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Monday- 29th August 2016
- To acquire the UK and Irish business of Israeli generics maker Teva, last remaining contenders are two local companies, namely Aurobindo and Intas. Both the companies have submitted an offer of near $1 billion. The decision to be taken in a next few weeks.
- Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya has said in a statement that India’s economic growth will accelerate to 8% in the current fiscal year, owing to good monsoon policy reforms and PM Narendra Modi’s focus on implementation at the grassroots level.
- Taiwanese company MediaTek is looking to invest an amount of INR 400 crores into India’s One97 Communications, which runs mobile payment and e-commerce platform Paytm. Its current capital is INR 2,000 crores, with leading investors being Alibaba, Alipay and SAIF partners.
- DHFL has raised record sum on a single day by selling bonds through public issue. The subscription was opened for allotment for INR 10,000 crores bonds. The Issue was subscribed for INR 12,645 crores, setting a record for a private entity.
- Indian Oil Corporation has reported a 25% in its net profit for the quarter ended June at INR 8,269 crore, attributed to increased inventory gain and expansion in petrochemicals margin. The bonus of one share for every share held was announced too.
Tuesday-30th August 2016
- Stocks rallied on Tuesday as Sensex hits its 13 months high, while the Nifty hits its 16 months high. The total market capitalization of companies listed on BSE crossed INR 110 lakh crore to set a new record high. Maruti Suzuki and Bajaj Auto scaled lifetime highs.
- E-commerce firms, including Urban Ladder, Zivame, FabAlley, and Yepme, are looking to convert themselves into a single brand retailer, taking benefits of the amendment brought in single-brand retail policy to allow foreign-funded retailers to sell in physical as well as online stores.
- Mumbai-based online fashion rental portal Flyrobe raised an amount of INR 35 crores in its second round of funding. Funding was led by IDG ventures, with the participation of Tokyo-based Gree Ventures and existing investor Sequoia India.
- Apple Inc was ordered to repay a record 13 billion euros plus interest after the EU said Ireland illegally slashed the iPhone maker’s tax bill by ‘selective tax treatment’. Both Apple and Irish Government are looking to challenge the decision, which can lead to a dispute with the US.
Wednesday- 31st August 2016
- An official panel has ruled that Reliance Industries has made unjust gains by pumping natural gas that flowed from ONGC’s adjoining block but a proper inquiry is needed to ascertain if both companies knew about the connectivity of reservoirs and chose to conceal the information for years.
- The Competition Commission of India has fined 11 cement companies of India and their lobby group Cement Manufacturer’s Association (CMA) INR 6,714 crores for alleged cartelization. The lobby group of these manufacturers guilty of facilitating price collusion.
- India experienced the slowest Quarter 1 growth in 5 years at 7.1%. This has been attributed to sluggish investments and farm output. However, the government is still confident to achieve the fiscal target of 8% for the year.
- Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) will acquire Ten Sports for INR 2,600 crore from Subhash Chandrarun Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE). ZEE had paid $107 million to acquire Ten Sports from Dubai-based Abdul Rahman Bukhatir’s Taj Group.
- RBL Bank made a stellar debut in the market, listing at INR 274.20, at a premium of near 22% from the issue price. The stock closed at INR 299.95 and hit the Intraday high of INR 305.50.
Thursday- 1st September 2016
- Mukesh Ambani announced the much anticipated launch of Reliance Jio Infocomm’s services on Thursday, stating that the telecom will launch the services from 5th September. It plans to revolutionise the telecom industry by offering free calls and data at one fifth of the prevailing rates. All services to be free til 31st December 2016.
- During the 45 minute launch of services of Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Indea Cellular Services, and Reliance Communications slumped, as capitalisation of Bharti Airtel plunged by INR 9,800 crores and Idea Cellular’s by INR 2,450 crores. Reliance Communications slumped 7% intraday.
- Indian handset maker Lava has inked a joint venture with Easy Group, to sell its products in the markets of Egypt.The companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will enable Lava to start exporting its products to Egypt, while Easy Group will provide necessary support to promote and distribute products in the country.
- Realty developer Lodha Group has raised debt of INR 2,320 crore from Piramal Fund Management. The amount has been raised for a portfolio of projects in south and central Mumbai, including the World Towers.
- With a brewing price war in the telecom industry, industry insiders and analysts predicting Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular to slash their rates to respond to the enticing tariffs that Reliance Jio Infocomm is offering.
Friday- 2nd September 2016
- Faulty battery is causing explosions in Galaxy Note 7, causing Samsung to recall all its models and launch a replacement program for the faulty models. Sales will be halted in the 10 countries in which it has been launched.
- Launch of Reliance Jio and its strategy for free calls and cheap data will cause telecos to revise their strategy for the upcoming auction. They are expected to take more aggresive approach towards the auction to stay in competeion with price strategies of Jio.
- The Tata Group filed an objection in the Delhi High Court to prevent enforcement of an international arbitration award in favour of Japan’s DoCoMo. This move is expected to reignite feud between the already sour realtions between the two companies.
Source: The Economic Times


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Established in 1973, Panda Restaurant Group is one of the largest and most successful Chinese restaurant chains in the United States with close to 1,500 locations in 42 states, 20,000 employees and more than $1.6 billion in annual sales. This year, the Rosemead, Calif.-based company plans to open more than 100 new restaurants, some of which will be outside U.S. borders, says Robert Lustig, senior vice president of Panda Express International.
Panda officially began its international expansion when it opened its first Panda Express in Mexico in early September.
By January, the company had three restaurants open in Mexico City, and it intends to add 10 to 12 more by the end of this year. Panda had been planning an international expansion for quite some time, according to Lustig. “We spent significant time evaluating Mexico as a natural extension of our brand outside of the U.S. because of its geographic proximity,” he says.
During its numerous visits to Mexico, Panda was able to find a partner that shared the same business philosophy and principles that have made both organizations so successful in their respective countries. “We were really impressed with the quality of people they have on their team and the quality of people that work in their restaurants, and the way people work with each other within their organization is very similar to how we go about our business at Panda,” Lustig explains. “My belief is that it starts with the cultural fit. There are innumerable challenges associated with building a business outside of the U.S., and the only way to achieve success is to have a strong cultural likeness between the two organizations.”
Strategies for Success
There are two parts to a successful international expansion, according to Lustig. “The first one is establishing the brand firmly in the country, which can take anywhere from two to three years,” he says. “The second part is scaling the brand up and getting into aggressive development plans going forward. Right now, we’re still in the forming-and-establishing-the-brand phase. We will continue to grow our business predominantly in Mexico City for the foreseeable future and then expand into other major cities throughout Mexico.”
Panda will begin its operations in Mexico with what Lustig refers to as its standard menu offering, which will undoubtedly include its best-selling orange chicken recipe. “There is perhaps a little bit more demand for beef in Mexico than in the U.S., so we may look into offering a variety of beef dishes,” he says. “There is also an opportunity to integrate some traditional ways of serving our product in Mexico that may not necessarily work in the U.S., such as introducing wraps or using tortillas as a way to introduce our food.”
The most significant change in Mexico that Panda will undertake this year is implementing a delivery system, a service that it elected not to do in the United States. “Mexico City has a population of 25 million people in a geographic area the size of Los Angeles,” Lustig notes. “The delivery of food [via motorcycles with hot or cold storage boxes] is an essential part of the restaurant business model.”
Its marketing efforts will include a combination of billboards and key relationships with organizations such as the Mexico City Zoo. “The Mexico City Zoo had the first panda bear outside of China, and there is a love for the panda bear in Mexico,” Lustig says. “So, we did a promotion and sponsorship of the panda bears that are in the Mexico City Zoo, which also allowed us to get involved in the community.”
Panda intends to continue its North American expansion by opening stores in Canada this year, according to Lustig. “It’s really a remarkable time for Panda as we look beyond the United States borders to expand into other countries around the world, bringing with us not only our food, but also our culture,” he emphasizes.

domain: news


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Autos yahoo news latest news headlines
Business news personal finance and money news abc news, find the latest business news on wall street jobs and the economy the housing market personal finance and money investments and much more on abc news. Texarkana gazette texarkana breaking news, texarkana texas and arkansas newspaper includes news sports opinion and local information. Chevrolet bolt ev specs revealed 60 kwh 0 60 in less, after doing a mini reveal at last week s ces show in las vegas gm ceo mary barra and mark reuss president of gm na operations re presented the chevrolet bolt ev.
- Hearst magazines
- Business news personal finance and money news abc news
- Texarkana gazette texarkana breaking news
- Chevrolet bolt ev specs revealed 60 kwh 0 60 in less
Chevrolet bolt beats out tesla model s to become consumer
The chevrolet bolt has more real world range than any tesla model consumer reports has ever tested. Opel wikipedia, this article s tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on wikipedia see wikipedia s guide to writing better articles for suggestions.


text: It took some time, but Hyundai finally decided to bring the Ioniq hybrid car to the Philippines. Thanks to the new excise tax, the Ioniq is perhaps the most affordable hybrid in the country with a sticker price of less than Php 1.5 million. Aimed squarely against the likes of the Toyota Prius, the compact Ioniq blends both sporty design and smooth shapes. Power is provided by a 1.6-liter gasoline four-cylinder that is helped along by an electric motor. It is then hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.


