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President Donald Trump is one step closer to realizing his goal of helping Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE resume business as usual: The company has signed an agreement in principle, according to Reuters, that would see the U.S. Commerce Department return ZTE’s ability to buy from American suppliers.
ZTE ceased major operations since the seven-year ban was imposed on the company in April for breaking a 2017 agreement reached after it was caught illegally shipping goods to Iran and North Korea.
According to the agreement, ZTE will incur $1 billion in fines, with another $400 million placed in escrow to cover future violations, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The Commerce Department plans to amend its 2017 settlement agreement and count the $361 million ZTE paid as a part of that, allowing the United States to claim a total penalty of as much as $1.7 billion, the sources said.
Over the weekend, ZTE signed the agreement drawn up by the United States, the sources said, but the amended settlement has not been signed.
As part of the deal, sources said, ZTE promised to replace its board and executive team in 30 days. It would also allow unfettered site visits to verify that U.S. components are being used as claimed by the company, and post calculations of U.S. parts in its products on a public website, they added.
Trump’s plan to help the Chinese company has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as ZTE has been labeled a national security threat.
“By letting ZTE off the hook, the president who roared like a lion is governing like a lamb when it comes to China,” U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement in response to Reuters’ report of the preliminary agreement. “Congress should move in a bipartisan fashion to block this deal right away.”
The deal also comes as China rubber stamped several new trademarks for White House adviser Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand, as well as pledged $500 million in financing for an Indonesian resort which will feature Trump-branded properties.


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NEW YORK, Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)– As the realty market remains to be a warm subject, it is likewise among the methods of financial investment as well as economic monitoring. With the introduction of the epidemic in 2020, the international economic climate is swiftly decreasing, which straight advertises the quick growth of the blockchain sector, as well as even more individuals have actually moved their financial investment to the blockchain area.
NEW WORLD, the initial property NFT under NWB Foundation of the United States, damages the border in between online as well as genuine, which not just increases the growth of the property sector in the meta-universe, makes even more individuals focus on the area of NFT, however additionally enables capitalists to develop even more wide range in NEW WORLD.
NEW WORLD is a meta-universe gathering eco-friendly system based upon property NFT launched by New World Blockchain Foundation (NWB Foundation for brief) in the United States as well as NP establishing group in Dubai. Today, it has actually finished 2 rounds of funding entailing numerous bucks. At the very same time, business design and also confirmation outcomes of New World group have actually been extensively acknowledged in the previous 2 years.
NEW WORLD’s financial

domain: news


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Yorkshire entrepreneur Anthony Ullmann has acquired care home furniture manufacturer Shackletons.
A 68 bed new build care home has been given a more homely feel by interior designers Shackletons and HomeSmiths.
Trevor Cartwright has been appointed as operations director of leading furniture manufacturer Shackletons.
Care home furniture supplier Shackletons has appointed Dave Carmichael as its new commercial manager.
Sidhil, Shackletons and NHG explain how great furniture design can improve community care in a home.


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Uber, the smartphone-based car service that has been shaking up taxicab and limosine markets around the country, scored a big victory on Tuesday as the DC City Council passed legislation that officially recognizes "digital dispatch" car services. The new law comes just months after Uber rallied to defeat legislation that the firm said was designed to hobble Uber in order to shield incumbent taxcab operators from competition.
The new legislation "not only improves transportation in the District, but also serves as an innovative model for city transportation legislation across the country," wrote Travis Kalanick, Uber's CEO, in a triumphant blog post. Uber singled out Councilmember Mary Cheh, the lead sponsor of the legislation, for being "tireless in her efforts to craft a pro-innovation, pro-rider piece of legislation." Just months before, Uber had blasted Cheh's earlier proposal, which would have required "sedan" services like Uber to charge at least 5 times the minimum taxi rate, effectively pricing Uber out of the taxicab market.
That proposal prompted a backlash from Uber's loyal customers and drivers, and Cheh shelved the legislation. Uber then sat down with Cheh and negotiated a new version of the legislation that Uber was willing to endorse.
According to DCist, "Uber's pricing model will not be regulated, though its drivers will be required to submit trip data back to the DC Taxicab Commission, and the company will have to better inform its customers that drivers are rating them just as much as riders review drivers." It also combines the application process for taxicabs, sedans and limosines.
While Uber is now on firm legal footing in DC, it is still facing legal challenges elsewhere in the country. Recently Uber has been crossing swords with regulators in Chicago. In California, Uber and some other transportation startups were recently slapped with $20,000 fines for violating regulations in the Golden State. Officials are currently considering updates to California regulations that could legitimize Uber and other services like it.


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Google Keyboard has been released as a standalone app for Android devices running version 4.0 of the operating system and above.
The free software was previously exclusive to Nexus devices, having launched as the default option for Nexus 7 users last summer.
Google keyboard, which relies on a swipe-based interface, will bring competition to premium services such as Swype and SwiftKey.
Other features include automatic error correction, next word prediction and voice support via a device's on-board microphone.
The move has sparked rumours that Google Keyboard will launch as the default option on all Android devices when the web giant rolls out a new iteration of its mobile operating system.
Google Keyboard is available to download through Google Play.


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Everything that glitters is green – at least that’s what we’re gathering from this spectacular Smart Electric Drive that has been decked out like a disco ball! The pint-sized EV has been adorned with thousands of pieces of mirrored glass from the top of its roof to the rounds of its hubcaps. It even has mirror-finished window glass, ensuring that the entire vehicle sparkles as brightly as its zero emission rating.
The vehicle was commissioned by the art-rocker supergroup Apparatjik — a high-concept band consisting of a-ha’s Magne Furuholmen, Coldplay’s Guy Berryman, Jonas Bjerre of Mew and producer Martin Terefe. The shimmering number will be featured in an upcoming movie called Pixel City that will be filmed in Berlin.
While we don’t expect this car to hit the streets anytime soon — it would probably blind oncoming motorists, pedestrians and maybe even set a fire or two — we’re still enamored by the idea of turning an EV into a moving piece of art.


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Retail News Breaks Archives
Duane Reade Inc. on Friday said it's set to uncork its first new advertising campaign in years, with the drug chain's messages blanketing spaces throughout New York City.
Officials from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores this week made the case for the pivotal role that community pharmacy can play in helping patients follow their medication regimens and, in turn, fostering health care reform.
Amid a leadership shakeup, Supervalu Inc. said Wednesday that it plans to create a new health and wellness division.
In a show of confidence about its strategic plans and financial performance, Walgreen Co. on Wednesday hoisted its quarterly dividend by 22.2%.
Duane Reade Inc. plans to deploy Hewlett-Packard photo publishing technology throughout its stores.
Jean Coutu Group on Tuesday posted healthy revenue and same-store sales growth for its fiscal 2010 first quarter.
Cardinal Health has renewed its distribution agreement with CVS Caremark Corp.
McKesson Corp. on Monday said it has renewed its current distribution agreement with CVS Caremark Corp.
Walgreen Co. has agreed to continue filling Medicaid prescriptions in Delaware for another 30 days after previously announcing it would stop doing so as of Monday due to proposed cuts in pharmacy reimbursement rates.


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The Partnership Director at Visit Winona spoke to Saint Mary’s students about the importance of tourism marketing at a Nov. 12 presentation.
Kate Carlson, The Partnership Director at Visit Winona, calls herself the ‘cheerleader’ for Winona. Her job entails her to educate non-Winonians about Winona and why it should be their next tourist destination. “We want Winona on people’s mind,” Carlson said.
Visit Winona promotes Winona as a year-round destination for visitors with goals to create a positive economic impact for local businesses and organizations and to provide unique experiences to those who visit.
Visit Winona targets four different audiences: Baby Boomers, The Adventure Family, The Experienced Millennial, and the Outdoor Junky. Tapping into these specific target audiences helps with executing and promoting the right content to reach the right audience.
Carlson emphasized the importance of knowing your audience, “ Everybody is a marketer, everybody is a communicator, you just have to know your audience and where you are getting your information.”
Carlson also enjoys promoting Winona to former Winona residents who get a sense of nostalgia from the content being posted, “We tap into that nostalgia by featuring local businesses and organization on our social media channels that engage our followers who used to live in Winona,” Carlson said.
Carlson also mentioned that parents of current college students frequently visit and follow the Visit Winona Facebook page as a way to know what is going on in the Winona community. “They want to feel like they are apart of your experience,” Carlson said.
Through Visit Winona, Carlson has been able to try different marketing strategies to engage her audience. From enlisting social media influencers to creating Winona-specific merchandise, Carlson has been able to sell Winona as a must-see tourist destination.
Carlson explained that her marketing techniques focus on how to make Winona stand out from all the other places people could visit, “This type of marketing and engagement is a fun, unique, advocation of Winona,” Carlson said.
One major project that Carlson worked on was putting together a Winona area coloring book featuring local businesses and organizations (Saint Mary’s University was included in the completed coloring book). Carlson worked with local businesses and organizations along with three local artists to make sure the coloring book was an accurate representation of the city of Winona.
The coloring book was successful, “ Residents were picking it up and sending it to their family members in California and New York,” Carlson said.
Another successful addition to the Visit Winona services was adding a newsletter called “This week in Winona” which was originally distributed to 20-30 people, mostly hotels, as a way to inform their visitors of the events going on in Winona that week. Now it is in such demand that it is emailed every Monday to over a thousand people.
Besides creating merchandise, working with local businesses and organization, and engaging people on social media, Carlson expressed that there are a plethora of traits and skills needed to be successful in the tourism industry, from strong writing and editing skills to photography and video editing skills.
The most important skill Carlson emphasized was having people skills, “Really know your audience and ask the right questions.”
Carlson concluded her presentation by allowing the students to ask her questions.
The presentation inspired students to stay behind and inquire about potential internships with Visit Winona.


