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Digital Extremes just wrapped up their latest DevStream for Warframe. Breaking down an all-new update for Angels of the Zariman that will be arriving on June 9th. It will be named “Echoes of the Zariman” and it will host a variety of changes and additions to the game overall. However, after this update, there will be no DevStreams until Tennocon on July 16th. Which will most likely bring news about big updates to the game. Such as “The Duviri Paradox” and potentially something new.
But without further adieu, let’s talk about all that was revealed for Echoes of the Zariman.
Zariman Related Changes/Additions coming in Echoes of the Zariman
Rebecca Ford, Megan Everett, Steve Sinclair, and Pablo Alonso sat down for over an hour to talk about everything coming in this update for Warframe. The first few takeaways were the mention of a new character and a new ship for players. It is currently unknown whether or not these will be coming with this update. But it was on the DevStream. The rest of the additions in this update are as follows:
- An Inncarnon Shotgun and Dagger. No details on their transformations.
- Two New Ephemeras.
- As well as New Arcanes. The new Incarnon weapon blueprints, Ephemeras, and Arcanes can be purchased from Cavalero.
- You can now trade excess resources found exclusively in the Zariman into Yonta for Voidplumes that you can then trade for reputation.
- There is now the fifth tier of bounties you can engage in from Quinn.
- Each Zariman mission will now have “Lohk Surges” a randomly found altar-like thing you can activate for passive buffs.
- Eximus enemies will now have less “Overguard” which nullified crowd control abilities from your warframes. The Overguard values will be shifted to the enemies’ Health and Shields instead.
- Void Sling will now be more like its predecessor Void Dash in terms of directional aiming.
These changes are specific to everything related to the Angels of the Zariman update. There were more changes announced that will affect the rest of the game in a positive and meaningful way for a variety of activities.
Additional Changes coming to the game.
The remaining changes coming to the rest of the game thanks to this update are interesting. Arcanes will now feel more meaningful without being fully leveled. They used Arcane fury as an example, where it will now have the full duration and activation chance as a fully leveled arcane. But the potency of the effect will be the only thing increased as you level up your Arcanes. This is a very excellent change to the arcane system.
Open world areas in Warframe, such as Plains of Eidolon, Orb Vallis, and Deimos will now have fast travel stations. Originally you would have to rely on K-drives or Archwings to traverse these massive areas. But even with these two ways to travel, it always felt tedious to get from point A to point B. Enemies such as Grineer scorpions and infested Ancients will now have counterplay to their grappling hook abilities. You can either parry or bullet jump and drag these enemies if they try to drag you to them.
Finally, the final addition coming on June 9th is the Warframe Tennocon Digital Pack. Which will come with a bundle of cosmetics, platinum, and a special relay key to purchase any item Baro ki’teer the void trader has sold in all of his visits to the system. Pricing on this is unknown currently but they are usually $24.99. This, alongside all of the new Tennogen community-created cosmetic items, was all that was revealed during the DevStream.
There will only be regular community-driven streams from the developers until Tennocon on July 16th. You can watch the video on demand on Twitch here.


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While Michigan has undergone a price rout in 2021, with wholesale flower prices falling nearly $500 per pound, the state is virtually guaranteed to attract business from neighboring Ohio where medical cannabis is legal, but prices are significantly higher. Under Michigan law, licensed dispensaries are permitted to sell to registered patients from other states with legal medical cannabis. Historical data from the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program indicates that, as of the end of September, a tenth of an ounce of plant material (flower) cost $28.81 or $288.10 per ounce, equivalent to an average retail price for patients of $4,610 per pound. In September in Michigan, as we covered above, the average retail price for flower in the medical cannabis sector was $3,065 per pound, about a third lower than what patients are paying in Ohio. With price differentials at this level, prices falling in Michigan, and Ohio patients upset about local pricing, Ohio patients traveling to Michigan to purchase is bound to occur until Ohio medical cannabis prices come down. Ohio’s medical market opened in January 2019 but prices have not fallen appreciatively.
Cannabis Law Report, 11/03/2021 00:09:00

