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Welch: Bagan brings new flavors
Thanks to reader John Windham for a suggestion that introduced me last week to Saw Law La, his wife Khin Moe Tu, and business partner Saw Ahpong Mang.
Law La and Mang joined with another Burmese refugee friend, Saw Poe Toe, to open Bagan Restaurant at 2710 S.W. 10th Ave.
You might recognize that particular spot as home to short-lived restaurants serving fried chicken or Italian cuisine.
Now, these folks have claimed it as the spot to strike toward an uniquely American future that honors their Burmese past.
Mang and Law La proudly point to the sign out front that casts the restaurant name against an image of the region that inspires them. "Land of over two thousand pagodas and temples," it says.
Bagan is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma, also known as Myanmar, according to numerous travel websites.
"We don't have a lot of money, but we like to make new things," Law La said. "We like it because we can set it up. We can try on our best. We can stand on ourselves."
Law La lived in a refugee camp in Thailand after leaving Burma, then came to live in Los Angeles in 2008.
He moved his family to Amarillo in 2010.
His first job here was as an interpreter for Catholic Family Service, now called Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle, he said.
Mang followed a different path, settling first at Milwaukee, Wisc. in 2010.
The men's menu mixes the dishes they learned in a variety of places. Mang cooked in restaurants in Thailand and Wisconsin, where he learned his sushi skills, he said.
The gentlemen I met last week enthusiastically explained numerous dishes and ingredients that make recipes uniquely Burmese, Thai or Japanese.
Patiently, they spelled items like Bu Thee Kyaw, with Law La using his smartphone to look up an explanation: We settled on gourd fritter, a finger food.
On my first visit there with Kevin last week, I ordered Drunken Noodle, a dish of stir-fried flat rice noodles, egg, onion, tomatoes, broccoli and basil in a basil sauce that has a slight kick of spice.
Kevin's a fan of eggplant, a rarity on most menus, so he chose the Thai Egg Plant, which mixes it with sauteed ground chicken, fresh lemongrass, bell pepper, onion and basil, again with a spicy sauce.
We thought both dishes to be interesting variations to add to Amarillo's Asian food scene and a sign of good things to come.
Bagan Restaurant operates from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
They're considering adding Sunday hours when summer arrives, and there's a takeout menu.
gets new motto
Toye's Boutique gives a nod to its owner's name with its motto, "where it's fun to play with fashion."
Toye Price recently opened the store in Wolflin Village with a specific audience in mind - "older but distinguished women," she said.
"I think we're wanting to cater to women 30 and up," she said. "I'm 58 and when I go in some stores, I'm thinking, 'This would be real cute if I were in college or 20.' They're darling. But you know, I think my age of women are ready for something that's fun, still young-looking enough, but catering to our age."
Price has stocked the store with styles from Ivy Jane, XCVI, Comfy and other lines. Merchandise includes accessories, and she plans to add a couple of shoe lines.
Price purchased the former Addy Lane store in February to convert it to her namesake boutique.
"Retail has always been my passion," she said. "It's going to be a fun store. Even if you don't want to buy something, just come and have fun.
"We're kind of a therapy fashion store."
Toye's operates from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Shopko adds locations
Shopko opened its stores at Dalhart and Perryton last week, bringing new life to locations that bankrupt ALCO abandoned.
The Wisconsin retailer planned grand opening events in both cities with donations of $2,500 each to Dalhart and Perryton high schools.
Owned by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Shopko concentrates its locations in small markets, offering national and private label brands. Merchandise ranges from clothing to furnishings to electronics.
Shopko operates at 509 Blair St. in Dalhart and 1301 S. Main St. in Perryton. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Christian band Sidewalk Prophets, which stopped in Amarillo on March 20, has been handing out bags of popcorn to guests leaving each of its Great Big Family Room Tour concerts.
What you might not know is that the bags come from Amarillo's Groovy Pop Popcorn at 3363 S. Bell St.
Poblano's Grill to open downtown
Downtown has another food entry in the making.
Isaias Sanchez and David Campuzano said they're teaming up to open Poblano's Grill on South Tyler Street at Southwest Ninth Avenue, former home of Downtown Deli.
Both have cooked at other restaurants and now want to try offering their own menu of pasta, steaks and seafood, they said.
Look for an April opening. I'll let you know more when I give it a try.
Walmart gets new logo
If you're a Walmart shopper, you might have noticed a new logo on some of the products you buy in stores or online.
Walmart joined with the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and WEConnect International to develop a "Women Owned" logo to help shoppers easily identify products made by entities owned by women.
All businesses certified by WBENC and WeConnect can use the logo on their product packaging.
Interact with Karen Smith Welch at firstname.lastname@example.org, facebook.com/karensmithwelch or @karen_welch on Twitter. Welch blogs at amarillo.com.


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The company is also making some changes to the other available emojis.
And new changes to skin tone may be the most important to note, and popular emojis now contain many variations in skin tone for all options.
Apple’s update also includes its visibility of new smiley faces included in the latest emoji suite from the Unicode Consortium, including Exhaling Face, Face with Spiral Eyes and Face in Clouds.
Hearts, another category of emoji, has gained new members joining Heart on Fire and Mending Heart.
And it was done Agree On these emoji from the Unicode Consortium in September, which means they can begin to be incorporated into products and services.
It leaves it up to individual companies to design the shape of emojis across their devices and services, which is why the smiley face on the iPhone looks different than it does on Twitter.
Companies are also deciding when new emojis will appear, and for example, Pixel users have been able to use the new emojis since December.
And Apple is making adjustments to some of the current emojis, so that the rock-climbing emoji now have a helmet, the injection emoji are now more generic instead of one full of blood, and the headphones look like AirPods Max.
Changing the syringe could be extremely beneficial for anyone writing about the coronavirus.
Not only is the new injection method less intimidating after being drained, but it is more applicable to vaccines.
Changing the headphones’ emojis to resemble AirPods Max follows a common pattern, with Apple regularly including its products in its emoji pack.
And Apple says: These emoji are available in the new beta version of iOS 14.5, andAlso said: The full version of iOS 14.5 includes many other useful additions, such as support for new Xbox and PlayStation controllers, the ability to set the default music streaming service from Siri, and the ability to unlock your phone with Apple Watch.

domain: news


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NEW SALON EXPANSION FOR Q HAIR AND BEAUTY
Q Hair and Beauty, the multi-award-winning salon in Chichester, has just celebrated the second birthday of its sister salon in the nearby market town of Midhurst and now it is leading the field in the rejuvenation of the West Sussex holiday resort of Bognor Regis.
The tremendous success of the Q brand in Midhurst, together with an equally sound performance from the bijou salon in Donnington, on the outskirts of Chichester, which opened in September 2018, has prompted owner Anthony Barnes-Smith and Director Dawn Lawrence Grant to go ahead with further expansion. Plans are already well in place for the opening In July of a new Q salon in Bognor Regis, where the town is forging ahead with regeneration and is ripe for dynamic businesses to play a part in this.
“There is huge potential in Bognor which will be seeing a lot of very positive development in the near future, with more high-end businesses moving into the town. We very much want to play a pioneering role in the town’s rejuvenation and so we’re making it the focus for the next stage of our expansion,” said Dawn.
For more information, please visit Q hair And Beauty here.


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PLANO, Texas — Frito-Lay introduced three limited-time International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup-inspired chip flavors: Lay’s Adobadas, Lay’s Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper and Lay’s Wavy Carnitas Street Tacos.
“Soccer is the fastest growing sport in North America, and with snacking so intrinsically tied to the at-home viewing experience, now is the perfect moment to enter the game and offer our consumers new ways to heighten their FIFA World Cup experience,” said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America.
Lay's Adobadas combines chili, tomato and lime and is available in 7.75-ounce bags for $4.59 and 2.625-ounce bags for $2.29.
Lay's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper combines jalapeno and barbeque. It is available in 7.75-ounce bags for $4.59 and 2.625-ounce bags for $2.29.
Lay's Wavy Carnitas Street Tacos features a taco-style pork carnitas flavor and is available in 7.5-ounce bags for $4.59.
Frito-Lay also launched an interactive online fan experience for consumers to have the chance to win soccer-inspired merchandise and prizes, including a trip to the FIFA World Cup 2022 final. Consumers who purchase a Frito-Lay product with specially marked FIFA World Cup packaging can scan the QR code to join the Pass the Ball Challenge.
The faces of those who enter will be featured on a digital soccer ball, uniting fans as they cheer on their respective teams during the FIFA World Cup. Users can click on the different images within the digital ball to see which team others are rooting for. The first 350,000 individuals to register will receive an NFT with their image on it.
Every day, there will be a new game on the platform for a chance to win prizes. Frito-Lay teamed up with Adidas, giving fans the chance to win soccer swag in addition to Lay's, Cheetos and Doritos apparel.
Plano, Texas-based Frito-Lay North America Brands is a division of PepsiCo., Purchase, N.Y., which also makes brands including bubly, Gatorade, Pepsi, Lipton, Mtn Dew, Propel, Quaker and more.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.


