Five people were killed when a rockslide buried them Monday, September 30, 2013, at a ...
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Showing posts with label after. Show all posts
Showing posts with label after. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Battersea fire alarm after TV stunt
25 September 2013 Last updated at 20:56 GMT 
Flames were projected on to Battersea Power Station as part of the TV stunt Firefighters were called to Battersea Power Station after a TV stunt caused concerns the historic building was alight.
Flames were projected on to Battersea Power Station as part of the TV stunt Firefighters were called to Battersea Power Station after a TV stunt caused concerns the historic building was alight.Flames were projected on to the Grade II*-listed building in south-west London to promote explorer Bear Grylls' new show on the Discovery Channel.
London Fire Brigade said it was called at 19:50 BST and realised it was a false alarm on reaching the site.
The 39-acre site is to be turned into 3,500 homes, offices, shops and a park.
As part of the stunt, the TV presenter abseiled down the building as flames came up from the ground.
A fire service spokesman said: "We attended and as soon as we got there we realised it wasn't an incident for us.
"But we take every call seriously."
A Malaysian consortium is redeveloping the site and restoring the building, and it will take at least 10 years to complete the £8bn project.
The building, known for its four brick chimneys, has been vacant since being decommissioned in 1983 and is on English Heritage's at risk register.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Carnival puts cruise fleet under microscope after ship fire
The Carnival Triumph cruise ship is towed towards the port of Mobile, Alabama, February 14, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/ Lyle RatliffBy Jane SuttonMIAMI BEACH, Florida | Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:51am EDT
MIAMI BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Carnival Corp (CCL.N) (CCL.L) has launched a comprehensive review of its entire fleet after a fire crippled one of its ships last month, and will share its findings across the industry, Carnival Cruise Lines' chief executive told a conference on Tuesday.
The engine-room fire disabled the Bahamian-flagged Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving it adrift with more than 4,000 passengers and crew aboard. The accident made headlines around the world and comedians had a field day with the ensuing plumbing problems.
"We've started a comprehensive review of our entire fleet," Carnival Cruise Lines President and Chief Executive Gerry Cahill told the annual Cruise Shipping Miami conference.
"It will take us a little bit of time to complete it but you can rest assured that it is our highest priority in the entire organization, it is the thing we are most focused on and we will come up with some solutions that we can implement across our fleet," he said.
The company has assembled teams of fire safety experts, naval architects, electrical and mechanical engineers and engine manufacturers to conduct its own investigation, Cahill added.
The Triumph was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, when a leak in a fuel return line caused a fire in the aft engine room. The ship has two independent engine rooms but the fire damage knocked out both, Cahill said.
A diesel generator kicked in to run emergency services, but could not run what Cahill described as "hotel services", most notably the plumbing in the cabins.
Cahill said the company investigation would focus on fire prevention and suppression, engine-room backup systems, and on figuring out what hotel service facilities could be run with emergency generators.
Carnival is cooperating with ongoing investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board and the Bahamian government, as well as a review by the Cruise Line International Association CLIA.L, he added.
Carnival Corp is the world's largest cruise line, with 100 ships under brands that include Carnival, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, Seabourn and Costa.
RIPPLE EFFECT
Cruise executives frequently say the attention lavished on their competitors' new ships creates a rising tide of demand that benefits them all. Accidents cause similar ripples throughout the industry.
"The recent Triumph incident affects all of us," said Christine Duffy, president and chief executive of CLIA, which represents 58 cruise lines worldwide. "Even though such incidents are rare, we don't underestimate their impact."
Nonetheless, industry projections are chronically rosy. Cruising is a $36 billion industry worldwide, part of a $9.9 trillion global travel industry that represents 9 percent of global GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Some 20 million people took cruises last year and CLIA projects this year's total will rise 3.3 percent to hit 20.9 million.
"We have been the fastest-growing segment inside the travel industry," Duffy said.