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Mytrendingstories brings recommendations about avoiding online scams 2021? Your computer is infected! (And we can help): How it works: A window pops up about a legitimate-sounding antivirus software program like “Antivirus XP 2010” or “SecurityTool,” alerting you that your machine has been infected with a dangerous bug. You’re prompted to click on a link that will run a scan. Of course, the virus is found—and for a fee, typically about $50, the company promises to clean up your computer. What’s really going on: When you click on the link, the bogus company installs malware—malicious software—on your computer. No surprise, there will be no cleanup. But the thieves have your credit card number, you’re out the money, and your computer is left on life support. Scams are everywhere–you can even become a “doctor” online with just $99. The big picture: “Scareware” like this is predicted to be the most costly Internet scam of 2010, with over a million users affected daily, according to Dave Marcus, director of security and research for McAfee Labs, a producer of antivirus software. “This is a very clever trick,” says Marcus, “because people have been told for the past 20 years to watch out for computer viruses.” Even computer veterans fall prey. Stevie Wilson, a blogger and social-media business consultant in Los Angeles, got a pop-up from a company called Personal Antivirus. “It looked very Microsoft-ish, and it said I had downloaded a virus,” she recalls. “It did a scan and said it found 40 Trojan horses, worms, and viruses. I was concerned that they were infecting emails I was sending to clients, so I paid to upgrade my anti-virus software. Right after I rebooted, my computer stopped working.” Wilson had to wipe her computer hard drive clean and reinstall every-thing. Although most of her files were backed up, she lost personal photos and hundreds of iTunes files. “I felt powerless,” she says.
Latest news with Mytrendingstories online publishing: Did you receive an unexpected check in the mail and think, “Great! Free money?” Not so fast. Cashing that unexpected “windfall” may result in losses, reveal your personal financial information to scammers, or both. If you receive a check from FINRA, do not cash it—unless you have a current business relationship with FINRA. Call (301) 590-6500 to speak with a FINRA staff member. According to the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission, complaints about fake check scams remain in the “Top 10 Fraud Categories” and were on the rise during the first quarter of 2021. Whether the check appears to be from FINRA, your broker-dealer or other legitimate business, think twice before attempting cash it. These checks may arrive by special delivery and require a recipient’s signature, but don’t be fooled. That’s all part of the ploy to make the check seem legitimate.
mytrendingstories.com anti-scam recommendations: Despite the misconception that fraudsters target senior citizens, a recent study by the FTC found that more millennials than retirees are now getting scammed out of money online. The Better Business Bureau warns about online fraud happening within social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. It starts with a “friend or relative” who contacts you, claiming that you are entitled to free money. But there’s a catch – they want you to pay upfront for shipping or provide your personal information. Follow these tips to avoid a social media scam: Don’t give out your password (and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts) ; Set your account to private and do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know; Always use a secure network, not public Wi-Fi; Keep apps, browsers, and antivirus software up-to-date. Find additional information at mytrendingstories scam.
Mytrendingstories.com teaches how to defeat scams: Melanie Duquesnel – the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, serving Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula – recommends you only book flights on websites familiar to you. If you Google kiss&fly, the site pops up, but just below that, you find a slew of reviews warning you not to use it. So, what is the biggest scam the local BBB is seeing right now when it comes to travel? “The biggest scam is where you’re going to rent,” said Duquesnel. It’s called the Vacation Rental Con,where you’re lured into booking a house or a condo only to find out the property isn’t actually for rent, doesn’t exist, or is significantly different than what was pictured. Even reputable sites like Airbnb and Vrbo have had to deal with this problem according to Duquesnel.
Your bank will never email you asking for your PIN or password. If you get an email or text from your bank about fraud, ask yourself whether or not that’s the usual way you receive contact from your bank. Think about whether it’s sensible for the bank to make contact in that way. The British Bankers’ Association’s Know Fraud, No Fraud campaign highlights eight things your bank will never do, including calling or emailing to ask you for your full PIN or any passwords. Banks will also never send someone to your home to collect cash, bank cards etc. Get clued up with the full ‘Things your bank will never ask you to do’ list. Web viruses don’t just ruin your computer. They can help steal money or even use PCs to commit crime. Some even lie dormant, waiting to be activated – as was the plan with 2014’s Gameover Zeus virus. To help prevent viruses keep your web browser up to date and your PC backed up with free antivirus software. See our guide on Free Antivirus Software. Discover more info at mytrendingstories.com.