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RED means stop, green means go, amber means slow down. When it comes to advising consumers about the healthiness of foods, it doesn't get much simpler than a system based on traffic lights.
But the simplicity of ''traffic light labelling'' is one of its biggest flaws, according to the food industry's peak lobby group, the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
''Categorising foods as being either good or bad does nothing to help consumers understand how to construct a healthy, balanced diet,'' it says.
Last month, the year-long review of Australia's food labelling laws and policies - the Blewett review - sided with public health and consumer groups, who have strongly pushed for traffic-light labelling.
It said a traffic light system should be introduced, voluntary at first, but becoming mandatory where manufacturers made ''high-level'' health claims about a food preventing or fighting serious diseases.
Under the scheme, green, amber and red labels on the front of food packets would be used to show low, medium and high levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium in a food. Reduced-fat cheese, for instance, may show green levels of sugar, and amber or green levels of fat, saturated fat and sodium.
But if it were applied to many of Australia's favourite snacks and cereals, consumers would probably be confronted with multiple red lights.
The government has said it will make a decision in December. Groups including the Obesity Policy Coalition have urged it to act quickly, saying the labels would help cut through marketing spin used by food manufacturers to confuse consumers.
But the food and grocery council is pushing its alternative Daily Intake Labelling system, which sets out the amount of energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt in a serve of the food, and how much of a person's daily intake it comprises.
The council argues that traffic light labels are badly understood by consumers and have been rejected by countries around the world.
Last year, the European Parliament rejected a traffic light labelling scheme, despite it having been introduced, on a voluntary basis, in Britain.


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CNET editors choose the best 802.11ac networking devices, including wireless routers.
CNET editor Dong Ngo is totally serious when he says he likes this D-Link DIR-880L AC1900 Wi-Fi router.
An iOS 7 jailbreak has been released to load your iPhone and iPad with apps from unofficial app stores -- but don't rush in just yet.
Interim CEO John Chen says that it's too early to talk about any possible switch to Android and that the company needs to "preserve the reason why BlackBerry is around."
CEO Peter Chou says it's "still too early" for HTC to jump into wearable technology. Until then, the company will focus heavily on tablets.
A Korean site founded by former Samsung staffers says the next Galaxy smartphone could just be a couple months away and pegs it to a recent slowdown in GS4 sales.
There's high demand for the gold iPhone 5S, but supplies are limited -- even the first customers to line up had trouble getting one. CNET's Bridget Carey talks to early adopters outside of New York's flagship Apple store.
iPhone maker apparently preparing for expected midnight crush of preorders for the new lower-cost smartphone.
The day-after verdict: Apple blew its China chances by pricing itself into an even smaller niche. Not so fast.
Designed expressly for mobile devices, the sequel to the beloved racing game borrows a page from Temple Run. Is that a good thing?
Longtime P2P fan Chuck D and Public Enemy give fans a new song and offer a remix contest, delivered via BitTorrent's new Bundle technology.


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Mumbai: In a move to rope in more customers besides enabling them to access trading platforms easily, the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s brokerage and distribution arm, Reliance Money, is mulling tie-ups with large retail players with significant footfalls.
“We are contemplating tie-ups, but nothing has been firmed up as of date,” Reliance Money’s director and CEO, Sudip Bandopadhyay told PTI here.
While the tie-ups would involve large retail players, Bandopadhyay declined to reveal any names.
“The idea of tie-ups is definitely on our mind and we want to forge relationships with large retailers as it will enable us to extend our reach besides providing convenience to our customers by making trading easier,” he said.
In the first of such arrangements, Reliance Money had tied-up with coffee-chain Barista, last month.
Almost 75,000 investors have logged in on to its platform since the company’s inception in April, Bandopadhyay said, adding “our customer base is growing by around 2,000 investors daily.”
Outlining the expansion plans of Reliance Money, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Capital, he said that the company was currently on the threshold of implementing a massive expansion programme, designed to have its footprint in 5,165 tehsils of the country by the end of financial year 2007-08.
“Our aim is to bring many first-generation investors into our broking platform by extending our reach into the interiors,” he said.
The company has plans to open another 7,500 kiosks by the end of this financial year and ramp it up to 25,000 in the next two-three-year period, he said.
Since its inception in April, Reliance Money has already rolled out 2,500 kiosks and is present in 700 cities and towns in India.


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Exports of single malt smashed through the £2bn mark for the first time last year  thanks to a thirst for premium spirits in emerging markets in the Far East, despite a dip in overall sales of Scotch whisky around the world.
New figures from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) revealed that exports fell by 9.5% to £5.6bn, as demand from shops and bars eased following post-pandemic restocking.
Sales remained 14% higher than 2019’s pre-pandemic level, despite what the SWA called ‘a global cost of living crisis’.
Overall, the numbers showed the continuing long-term trend towards ‘premiumisation’, with Scotch fans swapping cheaper blends for more expensive malts.
The United States remained the biggest market for Scotch whisky by value, despite sales decreasing by 7% to £978m, followed by France, which dipped by 3% to £474m, and Singapore – a key distribution hub for the wider Asia-Pacific region – which climbed by 19% to £378m.
The volume of sales dropped by 19% year-on-year to the equivalent of 1.35 billion standard bottles but stayed 3% higher than the pre-pandemic level.
France held its spot as the top market by volume even though sales were down 15% to the equivalent of 174 million bottles, with India plunging by 24% to 167 million bottles, and the US falling by 7% to 127 million bottles.
Mark Kent, chief executive at the SWA, said: ‘We know that the Scotch whisky industry is remarkably resilient as we look at these numbers against the backdrop of rising costs for consumers and businesses, but the figures are a reminder once again that the Scotch whisky success story cannot be taken for granted.
‘We need to see more tangible support from government both at home and in our priority markets in order to continue to grow our export numbers, and the resultant investment, employment and economic benefits that come with that.
‘A cut to spirits duty in the spring Budget would be a step in the right direction, giving the industry platform at home to push forward with international growth.’
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to deliver his Budget on 6 March, his final scheduled Budget before the next General Election.
Kent added: ‘Government must also do away with any notion of restricting the marketing of Scotch whisky in Scotland, which would have a significant and lasting impact on the industry’s ability to generate future growth.’
Last month [January] the Scottish Government promised to run a second consultation over its proposals to limit alcohol marketing following a backlash from the industry, which warned Scottish Ministers’ blanket proposals could harm tourism and smaller producers.
News of the fall in exports follows financial updates from the two biggest players in the Scotch whisky industry.
Last week, [15 February] Chivas Brothers-owner Pernod Ricard – the second-biggest Scotch maker and owner of Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, and The Glenlivet – reported a 7% fall in half-year sales to €6.6bn (£5.6bn) as orders eased following post-pandemic restocking.
Last month [January] Diageo – Scotland’s largest distiller and maker of Johnnie Walker, Bell’s and J&B – partly blamed a 1.4% dip in sales to $11bn (£8.7bn) on trading-down by cash-strapped consumers in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The post Single malt breaks £2bn barrier despite overall Scotch sales dip appeared first on Decanter.


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Top 5 - yesterday
- Development of substrates for multilayer cultivation in high-tech phytotrons
- "Semi-closed greenhouses require sturdy, generative plant types"
- US (NC): $160 million Plant Sciences Initiative comes to Durham
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- "Geothermal energy will boost Kenya’s food security"
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Exchange ratesmore »
Kenyan growers go digitalKenya's David Kioo almost gave up on horticulture farming last year despite the high octane optimism that informed his decision to embrace an otherwise lucrative venture.
The middle-aged farmer was disappointed by a string of crop failure occasioned by climatic stresses, market volatility and high cost of farm inputs like fertilizers and seeds.
Kioo had earlier resigned from a clerical job and his enthusiasm in horticulture farming suffered a blow due to the numerous hurdles that he encountered.
His reprieve came through a Facebook page called "Kenyan Digital Farmers" which provided a platform for struggling smallholder farmers to learn new survival tips amid huge bottlenecks.
Through this digital platform, Kioo and his peers in horticulture farming are able to exchange vital information on markets, proper agronomic practices, weather and consumer preferences.
"Things are a bit better compared to a few years ago but we still have a long way to go, online platforms such as Facebook rescued some of us who almost gave up on horticulture farming," Kioo told Xinhua during a recent interview.
Read more at Xinhua
Publication date: 4/13/2017
Other news in this sector:


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HEY, THE PUBLICITY WAS GREAT
In Izmir, Turkey, police showed up nine hours into a round-the-clock broadcast that a radio personality was attempting from a coffin buried three feet underground. Yasar Naci Kurtcu was ordered brought to the surface because the stunt was "a threat to his life," even though breathing tubes brought him ample fresh air. Kurtcu didn't protest too loudly because "I was getting fed up anyway." Still, he vows to try again for 48 hours next time.
Telecommunications slump? Maybe elsewhere, but not, apparently, in Taiwan. The Communication Ministry reports the island has more cellphones than people by a ratio of 1.7 to 1. Since 1998, the number of cellphone users has zoomed from 2 million to 22.6 million. Some popular teens, the report notes, carry a separate phone for each boyfriend or girlfriend.
A suburban Denver auto dealership group that sells and services General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota vehicles has been identified as the US's largest Hispanic-owned company. According to rankings late last month by the magazine Hispanic Business, Burt Automotive Network had revenues of $1.5 billion in 2001. The top 10, the home base of each, and its reported sales last year (in millions, unless otherwise noted):
1. Burt Automotive Network, Englewood, Colo $1.5 billion
2. MasTec Inc., Miami 1.2 billion
3. Codina Group Inc., Coral Gables, Fla. 783.0
4. Goya Foods Inc., Secaucus, N.J. 715.0
5. Ancira Enterprises Inc. San Antonio, Texas 655.0
6. Brightstar Corp., Miami 621.0
7. Related Group of Florida, Miami 547.0
8. Elder Automotive Group, Troy, Mich. 538.8
9. Molina Healthcare Inc., Long Beach, Calif. 502.0
10. Pharmed Group Corp., Miami 389.1


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The Cannes film festival is synonymous with 'anything goes chic'. It is the red carpet where the most beautiful women on the planet can give free reign to their creative expression both professionally and in their dress.
Too Faced teased its collaboration with blogger Kandee Johnson all the way back in January, and now the brand has offered a full preview of the collection. The limited edition collection will launch in September.
London-based designer Matty Bovan has collaborated with Mattel’s most well-known brand Barbie as the famous doll celebrates its 58th birthday. The collection launched exclusively at the Fashion East store in Selfridges.
India Kids Fashion Week (IKFW), an event to display creations of innumerable designers and brands catering to kids' fashion, will be held on June 24-25 and July 1-2, 2017 in Mumbai and Delhi, respectively.
The Italian label has teamed with Barbie for a ready-to-wear clothing collection for girls aged from two to 12. The "Barbie by MSGM" collection will be released for the spring/summer 2017 season in Italy and worldwide.
As warming relations with the United States bring new money and tourists to Havana, some black Cubans like Miguel Campuzano Perez say racial inequalities are widening and they are being left out of a potential capital...