Despite tough economic times, passenger numbers have risen every year over the last decade, she said. North America is still far and away the biggest source of cruise passengers, though the percentage from outside North America rose to 31 percent last year, from 9 percent in 2000.
Industry officials expect strong growth in China and other parts of Asia, where tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people are moving into the middle classes and eager to see the world.
"They may not be comfortable going on their own but are comfortable going on one of our ships," Duffy said.
The industry has added 168 new ships since 2000. Twenty-five more oceangoing and river-cruising ships will come on line in the next two years, but the pace is slowing, ending a glut of berths that had led to discounting.
Kevin Sheehan, chief executive of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH.O), which recently went public, predicted the industry would soon "move pricing to more respectable levels".
If the economy holds steady or improves slightly "then this industry will outperform", Sheehan said.
The cruise line chiefs say their industry is resilient, in part because it has good overall safety.
Sheehan called it "the safest, safest, safest vacation experience that anybody could ever have".
Pierfrancesco Vago, chief executive of MSC Cruises, a privately owned European line, suggested vacationers have short memories. Last year's Costa Concordia accident caused bookings in Italy to plummet, especially scaring away first-time cruisers, he said.
Bookings are still erratic, but are growing again, in part because cruising is perceived as good value, he said.
"It's amazing how this 2012 has been forgotten. We've seen already the new wave season, 2013, that the first-comers are coming back again," Vago said. "2013 is looking much better, stronger."
(Editing by David Adams and Dale Hudson)
Saturday, July 13, 2013
After Further Review: Ryan rewinds tape on final drive of NFC title game (CBS News)
Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Is There Life after Requirements? Tools that Support Business Process Improvement
So you have a requirements plan. You have elicited functional, non-functional, and quality of service requirements. You have validated and verified them, and your stakeholders are satisfied. Now what? The requirements part of a business analysis project answers the questions: "What do we have, and what do we need?" This business process analysis white paper answers those two fundamental questions.
So you have a requirements plan. You have elicited functional, non-functional, and quality of service requirements. You have validated and verified them, and your stakeholders are satisfied. Now what?
I like to think of the requirements part of a business analysis project as the analysis function; that is, to answer the questions "What do we have and what do we need?" The next step is to evaluate and answer the question "Is it any good, and what improvements can be made to the process?"
The overall process may look something like this.
NEED --> REQUIREMENTS --> AS IS --> ANALYSIS --> EVALUATION --> TO BE --> COMMUNICATE --> IMPLEMENT
Business process improvement is based on a model-oriented approach that requires a robust set of tools for a consistent and thorough application.
Commercial modeling and analysis tools are usually designed to be as general-purpose as possible to gain the widest possible base of users. The tools typically focus on specific modeling techniques; but in some cases, the tools may not enforce the modeling syntax and procedures. Enforcement of the appropriated modeling syntax and procedures of these techniques must be a basic requirement for consideration of individual tools.
Note that the same technique can play various roles within the entire improvement program. A repository capability is generally required to integrate the myriad techniques and tools within the context of an overall methodological approach. An example would be a standard requirements document and a list of organization- accepted models.
Tool support for AS-IS modeling needs to facilitate data gathering and synthesis of the model. Once built, the model must be analyzable to identify improvement opportunities. As a minimum, tool support for TO-BE modeling must allow easy modification and reorganization of the AS-IS model to generate the TO-BE model. Ultimately, TO-BE modeling support should allow modeling teams to easily incorporate "best practice" templates. Deriving the TO-BE process model from the AS-IS is a difficult task that must be supported by other techniques.
Business rules define the fundamental structure for business management and are relatively stable when compared to processes. Many different business processes can use the same set of business rules. A change in business rules, however, can facilitate a significant modification of the associated business process. Current business rules, reflected by an AS-IS model, can help define and clarify the basic nature of a business process independent of the current organization and resources. New business rules, depicted by a TO-BE model, define fundamental changes that can lead to significant streamlining of a business process. At a minimum, a modeling tool must support rigorous definition of business rules and facilitate easy modification.
