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(WWLP) – It may only be the beginning of October, but experts are urging people to book their holiday travel now.
According to the travel booking app Hopper, holiday airfare prices will be the most expensive in five years. Hopper suggests booking by October 10, that’s just five days away, in order to secure the best prices for both Thanksgiving and holiday flights.
For Thanksgiving, domestic airfare will cost $350 on average round-trip, that’s 43% higher than last year. For Christmas, flights will be even pricier. Hopper predicts domestic roundtrip flights will cost $463.


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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Ramtron International Corp. said Monday that Cypress Semiconductor Corp.'s $87.5 million offer to buy the company doesn't reflect its full value and isn't in the best interest of its shareholders.
The Colorado Springs, Colo.-based semiconductor maker also said that its board approved the start of a review of "strategic alternatives," which could include the possible sale of the company. The news sent Ramtron shares up 23 cents, or 9.5 percent, to $2.66 in afternoon trading.
It said that Cypress has been invited to take part in the process. Later on Monday, Cypress declined to comment on Ramtron's rejection.
Last week, San Jose, Calif.-based Cypress offered to buy Ramtron for $2.48 per share. While the per-share price was lower than the $3.01 per share that Cypress offered for Ramtron last year, the number of outstanding Ramtron shares has risen significantly since then, making the total value of the new offer essentially the same.
William Howard, Ramtron's chairman, said that over the past 18 months, his company has made significant moves to improve its competitive position. As a result, Ramtron's board believes that Cypress' offer doesn't reflect its true value and prospects for long-term growth.
Cypress shares rose 18 cents to $13.68 in afternoon trading.

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New Delhi 26.7.2023– Aura & Company, India’s leading law firm, proudly announces the launch of India’s first eLaw Firm, pioneering the way legal services are delivered in the digital age. This groundbreaking venture marks a significant milestone in the legal industry, offering businesses and individuals seamless access to expert legal solutions through a cutting-edge ePortal.
Embracing Innovation for Unparalleled Legal Services
Aura & Company has long been recognized for its expertise, professionalism, and commitment to empowering clients with top-tier legal counsel. The launch of the eLaw Firm reinforces the firm’s dedication to innovation and adapting to the ever-evolving needs of clients in today’s digital era.
A Seamless and User-Friendly ePortal
The newly launched eLaw Firm brings an exciting and convenient dimension to the legal landscape. With a user-friendly ePortal, clients can now access a wide range of legal services from the comfort of their homes or offices. From consultations to document submissions, case tracking, and more, the ePortal offers a seamless experience, streamlining legal processes for enhanced efficiency.
A Paradigm Shift in Legal Solutions
“We are thrilled to introduce India’s first eLaw Firm, marking a transformative shift in how legal services are delivered,” said Mr Shiv Mangal Sharma, Managing Partner at Aura & Company. “Our ePortal is designed to cater to the diverse legal needs of businesses and individuals, offering a blend of expertise, technology, and personalized support that sets us apart as pioneers in the industry.”
Unlocking Accessibility and Convenience
The ePortal’s launch aims to bridge geographical barriers and maximize accessibility for clients across India and beyond. As the legal industry adapts to the digital landscape, Aura & Company stands at the forefront, empowering clients to navigate legal challenges with efficiency and ease.
Unparalleled Expertise, Unwavering Commitment
With the launch of the eLaw Firm, Aura & Company reinforces its position as a trusted legal partner for businesses and individuals. The firm’s team of seasoned legal experts brings decades of experience across diverse practice areas, ensuring clients receive unparalleled expertise and unwavering commitment to their legal needs.
Join the eLegal Revolution
As India’s first eLaw Firm, Aura & Company invites businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals to experience the future of legal solutions. The ePortal is now live, empowering clients to access expert legal counsel with just a few clicks.
About Aura & Company
Aura & Company is a premier law firm in India, renowned for its comprehensive legal services and client-centric approach. With a legacy of excellence and a forward-looking vision, the firm is committed to empowering clients with cutting-edge legal solutions that drive success in today’s dynamic business landscape.
Contact: +91 97111 35555


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Toyota Endo to hit dealers in 2007
Toyota is set to launch a city car based on the concept presented at 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, that will hit the dealers in 2007. The stubby profile and smooth surfaces will give the Endo a futuristic appearance - and help it become a more upmarket alternative to the Aygo.
The model will have unusual features like: a wrap-around windscreen, vertical tailgate and two-tone bodywork. Toyota Endo’s is inspired the design from the Smart and the Peugeot 1007, but the styling eliminates the compromises these two models require. For example, clever wide-opening doors improve access to the cabin without resorting to the heavy and expensive sliding units that mark out the 1007.
The model will have room for four passengers and will feature a flat screen dashboard.


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As we noted in Issue 747, the MVNO wave in Africa seems finally to be moving as regulators open up this space as a way of providing innovation and competition. Zimbabwe looks set to create an MVNO opening and a new operator called Viva Mobile Network is keen to be one of the first on the start line. Russell Southwood spoke to its CEO and founder Dzidzai Chidumba.
In June 2015 the broadcast market will be opened to new players. Abidjan is making a comeback as the business hub for Francophone Africa and looks set to become a very active TV production hub. Russell Southwood spoke to the Sales Manager, BeBlack TV about this Ivorian produced TV channel and its Pan-African ambitions.


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Dateline Chamoli: Three kilometers beyond the Badrinath Temple, in Maana Village, stands ‘Bharat ki Antim Chai Ki Dukan,’ or India’s Last Tea Shop on the India-China border.
Started in 1992 as a rudimentary shack by a young entrepreneur Chandera Badwal, the tea stall serves hot tea, biscuits, hand-made savories and fritters to those who come visiting six months a year, from 5:00 a.m. to late at night.
Over the years, ‘Bharat ki Antim Chai Ki Dukan has become an iconic landmark which attracts tourists including cricketers, actors, artists, politicians and many others who have made their way here.
Chandera Badwal remembers: “I was all of fifteen when I started selling tea for just one rupee. Sometimes I used to make fifteen-twenty rupees in a day, all of which I used in making the shop more comfortable.”
The opening and closing of the shop is synced with the opening and closing of the portals of the holy shrine of Badrinath. Chandera served his last tea at the shop on the 16th of November 2019. It had been a good season for Chandera and his family of eight who solely depend on the earnings from his shop.
Amid many a disruptions on the phone line, Chandera tells me how the 2020 pandemic has hit ‘Bharat ki Antim Chai Ki Dukan’ too. “Post 2013 Kedarnath deluge, business took a battering but we still had a few stranded tourists and also those who came here after the disaster. But the present pandemic has been worse, hitting business hard: “We haven’t opened the shop since November 2019. There are no tourists or locals venturing out. We are surviving on our savings which are slowly beginning to dry up.”
How does he see the future? I ask. “Each night, before we sleep, the family prays that our country soon overcomes this epidemic soon. As for us, it’s all in the hands of the Gods!’ he says before disconnecting the faltering phone line.