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Russian Online Food Sales on the Rise
Data from February has shown that Russia’s fastest growing trade segment were online sales of foodstuffs, Izvestia said, referencing expert data and assessments of the country’s largest retailers. Sources mention that amid the coronavirus pandemic, revenues of online shops increased by 24% in February, year-on-year.
According to E-Commerce Russia, the share of foodstuffs in the Russian e-commerce sector is currently under 3% of all sales. Its monthly growth, however, was at around 5% in 2019.
Last year, the volume of the Russian e-commerce market in monetary terms was at USD 16.3 billion, a 58% increase year-on-year. The total number of online purchases was around 375 million orders (66% up), and the average purchase value decreased by 12%, down to 2.6 thousand rubles.
Apart from e-commerce, other leaders in terms of sales growth were e-learning (20% increase in sales) and pet food (15%). It has also been announced that imports of chemical products into Russia were 13.2% up and totalled USD 2.82 billion.
- Cost efficient entry: we provide you low cost entry to the market due to our proven efficient strategies of combining offline and online sales channels
- Reliable trading partner: we take care of your order fulfillment as well as all negotiations, certification, custom clearance and safe payments
- Unique expertise on the Russian Market: unlike other international platforms, our team is specialized in trading with Russia and has several years of experience and deep understanding of the market.


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Amazon Store In Pakistan
Imagine if you could visit any online retailer in the world, buy what you like and have it delivered to your doorstep in Karachi or Lahore in a week. On Saturday, the Indian foreign ministry said that the Amazon Pakistan country’s Ambassador in Washington has been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments,” said spokesman Vikas Swarup.
I m currently in India and want to sell my products in india only i will be sourcing from china my query is while having my accoount at can I use FBA at china so that I can supply the products from there it self instead bringing first to india then shipping from here.
To keep the information safe of our respected customers is our top priority and we don’t compromise on it. Your online shopping experience is hundred percent safe with us as we take extra measures to ensure the security of information of our customers.
Presently, Amazon is bringing up the quality of the hardware to match the exceptional services, which is quite good for the user’s satisfaction as well as good for consciousness of Amazon’s brand the best tabs Amazon Fire HD 6, Amazon Fire HD 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HDX and Amazon Fire HDX 8.9 Tabs.
Many of these third-party sellers” pay additional fees to store their inventory in Amazon warehouses, use Amazon robots and personnel to fulfill customer orders, or rely on Amazon to deliver their goods to customers across the globe through its fleet of 25 planes and 4,000 trucks or its deeply discounted delivery contracts with UPS and FedEx.


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Petrol prices hit the tourism industry: Economy roundup
Thursday, June 19, 2008/
Soaring petrol prices are putting the squeeze on tourism businesses, a new survey released today shows.
The Victoria Tourism Industry Council survey reveals tourism operators in the state saw petrol prices as the single biggest factor constraining the growth of their businesses in the May 2008 quarter.
Petrol prices – which passed the $1.70 mark in some parts of the country today – were identified as a significant restraint by 60% of tourism business owners, up from 41% in the preceding quarter.
Tourism businesses were also much less positive about their longer term prospects, with only 32% of those surveyed indicating that they anticipate their business performance will improve over the next year, down from 42% in the first quarter of this year.
And tourism operators aren’t the only businesses suffering because of high petrol and oil prices. According to the Westpac–ACCI Survey of Industrial Trends, higher fuel costs helped drive average unit production costs through the roof in the May 2008 quarter and now approach 60% of net revenue.
The key industrial trends actual composite index fell to 53.9 from 56.0, again pointing to slowing economic conditions as high interest rates bite.
On the markets today, the S&P/ASX200 is down 1.1% on yesterday’s close to 5384.2 at 12.20pm, with concerns about oil prices and the health of the US economy driving selling across financial and transport stocks. At the same time the dollar is trading US94.66c.
Amantha Imber runs a successful business — but she still has impostor syndrome Amantha Imber Inventium founder
Social media isn't about numbers, it's about connection Carlii Lyon Carlii Lyon PR founder
"My early decisions were rooted in fear": How good hires can set small business owners free Nancy Youssef Classic Finance founder
"No staff turnover": Business success hinges on a thriving company culture David Fazio Mate co-founder
Five ways to mentally prepare for the brutal capital-raising process Stacey Fisher Minnow Designs co-owner
In the age of online shopping, it's retail staff that make or break businesses Cal Doggett Properties & Pathways director


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Dramatic downswing expected in Q2
The first quarter GDP figures confirmed that the Namibian economy was already beset by several wide-raging difficulties even before the nationwide lockdown that took effect in April.
23 June 2020 | Economics
We do not expect the government to give in to any radical/market unfriendly policy demands … - Eloise du Plessis, Research chief: PSG Namibia
The economic downswing is set to deteriorate dramatically in the second quarter due to a sudden stop in domestic economic activity and international trade and travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020.
“We continue to forecast a 7.8% contraction in real GDP for this year compared to the government's slightly more optimistic expectation of -6.6%,” says the head of research at PSG Namibia, Eloise du Plessis, in their recent quarterly economic update report.
The budget deficit is forecast to widen from an estimated 4.7% of GDP in the 2019/20 fiscal year to a gaping 12.5% of GDP in the 2020/21 fiscal year.
Fiscal slippages are also expected in the medium term, given the challenging and uncertain road to economic recovery, the tepid pace of fiscal reforms and probable pushback against efforts to reduce the bloated public wage bill.
The volatility of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revenue flows, and continued financial losses at major state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are also expected to contribute to the loss of revenue for the government.
The goods trade deficit narrowed to N$19.4 billion in 2019 from N$20.4 billion in 2018, due to less goods imported and higher current transfer inflows.
However, this masked large declines in leading exports such as diamonds, processed fish and livestock.
The current account deficit is expected to widen sharply from 2.3% of GDP in 2019 to 5.8% of GDP in 2020, due to the adverse impact of lockdowns on global trade and travel.
The average inflation rate is expected to remain subdued in 2020, due to lower oil prices and dismal domestic demand, while passthrough from the weaker exchange rate and food price pressures is expected to be muted.
Transport price inflation has decelerated steadily after oil prices hit a peak of US$86 per barrel in October 2018, and the average oil price is forecast to decline to US$37.8 per barrel this year from US$64.4 per barrel in 2019.
Despite the Namibian dollar losing 8.4% of its value in 2019, the annual consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate fell to a four-year low last year. Moderating inflation took place amid a slump in global oil and food prices as well as negative domestic economic growth.
It has become evident that the Covid-19 crisis would lead to a sharp fall in domestic activity and following similar moves by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).
The monetary policy committee (MPC) decided to cut the repo rate by a further 25 bps to continue supporting domestic economic activity while at the same time safeguarding the one-to-one link between the Namibia dollar and the South African rand.
Over the past quarter, economic risks have increased, while political risks have remained broadly stable.
Namibia performed worse in several chosen economic performance indicators than the median of its Southern Africa peers.
The country is a notable underachiever in terms of GDP growth as the economy battles the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, a lack of fiscal space, prolonged drought, and disinvestment following the boom years of 2010 to 2015, PSG says.
On the political side, the government have not been short of scandals such as the Chinese customs fraud case, the SME Bank-VBS Bank scandal, the Areva corruption case and the controversial Fishrot scandal which have dabbled with populist policies over the past few years, the analysts continue
The government is further facing pressure to implement populist demands from pressure groups such as the Landless People's Movement (LPM), PSG says.
“Nevertheless, we do not expect the government to give in to any radical/market unfriendly policy demands, given that the country is in dire need of more foreign investment amid the current economic malaise,” PSG says.


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Kerrang!: METALLICA TEAM UP WITH BILLABONG FOR NEW SURFWEAR RANGE
Following on from their recent collaboration with Nixon watches, Metallica have teamed up with surf company Billabong for a new range inspired by their 1991 self-titled album. It’s just the first of five new lines created with Billabong LAB, with a new collection dropping every month until March 2020. The first capsule was launched yesterday (October 22) and features four pieces of surf apparel influenced by Metallica’s game-changing fifth full-length, known as The Black Album.


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Marriott hotel chain suffered a data breach , as it reported that hackers stole more than 20 gigabytes of confidential data, between clients and internal processes.
The incident, first reported by Databreaches.net, is said to have occurred in June when an unnamed hacker group claimed they used social engineering to trick an employee at a Maryland Marriott hotel into giving them access to his computer.
“Marriott International is aware of a threat actor who used social engineering to trick an associate at a single Marriott hotel into providing access to the associate’s computer,” said Marriott spokeswoman Melissa Froehlich Flood. “Threat actor did not gain access to Marriott’s core network.”
The group claiming responsibility for the attack says the stolen data includes guests’ credit card information and sensitive information about guests and employees.
The hotel chain acknowledged that while most of the data acquired by threat actor was what Marriott described as non-sensitive internal business files, they will be notifying approximately 300-400 individuals and any regulators. They did not provide a full explanation as to what kinds of personal information were leaked. Law enforcement has reportedly been notified, and Marriott states that they are supporting that investigation.
The threat actor commented on Marriott’s security:
Their security is very poor, there were no problems taking their data. At least we didn’t get access to the whole database, but even the part that we took was full of the critical data.
The threat actor mentioned that they hacked into personal information of guests and employees. They provided samples of 20 GB of files that they had exfiltrated.
A number of the files in the sample were, indeed, internal business documents with confidential and proprietary information such as how to access a labor management and scheduling platform. From the dates on the files, some of these manuals and audits might no longer be currently applicable. Apart from internal business documents, other documents included information on hotel guests and employees. Number of documents were where airlines made reservations for their flight crews to stay at the hotel. The forms included the crew members’ names , what flight number they would be arriving on, what flight number they would be departing on and their room number . The documents also include corporate credit card numbers for the airline or travel agency making the guests’ arrangements
This is not the first time that Marriott has suffered a significant data breach.
- In September 2010, HEI Hotels & Resorts disclosed a breach. Those properties included a number of Marriott-branded hotels.
- In April 2011, Marriott Rewards program customers data was breached involving Marriott vendor Epsilon.
- A 2014 breach at Starwood that neither Starwood nor Marriott knew about when Marriott acquired Starwood in 2016 was first reported In November 2018. Marriott disclosed that the breach impacted almost 500 million guests, a number that they eventually re-estimated at 383 million or less.
- In October 2019, Marriott announced that a breach at an unnamed vendor had impacted some of its associates.
- In March 2020, Marriott had to notify 5.2 million guests whose personal information was breached.
- And now in 2022, a threat actor has hacked BWIA Marriott.
Working as a cyber security solutions architect, Alisa focuses on application and network security. Before joining us she held a cyber security researcher positions within a variety of cyber security start-ups. She also experience in different industry domains like finance, healthcare and consumer products.


