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Finland may be the first country in Europe (and the world) that is providing universal basic income (UBI) to a microcosm of its population in a pilot program, but other places such as Australia and Hawaii are keen to follow in its footsteps.
According to an Independent report, the Finnish government has been providing a monthly allowance of €560 or US$630 to 2,000 citizens chosen at random. Unlike traditional welfare, recipients of the UBI are not required to seek employment or make regular reports to the authorities about how they are spending their money. They will still get the stipend even if they do find work.
The lucky Finnish citizens who have been receiving UBI’s maintain that their stress levels have decreased. They no longer feel the indignity or pressure of filling up forms or going through interviews just to receive their welfare check. They also say that they can finally pursue more productive ventures without having to worry about their financial bottom line.
While those responses have made the Finnish government regard the pilot program a success so far, the main reason that prompted the creation of their UBI was to stave off unemployment. This is also the primary motivation that is fuelling various political parties in other countries to seriously consider UBI for their respective constituents.
Government representatives in Ontario regard it as an option to combat the various “challenges” facing their economy. Meanwhile, in Australia, respondents in a survey asked as to their perception of UBI see it as an equalizer for the disenfranchised. According to The Guardian, farmers and indigenous people see the regular monthly stipend, given without any conditions, as a way out of poverty, jobs with glass ceilings, or a system that is ‘beset with systemic inequities.”
The U.S. state Hawaii, though, may be the first one to actually implement a UBI system next to Finland. As noted by an AOL report, its Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would engineer an actual study that can possibly lead to a pilot program that would introduce UBI to its economy. Proponents of the bill say that UBI may be the safety net that could shelter their citizens from a bleak economic future once AI and machines start cutting jobs from the state’s main revenue generator, the service industries.
Just last month, Born2Invest reported Mark Zuckerberg’s support for a universal basic income to help develop creativity.
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Search Results for: Peter Schreyer
There is a corner of the Korean auto industry which, if not forever German, is taking on an increasingly strong Teutonic influence. just-auto catches up with Hyundai-Kia design chief Peter Schreyer and his colleagues.
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group wants be known for world-class — not just cheap — cars, and one of Germany’s top designers is helping lead its transformation. Peter Schreyer, a president of the company that controls Kia Motors...
At the 2016 New York Auto Show Genesis has presented the New York Concept, a show car that anticipates the design of the upcoming G70 D-segment premium sedan.
Hyundai has released the first images of the G90, a luxury sedan that will mark the launch of its new Genesis premium brand.
The Hyundai Vision G Coupe Concept will serve as an inspiration for the company's family of future premium products.
Hyundai Motor has unveiled the first hints about the design of the upcoming all-new Tucson, the compact SUV which will premiere at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
Former Renault design chief Patrick le Quement has been selected as the winner of the Lifetime Design Achievement Award given by given annually by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.
Korean car brand Kia’s turbo design acceleration under auto ace Peter Schreyer Wallpaper* went to Kia’s Namyang Design Centre in South Korea to speak to the director of the Kia Styling Group, Sae-Young Song about Schreyer’s...
Set to debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the Hyundai Intrado Concept is a crossover that combines aircraft-inspired lightweight materials with a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain and an evolution of the fluidic sculpture design philosophy.
Hyundai has announced that at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show it will present the Intrado Concept, a show car that will showcase the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language and some innovative technologies.
Salon Privé and the Royal College of Art today have released the preview images of some of the designs that will be featured in the ‘Concours of the Future’ exhibition in September.
Kia has revealed the CUB Concept, a design study of a compact four-door coupe created at the company's Seoul-based design studio taking inspiration from the 2007 Kee Concept.
Presented at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, the Kia Cross GT Concept translates the design language of the GT sedan into the large crossover segment, previewing the brand’s future premium aesthetic.
Kia has revealed a design sketch that previews the 2013 pro_cee’d GT sporty hatchback, expected for market launch in the second half of 2013.
A report from the AutoDesign Prague 2012, the automoive design conference held on 18 October 2012, which saw the participation of independent designers and representatives from Porsche, Jaguar, Škoda, Volkswagen and Volvo.
Schreyer says designers need to stay ahead of customers’ expectations When Kia Motors released its ambitious K-series, represented by the premium sedan K9 earlier this year, auto enthusiasts were more than thrilled. The vehicles were nothing like...
Kia has released new images and information on its new flagship sedan, which goes on sale in Korea this month with a V6 unit and a 8-speed automatic transmission.
Kia has unveiled the first images of a new four-door sedan concept, with a sleek, muscular design that signals the brand's new styling direction.

domain: news


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Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) reveal a brand-new campaign from Diet Coke. ‘Give Yourself a Diet Coke Break’ is inviting people to take a moment to refresh and be kind to themselves with a little break.
Launching at the end of June, the first phase of the campaign will run for five weeks and feature on TV, Radio and social media with out-of-home advertising and on-pack activity set to follow later in the year.
The campaign was created by TMW Unlimited and marks Coca-Cola’s return to advertising after brand marketing activity was suspended in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Simon Harrison, Vice President, Commercial Development at Coca-Cola European Partners GB, said: “Since the country went into lockdown, we’ve seen people and communities selflessly go above and beyond to support others. As we begin to see what the new normal might look like and begin the road to recovery, the new Diet Coke campaign aims to remind consumers to take a step back and have a break for themselves.”
Emma Norman, Client Services Director at TMW Unlimited, said: “We were incredibly aware of the need to hit the right note with this campaign and to be sensitive to how everyone is feeling right now. Giving renewed and timely meaning to the brand’s ‘break’ heritage felt like the right thing to do and we’ve used smart neuro cues in our ads to remind everyone of that Diet Coke break feeling. We are hugely proud of the final work – conceived and produced in lockdown with no compromise on quality.


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Victims lost on average over £14,600 due to crypto scams
Losses as a result of “get rich quick” cryptoasset and forex scams exceeded £27m during the 2018/19 financial year, with the number of investors reporting fraud tripling on the previous year’s figures.
Data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveals that of the 1,800 complaints it received over the last financial year, victims lost on average over £14,600.
Crypto and forex fraudsters often target potential victims for the so-called “get rich quick” schemes using social media, posting fake celebrity endorsements and images of luxury items like expensive watches and cars, the FCA explained.
Victims will be lured by professional-looking websites and then be led to believe that their first investment has successfully made a profit, at which point fraudsters will convince victims to invest more money or introduce friends and family with the false promise of greater profits.
“However, eventually the returns stop, the customer account is closed and the scammer disappears with no further contact,” the FCA said.
Cryptoassets like Bitcoin have been thrust into the regulatory spotlight over the last two years, with the growing numbers of fraudulent investments adding to concerns about the volatility and lack of transparency associated with the as-yet unregulated products.
The products are currently on route to face regulation in the UK in addition to a Europe-wide approach being developed by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
As a result, the FCA is working alongside police group Action Fraud as part of the regulator’s ScamSmart campaign to warn investors of the scams via a new marketing campaign.
Launched in 2018, the online ScamSmart portal gives investors guidance on avoiding fraudsters and a platform to report such abuses.
Director of Action Fraud Pauline Smith said the latest statistics on crypto and forex scams “are startling and provide a stark warning that people need to be wary of fake investments on online trading platforms”.
She added: “It is vital that people carry out the necessary checks to ensure that an investment they are considering is legitimate.”
Executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA Mark Steward added the public should be “suspicious of adverts which promise high returns from online trading platforms”.
He added: “Scammers can be very convincing so do your own research into any firm you are considering investing with, to make sure that they are the real deal.
“Before investing online find out how to protect yourself from scams by visiting the ScamSmart website, and if in any doubt – do not invest.”
Commenting on the figures, Laura Suter, personal finance analyst at investment platform AJ Bell, said investors can carry out a few simple checks before committing their money: “If someone calls you out of the blue – hang up, and if the returns sound too good to be true, they probably are.
“Don’t be lured in by an impressive-looking website or any celebrity endorsements, and if your friend recommends something to you, don’t assume that they’ve done all the research for you. Finally, you can check on the regulator’s register to see if the company is legitimate.”


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The new Carnival Executive Forum held its first meeting in August at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. The forum is designed to provide travel agents and Carnival executives with a forum to discuss issues relevant to the cruise industry, including product, sales and marketing policies and distribution. The group will meet twice a year during intensive two-day conferences with members serving two-year terms.
“Travel agents are the largest and most vital part of our distribution system. And while Carnival has always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the travel agent community, this new executive forum offers an opportunity to enhance our dialogue with agents while seeking new ways to make them more successful and profitable in today’s marketplace,” said Lynn Torrent, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest experience.
The 19 travel agent members of the Carnival Executive Forum were specifically chosen to represent a wide range of business models, including traditional brick and mortar agencies, home-based travel agents, consortia and online retailers. They represent agencies of different sizes and from various regions throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The travel agent members include Roberta Christman, AAA Northern California; Brad Anderson, America’s Vacation Center; Sandy Cleary, Cru Con Outlet; Anthony Hamawy, Cruise.com; John Keen, Cruise consultant; Vicky Garcia, Cruise Planners; Michael Drever, CruiseShipCenters; Ross Spalding, Cruise Value Center; Koreen Mcknutt, Expedia; Joyce Landry, Landry & Kling; Makis Xenatos, Liberty Travel; Jackie Friedman, Nexion; Ed Rudner, Online Vacation Center; Marcia Rowley, Our Vacation Center; Filomena Andre, Signature; Mark Jacobs, The Cruise Line Limited; Ken Lorey, Travelocity; Vacations to Go; David Crooks, World Travel Holdings.
Carnival executives participating in the forum include president and CEO Gerry Cahill, executive vice president of marketing and guest experience Ruben Rodriguez, vice president of field sales Joni Rein, and vice president of business development and strategic partnerships Edie Bornstein. Other senior management team will participate in future, as well.
Carnival currently has two 130,000-ton ships on order — Carnival Dream, set to debut Sept. 21, 2009, and Carnival Magic, scheduled to enter service in June 2011.


