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China E-Commerce Giant Alibaba Outlines Future Strategy

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HONG KONG — Alibaba plans to spin off some of its vast e-commerce and finance empires as separate businesses to make them more flexible and maximize their value, according to top executives, as the company emerges from regulatory crackdowns that have roiled Chinese tech industries.

Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang outlined a plan revealed earlier this week to divide Alibaba into six major groups as a prelude to some of its businesses going public. Following a series of setbacks as regulators tightened oversight of the industry, the restructuring signals a new stage in Alibaba’s development.

Alibaba will be “like a holding company that is the controlling shareholder of the business group companies,” Zhang said during a conference call.

Toby Xu, CFO of Alibaba, stated that the company would continue to assess the strategic importance of group companies after they go public and determine whether or not to retain control. He refused to indicate when they might be made public.

“We believe the market is the best litmus test,” Xu said. “As and when they are ready, each business group company can pursue independent fundraising and IPOs.”

Since the restructuring was revealed on Tuesday, the company’s stock prices in Hong Kong and New York have risen nearly 15%. The company’s Hong Kong-listed stock was up 0.9% by noon Thursday.

The plan and the recent return of Alibaba founder Jack Ma to China after months overseas mark a turnaround after several hard years. Chinese regulators singled out Alibaba for scrutiny in a crackdown on technology and internet firms, halting Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group’s planned IPO in 2020.

Since November 2020, when he openly criticized China’s regulators and financial systems during a speech in Shanghai, Ma has maintained a low profile with few public appearances.

Ant had planned to raise $34.5 billion in what would have been the world’s biggest initial public offering. As Chinese authorities clamped down on the once-freewheeling technology sector, Alibaba was investigated and fined $2.8 billion for antitrust violations.

alibaba

crackdown on technology and internet firms, halting Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group’s planned IPO in 2020

The company will be divided into several groups: Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Business Group, Local Services Group, Global Digital Business Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics, and Digital Media and Entertainment Group. Aside from Taobao Tmall, each group may pursue an initial public offering. Alibaba Group will continue to be the sole owner of Taobao Tmall.

Zhang predicted that the restructuring would be difficult, but it would also “allow all of our businesses to become more agile, improve decision making, and enable faster responses to market changes.”

The restructuring plan, among other things, may allay past antitrust concerns because, as Zhang explained, each Alibaba business unit would be empowered to make its own choices and collect money independently.

“The looser connections between the business units are consistent with the regulatory stance of encouraging competition,” according to a Moody’s Investor Service analyst note.

alibaba

Alibaba’s restructuring — the first of its kind in the Chinese technology industry

Alibaba’s restructuring — the first of its kind in the Chinese technology industry — could also serve as a model for other businesses, such as online games company Tencent. Tencent’s stock rose following Alibaba’s statement on Monday.

According to CreditSights, “we believe that Alibaba’s new organizational structure could be used as a template by Chinese regulators for other Chinese Big Tech firms.”

According to Francis Lun, CEO of Geo Securities in Hong Kong, the company’s move will likely enable the group to raise more capital in the short run. However, the business may need help to remain competitive in mergers and acquisitions.

“You’d be a lightweight competing against heavyweights like Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet if you split into six business units,” Lun said.

He stated that only that the company’s e-commerce and cloud divisions were profitable and that the other units may fail in the long run.

SOURCE – (AP)

Kiara Grace is a staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. Her writing focuses on technology trends, particularly in the realm of consumer electronics and software. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for breaking down complex topics, Kiara delivers insightful analyses that resonate with tech enthusiasts and casual readers alike. Her articles strike a balance between in-depth coverage and accessibility, making them a go-to resource for anyone seeking to stay informed about the latest innovations shaping our digital world.

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Forbes Journalist Placed Under House Arrest For Allegedly Spreading Fake News About Russian Army

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CNN - VOR news Image

Sergey Mingazov, a journalist from Forbes, has been placed under house arrest by a Russian court. He was detained on the grounds of allegedly disseminating false information about the Russian armed services, as reported by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

As Forbes Russia reported, a journalist from Forbes Russia will be placed under house arrest for a minimum of two months while awaiting trial following his detention on Friday.