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On its debut weekend, Apple sold nearly twice the number of iPads analysts had expected. An estimated
700,000 300,000 iPads sold this weekend; analysts had estimated far fewer of the tablet computers would sell. Bloomberg has more:
Hundreds of shoppers lined up to wait for stores to open, though crowds didn’t camp out for days this time, as they did when the iPhone debuted. Many of the buyers identified themselves as early adopters and Apple enthusiasts, making it harder to tell if the iPad will win over mainstream customers.
The iPad’s success will depend partly on the attractiveness of applications that run on it. CBS Corp., the most-watched U.S. TV network, announced plans last week to offer episodes of shows such as “Survivor” and “CSI” on the iPad. Walt Disney Co. will release iPad applications for ABC shows and ESPN games. And Netflix Inc., the movie-rental company, will let subscribers watch programming streamed to the iPad.
The device went on sale April 3, drawing crowds to stores across the U.S. and rivaling the frenzy seen when the iPhone was introduced in 2007. Lines at five stores surveyed by Piper Jaffray were longer than expected, yet Apple had iPads available late in the opening day, signaling the company was able to produce enough devices to fulfill initial demand, Munster said.
Analysts also expect Apple to sell 5 million iPads during the coming year, according to Bloomberg, but those are the same analysts who just underestimated the product’s weekend sales. The article also indicates that higher-than-expected sales may point to a tablet revival. It’s worth considering. I think it’s still too early to tell.


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In partnership with: ALZAIA – Cooperativa Sociale
How to provide NEETs – young adults who are Not Employed in Education or Training – and people affected by Down Syndrome (DS) with an unmissable opportunity of professional growth?
With the support of Costa Crociere Foundation, constantly active in making the difference at social level in Italian communities, the project The miracles’ shop – will provide a great answer to this issue. A group of NEETs and DS young adults will contribute to the launch of the first shop ever opened at Pisa’s Piazza del Duomo, one of the world’s most famous international tourist destinations.
The European Union has long been watching with preoccupation the emergence of NEETs. These are young individuals who, not being engaged in any training activities or employment, are at higher risk of not regaining access to the world of work. In 2013, for instance, 26% of the Italian population aged between 15 and 29 was not working or attending any type of training course.
People affected by DS also have considerable problems finding a job or integrating in society, especially after they have completed their studies. According to Censis (2011), one in four adults with DS stays at home without being engaged in any type of activity. The majority of those who are aged over 18 cannot find any type of job regardless of their aspirations, personal skills or wages.
When all of these factors are considered, the need for innovative initiatives appears evident, which can instill hope in disadvantaged young people. For this reason, and thanks to the support provided by Costa Crociere Foundation, Cooperativa Sociale ALZAIA has decided to take action through the integrated inclusion of NEET and DS young adults in the launch of La Bottega dei Miracoli, a new social retail enterprise.
Shelters are overstretched and are struggling to provide a temporary roof for both the traditional and the “new” homeless. Food insecurity and housing are not just an issue for men aged 45 to 65 sleeping in doorways, abandoned cars or in derelict buildings because of psychiatric, family, or addiction problems. They are the reality of increasing numbers of single fathers, elderly people living alone, young women with no home or no partner, evicted families, young unemployed foreigners or the working poor.
Miracles’ shop aims to boost the professional and social autonomy of people affected by DS as well as allow young NEETs to regain access to the world of work.
To reach this goal, young adults belonging to both of these categories will be involved in the launch of the first ever shop open to the public at Pisa’s historic Piazza dei Miracoli.
It is indeed a very special location, as the Piazza that hosts the famous Tower of Pisa is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.
The project was created out of an unmissable opportunity, i.e. the chance to run the only shop at Pisa’s Piazza del Duomo.
Miracles’ shop calls for several actions linked with one another, which range from setting up a permanent educational lab – where at least 4 young NEETs and 5 people with DS will be brought in for a work placement every year – to launching a new business with a point of purchase of local organic food products (biscuits, fruit jams, etc.) and non-food items (clothes, make-up products, gadgets, etc.).
The multi-year project will address 4 young NEETs and 5 young adults. They will be starting to work following a training period with specific roles to be defined according to their talents and aptitudes. There is also a possibility that these workers will be supported by people in good health.
Cooperativa ALZAIA is certain that the choice of bringing together young adults coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and young adults with DS can be beneficial to both categories, in that it will motivate both of them and make the young NEETs feel responsible for their colleagues at Miracles’ shop. The experience accumulated and the skills developed by the young adults at the end of the project will enhance their professional knowledge and help them regain access to the world of work or in other businesses in the city.
“No-one must be left behind” is the ethical imperative of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals towards 2030 with the aim of achieving equality and social justice. It is thanks to projects like Miracles’ shop that such guidelines can be put into effect in society.


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China’s economy is almost 5pc bigger now than it was a year ago as retail sales and investment returned to growth, and industrial output and exports powered the recovery.
The world’s second-largest economy has become the first major nation to escape the clutches of the pandemic, despite serving as the cradle of the coronavirus.
Official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics of China indicate GDP in the third quarter was 4.9pc higher than it was a year earlier.
It represents an acceleration from growth of 3.2pc in the second quarter.
China imposed strict lockdowns on entire cities at a time in the first quarter of the year, causing GDP to fall by 6.8pc on the year.
But it has rebounded rapidly, with quarter-on-quarter growth of 11.7pc in the second quarter and another 2.7pc in the third quarter.
September’s industrial output was up 6.9pc year on year, with retail sales up 3.3pc and exports up 10pc.
“Although Chinese data have to be treated with caution, more reliable data such as those on Western exports to China paint a positive picture: despite some serious long-term problems, China seems to be the only major economy whose GDP apparently exceeds its pre-pandemic level already,” said economist Holger Schmieding at Berenberg Bank.
The latest forecasts from the International Monetary Fund indicate China will be the only major economy to grow in 2020.
Its analysts expect GDP to grow by 1.9pc this year, compared to a fall of 4.4pc across the world as a whole, including drops of 4.3pc for the US, 8.3pc for the eurozone and 9.8pc in the UK.
Strong industrial output “shows that China is working hard on technology”, said economist Iris Pang at ING.
“Most of the [industrial] growth was in technology-related industries. Industrial robots grew 51.4pc year-on-year.”
A 2021 estimate from the IMF puts China’s growth at 8.2pc, far outstripping Spain, which is on track for 2020’s sharpest contraction.
But Miguel Chanco at Pantheon Macroeconomics said the official Chinese statistics probably overstated the growth rate. He estimated the “true” rate of growth as more like 3pc on the year.
“A full-year GDP contraction in China – in reality – still is on the cards,” he said, warning that disappointing domestic tourism numbers combined with plateauing car production and sliding investment in factories could all hit the recovery.
“Manufacturing investment is likely to come under renewed pressure from the second waves of Covid-19 erupting across most major developed markets. The fiscal support for infrastructure capex, at the same time, is unlikely to be as strong as it was in the initial stages of the China’s post-lockdown rebound, as some of the funds raised from special purpose local government bonds are now being diverted into other non-infrastructure areas.”


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Following the launch of the BEKO Mums United Facebook Page, the family-focused initiative, which promotes a healthy and active lifestyle for children, has received coverage online and on TV.
The fan page that has been created and managed by Snack Media, has Kirsty Gallacher as its ambassador, and the Sky Sports News presenter featured on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1 to promote the campaign.
The Facebook campaign has also had coverage online via BrandRepublic.com and CampaignLive.co.uk. The coverage can been seen here:
You can access the Facebook fan page here: www.facebook.com/bekomumsunited, which will also offer parents the chance to win football kit for their children’s team, free soccer coaching and up to £500 worth of Beko household appliances.