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Colorado, The Next Big Bailout For California?
Over the last three years Business Brokers of Colorado has experienced a spike in relocations from California to Colorado. “More and more people have contacted our firm looking to get out of the business climate in California” says Lawrence D.J. LiCausi, the company’s President and Senior Broker. Although Colorado has seen it's own troubles with roadways and the parking lot called I-25; Colorado is still offering a way of life which is far better than California. No doubt the weather in California and the beaches are all the attraction for Californians, but the bigger picture is quality of life. Many people are not willing to make the 2-hour trip from home to work any longer. The comparative costs of owning a home, although still pricey in Colorado, it still does not compare to the postage size home and price you will find in Cali with its enormous price tags. LiCausi says that “2016 sales finished with a bang and already the first two quarters of 2017 have been blistering”.
Business Brokers of Colorado has sold more business in the first two quarters of this year than it had all year in 2016. LiCausi says, “cannabis is still the big driving factor to the double digit sales”. The company made the leap into the risky cannabis market for his firm in 2009 and although it was a tough road it has paid off. The company has sold businesses to every type of buyer in the industry from entertainer to celebrity to well know athletes and very well named billionaires. LiCausi has built his family business with his son, Tyler and wife, Robyn. Their montra in building their business, “be knowledgeable, ethical, work hard and be accessible anytime anywhere and do what you say, reputation is everything”. The referral base we have built has been paramount. We are constantly being referred due to our knowledge, our sales, and of course our experience. We are the referral broker for one of the top law firms in Colorado which has proven to be a great resource for our clients. The conventional businesses or better known to most as the “street businesses” are also selling well. The days of sellers fearing the market right now are gone. Buyers feel that Denver has such huge growth potential that if they just stay in the game long enough and treat the customer right then they will be more than the survivor but rather the profiting company. Sellers have been reaching better sale price points than ever before. So the end game is having good numbers, know your business, and get it listed today. LiCausi reminds us all, “never pay upfront fees and never pay marketing fees to a broker.” Remember, brokers who perform get paid at close and not before. If your company needs proper representation to sell your business then contact Business Brokers of Colorado.


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About 41 per cent of CMOs in Asia said managing an increasingly complex business landscape as their greatest challenge, a new book from global consultancy R3 highlighted.
The second publication from R3’s Principals and Co-Founders, Shufen Goh and Greg Paull, Asia CMO: Driving Brand Growth takes a look at best practice in marketing effectiveness in Asia, derived from a series of interviews with the CMOs themselves and the consulting firm’s own insights.
The book features interviews with the CMOs of 13 companies in the region, including: Arrif Ziaudeen, Founder & CEO of Chope; Dr. Beh Swan Gin, Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board; Bidisha Nagaraj, Former Group President Marketing for Coffee Day Group and the current CMO of Schneider Electric India; Dan Austin, Consumer Marketing Head Asia Pacific for Mastercard; Erica Kerner, Vice President, Marketing and Communications Asia Pacific at Tiffany & Co; Gunjan Soni, CMO & Head of International Brands Business at Myntra; Karen Ngui, Managing Director and Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications for DBS Bank; Mie-Leng Wong, International Brands Director of Tiger & Heineken Asia Pacific; Neerja Sewak, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer at Cerebos; Piotr Jakubowski, CMO of GO-JEK; Shakir Moin, Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for Coca-Cola Greater China and Korea; Vittavat Tantivess, Executive Vice President of Food Business at Charoen Pokphand Group and Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO Consumer Singapore at Singtel.
It also contains the results of a survey of 30 CMOs across Asia that reveals the biggest challenges facing CMOs today, what will be necessary to drive future brand growth, and how they are approaching the topic of digital transformation. When asked “what keeps you up at night?” 24 per cent of the respondents said digital technology, and another 24 per cent said aligning marketing with the overall business strategy. These answers not only reflect two of the major themes of this book, but also align with the challenges faced by CMOs globally, who find themselves struggling to prove digital ROI to a C-Suite that is demanding hard evidence that marketing is contributing to overall business growth.
“While there have been so many success stories, there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Ms Goh, noting that only 3.4 per cent of the CMOs surveyed for the book totally agreed with the statement, “our marketing strategy is innovative,” and just 6.9 per cent said that Asia CMOs are “very prepared” to navigate their brands into the future. Future success will largely be dependent on brands’ abilities to identify and connect with “Asia’s super-consumer.” The incredibly diverse consumer demographics of the region present challenges to finding the right audience, and 55 per cent of CMOs stated they need more budget allocated to understanding their consumer market.
Erica Kerner, VP of Marketing and Communications at Tiffany asserted that, “Top management in headquarters often thinks that you can have an Asia strategy. But as marketers working here on the ground, we know that what we really need is to have customer strategies, addressing customers who are going to be different, both within and across markers.”
Marketing today is very different from the marketing of twenty years ago, no less so than in Asia. Its function has evolved from beyond just selling to creating social impact, education, inspiration and being the keeper the brand’s message. “We believe that marketers have a unique opportunity to help global organisations navigate the dynamic environment in Asia, and to capitalise on the growth potential in the region,” said Ms Goh.
Source: Digital Market Asia


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Founded in 1984, Arundel Machine Tool Co. Inc., Arundel, Maine, has evolved into a major CNC manufacturer of precision-machined components based in New England.
Displaying 1-10 of 226 results for
Industrial merger and acquisition activity fell in 2019 because of slowing economies and trade uncertainty, consulting firm PwC said in a report.
Caterpillar Inc. today reported higher fourth-quarter profit as expense controls made up for lower revenue. The Deerfield, Illinois-based maker of earthmoving machines and heavy equipment also warned of “continued global economic uncertainty” in 2020.
Manufacturing returned to economic expansion in January, helped by gains in new orders and production, the Institute for Supply Management said today.
A new way of procuring systems, recognizing the Department’s digital future, and industry’s ability to deliver digital twins.
Supply chains are creating cybersecurity risks for companies, according to a security services firm report.
Today’s job shops can distinguish themselves from competitors by adding deep hole drilling/gundrilling to their offerings. But complex, custom-built machines require more floor space and a bigger investment.
Manufacturing economic expansion eased in September while remaining at strong levels overall, the Institute for Supply Management said today.
The company’s G150 is aimed at small, high-precision parts made of tough materials.
Die-Tech & Engineering and Trenton Forging Co. (TFC) received the 2020 National Metalworking Reshoring Award in recognition of their success in bringing manufacturing back to the United States.


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Kentucky Cattle News – August 2018
We visit the Springs Farm near Cadiz, KY. What impact will tariffs have on the beef market? Beef Marketing 101 from The YARDS Lunch & Learn. What to expect in Kentucky beef at the State Fair.
Watch all this and more in the August edition of Kentucky Cattle News.


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India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki will stop manufacturing vehicles with Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine from April 1, 2020. From this date, the BS-VI emission norms will come into effect.
The company has said that it is not viable to upgrade the current 1.3-litre DDiS engine to comply with the BS-VI norms because of the high level of cost involved.
Presently, Maruti Suzuki sells diesel vehicles like Swift, Dzire, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga, Baleno, Ciaz and S-Cross in the Indian market. The company has two diesel engines -- the 1.3-litre motor sourced from Fiat and the newly-developed 1.5-litre DDiS 225 diesel mill. Both the diesel engines do not comply with the upcoming BS-VI (BS6) emission norms at the moment.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, which is the largest selling compact SUV in India, is only available with a diesel engine. The 4-cylinder, 1.3-litre, DDiS 200 engine in Vitara Brezza is good 90 hp and 200 Nm of torque and it complies with only BS-IV emission standard. Also, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross only comes with a DDiS 200 Smart Hybrid, 1.3-litre diesel engine that makes the same 90 hp and 200 Nm of torque. Both vehicles do not have a petrol option at the moment.
Except for Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and S-Cross, rest of the vehicles from the company have a petrol option. Recently, Maruti Suzuki launched the premium hatchback Baleno with an all-new 1.2 litre Dualjet, Dual VVT, BS VI-compliant petrol engine that has smart hybrid technology. Also, the older 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine will also be BS-VI compliant.
Besides, the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 facelift has also been launched with a BS-VI compliant 796 cc petrol engine that makes 48 bhp and 69 Nm of torque.
Maruti Suzuki India will also have to decide on a strategy to counter the upcoming Hyundai Venue. The compact SUV from the Korean carmaker will be launched in India on May 21 this year and it will have two petrol engine options and a diesel motor.