Within an emerging, business process improvement effort, support tools should satisfy the following requirements.
Model Management. Versioning, keeping straight the different versions, and configuration control of models are required to keep track of various iterations of AS-IS and TO-BE models and the interrelationship between the functional focus of various teams.
Model Authoring. Both graphical and natural language facilities are required for the rapid and effective creation of models. Unlike mere drawing tools, modeling semantics and rules must be enforced by the supporting software.
Model Analysis and Validation. An advanced set of functions are needed to validate models for logical consistency and completeness. Once validated, these models must support the analysis to help discover opportunities to improve the overall effectiveness of the business processes.
Model Integration and Mapping. A total enterprise-wide, broad, multiple-organization process model cannot and should not be created as the result of a single project. Instead, specific views should be created and validated and then integrated on an evolutionary basis to create a comprehensive, enterprise-wide definition.
Model Presentation. A comprehensive set of graphing and textual reporting tools are required to facilitate effective presentation of modeling results at both technical and managerial levels. These reporting capabilities should include the ability to generate English-like statements of complex business rules.
Model Transformation. Modeling results need to be fed directly to a variety of tools and other implementation environments through the use of model transformation functions and custom interfaces. Possible transformation capabilities might include the ability to automatically generate relational database structures to support heuristic prototyping of conceptual business rules.
No single modeling tool is currently capable of performing all the types of modeling and analysis needed for business analysis, and new types of analyses will continue to evolve as the business analysis discipline matures. Therefore, an open-tool architecture that allows multiple tools to share model definitions through common languages is required.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
EU considers trade action after Bangladesh factory collapse
n">May 1 (Reuters) - The European Union voiced strong concern over labour conditions in Bangladesh after a building collapse there killed hundreds of factory workers, and said it was considering action to encourage improvements, including the use of its trade preference system.
The European Union is Bangladesh's largest trade partner and clothes made inside the building - an illegally built structure that toppled last week, killing at least 390 people - were produced for retailers in Europe and Canada.
"The EU is presently considering appropriate action, including through the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) - through which Bangladesh currently receives duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market under the 'Everything But Arms' scheme - in order to incentivise responsible management of supply chains involving developing countries," said the statement, issued on Tuesday by EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton and trade commissioner Karel de Gucht.
WRAPUP 1-EU considers trade action after Bangladesh factory collapse
* EU considers action on Bangladesh, including trade preferences
* Canadian retailers say they will also issue new guidelines
* Rescuers give up hope finding any more alive; death toll passes 390
May 1 (Reuters) - The European Union voiced strong concern over labour conditions in Bangladesh after a building collapse there killed hundreds of factory workers, and said it was considering action to encourage improvements, including the use of its trade preference system.
Anger has been growing since the illegally built structure collapsed last week, killing at least 390 people. Hundreds remain unaccounted for but rescue officials said on Tuesday they had given up hope of finding any more survivors.
It was the third deadly incident in six months to raise questions about worker safety and labour conditions in the poor South Asian country, which relies on garments for 80 percent of its exports.
Representatives of major international garment buyers - some facing sharp criticism in home markets for doing too little to safeguard the mostly female workers making their clothes - met industry representatives in Dhaka on Monday and agreed to form a joint panel to put together a new safety plan.
Clothes made in five factories inside the Rana Plaza building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, were produced for retailers in Europe and Canada.
Late on Tuesday, the EU issued a brief statement expressing concern and suggested it would look at Bangladesh's preferential trade access to the EU market in considering taking action to encourage better safety standards and labour conditions.
"The EU is presently considering appropriate action, including through the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) - through which Bangladesh currently receives duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market under the 'Everything But Arms' scheme - in order to incentivise responsible management of supply chains involving developing countries," said the statement, issued by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht.
