Some embodiments provide irrigation valve control apparatuses comprising: a solenoid configured to cooperate with a plunger; an input stimulus source coupled with the solenoid and configured to apply an input stimulus while a plunger drive signal is not being applied and that is sufficiently small to not cause the plunger to move; sampling circuitry configured to measure one or more voltage measurements corresponding to one or more voltages across the solenoid, wherein the one or more voltage measurements are dependent upon the current position of the plunger relative to the solenoid; and control circuitry cooperated with the sampling circuitry to receive the one or more voltage measurements from the sampling circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine whether the plunger is in one of the open and closed positions based on the one or more voltage measurements.

An expanding plunger rod for a syringe is configured to transition from a packaged configuration to an expanded configuration for operation. The rod includes a substantially cylindrical outer sleeve having a closed-off bottom end and an open upper end, and an inner rod having a lower end and an upper end. The inner rod is slidably disposed coaxially within the outer sleeve. In the packaged configuration, the inner rod is nested within the outer sleeve. In the expanded configuration, the inner rod is disposed substantially axially above the outer sleeve, and the inner rod locks axially in place to prevent transition from the expanded to the packaged configuration.

Mondelez, owner of Cadbury’s, said its sales in the first phase of the lockdown was reduced to nil due to closure of plants, lack of have people from the distribution centers and non-availability of trucks.

Adidas said 60% of its business was currently at a standstill, with more than 70% of its stores closed worldwide and all big sporting events - including the Tokyo Olympics and Euro soccer tournament - postponed or cancelled.

Exports to Hong Kong, the sector's biggest market, plummeted 41.3 percent, while exports to France fell 48 percent, and those to South Korea were down 46.2 percent.

GJC chairman Anantha Padmanabhan said, “There may be some token booking for gold by individuals for amounts like Rs 5,000 or so. But there will be no big investments in gold as all the shops are closed. The drop in demand will be around 94%.”

Next said store sales plunged 52% in the 13 weeks to April 25, its fiscal first quarter, while online sales were down 32%.

BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. sales of existing homes cratered 8.5% in March with real estate activity stalled by the coronavirus outbreak. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that 5.27 million homes sold last month, down from 5.76 million in February. The decrease was the steepest since November 2015. The situation will likely get worse, […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. new home sales plunged 15.4% in March as a winding down in the middle of the month due to the coronavirus began to rattle the housing market. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that sales of new single-family homes dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 627,000 last month after sales […]

For GE, the stress on a key business threatens a broader turnaround effort as CEO Larry Culp attempts to pull the company from one of the deepest slumps in its history.

Private sector employment nosedived in the month of April, according to a report released by payroll processor ADP on Wednesday. The report said private sector employment plunged by 20.236 million jobs in April after slumping by a revised 149,000 jobs in May.

Reflecting the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it, the Labor Department released a report on Friday showing a record nosedive in employment in the U.S. in the month of April.

A hospital in north-west Queensland says emergency department admissions have fallen by 20 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic.

Audiences in the Northern Rivers don't mind a bit of water. So, the idea of seeing the stage of the Lismore City Hall in flood mode was something of a drawcard for NORPA's punters who came to see dance production, Lake.

DAILY BRIEFING: An elderly female driver has a fright after her car swerves off a road and over a cliff, and the Tasmanian Government holds off formally asking the Commonwealth to help pay for firefighting in the Wilderness World Heritage Area last summer.

Maritime collector Jamie Verhoeven dons a 70kg dive suit from the 1960s in shark-infested waters near Port Lincoln.

Colorado will delay hearings on a major revamp of its oil and gas regulations by about six weeks, even as concerns mount about how much of the state's petroleum industry will be left to regulate.

Hotels, casinos virtually empty as China market still restricted

Shanghai Disneyland to reopen on Monday - but guests must wear masks

U.S. sales of existing homes cratered 8.5% in March with real estate activity stalled by the coronavirus outbreak.

In 'Scandinavian Noir: In Pursuit of a Mystery,' the critic travels to Nordic cities to investigate the society that shaped a global phenomenon.

CEO Mary Barra hopes to invigorate investor interest in GM's stock with an aggressive electric vehicle strategy.

From classic culture to stylish food, enjoy being pampered in Greece.

Gov. Eric Holcomb will have tough spending decisions as tax revenues decline amid COVID-19 pandemic.

California's state government faces a $54-billion budget deficit through next summer, according to an analysis released Thursday.

The pound falls to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985, trading at $1.15.

Saudi Arabian equities slumped on concern the U.S. may take measures against the kingdom if it’s linked to the disappearance of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi.

Stock markets plunged on Thursday after economic growth data confirmed fears of Covid-19's bruising impact on the world economy.

The drop in arrivals will lead to an estimated loss of $300-450 billion in international tourism receipts, almost one third of the $1.5 trillion generated in 2019, the Madrid-based UN body said in a statement.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, SBI Card said globally, countries and businesses are under lockdown and there is a high level of uncertainty about the duration of the lockdown and the time required for things to get normal. 

Electricity consumption in Uttar Pradesh declined by 20.3% in April while Rajasthan recorded an annual fall of 21.3% in the same month.

Investment in the UK’s distributed power generation market will witness a significant decline from almost $2.5 billion in 2013 to $939 million by 2019, according to new analysis.

Millions more Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, suggesting layoffs broadened from consumer-facing industries to other segments of the economy and could remain elevated even as many parts

Overtime pay, a barometer of strength in corporate activity, also fell at a record pace in March, data showed.

Forcing people in the US to shelter at home during the coronavirus outbreak may have resulted in less death from Covid-19 infections but also fewer victims of mass shootings.The number of mass shootings in the US plunged 24 per cent in April from a year earlier as churches, malls, restaurants, schools and parks were shuttered and most businesses closed, according to a Bloomberg analysis of data from an organisation that tracks information about firearm-related violence. The decline occurred…

The plunge in jobs was 73,800 relative to February, but Saskatchewan saw a shallower decline than any other province as COVID-19 devastates labour markets across Canada.

Oil prices in the US have dropped into negative territory due to collapse in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

John Lewis sales have plunged, despite a surge in online orders, after it was forced to shut stores in face of coronavirus.

Britain's weather woes are set to continue with wet and windy conditions expected to last all week.

In the late afternoon session, the scrip was being traded at 20.61 pounds, down by 5.50 per cent on the LSE. Vedanta opened on a positive note, but soon swung into the red.

With call centers in India, the Philippines and elsewhere shut down for the coronavirus, many robocall companies have simply stopped making calls.

The major miners, energy and bank stocks led heavy selling on the Australian share market, which closed 5 per cent lower as selling accelerated in late trade.

The Australian share market closes higher, shaking off initial falls, while Afterpay shares surge after revealing investment by Chinese firm Tencent. Job ads fell by 50 per cent in April as coronavirus hit businesses.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its confidence index tumbled to a reading of 86.9, the lowest level in nearly six years and down from 118.8 in March.

The coronavirus crisis actually caused consumer health-care spending to plunge 18% in Q1.

U.S. consumer spending plunged 7.5% in March, reflecting the growing impact of the coronavirus pandemic as Americans complied with stay-at-home orders.

At a time of short-term market panic about the coronavirus, Warren Buffett offers a new lesson on how to identify long-term stock winners. The key: a focus on corporate reinvestment.