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Apple offers gift cards with iPhone, Mac purchases in New Zealand (and Australia) for Black Friday — Apple has commenced its Black Friday shopping deals in New Zealand and Australia, providing customers with gift cards if they purchase Apple products through the online and retail Apple Stores during November 24, with similar deals likely to be offered in a number of other regions when each country reaches midnight.
Described on the Australian and New Zealand Apple websites as a ‘One-day shopping event‘, visitors are advised they can receive a gift card worth up to NZ$210 ($144) or A$210 ($160) with the purchase of “selected Apple gifts” (some iPhones, iPads and Apple Watch series 1, plus five models of Mac). Customers are limited to a maximum of two gift cards under the promotion, making the maximum combined value of gift cards attainable in the offer NZ$420 ($289) or A$420 ($320) for each respective region.
Here are some more deals for you — It’s Friday here already, so … MacPhun’s Aurora photo software is normally NZ$138; it’s on sale for NZ$122, and comes with 40 HDR presets, a Trey Ratcliffe video and an imagery eBook. Apple Insider has a key to getting the best deals, although many will not be relevant to Antipodeans, and there are early Black Friday deals from Smile (30% off on both PDFpen and TextExpander), and from Pad & Quill cases (15% off) plus MacPhun’s Luminar 2018 is just US$69, and this price includes US$130 worth of bonuses for free. There are also some good deals on HomeSpot USB-C hubs, but you’ll have to factor in shipping.
UK government to initiate tax crackdown on tech firms holding earnings offshore — The UK Treasury has said it will begin cracking down on large corporations that shift British earnings overseas in a bid to avoid the country’s high taxes, a move that follows a wider European Union strategy seeking much the same. Along with big-name corporations like McDonalds, the initiative targets tech companies like Apple and Google, which use complex accounting strategies to skirt high taxes.
Apple posts research paper about self-driving cars — Apple has posted research on how self-driving cars can better spot objects while using fewer sensors. It appears to be the company’s first publicly disclosed paper on autonomous vehicles.


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From DAVE SMITH
To the Editors (AVA, UDJ), Ukiah City Council, Ukiah City Management
For every 2 jobs Walmart creates it destroys 3 (Institute of Local Self-Reliance)… are yours and mine next? Walmart is so desperate to grab every last piece of retail sales it can that, even as it tries to force a huge expansion of its local store on our community, it is downsizing its new stores into “express size” units to kill off even more downtown merchants in urban areas across the US.
A secret behind Wal-Mart’s rapid expansion in the United States has been its extensive use of public money. This includes more than $1.2 billion in tax breaks, free land, infrastructure assistance, low-cost financing and outright grants from state and local governments around the country. In addition, taxpayers indirectly subsidize the company by paying the healthcare costs of Wal-Mart employees who don’t receive coverage on the job and instead turn to public programs such as Medicaid (walmartsubsidywatch.org).
Not only will we lose many jobs and small businesses when Walmart expands its Ukiah store into a gigantic grocery market featuring extremely cheap “organic” produce and meats from China, but even more will be lost as it eventually contracts. Contracts? The Wall Street Journal reports: “Walmart’s U.S. business… has reported declining sales at stores open at least a year for two consecutive years.”
So once Walmart, and the looming Costco store, have killed off their local competition… our supermarkets, our co-op, our family farmers and farmers markets, our downtown family-owned shops… and destroyed our local community networks of economic exchange, it will face its own demise as Peak Oil’s inevitable rising energy costs destroy the big box business model… and the ship loads of containers from China grind to a halt.


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Digital Rights Media has announced the new titles and release dates for the anime titles that will stream on its RetroCrush streaming service in December 2021.
The titles include:
- Ninja Scroll: The Series – December 3, 2021
- Saiyuki Reload – December 10, 2021
- Ninja Senshi Tobikage – December 17, 2021
- Magical Emi, the Magic Star – December 22, 2021
- Magical Emi: Semishigure (Magical Star Magical Emi Semishigure) – December 22, 2021
All the titles will stream in Japanese with English subtitles. Ninja Scroll: The Series and Saiyuki Reload will also stream with an English dub. Magical Emi, the Magic Star and Magical Emi: Semishigure will be exclusive to the service.
RetroCrush is a free, ad-supported video-on-demand service available in the United States and Canada. The service has apps on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and smart TVs, in addition to being available on browsers. The service launched in March 2020. A free ad-supported television (FAST) version of RetroCrush launched through the STIRR streaming service in July 2020.


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Well known AV industry figures Paul O’Reilly, Peter Finn and Phil Waterhouse left Medium UK as the distributor announced plans to focus its future business on the high growth areas of digital signage and video communications. Medium’s MD and founder Ian Sempers said that the company achieved 18% revenue growth last year, much of which was attributable to winning large signage and VC projects.
Sempers said that: “We will continue to achieve critical mass in projectors and large format displays, but the focus going forward will be on digital signage and video communications.”
Of the departing team members, Sempers said: “Each played an important part but people move on. At the same time, the restructure allows other people to step up. The important point is that our customers understand that it is very much a case of business as usual.”
Sempers will take back much of the responsibility for vendor relationships previously handled by O’Reilly, including the key digital signage brands of Samsung, LG and Signagelive. Terry French is promoted to the new role of Head of Video Communications, in which capacity he will develop the sales and technical aspects of Medium’s LifeSize offering.
Further announcements of new personnel are expected in the near future as Sempers completes the restructuring around Medium’s new business objectives.


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Although many B.C. businesses will open their doors again soon, it may be awhile before you can set foot inside the gym again.
While some centres plan on keeping online workouts, others are looking at hosting smaller classes, with physical distancing in mind.
But when it comes to actual gyms, both health officials and fitness centre owners say it isn’t yet time to open gym doors again.
“I don’t see gyms [opening] in the first or second phase,” said health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. “We will be looking at probably the third phase if things continue to go as well as they have been in terms of numbers of cases.”
One of Canada’s largest gym chains, GoodLife Fitness, said in a release they’ll open on a “province-by-province” basis.
“While we hope to have our clubs open as soon as possible, we recognize the importance of reopening responsibly,” reads the statement. “We are excited for the time that we can welcome everyone back to our Clubs once it is safe and appropriate for us to do so.”
Once they do reopen, the company will look at limiting capacity, while blocking some equipment for physical distancing. Vancouver’s CrossFit 604 told CBC they, too, will focus on physical distancing.
But even when gyms do get back to normal, online classes may stick.
“We found that there’s actually a great need for online digital workouts,” said Tight Club Athletics owner Keighty Gallagher to CBC. “I definitely think that live streaming is going to be here to stay.”
For more B.C. stories, head to our News section.


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Investors will be watching these numbers carefully after the Commerce Department reported last week that consumer spending stalled in October as income growth waned. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of the nation's economy. A stall in spending could be a troublesome sign, especially in the midst of the holiday season.
Factory sales, the ISM manufacturing index, productivity and labor costs will give investors a better picture of the U.S. manufacturing sector.
Global manufacturing has been a mixed picture. China's manufacturing industry exhibited signs of improvement in November. But a report last week showed that the European manufacturing sector was contracting, and eurozone service industry companies are more pessimistic about their prospects than at any time since early 2009.


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The stock market pushed higher today as inflation data came in lighter than expected, and interest rates started to come down. There's renewed hope that interest rates won't go so high the economy goes into a deep recession, and this news has helped travel stocks like Carnival (CCL 1.00%) today.
Carnival stock traded as much as 8.3% higher in early trading but closed the day up 5.1%.
The producer price index was released today and was only up 0.2% compared to a 0.4% analyst estimate. This is a reading of wholesale prices, so if it's coming down, it's possible consumer goods inflation won't be as bad as feared in coming months. This could mean interest rates won't need to go as high as feared to stave off inflation, which could inadvertently cause a recession.
Add all of this up and Carnival investors are cheering for two reasons. A recession would be bad for Carnival because cruises are a discretionary purchase, so the hope is that the Fed will slow interest-rate increases before causing a deep recession.
Another benefit could be lower interest rates when it comes time for Carnival to refinance debt. The company has $31.4 billion in debt outstanding, so lower rates would be welcome news.
Once again, the market is looking for any reason to be positive on Carnival stock. But the company has a massive amount of debt and has burned $1.55 billion in cash for operations in the first nine months of the fiscal year. That's not a path to sustainability and is why I'll be staying out of the stock today.


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Mister Market’s pretty happy that Steve Ballmer is soon to be out the door. But truthfully, he hasn’t been as bad of a CEO as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) investors and analysts want to think. It may seem that nothing good has come from Ballmer’s time as Chief, that’s not a fair assessment. However, it looks like it’s time to sell. Let’s talk about why you might want to do the same.
Microsoft today versus January 2000
Ballmer was given an impossible task: Take the reins of the most powerful tech company in the world from the man that started the company, very close to the peak of the market’s insanity in January 2000, and return value to shareholders for the next decade or two. Well, that didn’t happen:
Despite poor returns from the market peak of 2000, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is larger and more profitable than it was when Ballmer took over:
EPS and revenue have grown significantly over the past 13+ years. Share buybacks have reduced shares outstanding by more than 20%. Under Ballmer’s leadership, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has invested heavily in the Entertainment segment, and with the Xbox One this will continue to to be a bright spot. So will the Data Center business, on increasing utilization of the cloud.
Yes,Windows is losing relevance, and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has done horribly at mobile. But Ballmer is leaving a bigger and stronger Microsoft than the one he took over.
So what gives?
Bigger and stronger; but much more vulnerable.
Competition and consumer sentiment are eroding Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s relevance. If one looks to competitor Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), for example, we see a company which is leveraging the value of its leaders. From the 2012 annual report: :
If we were to lose the services of Larry, Sergey, Eric, or other key personnel, we may not be able to execute our business strategy. Our future success depends in a large part upon the continued service of key members of our senior management team. In particular, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are critical to the overall management of Google and the development of our technology … they also play a key role in maintaining our culture and setting our strategic direction.
Think about this statement in comparison to what’s happening with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares. When a company’s stock price goes up on the announcement of a leader’s retirement, one could draw a line to a systemic problem with the company’s culture and strategy. And I think that’s the real problem with Microsoft.
So it’s good that Ballmer’s leaving?
Maybe. Maybe not. As the saying goes, “better the devil you know.” But Microsoft’s problems are about more than just leadership. This is a different world than 2000.