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VW increases electric vehicle target by 50 percent
Volkswagen is gearing up its electric-car onslaught, adding more battery vehicles to expand a bet that has already strained profit margins at the world's largest carmaker.
The German manufacturer plans to produce 22 million electric cars over the next decade, after previously mapping out a goal of 15 million cars based on its main electric-car platform for compact and mid-size vehicles. VW's pursuit of a dedicated format rather than a more flexible one emulates e-car pioneer Tesla Inc.
Tesla's approach "is right," rather than building platforms for both electric and combustion engine cars as some traditional automakers have done, VW CEO Herbert Diess told analysts during a capital markets day Tuesday. "Fully-electric cars are the most efficient way to cut CO2 emissions."
Diess is pushing forward with the industry's most ambitious electrification plan, using VW's heft to lower costs as regulators pick up the pace on emissions regulation. The risk is that buyers stay on the fence, delaying the payoff for years down the road. By comparison to VW's goals, General Motors Co. expects to sell 1 million electric cars annually by 2026.
Some carmakers lacking VW's scale have opted for electric models that'll share underpinnings with combustion models or roll down the same production lines. VW is retooling whole plants to make room for its specifically developed platform. The world's biggest carmaker needs its gamble to pay off, with its key three brands already showing the strain from higher spending on electric-vehicle technology, alongside trade disputes and weakening markets.
To share costs, VW is in "very good talks" with Ford to expand a planned collaboration on light commercial vehicles to autonomous driving. Ford is also considering using VW's electric-car technology, dubbed MEB, in Europe or China, Diess said.
"The supertanker is picking up speed," Diess said Tuesday in a speech at VW's annual earnings press conference. "We are aligning Volkswagen with e-mobility like no other company in our industry."
Global automakers are under pressure to generate savings to finance the industry's biggest transformation in decades. VW is spending 44 billion euros ($49 billion) through 2023 on electric and connected cars. Keeping profitability level this year from 2018 will be an achievement given the U.S.-China trade spat and falling demand in China, VW's biggest market, Diess said in a Bloomberg TV interview.
Volkswagen fell 1.1 percent to 143.80 euros at 6:05 p.m. in Frankfurt. The stock has declined 7.6 percent in the past year, compared with a 22 percent drop in the Stoxx Europe 600 Automobiles & Parts Index.
VW is also making progress on a plan for a partial share sale in trucks unit Traton SE. A date will be agreed "in the foreseeable future" with VW weighing up market conditions "in the next days," Diess said.
The division is valued at as much as 30 billion euros.
"The entire management board thinks it's a very good idea," Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter told analysts.
Separately, the company has started a review of its joint venture in China that'll conclude early next year. As part of the project, VW will weigh potential changes the shareholding structure, Diess said. VW plans to give an update on possible sales of "valuable non-core assets" during the second half.
For the Audi E-Tron and the Porsche Taycan, VW's first two battery cars that are part of a 70-model onslaught until 2028, VW said it has received 20,000 reservations each — with Porsche boosting planned production because of high demand.
As VW works toward the expensive dawn of the electric era, the company is struggling to push down costs and make the 12-brand behemoth more agile. Diess's plan to save more costs is facing growing discontent among the ranks of VW's powerful labor representatives.
On Tuesday, Diess sought to strike a conciliatory tone citing "constructive" talks with works council head Bernd Osterloh. But he was blunt pointing out labor costs as a "big concern" at the main VW and the Audi brands, with management determined to free up funds toward the planned overhaul. There might be "some smoke" emanating from Audi's headquarters and main factory in Ingolstadt, CFO Witter said.
"VW needs to stop its infighting and tackle its challenges in order to transform itself," Evercore analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said in a note. "The future will certainly not be much easier."
VW is preparing to update investors on its mid-term targets this summer, including goals reflecting a stronger focus on shareholder value. Management remuneration will be geared more toward share price performance.
VW Tuesday confirmed a forecast for revenue to rise by as much as 5 percent for this year, despite weakening markets globally, as well as maintaining profitability between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent of sales this year. The predictions assume markets improving during the second half of the year, Diess said.


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If you are one of the people who has been waiting for Toshiba to officially release the latest iteration of their Excite tablet devices, today is a good day for you as they are officially available for purchase. Toshiba released the three 10.1-inch class devices at three different price points, so one of them should fit the requirements of most buyers. The devices include the Excite Pure, the Excite Pro and the Excite Write and are available through Toshiba direct or major retailers like Amazon.com or Best Buy.
Word is that Sony is working on a something called a “lens camera” that can be used on its own or mounted onto a smartphone. This lens camera will transmit pictures via NFC and WiFi directly to the smartphone. Users can also mount it to their phone using a special magnetic mount, which would give users a live view of the lens from the phone’s display.
The lens camera will have it’s own imaging sensor, battery, and memory. Word is that it will have the same sensor that is on the Sony DSC-RX100 II camera, which is a 1-inch 20.2MP Exmor R with a f/1.8 Carl Zeiss lens. In addition, Sony could be working on a second model with a smaller sensor and a higher zoom.
To give you an idea of this concept, hit the break for a couple of videos from Wireless Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (WVIL). This product first appeared at CES 2011, and could be very similar to what Sony is planning. (the image above is a concept image and not intended to be the actual product)
Last week we showed you developer Paul O’Brien’s MoDaCo.SWITCH ROM which allows HTC One users to quickly switch between HTC Sense 5 UI and stock Android (as seen on the Google Play Edition of the HTC One). All you have to do is tap on one of two options— it’s that easy.
Now it looks as though they’ve opened up a signup page allowing users to try out the beta version of their app. Hit the link below to join in on all the fun.
Vector Unit took to Reddit to announce that their latest creation, Riptide GP2, will hit Android on July 23rd. This game is likely to be a huge hit and will really push the boundaries of Android gaming. For those of you that don’t have a Tegra device, don’t worry, it won’t be a Tegra exclusive, but you can expect the extra special effects to be reserved to those devices as usual. It’s expected to be priced at $2.99, which is darn good when you consider how awesome this game is going to be.
The upcoming Droid Maxx has yet to be released, and we expect to see it launch next Tuesday, July 23rd, the day before Google’s “breakfast” event with Sundar Pichai, where we expect either Android 4.3 and/or the Moto X to surface.
Now we’re seeing a new version of the Droid Maxx, this time with a red stripe going alongside its backside. The fact that Verizon’s logo is on the backside is good news as well, as we now know it won’t be awkwardly placed on the front of the device. As of now, we expect the device to have a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 2 protection, a Snapdragon S4 chip clocked at 1.7GHz. 16GB of internal storage is also rumored, as well as a 10 or 14MP camera, and a 2500mAh battery.
We’ll know if all of this is true on Tuesday at the Verizon/Motorola event.
Source: Phone Arena
Sketches were revealed yesterday so why not some blurrycam photos? I am sure we will see a slew of purported images of the Galaxy Note III over the next month, and hopefully a lot better than what we are showing you here. It actually pains me to post this, but I know there are hardcore fans out there that will take anything. Well here you go. There is absolutely nothing we can get out of these photos other than the fact that the Galaxy Note III is a phone. More blurrys after the break.
With the Moto X bandwagon seemingly increasing in size every day, we continue to receive more and more news about the upcoming device. This time, we present to you a memo which lists the release date for the Moto X for U.S. Cellular on August 26th.
Expect to see an enormous increase in marketing efforts for the Moto X in the coming week or so, especially because Google has an event planned on Wednesday, and we’ve already seen the device a million times at this point through leaked images, and of course our buddy Larry Page. Any day now…
Source: Android Central
LG and Virgin Mobile USA announced the availability of the LG Optimus F3 smartphone today . Priced at only $179.99 when mated with a Beyond Talk monthly plan starting at $35 month, the device offers an LTE alternative for budget conscious buyers.
The device runs on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor driving a 4-inch display. The Optimus F3 has a 5MP rear-facing camera capable of full 1080p HD video capture. Loaded with Android 4.1.2, LG has added some additional apps like the Expressive QuickMemo app and a Quick Translator capable of translating from 44 different languages into 64 native languages.
Check out the press release after the break for more details.
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards was one of those titles that seemed to be synonymous with the 80’s. So in this day and age when so many entertainment choices from the past are recycled using a fresh layer of technology, it is no surprise to see Larry Laffer, the title’s main character, show up once again in a game designed for the latest devices. Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded was released to the Google Play Store today and at least initially, is free for players to download and give it a try. Developer Replay Games indicates they are offering it free with an in-app purchase option so users can verify the title will work on their hardware. Apparently, there are quite a few problems out there.
Google had their quarterly earnings call this afternoon. TalkAndroid isn’t a business blog so we will just tell you the stuff that matters to Android. It’s always interesting to see where things are when it comes to daily Android activations. According to Larry Page, it’s now at 1.5 million devices per day. That is up from the 1.3 million daily average that was reported last September. Amazing is an understatement.
The Moto X did come up and Larry Page said, “I know you’re all eagerly anticipating what Motorola is launching soon. Having been a tester for a while. I’m very excited.” I think we all are. We could see it next Wednesday, but they could also premier it at a separate event later. He was also asked about how the Moto X might affect other Android partners. Page said, “We operate Motorola independently. You can see the level of work that’s gone on there to operate that business. I think the team’s been doing a great job, as we mentioned. I think they’re working hard on making great products and I think we’re really excited about it.”
If you do own Google stock, they are down about 4% in after hours trading.
AT&T’s latest marketing scheme involves an advertisement that claims their network is the nation’s fastest and most reliable LTE network. Naturally, this is a dig at Verizon, who currently boasts the biggest LTE network in the country. AT&T’s claims are backed by information gathered from an unnamed third-party that claims their network has “the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks.”
If you ever see any Verizon commercials or ads, network reliability and coverage are their two strongest selling points for LTE. As it stands, Verizon still has the bigger LTE network, but from personal use, I’ve seen faster LTE speeds on AT&T’s network than on Verizon’s. Of course, those faster speeds don’t mean much if it isn’t deployed in the area you live, so pick your poison. You can check out the full press release below.
Not content to let AT&T try to steal the spotlight with its newest wireless plans, Verizon has gone ahead and followed suit by introducing its newest Verizon Edge upgrade plan for its customers. Through the new service, Big Red customers will be able to upgrade v after you have been in the plan for 6 months and have paid off 50% of the full retail cost of the phone— once that period is reached, customers will be able to choose a new phone and start a new plan by simply trading in the existing phone. The best part of all this folks– there are no long-term service contracts, finance charges or upgrade fees with Verizon Edge. Sweet.
Unfortunately, the service is not available to all Verizon customers. Verizon Edge will be available to customers on Share Everything plans only starting August 25th— so those of you holding on to those sweet, sweet unlimited data plans will be out of luck. More details can be found once you hit the source link.
source: Verizon Wireless
Samsung announced its next generation of SoCs with great fanfare with the Exynos 5 Octa back at CES last January. However, the chip has failed to appear in many devices since then, as it’s only in one variant of the Galaxy S 4, and it looks like it won’t even be in the Galaxy Note III.
However, Samsung tweeted today from @SamsungExynos that they would be releasing an updated version of the Exynos 5 Octa. Although they haven’t gone into detail about what’s changing about the hardware, this definitely means that they’re fixing whatever issues were behind the first version not showing up in a multitude of devices.
As we wait for some more information, we wonder whether Samsung is going to just announce the hardware changes or also announce the chip’s placement in some of their future devices. More to come next week.
A new “tipster” source surfaced yesterday and claims to have some details about Meizu’s forthcoming Meizu MX3 smartphone. According to @srcleaks, the images above and below show the front and back of the MX3 along with dimensions for the device. The image of the front is fairly consistent with the last render that surfaced back in March. The device appears to be similar in looks to an HTC One or possibly an iPhone, especially with the large bezels at the top and bottom.