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Some energy consumers could see bills soar by up to 60% as cheap fixed-rate deals end just as standard tariffs increases kick in
Thousands of households are being hit with 40%-plus increases to their gas and electricity bills – far above the price hikes announced by the big energy firms in recent months. A combination of sneaky changes to billing structures, regional variations and the fact that many popular fixed-price tariffs have come to an end have left furious Guardian Money readers complaining that their bills are set to rise by £300 to £400 a year, contrary to official price rise figures from the major providers.
Most big suppliers (and a number of smaller rivals) announced standard tariff increases of 8% to 15%, with many coming into effect in recent weeks.
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RATHER NOT SUPPORT THE HAMBURGER DRAG-QUEEN BUSINESS ANYMORE.....
McDonalds Homosexual Advocacy Increases - Now Funds Pride Parade
By Tim Waggoner
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - American Family Association Chairman and Founder Donald Wildmon has called for the continuation of the boycott of McDonald's restaurants after the fast food giant announced it has increased its support for the homosexual movement by funding a homosexual pride parade.
"McDonald's says they 'stand by and support our people to live and work in a society free of discrimination and harassment,' here is what they won't tell you. McDonald's helped sponsor the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade," said Wildmon.
McDonald's expressed its support for the Pride parade via a television commercial, in which a company representative said, amidst montage shots of the parade, "McDonald's is proud of our diverse workforce and of our recognition by the Human Rights Campaign as a company that actively demonstrates its commitment to the gay and lesbian community."
AFA previously asked McDonald's to remain neutral in the culture wars after the company paid $20,000 to become an official "organizational ally and corporate partner" of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and secure a seat on the group's board of directors. The NGLCC lobbies against laws protecting marriage as being between a man and a woman.
"The company refused, stating they will continue to support the gay agenda including same-sex marriage. AFA has called for a boycott of McDonald's restaurants," explained Wildmon.
Wildmon assured pro-family advocates, "This boycott is not about hiring homosexuals or how homosexual employees are treated. It is about McDonald's choosing to put the full resources of their corporation behind promoting the homosexual agenda."
In an interview with the Washington Post, McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman declared that those (even Christians) who oppose homosexual marriage are motivated by hate, saying, "hatred has no place in our culture."
Matt Barber, who is the Director of Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel and Associate Dean with Liberty University School of Law, said that Whitman's comments tell Americans, "If you happen to support the historical definition of marriage - which is, and has always been male-female - then you're a ... hatemonger."
Barber said that McDonald's idea of inclusion "only swings one way," referring to the "so-called Employment Non-Discrimination Act," under which "Christians and other business owners with traditional values would be forced - under penalty of law - to abandon sincerely held religious beliefs and adopt McDonald's own secular-humanist, moral-relativist view of right and wrong. In many cases, business owners would be persecuted, even if the business in question were expressly faith-based."
"This pits the government directly against the free exercise of religion and, for that reason, is unconstitutional on its face," he added.
Barber also said that statistics have proven that McDonald's decision to support the homosexual agenda is just "bad business."
"McDonald's is now publicly supporting counterfeit 'same-sex marriage,' despite the fact that, according to a March 2007 CBS/New York Times poll, only 28 percent of Americans believe same-sex pairs should be allowed legally to marry."
"Marriage is a fundamental building block to any healthy society. If you introduce counterfeit money into commerce, the dollar is devalued. If you introduce counterfeit marriage into society, true marriage is devalued and society is harmed," stated Barber. "Yet McDonald's has now thrown its full weight, brand name and presently tarnished reputation behind the push for 'gay marriage' in all 50 states."
AFA is asking all to sign their online boycott McDonald's petition, which can be found here:
McDonald's Ad Promotes Teenage Homosexuality
By James Tillman and John-Henry Westen
France, June 2, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new McDonald's ad in France, part of their large "come as you are" ad campaign, features a homosexual teen speaking sweetly to his male paramour before he is forced to closet his emotions before a presumably insensitive father.
"We see McDonald's decision to backhand hundreds of millions of traditional family values people," Bill Johnson, President of the American Decency Association, told LifeSiteNews, "and align themselves with promoting the godless behavior of a few."
In the ad, a boy sitting in McDonald's receives a call from his lover while his father orders a meal. He tells his lover that he was thinking about him, and that he misses him, before he hangs up because his father is coming.
Kyk die Video hier:
After his father sits down next to him, his father tells him that it is a shame that he is in an all-male class, because otherwise he would be able to get all the girls.
This is not McDonald's first homosexualist activism. In 2008, McDonald's paid $20,000 dollars to become an official "organizational ally and corporate partner" of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).
In the same year, McDonald's also helped sponsor the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade; Richard Ellis, vice president of communications for McDonald's USA, was also appointed to the board of directors of the NGLCC.
Yet because of a boycott started by the American Family Association on July 3rd of that year, Richard Ellis left the board of the NGLCC and McDonald's said that it did not plan to renew its membership with the NGLCC.
Bill Johnson called the new television spot "one of the most bewildering kinds of advertisements when you consider the fact that so many Americans across this country have done business with McDonald's."
He said that they were "testing, testing once again the marketplace, by running obvious[ly] pro-gay ads," despite their previous conflict with pro-family activists.
Contact info for McDonald's:
Andrew J. McKenna, President
McDonald's Corporation USA
Oak Brook, IL 60523
McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ph: (416) 443-3932
Fax: (416) 446-3443
See related stories on LifeSiteNews.com:
Boycott Successful: McDonald's Abandons Homosexual Activism
Golden Arches Awash in Rainbow Colors: Family Group Boycotts McDonalds for Support for Homosexual Agenda
McDonald's Throws up A Smoke Screen to Cover Support for Homosexual Agenda
Ronald McDonald Cozies Up To Homosexual Movement
McDonalds Homosexual Advocacy Increases - Now Funds Pride Parade


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Truly wireless earbuds are all the craze in the world of audio peripherals right now. What started with Apple’s AirPods, has now made its way across to OEMs from across the world. Now Audio-Technica, a Japanese manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, has announced its own set of truly wireless earbuds called ATH-ANC300TW which also feature support for active noise cancellation.
The earbuds are the company’s second attempt at making truly wireless earbuds after they announced the ATH-CKS5TW wireless earbuds last year. The ATH-ANC300TW feature 5.8mm drivers which are said to push some impressive sound. The earbuds support apt and AAC codecs, and also use Qualcomm’s TrueWireless Stereo Plus to minimize latency when paired with a phone powered by a Snapdragon 845 chip or above.
SEE ALSO: Sony WI-1000XM2 Wireless Neckband Earphones With Active Noise Cancellation Launched In India
The marquee feature of the earbuds is its active noise cancellation. The earbuds feature three different modes: Airplane, which targets constant low-frequency noise; Office/Study, which minimises noise in quiet environments; and On-The-Go, which is useful while walking on the street or a crowded public place. Unfortunately, the earbuds don’t switch between these different modes automatically and require manual toggling via its companion application.
The ATH-ANC300TW will compete with the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3 for the title of the best truly wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation.
Instead of touch controls, that have become more commonplace now, the earbuds feature multifunction buttons that let you control music and even activate the hear-through function that’ll let users hear ambient noise.
The earbuds are slightly on the larger side and come housed in a case that’s bigger than average too. In terms of battery, the buds will last about 4.5 hours while the case will provide an additional playback time of 13.5 hours.
The earbuds are slated to release in spring and will retail for USD 230 (~INR 17,000).


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Finally: a very affordable line of Beckham clothing...
Sadly, it’s not from Victoria.
The designer’s son Brooklyn is in advanced talks to sign a £2.5million deal with BoohooMan, at the tender age of 19.
The online retailer already has ranges with England footballer Dele Alli and Brit rapper Stefflon Don.
Some of Dele’s items are currently on sale on the Boohoo site, with denim jackets costing just £15 – a far cry from Brooklyn’s mum Victoria’s range, where a dress costs up to £2,500.
A fashion insider tells the Mirror: “Brooklyn’s 11.4 million Instagram followers and his fashion family will be great for the brand. It’s also a lucrative opportunity for him.”
Victoria collaborated with US supermarket chain Target for some cheaper clobber, as well as launching a more affordable line called Victoria last year. Dad David also worked with H&M.
The Boohoo brand is growing fast, with a total revenue of £183.6million in the first five months of this year.
If they keep that up, they could have as much as Brooklyn gets for pocket money.