According to RIA, Mingazov, a journalist for Forbes, has been put under house arrest for distributing false information about the Russian Armed Forces.

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CNN – VOR News Image

Forbes Journalist Placed Under House Arrest For Allegedly Spreading Fake News About Russian Army

According to Mingazov’s lawyer, Konstantin Bubon, the journalist was arrested for “sharing a post about the incidents in Bucha (Ukraine)” on Telegram’s messaging app.

At the time of posting this article, Mingazov’s Telegram channel had 476 subscribers. Evidence indicates that he shared reports from several news agencies, including the BBC’s Russian outlet and Radio Freedom, which reported on alleged atrocities committed by Russian troops in Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Bubon alleged that Mingazov is charged with disseminating “deliberately inaccurate information” about the Russian military “while pretending” to provide trustworthy journalism.

Ukrainian soldiers liberated the city of Bucha in late March 2022, after it had been taken during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of the same year. As to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office, the Russian army perpetrated numerous war crimes in the Bucha district, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people in the town. The Kremlin has refuted any involvement in the mass executions and has restated unfounded assertions that the photographs of civilian dead were counterfeit.

Restriction on internet access implemented

Bubon informed Forbes Russia that Mingazov’s house detention was implemented as a precautionary measure. In Russia, pre-trial preventative measures are implemented, which may involve either being detained in custody, granted bail, or subjected to home arrest.

Bubon also informed Forbes Russia that the court has prohibited Mingazov from accessing the Internet and has limited his interactions with individuals other than his relatives, investigators, lawyers, and medical practitioners.

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Reuters – VOR News Image

Forbes Journalist Placed Under House Arrest For Allegedly Spreading Fake News About Russian Army

On Saturday, the Investigative Committee of the Khabarovsk territory announced that it had placed an individual under house arrest as a precautionary measure. The person in question has been charged with spreading deliberately false information about the Russian military forces.

The Investigative Committee said that in April 2022, a man, driven by political animosity, published a post on a news channel under his administration to reach an unrestricted audience.

“It continued to state that the information, which was presented as trustworthy, actually consisted of intentionally inaccurate details about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”

Since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has been implementing stringent measures against journalists. Several notable journalists, such as Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, have been apprehended.

Furthermore, the courts have issued arrest warrants for some journalists, such as Alexander Nevzorov, Dmitry Gordon, and Marina Ovsyannikova, who have been critical of the state, even though they were not present during the court proceedings.

According to a statement from the press department of a local Russian court on Saturday, Konstantin Gabov, a Russian journalist who was identified as a producer for the Reuters news agency, was arrested and charged with “extremism.”

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politico – VOR News Image

Forbes Journalist Placed Under House Arrest For Allegedly Spreading Fake News About Russian Army

According to the press staff of the Basmanny District Court, Gabov is accused of assisting in the creation of content for a YouTube channel named “NavalnyLIVE,” which is linked to the deceased opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

The court determined that Gabov was engaged in “creating photographic and audiovisual content” for the YouTube channel and ordered his custody for at least two months until June 27.

The Russian authorities have classified Navalny and his organizations as “extremist,” which implies that individuals who are affiliated with his group are exposed to potential legal consequences.

SOURCE – (CNN)

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Elevate Your Business with White Label Local SEO Services in 2024

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Elevate Your Business with White Label Local SEO Services in 2024

White Label Local SEO: To attract local customers, local SEO optimizes a business’ online listings, builds local citations, and earns positive reviews. For small businesses, local SEO plays an integral role. They stand out locally, appear in nearby searches, and attract customers to their physical locations.

White label Local SEO agencies provide various services. They offer expertise­ under their own brands, which companies can rebrand and resell as their own. Essentially, one firm provides the SEO expertise, while another resells the services.