About 3.6 million people work in Bangladesh's garment industry, making it the world's second-largest apparel exporter. The bulk of exports - 60 percent - go to Europe.
Ashton and de Gucht said they were deeply saddened by the "terrible loss of life", particularly because it followed a fire in the Tazreen Fashion factory in a Dhaka suburb in November that killed 112 people.
"The sheer scale of this disaster and the alleged criminality around the building's construction is finally becoming clear to the world," Ashton and de Gucht said.
Also on Tuesday, following a private emergency meeting of Canadian retailers, the Retail Council of Canada said it would develop a new set of guidelines.
That emergency meeting brought together retailers including Loblaw, Sears Canada Inc and Wal-Mart Canada, to discuss how they would deal with the tragedy.
Representatives of some 45 companies, including Gap Inc , H&M, J.C. Penney, Nike Inc, Wal-Mart, Britain's Primark, Marks & Spencer and Tesco , and Li & Fung, also met officials from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association in Dhaka on Monday to discuss safety.
The Retail Council of Canada, which represents operators of more than 43,000 stores in Canada, said it would work with international organisations, the Bangladeshi government and others to find ways to address safety in the Bangladesh garment industry.
Primark and Loblaw have promised to compensate the families of garment workers killed while making their clothes.
AGONISING WAIT
With no hope left of finding survivors, heavy machinery is being used to clear concrete and debris from the site in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from Dhaka.
It was still an agonisingly slow process for families waiting for news on loved ones who worked in the Rana Plaza, which collapsed with about 3,000 people inside. About 2,500 people have been rescued so far, many of them injured.
With angry protests continuing daily since Bangladesh's worst industrial accident, the building's owner was brought before a court in Dhaka on Monday, where lawyers and protesters chanted "hang him, hang him".
About 20 people were injured on Tuesday as police fired teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse protesters in Savar calling for the death penalty for the owners of the building and factories.
Officials in Bangladesh have said the eight-storey complex had been built on swampy ground without the correct permits, and more than 3,000 workers entered the building last Wednesday despite warnings it was structurally unsafe.
Eight people have been arrested - four factory bosses, two engineers, building owner Mohammed Sohel Rana and his father, Abdul Khalek. Police are looking for a fifth factory boss, Spanish citizen David Mayor, although it was unclear whether he was in Bangladesh at the time of the accident.
The garment industry employs mostly women, some of whom earn as little as $38 a month.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Canada retailers plan trade guidelines after Bangladesh disaster
April 30 | Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:02pm EDT
April 30 (Reuters) - The Retail Council of Canada said on Tuesday it will develop a new set of trade guidelines in response to last week's deadly collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory complex that manufactured apparel for western retailers including Loblaw Cos Ltd.
The move follows a private emergency meeting of retailers on Monday including Loblaw, Sears Canada Inc and Wal-Mart Canada to discuss how it would deal with the tragedy, which has killed at least 390 people.
The industry association, which represents the operators of more than 43,000 stores in Canada, said it will work with international organizations, Bangladeshi government and others to find ways to address safety in the Bangladesh garment industry.
UPDATE 3-Loblaw promises more actions after Bangladesh tragedy
* First-quarter same-store sales rise 2.8 pct
* Raises quarterly dividend by 9 pct
* Expects to complete IPO of REIT in early to mid-July
* Shares touch five-and-half year high
By Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay
May 1 (Reuters) - Loblaw Cos Ltd, Canada's largest food retailer, said it would soon announce more actions in the wake of the collapse of a building in Bangladesh where some of its "Joe Fresh" garments were manufactured.
More than 400 people died in the collapse of the illegally constructed building in Dhaka, which housed a number of apparel factories.
"I am deeply shaken by the event. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to those who were injured, to all the families who have lost loved ones," Executive Chairman Galen Weston said on a conference call after the company reported strong quarterly results.
"We have taken action to address the situation including the announcement of a fund to provide relief to the victims of this tragedy. There is more we will do and we will make that public over the next few days."