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Today SNK released a new trailer of The King of Fighters XIV, that will be released exclusively for PS4 on August 23rd.
SNK (boy, it feels good not to have to add "Playmore" anymore) released a brand new trailer of The King of Fighters XIV, on top of a batch of screenshots on its official Twitter account.
It is known that SNK's The King of Fighters 2000 would be one of the PlayStation 2 games coming to PlayStation 4 -- the news was announced by Shuhei Yoshida with the first batch of PS2 re-releases
Sony has released a new trailer for the upcoming PS4 exclusive 2D fighting game The King of Fighters XIV.
A rating for fighting game The King Of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match was recently spotted on Korea’s Rating Board, and it seems it's going to get re-release for PlayStation platforms with Sony Computer Entertainment Korea as the
In a recent PlayStation Blog post, SNK announced together with Sony Computer Entertainment America’s Third-Party Production team that Metal Slug 3, their classic run and gun game is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita
The Metal Slug series has always been known for its gripping (and brutally difficult) gunplay, and now one of the series' entries is about to make its way over onto PCs everywhere through Steam.
Today, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition launchea to PC platforms via Steam, and with it comes a launch trailer, showing off the gameplay and new features.
Atlus released a slew of new character videos for the upcoming King of Fighters XIII. The XII in the series was a bit of a letdown with a disappointing online feature. The new title looks set to
Yet another SNK Arcade Title is released on the PSN. Welcome back Street Smart, a 2D brawler not dissimilar to Final Fight and the likes. You will now be able to play the classic on your PS3
I'm certain loads of games can - and have - become wonderfully fun and entertaining adaptations on Apple's line of iDevices, but one genre that I think simply won't work without buttons is the fighting genre. If
Fans of the cult fighting series the King of Fighters have been biting their nails for quite a while now in anticipation of news regarding the next entry in the series, which has already been available in


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The pound fell for the first time in three days versus the dollar as a report showed U.K. shop prices dropped by a record last month, indicating inflation pressure remains subdued.
Sterling weakened all but two of its 16 major counterparts as separate data showed U.K. industrial output climbed less than analysts forecast in June. Industrial production increased 0.3 percent after sliding a revised 0.6 percent in May, the Office for National Statistics said.
The pound fell 0.3 percent to $1.6839 after climbing 0.4 percent in the previous two days. Sterling dropped to $1.6814 on Aug. 4, matching the lowest level since June 12.
The British Retail Consortium said today prices at stores fell an annual 1.9 percent, the most since the series began in 2006. Food price inflation slowed to a record low 0.3 percent from 0.6 percent.
Manufacturing production increased 0.3 percent in June from the previous month, the U.K. statistics in London said. Factory output dropped 1.3 percent in May, the most since January 2013.
To read more visit us at: www.ICMBrokers.com


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Mark your calendars for May 16 because that’s when we’ll see the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro make its official debut.
Following up on the two teasers we’ve seen so far – a semi-official silhouette and a brief 10-second appearance in a video last week – GM is building up the anticipation with some more details. The first is the logo we can expect on the 2016 Camaro. It’s a modern take on the red, white and blue tri-bar logo seen on many previous iterations of the muscle car, and it’s safe to say we’ll see it appear all over the new model.
Along with the logo, GM has also given us a brief teaser of the car’s raw sound in an audio clip. The more meaty details are still under wraps, but rumour has it the 2016 Camaro will be based on GM’s Alpha platform – the same one underpinning the Cadillac ATS and CTS. This not only opens up the possibility of less weight and smaller dimensions compared to the current Camaro, but also the use of the ATS’ 2.0-litre turbo-four aimed at improving the Camaro’s fuel economy and competing with the Mustang EcoBoost.
The 2016 Camaro will be revealed on May 16 at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Island Grand Prix event. And leading up to the event, GM will be dropping 12 more teasers with the next two set for March 19.


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IWMI in the news
In his 20-year career as a social worker, Krishna Thapa had never seen farmers as happy as the small group of farmers in Dailekh. All of them were on their way back home from a nearby vegetable collection centre, where they had just sold different types of vegetables produced on their own farm.
Why were they so happy? We know that timely and stable access to a well-functioning agricultural market is necessary for an efficient and profitable agricultural production system. Lack of access to markets means it is costlier, less reliable and much more time-consuming to transport goods to the market.
Read the full article on https://thehimalayantimes.com


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Byton announced a reach strategic cooperation with Aurora, an automatic driving technology company. In the next two years, Byton and Aurora will carry out pilot projects, jointly develop automatic driving technology on Byton cars and will deploy 100 to 200 automatic driving vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In addition, the two sides will further explore how to apply the Aurora automatic driving system in Byton’s mass-produced cars. According to the automatic driving standard issued by Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), L4 level automatic driving is highly automated. In most cases, all driving operations can be performed by the system alone – only certain circumstances require drivers to intervene.
“Byton was born for the automatic driving era. We are pleased to partner with Aurora, which is popularizing safe and fast automatic driving around the globe, and improving people’s travel experience,” said Bi Fukang, Byton CEO and co-founder.
Bi said the autopilot is not an isolated technology, but a complete internal experience. Byton began targeted interaction design in cars, such as a 1.25-meter full-screen control panel and touch screen for the driver, rotatable front seats and a digital open cloud platform named Byton Life.
Byton released its first model, Byton Concept, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in early January. It also announced it would design and produce intelligent luxury electric cars for consumers in China, the US and Europe. Its first model was scheduled to be unveiled in China in 2019, and then in the European and American markets in 2020.
Byton said, it would be both pragmatic and forward-looking in its automatic driving. The first mass-produced cars will be equipped with a Byton L3 level automatic driving solution, which was independently researched and developed by Byton. The company is promoting a strategic cooperation with the world’s top automobile parts suppliers. “We will take advantage of the mature technology accumulated by autopilot test data so as to ensure the reliability and security of the technology,” Bi said.
Byton said it would cooperate with Aurora in L4 to improve security and achieve an even higher level of autopilot technology.
Public records show that Aurora was co-founded by three experts in autopilot development. The founders are pioneers in automatic driving.
Chris Urmson (CEO) led the automatic driving research and development project at the Google X laboratory and served as CTO of Waymo. He has a doctorate in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.
Sterling Anderson (CPO) led the design, development and launch of the Tesla Model X. He was the head of autopilot development in Tesla and has a doctorate in robotics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Drew Bagnell (CTO), as founder of the Uber Advanced Technology Center, led Uber’s autopilot and perception team. He is one of the founding members of Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute and has a doctorate in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.


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News of the Snapdragon 865 Plus first surfaced back in mid-February. Then in April, Meizu’s CMO said there will be no such chipset this year. However, things seem to have changed as the upcoming Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 865 Plus. Today, an AntuTu benchmark result of the chipset has been posted on the web.
The benchmark result was posted on Weibo by Really Assen, the same source that revealed yesterday that OPPO’s SuperVOOC 3.0 will support 80W fast charging.
Qualcomm’s upcoming processor scored a total of 667,253 points. This is way higher than the score of the Snapdragon 865-powered OPPO Find X2 Pro which has a score of 604,123 according to AnTuTu’s May 2020 Best Performing Android devices.
A breakdown of the score shows the CPU score is 184,973 points while the GPU score is 283,302 points. The memory and UX scores are 112,050 and 86,928 points respectively…
Read full story at Gizmochina / Article via RSS