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399 News articles Found
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PMA Fresh Connections: Southern Africa is the only conference and trade show that hosts the entire fresh produce supply chain in Southern Africa to connect and to gain first hand insights into global trends and business opportunities.
With the push for new and innovative protein sources, insects have become an interesting contender & South Africa’s first concept store "The Insect Experience" has just opened in Cape Town, brainchild of Gourmet Grubb, and forward-thinking food compa
Pick n Pay has launched a ‘nude’ fruit and vegetable produce wall – a dedicated plastic and packaging-free zone in 13 stores across the country as part of a trial to measure customers’ readiness to switch from pre-packaged food to loose products.
The demand for eco-friendly options has given rise to many plastic alternatives and solutions aimed at reducing the devastating effects of single use plastics, all of which have their pro’s and con’s
KFC South Africa made a mark in history by officially announcing the removal of plastic straws in ov, helping to eliminate 60 million plastic straws a year...
The new testo 191 HACCP data logger system from the measuring technology specialist Testo simplifies the monitoring and documentation of temperature and pressure in sterilization, pasteurization and freeze-drying processes...
With the shock decline in gross domestic product of 3.2% in the first quarter from a 1.4% expansion in the prior three months, can government live up to its post-election hype and deliver on its promises? This contraction, the highest in a decade, pu
How can Coco-Cola grow value added dairy in Africa by the acquisition of Chi Ltd.? At the beginning of this year, Global beverage company Coca-Cola Company has completed its acquisition of Chi Ltd. in Nigeria...
On 22 May 2019, the dairy industry reached an important milestone with the official opening of the Dairy Standard Agency’s (DSA) independent laboratory, DSA Lab Services, in Centurion...
Annelie Coetzee Consulting is proud to announce that we are now a Training and Assessment Provider for the FoodBev SETA. Sub-regulatin 10 of Regulation 638 states that the person whose name is on the Certificate of Acceptability (CoA) as the person..
Aflatoxins in food and milk can seriously harm humans, animals, and corporate reputations. But Nestlé Group in China and the longest-serving peanut-shelling plant in the USA are both showing how laser sorting machines can eliminate the risk...
As one of the affected specialist challenger retailers that has had a footprint in the black retail market for over three decades, OBC Chicken & Meat was one of the companies that made their submission to the Competition Commission on the power wield
Anthrax outbreak amongst in cattle reported in Lesotho and measures to prevent human exposure in South Africa. Since 12th May 2019, three anthrax outbreaks have been reported in the Maseru district of Lesotho...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to remind you to prevent foodborne illness before you light up that grill and pack up the cooler. Hot and humid weather combined with outdoor activities, provide the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to
Africa’s food industry is set to be disrupted by the 4th Industrial Revolution, forcing more agile approaches and more innovation to future-proof businesses, say experts set to speak at a key upcoming food and beverage event in Johannesburg. Speakers
Amsterdam, 1 May 2019 – In the face of a growing global waste crisis, new corporate reporting disclosures are being developed by GRI to help organizations better understand and communicate their waste impacts.
Vulcan Catering Equipment has a new Managing Director, Preggie Govender, who assumed the role in January and has moved from Vulcan’s Durban office to its head office in Industria, Johannesburg...
Congratulations to Prof David Katerere, Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and his research team on developing two functional food products, which combine sorghum with probiotic cultures into an instant beverage.
The food industry is notoriously tough. Getting the front of house right is just the tip of the iceberg; executing the extensive list of tasks behind the scenes is extremely complex. This can often mean employees...
The new head winemaker at Distell is Andrea Freeborough. She leaves her position as Cellar-master at Nederburg at the end of May to take up her new role in overseeing the production of South Africa’s largest wine portfolio.
Following TOMRA Food’s successful participation in Propak Africa 2019, the leading exhibition for the packaging and processing exhibition, Norman Smith, TOMRA Food’s Area Sales Manager for South Africa shares the company’s plans for consolidating its
Sara Mortimore has joined Walmart as their new Vice President, Global Food Safety Compliance, and will spearhead compliance within the group. She succeeds Frank Yiannas, who left this position to join the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
South Africa Food Safety Testing Market is Expected to grow at a 10.4% CAGR by 2025 | Top Players are ALS Limited, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Deltamune, DNV GL AS (DNV), Eurofins Scientific S.E.
Alison Barr, Hlanzeka Mpanza and Anja Lategan will forever go down in the annals of Stellenbosch University (SU) as trailblazers. They are the first three students to graduate with an MSc degree...
Zyda Rylands, CEO of Woolworths South Africa, together with the Department of Trade and Industry (‘the dti’) and the Gauteng Provincial Government officially opened the doors of In2food’s new 22 700m² food production facility in the OR Tambo Special
Growing and empowering the SME and franchise sector will be at the centre of Akhona Qengqe’s tenure as Chair of the Franchise Association for 2019 and 2020. As Transformation Director for KFC, she will use her experience and ...
Access to water and sanitation is internationally recognized human right. Yet more than two billion people lack even the most basic of services. The latest United Nations World Water Development Report, Leaving No One Behind, explores the symptoms of
Hungry Lion has made the decision to invest into the digital quality management system (QMS) testo Saveris Restaurant. After an extensive pilot period the benefits of the system convinced Hungry Lion’s CEO Adrian Basson to roll out the digital QMS in
Rooibos is becoming a big deal in Japan – one of the largest tea-drinking nations in the world – with exports of our indigenous tea hitting record highs in 2018. More than 2 000 tons were shipped to its shores last year...
To test SA’s salt-smarts, a prevention-minded pharma company conducted an online poll among men and women across the country in the weeks leading up to World Salt Awareness Week (4 – 10 March). Here are some of the findings.
A donation of R1 million was handed over to the vice-chancellor of Stellenbosch University, Prof Wim de Villiers (front row, second from left), by executive committee members of the South African Meat Processors Association. It will further the work
NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards establish best practices by benchmarking against global animal welfare regulations and domestic animal welfare regulatory requirements, industry standards and codes of practices.
Eight restaurant at Spier Wine Farm is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special 5 course wine & food pairing. The farm-to-table inspired menu only takes ingredients freshly sourced from the farm and nearby.
Message of the Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on the occasion of the World Cancer Day 2019
At the young age of 29, La Colombe’s Executive Chef, James Gaag, has already established a strong name for himself in the restaurant industry.
Tiger Brands to re-open its Polokwane meat processing facility
Tiger Brands announced today that the certification of the Class Action brought against it on behalf of various classes of claimants, was granted by the High Court in Johannesburg.
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa is therefore making a bold call to South African food manufacturers, distributors and retailers to commit to a landmark voluntary agreement to prevent and reduce food waste in South Africa.
Deli Spices have issued a precautionary food safety alert following the hijacking of a logistics truck carrying curing salt packs, which are harmful if not used correctly.
Based on information obtained from the persons who became ill, and having considered the symptoms, incubation period, and type of meals consumed, it is most likely that this was due to salmonella, which may have been present in the raw eggs used to m
Tiger Brands in conjunction with Stellenbosch University, will today launch the Centre for Food Safety. The Centre is a one-of-a-kind applied food science research consortium founded by Stellenbosch University and the food industry – with Tiger Bra
It is with great pleasure that today I am announcing a project by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) assisted by Statistics South Africa as a service provider with expertise, on the establishment of the Producer/Farmer Regis
Tiger Brands collaborates with Stellenbosch University to establish South Africa’s first Centre for Food Safety.The Centre is a one-of-a-kind applied food science research consortium founded by Stellenbosch University and the food industry...
McDonald's South Africa announced their commitment to spend R3 Billion over the next 5 years in the country as part of their investment commitment.
“In winter we don’t have morogo, and we don’t have milk, but we do have peaches.” These were the words of Mrs Maphutsi holding up a jar of preserved peaches at a tree planting event in Orange Farm near Johannesburg on the 26th September 2018. ..
Newark, Del. – Lindsey Vonn, who has overcome adversity to become the most successful female alpine ski racer in world history, will keynote Center for Growing Talent’s (CGT) 2018 Women’s Fresh Perspectives Leadership Breakfast on Saturday morning, O
The Tony and Grammy award-winning performer is the fourth “Forum for the Future” speaker to be announced by Produce Marketing Association (PMA), each forum featuring a big voice on a big topic of industry interest.
Fresh produce consumption is booming in Africa. It is viewed as trendy and healthy in the minds of the young and the middle class. But how accessible and efficient are current markets or retail outlets to sell fresh produce to a rapidly increasing...
At the conference, which was held on 15 and 16 August at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, guest speakers shared their perspectives on the latest developments in the trade and investment environment for fresh produce in Africa. Th
Several major brands are taking a stance against honey fraud and adulteration by sourcing 100% of the honey used in their products from True Source Honey® certified suppliers.
The recent Listeria monocytogenes outbreak and the fake goods riot of Soweto raised many questions regarding the issue around the safety of food consumed in South Africa. This should drive all stakeholders in the food industry to ....
Media Statement by The Minister Health on Listeriosis Outbreak - which has officially been declared as over.
Due to the high volume of complaints received by the Department they are investigating these reports of fake food.
The Department is noting with concern the food related videos that are circulating on social media about the alleged ‘unsafe’ manufacturing of certain fake foods in South Africa. Municipalities have embarked on special blitzes to inspect foodstuff so
In a first for South Africa, Dr Lucia Anelich (Pr.Sci.Nat.) has been elected as President-Elect of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), to become President in 2020.
dmg events is proud to introduce the most exciting b2b conference to the food and beverage market. From 27 – 28 September 2018, FoodNext.Africa will bring together startups, food innovators...
Previously unemployed women thrive as scarce skill butchers
Following a worldwide product recall issued by the Hungarian Food Safety Agency, and purely as a precautionary measure, we are recalling our Woolworths Frozen Savoury Rice Mix product (6009173621740).
In line with a decision passed by the Hungarian Food Safety Agency dated 29 June 2018, Greenyard recalls frozen vegetables from its Hungary based plant, produced between 13 August 2016 and 20 June 2018.
The Fresh Connections Southern Africa Conference and Trade Show will be hosted by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) on 15-16 August 2018 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria.
Food24, one of South Africa’s biggest online food platforms, will migrate to New Media on 1 October 2018 to become part of the agency’s growing food focus.
BSI, the business standards company, has published the revised international standard for food safety management. ISO 22000:2018 Food safety management systems – requirements for any organization in the food chain provides a framework based on best p
“Food safety is non-negotiable.” These were the words of Professor Pieter Gouws, Head of Microbiology at the Stellenbosch University when he opened the new microbiology laboratory at Eskort Limited last Wednesday.
The Government, led by the DoH, DAFF, the dti, the NCC) and the NRCS has been working tirelessly to control and end the listeria outbreak. Here is an update regarding the progress and achievements towards controlling and ending the Listeria outbreak,
A new three-day conference, two exciting competitions and a host of free entertainment make this food and beverage show the highlight of the F&B year in South Africa
The offices of Richard Spoor Inc., Attorneys, LHL Attorneys Incorporated and Marler Clark commend Tiger Brands on its transparency in releasing Listeria testing information to shareholders.
TraQtion, powered by global food safety leader NSF International, is a cloud-based food safety compliance software for the food and beverage industries
Globally, this is the largest outbreak of listeriosis that has been detected. Due to the potentially long incubation period of listeriosis further cases are expected before the impact of the food recall is observed. Following the identification of th
The role of DAFF in the listeriosis outbreak
As the authority responsible for export facilitation of processed meats, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’s visit to the Enterprise factory in Polokwane was in line with the department’s mandate of ensuring safe trade.
A top Johannesburg based law firm, LHL Attorneys, today launched a proposed class action against Tiger Brands Limited, Enterprise Foods (Pty) Ltd, and RCL Foods Limited, seeking up to half a billion rand in damages for injury and losses associated wi
William “Bill” Marler, food safety advocate and expert in foodborne illness litigation, will speak at the Food Focus Listeria Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday, March 8.
This document has been prepared to assist roleplayers in the South African dairy industry to proactively implement measures based on a pathogen control equation programme that is considered essential in the process of Listeria safe dairy production.
Local premium pet food manufacturer, Montego Pet Nutrition, has maintained its FSSC 22000 certification, demonstrating the company’s commitment to food safety and delivering high-quality, world-class products to its local and international customers.
Vital Health Foods has issued an immediate recall of its Mini Corn Cakes and Mini Rice Cakes as a precautionary measure following an investigation into two consumer complaints regarding metal fragments found within the products.
CRC Industries Europe BVBA, a subsidiary of CRC Industries Inc, announces the acquisition of Q20 the South-African market leading multipurpose lubricant brand, a subsidiary of the Triton Gloria Investment Proprietary LTD.
The NICD, NHLS, private and public sector laboratories have noted an increase in cases of meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes across South Africa over the last few months with over 365 cases documented this year to date.
Cape Town | Progress Excellence, a leading provider of food safety training in South Africa based in Ceres in the Western Cape, is pleased to announce that their Food Safety Management ISO22000:2005 Lead Auditor course, based on FSSC22000 achieved CQ
Mérieux NutriSciences expands its offering in South Africa with the inauguration of new Microbiology Laboratory in George, Western Cape.
The biggest challenge facing South Africa is to provide in the food needs of all its citizens on a daily basis. A large percentage of people are unemployed and living on or below the breadline.
Johannesburg – A total of 92 locations have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has confirmed.
Minister Zokwana met with CEO’s and senior managers in the poultry industry in a closed meeting to find solutions and discuss mitigation strategies to the current Avian Influenza outbreak.
Minister Zokwana will on Monday afternoon 21 August 2017 meet with CEO’s from the poultry industry in a closed meeting to find solutions and discuss mitigation strategies for the current Avian Influenza outbreak that the country is facing.
On the 7th August 2017 another case of HPAI H5N8 was detected in a commercial layer farm in Mpumalanga Province in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality. Control measures were applied and all birds culled.The first cases of HPAI H5N8 in Ostriches were
Media Statement from DAFF: The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr. Senzeni Zokwana has placed his Director General, Mr Mike Mlengana on suspension with immediate effect pending internal investigations.
The latest update on the avian influenza outbreak in South Africa: The HPAI H5N8 virus was confirmed in two further locations in South Africa, bringing the total of affected properties to four. The new locations involved commercial layer chickens on
The government has introduced a raft of conditions on the trading of live chickens in an effort to contain the spread of avian influenza after an outbreak on two farms in Mpumalanga, where eggs were destroyed & about 260,000 chickens culled last week
The sale of live hens has been banned in South Africa after avian flu was confirmed at a farm in Mpumalanga, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on Saturday. 'We have placed a general ban on the sale of live hens across t
The affected farm has been quarantined and culling of the affected animals has been completed. The department is conducting forward and backward tracing to trace movement of all poultry in and out of the farm in order to establish the source of the I
Cases of avian influenza on a farm in Mpumalanga have been confirmed‚ the Department of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) said on Thursday evening. This follows an outbreak of bird flu – as it is more commonly known - in Zimbabwe earlier thi
Janusz Luterek, Pr.Eng of Hahn & Hahn IP and Technology Lawyers has been voted one of the worlds Top 1000 Patent Attorneys by the prestigious Intellectual Asset Management publication.
May 2017 has seen the world's biggest cyberattack, affecting at least 150 countries and infecting over 300,000 machines in all types of industries. The food industry needs to be on alert too.
We encourage and support the use of sustainable raw materials wherever possible; whether it’s for making compostable food packaging or building homes. GreenHome is proud to have been the driving force behind the first township hemp building.”
For those of you who missed it, please find the transcript of our interview on Radio 786 on health & safety standards and legislation in the food industry, and consumer risk from pathogens such as #listeria and #salmonella in food facilities
Houston, 28 February - The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) today held a press conference to launch the 16th Global Food Safety Conference, announce the release of a new edition of GFSI’s flagship Benchmarking Requirements and to share groundbrea
Breaking news: 16/2/2017 FSSC 22000 introduces the FSSC Global Markets Program, a new global program for small and medium sized food manufacturing organizations, focussed on assessing food safety systems at foundation or intermediate performance le
Lloyd’s Register (LR), the global engineering, technical and business services organisation, has acquired Acoura, the UK’s leading compliance and safety specialists for the food and drink industry, to strengthen the market-leading position of LRQA’s
In the latest issue we share news of our activities in lobbying for food safety and supply chain standards awareness, welcome a new member company, celebrate Chilled Education reaching thousands of teachers and students with new teacing resources, an
Press Release | ENTECOM enters into joint venture with TEMPO offering paperless Food Safety Management systems | Port Elizabeth, 2 November 2016
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A highly volatile travel regulatory market, stringent Covid testing and quarantine regulations, and high numbers in cases are deterring Indian expats makng a trip to their homeland despite historically low air ticket prices.
Indian expatriates, travel agents, and industry experts have said low ticket prices are ‘not at all encouraging passengers to take a trip home.’
Furthermore, passengers are reporting that they need to undergo at least five polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in case they need to travel to India for a two -week trip.
Agencies have said the trend is expected to reverse only by March -end once Indian school examinations end.
Swati Chawla, a business consultant in Dubai told Khaleej Times, “I had planned a trip to visit my aged parents in Mumbai in mid-March. I realised my family and I had to undergo at least five PCR tests at our own expense. That is not at all feasible.”
Passengers need to undergo one test each before and after departure, one seven days after arrival, one before returning to Dubai, and the final one at arrival. “Not only is it expensive, but my kids’ are still small. I can’t put them through those tests repeatedly,” said Chawla.
Dh700 for round-trip
The cheapest return ticket prices to Delhi is approximately Dh699, Dh748 to Hyderabad, Dh675 to Mumbai, and Dh711 to Kochi. Afi Ahmed, managing director of Smart Travels said.
“Earlier, one-way tickets from India to UAE were priced at about Dh600. Now, one-way tickets are going for as low as Dh250 to Dh310, depending on the destination.,” he informed.
However, according to Afi, low-cost tickets did not matter for passengers who are just not interested in travelling at the moment.
“A majority of repatriation cases have gone back. Families are not travelling due to the PCR regulations. Also, end of term examinations is ongoing, so families with school-going kids won’t travel at the moment.” Ahmed said, adding that the trend many reverse March- end or April first week.
New regulation problems
TP Sudheesh, the general manager of Deira Travel and Tourist Agency said, “The new regulations have created a lot of negative impact. Only those with absolutely unavoidable reasons are travelling now.”
“The pre- travel requirements, the excessive number of PCR tests, and the regulations are different in different states. For example, in Karnataka, there is no testing for international arrivals except those coming from the UK,” explained Sudheesh.
However, Sudheesh anticipates that by the second week of March, introduction of the IATA travel pass may change the negative trend.
“It is said that those who are fully vaccinated may not have to undergo mandatory quarantine. Also, India is on an aggressive vaccination drive and this may reduce Covid-19 numbers.”
Niche UK travellers spend 10 days in Maldives
Hemali Shah, managing director of City One Tourism also said people are not travelling unless it is absolutely necessary. “Many of those who had emergency travel plans left before the new regulations kicked in.”
However, Shah said a niche set of travellers, in a bid to avoid quarantine in the UK are now travelling to destinations such as the Maldives.
“People are still scared that the regulations may change at any time. The main fear is that they might get stuck in transit,” she explained.
However, Sudheesh said this category of travellers are very small. “Less than 10 per cent of the population travel in this manner. Middle income groups cannot afford to take diversions of this kind,” he explained.
Copyright © 2021 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved.