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Syndication managers point to a full pipeline of issuers, drawn to the market by the enlarged deal sizes and tight pricing achieved by their peers.
Industrial production numbers, commercial vehicle sales, new investments announcements, and rise in FDI suggests the start of a new investment cycle.
Chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian says there are early signs of recovery . In a presentation, the day the government completed one year in office, he says fundamentals are stronger.
The Fund noted in its statement that France had made "important progress" in tackling problems such as the tax wedge on labour.
“The chances of rate tightening have increased because the first quarter employment cost index has shown the biggest yearly gains since 2008.”
Forex dealers said besides fresh selling of the dollar by exporters and banks, a strong recovery in the domestic equity market in opening trade supported the rupee.
Tesco said sales had declined less than expected in its first quarter, indicating a tentative recovery in its key home market.
"Indian economy is now clearly on a recovery path with a 7.4 per cent growth in the first three quarters," FM Arun Jaitley said.


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Huawei has just opened up an App Innovation Contest named Apps UP 2020. Under this, it’s calling developers from Aisa Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, China, and Latin America to develop innovative apps based on their HMS Core. Winners of this contest will be awarded under several categories, from the total pool prize of one million USD.
Huawei’s HMS Apps Contest
Huawei, despite being hit harshly by the US and many other nations, is still hoping to revive its smartphone business. The Chinese mammoth has been banned by the US, citing security reasons and cut off from many companies, including Google, for critical parts. Thus, it’s no longer affiliated to Android and cannot be using its base for its future phones. Yet, it’s doesn’t seem to be stopping by.
Huawei started developing its OS and technologies to power its future gadgets. This includes developing the Harmony OS (replacing Android) and HMS Core (replacing Playstore). And now, to develop them further, Huawei is calling upon developers from Europe, Aisa Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa and China to develop apps for its HMS Core.
The apps should be based on HMS Core, using its underlying technologies to power Huawei phones. The company has given examples of its HMS Core, mostly focusing on AI and AR features. Huawei asks developers to create similar apps that will be categorized as Best App, Best Game, Best Social Impact App, and Most Popular App.
The judges of this content will be filtering all apps submitted by September 20, 2020, which will then be going to public preview till October 4th. Here, the shortlisted apps will be promoted via Huawei’s AppGallery and contest page and will be tracking the votes and number of downloads received. Finally, all the shortlisted apps will be finalized for rewards by judges on specific dates for all regions in October.
The winners under various categories will be awarded cash rewards ranging from $2,500 to $15,000 for each app. Developers can participate in this contest individually or as a group (maximum of 3 people) and should enroll themselves before August 30th, 2020.


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UK consumer confidence slipped back down in October, as the state of the economy continues to give Britons the jitters.
The long-running measure of consumer confidence fell back to a negative reading of 10 overall, GfK will announce today on behalf of the European Commission, jointly the second lowest score since the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum.
Economic growth across the UK economy picked up slightly in the third quarter, according to preliminary data released last week, but consumers continue to struggle under the burden of high inflation, which hit three per cent in the year to September.
Rising inflation, which reduces the amount people earn in real terms, has been a crucial factor stopping growth from stepping into a higher gear over the course of 2017, although the latest survey gave some evidence of an improvement, as the personal finance component improved by a point.
However, business confidence appears to have responded more strongly to the stronger economy. A survey of British businesses by Lloyds Bank showed overall confidence improving by three points, with a net balance of 26 per cent of firms saying they have a positive outlook.
Firms grew much more confident on the prospects for their own businesses, which improved by six points from September. Some 48 per cent expect higher business activity in the next year.
The survey found a small upward shift in optimism about the economy, although overall confidence remained well below its long-term average.
Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “The increases in both business prospects and economic optimism signal that the economy continued to expand in the third quarter, but at a moderate pace.”


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The IOC and London Olympic organizing committee have gone to great lengths to protect their official sponsors from outside competition, but Dr. Dre appears to have circumvented these regulations with an ambush marketing campaign for his Beats headphones. As the Guardian reports, Beats representatives have been handing out specially branded headphones to select athletes, despite the fact that the IOC prohibits non-official sponsors from advertising around the Olympics.
Thus far, Beats products have been spotted on a number of highly visible athletes,
including swimmer Michael Phelps, who wears a pair of Beats-branded noise-canceling headphones before races. The company achieved a similar coup in 2008, when it gave a pair of headphones to LeBron James, who proceeded to hand them out to the rest of his US teammates.
Word of this year's campaign first leaked when British tennis player Laura Robson tweeted about receiving a pair of Beats headphones with a Union Jack design. Robson subsequently deleted her tweet, as did UK soccer player Jack Butland, who wrote "Love my GB Beats by Dre," before promptly removing the post. Butland also told a teammate, via Twitter, that Beats representatives were "bumping into" athletes around the area, though that tweet was eventually deleted as well — likely because the IOC's code of conduct prohibits athletes from promoting their personal sponsors on social media.
The Independent's Samuel Muston, meanwhile, says he recently attended an invitation-only Beats party in Shoreditch, where he saw other British athletes walking away with free headphones. At this point, however, there's no indication that Beats has paid any athlete to use or endorse its products. Neither the IOC nor the London 2012 committee have weighed in on the company's campaign, though they likely won't be thrilled about it — nor, for that matter, will Panasonic, which is an official Olympic sponsor.


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Ford says evaluating options after Federal Circuit ruled in CBP's favor
In a regulatory filing, Ford said that on March 8, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ruled that Transit Connects imported as passenger wagons and later converted into cargo vans are subject to the 25% duty applicable to cargo vehicles, rather than the 2.5% duty applicable to passenger vehicles. As a result of the ruling, CBP is requiring Ford to pay the 25% duty upon importation of Transit Connects that will be converted to cargo vehicles, and is seeking the difference in duty rates for prior imports. The company's protest of the ruling within CBP was denied, and Ford filed a challenge in the U.S. Court of International Trade, or "CIT." On August 9, 2017, the CIT ruled in Ford's favor. On October 6, 2017, CBP filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and on June 7, 2019, a panel of three Federal Circuit judges ruled in favor of CBP. "We are evaluating our options following the most recent ruling. If we ultimately receive a favorable ruling, we will receive a refund of the contested amounts paid and we will treat the refund as a special item. Similarly, if we are required to pay the higher rate for prior imports, the payment will be treated as a special item. Accordingly, the company adjusted EBIT guidance provided above is not affected by either a refund or a payment related to this matter," Ford said in the filing.


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Cayman Distributors Group (CDG), the islands’ leading distributor of beer, spirits, wine, and non-liquor, announces its latest initiative towards sustainability with the adoption of Kingfisher Packaging – a biodegradable and eco-friendly pallet wrapping solution. The biodegradable packaging is designed to break down naturally overtime, reducing the impact on Cayman’s landfills saving over 21,000 pounds of plastic each year.
CDG has always been dedicated to minimising its environmental impact and has taken significant steps towards creating a greener operation. “CDG recognises the urgency of adopting sustainable practices in Cayman, and we are proud to announce our commitment to eco-friendly business solutions. We are happy to continue to promote environmental responsibility and begin using Kingfisher Packaging,“ said Jodie Ehrhart, head of operations at CDG. The company has invested in solar panels to harness clean energy, implemented an electric warehouse fleet to reduce carbon emissions, and now, with the introduction of Kingfisher Packaging, CDG aims to further reduce its ecological footprint.
Kingfisher Packaging offers a sustainable alternative to traditional packaging materials, addressing the growing concern of plastic pollution. The Omegatech® Oxo-Biodegradable Stretchfilm pallet wrap is made from renewable resources, providing an environmentally responsible solution. CDG is taking a proactive step in aligning its business practices with eco-friendly values and choosing Kingfisher Packaging. This move reflects CDG’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and sets an example for others in the industry to follow suit.


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Yoyo, a London-based mobile payment and loyalty app, has raised US$5m in seed funding, one of Europe’s largest seed funding rounds this year. Founded less than a year ago, the startup has also announced it is rolling out at the University of Westminster and University of Greenwich, which together serve over 50,000 students, visitors and faculty members across London.
The investment was led by technology commercialisation and investment group, Imperial Innovations, with co-investments from Firestartr, a new digital venture platform, and Telefonica Group. Notable angel investors brought into the round by Firestartr include Barry Smith, co-founder of Skyscanner; Mathias Entenmann, former MD of PayPal Europe and Paypal International; and John Chaplin, former EVP at Visa Europe.
Founded in 2013 by Alain Falys (Founder of OB10, ex Visa), Dave Nicholson (Founder of Zopa, ex Egg) and Michael Rolph (ex PayPal, Barclaycard and First Data), Yoyo aims to create a better customer experience using an app which simplifies and speeds up in-store transactions by combining payment and loyalty via one easy scan.
The app, which was released earlier this year, is already handling over 30,000 transactions per month across 32 food and drinks outlets at Imperial College London. In addition to the University of Greenwich and University of Westminster, Yoyo plans to announce further partnerships with universities and high-street retailers Yoyo over the coming months.
Users download Yoyo on the App Store or Google Play, and attach a funding method to top-up their account. Yoyo integrates into the retailer’s till system and uses a unique QR-code for each transaction, which is scanned at the point of sale using a scanner. Users collect loyalty points automatically in the app and can receive offers and promotions from their favourite retailers direct into their app. It removes the need for both cash and loyalty stamp cards.
For retailers, Yoyo provides a marketing platform that enables digital customer engagement in-store. The platform gives retailers a set of tools which enable them to better target their customers with relevant rewards, offers and incentives.
The funding will be used to fuel Yoyo’s growth plans over the next 12 months, cementing its position as the leading and most-used mobile payment and loyalty app in the UK, before expanding into the US and European markets. Yoyo will also use the funds to continue to grow its partnership programme with Point of Sale software vendors and leading catering companies. The company is looking to raise a Series A later in the year.