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Crude Or Clever? Millions Will Return Gifts This Year.
Ho Ho Ho, This gift has got to go!
The thought, it meant a lot...
but it didn't hit the spot.
So I guess I'll send it back
and find something more on track!
Millions Of Us Return Gifts
Do you ever return gifts? Wrong size notwithstanding? I guess it's a pretty big deal and it can be a pricey perk for the retailers who offer it.
Back in the day, when grandma bought you socks you kept and wore the socks. Even Christmas gifts that missed the mark were appreciated and preserved for sentimental value. Leap ahead to today and you'll find statistics like this -
Holiday gift returns are expected to be higher than ever this year as online shopping sales surge with two out of three consumers returning at least one gift during the holiday season
More Shopping Means More Returns
Yahoo News reports that the National Retail Federation is expecting a 13% increase in online sales this Christmas to $222.3 billion. The sales have been happening earlier than ever too since more consumers began their holiday shopping early this year as encouraged by the "experts" due to supply chain disruptions.
More and earlier shopping has meant more time for returns. Optoro, a company that manages returns and excess inventory, says more than $66.7 billion worth of products are expected to be returned by the end of 2021. Yikes.
Is Bracketing Bad For Business?
To be honest, I had never even heard of a practice called "bracketing" but I guess it's what you should expect when you offer free shipping and free returns. It appears that the "savvy" shoppers buy multiple sizes or colors of a single item, pick the one they like best and return the rest. The problem is, it's not the same as just bringing a couple of sizes of the same thing into the store dressing room. Last year's returns generated 5.8 billion pounds of waste and 16 million metric tons of carbon emissions and Optoro experts say that will increase this year. Yikes again.
On the surface, all these returns would seem to be an expensive hassle for businesses but it might work out for customers and retailers with some hard-to-find top quality merchandise becoming available again and stores could avoid losses by making more full margin sales while cutting down on discounting.
We hope you get what you want this Christmas, no matter which end of the sales transaction you are on!


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ShopOne names Jim Sylvia to board of directors
ShopOne Centers REIT has appointed James “Jim” Sylvia as an independent director, effective immediately.
Sylvia adds more than 30 years of retail and supermarket real estate executive experience to ShopOne, expanding the company’s board to five directors.
Sylvia, a widely recognized grocery retail industry leader, currently serves as the founder and president of Readco-Sylvia Advisory Services, a consulting business specializing in real estate, retail and e-commerce. He also is a partner in Readco Portfolio, a real estate investor, developer and owner of a diverse real estate portfolio including retail, entertainment and medical office space.
Prior to his current ventures, Sylvia spent more than 23 years at Ahold USA, a $28 billion supermarket and e-comm


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A 13-year-old boy from California has secured funding from Intel to bring a low-cost Braille printer to market.
Intel has not disclosed the exact sum it is giving to Shubham Banerjee, but it’s expected to be around a few hundreds thousand dollar.
The teenager rose to prominence after showing off a prototype version made with Lego kit, at the White House, when he was aged just 12. The invention won Mr Banerjee several awards and a place at the White House’s inaugural Maker Faire in June, attended by President Barack Obama.
Until now, Mr Banerjee’s company – Braigo Labs – had relied on $35,000 (£21,920) worth of cash from his parents to turn what was originally a science fair project into a proper Silicon Valley start-up.
The original Braigo v1.0 printer used Lego’s Mindstorms EV3 robotics kit as well as parts from a local home renovations store.
Users wrote text via an attached keypad, which the machine then converted into Braille, bashing out the raised bumps on a scroll of paper.
He has since begun work on a follow-up version, which is powered by Intel’s budget-priced Edison chip and uses 3D-printed parts.
“It is less power-hungry and has the future possibilities of using batteries… in remote places of the world,” Banerjee said when he showed off the work-in-progress at an event hosted by Intel in September.
“The capabilities of Edison enabled me to do a whole set of use cases I hadn’t previously thought about. For example, when we wake up in the morning we look at our smartphone or tablet to see the headline news. With Edison, we’ve set it up so the CNN headlines are printed off automatically every morning.”
The teenager hopes in time to sell a commercial model that will cost around $350 – about a fifth of the price of the lowest-cost alternatives.
Edited version (originally appeared on bbc.com)


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The government has been urged to carry out a sweeping crackdown on supermarket promotions after a report by Public Health England (PHE) found they were causing a major spike in sugar consumption.
The proposal is one of four key recommendations given to health secretary Jeremy Hunt in a PHE document called Sugar Reduction - The Evidence for Action, it was revealed at a health select committee hearing today.
The document has not been placed in the public domain yet, but PHE chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone revealed key details of it to MPs at the hearing on Tuesday (20 October).
The PHE document also showed there was evidence from a number of countries in favour of a tax on sugary drinks, she said, adding the higher the tax, the more effective it was.
However, PHE believed there were bigger priorities for the government to tackle, Tedstone said.
The first, Tedstone said, was the fact that promotions in supermarkets were skewed towards unhealthy products. A two-year study by Kantar Worldpanel, commissioned by PHE, showed 40% of food on sale in the UK was on promotion, and promotions were heavily skewed towards products high in salt, fat or sugar. The study suggested such promotional practices had contributed an extra 6% to sugar consumption in the UK, Tedstone said.
Tedstone told the committee that tackling the bias towards unhealthy food promoted in store was the number one recommendation in the PHE’s evidence review.
“We have looked at the balance of promotions in UK stores and they are highly targeted towards high sugar foods,” she said. “PHE are recommending that promotions need to be rebalanced.”
In recent years, the government has tried and failed to get agreement from retailers and suppliers under the Responsibility Deal for a voluntary programme of action on in-store promotions.
MPs were told voluntary moves by the likes of Tesco, Aldi and Lidl to ban so-called “guilt lanes” had gone nowhere near far enough.
The other top priorities PHE is calling for include a crackdown on the “deep and consistent” marketing of “unhealthy” food towards children. It is also urging the food industry to do much more on reformulation.
Tedstone also confirmed PHE’s report came down in favour of a tax on sugary drinks, after research from 11 countries, including Mexico, France and Hungary, showed fiscal measures “universally” helped cut consumption.
“PHE do see that there is a role for a fiscal approach,” she said. “Universally these assessments showed that a tax decreases purchases.”
“We’ve seen data from Mexico’s tax of sugar added drinks to show it brought about a 6% reduction in consumption of these products in the first year.”
However, Tedstone admitted much of the research around the impact of a sugar tax was “experimental” and said there was a lack of evidence about the long-term effectiveness of such policies.
“Fiscal measures have a big health halo effect when they are first introduced,” she said. “We don’t know whether that is sustainable.”
Reacting to PHE’s calls for action, Ian Wright, director feneral at the FDF, said a sugar tax would fly in the face of the government’s promises to be pro-business and urged for the continuation of a voluntary approach to reformulation.
“Sugar-sweetened drinks are already subject to a 20% tax through VAT which raises billions each year,” he said.
“Industry reformulation, responsible marketing commitments and shifting consumer demand have caused consumption of no and low sugar drinks to outstrip sales of regular,” added Wright. “This long-term trend has been achieved without the need for discriminatory taxes. Government maintains that a comprehensive approach including a partnership with industry and others is the answer to tackling obesity, not new taxes.”
Gavin Partington, director general of the BSDA, added: “Although we await the PHE evidence, the respected McKinsey report tells us that reformulation would be eight times more effective than a tax on HFSS products and changes in portion size ten times more effective. Indeed it also showed that educating parents would be five times more effective.
“The soft drinks sector has demonstrated this by leading the way on reformulation and expanding product choice. This has already achieved a 7.5% reduction in calories consumed from soft drinks between 2012 and the start of 2015. By contrast the tax in Mexico has resulted in a reduction of only 6 calories per day from their diet.”