He did not specify what further measures Loblaw would take.
The company said it had not seen any impact on sales of its "Joe Fresh" affordable casual clothing line after the building collapse. The brand, launched in 2006, is a key part of Loblaw's growth strategy.
Loblaw is majority-owned by George Weston Ltd, which is controlled by the Weston family.
The supermarket operator reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue on Wednesday despite growing competition and raised its dividend for the second time in six months, sending its shares to a five-and-half year high.
Loblaw, which also sells clothing, footwear and drugs, reiterated its outlook for 2013 despite the rapid Canadian expansion of U.S. discount retailer Target Corp.
Target opened its first three Canadian stores in March and plans to have more than 100 by the end of this year.
Canadian supermarket operators such as Loblaw, Metro Inc and Empire Co's Sobeys have also come under pressure as Wal-Mart Stores Inc expands its grocery business in Canada.
However, analysts said Target's entry has not really been able to stifle Loblaw's growth so far.
"Target's entry does not seem to be having an impact over the near term although, in our view, it is a little too early to tell, given that it only started opening stores in March," analyst Ken Perkins of Morningstar said.
Metro, Canada's No. 3 grocer, last week reported a quarterly profit that more than tripled, but warned of a challenging competitive environment.
Loblaw reported a 4 percent rise in revenue of C$7.20 billion ($7.14 billion), topping analysts' average expectation of C$7.00 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
"Probably the biggest takeaway was the surprise on the topline. It is probably the best topline we have seen close to five years," said Bobby Hagedorn, an equity analyst with Edward Jones. "I don't think anyone saw this coming."
Hagedorn said Target is a great competitor on the general merchandise side of the business, but from "what we see so far, their grocery offering appears to be pretty limited."
He said Target does not have a lot of fresh groceries and fresh produce.
Loblaw said on Wednesday it plans to complete the initial public offering of its real estate investment trust (REIT) in early to mid-July. It expects to file a preliminary prospectus for the REIT in late May.
Loblaw said in December it planned to contribute about 35 million square feet of property worth about C$7 billion to its proposed REIT, which will allow it to reinvest in its core business and boost shareholder value.
The company also raised its quarterly dividend by 9 percent to 24 Canadian cents per share, a move that surprised analysts.
Loblaw shares closed up 5 percent at C$44.75 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They touched a high of C$45.06 earlier.
First-quarter profit rose 40 percent to C$171 million, or 60 Canadian cents per share. The latest results included a gain of 13 Canadian cents per share related to defined benefit plan amendments.
Sales at established locations, a key measure for retailers, rose 2.8 percent, driven by its core food and drug business. Retail sales grew 3.4 percent.
WRAPUP 1-EU considers trade action after Bangladesh factory collapse
* EU considers action on Bangladesh, including trade preferences
* Canadian retailers say they will also issue new guidelines
* Rescuers give up hope finding any more alive; death toll passes 390
May 1 (Reuters) - The European Union voiced strong concern over labour conditions in Bangladesh after a building collapse there killed hundreds of factory workers, and said it was considering action to encourage improvements, including the use of its trade preference system.
Anger has been growing since the illegally built structure collapsed last week, killing at least 390 people. Hundreds remain unaccounted for but rescue officials said on Tuesday they had given up hope of finding any more survivors.
It was the third deadly incident in six months to raise questions about worker safety and labour conditions in the poor South Asian country, which relies on garments for 80 percent of its exports.
Representatives of major international garment buyers - some facing sharp criticism in home markets for doing too little to safeguard the mostly female workers making their clothes - met industry representatives in Dhaka on Monday and agreed to form a joint panel to put together a new safety plan.
Clothes made in five factories inside the Rana Plaza building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, were produced for retailers in Europe and Canada.
Late on Tuesday, the EU issued a brief statement expressing concern and suggested it would look at Bangladesh's preferential trade access to the EU market in considering taking action to encourage better safety standards and labour conditions.