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British retailer Tesco is partnering with five of its largest field vegetebale suppliers to launch the UK’s biggest ever commercial roll-out of low-carbon fertiliser, which will contribute to boosting the UK’s food security, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain, it says. The roll-out is expected to reduce GHG emissions by up to 20%* in the first year alone, at what it says is no extra cost to farmers.
Eight promising fertiliser alternatives will be used across 1,300 hectares in the 2023 growing season, with plans to scale up to a minimum of 4,000 hectares in 2024 across Tesco’s field veg suppliers.
With chemical fertiliser costs rising by as much as 140% over the last year, low-carbon fertilisers could also be a cost-effective alternative for farmers struggling with shortages caused by the war in Ukraine. Six of the eight fertiliser producers will be manufacturing their products in the UK from material including food waste, chicken litter, fire extinguisher waste and algae.
The production of low carbon fertiliser here in the UK will create green jobs and could help reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers. The UK currently imports around 60% of the fertiliser it needs, while UK production has recently been hit by the closure of chemical fertiliser plants. The initiative aims to accelerate uptake and create a roadmap to scaling low carbon alternatives.
Tesco plans to introduce the low carbon alternatives to other produce areas, including wheat and barley, where emissions linked to conventional fertiliser account for more than 60%, as well as grasslands in beef, dairy and lamb supply chains. The first year of the roll-out will produce up to 70,000 tonnes of fresh produce, growing to 200,000 tonnes in 2024. The initiative is one of many innovations Tesco is driving as part of its ambition to reach net zero emissions across its value chain by 2050.
Sarah Bradbury, Group Quality Director at Tesco, said: “Delivering more affordable, sustainable food means finding innovative, new ways to grow basket staples like potatoes, salad vegetables and carrots. Fertilisers are a large source of emissions in farming, but high prices and uncertainty have made it hard for farmers to take advantage of low-carbon alternatives. We hope that by working with our suppliers, our learnings from this roll-out of low carbon fertilisers can prove their potential to cut emissions and demonstrate what it would take to scale up production in the UK. It’s vital we keep costs manageable for farmers facing the most challenging market conditions in a generation and help our customers to eat in a way that’s good for planet and pocket.”
One of the suppliers taking part in the trial is Huntapac, Tesco’s biggest carrot supplier, which has been supplying Tesco for nearly 50 years. It will be using the R-Leaf low carbon fertiliser.
Stephen Shields, Technical Director at Huntapac said: “It’s great to be part of the Tesco field veg trial as we focus on moving away from artificial inputs to something that’s better for the environment. By moving to these new low carbon technologies, we can save money compared to chemical-based fertiliser and at a time when all costs are going up for farmers, any steps that reduce them are ideal.”
Tesco's commitment for nature
The trial will contribute to Tesco’s wider commitment as part of WWF's Retailers' Commitment for Nature to halve the environmental impact of the average shopping basket by 2030 and also inform Tesco’s approach to reducing on farm emissions as part of its wider commitment to reach net zero across its supply chain by 2050.
Two of the fertiliser producers taking part in the trial have both won backing as part of Tesco’s drive to increase and scale innovations in the food sector. CCm won funding and a chance to work with Tesco suppliers as part of the retailer’s Innovation Connections initiative it ran last year with partner WWF.
Crop Intellect, which makes the R-leaf product, won Tesco’s Agri T-Jam competition in 2021, along with a chance to partner with Tesco suppliers and road-test its technology.


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Transatlantic trade discussions could boost UK economy by £100bn over 10 years
Talks started today on free-trade deal between EU and US
that could be worth up to $200bn a year to Western economies
Free-trade talks between the United States and the European
Union that could boost their collective economies by up to $200 billion a year
started in Washington today.
Despite conflicts over the recent NSA government surveillance scandal and a long-running disagreement between the US’s Boeing and Airbus in Europe, progress got underway towards what would be the world’s biggest free-trade deal.
The proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership pact would cover about 50 per cent of global economic output, 30 per cent of global trade and 20 per cent of global foreign direct investment.
Joseph Francois, who ran the Centre for Economic Policy Research’s studies on the impact of the agreement, told the Independent that the effect on productivity and efficiency could boost the GDP of the UK alone by £4-10 billion a year.
He said: “Historically these talks are an important step in modernising the trading system. We have two big global players with a shared goal of boosting productivity and reducing trade and investment frictions.”
He added that in the long run successful talks, which would remove tariffs and cut down on regulations, would create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
The US and the EU are already each other's top trade and investment partners, with two-way trade between the bodies estimated at around $650 billion last year.
US Trade Representative Mike Froman said: “We go into these negotiations with the goal of achieving the broadest possible, most comprehensive agreement that we can.”
In order for a deal to be struck, both sides will need to agree on regulations for a disparate range of sectors, from agriculture to computer and information services.
And the latter has become the latest stumbling-block, with the revelations that the US uses customer data from many internet companies to identify potential threats to national security.
“It's made a difficult negotiating issue even harder,” said Jeffrey Schott, a senior fellow at Washington’s Peterson Institute for International Economics.
He added that the potential gains from an overall agreement are so big that there’s still a good chance one will be reached.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room at the talks is the world's largest trade dispute over billions of dollars in subsidies for US aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co and its EU rival, Airbus.
They continue to battle it out in the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement system, and Schott warned that unless they reach terms we could see a bizarre situation where they end up spitefully raising duties on each other’s goods, as everyone else is trying to free up transatlantic trade.
- 1 Sainsbury's '50p challenge' poster telling staff to encourage customers to spend more placed in shop window instead of staff room
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is not a luxury brand in Europe and South America where its vehicles are primarily sold. And neither has MINI
been a luxury brand. But just as MINI has created a small-car premium category that has attracted many luxury car owners, Fiat is hoping to draw the same customers with its 500 model, which will go on sale in the U.S. starting in January.
The 500 has been on display at previous U.S. auto shows, but it was in Los Angeles, that the automaker unveiled the final version. It is slightly different than the model Fiat already sells in Europe, with changes made to the front end and rear-end to comply with U.S. safety standards.
With a starting price of $15,500, the 500 can hardly be called "luxe." But the car, which will go on sale in about 130 Chrysler Group LLC dealerships across the country, is only about $500 less to start than the BMW Mini Cooper.
But just as options and accessorizing can drive a MINI Cooper price up well above $20,000, even close to $30,000, Fiat is hoping the 500 has cachet enough to attract people who will pay up to personalize it.
Pricing for the 500 starts at $15,500 for the base model, which is referred to as the Fiat 500 Pop. The 500 Sport is priced at $17,500 and the top-shelf 500 Lounge will cost you $19,500.


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David Wystrach, Senior Director of Air Freight EMEA has warned of the impact of coronavirus on imports. Although it is still too early to predict the long-term impact, it is clear that sales revenue and inventory levels have dipped for many importers.
“The slowdown in manufacturing in China has meant we’re already seeing the impact of fewer goods reaching European shores. In the last four weeks alone, North Europe carriers have implemented 17 blank sailings (a sailing cancelled by the carrier), resulting in close to a 40% drop in sea capacity over the last four weeks. Coronavirus has worked to exacerbate already reduced capacity following Chinese New Year (when manufacturing slows and stops in China), and we’re seeing consumer goods companies in particular reducing import volume. As a result, airfreight has increased as importers look to mitigate the impact of delays, however capacity has not been helped by a reduced number of passenger flights.
“In the coming weeks we’re expecting import capacity to increase to 84%, but imports will remain lower than normal for this time of year. As a result, we could see inventory shortages, particularly in seasonal summer products.”