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Recently, Best Buy made a big announcement—it will no longer sell CDs.
So, for all three of you out there still buying CDs at Best Buy, you’ll have to shop somewhere else.
Okay, so that’s not really fair. Obviously, there are still people out there who listen to CDs…hell, the fact that Best Buy is only just now making this announcement is evidence of that someone out there has been buying them this entire time. The company has informed its suppliers that it no longer sees selling music as a priority, as it only brings in a small fraction of the company’s annual revenue.
While this move obviously won’t hit Best Buy too hard, it will be a fairly large blow for already declining CD sales. I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone to learn that sales have been down for CDs, including an 18.5% decline last year, with 2015 being the year digital sales outpaced CD sales. Heck, 2017 marked the year that streaming services surpassed digital music sales for the first time. So, getting rid of CDs in stores? Not exactly the most unpredictable move.
Best Buy isn’t the only store making changes to how they sell music—Target has also recently told suppliers that they’ll be scaling back their CD section, saying they will only continue to sell them on consignment. Under their current system, Target pays to ship unsold music back to the suppliers, and then receives credit—the company’s new goal is to only pay suppliers once the CDs have been purchased. In the future, they may also take on this plan for DVDs as well.
As for Best Buy, it’s music selection will live on in vinyl next to record players for at least two more years, as that’s the deal they have with vendors. Beyond that? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see what stores to next.