"The EU is presently considering appropriate action, including through the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) - through which Bangladesh currently receives duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market under the 'Everything But Arms' scheme - in order to incentivise responsible management of supply chains involving developing countries," said the statement, issued by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht.
About 3.6 million people work in Bangladesh's garment industry, making it the world's second-largest apparel exporter. The bulk of exports - 60 percent - go to Europe.
Ashton and de Gucht said they were deeply saddened by the "terrible loss of life", particularly because it followed a fire in the Tazreen Fashion factory in a Dhaka suburb in November that killed 112 people.
"The sheer scale of this disaster and the alleged criminality around the building's construction is finally becoming clear to the world," Ashton and de Gucht said.
Also on Tuesday, following a private emergency meeting of Canadian retailers, the Retail Council of Canada said it would develop a new set of guidelines.
That emergency meeting brought together retailers including Loblaw, Sears Canada Inc and Wal-Mart Canada, to discuss how they would deal with the tragedy.
Representatives of some 45 companies, including Gap Inc , H&M, J.C. Penney, Nike Inc, Wal-Mart, Britain's Primark, Marks & Spencer and Tesco , and Li & Fung, also met officials from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association in Dhaka on Monday to discuss safety.
The Retail Council of Canada, which represents operators of more than 43,000 stores in Canada, said it would work with international organisations, the Bangladeshi government and others to find ways to address safety in the Bangladesh garment industry.
Primark and Loblaw have promised to compensate the families of garment workers killed while making their clothes.
AGONISING WAIT
With no hope left of finding survivors, heavy machinery is being used to clear concrete and debris from the site in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from Dhaka.
It was still an agonisingly slow process for families waiting for news on loved ones who worked in the Rana Plaza, which collapsed with about 3,000 people inside. About 2,500 people have been rescued so far, many of them injured.
With angry protests continuing daily since Bangladesh's worst industrial accident, the building's owner was brought before a court in Dhaka on Monday, where lawyers and protesters chanted "hang him, hang him".
About 20 people were injured on Tuesday as police fired teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse protesters in Savar calling for the death penalty for the owners of the building and factories.
Officials in Bangladesh have said the eight-storey complex had been built on swampy ground without the correct permits, and more than 3,000 workers entered the building last Wednesday despite warnings it was structurally unsafe.
Eight people have been arrested - four factory bosses, two engineers, building owner Mohammed Sohel Rana and his father, Abdul Khalek. Police are looking for a fifth factory boss, Spanish citizen David Mayor, although it was unclear whether he was in Bangladesh at the time of the accident.
The garment industry employs mostly women, some of whom earn as little as $38 a month.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Canada retailers plan trade guidelines after Bangladesh disaster
April 30 | Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:02pm EDT
April 30 (Reuters) - The Retail Council of Canada said on Tuesday it will develop a new set of trade guidelines in response to last week's deadly collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory complex that manufactured apparel for western retailers including Loblaw Cos Ltd.
The move follows a private emergency meeting of retailers on Monday including Loblaw, Sears Canada Inc and Wal-Mart Canada to discuss how it would deal with the tragedy, which has killed at least 390 people.
The industry association, which represents the operators of more than 43,000 stores in Canada, said it will work with international organizations, Bangladeshi government and others to find ways to address safety in the Bangladesh garment industry.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Loblaw plans more actions after Bangladesh building collapse
n">May 1 (Reuters) - Loblaw Cos Ltd, Canada's largest food retailer, said it would soon announce more actions in the wake of the collapse of a building in Bangladesh where some of its "Joe Fresh" garments were manufactured.
More than 400 people died in the collapse of the illegally constructed building in Dhaka, which housed a number of apparel factories.
"I am deeply shaken by the event. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to those who were injured, to all the families who have lost loved ones," Executive Chairman Galen Weston said on a conference call.