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Kinect production has ended, Microsoft has recently confirmed. Kinect's short-lived run reminds me of trends like the dance pads for games like Dance Dance Revolution, and guitar controllers for Guitar Hero. Redmond will still support Kinect for Xbox users, but is no longer producing new Kinect devices, meaning the standalone device is going away after retailers sell their remaining stock. Microsoft has now made a decision to discontinue the Kinect for Xbox and PC. Back in 2011, it became the Guinness World Record holder of fastest-selling consumer device, as pointed out by The Verge. Microsoft originally positioned the Xbox One as an "all-in-one entertainment device" that could play games, video and music apps, and give you direct access to cable TV. Kinect 2.0 was created to be an essential part of the Xbox One, but Microsoft did a 180 following early negative reactions to the console.
However, the games produced for use with the Kinect sensor rarely hit the same quality as the technology behind it.
Once touted as the future of motion gaming, the Kinect has finally met its maker.
Through interviews with Co.Design, Microsoft shared the news of the Kinect's demise. Now, Microsoft is showing mercy, and pulling the plug on Kinect entirely. The Xbox One functions as a traditional, old-school gaming console plus high-end media service. He also noted at the time that "Kinect's depth-sensing camera and microphone ... kills any accusations of it being a Wii-inspired gimmick". When Microsoft first developed the Kinect, they licensed technology from the 3D tracking company PrimeSense. Now the focus is on the upcoming Hololens, which is essentially "Kinect, evolved".
You can also change your console language to select right-to-left languages - Arabic & Hebrew - in the Xbox Settings menu. Microsoft director of product management Albert Penello is also optimistic about the Xbox One's chances this holiday...
Indeed, many companies are now developing security patches, which you should immediately download as soon as they're available. Microsoft says that it released a security fix on October 10, so anyone on the latest version of Windows 10 will be protected.
Shortly after she attacked the actor, Rose McGowan claimed she had been temporarily banned from posting anything on Twitter. In other tweets McGowan claimed she had "begged" Amazon studios to take action but they had neglected to act.
Zeenat Shahzadi was trying to help out Hamid Ansari who was in police custody for illegally entering Pakistan to meet a girl. Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, who is heading the Commission for Missing Persons, confirmed Shehzadi's recovery to BBC Urdu .
Trump has said all options-including military-are on the table to stop Kim, and the White House ruled out talks with Pyongyang. There is also the possibility the regime may test a previously unseen missile, as it has done multiple times this year.
He is now fourth on the team with 18 receptions and is slowly watching rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster's role increase. Disgruntled teammate Martavis Bryant called out Smith-Schuster on Instagram , and then someone stole JuJu's beloved bike.
China is poised to become the world's largest electric vehicle market and the government has a positive attitude for the same. Crucially, Tesla would operate the factory itself, according to the report, rather than partnering with a local automaker.
The Muslim Brotherhood, once Egypt's largest opposition movement, has long denied involvement in the attacks on the authorities. The interior ministry said a "number" of policemen had been killed as well as some militants, but did not elaborate.
A cold front will then move through Monday night into Tuesday with a stronger but dry cold front to move through Tuesday night . Mostly cloudy - low around 63 with south wind around 14 miles per hour , gusting high as 21 miles per hour .
Days after he was suspended indefinitely , Amazon Studios head Roy Price has resigned from the streaming company he'd started. Looking ahead, Amazon will turn its focus to more global event series a la Game of Thrones .
"So join me while I raise a glass to the Sonos One , the company's first music player with Alexa built natively into the corpus". Sonos engineered the light and the microphone into the same circuit so that it's impossible for one to be on without the other.
The organization, sources said, argues that the team hasn't improved since Bledsoe took over the bulk of the playmaking duties. In the preseason, Bledsoe arranged a meeting with Sarver and McDonough and requested a trade, league sources told ESPN .
The three officers involved in the incident and an aviation sergeant were placed on administrative leave after the incident. United apologized for the incident and later reached an undisclosed settlement with Dao for his injuries.
Cleverley kept his cool to fire into the roof of the net following a few shots that ricocheted around the box and triggered panic. Watford striker Richarlison faces a ban after his penalty won in victory over Arsenal .
Almost 100 years later, the bellboy's nephew contacted the auction house in Israel to put the notes up for sale. The second note that Einstein wrote and simply reads "where there's a will, there's a way" fetched $240,000.
After weeks of protests and business boycotts, Pence eventually revised the law to explicitly prevent discrimination. One study even discovered children of same-sex couples were happier than their straight-family counterparts.
As for audience members, they cheered wildly for the star during her space snafu - and quickly began sharing videos of it online. At that, Perry leaped into the roaring mosh pit before a minder escorted her safely back to the stage.
Niantic today announced that Pokemon Go will soon give players a number of new Pokemon as part of a almost two week promotion. Additionally, players can look forward to double candy rewards for hatching, catching, and transferring Pokemon .
The first two games of the series will be played in the United Arab Emirates which remains the adapted home of Pakistan . That Sri Lanka will tour for the match was confirmed earlier in the day by PCB chief Najam Sethi.
That has Wall Street a bit anxious about the company's Model 3 production ramp, which has already encountered issues. Juan Maldonado, a production worker, told the paper that he was sacked last week after close to four years at Tesla.
Joe's famous exes include Gigi Hadid, who split with him to get with Zayn Malik, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato and Ashley Greene. Jonas, 28, shared a photo of their hands and Turner's large, new engagement ring with the caption, " She said yes ".


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Best & Worst Dressed at the Oscars
March 03, 2014
Ireland Baldwin, Sharon Osbourne and Elle creative director Joe Zee joined the ET panel to dish on who was best and worst dressed at the Oscars.
From Kate Hudson's Versace number to Whoopi Goldberg's possible homage to Julia Roberts, our fashion experts break down the biggest hits and misses of the night.
Watch the clip to see how the stars were ranked.
More On: Kate Hudson


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Armenian bookmaker TotoGaming has embarked on a strategy of introducing considerable improvements to the omni-channel operations, specifically in its provision of 사다리게임. Over the past two decades TotoGaming has created one of many largest networks of retail operation in the area, with the company making great progress through its make an effort to provide customers with the best the market provides. This includes both enhanced web and mobile presence.
TotoGaming Board Chairman Suren Khachatryan explained that the company puts a great emphasis on a technique of multiplying the amount of live events and the quantity of live markets per event, since it attempts to satisfy growing demands of clients for quick and reliable information.
“Quite recently we now have significantly increased our in-play betting offerings,” he explained. “We use a clear take a look at the brilliant future of Armenian sports betting market; therefore we focus our efforts on enriching the in-play offerings in both number and quality.”
Khachatryan said he highly appreciates the collaboration with your video content providers as IMG, Perform, Sportsman and Betradar, which enables the business to supply around 50,000 live-stream events to customers each year. “Due to good quality products in our providers, we anticipate over 30% increase of in-play betting,” he added.
TotoGaming increased its in-play coverage in Q3 to 18,000 matches each month and aims for over 20,000 monthly at the end of the year. Khachatryan believes the next step in broadening the collaboration with its providers will move the business to some higher-level nowadays in this, user-friendly gaming and sports betting world.
This season the company released the mobile version of their Online Sportsbook, including all video-streaming materials and products from your leading content providers.
Already during the initial few weeks of the release, the mobile channel increased the company’s total revenue volume without cannibalising its existing online turnover.
Khachatryan commented: “We want to follow-up with new trends in modern gaming and sports betting developments by implementing increasingly more innovative technologies and features, basing our services on official data methods to provide our customers with fast and accurate data.”
TotoGaming also places a lot of increased exposure of customer care and supplies online 24/7 support services to keep that goal. It has also taken a ‘special approach’ to the customer experience by making its user interface comfortable and attractive to the final user, and all of this within the company’s adherence to the principles in the responsible gaming.
TotoGaming’s partners have got all been keen to exhibit their support for that bookmaker’s ambitions. Freddie Longe, VP, Head of Gaming for IMG Media, commented: “We are of course thrilled to ensure TotoGaming being a new partner to our own premium streaming service. The collaboration will take a number of Europe’s top Football, Basketball and Tennis tournaments to Armenia. We look forward ioyqow expanding our relationship with TotoGaming in the future years because they take sports betting to your more impressive range in Armenia.”
Daniel Fenner, Managing Director, UK for Sportsman, added: “Live streaming has grown to be a fundamental element of every sportsbook and we are looking towards jointly develop the most effective product for TotoGaming’s customers. Our company is happy to welcome TotoGaming amongst our clients and are getting excited about a lengthy and reliable cooperation.”
John Harlow, Head of Sales-Betting for Perform Group, said: “It is a great pleasure to provide TotoGaming with our Watch&Bet content, and that i look ahead to forming a lengthy lasting partnership together.”
Meanwhile Eduard Blonk, Managing Director Sales for Sportradar Digital Media AG, commented: “We are glad to get won TotoGaming as a new partner. It’s our aspiration to offer our partners with everything else necessary to run probably the most entertaining and informative offering within the sports betting.


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Display ad viewability within the UK crept up to 54% in the first quarter of this year; at just over a half, it’s the highest average rate witnessed in over 18 months.
But despite the dubiously good news, the UK’s display advertising industry still falls paces behind a number of its European neighbours when it comes to getting ads in front of eyeballs.
Working to improve viewability rates stands tall as a key focus point for display marketers, and it’s a topic that sparks no shortfall of discussion. A survey by PerformanceIN, of approximately 100 site visitors, set out to estimate where in the supply chain the industry prioritises improvement. The results can be seen in the chart below:
Ramping up relevance
As seen above, the majority of respondents (40%) felt that increased viewability was largely reliant on brands providing more relevant advertising to users.
Marketers are repeatedly told to ‘personalise, personalise, personalise’, but the emphasis here is that display advertising should be conducted with the motivation of building rapport among a specific set of users. That’s despite ‘relationship building’ perhaps not being the first consideration when laying out objectives in display.
More responsive targeting should arguably be the norm for now; given the opportunity to provide additional comments, our respondents complained that a day’s internet browsing can be tarnished with the retargeting efforts resulting from visiting a single site. For the online consumer, the current array of display advertising can lack intelligence.
But this comes down to a case-by-case basis, where a certain batch of bad examples can have a damaging effect on the people ‘doing’ display well. Sociomantic’s managing director, Adam Baker, argues that programmatic display advertising is “only as good” as the data it is fuelled by.
“With the right data strategies, advertisers are able to maintain a sustainable marketing budget by only buying the impressions that are most likely to trigger conversion, making viewability a non-issue.”
The sentiment that advertisers ‘get what they pay for’ with viewability rates is echoed by Lauren Struck, display director at iProspect, who argues that some of the most effective ways to boost viewability narrow down to the quality of sites and ad placements you are buying.
“The more premium the content environment is, the more likely the user will be to engage with the content for a significant length of time.”
Making ads more lightweight and faster-loading was the next most highly-rated area for improving viewability rates, with 20% of respondents believing latency to be the pivotal factor in the proportion of advertisements that get seen.
“Ads that are designed with load time, file weight and other key elements top-of-mind will break through the clutter across digital screens,” says Scott Cunningham, general manager, IAB Tech Lab. This is the same group behind the L.E.A.N. ads initiative (light, encrypted, ad choice-supported, non-invasive), launched last October in the battle against ad blockers.
A step in the right direction could involve swapping out elements like high-resolution images or Flash dynamics for a more basic, flat design in HTML5 to vastly improve the loading speed within the browser.
Victoria Swainson, head of programmatic at 1XL, comments that ‘heavy ads’ and ad latency are “certainly” factors in viewability, and noted that ‘lazy loading’, which defers the loading of an object until the point it’s needed, is one way to improve viewability rates well as improving site efficiency.
However, she adds: “With viewability at just over 50% in the UK it is not a panacea until it’s clear that advertisers are prepared to pay more for viewable ads.”
Speaking on behalf of video – a continually enlarging portion of display advertising – is AppNexus’ VP strategic development EMEA, Nigel Gilbert, who noted that buffering delay for video playback results in a 6% increase in abandonment rate, adding that there’s “no reason” online video shouldn’t be as fast as seamless, fast, and fluid as television.
Fit for mobile
With eMarketer suggesting that mobile could account for more than 50% of all digital ad spend globally by 2016, it’s clearly an important area to touch on in the viewability debate and one cited as a chief concern among 10.5% of our respondents.
To this point, where the ad is positioned on the page and in relation to the content will ensure that the viewer does indeed see the ad, regardless of the device, says Struck. This gives backing to the idea that display advertisers don’t have to think of ‘mobile’ and ‘desktop’ as separate entities.
On the other hand, the way consumers interact with mobile is vastly different to how they do things on desktop (scrolling quicker, for example), and so much that the MRC this year has brought into question whether the current viewability standards are applicable to mobile.
Certain ad tech companies are also offering ‘100% viewable guaranteed’ in-feed ads, catered specifically to mobile users, and more specifically to millennials “whose first digital language is mobile”, and who tend to consume content – including video – on vertically-tilted screens.
Marketers continue to waste vast of amounts of ad spend on inventory which never gets seen. Thanks to bot fraud, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) predicted some $7.2 billion could be lost this year, up from $6.3 billion from 2015, and programmatic is only making the problem worse, attracting 73% more bots than direct buys.
Interestingly, just 7.4% of our respondents saw ad fraud to be the most pressing factor of lagging viewability rates, despite the fact the problem is only growing with increased ad spend.
Baker believes that a new digital trading standard can contribute to a solution by outlawing “shady” industry techniques, such as “blackboxing, artificial floor pricing or undisclosed bidding fees”, adding that increased defence against false impressions should become the “status quo”.
“The lack of consolidation makes room for intruders to abuse the ecosystem. Thus, digital marketers need to consider advanced programmatic buying strategies, which evaluates supply quality in order to increase campaign performance, viewability and brand safety.
“Such tweaks to bidding algorithms help ensure industry partners, from buy-side to sell-side, are held accountable.”
If you’re interested in conducting a research project with PerformanceIN, or commenting in our analysis, we’d like to speak to you – just email our editorial staff at email@example.com