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It’s time to focus on the iPad Pro rumours circling about the new 2022 release! We’ll be looking at potential prices, release dates and the rumoured features we hope to see make an appearance later this year!
According to new iPad rumours, the upcoming iPad Pro models (2022) are expected to launch in September 2022 but there’s a possibility it could be even later.
According to iPad rumours, Apple is upgrading the existing 11-inch and 12.9-inch Pro models for the 2022 release.
The iPad Pro is already a premium tablet but upgraded features are likely to hike up the price. Plus, factors such as storage and 5G connectivity can also cause an increase.
For example, in 2021, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro did see a price increase, which was due to the mini-LED display addition. However, rumours suggest it’s unlikely Apple will change the price because it’s not able to bring the mini-LED to the 11-inch version.
As we don’t know for certain how the prices will be affected, here’s the current iPad Pro prices from last year to give us a slight indication of cost.
iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) From £999
iPad Pro 11 (2021) From £749
There were originally iPad rumours that Apple would update the 11-inch iPad Pro 2022 with a mini-LED display but this is looking very unlikely due to supply and cost issues. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has already said that mini-LED display technology is too expensive to be added to the 11-inch iPad Pro this year.
Other iPad Pro rumours suggest the new iPad Pro models will have a glass back instead of aluminium which apparently Apple has been testing. However, due to concerns about breakability, it’s been suggested they might decide to use a larger Apple logo made of glass, which could be used for wireless charging.
We could also see the new iPad models supporting MagSafe wireless charging and there’s even talk about reverse wireless charging capabilities for the next-generation iPad Pro! This would mean the device could be used to charge other Apple products such as the iPhone and accessories. We’ll just have to wait and see what the upgrade offers!
According to 9to5Mac, Apple has been working on a larger battery for a new iPad Pro due to complaints that the Magic Keyboard causes major battery drain.
In terms of processor, it’s looking as though the iPad Pro 2022 will use the M2 chip after all. Apple introduced the MacBook Air 2022 and 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, it’s now expected they will use the same chip for the updated Pro models.


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Halloween retail spending will be $9 billion in 2018. It’s a little less than 2017’s record of $9.1 billion. Slightly fewer, 175 million, will celebrate. They will spend a record $86.79 per person, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey.
One reason is that Halloween is a very affordable holiday. It doesn’t cost as much as Christmas or Thanksgiving and is still lots of fun. Part of this is a permanent shift to thrift that occurred during the Great Recession.
Shoppers are willing to spend money on something if it provides a lot of value. Halloween does that.
Another reason is that consumer confidence is at its highest level in 10 years. People aren’t letting the uncertain state of the global economy scare them away.
|Year||Americans Celebrating||Average Spending Per Buyer||Total Spending|
|2012||170 million||$79.82||$8.0 billion|
|2013||158 million||$75.03||$6.9 billion|
|2014||162 million||$77.52||$7.4 billion|
|2015||157 million||$74.34||$6.9 billion|
|2016||171 million||$82.93||$8.4 billion|
|2017||179 million (Record)||$86.13||$9.1 billion (Record)|
|2018||175 million||$86.79 (Record)||$9.0 billion*|
*Note: Not all of those celebrating are buying anything. That’s why “Total Spending” is less than “Average Spending” times the number of “Americans Celebrating.”
What Do They Buy
Shoppers look to get a big bang for the buck, and Halloween delivers. What’s the cost of a few bags of Halloween candy?
Around 90 percent of Americans will buy candy, spending $2.6 billion. Almost 75 percent will purchase Halloween decor, spending $2.7 billion.
The most expensive part of Halloween is costumes. Just under 70 percent of Americans will spend $3.2 billion on them.
The top five costumes for adults were a witch, vampire, zombie, pirate, and Avengers character.
The top five for children were princess, superhero, Batman, Star Wars character, and witch.
More people, especially millennials, are buying costumes for their pets. Twenty percent will do so, up from 16 percent in 2017. The most popular pet costumes characters are pumpkin, hot dog, bumble bee, devil and cat (for dogs).
The National Retail Federation hired Prosper Insight & Analytics for the survey. The company polled 6,961 consumers in September 2018. The purpose was to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to Halloween spending. That helps the Federations’ member retailers plan for the holiday. The consumer polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.
Historical Halloween Sales
Halloween’s affordability means that people are spending more now than even before the recession. In 2007, they paid $65 each. Per-person spending hit a low point of $56 in 2009, climbing quickly to $66 a person in 2010, and $72.31 in 2011.
Here’s another surprise: Shoppers spent more in October 2008 at $67 per person than the year before. Why did shoppers spend so much during a recession? They didn’t realize they were in a recession on October 31, 2008. The economy had just started contracting.
It was down 3.6 percent in the third quarter.
How It Affects the Economy and You
Record Halloween sales statistics buoys retailers. It signals how well they’ll do during the all-important holiday season. That’s when about 20 percent of retail sales occur for the entire year. The kick-off is Black Friday, which is just a month later. In fact, 40 percent of shoppers begin their holiday shopping before Halloween.
The retail industry produces 5.9 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. When it’s up, so is wholesaling, which produces also 5.9 percent of GDP. Manufacturing contributes 12 percent. Retail sales are a reliable indicator of consumer demand, and that’s what drives the U.S. economy.
Strong retail sales make it more likely that the Fed will continue raising interest rates. The Federal Open Market Committee is always looking for signs of a healthy economy.
Record-setting retail sales are a critical component.


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Mix: Orange, Mobistar, KPN, Progio, Tide
Louis-Pierre Wenes, the head of Orange France, has announced that it had sold around 90,000 iPhones by the end of January. Previously, the French mobile provider revealed that it sold more than 70,000 iPhones in the first month of availability, from Nov. 29 - Dec. 29, 2007. Wenes also said half of iPhone purchasers are new Orange France customers.
Benoit Scheen, chief executive of Mobistar, Belgium’s second-biggest mobile operator, has said that his company could make a deal this year to offer the iPhone in the country. Scheen cautiously added that there was no guarantee of a deal, as Belgium was not a priority for Apple.
The chief executive of Dutch telecom operator KPN recently made some confusing remarks regarding the iPhone. “I had one and I thought it was a pretty useless phone, to be quite honest,” said Ad Scheepbouwer, CEO of KPN. “The battery ran out in no time. I didn’t like the touch screen.” However, Scheepbouwer also said KPN would be “more than happy” to sell the device, adding, “We have half the market in the Netherlands and we hope we will be the party of choice.”
Progio Mobile has announced a new web application featuring its exercise and training programs, optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch. The new application will allow Progio users to purchase and view workout and exercise programs from their device. “Progio is the next best thing to having a live trainer or coach when working out,” said Dirk Bartels, CEO, Progio Mobile. “Users benefit from having training programs developed by fitness experts without the cost of a personal trainer.” To access the service, visit mobile.progio.com from an iPhone or iPod touch.
Tide has launched a contest in connection with its “My Talking Stain” advertisement, which aired during the Super Bowl. Among the list of prizes available in the contest is one of 34 Tide-branded iPods, which photos suggest are third-generation iPod nanos. Last year, Tide offered a previous-generation, Tide-branded iPod nano and a $50 iTunes gift card as a prize in a separate promotion. To enter the current contest, visit mytalkingstain.com.
- Tim Cook to host Hillary Clinton fundraiser
- Report: Apple to update Apple Store app with personalized recommendations
- Report: Apple now prioritizing autonomous driving system in car project
- WSJ: Apple’s ‘hard-charging’ approach unsuccessful in negotiations with TV networks
- Video purports to show official Lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapter
- New iPhone pre-orders to start Sept. 9?
- Apple has sold one billion iPhones
- Parkopedia to provide detailed parking information for Apple Maps [Updated]
- Microsoft releases Pix camera app for iPhone
- Adobe launches new Lightroom viewer for Apple TV
- Elgato Avea Flare Portable Mood Light
- Moe Bull Stand for iPad Air 2 + 9.7” iPad Pro
- Netatmo Tags for Welcome Smart Home Camera
- iDevices Socket HomeKit-enabled Light Adapter
- Koogeek Wi-Fi SmartPlug for Apple HomeKit
- Marbotic Smart Letters for iPad
- Ecoxgear Sol Jam Bluetooth Speaker
- Gumdrop Cases DropTech Case + Hand Strap for 9.7” iPad Pro
- Braven BRV-1M Bluetooth Speaker
- Braven BRV-Blade Bluetooth Speaker
- Inside the betas: iOS 10 Photos gets Advanced Computer Vision
- Inside the betas: iOS 10 Music app delivers ‘clarity and simplicity’
- Inside the betas: iOS 10 Maps gets a major redesign
- Inside the betas: iOS 10 shakes up the user experience
- Inside the betas: watchOS 3 promises a real speed boost
- Inside the betas: A sneak peek at what’s new in tvOS 10
- Filling the Gap: A look at third-party HomeKit apps
- Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of tvOS 9.2
- Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of iOS 9.3
- Opinion: Why Apple needs a dedicated HomeKit app


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The TechSpark prototyping facility is excited to announce new opportunities in Spring 2022 to re-create freight transportation as smart, autonomous, safe, and environmentally conscious. Through a connection with industry professionals at Wabtec, a company pioneering the future of freight in 2030, CMU students will lead the development of the next generation in locomotive technology. Join the informational session running every half-hour within 11:30am-2:30pm by Wabtec at TechSpark to learn more about the upcoming make-a-thon, semester challenge, internships, fellowships, and monetary prizes.
Make-a-thon scheduled 10-14 January 2022
Challenge in Spring Semester 2022 - artificial intelligence, robotics, net zero emissions
Bonus: Free Food
In Person and Zoom. See announcement and/or email.