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Six months have elapsed since `holiday' (euphemism for lockdown) was announced at the outbreak of covid-19 in March. During the 'holiday' all sectors of the economy except agriculture, pharmaceuticals industries, some garments factories and food markets were closed down. The impact of the pandemic resulting from this wholesale closure has been two fold: firstly, shrinkage of output and stoppages of sales and services to consumers; secondly, sudden stoppage of income and wages for people employed in the private sector that suddenly snapped or drastically reduced the purchasing power of the overwhelming majority.
After the first flush of the pandemic the consensus has been that it's impact on small and medium units in the industries and services sector and the low income earners would be devastating. Timely intervention of the government soon after the lockdown with a slew of stimulus packages somehow blunted the damages, both to the sectors of the economy affected and the poor families who received cash assistance under the packages. But the delay in the implementation of the packages and the limited coverage of the beneficiaries for cash assistance made no major impact on the loses and sufferings caused by the pandemic. Even after the withdrawal of the lockdown in June, more than 60 per cent of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and 90 per cent of hospitality establishments, particularly hotels and restaurants, remains closed, some among these even after 6 months, both for fear of contagion of the virus and for lack of working capital.
According to a rapid survey by the world bank, 68 per cent of those previously employed remained without job during April-June period in Dhaka and Chittagong. According to a Perception Survey by BBS using telephone, households' income declined by 20.24 per cent during the period from March to August. According to similar survey made by World Bank 63 per cent of rural and 69 per cent of urban households had to reduce their food consumption to cope with the loss of income after the lockdown. Though recovery started in the month of June, neither production in SMEs and business in service sector has resumed in full swing nor all the persons who lost jobs have been re-employed to pre-covid level.
With the general picture sketched above on the short term impact and result of covid-19, a more comprehensive update on the state of the economy as a whole can be essayed on the basis of sectoral recovery and macr-economic developments till the month of September i.e., 6 months after the lockdown was declared in the country.
Out of the three main sectors of the economy, agriculture emerged as the least affected. With few cases of the virus outbreak in rural areas, activities in agriculture and related sub-sectors (livestock, fisheries etc.,) remained, more or less, uninterrupted. A problem arose at the time of harvest of Boro crops for lack of labourers and impending flood. But the problem was promptly addressed by the government by sending harvesters to areas like haors in Sylhet.
Volunteers from urban areas lent a helping hand, which though a token, boosted the morale of farmers. Aus crop and Amon seedlings were threatened by prolonged flood but here again prompt action by the government for distribution of seedlings avoided the damages. As a result of these measures coupled with procurement of Boro paddy at a higher quantity than last year has ensured both stability of the agricultural sector and food security.
Provision of agricultural loan with a low rate of interest at 5 per cent, subsidy amounting to Tk. 9000 crore, purchase of agricultural machinery worth 200 crore and distribution of Amon seedlings with Tk. 150 crores have given a major thrust to agricultural production during and following the period after the withdrawal of lockdown. Growth in agricultural sector is thus assured to keep the momentum up during the current fiscal.
In the industrial sector, according to the World Bank, there was negative growth of 0.9 per cent. The large units in the sector have, however, started recovery in right earnest though inadequate supply of inputs remains a problem in the short term because of supply chain disruptions. According to Bangladesh Bank, as of September, as many as 2602 large industrial units received loans at the rate of 4.5 per cent interest under the stimulus package. By the end of September 77 per cent, Tk. 25461 crore, of the total amount of Tk.33000 crore have been disbursed. The large garments industries made full use of Tk. 5000 crore, a stimulus given to them in March at 4 per cent rate of interest which helped them to stay afloat. But full payment of wages and salaries have not been paid to garment workers, according to their spokespersons. The most encouraging development in the garment sectors is that most of the orders worth over $3 billion have been re-instated by their global buyers. About 70 per cent of the work orders that were cancelled or withheld have now been restored, though at heavy discount prices and with deferred payments. As of September, RMG earnings registered a growth of 0.89 per cent and the earnings of the sector exceeded the target set by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) for July-September period. Though woven products have suffered a decline because of fall in demand in summer, knitwear fetched $4.461 billion, registering a growth of 7.04 per cent.
The recovery in the garment sub-sector, however, is not even as small and medium scale factories have not received new orders yet. About 300 small factories remain shut while 1000 small factories are struggling to keep themselves above water, according to BGMEA.
In the services sector, the commercial bank rose to the occasion and provided services to their clients throughout the `holiday'. Some criticism, however, has been made regarding their slow response to the stimulus package, particularly in lending to the SMEs and the agricultural sector. Apparently, smarting under the burden of huge non-performing loans (NPL) they are hesitant to invest in what they consider risky sectors. Decision by the Bangladesh Bank to give re-finance and bank guarantee against loans given under the stimulus package has succeed in accelerating the disbursement of loans recently. But still, the SME sub-sector has remained without much of access to the loan facility designated for them. Most of these are new borrowers and as such banks are hesitant to provide them with loan. Much depends on the reactivation of the SME sector as it accounts for 20 per cent of GDP and employs 70 per cent of all employed workers in the country. The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities and weakness of the SMEs as they belong to the informal sector.
In the services sector, hotels, restaurants, barber shops, beauty parlors and restaurants, by and large, continue to remain closed. According to the spokesperson of the hospitality sector there are 60 thousand hotels, restaurants and sweetmeat shops employing 1.5 million workers. In Dhaka city 15 thousand restaurants are yet to be opened and 10 per cent have already closed, according to the same source. Workers in this sub-sector, as in many others, have not received any cash assistance under the stimulus package.
With a brief review of the present status in the three main sectors of the economy, a short resume may be given on the major macro economic variables. The first among these is exports which showed a decline before the outbreak of the pandemic because of global recession ('synchronised recession', according to IMF). True enough, exports showed decline after the outbreak of pandemic till the month of May. Then the unthinkable happened. The country's merchandise exports during first quarter (July-September) of fiscal 2020-2021 (FY 21) grew by 2.58 per cent fetching $9.89 billion, surpassing the target set by EPB for the period. RMG sector as a whole fetched $8.12 billion during that period as a result of revival of demand in Europe and America.
Among other export items, jute and jute goods marked an upward trend, increasing by 39.261 per cent and fetching $307.55 million during the Q1 (first quarter) of FY 21, up from $ 220.95 million over the corresponding period during last fiscal. During the same period (Q1) pharmaceuticals products earned $42.17 million in exports marking a 20.90 per cent growth. Export of agricultural products grew by 3.4 per cent, fetching $271.49 million during Q1 of FY 21. Exports of frozen fish also increased by 5.11 per cent but leather and leather goods marked a decline in exports. Likewise, furniture and plastic exports registered decline because of the pandemic. Overall, exports have rebounded almost robustly retching earnings during the first quarter of FY 21 that ended in September, eclipsing the fall in April and May, immediately after the onset of the pandemic and also reversing the declining trend at the end of the last fiscal.
Imports that were on the rise during the end of last fiscal, have registered decline during the first quarter (Q1) of FY 21. It fell by 13.85 per cent, amounting to $7.43 billion. The corresponding figure for the same period during last fiscal was $8.63 billion. Fall in imports have been attributed to covid-19 that has seen fewer demand for industrial raw materials, machinery, parts and consumer goods. As a result of exports exceeding imports, the current account balance has recorded a surplus during July-August period amounting to $ 3.3 billion. The current account has been augmented by higher flow of remittance during Q1 of FY 21.
Remittance showed a high figure of $ 6.71 billion during this period compared to $ 4.5 billion for the corresponding period of last fiscal. In August alone, remittance amounted to $ 1.48 billion.
In addition to export earnings and increased flow of remittance during the first quarter of FY 21, external loans and grants from multilateral institutions have contributed to rapid increase in the foreign exchange reserve in the country crossing $40 billion for the first time. Among the multilateral lenders ADB has already disbursed $600 million as loan and $ 4.80 million as grant to help the country to cope with the pandemic. The World Bank approved $2.27 billion last year of which $1.17 billion has been disbursed after March this year. The Bank has indicated that $1.75 will be available as soft loan from IDA during the current fiscal. It is estimated that total loans and grants received in this fiscal will amount to about $7 billion.
The record foreign exchange reserve has led the government to mull over the fact whether to use part of this to meet the budget deficit. It seems, keeping 6 months import bill amounting to 36 billion, the government can afford to spend from the foreign exchange reserve that will help it to avoid excessive bank borrowing. Considering the impact of a huge foreign exchange reserve on the value of Taka against US Dollar, the Bangladesh Bank has already intervened in the foreign currency market buying $2.3 billion from commercial banks.
Given the favourable macro-economic situation as of September, Bangladesh economy can expect to grow on a higher growth path that was estimated at the beginning of the pandemic. On the basis of developments in the sectors of the economy and the macro-economic variables since July till the end of September, a growth rate of over 6 per cent for the FY 21 can be reasonably forecast, which is near the estimate of ADB (6.85 per cent). If the growth rate is estimated for the calendar year of 2020, then the growth rate will be over 4 per cent, near the IMF estimate. The World Bank estimate of 1.6 per cent is way too low to be realistic, particularly after the favourable macro-economic developments that have taken place since July.
Whatever is the rate of growth now and later in the current fiscal, it is likely to make much of a dent on developments that have accompanied during the pandemic viz., unemployment and poverty. In fact, these two are intertwined and unless there is improvement in the prevailing unemployment situation, the likelihood of improving poverty is very slim. According to BBS Perception Survey the number of unemployed was just 2.3 per cent before the pandemic. It increased 22 per cent in July and came down to 4 per cent in September. Experts have questioned the accuracy of this sharp decline in such a short period. The World Bank survey by phone calls found that 68 per cent people of Dhaka and Chittagong were unemployed during April to July and the majority of them are unlikely to get back their jobs. According to Policy Research Institute (PRI) 1.3 crore to 1.5 crore became unemployed during March-April and 30 per cent of them were still without jobs at the end of September. The magnitude of unemployment is reflected in the percentages of people who became poor during the pandemic. As regards extreme poor, the percentage has increased from 10 per cent before pandemic to 18 per cent. Even at the most optimistic growth of the economy during the current fiscal it will be next to impossible to raise the number of poor people above the poverty line. Therefore, it can be said that the quality of the recovery of the economy will leave much to be desired.
The estimate about the growth of the economy is based on a few assumptions. Firstly, it is assumed that the second wave of the pandemic will not be serious enough to shut the economy down-- again resulting in decline in exports among other things. As a corollary of this it is assumed that the flow of remittance will keep up the present momentum during the rest of the fiscal year.
Secondly, it is assumed that the financial sector will not be subjected to any serious shock like ballooning volume of NPL. Thirdly, it is assumed that the macro-economic management, particularly in respect of the rate of foreign exchange will continue to be prudent. Finally, inflation rate which has surpassed the target of 5.5 per cent set for fiscal 21 will be kept under control. These are the possible downsides to a rapid recovery and growth of Bangladesh economy during the current fiscal.


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Apple Preparing Power Macintosh G5 RevisionApple is preparing to deploy the first set of Power Mac G5 revisions by the end of January, sources tell AppleInsider. The company's development labs are reportedly testing a Power Mac model sporting dual 2.5GHz PowerPC G5 chips, as well as a single processor 2.0GHz configuration.
PowerPC G5 chips operating at frequencies up to 2.5GHz have been in sampling since as early as March, IBM sources said. Earlier this year Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, promised consumers that the PowerPC G5 would hit the 3GHz mark by the end of next summer.
Meanwhile, Apple appears to be wrapping up the development of the iMac G5, which we first reported last month. While few details were available at the time, sources confirmed a major revision to iMac form-factor. Subsequent reports claim that Quanta Computer had been selected to manufacture the new consumer desktops from Apple. The information further detailed pre-production measures that implied a completely remodeled iMac.
A report published today on MacRumors.com seems to suggest the new iMac may sport a 'cube-like' enclosure.
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On Sunday May 18th, proud car owners from a radius spanning 50 -75 miles came to the Porter County Expo Center to show off their vehicles and admire others. It was an immense gathering of the local automobile culture that brought out everything from timeless classics and roaring new hot rods.
The event was spearheaded by Mario Alvarez, who has been hosting car shows for 29 years. "It's just a fun thing to do," says Alvarez.
At the event, car owners placed a vote for their favorite cars in a variety of catergories. The winners would receive trophies for the categories of the Top 50, Top Engine, Top Paint, and finally, a Top Overall Trophy dedicated to a old friend and car enthusiast who passed away.
Jeff and Debbie Brown had brought their car out to the show, a 1972 Ford 100. "I like seeing all the cars out today," said Jeff Brown.
Todd Taylor also brought in his car. "I had the same model in high school, and I just love the style of the car," Taylor said.
Rick Sherwood, of Wheatfield, brought in his 1963 Impala. "I think being able to show the cars to other people is nice because then the work can be appreciated by others," Sherwood said. “My buddy and I have done all the work on this car ourselves. It has 18 coats of paint on it!"
Also at the event were five food vendors and many car part vendors, for the car enthusiasts to browse. Mark and Cassandra Halliar were there with their own booths. Mark distributed his magazine Region Rides and Cassandra displayed her handmade hardware jewelry. "It's my first show so I am pretty stoked," Cassandra said.
The event received a huge turnout. Alvarez comments, "It is as good as it gets! I will do another show in September and expect a bigger turnout."