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Nintendo has said in a press release that the Nintendo Switch since the release of the console on the third of March this year has finally surpassed 10 million units. That number is quite an achievement as the time frame from those sales is not a large one, in comparison Sony's PlayStation 4 which needed around 10 months to reach that milestone back in 2014.
Not to long ago Nintendo said that it expected Switch sales to surpass the sales of the Wii U and now the company has said that this December they are planning to release more consoles to consumers for them to enjoy over the Christmas holidays. What contributes to the sales of the Nintendo Switch is their win at the Games Awards with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild and also the success of Super Mario Odyssey.
With this success it can be assumed that the Switch sales are not going to be slowing down over the festive season, what will be interesting though is if the sale percentage will stay strong heading into next year.
"This December in Japan we are planning to ship more units than ever before so that even more consumers can purchase and enjoy Nintendo Switch," Nintendo said in a press release.
- > NEXT STORY: Titan Quest coming to consoles in 2018, even Switch
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Ataribox will open pre-orders this Thursday


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Whiskey club for the ultra-rich offers collectors VIP access
The new low-key division was formed in April but is only announced now as the family-owned distilleries collection launches a major campaign towards direct sales, specifically targeting its most desirable and wealthy customers. Much like its Distillers Library bar in Singapore, which opened earlier this year, offering $ 50,000 rare whiskey samplers to potential collectors, Williams Grant hopes to import an ultra-exclusive riff on vineyard wine clubs in the world still somewhat starchy. Scotch whiskey could permanently disrupt the way the more expensive malts are sold.
Scotch is a product particularly appreciated by wealthy investors. Rare whiskey has outperformed all other luxury asset classes, including cars, art and wine, according to the Knight Frank 2020 Wealth Report, with values increasing 564% over the past decade. And as the world’s richest have seen their fortunes explode, the luxury industry is eager to spark interest in alternative asset classes.
So far, around 20 whiskey collectors have been invited to become private clients, most often by word of mouth and often personally by the wealthy family members involved in running the business. Private customers are guaranteed to be welcomed by VIPs every time they arrive at the sites where brands such as Balvenie and Glenfiddich are made. Membership is free, but the ultimate goal of granting exclusive access to the staff, products and premises of a distillery is sales.
“We are not asking for an immediate transaction. We have a sense of on-call duty and much longer deadlines, ”explains Jonathan Driver, general manager of the new private clients division. “The goal is really a lasting relationship with the customer.
For the past fifteen years, Driver has been telling Bloomberg, wealthy whiskey lovers have often passed through the distilleries on watered pilgrimages. So why not turn these ad hoc offers into a formalized division? The real appeal of whiskey, after all, is as much, if not more, in the history and emotional appeal than the malt itself.
Driver says that a collector halfway around the world who has yet to visit whiskey country will have in-depth knowledge of the landscape, history and culture.
“You can sit in a bar in Dalian, North China, talk about Scotland, and people talk very clearly about their perception of the country and how we do it, and that’s enough. close to what it is, ”he says.
Edgar Harden, owner and founder of Old Spirits Co., says it is essential to formalize the opportunity to tour the distillery. Once there, William Grant can directly sell the type of stock that exists in-house that collectors might otherwise have to find in the secondary market. Customers can also be offered personalized bottlings of any cask of their choice and be billed accordingly. “And it will work, because people are hungry for something different, unique and Instagrammable,” he says.
Indeed, Driver’s plans include a 1970s cask of Balvenie which will be ready for private sale in early 2022. He is also preparing a bottling for the now defunct Ladyburn Distillery which uses fashion photographs from the Norman Parkinson archives for them. labels, slated for official launch in the spring of next year. The driver refuses to disclose exact prices, but says it will be in the ultra-rare segment, with the Ladyburn Limited Edition Two around $ 200,000 for the race and the Balvenie keg significantly more expensive.
“The market has changed,” says Sukhinder Singh, co-owner and founder of Whiskey Exchange, a London-based specialty retailer known for its ultra-premium malts. “The new type of rich person doesn’t want to buy on the Internet. or enter the store. They want to talk to someone and get VIP service. ”
It’s a tip taken from the world of watchmaking and automotive, he continues, and that other distillers have tested before – Remy Martin in Cognac, for example, as well as piecemeal programs like Diageo’s Casks of Distinction, which periodically offers a full cask hand. -selected by four master whiskey blenders. They have at their disposal millions of aging barrels from 43 different malt distilleries, some still in operation, others no longer.
Singh is skeptical of the idea, warning that an effort focused solely on one brand or portfolio is inherently biased, while a multi-brand retailer like him, made up of experts, may offer broader advice on taste, investment value or both. Still, he concedes that William Grant’s effort could turn out to be a turning point for high-end scotch if it turns out to be successful. “All the other companies will look at it and say, ‘Why don’t we do this? “”
The private customers division will officially make its public debut on December 3 in Scotland at the One of One Distillers auction at Barnbougle Castle on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The best distillers in the country each donated unique pieces, including William Grant & Sons through the new company. (The driver is on the sidelines as a master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, the industry trade association in partnership with Sotheby’s for the auction.)
Over 40 lots are estimated at £ 1,000 ($ 1,345) to over £ 500,000. Every penny of the hammer price will go to good causes, primarily through the Youth Action Fund, a charity run by the distillery industry to support disadvantaged young people, with a particular focus on the people of Scotland.
Among the best lots, Talisker, owned by Diageo, released one of these Casks of Distinction dating from 1978 (Lot 21); whoever buys it must wait five years for it to finish maturing, after which it will be bottled in crystal decanters; the buyer is likely to pay £ 350,000 to £ 500,000 for the lien. Gordon & MacPhail, a small, prestigious family-owned distillery that recently released the world’s oldest single malt, sells the option to come to its warehouse in Elgin, Scotland, and select an old cask under control (lot 37). Two bottles will then be created: one in a decanter and the other in a drinking bottle. This lot is estimated at £ 160,000.
William Grant & Sons donated three lots. There is a Balvenie 1964 Single Bottle Release (Lot 31, high estimate £ 80,000) and a single 1966 Ladyburn bottle, featuring an unseen image of John Lennon photographed by 60s superstar David Bailey (Lot 26, high estimate 30 £ 000). “It’s a conundrum, because it came and happened so quickly, and we don’t have a sample of new manufacturing spirit, so it’s like a kaleidoscope examining the past,” says Brian. Kinsman, Malt Master at Glenfiddich, who helped select the lot for William Grant’s whiskey brands. “It has a lovely, almost mineral, linseed oil character.”
Glenfiddich’s own submission is one of the most anticipated. Four bottles from the 1950s, including a surprisingly light and delicate malt from 1955 (Lot 26, high estimate £ 350,000). “For me, the Glenfiddich batch is definitely the star – it’s wonderful, the right whiskeys in the right vintages,” says Singh of the Whiskey Exchange. “I’ve tried the 1955 before, probably from a sibling keg, and it was absolutely sublime.”
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Helping businesses in the food and business industry who have had to change the way they operate as a result of pandemic protocols, Assemblymen John Burzichelli and Nicholas Chiaravalloti sponsored a bill authorizing certain on- and off-premises event privileges for the holders of winery, limited brewery, craft distillery, or cidery and meadery license.
The bill (A-4319) cleared the full Assembly Monday, 58-8-7.
“Overnight, stores were asked to shutter their doors and forced to rethink their business models,” said Burzichelli (D-Gloucester, Cumberland, Salem). “For breweries and wineries, the closure of dining rooms and taprooms had to be shifted to takeout and delivery services in order to survive these unprecedented times. We can further assist by lifting other restrictions and allowing them to host events bringing in additional revenue to their business.”
Under the measure, licensees would be permitted to host an unlimited number of on-premises events, defined as an activity that is open to the public and held on the licensed premises or other outdoor areas, including but not limited to a parking lot owned by the licensee and is adjacent to or adjoining the licensed premises. Non-ticketed on-premises events would not require approval from or notification to the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
“We’ve all had to think outside of the box when it came to managing the challenging times of this pandemic— the food and beverage industry, especially,” said Chiaravalloti (D-Hudson). “Enabling breweries and wine vineyards to expand their services will help offset both the current and long-term financial burdens faced by these small businesses.”
The bill will now go to the Senate for further consideration.