"We have taken action to address the situation including the announcement of a fund to provide relief to the victims of this tragedy. There is more we will do and we will make that public over the next few days."
He did not specify what further measures Loblaw would take.
Loblaw is majority-owned by George Weston Ltd, which is controlled by the Weston family.
Loblaw, along with some other retailers supplied from the collapsed building, has offered to compensate families of victims of the tragedy.
"This is an evolving situation that we need to be very close to," Loblaw President Vicente Trius said on the call.
The Joe Fresh clothing line, launched in 2006, represents a key part of Loblaw's growth strategy.
Following a private emergency meeting of Canadian retailers, the Retail Council of Canada said on Tuesday it would develop a new set of trade guidelines.
UPDATE 3-Loblaw promises more actions after Bangladesh tragedy
* First-quarter same-store sales rise 2.8 pct
* Raises quarterly dividend by 9 pct
* Expects to complete IPO of REIT in early to mid-July
* Shares touch five-and-half year high
By Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay
May 1 (Reuters) - Loblaw Cos Ltd, Canada's largest food retailer, said it would soon announce more actions in the wake of the collapse of a building in Bangladesh where some of its "Joe Fresh" garments were manufactured.
More than 400 people died in the collapse of the illegally constructed building in Dhaka, which housed a number of apparel factories.
"I am deeply shaken by the event. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to those who were injured, to all the families who have lost loved ones," Executive Chairman Galen Weston said on a conference call after the company reported strong quarterly results.
"We have taken action to address the situation including the announcement of a fund to provide relief to the victims of this tragedy. There is more we will do and we will make that public over the next few days."
He did not specify what further measures Loblaw would take.
The company said it had not seen any impact on sales of its "Joe Fresh" affordable casual clothing line after the building collapse. The brand, launched in 2006, is a key part of Loblaw's growth strategy.
Loblaw is majority-owned by George Weston Ltd, which is controlled by the Weston family.
The supermarket operator reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue on Wednesday despite growing competition and raised its dividend for the second time in six months, sending its shares to a five-and-half year high.
Loblaw, which also sells clothing, footwear and drugs, reiterated its outlook for 2013 despite the rapid Canadian expansion of U.S. discount retailer Target Corp.
Target opened its first three Canadian stores in March and plans to have more than 100 by the end of this year.
Canadian supermarket operators such as Loblaw, Metro Inc and Empire Co's Sobeys have also come under pressure as Wal-Mart Stores Inc expands its grocery business in Canada.
However, analysts said Target's entry has not really been able to stifle Loblaw's growth so far.
"Target's entry does not seem to be having an impact over the near term although, in our view, it is a little too early to tell, given that it only started opening stores in March," analyst Ken Perkins of Morningstar said.
Metro, Canada's No. 3 grocer, last week reported a quarterly profit that more than tripled, but warned of a challenging competitive environment.
Loblaw reported a 4 percent rise in revenue of C$7.20 billion ($7.14 billion), topping analysts' average expectation of C$7.00 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
"Probably the biggest takeaway was the surprise on the topline. It is probably the best topline we have seen close to five years," said Bobby Hagedorn, an equity analyst with Edward Jones. "I don't think anyone saw this coming."
Hagedorn said Target is a great competitor on the general merchandise side of the business, but from "what we see so far, their grocery offering appears to be pretty limited."
He said Target does not have a lot of fresh groceries and fresh produce.
Loblaw said on Wednesday it plans to complete the initial public offering of its real estate investment trust (REIT) in early to mid-July. It expects to file a preliminary prospectus for the REIT in late May.
Loblaw said in December it planned to contribute about 35 million square feet of property worth about C$7 billion to its proposed REIT, which will allow it to reinvest in its core business and boost shareholder value.
The company also raised its quarterly dividend by 9 percent to 24 Canadian cents per share, a move that surprised analysts.
Loblaw shares closed up 5 percent at C$44.75 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They touched a high of C$45.06 earlier.