The advantages of offering White Label Local SEO services

It is advantageous for marketing agencies to offer White Label Local SEO services. It allows them to expand their service offerings without hiring additional employees or acquiring new skills, which allows them to increase revenue streams. As a result, they may be able to upsell SEO services to their existing client base and increase revenue streams.

In addition, offering White Label Local SEO services can help agencies attract new clients specifically looking for local marketing solutions. White Label Local SEO services can benefit both marketing agencies and small businesses.

What are White Label Local SEO Services?

White Label SEO describes an SEO partnership. One firm provides SEO services under its own brand, and the other firm resells those services as its own. The SEO provider works behind the scenes, lending expertise to the reseller, who distributes it to customers branded as theirs.

Local SEO from White Labe­l focuses on increasing a business’s online presence to attract local customers. It optimizes Google listings, manages local citations, generates positive reviews, and employs tactics to boost its ranking in localized search results.

How does White Label Local SEO work?

In general, White Label Local SEO works as follows:

  • Partnering with a provider: Partnering with a local SEO provider with expertise and resources to implement effective Local SEO strategies is the strategy of the marketing agency or reseller.

  • Reselling services under your brand: The reseller then markets and sells local SEO services under its own brand name, with the SEO provider working on behalf of the reseller to deliver the services.

Difference between White Label and Traditional SEO Outsourcing

As a result, White Label SEO differs significantly from traditional SEO outsourcing in terms of branding. The client knows that a third-party vendor is providing the services, and the vendor’s brand may be visible in communications and reports.

As a result of White Label SEO, the services appear to be provided directly by the reseller. In most cases, the SEO provider’s brand is not visible to the end client, and the reseller handles all communication and reporting.

Key Components of White Label Local SEO Services

In general, White Label Local SEO providers provide the following services:

  • Google My Business (GMB) Optimization: This involves optimizing a company’s Google My Business profile to ensure it contains accurate and up-to-date information, such as business hours, contact information, and business category, as well as adding photos and managing customer reviews.

  • Local Keyword Research: Keyword research identifies relevant search terms that potential local customers use to locate products or services. This helps optimize website content and local listings so that they appear higher in local searches.

  • Local Citation Management: Ensure that the company’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistently displayed across online directories, review sites and other platforms. This helps improve local search rankings and establishes credibility and trustworthiness.

  • On-Page SEOOur team tweaks website pages for local searches, incorporating relevant keywords and optimizing meta tags, headers and URLs while maintaining a user-friendly structure and navigation.

  • Local Link Building: Quality backlinks from local sites, directories, and other relevant sources enhance a site’s authority and position in local search results.

  • Local Content Creation: Creating tailored content for the local audience—blog posts, articles, and landing pages—attracts local traffic and establishes the business as a market authority.

  • Review Management: Keeping an eye on online reviews across Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other websites helps maintain a positive online reputation.

  • Local SEO Reporting and Analysis: This report analyzes the performance of Local SEO. It covers rankings, website visitors, leads generated by those visitors, and sales generated by those leads. Progress is tracked, showing what needs to be enhanced.

Benefits of Offering White Label Local SEO Services

Here’s a deeper dive into the benefits you mentioned:

1. Expanding Your Reach and Attracting New Clients

  • Broadened Service Portfolio: Offering White Label Local SEO makes you more attractive to clients who wish to concentrate on local marketing.

  • Targeting a Wider Audience: The local business market is vast and growing. You can tap into this potential and reach a new audience by offering local SEO services.

2. Increase revenue with Minimal investment in Staff or Training

  • Minimal Investment: By leveraging the expertise of a partner, you can reduce the need to hire additional staff or invest heavily in training your existing employees.

  • Faster ROI: You can begin offering high-quality SEO services immediately, which can generate new revenue streams quickly.

3. Cater to the growing demand for local SEO, especially among small businesses

  • Growing Demand: Local SEO services are in high demand among small businesses due to the increasing number of consumers searching online for local businesses.

  • Helping Local Businesses Thrive: White Label Local SEO empowers businesses to increase their online presence, attract more local customers, and ultimately grow their business.