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In the fallout of Telltale Games closing up shop, it sounds like Devolver Digital would like to take a shot at a Stranger Things video game. The company really didn't shy away from the idea, hitting Netflix up directly on Twitter and pretty much asking the company to slide into their DM's, which is the most awesome move I've seen a gaming company make in terms of asking to create a game for an existing IP.
— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) September 24, 2018
What's more, within that same thread, the company also posted "We'd love to have folks from
#TelltaleJobs join in on this and continue their vision for what was planned." Which is probably the biggest move we've seen anyone make on a public level, pretty much saying all those unemployed after the Telltale fallout can come work for them on what would surely be an amazing game. Fingers crossed that Netflix actually takes them up on the offer, as Stories Untold was a cool game that shows what their development team can already do with content you would find in a show like Stranger Things.


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War with Iraq may be just around the corner, and stock markets keep plummeting to new lows. But the auto industry's emerging super-luxury segment is taking no notice.
DaimlerChrysler already has received 1,000 deposits for the Maybach sedan - enough to account for the first year of production. Volkswagen group's Bentley unit is on target to smash previous production records with its forthcoming Continental GT. Rolls-Royce did not reveal how many deposits it has received for the new Phantom, but says it is on target.
Healthy advance orders suggest there really is room for growth at the top of the automotive market. The stakes in this glamorous sector are very high, because the manufacturers have invested heavily.
"It's a $1 billion bet," says Bentley marketing chief Adrian Hallmark.
So far, it looks like that bet is paying off. One thousand Maybach customers have deposited E50,000 apiece to order the car, and DaimlerChrysler has begun taking orders for 2004.
"The car has been accepted very, very well," said Leon Hustinx, Maybach's director of marketing and sales.
So far, about 30 percent of purchasers have ordered the long-wheelbase limousine version, dubbed the 62. DaimlerChrysler will start delivering vehicles to customers in May.
Meanwhile, Bentley dealers have taken 3,000 deposits for the new Continental GT, according to Mark Tennant, director of product strategy for Bentley Motors in Crewe, England. Bentley will start delivering cars in the fourth quarter.
Among the three new super-luxury cars, only the Rolls-Royce Phantom is currently available. Rolls expects to produce approximately 1,000 Phantoms a year. But the automaker declined to divulge the number of orders it has received.
"I'd prefer not to get into public contest over who's sold out the first year," said Howard Mosher, sales and marketing director for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Chichester, England. "We will be market driven. We will build what the market wants. At the moment, we're on plan."


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Yesterday's 'day without immigrants' turned out to be kind of a dud. While thousands of immigrants skipped work or school to protest, many of them couldn't afford to skip a day of work.
Some people didn't even know there was a protest taking place.
The LA Times makes it seem like yesterday was an important day with the headlines like, "Day Without Immigrants' resonates across Los Angeles, even if many still go to work."
It might have "resonated" in Los Angeles, but in cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., and some cities in Texas, the day wasn't anything special. It was just another day of work.
In heavily immigrant local communities such as Maywood, Lynwood, Bell, and Cudahy, businesses were open like nothing was going on.
Flower shops, beauty salons, taquerias, car washes and more were all open.
One store owner in Maywood forgot about the protest, and then closed her shop when she remembered:
"I just came back from Mexico and totally forgot. We need to support this movement. We need to stay united."
Bell pet store owner Richard Choi said he could't afford to take the day off, even if he wanted to:
"I'm going out of business. I've been opening my store seven days a week. I'm exhausted. I can't close."
40-year-old Rosie Garcia showed up to work as well to provide for her family:
"I'm the kind of person that doesn't miss work. I show up because I want my boss to know I'm reliable. I work out of necessity. I have three children. … [If] I don't work we won't have enough for rent and food."
Garcia also made her kids go to school yesterday:
"I didn't agree with the notion that they shouldn't go to school. I mean, how does that benefit children? They're going to be sitting at home watching TV, doing nothing. It's like setting them back."
It looks like yesterday didn't do anything. People need to work and support their families.
And another thing, was yesterday about all immigrants or illegal immigrants?
Once again, the LA Times blurs the line.


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HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s new streaming service designed to take on players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus, is set to debut on May 27.
Speculations come after Google speaking about YouTube’s good subscriber numbers
According to a new Sensor Tower data, Disney Plus generated about $43.9 million in the second month of its launch.
Apple may launch Apple TV+ service before Disney+ launches on November 12.
A trio of platforms is due to arrive later this year, with different prices and features. The question then is whether HBO will be as easy to downplay.
Netflix and Amazon already have a substantial lead, with more 130 million and 100 million subscribers worldwide, respectively.


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US: “Made in USA” company rapped for deceptive claims
A company which sells a “Made in USA” certification seal has agreed to stop deceptive claims after being targeted by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges.
The FTC said Made in USA Brand LLC had deceived consumers by allowing companies to use the seal without independently verifying that products had been made in the US, or disclosing that the companies had certified themselves.
According to the FTC’s Enforcement Policy Statement on US Origin Claims, products labelled as “Made in the USA” must be “all or virtually all” made in the US.
Made in the USA Brand charges companies US$250-2,000 a year to use the mark and to be listed in a database of “certified” companies.
However, the FTC found the company did not independently evaluate products before certifying them, had no procedures to determine compliance – and had never rejected any application of terminated a company’s use of the mark.
“Seals can be very helpful when consumers purchase products based on claims that are difficult to verify – like the Made-in-the-USA claim,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“When marketers provide seals without any verification, or without telling consumers the seal is unverified, consumers are deceived and the value of all marketers’ seals is diminished.
“This case makes it clear that the FTC will not let that happen.”
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- VF Corp cuts guidance as Q2 profit plunges 70%
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- Ethiopia opens flagship textile and apparel park
- Teijin launches polyester hook-and-loop fastener
- US Q2 in brief - Carter's, Wolverine Worldwide
- Central America strategic sourcing review - a focus on Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras
- Southeast Asia strategic sourcing review – a focus on Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar
- Southeast Asia & Central America strategic sourcing reviews package deal
- World Textile and Apparel Trade and Production Trends: the EU - June 2016
- Primark Stores Limited: Retailing - Company Profile & SWOT Analysis


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While last week’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 price cut at Walmart turned out to be little more than a mistake, it appears that a price cut on the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 at Target is the real deal.
9to5Mac has acquired some evidence that shows that at least some Target stores are currently offering deals on both the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 with both phones receiving a $50 drop in price.
It appears that the price drops are for all carriers which include AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.
Read: iPhone 4S Review.
There are a few caveats to be aware of before jumping on the deal. First, this is not available online. Instead, it appears that this deal is in-store only. So, don’t bother going to Target’s website because the deal won’t be found there.
Second, it appears that the deal is a limited time offer. It appears that it kicked off on May 4th and it will apparently last through June 30th. Another photo appears to show that it will end earlier on May 12th.
What this means is that it might be available in select locations and those locations may have differing offers. The prices should remain the same though. So, before going out to Target, it’s probably worth putting in a call to the local store to make sure that the offer is available.
This is a discount over the prices that the carriers and Apple ask for both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S is generally $199.99 on-contract for the 16GB model while the iPhone 4 has been priced at $99 on-contract since the arrival of the iPhone 4S last October.
This article may contain affiliate links. Click here for more details.