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TECHNOLOGYRecent and archived news stories on: Alternative Energy, Automotive, Computing, Engineering, Internet, Nanotech, Software, Telecom, Wireless...
NarrativeWave raised $1.2 million in Series C funding, bringing its total funding to $3.2 million.
Twitch.tv, the world’s largest live-streaming site for gaming content, has acquired Irvine-based Curse Inc., which creates content for gamers.
Shares of Smith Micro Software Inc. are down in its first trading session after the Aliso Viejo-based company initiated a reverse stock split before the start of trading today.
Aliso Viejo-based chipmaker Microsemi Corp. has taken naming rights of the Los Angeles Rams practice facility at University of California-Irvine.
Wanxiang Group Corp., the parent company of Karma Automotive LLC in Costa Mesa, plans to manufacture electric cars in China, according to Bloomberg.
Laguna Beach-based virtual reality content maker NextVR Inc. said it has completed an $80 million round of funding, led by a syndicate of Asian technology companies.
Karma Automotive LLC in Costa Mesa said its distribution strategy for the new Revero car will include 10 independent dealers and a company-owned “brand-experience center” in Orange County.
Venture capital investors plunked down more than $229 million for Orange County high-tech companies in the second quarter, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Irvine office of real estate brokerage JLL.
Irvine will become the latest U.S. market to feature Google Inc.’s new super-speedy Internet service for businesses and residents—with a caveat: The Mountain View-based tech giant initially is rolling out the service only to select Irvine Co. properties, the companies said today.
Irvine-based Bioniz Therapeutics Inc. said today that it appointed David Pyott, former Chief Executive of Allergan Inc. [now Allergan PLC] as board chairman.
Irvine-based Incipio LLC’s bid for Skullcandy Inc. was rejected by the audio equipment manufacturer’s board of directors, in favor of a “superior proposal.”
Irvine-based Western Digital Corp. reported lower annual sales and adjusted profits.
Internet-based mortgage lender cloudvirga Inc. in Irvine raised $7.5 million in Series A funding, led by Calabasas-based Dallas Capital. Santa Monica venture capital firm Upfront Ventures and angel investment club Tribeca Angels in New York participated in the round.
Infinite RF Holdings Inc. in Irvine bought on undisclosed terms L-Com Inc., a maker of custom computer networking equipment in North Andover, Mass.
Irvine-based Western Digital Corp. co-led a $77 million funding round for a Redwood City startup with noted Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers.


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The European Commission has set out along the road to achieving a climate neutral economy by 2050. The so-called ¨Green DeaL¨ contains many blocks to achieve the target, being one of them the circular economy.
We will present examples of what the circular economy is (versus the linear economy), how far are we in reaching its ambitions, and what is the European Commission doing to ensure that we promote circular economy processes in all the economic sectors, and with the involvement of the different stakeholders.
Speaker: Gracia Vara, Senior Consultant on EU Law
Moderator: Francesco Camonita, Postdoctoral Researcher
Friday, 20 November 16pm – 18pm


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Hotel revenue doesn’t have to be restricted by the number of rooms in a given property. Ancillary revenue is well worth seeking out, and there are plenty of ways to boost income when you’re at maximum occupancy, or to ensure your hotel can stay afloat during the low seasons.
Many hotels rely on their food and beverage offering, drawing in locals and visitors to keep revenue ticking over even in the quiet periods. Value-added services like spas are another great way to add revenue, attracting extra spending from guests and enticing non-guests too. But look beyond the stable hospitality offerings and there’s even more opportunity.
“In a competitive market space,” says Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager of Mumbai’s Sofitel BKC, “alternative streams of revenue that go beyond traditional offerings play a significant role and is a factor that is constantly in consideration when we look at maximising revenues.”
At the Sofitel BKC, part of its French bistro restaurant has now been converted into a cigar lounge where guests and the city’s smoking enthusiasts can enjoy a selection of high quality cigars. While only a small portion of staying guests make use of the lounge, it’s the local businesses that bring in the most revenue here. One group from a nearby office building recently came to celebrate a milestone, explains Chakraborty, and in the process spent hundreds of thousand of Indian rupees on cigars and whisky for their team.
Not only do services like this create extra income, but they also add value for the guest, highlighting the luxury aspects of the hotels and creating a unique experience. But you don’t have to make major additions or adjustments to your hotel in order to gain revenue.
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A Nottingham man who set up an independent clothing label has spoken about his pride at the rapper Canadian Drake's dad being pictured wearing one of his designs. Peter Banton, 35, created MoneyBaggs Clothing 10 years ago.
The urban clothing range features many different designs including T-shirts, hoodies and backpacks with the distinctive logo on them available in predominately black and white. However, the brand started to gain even more attention with the release of its most recent design, the Lives not Knives T-shirt.
The T-shirts have appeared on several celebrities including Dappy from N-Dubz and Drake's dad. Peter said that his proudest moments have been seeing celebrities wearing his T-shirts and that has had incredible feedback from customers.
Peter said: My proudest moment was when I got my t-shirt on Dappy which is what got us recognised. After that, we got the t-shirt on Westwood and also the hosts who were leading an NBA Lakers commercial were also wearing my t-shirt. But my biggest moment was when Drake's Dad wore one of my t-shirts."
Drake's dad Dennis Graham posted a snap of the T-shirt on his Instagram. His Instagram has more than 382,000 followers who follow him for insights into his music and life with his famous son.
So how does a T-shirt from a Nottingham-based company end up being worn by the Memphis-based father of one of the most famous men in modern music?
"My artist who designs for me is also a part designer for Ecko and a lot of artists in America. So because he has designed for them, that's how I got most of my connections," he explained.
The Lives not Knives T-shirts designed by the brand have been shared across social media bringing the brand a lot of attention. Peter Banton was inspired to make the design after noticing what he described as an increase in knife crime over the years in his local area.
He said he would like to give a portion of the sale from the T-shirts to Helping Kids Achieve which is an initiative run by Keiran Thompson in Nottingham. The aim of the government-funded Community Interest Company is to provide high-quality sports-related qualifications, advice and mentorship. Helping Kids Achieve, which is based in Bulwell, hopes to empower young people, especially those aged between five and 17.
"I designed the T-shirts because I live in an area where there is a lot of knife crime going off. I thought by doing the clothing, I could do a good deed and put something out there that could help get the message out. I felt because I was doing clothing, it would be a great idea to do T-shirts," Peter Banton explained.
He added: "There has been a really good reaction from people. I also got the T-shirt on DJs like Richie Fingers who plays a lot of music in London. He is always wearing my T-shirts and people love the designs. I also gave away about thirty T-shirts too. I wanted to do a good deed and give back to my community."
When it comes to the future, Peter is keen to bring more uplifting messages to the community and also share more positivity. I want to bring more positivity to my community with the message I've been sending out. Hopefully, things will keep going in the right direction."
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Amazon Prime strikes streaming deal for PBS children’s shows
Published 6:02 pm, Friday, July 1, 2016
In the increasingly competitive space of children’s television, Amazon Prime has reached a deal to become the exclusive premium streaming service for most of PBS’ shows for children.
The deal means that much of PBS Kids programming — including shows like “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Wild Kratts” and “Odd Squad” — will be removed from rival streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu, and will be available only on Amazon Prime. The shows became available on Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For Amazon, it is the latest move in a battle among the streaming giants, along with HBO, to acquire or create as many children’s television shows as possible.
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Last year, HBO acquired the rights to broadcast first-run episodes of “Sesame Street,” and by the end of this year Netflix will have 35 original series for children.
As children’s viewing habits have changed, content providers have ferociously competed in this arena in an attempt to lure parents into buying subscriptions for their online services. According to a study released by Nielsen last week, children between the ages of 2 and 11 are watching two fewer hours of live television per week this year compared with last year, and the amount of time they spent watching digital platforms jumped.
The Amazon-PBS deal means that Netflix will lose streaming rights to a dozen PBS shows, and Hulu will lose six shows. Shows that will no longer be available through Netflix include “Caillou,” “Reading Rainbow,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” and “Zoboomafoo.” Those that Hulu will be losing include “Wild Kratts” and “Arthur.” Many of the PBS titles were previously available on both of those services, as well as Amazon.
Amazon’s vice president of television acquisition, Brad Beale, said in a statement that the company is “committed to making Prime Video the best destination for kids and family programming that will both educate and entertain.”
Lesli Rotenberg, PBS’ general manager of children’s programming, said the broadcaster is “very pleased to be continuing our relationship with Amazon.”
A few titles are not covered by the deal: “Super Why” will remain on Netflix; “Sesame Street” is broadcast on HBO and streams through HBO Go and HBO Now; “Curious George” is exclusive to Hulu; and “Thomas and Friends” will remain available on Amazon, Netflix and Hulu.
PBS is also in the process of creating a free 24-hour TV channel for its children’s programming, which is expected to be available early next year.