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Nintendo Company announced its intention to produce a console that is designed for emerging markets. To perform this task, the new product will be developed “from scratch”, and the question of its lightweight reorientation of existing consoles is not.
Nintendo Wii U
In particular, the CEO and president of the Japanese company Satoru Iwata said in an interview with Bloomberg: “We want to make a new device with a completely new approach, and not cheapen their existing model.”
assumed that the low console from Nintendo will focus on markets such as China and India. Moreover, the target audience will be citizens with low income and minimal gaming experience.


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Post-pandemic inflation and high interest rates have likely pushed consumers to rely on credit cards more. Here’s where consumers stood with their credit card balances at the end of 2022 and what strategies you can utilize to reduce your credit card debt.
Americans have been taking on more credit card debt in the current inflationary environment, with average outstanding balances hitting $5,910 in Q3 2022. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that total outstanding balances rose to a new high of $986 billion at the end of 2022. This exceeds its pre-pandemic high of $927 billion.
Consumers spent more on services such as travel and eating out (two large credit card categories) in 2022, making up for what they missed during the pandemic. They also paid more for essentials, such as gas and food, so card spending has ballooned. Moreover, with the Fed raising interest rates to combat inflation, the average credit card interest rate has gone up to over 20 percent, adding to credit card debt burdens for those who carry a balance.
We examine how credit card debt changed in 2022 in comparison to 2021 and how different age groups, states and types of credit users all displayed increased debt. For those struggling with their own card debt, we also recommend a few tips and tricks to manage it.
Here’s the landscape of credit card debt among U.S. consumers:
- $1,729: The average debt per account in 2022. This number considers the overall credit card debt was $909.9 billion, and there were 526.2 million credit card accounts in the U.S. in Q3 2022, says Experian.
- $3,806: The average credit card debt per person in 2022. The average card debt per person is based on the Q4 2022 total credit card debt of $986 billion and the mid-2022 U.S. adult population estimate of 259 million people, as provided by the New York Fed and the U.S. Census Bureau, respectively.
- $5,910: The average credit card balance in 2022. A 2022 Experian report says that this a 13.2 percent increase from the 2021 average of $5,221.
Total outstanding credit card debt
After many took a hit during the pandemic, house-bound consumers cut down on spending on services and turned to online shopping to source other goods. However, since 2021 inflation has risen and so has total credit card debt as well.
For Q4 2022, total outstanding credit card debt was at $986 billion, says the New York Fed, rising from the prior year’s $856 billion. The Q4 2022 total credit card balance also set a new high that surpassed the pre-pandemic record of $927 billion.
Average credit card debt by location and generation
In 2021, the average credit card balance fell to $5,221, declining 1.8 percent from 2020’s average of $5,315, according to data from Experian. However, due to recent inflation and increased spending on credit cards, the average credit card debt surged to $5,910 in 2022. Despite the double-digit percent growth from 2021 levels, the 2022 average remained lower than 2019’s balance high of $6,480, says an Experian study that tracked credit card debt from 2017 to 2021.
When breaking down average credit card balances by state in 2022, Experian research found that:
- All states saw a rise in average credit card balances in 2022, and almost all of them saw double-digit percentage jumps.
- In California, the average balance rose by 17 percent to $6,030, and in New York it rose by 14.5 percent to $6,269. The only states with single-digit increases were Oklahoma (up 9.7 percent to $5,654) and West Virginia (up 9.4 percent to $5,005).
When considering the breakdown of credit card debt by age, debt rose across all generations in 2022. The younger generations, Generation Z and millennials, had the highest percentage increase. Generation X’s and baby boomers’ debt, however, rose at lower percentages.
- Gen Z added the most, racking up 25.1 percent more in average credit card debt at $2,854.
- Millennials were next, tapping their cards for 23.5 percent more, than the previous year, in credit card debt at $5,649.
- Gen X saw their average balance climb 15 percent to $8,134.
- Baby boomer and Silent Generation cohorts added to their average balances at a slower pace, taking their respective balances up 7.6 percent and 4.4 percent to $6,245 and $3,316.
How Americans’ revolving debt has changed over the years
The amount Americans owe their credit card issuers has fluctuated with national events and the economic climate.
- Credit card debt as a share of disposable income hit a high of nearly 8 percent during the Great Recession in 2008, then steadily dropped over the years, reaching 6 percent in 2010, the 2021 Credit Card Market Monitor by the American Bankers Association recorded.
- Outstanding credit card debt as a percentage of disposable income hit an all-time low of 4 percent in 2021, but it steadily ticked back up to 4.98 percent in Q3 2022, according to the 2023 Credit Card Market Monitor.
- The ABA also notes that credit card debt’s share of disposable income has been slowly climbing back to pre-pandemic levels.
Do most people pay credit card bills in full or carry a balance?
Consumers who pay their credit card bill in full every month and avoid interest are known as “transactors,” while consumers who carry a balance and pay interest are referred to as “revolvers.” The share of revolvers outnumbered that of transactors in Q3 2022, the ABA reports.
- The number of transactors fell 0.57 percentage points to 33.6 percent of all credit card accounts from Q2 to Q3 2022. In the same time period, the number of revolvers rose 1.17 percentage points to 43.4 percent.
- The number of dormant accounts during that period edged down 0.6 percentage points to 23 percent. From Q1 2021 to Q3 2022, the share of dormant accounts has dropped 2.5 percentage points, suggesting that more consumers are turning to their credit cards, likely as a result of inflationary pressures.
Delinquencies on credit card debt
- From Q3 2021 to Q3 2022, the percent of accounts 90 to 180 days past due rose 0.29 percentage points. In 2022, the amount of accounts with late payments of 90 days or more was 0.63 percent.
- The percentage of accounts that were 60 to 89 days delinquent rose 0.43 percentage points from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022. Such accounts made up 1.01 percent of all credit card accounts in 2022.
- As for accounts 30 to 59 days late, the number rose 0.63 percentage points. These accounts were 1.67% of all credit card accounts in Q3 2022.
Tips and tools for getting out of credit card debt
Many Americans are challenged by credit card debt as their card rates have gone up to around 20 percent. If you’re one of them, consider taking advantage of tools that can help you get out of debt faster and pay less interest overall. Here are some strategies to help get out of debt.
Apply for a balance transfer credit card
A balance transfer credit card is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to pay down credit card debt. A balance transfer card typically offers a 0 percent introductory APR for 12 to 18 months (or even 21 months), depending on the card. Paying off your balance on a card with a 0 percent intro APR would allow your payments to go toward your principal rather than your interest charges.
Keep in mind that the card may charge a balance transfer fee of 3 to 5 percent. You’ll have to crunch the numbers to see if the balance transfer fee is worth it for you, depending on how much you’ll save from interest charges with the intro APR.
A balance transfer card may be the right choice for you if you have good credit and know you can pay off your debt in a year to a year and a half with a zero-interest offer.
Consolidate debt with a personal loan
A debt consolidation loan may be another option if you have good-to-excellent credit and you’re juggling debt on multiple credit cards, possibly with some other types of debt mixed in.
In addition to possibly lowering your APR, a personal loan will have fixed monthly payments that may make it easier to plan and budget. If you do get a personal loan, be sure you don’t compound your problem by racking up debt on your credit cards again.
Get a side hustle or sell your stuff
If you have bad credit and suspect you won’t qualify for a balance transfer card or personal loan, bringing in extra cash may be the way to go. One option is to get a side gig that fits your schedule. You could get a part-time job or become a rideshare driver or a freelance writer. Consider also offering a service, such as walking dogs or mowing lawns.
Another possibility is selling electronics, furniture, unused exercise equipment or other valuable items that are collecting dust around your home.
Finally, you may be able to borrow funds from a friend or family member. Raising extra money is one of the best ways to get out of debt because you can chip away at your principal and reduce the amount of interest you pay overall.
Sign up for credit counseling
For anyone who feels overwhelmed by their debt and uncertain of the available options, consider making an appointment with a reputable nonprofit credit counseling agency. Most credit counseling agencies offer debt management plans (DMPs). The agency may negotiate with the credit card companies on your behalf to lower both your interest rates and your monthly payments. In this case, you would make one monthly payment to the agency, which distributes the funds to your creditors.
You should know, however, that if you sign up for a DMP, you’ll have to close the credit card accounts that carry the debts you plan to pay off. This reduces the amount of credit available to you, changing your credit utilization ratio and likely lowering your credit score. But getting out of debt will make your credit stronger in the future.
Consumers have turned more to their cards to stay afloat and have been more inclined to carry a balance as prices of essentials, such as food, shelter and gas, have risen. As a result, the average credit card balance in 2022 increased since 2021 to $5,910. Nevertheless, there are methods to curb carrying credit card debt from month to month so that you avoid incurring more interest charges in this high-inflation economy.


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Audi Australia has issued a recall for 2020 model-year examples of the A4, A5, A6 and A7 with 2.0 TFSI mild-hybrid engines over a fire risk.
The German marque reports the 29 affected vehicles, manufactured between May 2017 and March 2020, may have a fault where a gap in the starter-alternator housing could allow moisture in.
Should the condition occur, the component could overheat, posing a fire risk.
“If the component overheats it may catch fire, posing a risk of injury to vehicle occupants, bystanders and/or damage to property,” Audi says in its recall notice.
“Consumers who notice a smouldering smell while the vehicle is moving should park the vehicle safely outside as soon as possible and contact an Audi dealer.”
“As a precaution, consumers should park their vehicle outside only (avoid parking undercover) and not wash the engine until the component has been replaced,” the company adds.
As noted above, this recall affected Audi A4, A5, A6 and A7 models fitted with the 2.0 TFSI turbo petrol engine with 48V mild-hybrid system.
- A total of 29 vehicles affected by this recall
- A VIN list for recalled vehicles is attached here
- The original recall notice is attached here
Owners of the recalled Audi models will be contacted by Audi Australia, or are otherwise advised to get in touch with their local dealer to arrange the inspection and repair of their vehicle.
For more information, contact 1800 50 AUDI (2834).