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Between an ongoing conflict between Ukrainians and Russians, in addition to a global economy beleaguered by the effects from a global pandemic that has resulted in not only a loss of revenue but severe disruptions along the international supply chain, it comes to no surprise at all that many of our favourite products and menu items have suddenly become ever more difficult to come by, including ones at McDonald’s.
McDonald’s Malaysia says hash browns will be temporarily discontinued days ago
Indeed, that would seem to be the case with dutiful fans of the fast food giant’s breakfast menu as well, who are willing to wake at the crack of dawn for their signature Sausage McMuffins with a side of coffee and crisp hash browns. Many were left dismayed after learning that McDonald’s Malaysia had recently announced that they would be temporarily discontinuing the sale of the potato product.
The discovery was made by local netizen dewirosliiiiiii, who explained that staff members at her local McDonald’s outlet had informed that hash browns will be substituted with either a choice of fries or apple pie. This was later confirmed by a representative from McDonald’s Malaysia’s social media team, who said that the temporary discontinuation of hash browns was attributed to a lack of available stock.
Reactions to the news on social media have understandably been caught between an oscillating mixture of anger and disappointment, with many lamenting the sudden discontinuation of the essential McDonald’s breakfast staple. So much so in fact, that the fast food giant’s Malaysian outpost took to providing space for their fans to mourn the loss.
Tweet ini ditujukan untuk peminat2 Hashbrown Breakfast kami. Sesungguhnya perpisahan ini hanyalah sementara sahaja… sehingga stok kembali sediakala.
Sebabkan ramai yang sedih… Min buka komen untuk luahkan harapan untuk Hasbrown kembali. Silakan…
— McDonalds Malaysia (@McDMalaysia) July 24, 2022
“I’m so sad admin. I always make a stop to have breakfast at McDonald’s because I wanted to have the hash brown.”
“DON’T DISCONTINUE HASH BROWNS. It’s the only reason I wake up early and go out.”
“I was so sad when I waited for the breakfast set the other day with a hash brown for up to 40 minutes, and they told me after that they were out of hash browns. And they replaced it with undercooked fries that were still limp.”
“Don’t discontinue them for too long. I have breakfast at McD just for the hash browns.”
“Is it my fault for always ordering McD breakfasts with hash browns so frequently that now it has been discontinued? Plsss bring it back.”
But now they’re back!
Well, it looks like fans of McDonald’s hash browns will have nothing to worry about, as we have received official confirmation from McDonald’s that their hash browns are finally back after taking a few short days off.
So if you need a reason to wake up tomorrow morning, let this be the one! (no word on when large fries are coming back though)


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Three men are wanted in connection with a shoplifting case at the, according to a news release from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
On June 14 just after 5 p.m. two of the men entered the store and loaded a shopping cart with videogames and three videogame systems (two X Box 360s and one Wii). They put that shopping cart near an emergency exit and then left the store. Half an hour later, a third man entered the store, grabbed the stuff in the shopping cart, and ran out of the store.
The Sherriff’s Department is now asking the public for help finding the shoplifting suspects. If you recognize any of the men in this photo, you’re asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 858-565-5200. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.


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5 key trends disrupting digital commerce
As the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into a tailspin, businesses were struck with the reality that they had been relying too heavily on the in-store channel. Weaknesses were exposed in supply chains and fulfillment operations. Legacy ecommerce systems couldn’t support new business processes and, to make matters even worse, systems were taken down by massive spikes in traffic. The outcome is that we’re experiencing a digital commerce uprising of colossal proportions. As a result of the immense shift in business models that we are now experiencing, here are five digital commerce trends that are really taking off in 2020.
Trend #1: Businesses look to marketplaces to meet customer needs
Prior to the pandemic, digital commerce was well on its way to adopting the online marketplace model. In fact, in 2019, 58%1 of online retail sales globally were sold through marketplaces, a 22% increase over the prior year.
The pandemic has propelled marketplace adoption into overdrive, as we see both B2B and B2C businesses quickly deploying their own marketplaces to account for lost revenue and to remove reliance on struggling supply chains and fulfillment as well as onboarding new products without capital expenditure on inventory.
Trend #2: A huge upsurge in hyper-local demand
Rules on social distancing have stimulated a hyper-local demand like we have never seen. Since customers are confined to their homes, on-demand deliveries, like UberEats and DoorDahs have skyrocketed. Businesses are viewing on-demand deliveries through an entirely new lense, and are rapidly deploying marketplaces to quickly add new suppliers and partners and leverage drop shipping to serve this hyper-local movement.
Trend #3 – Omnichannel is a top priority
Omnichannel has been pushed to the forefront for brick-and-mortar businesses. Buy Online Pickup In Store (BOPIS) has realized significant adoption, with 68%2 of US consumers having made multiple BOPIS purchases, according to data from Business Insider. Those who had omnichannel in place prior to pandemic are capitalizing on their investment by offering curbside pick ups or home delivery.
Trend #4 – Businesses are increasing their use of data, AI and machine learning to improve fulfillment logistics
The pandemic has caused severe disruptions to supply chains, and changes in worldwide regulations continue to be a challenge for fulfillment and logistics. Businesses are turning to OMS with built-in intelligence (AI) to fulfill orders more efficiently and more cost-effectively. AI is helping retailers locate and use inventory from stores, even if they are closed, to serve online customers.
Trend #5 – Expansion of digital customer service offerings
Since the pandemic hit, support teams across industries have been hit hard and fast with a range of new challenges. The two big ones: vast increases in inbound call volume, as high as 50% or more and; new work-at-home models that require entirely new customer service rep (CSR) and management processes. Service organizations are dealing with these challenges by expanding their use of digital customer services offerings, from online chat to self-serve website resources. Digital alternatives help customers get the attention they need without having to wait in the call queue, while enabling CSRs do their jobs well by reducing their call volume.
Seize the Opportunity
These five digital commerce trends were gaining steam before the pandemic hit, and are now realizing adoption at unprecedented rates. Businesses worldwide turn to VTEX to help them turn these market shifts into opportunities – with the first and only fully-integrated ecommerce, marketplace and order management solution. Contact us today to learn how VTEX can empower your business to seize the opportunity.
2 Business Insider


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Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 8
With the bird flu outbreak being reported in different states in the country, the sale and prices of poultry products have come down by around 40 per cent in the state.
Wholesalers of poultry products said even as prices had come down, retailers had reduced the orders significantly as customers were apprehensive about eating chicken and eggs now in the view of bird flu scare.
Balwinder Singh, a poultry product wholesaler operating in Bathinda for the past more than three decades, said, “Our daily sales of chicken and eggs have declined by up to 40 per cent in the past four days. While the wholesale rates of chicken have decreased from Rs 190 to Rs 158 per kg, the retail prices have come down from Rs 200 to Rs 160 now. Similarly, prices of eggs have also come down from Rs 666 to Rs 580 per 100 eggs. We are suffering losses.”
Another wholesaler in Mansa district said, “Last year, it was Covid-19 that kept buyers away from poultry products, and now it is the bird flu. The sales have declined considerably. Since it is just the initial phase of the flu, it is possible that the sales will decline further in the coming days.”
The sale of chicken in restaurants, hotels and dhabas has also been hit. The owner of a food outlet that sells cooked poultry products said, “People are scared of eating chicken and there is approximately 60 per cent fall in our daily sales now.”
Harmeet Singh, a city resident, said, “I am avoiding eating chicken meat and eggs now due to the bird flu scare. Though the guidelines say that if cooked properly at the right temperature,
there is no risk of catching the flu, nobody wants to take the risk. We can have eggs and chicken after the situation improves.”


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DELRAY BEACH, Fla., May 19 (UPI) -- A Florida brewery is aiming to do its part to protect sea creatures with specially designed six-pack rings created from edible materials.
Saltwater Brewery announced it teamed with advertising firm We Believers to create rings that would hold six-packs of beer together without threatening wildlife when the items are thrown away.
The brewery said the rings are made from byproducts of the brewing process and are completely biodegradable.
"Most plastic beer six‐pack rings end up in our oceans and pose a serious threat to wildlife," the brewery said in a Facebook post. "Together with We Believers, we ideated, designed, tested and prototyped the first ever Edible Six Pack Rings. A six‐pack packaging, made with byproducts of the beer-making process, that instead of killing animals, feeds them. They are also 100% biodegradable and compostable. We hope the big guys follow."