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The first part of the week was more than optimistic for Bitcoin. However, now it is going through the correction phase.
Brexit won’t threaten UK economy any longer as global economy goes up
In 2018, the UK economy will most likely perform better than many estimates suggest and the benefits of global surge in the nearer future will easily compensate any hit from breaking up with the European Union. That’s what ex- Goldman Sachs market expert Jim O'Neill revealed.
O'Neill, an ex-Treasury minister who supported staying in the European Union before the 2016 referendum, informed BBC radio that Brexit turned to be a strange thing for Great Britain to impose on itself, although it wasn’t the country's biggest problem.
The UK economy, which is the world's number six one, seems set to have stepped down a bit last year when it probably tacked on approximately 1.8%.
Higher inflation provoked by the pound's dive after the Brexit vote has affected consumer spending power, while many businesses are wary about what Brexit actually means for them.
While surge has been less affected by Brexit than many financial experts predicted, the UK economy has surged more slowly than other wealthy countries.
On Wednesday, China posted shockingly weaker surge in retail sales as well as industrial output for April, thus increasing pressure on the Chinese cabinet to roll out more stimulus because the trade conflict with America escalates…
In April, American import prices surged less than anticipated in April due to the fact that jumps in the cost of food and petroleum were tamed by the largest tumble in the price of capital goods for a decade, dropping a hint at the fact that inflation…
On Monday, gold declined notwithstanding a lower American currency because data underpinned hopes for a Fed interest rate lift…
On Friday, European stock indices fluctuated at the beginning of the trading session…
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will hold a meeting at 00:00 MT time on August 9.


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When it comes to longevity, we’ve all heard the same advice over the years. You need to eat fruits and veggies, exercise daily, drink lots of water, and get plenty of sleep. But one centenarian says that something completely different is responsible for helping her get to almost 107 years old: beer!
Spring Township, Pennsylvania-based Margaret Dilullo gets even more specific, saying that one particular beer brand, Yuengling, has had her loyalty for decades. “I’m telling you, from the time I started to drink it, I have never drank anybody else’s,” she told The TODAY Show about her love of the bitter-tasting beverage. “I can’t believe they’re still in business!”
It turns out Dilullo’s onto something with her daily habit. Research actually shows that drinking one beer a day could protect against stroke, heart disease, and other cardiovascular events as you age. Consuming too much alcohol can lead to adverse health effects, but it seems like Dilullo’s approach of cracking open a single Yuengling every day in moderation may have inadvertently helped her.
In addition to making it to 107 years young, Dilullo also got a special gift for her brew loyalty. Yuengling was so excited to hear they had such a lifelong fan that the company brought her a truckload of their lager to celebrate her upcoming birthday. It apparently totals over 500 cans of her favorite beverage. “My prayers are answered!” she exclaimed to WFMZ about the gift.
“It was a wonderful surprise,” she continued in talking to TODAY. “I think it’ll be the biggest surprise of my life. It was my day. I can’t believe that I could have anything to surpass it. It was wonderful.”
What a lucky woman — and we’re glad to know that she’s set for at least another year and a half!


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GUANGZHOU, China, April 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The 10 Day 131st Canton Fair is held online from April 15 to 24. This is the fifth time the Canton Fair has started on its online platform.
Without an in-person exhibition, the online platform again attracts a lot of attention from exhibitors and buyers. According to Mr. Chu Shijia, Vice President and General Secretary of the Canton Fair and General Manager of the China Foreign Trade Center, the online Canton Fair has become more user-friendly as it has gone through four online gatherings starting with the 127and session. The Canton Fair website includes 16 product categories divided into 50 exhibition sections. Each section includes multimedia display, exhibitor and product search, instant messaging, negotiation appointment, sourcing requests, business matchmaking, live exhibitors, meetings and events, the release of new products and VR exhibition halls. Responding to user experience, the platform has been optimized to be more stable, efficient, comprehensive with better service.
To improve search accuracy, the search function has been updated to add tags to Chinese specialty, high-tech or traditional brands and green or smart products for easy recognition. Search dimensions are increased to help shoppers find what they want quickly. The updated platform facilitates communications and exchanges between exhibitors and buyers by allowing exhibitors to verify buyer information with their consent. Businesses can also engage in conversations with buyers who add the business to their favourites, watch live streams from exhibitors, or are intelligently recommended by the system based on sourcing requests.
Maggie Pu, deputy general manager of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Canton Fair, noted that the Canton Fair continues to reach new heights with its continuous innovation and thoughtful, practical and delicate service. The 131st The Canton Fair will introduce new columns including Product Release and Featured Livestream. With around 150 product launch events, the Fair’s effectiveness will be further enhanced with the innovation achievements of Chinese enterprises presented comprehensively.
Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.
View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upgrades-to-the-131st-canton-fairs-online-platform-further-facilitate-global-business-matchmaking-301526893.html
SOURCE Canton Fair


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You had better be quick and get your favourite bread recipe or that one you saw on Mary Berry's latest show written down fast.
The BBC is set to remove more than 11,000 recipes from its website as part of a review of its online content.
The move is expected to be part of plans to save £15 million. The BBC said online services had to be "high-quality, distinctive, and offer genuine public value".
"While our audiences expect us to be online, we have never sought to be all things to all people and the changes being announced will ensure that we are not," the corporation said.
Head of news and current affairs James Harding is due to brief staff today on the future of online services.
Recipes from TV programmes like Great British Bake Off will remain online for 30 days as opposed to being available indefinitely.
BBC Good Food will remain unaffected.
Other areas expected to be discussed by Mr Harding include the magazine section of the BBC News website and the BBC News channel.
The news magazine, launched in 2003, includes a range of more in-depth articles and has been singled out by some politicians and national newspapers as an example of the BBC going beyond its remit on its news website.
The announcement follows the publication of a government White Paper on the future of the BBC which sets out a future plan for the corporation, including maintaining the licence fee.
Anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe announced plans earlier this month to publish the chefs' recipes from the website on the blog www.cookingonabootstrap.com.
She said: "I learned to cook on the dole using free recipes online and for the BBC to reduce this vital service is an abomination."
An online petition to save the BBC's recipe archive has attracted more than 17,500 supporters - with numbers rapidly rising - as campaigners called it a "precious resource" for people.
It said: "The database provides inspiration for those with a few ingredients to come up with meal ideas and cook from scratch.
"When the Government is trying to promote healthy eating, surely it is madness to remove such a comprehensive archive which has taken years to create, not to mention time and money."
Should the BBC remove thousands of recipes?
0+ VOTES SO FAR
A BBC source has told The Guardian: "What we do has to be high quality, distinctive, and offer genuine public value.
"While our audiences expect us to be online, we have never sought to be all things to all people and the changes being announced will ensure that we are not."


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You have searched for: Lenovo India
- Lenovo to ‘Make in India’
Lenovo the world’s largest PC maker is looking at setting up a new plant in country and is exploring factory options in Telangana, Andhra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and UP. A look at why it is an important development.
- Lenovo launches portable gaming machine in India
Bangalore, July 4 (IANS) Taking the burgeoning gaming market to a new height, Global PC, tablet and smartphone maker Lenovo on Monday launched a new gaming portfolio for the millennial gamers in India.
- Lenovo's gaming laptop Y700 launched in India
Taking the burgeoning gaming market to a new height, Global PC, tablet and smartphone maker Lenovo on Monday launched a new gaming portfolio for the millennial gamers in India.
- India key factor in global sales growth: Lenovo
Chinese technology major Lenovo is betting on India to contribute significantly to its global growth even as smartphone sales slow down in its home market.
- Lenovo plans to set up new plant in India
Lenovo, the world's largest PC maker and fifth-largest smartphone maker, plans to set up a new factory in India in an attempt to accelerate its business on higher growth.
- Lenovo launches ZUK Z1 smartphone in India
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Lenovo India on Tuesday launched Lenovo ZUK Z1 smartphone that runs on Cyanogen operating system (OS) 12.1 -- an OS that enables deep customisation of the user interface with its theme app.
- Lenovo to launch K5 Note in India on August 1
Lenovo K5 Note was launched in China in January at a price of $167, which roughly translates to Rs 11,189.
- Lenovo Vibe K5 smartphone to launch in India next week
On the specifications front, the Lenovo Vibe K5 features a 5-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and offers dual-sim functionality
- Lenovo ZUK Z1 smartphone launched in India: Price, specifications & features
Lenovo is bringing its ZUK sub-brand in India with the launch of ZUK Z1 smartphone in the country. Dubbed Lenovo ZUK Z1, the handset is priced at Rs 13,499 and will be exclusively available on Amazon.
- Lenovo launching the ZUK Z1 in India on May 10
Lenovo is all set to bring its ZUK sub-brand in India. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer has sent media invites for an event scheduled for May 10, and will be launching the ZUK Z1.
- Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Lenovo Phab 2 Pro coming to India this year
Lenovo’s Motorola recently announced its flagship Moto Z and Moto Z Force smartphones globally, along with the first ever Google Project Tango-enabled smartphone – the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro.
- Lenovo Vibe S1 gets Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in India
Chinese smartphone maker Lenovo has rolled out Android Marshmallow update to its Vibe S1 smartphone in India.
- Lenovo to launch K5 Note on July 20
The smartphone is powered by a 1.8 GHz octa-core MediaTek Heli P10 processor clubbed with 2GB of RAM.
- Lenovo Vibe A smartphone launched in Russia: Report
Under-the-hood, the Lenovo Vibe A packs a quad-core Spreadtrum SC7731 processor, clubbed with 512MB RAM.
- Lenovo Vibe K5 launch date revealed
Lenovo introduced its Vibe K5 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016. It was unveiled along with the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus, which was launched in India in March at Rs 8,499.