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As per a property listing on a leading online real estate and property portal of the United Kingdom called Rightmove, a vendor has put up a property for sale and is ready to accept payment in number one cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The property that the vendor is trying to sell is a 150-year-old church, built in the 18th century, that is later converted into a 7-bedroom character property.
The reports note the price of the property to be 1.2 million British Pounds that amounts to around 1.5 million dollars. The listing also mentions that the closing price in BTC is subject to agreement and confirmation by the vendor. Moreover, the pricing in Bitcoin would be based on the cryptocurrency’s market pricing at the same time.
Divulging more information, the listing revealed that the property was once St. Laurence’s Church, built in the year 1871, located in Middleton One Row, County Durham. It was designed by an architect named JP Pritchett, who was based in Darlington.
It is important to consider that the United Kingdom has been quite friendly so far when it comes to digital currency payments. In April this year, Corporate Traveller, the biggest travel management firm of the UK, announced its decision to start accepting payments in Bitcoin. Corporate Traveller entered into a collaboration with BitPay, a renowned crypto payments firm, for the purpose.


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Microsoft is targets business professional as new clients looking to replace their old laptops with the new Surface Pro 4. Microsoft is also attempting to provoke Apple with its argument that the Surface “runs all your desktop software,” a reference to the fact that the new tablet will be running Windows 10 Pro.
Previous TV ads for the Surface Pro 4 show real people using the tablet, and they state that many of its features can’t be found on their Macs. Microsoft’s latest commercial for the Surface Pro 4 puts the 2-in-1 tablet directly against the MacBook Air, claiming that it is much better than Apple’s notebook.
Microsoft has been on a spree with several recent ads gunning for Apple, comparing the Surface Book with the MacBook Pro, the Surface Pro 4 with the iPad Pro or Windows 10 with OS X.
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This is not the first time when Microsoft decide to slams Apple with a new Surface Pro commercial. Two weeks ago, Apple released “What’s a computer?” a commercial — which you can watch below — designed to sell the iPad Pro super tablet as a full-fledged replacement for a laptop.
Apple has added a host of new features in its iPad Pro, including a Surface Pro-like detachable keyboard. Microsoft in its ad mocked this new addition. The company’s virtual assistant Cortana is shown talking to Apple’s counterpart Siri. Siri is heard telling Cortana that the new iOS tablet got a keyboard to make things easier. “I just got a keyboard. I’m a computer now, like you,” Siri said in the commercial.
Apart from these, Microsoft focuses on the iPad’s lack of “power” to describe itself as a computer, by mocking the lack of an Intel processor and full desktop versions of MS Office. The ad ends by claiming that “Surface does more, just like you.”
What do you think of this latest Surface Pro 4 ad? Let us know in the comments!


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Coca-Cola India announced that the Coca-Cola system will invest an additional $3 billion in India through 2020 to further capture growth opportunities in the country’s fast-growing non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverage market. With the new investment, the Coca-Cola system now plans to invest $5 billion in India through 2020, the company noted.
Coca-Cola India announced a USD $2 billion investment in the country’s system beginning in 2010 for the next five years. The investment is designed to further capture the opportunity in the non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverage market in the country.
The January 2017 issue of Beverage Industry includes our 2017 Bottler of the Year cover story as well as articles about new product development, packaging, health and wellness products and more. Check it out today!


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Arkane Studios, the developers of the Dishonored series and the 2017 Prey games, might have something to reveal to us at the Bethesda E3 Showcase 2018. The company posted a photo today in celebration of Prey’s anniversary, with the showcase’s date scribbled on a whiteboard at the back of the photo.
Exactly what this means, however, we can’t really say. Sure, it could be some sort of deadline date to have a game ready to show at the Bethesda E3 Showcase 2018 this summer, it could also just be a reminder for the studio when the showcase is. While we haven’t heard of Arkane working on anything since they released Dishonored: Death of the Outsider last September, they could be making something new in secret.
If it does turn out to be a new game, we can at least look forward to it, since it’s Arkane. The studio has developed consistently stellar games, even though Prey had a slow launch even in spite of its positive reviews. Whether it will be a new Dishonored game, a sequel to Prey, or something entirely different, such as a new, original game.
It might even be a side-game to Prey in the same way that Death of the Outsider was a side game to Dishonored. Numerous hints on the official Prey Twitter hinted that there would be something taking place on the Moon, and with Earth in that game apparently under invasion from the Typhon, we might discover more backstory about the Typhon if that expansion ever comes to fruition.
Either way, we’ll just have to wait until June 10 of this year at the Bethesda E3 Showcase 2018 to see if anything comes out of Arkane, and if anything does, it’ll hopefully be good. The previous Bethesda showcase gave us Wolfenstein 2, so hopefully something along those lines of great will be up next on the show floor.


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Mar 19, 2013, 11:32 pm2k ptsJust hours after word leaked that Apple had poached Adobe's chief technology officer, the Internet is ablaze with the question of what, exactly, the iPhone maker plans to do with Kevin Lynch.
Rumor: Apple to debut new Macs at March event Apple World Today 602
Use Workflow 1.7 for iPhone to quickly save notes and images AppleInsider 503
Rumor: Apple, Broadcom working on a customized wireless charging system Apple World Today 362
QuickerTek announces 5TB Time Capsule performance upgrade Apple World Today 352


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The developer behind recent THQ success UFC Trainer on Xbox 360 has dished out an astonishing attack on both Sony’s PlayStation Vita and Nintendo’s 3DS.
"If people aren’t willing to pay $249 for a Nintendo 3DS why would they pay $299 for Vita?” Heavy Iron Studio’s Lyle Hall told Games Industry.
"The technology is sweet, I’m a huge fan of mobile technology, but I just don’t know there’s a market out there anymore for the hardware. I can’t see why you would want to put a device out that only does games.
"The consumer has spoken. We wanted to see that world exist – more players, more opportunities for us, but at the same time people don’t want that.
People don’t want to carry more than one thing in their pocket, that’s why Android and iPhone have done so well, they are the devices of choice, they offers multiple functions outside of gaming.”
Fellow Heavy Iron dev Matthew Seymour went one further: "With all due respects to Sony and Vita, it’s a car wreck. And how about Xperia Play? I’d love to pull up the numbers on that."


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Legal notice regarding insolvency fund for package travellers
Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis yesterday launched a legal notice that would set up an insolvency fund for package travel.
Through this fund, package travel operators will guarantee the funds of those who have booked outgoing packages through licensed operators in case one of the companies becomes insolvent. The fund would not go below €500,000 and if it does, the package travel operators would need to top it up.
The initial €500,000 will be paid equally among the operators, but from year one, it would depend on the amount of packages sold by an operator. There are some 70 operators.
A managing board would be set up to oversee the operation of the fund. Operators will be bound to issue certificates to consumers who purchase package travel, and consumers will only be eligible for refunds, should the operator go bankrupt, if they have such certificates. In addition, information regarding these certificates and details of packages sold will be made available online for operators themselves, as well as the board.
A small fee will be charged with each issue of a certificate to consumers.
The minister also said that through the issuing of certificates, he hopes that any possible unlicensed operators would be caught out.
Back in 2013, a spotlight was shone onto the issue when Fantasy Tours went bankrupt, and a number of trips were cancelled even though they were paid for.
Payments for past incidents will not be covered through this legal notice.
Edward Zammit Lewis


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Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has asked relative ministries and agencies to formulate a pilot plan to allow foreign tourists to claim refund of value added tax (VAT) when they buy goods in Vietnam.
|Foreign tourists shop at Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City.|
VAT refunds aim to lure more foreign tourists to Vietnam and are part of a program to boost tourism.
The plan will be firstly piloted at international airports and in big cities.
The Government will also exempt visa fees for international tourists to Vietnam to join big tourism promotion events.
The deputy PM has also urged the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to set up a long-term project to boost tourism, especially a strategy to develop tourism through 2020, with a vision to 2030.
After a proposal from the tourism sector in April, the Government agreed to grant free visas to foreign visitors to Vietnam in August and September as part of a national shopping promotion program.
The Government also allowed them to claim refund of VAT when buying goods during the two months under the “Impressive Vietnam Grand Sale 2010” program.
It was the second time the tourism sector asked the government to exempt international tourists to the country from visa fees.
Last year, after a proposal from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the government agreed to exempt visa fees for foreign visitors when they booked packaged tours under a promotion campaign dubbed “Impressive Vietnam”. The campaign ended in late last year.
According to Vu The Binh, Director of the Department of Travel under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the exemption is a chance to boost the country’s tourism and encourage travel firms to compete fairly by improving their tourism services.
He said the exemption not only helps tourists save on expenses but also lures more international tourists to Vietnam in the coming time.
Vietnam expects to welcome 4.2 million visitors this year.