4. Scale your business efficiently by outsourcing SEO tasks

  • Focus on Your Strengths: By outsourcing time-consuming SEO tasks to your White Label partner, your team can focus on core competencies such as client acquisition, strategy development, and account management.

  • Increased Capacity: Offloading SEO tasks enables your agency to take on more clients and projects, allowing your business to scale efficiently.

Finding the Right White Label Local SEO Provider

Marketers and resellers can benefit from offering White Label Local SEO services in several ways:

  1. Reputation and Track Record: Ideally, you should find a White Label service with a great reputation. Check their reviews, success stories, and online ratings to determine their clients’ happiness.

  2. Expertise and Experience: Find a provider that specializes in local SEO. Find professionals who understand the ins and outs of ranking businesses locally. Ensure that you keep up with new SEO techniques as well.

  3. Communication and Support: It is also important to consider the provider’s communication channels and level of support. Ensure that the provider offers responsive communication, timely updates, and ongoing support if a question, concern, or issue occurs.

  4. Transparency and Reporting: You should choose an SEO provider that will provide transparent reporting and regular performance updates on your clients’ local SEO campaigns. The provider should also be able to provide detailed insights and analytics to track progress and demonstrate the value of their services.

  5. Pricing and Value: Consider comparing the pricing structures and packages offered by different providers to ensure you receive the best value for your money. Be wary of providers that offer excessively low or unrealistic pricing, as this may suggest a lack of expertise or quality.

Getting Started with White-Label Local SEO

  • Step 1: Research and Selection: Establish a partnership agreement outlining the terms and expectations between your agency and the White-Label Local SEO provider you choose.

  • Step 2: Onboarding and Training: The provider’s team should be familiar with your agency’s processes and client expectations. Coordinate the onboarding process with the provider and provide necessary training.

  • Step 3: Client Discovery and Strategy: Develop tailored Local SEO strategies based on client information and collaboration with the provider.

  • Step 4: Implementation and Execution: Maintain close contact with the provider to implement Local SEO strategies and monitor their progress.

  • Step 5: Ongoing Communication, Support, and Analysis: Communication should be maintained regularly, issues should be addressed promptly, and performance reports should be analyzed to optimize strategies.

  • Step 6: Client Satisfaction and Retention: Monitor client satisfaction regularly. Look for opportunities to upsell or expand your services. This strengthens the relationship you have with your clients. Stay focused on their satisfaction. Look for other services that you could offer them.

Conclusion

Therefore, starting White Labe­l Local SEO services requires extensive research and selecting a trustworthy provider. Then, the proper onboarding and training process is essential. Working together on client strategies, executing campaigns and maintaining clear communication and analysis are crucial for success. Agencies must focus on keeping clients happy and retaining them to build solid partnerships. As a result, clients will receive better results, and their own businesses will grow.

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California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

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California Disney Characters: Image AP

ORLANDO, Florida. Throughout his three-year tenure as a parade performer at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, Zach Elefante has consistently held additional employment to supplement his income.

In contrast to the experiences of his colleagues at Disney’s parks in Orlando, Florida, where there is a limited number of skilled individuals available, the actors who portray Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and other cherished Disney characters in the California parks do not always receive a regular and predictable work schedule from the firm.

That is one of the reasons why Californian artists are currently organizing to form a union, more than forty years after their Florida counterparts did the same.

According to the California performers, Disney requires character performers to have open availability but does not always provide them with set work hours as a result.

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AP – VOR News Image

California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

“Many performers believe that if they do not make themselves fully available, they will not be cast in shows…” “This will have a ripple effect on other occupations that are necessary for our livelihood in this region,” stated Elefante, a resident of Santa Ana, California.

In recent weeks, the California character performers, along with the Actors’ Equity Association union representing themannounced that they have submitted a formal request for union certification.