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India needs to speedily boost a variety of exports ranging from women’s apparel, drugs and furniture to cyclic hydrocarbons, at a time when global trade growth continues to shrink, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has said.
In a research paper, CII
has identified 37 crucial items having the high potential to boost outbound trade, given that these have some export competitiveness and figure significantly in the imports of major importing nations such as the United States and China. India’s overall export share in total global imports of $17,958 billion stands at a mere 1.65 per cent.
“A targeted export strategy that identifies and boosts the right products is imperative for achieving double-digit export growth. An export strategy assumes greater significance, given a rapidly changing global trade landscape, shifting of global value chains and new free trade agreements, including mega trade agreements,” Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of CII, said.
The research paper, “Indian Exports: The Next Trajectory – Mapping Products and Destinations”, also suggests a double-pronged approach of expanding domestic production and undertaking targeted promotion in top importing nations to build exports in these items. It maps India’s current export profile for determining its export competitiveness to these top importing nations. While this model has been used by multiple government reports over the past three years, the CII
paper considers four key criteria — the total exported value of products, world export shares, India’s rank as a top exporter in the top import items, and the country’s frequency as a top exporter among those top imports.
Consequently, the top-37 products from a range of sectors, including apparel, organic chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances, pharmaceuticals and others have been identified.
India’s exports fell by 1.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2019-20 to $81 billion due to an uncertain global trade climate. In 2018-19, exports had expanded by 8.8 per cent to cross $330 billion.
India is facing headwinds from the ongoing global trade conflicts at a time when some other countries are capitalising on changing supply chains and the country must step up its export strategy to compete, the industry body has said.
In June, export growth hit a 41-month low as poor performance plagued all major foreign exchange earners including petroleum oil, gems and jewellery, and engineering goods.
The government has blamed this on a high-base effect and overwhelming global trading conditions. “While average exports in June have been $22-23 billion since 2015-16, the exports in June 2018, were relatively quite high at $27.7 billion,” the commerce ministry said last week.
The paper has been submitted to the commerce department and officials say it will be discussed during currently undergoing stakeholder consultations on the foreign trade policy (2015-2020), which will end in March, 2020. The new five-year foreign trade policy (2020-25) is expected to be released in September this year.
Trade and investment agreements and an infrastructure for promoting standards and certifications are needed, said CII.
Incentives to encourage greater adoption of technology and innovation and boosting high-tech exports are also suggested.
A key recommendation is the need for developing an export strategy at the state level, based on states’ comparative advantages.
For enhancing the market promotion of the select products, the body has pointed out that non-tariff barriers must be taken up with the respective governments of destination countries. Other suggestions include facilitating effective marketing strategies by setting up centres in top international markets, product promotion and integration of brand building initiatives with India’s commercial missions.
To encourage domestic manufacturing, CII has called for strengthening industrial clusters with related infrastructure and port connectivity. Adopting an integrated value-chain approach for establishing global linkages is another important recommendation which would require interventions such as logistics and infrastructure support and skill development initiatives, among others.


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Emirates has announced the deployment of its latest flagship A380 aircraft featuring new premium economy seats and luxurious enhancements across all cabins to London Heathrow.
With flights which began on 4th January, passengers flying between Dubai and London Heathrow now experience Emirates’ latest A380.
Emirates in the previous week had unveiled its latest A380 with brand new premium economy seats that offer a generous seat pitch of up to 40 inches, in addition to new economy class seats similar to those installed on its latest Boeing 777-300ER gamechanger aircraft, enhancements to its popular A380 First and Business Class including its signature Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge, and refreshed colours and fittings across all cabins.
Until more Premium Economy seats enter its inventory, the airline intends to offer these as spot upgrades for its valued customers on a discretionary basis. All other signature Emirates A380 First, Business and Economy cabins are available for reservation on emirates.com or via travel agents.
The airline has safely and gradually restored its network over the past months, bringing back signature experiences onboard and on the ground with comprehensive measures in place for the health and safety of its customers and employees.


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BELGRADE, July 17 (Itar-Tass) - Croatia’s tourism business suffers great losses in high season, local media reports.
According to the Tourism Ministry, Croatia reports a decline in 340,000 tourists in July.
In the first two weeks of last July 1.655 tourists visited Croatia, while their number reduced to 1.315 tourists this July.
Some hotels reported their revenues declined by half, however no official comments regarding such figures had been made so far.
Registering losses in the private sector, officials consider the existing situation in general as “favourable,” despite “reduced traffic on the country’s roads and lower throughput at border checkpoints,” Croatia’s Minister of Tourism Darko Lorencic said.
Meri Matesic, director of the Croatian National Tourist Office, shares a similar position. “The sales are stable, although they slowed down.”
In 2012 the tourism industry yielded over 7 billion euros. Some experts hope that this year the situation can stabilize as well.
Experts noted that the introduction of visa rules between Russia and Croatia that joined the EU seriously damaged the tourism industry. Although Croatia simplified visa rules and opened visa centres in 18 Russian cities, Russians choose other vacation destinations this year.
Last year 190,000 Russians spent their vacations in Croatia. According to different estimates, other 100,000 tourists stayed in the private sector.
It is worth noting that until now the interest in Adriatic Croatia has been growing by 30 percent a year on the average.


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Entries in 'zombies' (26)
Players will be able to control zombies in the next-gen action shooter Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare.
A leaked promo image for new Call of Duty: Black Ops II add-on content has surfaced.
It’s a Call of Duty game. Made by Treyarch. And that, as well know by now, means zombies.
ArmA II’s mod monster DayZ is rapidly closing in on 1m registered users, so where does it go from here?
Paramount Pictures has filed a pair of trademarks for World War Z relating to video games for the upcoming film adaptation.
Vita owners will be able to pick up a copy of Plants vs Zombies when the Sony handheld launches on February 22nd.
Activision has released a second Zombies title for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Hungry consumers have caused Dead Island to sell out – with GAME raising its price to £47.99 – but more stock is on the way.
Activision Blizzard has announced a fourth map pack, Resurrection, will be released this month for Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Annihilation, the third map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops, will be released for PS3 and PC on July 28th.
An all-star cast has been announced for the Zombies content in Call of Duty: Black Ops’ upcoming Escalation DLC.
Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops will include a zombie mode when it arrives next month.
Rockstar has released a teaser image for the next Red Dead Redemption DLC – and it seems that zombies are about to enter the fray.
It looks as if Treyarch is to resurrect one of the most popular features from its last Call of Duty game in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops.
PopCap Games has announced that its new iPhone game Plants vs. Zombies has grossed more than $1m in revenues in just nine days on the App Store.
PopCap has confirmed a boxed retail release for PC hit Plants vs Zombies in North America, where it will cost $19.95 and hit shelves late this year.
Despite having been on the market for just a little over two weeks, Plants vs Zombies is already on track to become PopCap’s best ever selling game – an impressive ...
Ahead of the release of new casual games IP Plants vs. Zombies on May 5th, publisher PopCap has told CasualGaming.biz that the game could be set for an arrival on ...
It’s being coy with the details, but PopCap has finally revealed the title of its brand new casual games franchise – Plants vs. Zombies.
Activision Blizzard’s powerhouse franchise Call of Duty racked up yet another success at the weekend with the news that the recent downloadable map pack for World At War was downloaded ...