text: Lifestyle Food Starbucks Zombie Frappuccino Is Officially Here to Haunt Your Dreams The Halloween-appropriate drink is available now and it has pink whipped cream as brains. By Collier Sutter Published on October 26, 2017 10:54 AM Share Tweet Pin Email UPDATE: Starbucks has confirmed that their Zombie Frappuccino is available now through Halloween (Oct. 31), or while supplies last, so make a beeline for the spooky drink like we all did for the short-lived Unicorn Frappuccino. A representative from the franchise confirmed it’s green body, apple and caramel flavor, and red mocha drizzle topping with pink whipped cream, which is, of course, brains. Starbucks is rolling out a Zombie Frappuccino just in time for the spookiest day of the year. According to photos leaked by baristas on social media, coffee lovers will be able to try the creepy beverage come October 26—but it will reportedly only be available through Halloween itself, so be ready to act quick. The freaky flavor is rumored to include a blend of “green apple caramel powder and pink powder” with a creme base. On top of the slime green concoctions? Pink whipped cream (resembling brains!) finished with “a pink mocha drizzle.” Starbucks lips are sealed on the matter for now. “Our Halloween plans are still under [mummy] wraps, but we look forward to sharing more details with the living soon,” a representative for the coffee chain told PEOPLE. The Best Drinks to Order from the Starbucks Secret Menu But baristas have been tweeting about the Zombie news for days, with one worker showing off the menu designed to announce the new drink at their local store. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJoFn-hLWF/?taken-by=heycarriek If the hype surrounding the zombie beverage is anything close to the highly-buzzed about Unicorn Frappuccino—a shimmering purple and blue beverage that turned pink when stirred— then our Instagram feeds are about to blow up with fans slurping green slime and brains. From Coinage: Try This Healthy, Cheap Late-Night Snack Want the ultimate dish on the latest celebrity food news, plus exclusive recipes, videos and more? Click here to subscribe to the People Food newsletter. Here’s just hoping Barista’s won’t hate making them as much as they did the Unicorn frap.


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Eleven Sports is to show more speedway to its viewers in Poland.
Eleven Sports has expanded its global reach with the acquisition of a majority stake in the Italian OTT platform Sportube.
Eleven Sports has signed a carriage deal that will see the recently launched over the top OTT channel Eleven Sports 3 become available on Proximus’ digital TV sports package in Belgium.
Eleven Sports is launching a third channel in Belgium, that is for the moment only available as an OTT stream.
Eleven Sports has entered into a strategic partnership with Samsung in Poland that will see the network’s OTT application feature on all Samsung Smart TVs with a Tizen operating system.
Eleven Sports is entering the US market following the acquisition of certain distribution assets of One World Sports.
Eleven Sports has signed a four-year deal with DFL Sports Enterprises for media rights in Poland to Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.
nc+ has become the first DTH platform in Poland to include Eleven and Eleven Sports in its channel line-up.
Eleven Sports Network has secured a number of key sports rights agreements with MP & Silva ahead of its launch of two channels in Poland.


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Keyword: British Virgin Islands
The sixth annual, month-long BVI Food Fête will serve as the destinations official relaunch. Events will take place across multiple islands with various cuisine.
Instead of discarding select structures after the devastation of Hurricane Irma, Beyond the Reef repurposed them into tourism attractions. See more here.
Eastern Caribbean isles impacted by the 2017 hurricanes have new experiences for luxury cruisers. See what's in store here.
After 20 months of cleanup and demolition work following Hurricane Irma’s destruction, The Bitter End Yacht Club in the BVI has announced a formal rebuild.
Rombi started out as the resident manager of Hotel Villa Paradiso of Gardone Riviera. Check out more.
Jennifer Anderson, a luxury travel advisor with Classic Travel in New York, recently sailed with SeaDream Yacht Club cruises and is back with this report.
The "Upgrades on Us" offer includes free stateroom upgrades, a drinks package, 50 percent reduced deposit and more.
There’s good news coming from the Caribbean: Bookings are on the increase, thanks to buzz around several grand openings. Here’s a roundup of what you need to know now:
WIMCO Villas launched its newest collection, a group of 58 villas that each include the cost of a private chef win the rental price. Read more here.
One year following the historic hurricane season for the Caribbean, Virtuoso reports that winter bookings are up for the region. Get the latest here.


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LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- One certainty of the Reebok-Adidas deal is that the shares held by Reebok founder Paul B. Fireman and his wife, Phyllis, will be worth more than at any point in the 26 years he's been at the helm of the athletic-shoe icon.
What is unknown is how much the venerable chairman and chief executive ultimately will make from the all-cash deal that pays Reebok International Ltd. RBK investors $59 a share to merge with Adidas-Salomon AG (500300). See full story.
Fireman fashioned Reebok's U.S. operations from a British athletic-shoe company in 1979.
In a press release announcing the deal, Reebok and Adidas said the Firemans own roughly 17% of Reebok's outstanding shares. That puts their holdings at roughly $600 million at the $59 price.
How much the Firemans paid for those shares to begin with could not immediately be determined, nor was it known whether Fireman has exercised options in recent months or plans to do so. Further, it remains to be seen if Fireman will sell any of his Reebok holdings or he and his wide will roll their shares over into Adidas stock.
Reebok representatives did not return calls seeking comment.
At $59 a share -- Reebok shares closed Wednesday at $57.14, having gained more than 30% in the session -- the stock would be worth more than ever. The company's shares had bounced around considerably since Reebok went public in 1986.
The stock's previous high was $52.88, reached in 1997. Less than three years later, it plummeted as low as $6.94, a level it had not seen since shortly after the company went public.
The Adidas deal effectively caps Fireman's career, which soared after he developed the Reebok brand and rode it to great heights before Reebok's epic struggle with Nike Inc.


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Rumor cycles surrounding smartphones this year have been treacherous for companies trying to keep surprises to themselves. The newest iPhone, the Galaxy S10 and Note 10, and Google Pixel 4 have been some of the most leaked devices of the entire year, and it doesn’t look like the rumor mill will be coming to a halt anytime soon.
Companies are starting to acknowledge the sheer amount of leaks that occur before they announce new products, however. Google is a perfect example of that. They haven’t even formally introduced the Pixel 4 yet, but they straight-up tweeted a picture of it five months before their product event. Now, OnePlus is taking a similar approach to combat leaks surrounding their new OnePlus 7T series by – you guessed it! – straight-up publishing photos of its upcoming phone.
As you can see, this is our first look at the OnePlus 7T. Obviously, it looks incredibly similar to the OnePlus 7 Pro from earlier this year thanks to that gradient-style blue finish. But there is a pretty polarizing distinction, and that’s the camera bulge.
2019 must be the year of weird camera bumps. the iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4 both sport square camera humps in their top left-hand corners. Meanwhile, OnePlus will be placing its three rear cameras in a circular housing on the 7T that’s way bigger than what the 7 Pro had. I’m not sure there’s a benefit to this other than a “cooler” look, but you won’t be staring at the back of your phone that often anyway if you hate it.
The renders don’t give us a look at the front of the phone, but I’d bargain it looks just like the 7 Pro with very minimal bezels.
OnePlus will unveil the 7T series on September 26th. That’s when we’ll earn every spec and design detail regarding the phone. I’ll have plenty of coverage next week on this phone, so be sure to keep it locked to Matridox.
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Coca Cola drops ‘Share A Coke’ and asks consumers to share happy memories instead
It seems there will be no return for Coca-Cola’s popular ‘Share A Coke’ campaign, in the UK at least. The activity has been dropped in favour of a new on-pack promotion that offers selfie sticks as prizes and encourages consumers to share photos of happy memories this summer.
It runs alongside a new TV ad, created by Ogilvy Amsterdam, which features all four variants and cultural references from the 80s and 90s to promote the heritage of the brand. It pushes Coca-Cola’s new ‘One Brand’ strategy, which sees all the product variants – Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life – fit under the master brand.
Early signs suggest the strategy change is working. According to YouGov’s Brand Index the Coke master brand has seen an uplift in consumer perceptions in the month since the new marketing launch.
Index, a measure of a range of metrics including impression, quality and value, rose 8.2 percentage points to 26.7. For Diet Coke, the score increased 11.9 points to 15.4.
Harvey Nichols shuns traditional loyalty schemes in favour of ‘agile, personalised’ loyalty app
Not for Harvey Nichols the traditional loyalty card. It won’t be sending out plastic cards to fill people’s wallets and mailing out paper coupons. Loyalty for it is all about mobile.
The luxury retailer launched an app this week that will reward customers’ spend with perks and experiences, rather than “pennies for points”, as marketing director Shadi Halliwell puts it.
They will still get a point for every pound they spend. But these will give them access to beauty treatments such as botox or dinner at the Oxo Tower for four. That’s alongside perks like flash sales, cashback and treats such as free coffee.
The big question is how much customers will have to spend to get their hands on these prizes. Fancy some free botox? You’ll need to spend nearly £9,000. And the Oxo Tower is set aside for the biggest spenders – 18,200 points will get you a meal worth £1,500.
Is this the future of loyalty? Certainly more programmes will need to go mobile and digital. But Harvey Nichols is in a rather unique position with its demographics and lack of previous programme to launch something mobile only. The likes of Tesco probably won’t be getting rid of the plastic cards quite yet.
Barça trumps Juve in Champions League of marketing
For those that don’t know it’s the Champions League Final on Saturday (4 June). The sponsors have set out their store – Nissan is promoting innovation, Heineken inclusivity while Adidas is showing its support for grassroots football.
However on the pitch there is another game playing out – the battle to win the Champions League of marketing. Although that, a little like the football result, looks to be in one team’s favour.
Barcelona generates £405.2m in revenue – with sponsorship and merchandise accounting for £155.3m of that – according to the Deloitte Money Report. Juventus on the other hand can only manage £233.6m, with £71.1m coming from sponsorship.
Juventus’ brand value also sits behind Barcelona – at £162m compared to £370m – according to Brand Finance Football 50. It is on the ascendancy however, with its value up £29m since 2013 while Barcelona has seen its fall by £6m.
UEFA claims the reach of the final was 380 million unique viewers in 2014. It might be below the World Cup but with all the controversy over corruption within organiser FIFA and the negative impact on the brands associated, sponsors may start to think this is the better bet.
Unilever’s Keith Weed: ‘Digital ads must be 100% viewable’
Unilever’s chief marketing and communications officer Keith Weed seemed to have something he wanted to get off his chest this week. Speaking at the FT’s Marketing Innovators summit he called the idea that any less than 100% of digital ads being viewable “absurd”.
Imagine, he went on, that you bought a bag of 50 PG Tips and when you got home there was only 45 inside. That, he said, is what the ad industry agreeing on 90% delivery is like.
“Can you imagine your mum or dad going into a store and buying 50 PG Tips only to get them home and find there are only 45 inside [because] as an industry we have agreed on 90% delivery? It’s absurd. It has to be 100% and we’ve got to find a way of [achieving that].”
Keith Week, Unilever CMO
Possibly not but he has a point. All too often brands are paying for ads that aren’t seen by the intended audience. Nielsen data suggests the figure is around 40%. Google puts it closer to 56%.
“Viewability and measurement is a massive challenge for us as an industry [because] once the faith and belief in digital advertising is broken it’s going to take an awful lot to get it back,” he added.
Pernod Ricard on switching its focus to ‘consumption moments’ over brands
Every brand wants to better understand its customers and Pernod Ricard thinks it has a new answer. Rather than focusing on categories or products it is looking to “consumption moments” to find the difference.
Speaking at the company’s Capital Markets Day in Paris this week (2 June), CEO Alexandre Ricard said: “We’re no longer specifically loyal to one single brand, but to a repertoire of brands linked to a range of drinking occasions.
“All over the world we must place one of our brands at every gathering, at every shared moment where there’s a drink.”
The marketing team now looks at four occasions – nights out, premium socialising and luxury, get togethers and aperitif and meal occasions. In the UK the big opportunity is around “easy drinking, relatively low energy” moments, Pernod Ricard’s global business development director Conor McQuaid told Marketing Week.
“There is a logic to it, and I think there’s a bit of a lightbulb moment organisationally from an efficiency perspective,” he said.