In this instance, a different union is carrying out the organizing efforts, and they are happening at a different time. Consequently, it is expected that the California character and parade performers will likely not encounter the same level of animosity that the Disney actors in Florida have had with their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The relationship between the performers that bring enchantment to the Magic Kingdom and the Teamsters, a union originally established for transportation and warehouse employees with strong connections to organized crime until the late 1980s, has been tumultuous during the past forty years in Florida.

What is the reason for the California character performers organizing now, several decades after their Florida counterparts? In contrast to Florida, where being a character actor is typically a full-time occupation, many character performers in Southern California have many other engagements, frequently in Hollywood films and television.

Elefante entertains audiences at Universal Studios Hollywood and also serves as a tour guide for the movie studios. Chase Thomas not only performs in the “Fantasmic!” show at Disneyland but also holds the position of director of operations for a theatrical festival. Before this, he worked as a visual effects coordinator and an entertainment licensing agent.

Angela Nichols relocated to California to pursue a career as a television writer. In addition to her role as an entertainment presenter at Disneyland, she frequently engages in writing activities. At Disneyland, she supports the character performers by assisting them during customer interactions.

“Disney truly serves as a fundamental and essential element of the narratives that shape our cultural upbringing.” “The ability to observe individuals fully engaged in these narratives and experience them firsthand is enchanting,” Nichols stated. When we receive support as cast members and performers, we are able to achieve that.” Currently, we are not adequately prepared for success in the necessary manner.

Amidst the COVID-19 epidemic and recent actors’ and writers’ strikes, the character performers sought a more reliable schedule at Disneyland following its yearlong hiatus due to the pandemic. The pandemic has heightened their awareness of health and safety issues, such as embracing guests or maintaining hygienic costumes.

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PBS – VOR News Image

California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

The majority of the workforce at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, which exceeds 35,000 employees, were already part of a labor union. The parades and character department members were included in this group.

“Many cast members aspire to pursue this as a full-time career and succeed,” Thomas stated.

In contrast to their colleagues in Florida, the character actors in California are being organized by a specialized union dedicated to entertainers. Officials of the Actors’ Equity Association possess a deep understanding of the distinctive requirements of theme park performers, which may be challenging for other labor unions to comprehend.

Before a new stage show, it is necessary to conduct tests on the shoes of the costumes to ensure that the actors do not encounter any accidents, such as tripping or slipping while on stage. Union representatives ensure that “face performers,” with visible faces, such as Cinderella, have appropriate cosmetics and verify the availability of ice packs for procession dancers to alleviate knee soreness.

The persistent issue of unclean costumes was a primary motivation for Florida artists to seek organization with the Teamsters in the early 1980s. Additional factors comprised of children striking Disney antagonists, such as Captain Hook in the lower legs and adults reaching for the chests of actors portraying Mickey Mouse to ascertain the gender of the individual within.

Ensuring the cleanliness of costumes was of utmost importance to the character performers in Florida. Over twenty years ago, the Teamsters effectively negotiated a contract language that designated specific underwear for each performer. The performers allowed these undergarments to be taken home for washing purposes. This measure was implemented after instances of pubic lice and scabies were transmitted through the shared clothing.

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LA Times – VOR News Image

California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role

In Florida, there has always been a conflict of cultures between the costumed character entertainers and the conventional leaders of the Teamsters Union, who represent truck drivers and warehouse workers. The drivers frequently regarded the performers as individuals leading enchanted existences, remunerated for adorning themselves in costumes on a daily basis, as if it were Halloween.

Tensions reached their climax in the late 2010s when a new leader of the local Teamsters unit in Orlando started singling out the costumed character performers for abuse. The character actors resisted, and the conflict escalated to James Hoffa, the then-leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who intervened.

Elefante in California is optimistic that union representation will provide artists with a platform to influence decisions regarding many matters, such as the oversized costumes that can lead to long-term injuries if not properly fitted, as well as the safety protocols for performing in parades during rainy weather.

“It is about having the opportunity to participate in the discussion and be included in the decision-making process from the standpoint of the performers,” Elefante stated.

SOURCE – (AP)

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