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While most of the debate over improving the city's convention industry focuses on steep labor costs, complicated work rules and hotel room prices and availability, a growing number of people see Chicago's stiff tax rates as a distinct disadvantage.
ANOTHER CONVENTION CULPRIT
In fact, when it comes to dinging visitors, the City That Works ranks at or near the top among convention cities in tariffs levied on business travel: hotel, restaurant, rental car and sales taxes.
"There's no question taxes are a component of this problem," says Chris Mahaffey, president of the Association Forum of Chicago-land, which represents 1,500 organizations. "It's definitely sticker shock when you calculate the cost of a $200 room over five nights, but then, all of a sudden, you have this lump (of taxes) attached. It looks like you're being nickeled and dimed."
Guests at Chicago hotels pay five separate taxes: Illinois hotel operators occupation tax (6.17%), tourism, convention and special events tax (1.08%), Illinois Sports Facilities Authority tax (2.14%), Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority tax (2.50%) and Chicago hotel accommodation tax (3.00%).
The rounded-off total: 14.9%, adding almost $15 for every $100 spent on a hotel room in Chicago.
That rate looks particularly high when measured against tax rates in rival convention cities. According to figures compiled by the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Las Vegas boasts the lowest hotel tax rate at 9%, while Orlando, Fla., and New Orleans have an 11% rate. Atlanta comes closest to Chicago with a 14% hotel tax. Even pricey New York -- included in this survey to illustrate rates in a non-Sun Belt metropolis -- checks in with 13.25%.
Need a rental car while staying in Chicago? Only Las Vegas has a higher tax rate -- it varies from 21% to 23%, depending on whether the vehicle is rented at the airport -- while Chicago comes in second at 18%. Orlando rates vary from 6% to 16%, plus an additional daily charge of $2.05. New York follows at 13.25%, while New Orleans charges 12% and Atlanta collects 10%, plus an additional daily charge of 50 cents.
Shoppers in Chicago pay an 8.75% sales tax, which trails only New Orleans at 9%. The New York sales tax is 8.3%, while Las Vegas and Atlanta are at 7%. The Orlando tax is just 6%.
And there's no tax break at mealtime. Chicago tacks an additional 1% onto the bill -- the proceeds go toward McCormick Place expansion debt service -- making the restaurant tax in the central city area 9.75%.
Tax impact downplayed
Many Chicago convention industry executives contend that taxes aren't a problem as Chicago battles to retain big-spending trade shows, which are increasingly shopping for lower-cost cities south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
"I don't believe customers end up looking at the taxes and making a decision on how onerous the tax is," says Paul D. Astleford, president and CEO of the convention bureau. "I don't believe it becomes a significant issue in the decision-making process."
Adds Jerry Lewin, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Hotel: "The tax issue needs to be looked at, but I don't think we're pushing people away. I don't think that's what is causing people to leave."
Indeed, compared with other convention issues -- the high cost of McCormick Place labor and the cost and availability of hotel rooms -- the tax rate can be overlooked.
"We're familiar with the taxes, but they're not at the forefront of discussions," says Felix P. Niespodziewanski, manager of conventions and meetings for the Chicago-based American College of Surgeons, which rotates its annual meeting of 18,000 between three cities, including Chicago and San Francisco. "The issue is always the cost of doing business at McCormick Place."
But some trade show executives say taxes are part of the decision-making process, because they increase the per diem costs that attendees and exhibitors must absorb.
"Tax costs are part of the overall equation when we determine the cost of a delegate to travel to Chicago and attend our show," insists Michael McCool, central regional manager for the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Assn., which recently decided to relocate its big annual show to Orlando.
"When we were comparing (Chicago vs. Orlando), we looked at the typical average cost of breakfast, lunch and dinner at business-class restaurants and a single night's lodging at a business-class hotel," Mr. McCool says. "And that includes the taxes. We know from past experience with our delegates that they look at their costs and see outrageous figures in the tax portion (of the bill). It just jumps out at them."
Open to alternatives
Tax relief, however, would be difficult to address. Many of the taxes are funneled to debt service at the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates McCormick Place and Navy Pier. An exception is the much-despised 2.14% tax tacked onto hotel guests' tabs to pay for Comiskey Park.
But politicians in both parties -- mindful of the billions that conventions and trade shows pump into the Illinois economy -- say they're open to exploring other funding options.
"We have to seek ways to remain competitive with these emerging rivals," says State Sen. Walter W. Dudcyz, R-Chicago. "And that means we have to see about lowering our taxes. We need to see if there are other ways to raise revenues."


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The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia today revealed that it will spearhead the Government’s National Digital Identity initiative (National ID), which has been approved by the Cabinet.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced this at the launch of the Perkhidmatan eDagang Setempat (PeDAS) in Selangor, and added that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will conduct a detailed nine-month study on the implementation model starting in September.
The study will identify a holistic National Digital ID framework and include recommendations on appropriate implementation models to the Government, taking into account the existing MyKad and private infrastructure, among other factors. The Government, private and academic sectors will also be involved in the study.
According to a statement by the Ministry, the National Digital ID is “an advanced method of authenticating a user’s identity online”, and is not a substitute for the National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), nor will it be compulsory for everyone.
The National Digital ID will be convenient for the public as they “no longer have to remember different usernames and passwords for various services” or carry multiple tokens for digital transactions, said the Ministry, adding that the National Digital ID promises secure access across multiple platforms.
“Whether it is a user setting up an account for the first time, logging in to obtain Government service or do business or making a digital payment, National Digital ID enables the digital service providers to make highly accurate trust decisions in real time,” stated the Ministry.


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With more than 12,000 people losing their jobs in the past week across the UK, and many more redundancies expected, the FTA urges government to permit the switching of the industry’s Apprenticeship Levy payments to a Skills Levy, enabling...
SHD Logistics' staff writer Olaf Jensen reflects on the future of UK manufacturing.
A look at why the freight industry must not delay EU border control preparations. By Sophie Said & Sean Turner, from accountancy firm Menzies LLP.
The harsh reality of the Covid crisis for the UK’s £18.6 billion automotive sector is laid bare today by a new member survey from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that up to one in six jobs are at risk of redundancy.
A complete, up-to-date guide to safe working in warehouses during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, in line with the UK Government's advice...
Four major North West logistics development sites are to be challenged at a public inquiry as the government listens to concerns about green belt land.
Cold Chain Federation Chief Executive Shane Brennan provides an update on COVID-19.
FTA is urging clarity from government on the use of road space for logistics movements, after published guidelines for post-COVID-19 active travel by transport secretary Grant Shapps MP failed to contain recommendations for the sector.
FTA urges the government to adopt its Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to ease business back to work after the COVID-19 crisis.


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The security of any IoT product should be seen as a functionality, not an add-on, and treated as an inherent component of any use case. Basic security good practices will vary depending on the usage of the product but should be part of any MVP.
Fraud prevention expert and Kount CEO Brad Wiskirchen explains how companies can both grow their digital business while reducing the costs of online fraud in this captivating interview.
Cyber security is becoming a matter of good corporate governance, good ethics, and quite simply – good business.
As every enterprise is becoming more and more data-driven, it is key for the Board to realize that cyber security is becoming a central tenet both of its core business and of its social impact and governance strategies.
It is now becoming crystal clear that cybersecurity – beyond good practice and good ethics – is quite simply good business. As a recent Cisco study made clear, cybersecurity will help fuel (and protect) an estimated $5.3trillion in private sector digital Value at Stake in the next 10 years. This is the kind of numbers boards cannot afford to overlook.


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Tiny milk conch and white plastic garlands for cattle sold at Rs.10
KARUR: Pongal for Karur people this year might be a pinch salty beyond the sweetness that is associated with the delicacy always.
With commodities and articles from rice and sugarcane to “Netti Malai” and rope that adorn cattle on the occasion of the ‘Mattu Pongal,’ things have turned dearer dampening the spirits of the masses who could buy just that much with the money in their hands.
A festive mood pervades the third week of January and people would be eagerly expecting the arrival of the festive season.
Following up on the New Year and Christmas, the prices of commodities are regularly on the high. One reason or the other is usually attributed to small price rise of commodities.
But this year it has been a tiresome deal for the masses, especially the peasants and the people from the rural areas who are amazed at the rise in price of articles that they usually deal with.
“Something must be wrong or how could you explain the rise in price of sugarcane which is being sold for Rs. 25 to Rs. 30 a cane?” wonders V. Somanathan of Porani shopping at the Puliyur market for the ensuing Pongal.
“We farmers are demanding that the government announce a support price of Rs. 2,000 a quintal for sugarcane but nothing has been done so far while here at the market one cane is being sold for Rs. 25 and Rs. 30. Please note the anomaly,” he observes.
Purchasing articles to decorate his cattle C. Palanisamy (62) of Vettamangalam cannot stop being amazed to recheck the price of things he has come to buy at the Jawahar Bazar here on the eve of Pongal celebrations.
What stumped him was the price of small white plastic garlands for his cattle quoted at Rs. 10 and the coloured ones that were being sold for Rs. 15 per piece.
The bigger garlands were being sold for Rs. 25 apiece. Even the tiny white milk conch that the villagers tie with black rope around the neck of the cattle was being sold for Rs. 10 while the pavement traders were selling salangai for Rs. 4 apiece.
This is turning out to be a costly Mattu Pongal indeed, he remarks and justifies wryly the rising costs reasoning that even the price of cattle has gone up considerably and so would be the articles to decorate the costlier cattle.
“I purchased small garlands for Rs. 10 a pair for the last Pongal.
Even the bigger garlands were sold for Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 only last year.”
Worse even the whip has become dearer, Mr. Palanisamy notes wondering what would be in store for him at the flower bazar.
As the cows, bulls and the oxen get ready to don their masters’ favourite party colours on the horns, the Pongal bazaar gets livelier.
Difficult to grip
One could hear a lot of murmurs on rising price of articles in the bazaar but the reality was that every one had to settle for the same with little bargaining space for the seller and the buyer with each seller attributing the rise to the all-round increase in prices.
But for the farmers, coming to grips with the ground reality was a bit difficult as they were seen returning home calculating their returns from the agricultural produce and the expenditure they incur on other things.
The twain shall never meet, was the unspoken word.


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Friday, July 6, 2012 - 11:20am
New devices rumored to be coming soon from Amazon and Apple may aim to put smartphones and tablets in the hands of new consumers, like those who have so far stuck with "dumbphones." That means more people potentially accessing apps and streaming web radio.
Amazon is rumored to be building its own smartphone. Not so far-fetched, considering it already offers the Kindle Fire -- an Android tablet device (RAIN coverage here).
GigaOM predicts the goal of a smartphone from Amazon "would be to go after the 50% of people who don't have a smartphone." Indeed, "a survey earlier this year found that consumers were more interested in a phone from Amazon than they were in one from Facebook," points out All Things Digital (here).
"If Amazon can give consumers a dirt cheap but very capable smartphone, it could attract a number of users at launch and set it up for better success as it puts out more capable phones down the road," comments GigaOM (here).
Meanwhile, a myriad of publications report that Apple will soon launch a smaller (7" screen), cheaper (around $200) iPad. Such a move would not only hurt competitors like Google -- which unveiled its own relatively small tablet recent, more here -- but also get more consumers using tablets.
"As you drop the price point and size, you are opening up consumers you weren't addressing before," said Brian White, an analyst with Topeka Capital Markets. "Having something you can hold in one hand seems to matter to some people and may matter in emerging markets," said Frank Gillett, a Forrester Research analyst.
In June, a study found that around a third of U.S. Internet users owned a tablet (more here). A recent Gartner survey found that 40% of mobile users listen to music on their devices (more here).