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On July 14, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced in Beijing that Uber would officially be entering the city. The CEO chose to make the announcement in Beijing because it was the 100th city where Uber has launched. For a company founded in 2009, being able to expand into 100 cities within 5 years is an incredible accomplishment.
Uber’s disruptive impact on the car service market has attracted even more attention than its rapid expansion. In the United States, private car owners can register to become Uber car drivers. This poses a huge challenge to the traditional taxi service industry, and puts Uber at the forefront of public attention and buzz.
When Uber moved into China, it chose to partner with standardized car rental companies to avoid legal risks. Because the company’s presence in China was not prominent, it hasn’t yet encountered backlash from taxi service industry.
Xiao Feng Wang, General Manager of Uber China, said in a phone interview with Tencent Tech that Uber hopes to better serve the drivers and customers without causing any problems.
Uber is hugely popular in American and European markets, but cab-hailing services like Didi Taxi and Kuaidi have transformed the Chinese taxi service industry, which has been a booming field in China during the last two years.
As more and more players enter the car service industry, YongChe App, a company that has a business model similar to Uber’s, is also gaining more attention. Like two major cab-calling services, Didi Taxi and Kuaidi, these companies now see Uber, which has been valued at $17 billion, as a major rival.
Uber’s soft landing in China
As a company that is technology-driven but offers primarily offline services, Uber had to ask itself whether it was capable of providing its services in China. One challenge for Uber is that other Internet companies were able to garner some users in China before officially entering the Chinese market. For Uber, building up a Chinese user base is much more difficult.
So far, Uber’s global expansion strategy (in regions outside of the US) has been to set up a local team that’s in charge of operations for their own market. This strategy was established to ensure localization of services, which is especially important to the Chinese market.
Additionally, Uber puts more emphasis on branding itself as a “lifestyle” and “logistics” company in oversea markets. But in China, the most important thing for Uber to focus on right now is offering great car services.
Uber’s entry strategy for Chinese markets has been relatively low-key. It first tested operations in Shanghai before making the official announcement that the service was available in China. It allowed Uber to quickly test its success through trial and error. Later, Uber made itself available in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing.
In his interview with Tencent Tech, Xiaofeng Wang said that even though the speed of expansion is very important, making sure that the company offers top-notch service is even more important because it’s key to building a strong foundation. Uber’s localization is completed in terms of language and support, but still has room to improve on the operational details.
Uber did not forget to emphasize its identity as an international company and highlight its competitive advantages. According to Xiao Feng Wang, some users might not really need Uber in China, but would find Uber very helpful when they travel abroad. As Uber makes inroads into the Chinese market, user loyalty will be further extended in China as well.
As Uber provides service in more cities, it encourages more users to use the service, which helps Uber snowball into even more cities.
Uber’s biggest competitor in China is YongChe, a mobile car-sharing service. YongChe has already entered 50 cities, and they’re aiming to be in 100 cities by the end of this year. At the same time, YongChe is leveraging its influence in the Chinese market to break into U.S. market, offering services for Chinese citizens traveling overseas.
Because China is such an enormous market for most industries, any foreign tech company will face powerful competitors when they try to enter the country. Even though internationalization is typically a competitive advantage for foreign tech companies, it is unlikely to help them succeed in the Chinese market. Instead, localization is the key to winning in China.
Many Internet companies have tried and failed to enter China due to lack of localization. However, Uber might be able to break this spell, because Uber provides a physical car booking service, and the actual service is delivered by domestic car service companies operated by local teams. The service is more tangible than the intangible Internet customer service experience. But at the same time, physical service isn’t easy to deliver.
As Xulei Hu, Brand Director of Yong Che, pointed out, Uber probably has mixed feelings about the Chinese car service market. “Is the Chinese market easy for outsiders to crack? Only Uber knows the best. In our experience, the Chinese market is more complex than we thought and it’s difficult for even insiders to navigate.”
He welcomes Uber to join the competition in the Chinese market because more competition will bring better service, which in turn will expand the overall car service market.
Upcoming explosive growth in domestic car service market
As Uber goes further into Chinese market, more and more companies are setting their sight on this prize. Besides YongChe, taxi car-calling companies have become hugely popular in the last two years as well.
Recently, Kuaidi, a taxi-hailing app, announced a partnership with taxi car service companies in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou to launch a new app called Kuaidi ONE. A revamped version of the original car service app, Kuaidi ONE uses luxury car series such as BMW 5 series and Audi A6.
Tencent learned that taxi-hailing app Didi is plotting a launch of its limousine and black car business. Interestingly, Wei Cheng, CEO of Didi, has been denying the company’s plan to the media press, even though it has been quietly working towards launching the commercial vehicle business when the right opportunity arises.
According to a source at a car service app company, Didi is going through a phase of contemplation and debate in launching the black car service due to some operational challenges. The main operational challenge is that this is a market that takes time to develop, and the business development process is more similar to that of the traditional industries than the environment that Internet companies are used to operating in. In contrast to Didi and Kuaidi, the commercial vehicle market doesn't have a standard for cars and rates. Therefore, operational variables play a more critical role than technical variables in this market.
Both Didi and Kuaidi have already acquired a lot of users and have a fair amount of insights into cab-callers’ user behaviors. Among those users, some have other car usage needs. Therefore, the opportunities with these users can go beyond the existing cab-calling service app and these users can become prospects for new business opportunities.
But the challenge with converting these users is figuring out how many Didi and Kuaidi users need other car services in addition to taxis. Uber and Yong Che have better user experiences than the taxi-hailing services, but also charge higher fees. Therefore, they are more suitable for premium users.
Wei Cheng admits that there is less compatibility between Didi’s users and commercial vehicle users. Instead, there is more compatibility between Didi’s user and users of car-pool services. Therefore, Didi has taken more interest in the car pool market. According to the internal news from Kuaidi, the company hopes that Kuaidi ONE can operate independently and has not start converting users from car-calling apps.
Didi and Kuaidi, the two companies that have initiated rounds of price wars in the tax car service industry, will tremendously impact the market when they enter the commercial vehicle realm.
Uber was able to acquire users through initiating price wars with competitors in foreign markets and managed to compete with the taxi service market. Yong Che was able to attract users through price cut and case back. When many companies have a positive outlook on the commercial vehicle market, a large-scale price war seems likely to be underway.
This article was originally published by QQ.com and translated by Rachel Hong. Copyright 2014.


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Daimler reboots Smart car management for EV future
Daimler AG is changing top management at the maker of the tiny Smart car, part of the latest plan to overhaul a brand that’s always been an awkward fit for the world’s largest maker of luxury vehicles.
Prompted by a strategic shift to electric vehicles, Annette Winkler will step down at the end of September after running Smart for eight years, the Stuttgart, Germany-based manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles said Tuesday. Her replacement will be named later.
Started two decades ago as a bold bet that urban consumers would buy a car mainly for its parking convenience, Smart has racked up about 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion) in losses, Bankhaus Metzler estimates. To find a new raison d’etre, the maker of the squat ForTwo is now being transformed into an urban version of Tesla Inc., abandoning combustion engines for electric models starting in 2020.
“Smart has never become a hit,” said Juergen Pieper, a Frankfurt-based analyst with Metzler, who estimates the current annual losses at about 200 million euros. “Becoming one of the first really electric brands makes some sense.”
While Smart offered Daimler the chance to attract a younger, urban clientele and the car has become a common sight on the streets of Berlin, Paris and Rome, the brand has struggled to expand beyond the tiny two-seater, originally launched in 1998. Efforts to add a roadster in 2003 and an ill-fitting compact in 2004 fell flat.
The mainstay model was redesigned in 2014 to give it more of a car-like snout to match a new four-seater — the aptly named ForFour, a joint production with Renault SA. But that reset hasn’t led to lasting demand. Deliveries last year slumped 6 percent to 136,000 vehicles. Daimler doesn’t release financial details for Smart, which is part of the Mercedes-Benz Cars division.
Smart’s main contribution to Daimler has been to help offset the emissions of high-margin gas guzzlers like the Mercedes S-Class sedan and AMG GT sports car. The 107,000-euro G-Class offroader produces nearly three times the carbon dioxide as the Smart ForTwo, meaning sales of the petite model provide an important contribution to meeting rules on fleet-wide emissions.
Having a brand like Smart also gives Daimler room to experiment, with quirky services like using your car as a drop-off point for package deliveries and sharing cars via smartphone.


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At a time when major drug chains are using wellness initiatives to differentiate their operations from cross-channel competitors that provide pharmacy services, Walmart has acquired specific assets of CareZone, including the technology platform, patents and key intellectual property, to provide a way for its customers to organize health information and access vital health services.
A new report from global market research company Euromonitor International identifies six themes it identified as reshaping consumer goods and services in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rite Aid has expanded actions the company is taking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning immediately, Rite Aid plans to hire 5,000 associates for full and part-time roles across the country to support store and distribution center teams. Positions will include cashiers, pharmacy technicians and distribution center associates.
In the second quarter, Walgreens retail sales in the U.S. edged up as the company prepared for the spread of COVID-19 to the country.
Retailers across a range of channels are addressing the coronavirus outbreak in stores and online, responding with measures to address consumer and employee safety and health concerns, ramping up the cleaning of stores and boosting cleaning tool and supply assortments to meet increased consumer needs.
Direct-response veteran Allstar Innovations and personal cooling gear developer Mission have partnered in a venture that marries Allstar’s “performance-based” marketing and retail foundation with Mission’s goal to expand the consumer market for its advanced heat safety solutions.
CVS Health said it has made a series of executive leadership assignments to support the company’s continued focus on innovation and strategic growth.
Walgreens Boots Alliance and Tata Consultancy Services have expanded their strategic partnership to advance WBA’s transformation of its global information technology function.
Walgreens Boots Alliance has appointed Richard Ashworth as president of Walgreens. Ashworth will be responsible for developing the strategies and plans for all Walgreens operations and will have full responsibility for the leadership, development and management of the business.
As part of Kohl’s commitment to health and wellness this year, the department store is continuing to collaborate with wellness company WW (formally Weight Watchers International). Kohl’s and WW are launching WW pop-ups in select stores this January to support customers on their wellness journeys.
Breville has launched the 3X Bluicer Pro and is touting the kitchen appliance’s versatility as a blender and juicer combination. The company is encouraging consumers to get “bluicing,” by mixing fresh juice with fresh blends using the same appliance.
Story at Macy’s, the narrative-driven retail concept inside 36 Macy’s stores nationwide, has unveiled its latest theme: “Feel Good.” Through April 2020, the Feel Good Story brings a fresh focus on wellness and uses merchandise curation and events to explore simple and actionable ways for customers to find greater balance, energy and nourishment.


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I’ve spoken this morning with Mike Colleran, head of Saab Cars North America, about the story I wrote last night concerning the Sewell group of dealers in Texas and their forward decision to stop selling Saabs, adding a Subaru franchise in what looks on the surface to be a replacement of their Saab sales effort.
The underlying condition in this situation is one where GM may be insisting that dealers do not have Saab in the same space as other GM brands. The wider concern with this condition is that it may force other dealers to shed Saab for their showrooms as well, as they may not want to invest in a new building to retain Saab.
So, to my conversation with Mike Colleran.
There are a few elements in this story that will benefit from some clarification.
First, Texan customers should know that Sewell still have Saab stock left and reported deliveries last month. Mike Colleran couldn’t comment in any way on their decision in terms of confirming or denying. That would breach agreements between Sewell and SCNA. But he did indicate that they’ve still got stock to sell and can still service Saabs and will still be able to service them, so Saab customers in the area shouldn’t feel like they’ve got no place to go.
Second, the requirement to have separate showroom space was one that GM and Saab/Spyker agreed upon when signing the deal to sell Saab. In short, there was a three-year time period set and all selling spaces should be separated by that time (Feb 2013). Connected to that is the fact that it’s quite normal for brand management, whether it be GM, BMW or Audi, to ask dealers for separate space on their lots.
Third, the addition and subtraction of a number of dealers is normal in any given year, for any given brand. Dealers come and dealers go from time to time. This is normal.
And finally, the good news as far as SCNA is concerned is that they do have parties contacting them quite regularly about becoming Saab dealers. They see the range that’s coming down the pipeline and they want to be part of that in the years to come.
My thanks to Mike Colleran for getting in touch and giving the issue some wider perspective.
A lingering concern in the last article was the loss of the Sewell Group, who are very highly regarded by everyone I talk to who have had dealings with them. It’s a decision that I hope they’ll reconsider because they’re a major asset to Saab in their region.
Comments are closed.