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One-time expenses for early retirement of 200 employees caused the company a NIS 37 million second-quarter loss.
Partner's television service which surpassed 100,000 subscribers, helped boost its revenue from landline services.
The Chinese brand today opened its first store in Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv.
Kan will take a loan in order to deposit the guarantee required by the European Broadcasting Union.
The company's AI algorithm also automatically generates broadcast summaries.
The international fashion brand Reserved is offering hundreds of trending items for women at affordable prices
One Equity Partners has acquired Ericsson's video and TV division and renamed it MediaKind.
A decline in operating profit at the supermarket chain was offset by a rise in the value of its assets and a lower finance expense.
The cancellation comes after investment institutions demanded a 40% cut in the offering price.
Datorama has grown rapidly into a company with significant revenue and major customers, but its contribution to Salesforce lies ahead.
Merging with Hoodies gives Castro the size and variety needed to compete in today's fashion market.
This year's Viva Technology show highlighted Africa's emerging high-tech scene, but Israeli startups made an exciting contribution.


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Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) have upped their stake in Nintendo from 5,01 per cent to 6,07 per cent.
PIF previously had 5.01 per cent stake in Nintendo but have decided to buy additional shares. PIF is still Nintendo's third-largest shareholder behind The Master Trust Bank of Japan (17,63 per cent) and Custody Bank of Japan (6,47).
Nintendo are one of the biggest console manufacturers and video game companies in the world with video game franchises like Super Mario , The Legend of Zelda and Kirby . Their console Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in 2021 and 2022, beating PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S by quite a margin according to VG Charts .
Toto also reports that PIF announced today that they have invested in South Korean game developer Kakao Entertainment , known for the gorgeous MMORPG Elyon.
"It was just announced Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) upped its stake in Nintendo from 5.01% to 6.07%. The same fund also today said it invested in South Korean game and messenger giant Kakao Entertainment," Toto tweeted.
Saudi Arabia are aggressively investing in gaming
Such investments from PIF shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone following the games industry as PIF are no stranger to investments in game publishers.
PIF hold a $2.9 billion stake in Activision Blizzard, a $1.9 billion stake in Electronic Arts and a $1.4 billion stake in Take-Two Interactive as per Front Office Sports.
PIF-owned Savvy Games Group (SGG) recently also announced major plans to invest $38 billion to kick off Saudi Arabia's gaming and esports ecosystem by establishing 250 video game companies by 2023.
PlayStation Plus game catalogue for January 2023 revealed
- Phil Spencer says Microsoft are not slowing down with acquisitions
- Bethesda confirm standalone Starfield deep dive is in the works
- Hogwarts Legacy Steam pre-order numbers are on fire; console sales "very strong" too
- Will 2023 be the year of Xbox?


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The search has officially begun to find Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2014.
|Guest Judge, 2 Michelin Star Chef Philip Howard of The Square Restaurant in London|
Young professional chefs between 18-26 from any catering background can enter online via www.youngchef.ie. Entry closes on Tuesday, September 30th at 12 noon. Candidates will later be notified if they have made it to stage two of the competition.
Euro-Toques Ireland is looking for three key ingredients when selecting candidates:
- a passion for Irish produce and food heritage
- outstanding cooking talent
- the ability to showcase their creations as a sharing experience.
Ireland’s top 5 young chefs will compete for the title at a culinary skills test Final, on Sunday 23rd of November, in Dublin and will cook for guests at an exciting event that evening where the winner will be announced.
Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2014, in association with Fáilte Ireland and industry sponsor La Rousse Foods, is the perfect launch-pad for a fresh young chef to walk in the footsteps of Ireland’s most recognised culinary artists such as Myrtle Allen, Ross Lewis, Kevin Thornton or Derry Clarke.
The Euro-Toques Ireland judges are looking to be enthralled this year by exciting tastes, interesting traditions and refreshing experiences.
|The 2013 Young Chef winner Mark Moriarty will be one of this year’s judges|
Successful candidates will be involved in a number of competition stages and events between now and the end of November and will be judged by some of Ireland’s most respected chefs including Wade Murphy, President of Euro-Toques Ireland, Domini Kemp.
The 2013 winner, Chef Mark Moriarty, will also be judging. Mark, in his role as Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year has cooked at Taste of Dublin, Electric Picnic and events in Paris and Boston this year. Mark is currently teaching in Cooks Academy having previously worked in The Greenhouse Restaurant.
|Chef Wade Murphy, President of Euro-Toques Ireland|
Speaking at the launch Wade Murphy, President of Euro-Toques and proprietor of Restaurant 1826 Adare, said: “Sourcing of top quality local and seasonal food is at the core of what Euro-Toques is about and that will always be there, but we also need to start recognising the huge culinary talent that exists in this country and that is creating a really exciting food scene across Ireland. I feel very passionate about passing on knowledge and skills to the next generation of chefs and nurturing their raw talent and ability – that is what the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year is all about.”
|Helen McDaid, Food Tourism Manager at Failte Ireland|
“Ireland has long been recognised for the beauty of its landscapes, the buzz of its cities, and the warmth of its people” said Helen McDaid, Food Tourism Manager at Failte Ireland. “Now visitors are coming for its food and drink too. Ireland’s culinary reputation is growing both at home and abroad and so it is important to continually seek out young chefs who champion Irish cooking and nurture their talents. Fáilte Ireland is delighted to be involved with the Euro-Toques Young Chef for a third year as it provides the opportunity to identify and celebrate this new wave of inspired chefs who represent the future of Irish cuisine.”
|This year’s Industry Sponsor is La Rousse Foods|
Closing date for entry is September 30th 2014 at 12.00 noon.
Watch & Share this Euro-Toques Young Chef 2014 Promo Video:
For more information on the competition and details on entry log onto www.youngchef.ie


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Digital Payments RSS
For several decades, incumbent banks have held a comfortable leadership position in payments. But the rapid growth of digital payments has signalled opportunity for new market entrants to attack this... read more
Artificial Intelligence driven technology is gaining momentum in the digital payments market, both in backend operations and customer-facing payment systems. Over the past few years, the digital payments market has... more
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As the global face of financial technology changes beyond all recognition, the need for the right kinds of payments solutions to be in place has never been greater. Built to... more
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I am sure that the entire payments community is looking for some good news! So here we go, the increasing number of mobile phone users and the massive growth of... more
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Independent research conducted for the Digital and Card Payments Yearbooks suggests that account-to-account digital payments may be starting to replace card payments in some of the world’s most advanced payments... more
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Movado Group Inc. swung to a fourth-quarter and full-year profit, citing improved brand positioning and refined product lines.
For the three months ended Jan. 31, income attributable to Movado was $10.7 million, or 42 cents a diluted share, against a loss of $31 million, or $1.25, a year ago. Sales rose 21.2 percent to $122.4 million from $101 million.
For the year, income was $32 million, or $1.27 a diluted share, against a loss of $47.2 million, or $1.91, last year. Sales rose 22.5 percent to $468.1 million from $382.2 million.
Efraim Grinberg, chairman and chief executive officer, said, “Our strong results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year demonstrate the traction we are gaining from the strategic initiatives we began implementing last year.”
He explained that the company has refined its product lines and introduced more frequent innovation.
“We believe we are only beginning to see the benefits from these initiatives and, with a solid foundation in place and consistent execution against these initiatives, remain confident in our ability to sustain positive momentum into fiscal 2013 and beyond,” Grinberg concluded.
Rick Cote, president and chief operating officer, said the firm generated free cash flow of $78 million for the full year and increased its net cash position to $182 million, which enabled Movado to reinvest in growing the business.
The company is forecasting income of between $27 million to $28 million for fiscal year 2013, or diluted earnings per share of $1.10, on sales of between $500 million to $505 million.
Separately, the board approved payment of a special cash dividend of 50 cents for each share of the firm’s outstanding common stock and class A common stock, to be paid on May 15 to all shareholders on the close of business on April 30. The board also approved an increase in the firm’s quarterly cash dividend to 5 cents.
“What he has done at Vuitton is really exceptional,” said @gameofthrones’ actress Gwendoline Christie on @mrkimjones’ final show for @louisvuitton. “He has rebooted luxury in terms of making it commercial, viable and contemporary. And most importantly artistic. He has never compromised his artistic vision for the sake of commodity.” (📷: @zefashioninsider)
After seeing a demand for men’s wear from its customers, British contemporary women’s wear label @ariesarise has added a men’s wear component and will launch a unisex collection with @mrporterlive. The 20-piece collection includes jackets, denim, logo T-shirts and more with deconstructed ‘90s vibes. Set to launch on January 18, you can shop the pieces on Aries’ website and on mrporter.com. #wwdfashion
“And so spending so much time with a character who thinks like that, inevitability you try and analyze yourself and go back and think about your own demons and dark chapters that you had in your life,” says @thedanielbruhl of his role in TNT’s “The Alienist.” The show, set in the Gilded Age of New York, also stars Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans. Head to WWD.com to read about how 39-year-old Brühl prepared for the role and why he thinks the show is so relevant to today #wwdeye ( 📷: @Eriktanner)
Now that Celine Dion’s collection has topped $10 million in sales, the pop superstar, fashion icon and newly-minted industry player is eyeing growth in Asia. Read the full report by @tiffanyap, link in bio. #wwdnews #celinedion
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
Among the familiar faces at @off____white’s show was a surprise figure: Japanese artist @takashipom, pictured here on Wednesday morning. Other show-goers included @jerrylorenzo, who spoke about his upcoming project: a @nike collaboration for back to school, with designs inspired by his childhood on the West Coast. Sitting in the front row were Future, Don Crawley, @miguel and more. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: Stephane Feugere)
According to @laurentsai, former “Terrace House: Aloha State” cast member, she didn’t know she was auditioning for the Japanese version of “Real World.” “I was telling a couple of my friends and someone’s like, ‘That sounds a lot like Terrace House.’ I was like, ’No it can’t be.’” Turns out, it was. But Tsai isn’t just a reality star — she’s an illustrator who has worked with Starbucks Japan and most recently, she’s dipping her toes into the fashion world. Head to WWD.com to read about her time on the show, modeling and her art. #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
More changes are coming to New York Fashion Week: Beginning with the spring 2019 collection, @alexanderwangny will move his New York show to June from September, adopting a biannual schedule with collections shown in June and December. Additionally, the @cfda is planning for an official summer/winter fashion season taking place as soon as June and December 2018. Read more about the upcoming changes on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @slovekinpics)