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Pa-Wang produces internationally renowned Roma tiles
DHAKA, Sept 19, 2021 (BSS) - PA-Wang Ceramic Industries Limited has
produced internationally renowned Roma brand tiles in the country.
Managing Director of the company SM Mahbub Alam said Pa-Wang has ensured
quality and standard ceramic of the tiles.
Addressing a two-day sales conference at a hotel in Cox's Bazar on Friday,
he said the Roma brand tiles are famous for its quality and standard.
Marketing Director of Pa-Wang Ceramics Ashrafuzzaman, Director of Human
Resources Abdul Hamid, Director Jasmine Sultana, GM Branding and Corporate
Anwar Haque and Sales and Marketing AGM Md Ashrafuzzaman and Manager Maidul
Islam were present at the conference.


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Making a comeback: Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill to reopen New Jersey location
Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill, the restaurant chain that once had dozens of New Jersey locations, is coming back to Woodbury.
The location at 111 N. Broad St. was one of 13 restaurants the chain closed last year.
Renovations are currently underway, including new paint, signage and awnings. Floors and bathrooms will also get upgrades.
The restaurant is slated for reopening in the first quarter of 2022. An exact date has yet to be announced.
The company's restaurant in Scotch Plains is currently the lone operating location in the state.


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The latest news from Lasan, The Steamhouse Company, Restaurant 23 and Patina in this week’s table talk.
Lasan in Birmingham has closed its doors – but don’t worry its only temporary! The restaurant is being refurbished and a more spacious interior plus new menu will be revealed in October.
Steamhouse, the coffee and bagels café in Leamington, has expanded and opened a new branch in Stratford upon Avon on the High Street.
Restaurant 23 in Leamington has welcomed Abigail Connolly to the team. Abigail is taking over from Eduardo Neto as Restaurant Manager and Sommelier.
A new bakery has opened in Kenilworth. Patina is owned by Amy Clarke, who was previously pastry chef at The Cross. Ingredients used for her wedding and celebration cakes come from fair-trade sources and often local ones too – with flour from nearby Charlcotte Mill.


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Lexus LC500h revealed
Japanese brand confirms hybrid sportscar
- First details: Lexus' new flagship LC500 coupe
- Read all the latest Lexus news and reviews here
- For all the breaking news ahead of the 2016 Geneva motor show
Lexus is set to finally put some spark into its hybrid range with its first petrol-electric sportscar.
The Japanese car maker has revealed official images and limited details of its LC500h coupe ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show early next month.
The hybrid is the next iteration confirmed of the company's new flagship two-door following its global premiere with a V8 engine at the 2016 Detroit motor show in January.
Lexus says the LC500h introduces the brand's next-generation hybrid powertrain - dubbed Lexus Multi Stage Hybrid System - that is designed to offer "enhanced driving pleasure, more performance and greater efficiency."
It has yet to outline exact details of the new set-up, but it is expected to offer significant improvements in power and fuel economy over the 3.5-litre V6 hybrid currently fitted as its highest output petrol electric set-up in vehicles such as the GS sedan and RX SUV.
Considering the 5.0-litre V8 in the petrol-only LC500 generates 348kW and 530Nm, it is anticipated that the hybrid set-up will produce at least 300kW and could exceed its torque output thanks to new-generation battery and electric motor technology.
On the flipside, the LC500h is expected to offer a limited electric-only driving range to counteract its performance and lower its claimed fuel consumption to a level similar to a small hatchback.
More details of the hybrid coupe's mechanical package will be revealed at the Geneva motor show on March 1.


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Halo Business Angel Network
Business angel network reaches €50m funding milestone
- October 28, 2015, 06:00
Angel investment has grown by an average of 44 per cent a year since 2008, with companies receiving such support last year expected to create some 70(...)
‘NY’s Archangel’: the answer to your start-up’s prayers?
- May 19, 2014, 01:10
David Rose started his first business at the age of 10. Since then, the now 57-year-old has founded six companies, invested in 90 start-ups and is one(...)


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Restaurant chain International House of Pancakes (IHOP) just launched its first vegan breakfast sandwich at one Flip’d by IHOP location in the Flatiron neighborhood of New York City. The new Plant Based Cali sandwich features a vegan sausage breakfast patty created especially for IHOP by vegetarian brand Sweet Earth, mung bean-based JUST Egg, arugula, roasted tomatoes, and avocado, all served on a vegan bun.
The IHOP culinary team tested plant-based products for more than two years to craft the sandwich and worked closely with the brands behind its components to create a flavor profile to suit its customers. The Flip’d Flatiron location is operated by franchisee Bryan McKenzie, who is himself vegan and is excited to welcome the Plant Based Cali to his menu. “Consumer demand is shifting to healthier menu options, specifically plant-based items,” McKenzie told VegNews. “So we decided that Flip’d was the perfect fit to introduce this new menu item.”
IHOP first introduced the Flip’d standalone brand in 2019 as a casual and modern offshoot of the 60-year-old breakfast chain aimed to provide convenient food options to customers in large metropolitan cities such as Atlanta, NYC, Denver, and Washington D.C. The Flip’d menu is inspired by IHOP classics but gives the brand room for testing and innovation. As such, the Flip’d Flatiron NYC location is serving as a testing ground for the new Plant Based Cali sandwich, which could land on the IHOP national menu should it prove successful.
Vegan at IHOP
Legacy brands have had to pivot in various ways in recent years to attract younger customers. After its parent brand Dine Brands Global announced that it would close up to 40 locations in 2018 due to lack of millennial customers, IHOP temporarily pivoted to “IHOb,” flipping the “P” to a “b” to let the public know that it served burgers (and not just the pancakes it’s known for). Despite the growing popularity of plant-based burgers at the time, the IHOb menu did not offer vegan burgers.
IHOP’s competitors took a different route to attract younger diners. In 2020, Denny’s added a meatless Beyond Burger to its 1,700 locations in the United States and Canada after a short limited test in its Los Angeles area outposts. To signal that its plant-based journey is still a work in progress, Denny’s updated its website in 2021 to include verbiage that lets visitors know that, in addition to the Beyond Burger, the chain is “currently exploring additional plant-based protein items that our guests can enjoy during breakfast as well as lunch, dinner, and late night.”
With the test of the Plant Based Cali at Flip’d in NYC, IHOP is finally responding to longstanding demands for plant-based options. Since at least 2016, consumers have petitioned the chain for new menu items such as vegan pancakes and plant-based egg dishes.
In 2019, animal-rights groups Vegan Outreach and Animal Outlook (then known as “Compassion Over Killing”) launched a joint petition to urge IHOP to add vegan options. “Pancakes have been around for centuries and are a beloved breakfast staple across the nation,” the petition stated. “But surprisingly, one of the country’s most well-known pancake giants, IHOP, does not offer a vegan version of the popular treat for the millions of conscious consumers who are hungry for plant-based options.”
After the petition amassed more than 20,000 signatures, IHOP released a statement to the public: “Although our vegetarian/vegan options are limited, that is something we are closely looking into.”
For more about vegan breakfast sandwiches, read:


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JON REES: It looks likely an energy bills price cap is coming - but there are pitfalls
It is hard to believe that a Tory Government, committed as a matter of principle to the primacy of free markets, would introduce a price cap for energy bills – but there seems little doubt one is on the way.
After all, Theresa May has repeatedly said the energy market 'is not working as it should'.
Nor is any cap likely to be limited to just the poorest of households, which would be the least worst option as far as the energy companies are concerned.
Pressure: no Government wants to be responsible for hiking prices
Instead, the Government aims to kick-start change for the vast majority of consumers who stick on the most expensive standard tariffs come what may – and that's about three-quarters of us.
The problem for the Government is that once it sets a price cap, it 'owns' pricing.
Voters will naturally blame the Government for any rise in prices and there's only one way prices are going over the next few years, once additional levies for the change to low-carbon energy (subsidised wind farms and solar panels) are taken into account. And that's up.
As the full effects of the fall in sterling feed through to the economy leading to rising inflation while wages stagnate, no Government wants to be responsible for hiking prices.
It means the Government is a step away from deciding what is a reasonable level of profit for companies to make – at which point it should throw off any pretence of competition and turn the retail energy market into a fully regulated business.
It's a tricky conundrum for Theresa May, committed as she is to helping those who are Just About Managing – which is why so many governments in the past have shied away from the course she now seems determined to take.
Uncertain: Royal Mail has said it wants to move forward by agreement with the unions
Royal Mail pensions
Royal Mail has said it is closing its final salary pension scheme for good so the postal unions are up in arms – and rightly so.
Royal Mail was privatised just four years ago in a way which immediately enriched the City and harked back to the worst of the 1980s' underpriced privatisations of national assets.
The then Chancellor George Osborne said at the time: 'We have a win all round – for customers, the workforce, and the taxpayer'.
Four years down the line it doesn't look that way for the workforce.
The Government took on responsibility for the old pension plan and the new Royal Mail made it clear pensions would be protected.
So the newly privatised Royal Mail started afresh with a defined benefit pension scheme.
Royal Mail has said it wants to move forward by agreement with the unions. Let's hope it means it this time.
QUICK MONEY SAVER: CAN YOU CUT YOUR BILLS?
Energy firms are constantly battling to pinch customers from each other.
Shrewd consumers can take advantage of this by reviewing deals every year to ensure they are on the cheapest deal. Even moving every other year will save you significant amounts.
If you are one of the millions of people who have NEVER switched (i.e. stuck with your original supplier), then you should save a big chunk of cash. A tenth of switchers saved £616 in the first half of 2016, according to energyhelpline.
You only need to be interested in the tariff that is going to be cheapest where you live, so do your own postcode comparison in minutes using the tool above - or here - to find the best price.
Read more about other quick tricks to make sure you are getting the best deal on your household bills here
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Updated: September 15, 2019 7:19:46 am
The Centre Saturday announced a fresh set of measures aimed at two flagging sectors of the economy, exports and housing, in a bid to reverse a deepening economic downturn.
The measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, include helping affordable housing projects stuck for want of last-mile funding but not categorised as Non Performing Assets (NPAs) and a corpus of around Rs 20,000 crore for last-mile funding of these projects.
Sends the right message
The export measures will boost this key engine of growth that fell to a 25-quarter low in April-June. While global environment remains tense, the government making trade a priority should help.
Priority sector tag for export credit was also announced along with overhaul of the tax refund schemes for exporters to replace the existing Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), which will cost the exchequer about Rs 50,000 crore per year, roughly the same outgo on the existing scheme.
Industry players and experts are of the view that while the priority sector status to exports will provide some relief to exporters, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on Indian export growth, which responds more to global demand. The package involving last-mile funding for housing projects, which the government says could benefit an estimated 3.5 lakh dwelling units, was under consideration during the budget as well.
The FM also announced that India will now have its own version of an annual shopping festival on the lines of the one hosted by Dubai. This annual shopping festival, likely to begin from March 2020, will be held in four Indian cities and the focus areas would include gems and jewellery, textiles and leather, said Sitharaman.
Alongside these measures, a provision for higher insurance cover on exports by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), monitoring of export finance credit by an inter ministerial group on a weekly basis, faster turnaround time at Indian ports and maximum utilisation of concessional tariffs under existing Free Trade Agreements were also announced to promote exports.
Sitharaman said the government will “continue doing structural reforms” and that economic growth is expected to improve in the next quarter. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell to a 25-quarter low of 5% in April-June.
For the affordable housing sector, the government announced a special fund with Rs 10,000 crore equity contribution from the Centre and a similar amount by the private sector. This fund will provide last-mile credit to stuck projects which are non-NPA and not undergoing resolution under the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and are net worth positive.
Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty said an estimated 3.5 lakh dwelling units will fall under such a category across India, and these projects can benefit from this fund. “If they (projects) are already in NCLT, they will decide on how those (projects) will be resolved,” Sitharaman said to repeated queries on how the government will resolve such stuck projects.
“As per our study, majority of the funding is required by projects that are at around 25% per cent completion stage. As per our estimates, around 50,000-60,000 will be eligible from this kind of funding from the government,” said Pankaj Kapoor, Founder and MD, Liases Foras Real Estate Rating & Research Pvt Ltd.
Others felt the measures may not benefit the industry in a big way. Jaxay Shah, National Chairman, real estate industry body CREDAI said the government has just touched the tip of the surface with the recent announcements. “They are not realising the gravity of the situation. Real estate industry is the second largest contributor to our GDP and creates millions of employment opportunities…We all are working towards realising the Prime Minster’s dream for housing for all by 2022 but it is becoming challenging if requisite policy reforms will not be announced,” said Shah.
The Finance Ministry, in consultations with the RBI, will announce further relaxation in external commercial borrowings norms for the affordable housing segment. The interest rate on house building advance to government employees will be lowered and linked with yields on government securities. A ten year benchmark bond has yield of around 6.6 per cent at present, which could help lower interest costs on home loans for government employees from the present market rate of over 8.1 per cent.
On the exports front, a new scheme called Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RODTEP) will replace the MEIS under the Foreign Trade Policy of India (FTP 2015-20). The MEIS and other schemes will continue for the textile sector until December 30, 2019.
All sectors including textiles will migrate into RODTEP from January 1, 2020. Under the RODTEP scheme, the government will remit all taxes and duties paid by exporters. MEIS, which provides incentive in the form of duty credit scrip to exporters to compensate for loss on payment of duties, has to be phased out since it is not compliant with WTO norms.
“The new scheme which is being proposed is a different scheme as compared to the MEIS…The basis of new scheme is refund of all taxes and duties which are not yet refunded.the overall envelope for the duty forgone under the new scheme will be more or less the same as MEIS which is at present around Rs 40,000-45,000 crore (annually). Otherwise, MEIS will have to be closed as it is not WTO compliant. The new scheme is WTO compliant and will go on,” Directorate General of Foreign Trade Alok Chaturvedi said.
The RODTEP scheme will be in operation from January 1, 2020, and the government will soon seek Cabinet approval for this, he said.
Among other measures to promote exports, the government said a fully electronic refund module for quick and automated refund of Input Tax Credit for exporters is nearing completion and will be implemented by September 2019.
The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) will expand the scope of ECIS (Export Credit Insurance Service) and will offer higher insurance cover to banks lending working capital for exports. This is expected to lead to moderation in premium payment by MSMEs and cost about Rs 1,700 crore per annum to the government.
Enhanced ECGC cover will ensure that foreign and Rupee export credit interest rates will be below 4% and 8% respectively for exporters. “This will enable reduction in overall cost of export credit including interest rates especially for MSMEs” said Sitharaman. The credit scheme for exporters would enhance insurance cover up to 90 per cent from 60 per cent currently, resulting in lower cost of credit for exporters.
The government is also reviewing the Priority Sector Lending norms in consultation with the RBI, which will release an additional export credit of around Rs 36,000-68,000 crore. An inter-ministerial group will be set up under the department of commerce to monitor export finance credit on a weekly basis.
The FM said the government will leverage technology to reduce the time taken for exports. Ports like Boston in the US takes about 0.55 days as turnaround time (or less than half a day), while Shanghai in China takes about 0.83 days. In contrast, the best port in Kochi takes about 1.10 days.
“We are pushing technology so that our turnaround time at ports also reach the best global benchmark. It will be completely implemented in another three months time. Actual turnaround time will be published in real-time for all ports. An IMG will again be made accountable for this,” said Sitharaman.
The government will also set up an FTA Utilisation Mission headed by a senior officer in the Department of Commerce to maximise benefits available under Free Trade Agreements.
The Commerce Ministry has also been engaged in efforts to open reviews of India’s existing FTAs with various countries like the 10-member ASEAN, with which it has an over $21 billion trade deficit. ASEAN earlier this week agreed to a review, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India has also made similar requests to Japan and South Korea, with which India has around $7.9 billion and $12 billion trade deficit respectively.
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This tweet struck us yesterday as the perfect microcosmic example of the consequences of internet shutdowns.
India is by the worst culprit in shutting down the internet, with 177 known shutdowns
since 2012. African countries are doing their best to compete, with Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Chad among the guiltiest parties
Internet shutdowns cost countries $2.4 billion USD
in 2016. That's a lot of supplies not delivered, a lot of orders not taken, a lot of bills unpaid, a lot of products unused.
While a VPN can't help you when an ISP or a government completely turns off internet access, it can help when only certain websites and apps are blocked. Why not take advantage of our limited time offer of one year of unlimited VPN data for $20.18 USD