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2013 Fiat 500e
The Fiat 500e is probably the surprise offering of the year.
Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne Not A Big Fan Of EV Technology Being Forced To Market
Especially so since it was given little fanfare by the company when it was announced - if anything electric vehicles (or rather the business of electric vehicles) have been mostly disparaged by the CEO Sergio Marchionne.
In the same breath as the 500e was announced, the CEO felt it was also good time to say the company "will lose money on every car we make.”
“The economics of EVs simply don’t work. On the 500 that Chrysler will begin selling in the U.S. next year, we will lose over $10,000 per unit despite the retail price being three times higher (than the standard ICE)”
Yet out of that, the end offering was a capable, 87 mile, attractive looking electric compact coupe - offered a good price that filled a need. Put another way, if you want a $199/month leased EV and don't want to be perceived as riding around in an entry-level gasser, or mid-size family hauler, this is probably your car.
However, the car is still from Fiat-Chrysler, so despite the industry's hunger for sales and production information on the vehicle, all we have received is an admission from the CEO that the car is being forced to market for compliance reasons. Little else.
- Total production run? crickets
- Monthly sales results? crickets
- Number of 500e(s) they want to sell for 2013? crickets
Despite Being Tight-Lipped About Production, It Appears Fiatsler Will Sell 491 500e (s) In America in 2013
However, only three and a half weeks after the car went on sale in mid-July, a fairly serious half shaft issue popped up on the 500e; and through that event we learned the company had put out a partial recall on the car that involved the majority of 500e owners - about 270 were notified to return their cars for repairs (which meant bolts that secured the vehicles’ half shaft had to be replaced)
Turns out, some internal attempts at fixing the problem the first time were also not so great, and in a recent revised letter to the NHSTA (images of letter below), Chrysler's Product Investigations and Campaigns Senior Manager Kristin Kolodge expanded the recall to include the entire production run, which began December 16th, 2012 - and numbered 491 cars.
Currently the Fiat 500e is not in production at Fiat's assembly facility in Mexico. So while we might not know exactly how many cars are sold each month, with Fiat saying the car is already a "sell-out," we can tell you how many will eventually be sold in 2013 - 491
Gallery: Images of Chrysler letter to NHSTA


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Biden was reacting to the most recent "Personal Income and Outlays" report from the Department of Commerce.
"[Thursday], we learned that inflation moderated and incomes grew in October, following Wednesday's news that our economy grew at an even stronger pace from July to September than we previously thought," said the president. "We are seeing initial signs that we are making progress in tackling inflation, even as we make the transition to more steady, stable economic growth."
Biden called that "good news for the American people" and further evidence that his economic plan is working.
"It will take time to bring inflation back to normal – and there could be setbacks along the way – but the American people should have confidence that our plan to tackle inflation, without giving up all the historic economic gains American workers have achieved, is working."
Alfredo Ortiz is president and CEO of Job Creators Network (JCN). "President Biden is completely out of touch if he thinks [Thursday's personal consumption expenditures] report shows that 'we are making progress in tacking inflation,'" Ortiz responds in a statement. "Six percent inflation is still three times higher than the Federal Reserve's two percent target."
Other key gauges, such as the Consumer Price Index, show inflation closer to 8%.
"Biden's record spending spree is directly responsible for the worst inflation in four decades and the corresponding drop in real wages," said Ortiz. "When Republicans take over the House in January, we will finally have a check on Biden's inflationary, anti-growth policies."
The JCN president contends the GOP can "revitalize" the economy by enacting his organization's "American Small Business Prosperity Plan."
"And JCN is working with congressional leaders to make that happen," Ortiz added.
The American Small Business Prosperity Plan has been endorsed by leading Republicans, including former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy – who, at last report, is facing an uphill battle in his bid to become House speaker in January.


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NSoft discusses the business opportunities present at this year’s ICE Totally Gaming and its own successes at the London show in February.
Bosnia-Herzegovina-based NSoft toasted another year of success at ICE 2017, presenting their latest paradigm- defining solutions.
“ICE is the biggest show in the industry and it brings everybody together,” said Amir Obralic, NSoft’s marketing manager. “It generates a lot of business for us – on the back of last year’s show we had so much new business that we took on 100 additional employees, it was such a massive success.”
“This year we’re hoping to see the same.”
The company was founded nine years ago and currently employs 190 people. In 2015, it created an umbrella brand, SPARK, that includes NSoft, its largest company which is 40 percent owned by Sportradar.
“Given our partnership with Sportradar, over the past years we’ve seen prominent growth in the sports betting sector, a trend that is likely to continue in the future,” explained Obralic.
“For this reason, NSoft will continue to pursue business opportunities in this segment which will probably outgrow our virtual games.”
For this year’s show, the company demonstrated Betradar’s managed trading service (MTS). Alongside this it highlighted its Self-Managed Sportsbook solution, a system angled towards larger bookmakers, which gives the customer full autonomy in sports events creation, odds and risk management.
NSoft also presented its new pre-match solution Pool Betting, a multiplayer application based on Betradar feed enabling both players and administrators to create contests and select events from the company’s product portfolio.
One spotlight was the firm’s leading range of virtual games which continue to be NSoft’s “biggest revenue generator”.
“We’re showcasing our breakthrough product, Lucky Six, a virtual draw game which is still our most popular title,” Obralic added.
“For this edition of ICE we’ve presented our fast-paced new games Drag Races and Motorcycle Speedway, alongside these we offer a number of titles including Virtual Greyhound Races and Virtual Horse Races, among others.”
At present NSoft does not develop casino games, but has integrated third party content from Oryx Gaming and Blue Ocean Gaming into its SEVEN Platform, which offers a single solution for managing core betting business operations, covering all distribution channels including retail, mobile and online.
However this could soon be set to change, NSoft is currently considering adding a dedicated casino or slots vertical to its portfolio and has several projects in the testing phase.


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Nitrux 3.2.0 Linux Distro Released with Enhanced Security and New Features
The Nitrux 3.2.0 release brings a number of new significant features, updates, and bug fixes to the Linux-based operating system I wanted to share with you!
The Nitrux team is proud to announce the release of Nitrux 3.2.0 with some significant changes to how users interact with their computers, including a new user interface called Nimbus. The new interface makes it easier for users to interact with their computers using gestures and touch controls.
This update also includes an updated version of the desktop environment Budgie 10, which allows users to take advantage of more customization features than ever before. The update also includes support for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver), which means that new users can now download and install Nitrux using Ubuntu's official software repositories instead of having to download the ISO file directly from the project's website.
Nitrux is based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus), which means that all existing applications should run without issue in this latest update—but what else has changed?
I found the article linked below helpful in understanding exactly what's new in this exciting release, and I thought you would also. Check it out!


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What’s going on in the cryptocurrency world next week? Grab a pint and we’ll tell you. Beer for us, thanks. And nuts.
Rebel Bots Launches Land Sale (May 16)
Rebel Bots will launch its land sale for the player NFT sets on Monday, with each set consisting of 1 Land NFT and 3 Fighting Bots and available for 0.025 ETH (payable in USD equivalent stablecoin). Rebel Bots – Xoil Wars is a cross-platform card warfare game where players can play, progress, and earn in a single-player or multiplayer sci-fi-themed game set in outer space. Players must band together to form extraterrestrial kingdoms, construct warring robot armies, and compete with other players for the coveted Xoil resource.
The Rebel Bots game has thousands of separate kingdoms, each established by one of the first-generation Rebel Bots. Not all kingdoms are created equal, just as not all Rebel Bots are created alike, with Robots with rare features able to take larger kingdoms with larger areas.
After the launch of its land sale, Rebel Bots will have the following benefits:
- Create simple FTUE (First Time User Experience) for non-NFT players
- Launch the game with the help of thousands of Robot owners
- Create a sustainable Play-to-Earn economy
- Build the Rebel Bots universe in which players can play their characters in multiple games
For info on how to participate in the public sale, check out their web page.
⚙ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT⚙
⚡Get your batteries charged for our land sale on May 16th🎉
Each land $75 USDC purchase will get you:
🏭 1 Land
🤖 3 Fighting Bots
✅ Ready to play
Stay tuned to twitter/discord for more details closer to launch 🚀 pic.twitter.com/d7i9AjSyXa
— Rebel Bots (@REBEL_BOTS) May 10, 2022
BitMart to List MOOV (May 16)
BitMart will list MOOV on its platform on Monday , with the MOOV/USDT trading pair (not MOOV/UST? Oh yeah…)
Key dates are as follows:
- Deposit feature: 05/14/2022 11:00 AM (EDT)
- Trade feature: 05/16/2022 11:00 AM (EDT)
- Withdrawal feature: 05/17/2022 11:00 AM (EDT)
Dotmoovs is a “move2earn app” that rewards users with native tokens for activity within peer-to-peer dancing or sports game challenges.
The Dotmoovs team says that it developed a proprietary artificial intelligence system, advanced computer vision algorithms, an arbitration engine that detects the human body and its various limb positions, and a scoring algorithm to measure the player’s skill. The team then combined the technology with blockchain technology, a native cryptocurrency, and collectibles NFTs.
Move2earn is gearing up to be a strong contender for the ‘hype king’ crown for the next silly season, what with the success of STEPN and others like it.
💎Deposit feature: 5/14/2022 11:00AM (EDT)
💎Trade feature: 5/16/2022 11:00AM (EDT)
— BitMart.Exchange (@BitMartExchange) May 11, 2022
Crypto Marketing Meetup (May 19)
A virtual Crypto Marketing Meetup is being held on May 19 at 17:00 UTC, hosted by SLON Media May 19. The event, held on YouTube, will see experts from SLON Media, Currency.com, Capital.com, ANKR, Polkadex and CreatorVerse sharing insights and cases that will teach participants how to grow cryptocurrency, DAO, Web 3.0 and NFT projects successfully.
Speakers at the event include Elena Kupriianova, CMO at Ornament Health and Creative Director at Ortnec; Kseniia Baziian, Marketing coordinator at ANKR; Gosha Dolgun, Head of Crypto at SLON; Chris Gitre, Founder, CEO of CreatorVerse Inc.; and Dagmara Handzlik, Head of Marketing at Polkadex.
SLON Media comprises an international network of experts in content, promotion, video, design and development works that combine their creativity, technologies and marketing to deliver eye-catching content and scalable digital marketing solutions.
For more info on how to attend, check out the event’s Facebook page.
Trava Finance Governance V1 Launch (May 19)
May 19 also sees Trava Finance hand over ownership of its BSC Lending Pool to holders of the veTRAVA governance token, the next step for the Trava Lending Pool following the April 28 launch of its Auction Mechanism.
Trava.Finance is a decentralized marketplace for cross-chain lending, offering a flexible mechanism for users to create and manage their lending pools to start a lending business. Trava.Finance is deployed on the Binance Smart Chain and allows for lending with BSC tokens first, before enabling cross-chain lending with various tokens on Ethereum and other blockchain networks.
From Thursday, veTRAVA holders will start to earn rewards in TRAVA tokens with a shared APR after they lock their tokens in the Trava Governance vault, with their claimable rewards increasing every Tuesday based on their voting power proportion in the last week. The more significant the amount they lock, the more voting power they will possess, and their rewards will be more attractive. This mechanism aims to encourage users who show significant commitment to the protocol’s future.
For more information on Trava, check out their website.
⚔NEXT STEPS OF TRAVA LENDING POOL: AUCTION IN LENDING POOL AND GOVERNANCE V1
— Trava.finance (@trava_finance) April 5, 2022