First-quarter profit rose 40 percent to C$171 million, or 60 Canadian cents per share. The latest results included a gain of 13 Canadian cents per share related to defined benefit plan amendments.
Sales at established locations, a key measure for retailers, rose 2.8 percent, driven by its core food and drug business. Retail sales grew 3.4 percent.
Nepal officials vow to ensure security on Everest after fight
Mount Everest (C), the world highest peak, and other peaks of the Himalayan range are seen from air during a mountain flight from Kathmandu April 24, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Tim ChongBy Gopal SharmaKATHMANDU | Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:30am EDT
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal officials vowed on Monday to ensure the safety of climbers seeking to scale Mount Everest after three European climbers were involved in a fight with sherpa guides on their way to the peak of the world's highest mountain.
Three experienced climbers from Britain, Italy and Switzerland were on route to camp three at 7,000 meters (22,965 feet) on the 8,850 meters (29,035 feet) Everest summit when a brawl broke out on Saturday with sherpas fixing their ropes.
Witnesses said the sherpas pelted the Europeans' tents with stones and punches were thrown.
Swiss climber Ueli Steck descended to the base camp after the attack and said he would abandon the climb and return to Kathmandu if proper security was not ensured.
Nepali officials were quick to respond after the unusual brawl on Mount Everest, which is a key source of income for impoverished Nepal as foreign climbers pay royalties to scale the world's highest peak.
Tourism Ministry official Dipendra Paudel said the government would ensure the safety and security of the climbers.
"There was a slight misunderstanding and communication gap between them," Paudel said in Kathmandu after contacting the base camp. "This has been sorted out and the climbers are at the base camp."
He said the European climbers would resume their bid to climb Everest.
Officials said hundreds of climbers from 32 expeditions and their sherpas were on Mount Everest in the current climbing season which continues through May.
Sherpas are locals from the Everest region and are noted for their climbing skills. They are responsible for fixing ropes and accompany most of the foreign climbers to the summit.
Beni Hyoju, an official of the Cho-Oyu Trekking agency that organized the expedition, said the three European climbers had failed to comply with a request from their sherpa guides to stay at a location while the guides fixed the route.
Hyoju said this made the sherpas unhappy and they attacked the climbers. No one was critically wounded.
"(Steck) has now agreed to continue the climb after local administration assured proper security," Hyoju said. "Sherpas who were responsible for the fight will offer (an) apology."
Historian Elizabeth Hawley, who has been tracking foreign expeditions to Mount Everest for more than five decades, said this type of fighting on the mountain was rare.
"I have not heard of any such incident before," said Hawley.
About 4,000 climbers have reached the top of Everest since it was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
(Reporting by Gopal Sharma, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)
Loblaw plans more actions after Bangladesh building collapse
n">May 1 (Reuters) - Loblaw Cos Ltd, Canada's largest food retailer, said it would soon announce more actions in the wake of the collapse of a building in Bangladesh where some of its "Joe Fresh" garments were manufactured.
More than 400 people died in the collapse of the illegally constructed building in Dhaka, which housed a number of apparel factories.
"I am deeply shaken by the event. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to those who were injured, to all the families who have lost loved ones," Executive Chairman Galen Weston said on a conference call.
"We have taken action to address the situation including the announcement of a fund to provide relief to the victims of this tragedy. There is more we will do and we will make that public over the next few days."
He did not specify what further measures Loblaw would take.
Loblaw is majority-owned by George Weston Ltd, which is controlled by the Weston family.
Loblaw, along with some other retailers supplied from the collapsed building, has offered to compensate families of victims of the tragedy.
"This is an evolving situation that we need to be very close to," Loblaw President Vicente Trius said on the call.
The Joe Fresh clothing line, launched in 2006, represents a key part of Loblaw's growth strategy.
Following a private emergency meeting of Canadian retailers, the Retail Council of Canada said on Tuesday it would develop a new set of trade guidelines.
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