too well how useful the devices are, but organisations need to make sure they put efficiency at the heart of their operations. One aspect of this is fuel management, as manufacturers have to consider the relative merits of different types of fuel.
While natural gas, vapour propane and liquid propane are the most common choices for small automatic standby generators, large-scale systems are more likely to use diesel. According to Critical Fuel Systems, these options not only provide energy for the generator to convert, but also serve as a lubricant for the injectors of engine generators.
Level sensors for fuel management
Of course, a high-quality fuel level sensor, such as those on offer from PVL, is an essential tool for fuel management. They can be used to measure the quantity of any substance that flows and among the key considerations are the amount of accuracy required and the means by which it works, such as a magnetic switch, an ultrasonic signal, conductive probe or a vibrating fork.
A high-quality fuel level sensor is an essential tool for fuel management
The importance of maintenance cannot be understated, as fuel will degrade rapidly beyond the point of usability if this process is not carried out diligently. Among the reasons for degradation are moisture, heat, oxygen, and biological growth. As diesel fuel is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts moisture, some of the moisture will settle out of the fuel to become free water. This means removing the moisture and free water is key to maintaining the fuel.
Aside from running biannual maintenance checks, which should ideally be carried out in spring and autumn, firms should also keep a generator maintenance record book detailing all of the results from these services. With debris getting into an alternator being the most likely way of destroying a perfectly good generator, keeping it clean is very important.
Don’t let fuel get too warm
Diesel can have a flashpoint near 140 degrees C, so an effective cooling system has to be in place to prevent the liquid from reaching this temperature. Both onboard or external fuel coolers can be used, with the former preferable if the option exists.
However, a day tank fuel replacement is another control option worth considering, as this means the fuel will be pumped back to the storage tank and refilled with relatively cool fuel from the tank once a specific temperature has been reached. The main benefit of this option is that every time you replenish the tank, the pumping and control system is checked for proper operation.
Transportation
Fuel is very flammable and so safety needs to be considered at all times. This is why you should never fill a tank to its limit, as there needs to be room for expansion. You should also allow the generator and engine to cool entirely before adding fuel.
When you are transporting the generator, always disconnect the spark plug wire and place it out of reach of the spark plug, as this will prevent accidental starting when transporting the generator. By doing so, you’ll get your money’s worth out of the generator.
First Daughter Malia Obama could be setting her sights on Hollywood now that school is out.
Malia Obama, who turns 16 on July 4, was recently spotted working as a production assistant in Los Angeles on the set of Halle Berry’s upcoming sci-fi series Extant.
Malia Obama was spotted working as a production assistant in Los Angeles on the set of Halle Berry’s upcoming sci-fi series Extant
She was joined by her mother, Michelle Obama, who watched the teen assist on some reshoots of the pilot.
In the series, Halle Berry will play an astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.
Malia Obama attends the exclusive Sidwell Friends private school in Washington, DC., but classes let out earlier this month.
Pippa Middleton is part of the Britain team racing the 3,000 miles across the US in a charity bike race.
Pippa and James Middleton are part of the Britain team racing the 3,000 miles across the US in a charity bike race
Kate Middleton’s sister is participating in the Race Across America, decked out in spandex biking gear with the British flag printed on the front.
Her bearded brother James Middleton will be racing on her team. Pippa and James Middleton were photographed training for the grueling task on Saturday, June 14.
Pippa’s backside, which became famous after she served as the maid of honor at her sister’s 2011 wedding, was on display in her tight biker shorts.
The bike race has been going on for 32 years and in that time, fewer than than 200 individuals have successfully completed the event.