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Following its embarrassing December gaffe, Microsoft quietly released an improved firmware update for its Surface Pro 2 Tablet, presumably combating the last one’s many glitches.
Back in December, Microsoft released an update for the Surface Pro 2 which inadvertently served to downgrade the device, leaving many users with hardware failures, an error code, battery drain, and booting errors.
This led to a slew of complaints from forum users, and Microsoft pulled the update.
And so today, a month later, Microsoft rolled out what would appear to be a new version of the firmware patch, intended to solve the problems present in the last upgrade. Because the company hasn’t yet updated the device’s history page to acknowledge the release of this upgrade, no list of the patch’s functions yet exists.
This release falls outside of Microsoft’s normative Patch Tuesday, which occurred earlier this week. Similarly, Microsoft released a patch outside of Patch Tuesday earlier this month for the ARM-based Surface 2, in order to address a BitLocker encryption error that was causing booting problems for some customers.
The upgrade is available to Surface Pro 2 devices, with or without the original firmware update.
While the patch may fix the problems from December, it is conceivable that many customers feel Microsoft could use to take more preventative measures to combat sour releases.
Source: The Verge


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They started in Texas and Louisiana, but now authorities say that the two men behind string of WalMart robberies have made it all the way to the East Coast, striking last night at the store in Boynton Beach.
The duo has an affinity for the garden center and the automobile center, breaking into registers there and grabbing the cash. They're suspected in raiding at least 40 stores in the two southern states before they made a stop in Palm Beach County. From the Boynton Beach Police Department's news release:
The men walked into the garden center in the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 3200 Old Boynton Road. While one served as a lookout, the other pried open a cash register and took more than $1,600 from the drawer. Both men exited the store and were seen entering a dark-colored SUV.


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Gottwood announce 10th Anniversary Edition for 2019
Tickets will go on sale this Thursday at 9am for one of the most crucial events in the dance and electronic music calendar as Gottwood prepares to celebrate ten years. Festival partners have been announced with Ransom Note set to touch down in Wales for the very first time with a stage takeover. Other partners announced so far indicate a promising array of music to come with the likes of Move D, Robert Johnson, Renate, Red Light Radio and more all set to be involved.
The festival will take place at Gottwood Forest, Llanfaethlu, Wales between 6th – 9th June 2019 next summer. The full list of partners offers an indication of what might be in store at the next edition of what promises to be a special event…
Red Light Radio
Move D Lakeside Takeover
The Nothing Special
Salon – Zur Wilden Renate
Stamp The Wax
2 Bad Mice
Hit & Run
Not An Animal
Buy tickets from Thursday HERE.


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Sao Paulo Again the Center Of Attraction for Its Latam’s Top-Class Fashion Event
SAO PAULO —celebrating fashion week — Latin America sees its top cat walk performances for the pinnacle artists. The event begins with almost 30 Brazilian labels who have come forward to exhibit their summer collections having sustainable designs.
The famous companies like Alexandre Herchcovitch, Tufi Duek and Animale displayed their innovations at Biennal pavilion in Ibirapuera Park.
The other famous labels to take part during this week in the Sao Paulo fashion event include Agua de Coco, Ronaldo Fraga, Ellus, , Forum, Joao Pimenta and Juliana Jabour.
“The whole world recognizes Sao Paulo Fashion Week, senses that it operates in a unique way in the fashion world. Brazil is a unique country, with a unique culture,” the director Paulo Borges said in a press conference before the commencement of the event.
The organizers have made an educated guess about the business to reach $1 billion during the Sao Paulo fashion event.
The summer collections theme is: “We transform: Stories worth telling” with a stress on tradition and the local design capabilities.
“We have to stop being a country which produces clothes and instead be a country which produces design,” said Borges, claiming it to be the country’s third-biggest industry.
Sao Paulo fashion eventful week is a bi-yearly event with its celebrations in January (winter collections) and June (summer collections).


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iPhone 5 Won’t Feature NFC or “E-Wallet” Payments, Apple Tells Carriers
Despite recent rumors, a report in The Independent today, which cites sources with mobile carriers in the U.K., says that Apple has abandoned plans to debut near-field communications (NFC) technology in its forthcoming iPhone 5. In a meeting with British operators, Apple explained that it was concerned with a lack of clear standard for NFC services across the mobile industry.
It was believed that NFC technology would debut in Apple’s next iPhone to provide users with an “e-wallet” service, enabling them to pay for goods by waving their iPhones over a device at the counter. The Independent report, which dubs NFC as a “wave and pay” service, noted that Apple may instead debut the technology in its iPhone 6, likely to launch in the summer of 2012.
AppleInsider notes that Apple has been looking to hire radio-frequency identification (RFID) experts, and those with experience in mobile payment services, since January of this year. However, a previous job advert suggests Apple has been working on RFID technology in prototype devices since as early as 2009.
NFC technology in the iPhone is certainly something I’m patiently awaiting. The possibility of being able to leave my home with nothing but my iPhone – no wallet, no cash, no credit cards – would be incredibly useful. However, I have to say that I’m yet to see this service in any shop I’ve been into here in the U.K. Unless the majority of U.K. retailers pick the technology up by this summer, an iPhone with NFC capabilities would be practically useless to me.


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Most automaker Web sites talk about things like power, styling and speed. But the Chrysler brand is pitching a new value to U.S. car shoppers: social justice.
Under the leadership of brand CEO Olivier Francois, Chrysler is calling for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's pro-democracy movement.
She has been in and out of house arrest in Myanmar, formerly Burma, for most of the past two decades. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
Chrysler and Lancia sponsored a 30-second film in support of Suu Kyi. The film, which includes footage of the Chrysler 300 sedan, first appeared on the Chrysler Web site last week.
"This is a chance to use our brand image to join with others in the fight for peace and to knock down the walls that divide us," says Francois. "We at Chrysler believe in doing the right thing and making a difference."


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Garden Club prepares for holiday flower show
JERSEY?SHORE – Flower show committee members from the Jersey Shore Garden Club are finalizing plans for their upcoming Holiday Flower Show to be held Nov. 9, at the Trinity Episcopal Church located on Mt. Pleasant and Thompson Street.
The event is free and open to the public and will be held from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. The theme for the show is “Home for the Holidays” and will include 12 categories including arrangements for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Members may enter the category of their choice and then create their entry based on the guidelines outlined by the committee.
The committee has decided this year’s show will be a non-judged show.
The purpose of a non-judged show is to allow members to utilize a variety of materials to be used in arrangements, using both fresh and permanent materials.
The committee feels this show will be of special interest to viewers due to the enhancement of materials allowed. Expect to see centerpiece arrangements, door decorations, mantel pieces, designs using greens, silks and fresh flowers.
Anyone who likes to decorate for the holidays will surely enjoy this show and will be able to come away with new and affordable ideas for holiday decorating.


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Sitel study shows 70% of consumers prefer human interaction vs bots
A recent study conducted by outsourcing firm Sitel showed the majority of consumers still prefer interacting with humans. This is despite the fact that most of the outsourcing industry is gearing up for the takeover by artificial intelligence and robotics. The 2018 Index Report released by Sitel showed that about 70% of those surveyed about their customer service preference said they would rather speak to a human customer service representative than engage with a digital customer service rep or chatbot. The biggest reason given was they were not confident digital assistants could understand and help with their requests. About 38% of those surveyed said they got frustrated by having to repeat the same concern to multiple people during a single customer service call. They also didn’t like being put on hold. Additionally, about 61% of consumers said getting personalized messages via email from companies they have a business relationship with was important.


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NOMLC2020 – online edition – Friday 16 October
The Graduate Program OML is pleased to announce the online edition of the NOMLC2020 conference! The online edition will take place on Friday 16 October. More details on the program will follow in September.
We look forward to welcoming you at our online conference in October!
With kind regards,
NOMLC2020 Conference Committee


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Vehicle sales rise modestly off a low base, while exports surge
Truck sales finally showed some fight in May, after a disappointing start to the year. Sales of light commercial vehicles rose 3.2% from May 2017, medium commercials 17.6%, heavy trucks 6.1%, and extra-heavies 23.9%.
Car sales, usually the growth driver, managed only a 0.7% improvement, from 26,382 to 26,561. As a result, the overall new-vehicle market grew a modest 2.4%, from 41,962 to 42,984.
The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa), says the commercial vehicle figures suggest "the return of positive investment sentiment and business confidence". Others say it is too early to draw conclusions from an overdue positive performance.
Industry sales figures were published on Friday by the Department of Trade and Industry. They show that over the first five months of 2018, sales of all categories of new vehicles were down 1.6% compared to a year earlier, from 224,333 to 220,783. Naamsa, however, believes the full-year 2018 market could grow 3%, courtesy of "continued moderation in new-vehicle price inflation, the improvement in SA’s political and policy environment, the March 2018 reduction in interest rates and unchanged international credit ratings".
Exports of South African vehicles grew by 13.9% in May, to 42,984. With BMW ramping up production of its new, export-focused X3 vehicle, most analysts expect further improvements in the coming months. Naamsa, however, warns that the latest, US-driven wave of trade protectionism could yet have an effect on export demand.