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GI mathematics – what is their true economic value for Europe and brand owners?
A recent study from the European Commission has attempted to measure the economic value of geographical indications (GIs). The findings suggest that GIs play an important role in the EU economy, with GI-protected products generating worldwide sales worth €54.3 billion in 2010. But can future research – such as OHIM’s upcoming ‘IP Impact’ study – do more to understand the whole picture when it comes to the value that GIs add?
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Adelman Travel Group said Wednesday that president and chief financial officer Bob Chaiken has been named chief executive officer of the Milwaukee travel company.
Chaiken has held a number of positions with Adelman over the past 20 years. He was named president and chief financial officer of Adelman in 2008. Cline has been with Adelman since 1995, and has also held several positions with Adelman before being named chief operating officer, also in 2008.
"Both Bob and Steve have been with Adelman Travel a long time," said Craig Adelman in a press release. "Together, they are responsible for some remarkable successes for our company, including a projected 64 percent increase in sales since the recession began in 2007."
Adelman said the company projects 2013 sales of $609 million, compared with $372 million in 2007.


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— Don Graham, CEO, Washington Post Company, on the Washington Post’s pay model strategies.
posts about or somewhat related to ‘pay models’
A lean and mean strategy.
New York Times Co is completing plans to charge readers for online news after spending a year studying websites such as Consumer Reports and WeightWatchers…
…The company largely avoided other media websites for inspiration, choosing instead of focus on an Internet model created by The Financial Times, owned by Pearson Plc.
"There’s lots to be learned in regard to pricing across a myriad of industries, and I think we’ve really done a lot of homework," Robinson said, citing "everything from Consumer Reports to WeightWatchers."


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Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker NIO plans to start selling its ET7 luxury cars in Germany by the fourth quarter of 2022. “Entering Germany is an objective that we’re striving for,” William Li, NIO’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Interest is very high with many requests from potential users there.”
The Shanghai-based EV maker, Beijing-based Li Auto and Guangzhou-based Xpeng Motors are viewed as Chinese start-ups most likely to challenge US carmaker Tesla, the runaway leader in China’s EV market. Germany will be NIO’s second European market after Norway.
The ET7 was launched at the beginning of this year. Its standard edition, with a 70 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery and a driving range of 500 kilometres, has been priced at 448,000 yuan (US$69,500) in China.
The EV’s extended edition will be powered by a 150kWh battery and is said to have a range of 1,000 kilometre, which would make it the EV with the world’s farthest driving range. Production has yet to start on any variant and NIO has not revealed a price for the extended range ET7.
NIO’s Germany announcement came after its sales in mainland China hit a speed bump in August, with deliveries slumping 26 per cent from a month earlier. Trailing Tesla, NIO and its Chinese competitors have come to car assembly in the last decade. They are no beginning to set their eyes on the global market, echoing Beijing’s ambitions of turning China’s EV industry into a global powerhouse.
The carmaker, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, announced in May that Norway would be its first overseas market, and that it would sell its ES8 sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) in the European country starting this month.
The Shanghai-based EV maker’s three previous production models have all been SUVs, and Li said the ET7 had been designed to take on cars such as Audi’s A6. NIO is expected to deliver ET7s to mainland customers in the first quarter of next year.
“The ET7 is fitted with some new technologies and NIO needs to prove that the new model can grab a sizeable market share from international marques such as BMW and Audi,” said Tian Maowei, a sales manager at Yiyou Auto Service in Shanghai. “Germany will be a big and difficult market for NIO’s vehicles.”
These new technologies include a solid-state battery, which is viewed as safer, and more reliable and more efficient than the existing lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries. It will also have NIO’s autonomous driving system, as well as an 8 megapixel self-driving HD camera, a world first, and a supercomputing platform Adam, which is equipped with four NVIDIA Orin chips.
NIO has hired Alex Schwarz, previously with Airbnb, PayPal and eBay, as its European CEO. Initially, it said that it would only export Chinese-made vehicles to Europe, but added later that local production would be considered.
NIO’s local competitor Xpeng sells its G3 SUVs and P7 saloon cars in Norway, while Li Auto said last month that it was mulling an overseas assembly in line with the company’s go global strategy.


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A new creative venue will open in Tattenhall on September 14.
Ditzy Rose Makery will specialise in hosting craft workshops and selling handmade items in its gift shop at its premises in Century House on High Street.
Owner Nikki Barraclough says her new business will ‘support and showcase talented local craftspeople’ and is somewhere to be inspired to learn a new craft and make friends.
Monthly Knit & Natter and Stitch & Chat sessions will be held on a Thursday morning each month and ‘crafternoon’ sessions will be every Thursday afternoon – where you can come and try your hand at something different each week.
Sewing classes will be held for adults weekly on Thursday evenings and for children on Saturday mornings.
After-school craft clubs for children will run during school term times.
There will also be a variety of one-off workshops running throughout the year and school holiday sewing and craft camp days and children’s craft parties.
Ditzy Rose Makery will celebrate its launch with an opening evening from 6pm-8pm on Thursday, September 14.
There will be prosecco and nibbles, and local makers and tutors will be demonstrating their crafts.


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The economy grew by a whopping 2.9% in terms of inflation rates in the fourth quarter of 2022. This faster-than-expected performance occurred amid significant headwinds, particularly higher interest rates. But continued monetary tightening and, more importantly, huge fiscal policy uncertainty over the Republicans’ stance on letting the federal government pay its bills could cripple the economy and tip it into recession.
Today’s economic release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis includes a number of good news that are worth highlighting as they reflect great resilience in the face of formidable obstacles. The economy grew by 2.9% in the last three months of 2022. It should be noted that consumer spending barely fell from its pace of 2.3% in the third quarter to 2.1% in the fourth quarter of last year. consumer spending Prices of commodities such as cars, furniture and medicine rose again after falling 0.4 percent in the previous quarter. And, spending on services Such as utilities, housing, health care and going out to eat slowed but still It grew at a solid 2.6%..
Two factors helped support consumer spending at the end of 2022. First, inflation has eased. The price index for personal consumption expenditures — the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation — rose 3.2% in the fourth quarter, down from 4.3% in the third quarter. This reduction in inflation frees up money for consumers to keep spending on essentials like housing and healthcare. Second, Non-inflationary personal income The inflation rate outpaced the growth rate as it grew by 5.6% in the last three months of 2022. After-tax income grew faster at 6.3%, helped by “stimulus payments in the form of one-time refundable tax credits.” Still, Wages and salaries It also grew faster than inflation of 4.9% in the fourth quarter, reflecting a A very strong job market With a near-record low unemployment rate and continued wage gains. Economic performance remains strong with the risk of inflation receding and households continuing to see more money in their portfolios.
It wasn’t just families that fueled economic growth. Business spending also played its part. Increasing business spending on intellectual property such as software 5.3% in terms of inflation rates. As investments in inventories accelerated, contributes 1.46 percentage points to the overall growth rate at the end of 2022. These factors are likely to indicate that companies see continued growth in the future and therefore want to be prepared for increased demand.
That wasn’t all in terms of good news for the economy. Imports fell faster than exports and federal government spending on non-defense items jumped at the end of the year. American businesses and consumers imported fewer computers and industrial supplies. This could be a sign of a shift to more domestic production, but also of lower demand for computers, for example. At the same time, the number of foreign visitors to the United States increased It means more exports of travel and transportation services. Furthermore, the increase in non-defense spending by the federal government Reflected double-digit spending increase In structures such as office buildings, but also in software. Likewise, state and local governments increased spending in all categories — structures, equipment, research and development, among others — at the end of the year. These spending increases have begun to address significant infrastructure shortfalls, and will likely be supported by President Biden signing various pieces of legislation such as the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. These laws provided much-needed funds to state and local governments and greatly boosted infrastructure investments across many areas.
However, the data also highlights some of the risks the economy faces. Consumer spending in general has slowed. Households have also been reduced housing spending increased by 26.7% in the fourth quarter after declining by 27.1% in the third quarter. The decline in housing is the clearest sign of the negative effects of higher interest rates due to aggressive monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve.
Higher interest rates, and especially the risk that the Federal Reserve will go too far in a slowing economy, is not the only danger. the The financial recklessness of the New Republican A majority in the House of Representatives could significantly slow down many factors that are currently contributing positively to economic growth and thus increase the risk of a recession. Homemade policy risks can depress the dollar and raise import prices. It could stop business investment and it could slow government investment. As a follow-up, job and wage growth could slow and thus reduce consumer spending. The economy is currently very resilient in the face of great challenges, but this resilience can only overcome many obstacles. A political gamble with the government’s finances by House Republicans could be too big a hurdle.