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Company News Summary
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Announces Sale of Equity Holding and Software Review
Original announcement: Sale of equity holding in Visa Inc. and software review
Commonwealth Bank of Australia announced that it has disposed of its remaining shareholding in Visa Inc. for $439m, realising an after tax profit on sale of $278m. Given the rapidly changing technology environment, the Group has undertaken a review of its capitalised software assets as at December 2016. This review has resulted in a one off acceleration of amortisation on certain capitalised software assets, principally relating to digital and direct banking channels, totalling $275m after tax. Both of these items will be reported above the line in Cash Net Profit after Tax, and will be clearly disclosed as one off items for the half year ending 31 December 2016.
See more ASX300 News Announcements


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LG has announced a partnership with Nvidia to become the first TV maker to develop a smart TV app for the company’s cloud game streaming service, GeForce Now.
The TV maker says in its press release that the app will launch as a beta in the store, but also points out that it should be “fully functional with no restrictions on features or services”. While LG has indicated that a full list of TVs compatible with the GeForce Now app will be released at a later date, the company has so far confirmed that the beta will be available on “select 2021 LG 4K OLED, QNED Mini LED and NanoCell TV” will be models in 80 markets. “
At release, LG says its GeForce Now TV app will feature a number of different games, including Rocket League, Destiny 2, and the recent Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy release. Additionally, the company has also said that accessing these games through the app should be playable at resolutions up to 1080p and at maximum frame rates of 60 FPS, depending on which GeForce membership you choose.
Interestingly, LG has confirmed that those with compatible TVs can jump into over 35 free-to-play games using the app with a compatible controller and no additional hardware. This list is significantly smaller than the list of free games available on GeForce Now quoted by Nvidia, which is said to contain nearly 100 different titles. It is not yet clear whether the difference between the number of games reported on these lists is due to the TV app itself or more of a factor related to options regarding compatible controllers for LG TVs.
While LG will be the first company to launch an Nvidia GeForce Now app on smart TVs, it is nowhere near the first platform that can host the streaming service. The smart TV app will join a long list of GeForce Now providers including Nvidia Shield, Windows PC, macOS, Android, Chrome OS, and Safaris Browser for iPhone and iPad.
For more information on Nvidia, see this article, which describes the new tier of membership that Nvidia has added to GeForce Now that allows subscribers to experience games with an RTX 3080 graphics card without actually having to physically own one.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him Twitter.


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The Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park is hosting a yard sale next month.
The Community Yard Sale is set for Saturday, June 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the barns at Frying Pan Farm Park.
If you’re interested in selling off your treasures or decluttering your home, you can rent a stall for $30. Tables are $15 each and chairs at $7 each. To reserve a space, register online. Prices rise after June 1.
Furniture, art, plants, bric-and-brac, and kids’ clothes will be offered at the sale. If you’re planning to sell, you can bring your own tables, chairs, bags and boxes for shoppers, and extension cords for electronic items.
Sellers are responsible for paying applicable sales tax. No food or beverage items are allowed.
Fairfax County will use an estimated $10 million in COVID-19 relief money for another major grant program aimed at helping community partners keep their doors open. The Board of Supervisors…
The Town of Herndon is looking to update decades-old rules involving accessory dwelling units to make the process less burdensome for homeowners. The Herndon Planning Commission held a virtual public…
The latest Reston Home Insider explains why buyer fatigue is so common right now and ways to push through it.
(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Face masks are now required when students are inside Fairfax County Public School buildings, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status, the school district announced this morning…


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Can India economically decouple itself from China?
The confrontation between the U.S. and China and the growth of the digital economy are cases in point. India’s effort to decouple from China is not simply the result of a one-off border clash, but should be viewed in a broader context. … But their economies failed to develop under autarky.
Why has India fallen so much behind China in economic terms?
Chinese growth has been driven by some of the world’s highest investment rates. … Today, India lags far behind China on all three fronts. India invests about 30 percent of its GDP, compared with about 50 percent in China. Manufacturing is about 20 percent of the Indian economy; it is about 30 percent of China’s.
How is Indian economy different from Chinese economy?
But in 2019, China’s gdp is 4.78 times greater than India. … Now in 2019, China is almost 4.61 times richer than India in nominal method and 2.30 times richer in ppp method. Per capita rank of China and India is 72th and 145th, resp, in nominal. Per capita rank of China and India is 75th and 126th, resp, in ppp.
How can India decouple China?
In recent years, India has tried to promote an economic decoupling from China. … India has banned more than 200 apps in China, and has increased discriminatory restrictions or even inciting economic nationalism against Chinese companies and investments.
Can the world decouple from China?
There is no way these countries will decouple from China at the US’ request. The last two statistics are the most important ones to consider – First, China will overtake the US as the world’s largest consumer within the next five years.
Does India benefit from China?
According to a report from Singapore’s DBS Bank in August, “India could increase its trade footprint in the midst of the US-China trade conflict, particularly under categories on which the US has imposed tariffs on China” and stands to benefit by $11 bn as a result.
Why India is not a superpower?
India is considered one of the potential superpowers of the world. … Before it can be considered a superpower, the country must overcome many economic, social, and political problems and it also needs to be as influential on the international stage when compared to the United States, China and the former Soviet Union.
Can India defeat China in a war?
“India has several strategic advantages, most critically geography and a largely defensive strategic posture, which can allow its armed forces to be effective in countering China without massive increases in defense spending or major restructuring.”
Can India overtake US economy?
India will be the world’s third-largest economy by 2031, Bank of America projects. Analysts predict that in the next decade, India’s economy will overtake Japan and Germany, and will rank behind the United States and China among the most powerful economies in the world.
Is China costly than India?
A week in India can cost you about $244 (per person), while a week in China may cost you around $496. These differences become even more noticable if you plan to spend a longer time in the country.
Who is growing faster India or China?
India To Be Second Fastest-Growing Major Economy, Behind Only China, Predicts World Bank. The World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects Report released on Tuesday said that India would be the second fastest-growing major economy, behind only China which is forecast to grow by 8.5 per cent.
Is Brazil richer than India?
Measured by aggregate gross domestic product (GDP), the Indian economy is larger than Brazil’s. … 9 Measured on a per capita basis, however, Brazil is far richer.
Will boycotting China help India?
Moreover, if China retaliates and decides to boycott Indian goods, 67 percent of the drug imports and 60 percent of electronic imports will get affected which could arguably lead to loss of lives along with livelihoods. These numbers portray an India-China trade which is heavily skewed in Beijing’s favour.
How much India is dependent on China?
China still remained the biggest source of India’s imports, but imports last year fell 10.8%, the lowest since 2016. Two-way trade in 2020 reached $87.6 billion, down by 5.6%, while the trade deficit declined to a five year-low of $45.8 billion.
Are Chinese companies moving out of India?
Similarly, because of the US-China trade war that started in March 2018, it was expected that many US companies would leave China and come to India. However, only three of the 56 companies that exited China had entered India as of October 2019. … Second, those companies that did leave China did not relocate to India.


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DALLAS (CN) - Litigation between Dr Pepper Snapple and one of the last bottlers to use the original, cane-sugar Dr Pepper formula came to an end Wednesday, with the 120-year-old bottler agreeing to be purchased.
Plano-based DPS sued Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Dublin, Texas last June in Sherman, Texas Federal Court, seeking to terminate the parties' licensing agreement.
DPS claimed the bottler was selling its popular, cane-sweetened soda outside its six-county territory through a toll-free number and website.
Under the terms of the settlement, DPS has purchased all of the Dublin bottler's sales and distribution operations and the rights to distribute Dr Pepper in the six-county territory previously served by Dublin.
DPS says it will sell the same cane-sweetened soda in distinct, nostalgic packaging - the only difference being no more references to Dublin.
The former Dr Pepper bottler will now do business as Dublin Bottling Works Inc. and will continue to produce other soft drinks and operate its museum and Old Doc's Soda Shop, offering tours and selling soft drinks, food and officially licensed Dr Pepper merchandise.
"Our main focus has always been on protecting the strength and integrity of the Dr Pepper trademark," DPS president of Packaged Beverages Roger Collins said in a statement. "We're pleased to reach an agreement that accomplishes that while also preserving the history and the special relationship Dr Pepper has with the Dublin community."
Dublin Bottling Works vice president Jeff Kloster told WFAA-TV: "You can't help but feel bad, but my grandfather would've said, 'Keep going.'"
The family has operated the bottler for four generations. Fourteen employees were fired Wednesday as a result of the settlement.
"The workers here are all like family," Kloster said.
Remaining employees spent Wednesday night taking down or covering up everything with the "Dublin Dr Pepper" name, WFAA reported.
Dublin is 120 miles southwest of Dallas in Erath County.
Dr Pepper aficionados understand that the soda's trade name has no period - a trait it shares with former President Harry S Truman, whose middle name has no period either, as Truman's middle name was S.
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