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Thursday, March 1, 2012
Firs image of Hyundai i-oniq concept leaks out
Hyundai plans to unveil a concept car called i-oniq at the Geneva Auto Show.
The i-oniq is the latest concept car designed by Hyundai Motor Company, which is stepping up its efforts to take even larger market share in Europe.
By introducing the i-qonic concept car, Hyundai wants to show its capabilities of designing stylish two-door coupes that can compete with better positioned carmakers such as BMW or Audi.
Designed by Hyundai's German styling studio, the new i-qonic concept car is a little shorter than the BMW 3-series coupe. Under the hood, the car features a hybrid-electric powertrain technology mated to a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels.
Unfortunately, we have no further technical details on this exciting new concept car, so we'd better wait a few more days to see the concept car making its official premiere.


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ROME — A court in the Italian capital ruled Friday in favor of Uber and against traditional taxi associations, overturning a verdict that would have banned its remaining ride-hailing services in Italy.
The ruling marks a victory on appeal for Uber following a months-long legal battle between the San Francisco firm and associations representing Italian taxi drivers, which complain that Uber is engaging in unfair competition.
The court in Rome had initially sided in favor of traditional firms. On April 7, it gave Uber 10 days to shut down its services for professional drivers across the country or face a €10,000-per-day fine. However, a week later the court temporarily suspended the ban pending a verdict on appeal.
The overturned ban targeted only ride-hailing services involving professional drivers: UberBLACK, which books luxury cars, and the related services in Italy UberLUX, UberVAN and UberTOURA. UberEats — the app for food delivery — remained untouched.
Uber's flagship service UberPOP, which connects unlicensed drivers with passengers, remains banned in Italy following a court ruling in Milan in 2015.
"We are thrilled for the thousands of drivers and riders who can continue using Uber in Italy," a Uber spokesman said, commenting on Friday's ruling. "However, Italy now needs to reform its outdated laws so that all its citizens and cities can benefit from modern technology.”
Uber also claimed victory this week in Finland after the government presented a draft law to liberalize the country’s taxi markets.
A lawyer for the Italian taxi associations wasn't immediately reachable for comment.


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Officials at the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said this week that trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan is down by more than 50 percent in the past two months. They said that the lack of interest among Afghan businessmen to do business with Pakistan has caused this dip – which will also result in the projected trade income target between the two countries – of $1 billion USD – not being reached. On the basis of ACCI figures two months ago, around 9,000 tons of flour, cooking oil, rice, beans, sugar and cement was imported from Pakistan to Afghanistan on a daily basis. Now only about 4,000 tons of these items are imported to Afghanistan daily. Officials at the ACCI said that an upswing in problems in dealing with Pakistan for Afghan businessmen were one of the reasons for the drop in trade. A reduction in buying power on Pakistan markets and low quality products were also cited as reasons. "There are problems and one of the reasons that our trade has decreased is that there is no interest from the private sector to do business with Pakistan and therefore we think that this year the level of our business with Pakistan will not reach (the projected) $1 billion USD," said ACCI deputy Khan Jan Alokozai. Meanwhile Mosafer Qoqandi, spokesperson for the ministry for commerce and industry, acknowledged there had been a decrease in trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan and added that by utilizing the Lajaward (Lapis) routes, which connects Afghanistan with Europe, Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistan will end. "Without a doubt our imports from Pakistan have decreased because we are looking for alternate import and export routes," said Qoqandi. On the other hand a number of owners of Afghan industries said that if government provides the necessary support, a large quantity of imported goods can be produced in the country. "There are lots of problems and if our problems are solved we are able to increase our products and if we got enough support we would be able to meet the country's requirements," said head of Industries Association Sakhi Paiman. These comments come after Pakistan once again closed the border at Chaman in Spin Boldak in Kandahar Province of Afghanistan. According to ACCI officials hundreds of trucks have been stuck at the border crossing for the past four days.
>>> READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE


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The Logistics World will be congregating in Liverpool for the IFWLA (International Federation of Warehousing Logistics Association) Annual Convention on 1 – 4 June 2015. Registration for the convention is now open at www.ukwaconference.com
This will be the third time that the convention of the IFWLA – global logistics operators’ networking organisation – will be held in the UK.
A four-day programme of business and culture is planned for some 250 national and international delegates, comprising manufacturers, retailers, third party logistics (3PL) providers and other supply chain and logistics practitioners. Bringing together all sides of the global logistics industry, the international convention is under-pinned by a two-day conference to be held on Tuesday 2 June and Wednesday 3 June, at Liverpool’s historic Town Hall.
Hosted and organised by the UK’s 3PL trade body, UKWA (United Kingdom Warehousing Association), the conference theme is: ‘Change equals new opportunities – the changing face of global logistics, and the opportunities for you’. The Town Hall is only minutes away from the convention hotel – Hard Days Night Hotel www.harddaysnighthotel.com.
IFWLA’s newly elected President – Derrick Potter, Chairman of Potter Logistics UK, said: "In June 2015, the UK will be hosting the IFWLA convention in Liverpool, England during the period 1-4 June 2015. Liverpool is a city that is undergoing a significant regeneration programme and an ideal showcase for the UK’s logistics industry. I am looking forward to organising a conference programme, which will deliver high networking value and lasting memories."
To register to attend The IFWLA Annual Convention, and to gain further information, please visit: ukwaconference.com


text: Internet retail sales in the UK have overtaken those in Germany, as the UK is crowned ‘king of the clicks’. Latest research from MINTEL shows that although Germany is the largest economy in Europe, Internet retail sales in the UK (9.79bn Euros) stood some 80 million Euros ahead of Germany (9.71bn Euros) last year, making the UK Europe’s biggest on-line retail market. France, in third position, followed a considerable way behind with 2005 sales of just 6.50bn Euros.In 2005 on-line retail sales in the UK, Germany and France collectively made up almost two-thirds (65%) of the 40.2bn Euro European e-commerce market. Overall, this market has grown at a phenomenal rate – up an impressive 51% on the 26.6bn Euros of 2004 – and yet the sector still only amounted to 2% of total European retail sales. However, MINTEL estimates show that this market is expected to grow by a further 186% between 2005 and 2010. With sales forecast to reach some 115bn Euros, e-commerce is set to increase its share of total European retail sales from 2% to nearer 5% over this five year period. You might also be interested in: No related posts.


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Nile Special on Wednesday evening launched an exciting World Cup Campaign dubbed “Celebrating Great World Cup Moments” at NBL Portbell Luzira.
Part of the campaign is a promotion “Tulumbe Russia” where 10 lucky consumers will win tickets to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
To stand a chance to win, consumers are required to check under the Nile special crown for a code, SMS it to 8008 or log onto http://nilespecial.play.ug/ microsite and follow the prompts.
Speaking at the event, Nile special Brand Manager Isaac Sekasi said, “Nile Special is proud to be associated with a brand of a caliber of the FIFA World Cup. We are especially delighted because Nile special is the first truly Ugandan brand to attain this status”.
Pius Ogena one of the guests at the event was the first winner of an all expense paid trip to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The first draw also saw two lucky consumers winning a decoder from Kwese TV and a Hisence Flat Screen.
Guests were treated to plenty of Nile Special beer, snacks, games and an energetic performance from popular singer Ykee Benda.
See photos (Photos by Tweny Benjamin):


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Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish signed three contracts with Specialized Chinese companies in the fields of textile, plasterboard industry, non-woven products industry and modern raw materials with investments that exceed $1 billion, according to Mamish.
This came during the visit of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to China to participate in the FOCAC Beijing Summit 2018, the sixth conference of Chinese and African entrepreneurs.
Mamish clarified in an official statement that these companies will invest in the industrial zone "TEDA Egypt" in Ain el-Sokhna.
The TEDA-Suez zone is an Egyptian-Chinese industrial zone in Ain Sokhna, planned to span over 7.34 kilometers square, with the first phase already completed.
The first contract was signed with Shandong Ruyi Spinning & Weaving Co. which intends to pump investments worth $830 million to establish a textile industrial zone in the Suez Cana industrial zone, providing more than 10,000 job opportunities.
Mamish clarified that the volume of sales is expected to reach $600 million annually.
The second contract came with Taishan Gypsum Board Co., Ltd to establish a factory to produce gypsum boards in the economic zone of the channel in Egypt with investments of $125 million, providing about 300 jobs.
The third one was signed with Xiamen Yan Jiang Co. for non-woven products and modern materials to establish a project for the production and supply of non-woven products in the economic zone of the canal with a total investment of about $50 million, providing about 300 jobs.
The total investments of these contracts exceed $1 billion and provide 10,600 direct job opportunities.
The number of projects at Suez Canal exceeds 109, which is a strong start to attract foreign investments to Egypt because of its distinctive location and infrastructure and advanced investment laws and incentives for investors.
It also encourages investors from around the world to invest in the economic zone of the Canal, which will contribute to advancing the Egyptian national economy.
The net profit of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) increased 64 percent in 2017/2018, recording LE 2.13 billion, compared to LE 1.3 billion in 2016/2017.