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Earth Day has rolled around again, a day marked by a flurry of publicists' emails extolling the green virtues of their prospective tech companies. Techworld's sister-publication Computerworld (Canada) revisits some of the companies it met last year, and finds out about their eco-initiatives, and commitments over the past year to the environment - and their now green-coloured fat bottom line.
Dell Dell has its work cut out for it - last June, founder Michael Dell announced that his new goal was to make Dell the greenest technology company. Dell has pledged to become carbon-neutral by the end of 2008. To help it reach its goal, more stringent "sleep" policies have been implemented in the company's hardware, resulting in US$1.8 million in energy savings. Over at the Round Rock facility, $1 million has been saved, courtesy of automated lighting systems. Dell also tries to use as much green energy has possible, with much of the power coming from wind, which is abundant down in Texas. Suppliers are also forced to submit their emission levels during the review process, making it more of a competitive point for potential Dell business partners, said Bryant Hilton, Dell's environment communications manager.
VMware The virtualisation company is well-situated to tackle the problem of energy guzzling. Its technologies can net client server reductions in the 70- to 90-percent range, according to director of alliances Josh Leslie, who said that the resulting consolidation can result in energy savings of 50 percent. Its Distributed Power Management feature also helps companies turn off servers when they're not needed. The company has partnered up with a whack of power companies to offer virtualisation incentives to businesses looking for cost savings in the datacentre. The three major Californian utilities are on board, with more than a dozen in talks to follow. According to Leslie, VMware anticipates having 50 to 80 percent of utility companies on board over the next 18 months.
HP HP has the highest number of gold products on the objective, eco-ranking hardware site EPEAT.org, said Frances Edmonds, director of environmental programmes with HP Canada. Last year also saw the company reach the 1 billion-pound mark of products recycled. "We've now switched the goal," said Edmonds. "Now we'd like to reach 2 billion pounds by 2010." HP has had to adjust another goal: in 2005, it pledged to bring its emission levels 20 percent lower by 2010. Having reached this goal three years early, this year saw the company pledging to aim for a decrease in 25 percent in emissions by 2010 instead. HP's bustling services practice also has some eco-friendly features, including the new Dynamic Smart Cooling consulting that aims to help clients reduce cooling costs in their datacentres with thermal zone mapping.
EMC An eight percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 is EMC's goal, according to director of enterprise marketing Dick Sullivan, who said that a LEEDs application is also in the works for the company's headquarters and its new facility in Bangalore. The company has also contributed financially and through technical support to the Global Alliance for ICT and Development. Also on deck is a new solid-state drive that offers customers a 38-percent boost in energy efficiency.


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It remains to be seen whether South Carolina governor Nikki Haley sparked a national dialog about racial equality or just a headlong lemming-dash about a flag. But it’s not looking good.
Major retailers like Amazon, Ebay, and Walmart have removed confederate battle flags from their listings. Yet they still continue to allow the sale of items featuring Nazi emblems and swastikas. Apple has just removed all Civil War games from its app store.
The idiocy doesn’t stop there.
Warner Brothers has now announced that it has halted production of toys and replicas of the iconic “Dukes of Hazzard” car known as the General Lee, which famously bore the flag on its roof.
Political Correctness is so mindless. Try as you might, you can’t unring a bell. You can only pretend, but that’s not honest.
The South Carolina legislature could now conceivably decide to keep the flag flying, just to restore sanity or balance to the national discourse.
Groove of the Day
92° and Clear


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Facebook offers Zambia free Internet access
In the African nation of Zambia, few can afford an Internet connection. Watching a few mobile videos on YouTube requires a data plan that costs 51 cents - roughly half the daily earnings of many Zambians.
It may seem purely altruistic, then, that Facebook is working to provide free Internet access to the country. But the Menlo Park company stands to benefit greatly if it manages to connect the developing world to its social network.
Working through its Internet.org coalition, which includes a number of tech firms including Samsung and Nokia, Facebook has launched a free app that provides limited Internet access to Zambians who have cell phones without data plans.
Customers of cellular provider Airtel can download the app Internet.org for access to 13 outlets, including Facebook and Wikipedia. They can find out about the weather, women's rights and job openings for several months before they will eventually need to decide whether they want to buy a data plan. The app doesn't directly show ads, but users can see ads through certain websites accessed through the app.
Facebook says that by increasing Internet usage, it will improve access to health care and boost the economy in developing nations.
"Growing the Internet is going to pay off for a lot of different companies and a lot of different people," said Guy Rosen, product management director for Internet.org. "We really think it's going to be beneficial for everyone."
For Facebook, expanding Internet access helps expand its user base. Facebook wants to remain the dominant social network in the world. But after saturating developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, the company is rushing to convert people in developing nations into Facebook users before competitors can target them. Anyone who signs up for Facebook in Zambia through the free app will count toward the company's more than 1.3 billion monthly active users worldwide.
"There's a lot of companies that are racing on how to bring those people onto the Internet," said Brian Blau, a Gartner research director.
Count Google as one of them. The Mountain View search giant is testing technology that uses balloons that float 12 miles above the Earth's surface to offer the Internet to rural areas of the globe. Google says each balloon could connect hundreds of people to 3G speed Internet. Last year, Google released 30 such balloons in New Zealand, serving several dozen testers.
Google hasn't revealed how much it's spending on Project Loon. Facebook says there is no business plan for its project and Internet.org declined to disclose the budget of its initiative or how many people in Zambia have downloaded the app. Currently, 33 percent of Airtel customers are using the Internet, either through a data plan or through the Internet.org app.
Advertising experts say there is great demand for a digital way to reach consumers in developing countries.
Right now, advertisers in developing countries run billboards and print ads - forms of advertising that don't provide as much data as social media ads, which can target specific consumers based on their age and interests, said Leo Ryan, group head of digital consultancy for Social@Ogilvy, United Kingdom. If Facebook's app becomes the primary way people in Zambia access the Internet, it could dominate the nation's ad market, Ryan said.
"In some ways, that makes it more valuable than a mobile phone does in a developed market," he said.
Even though more than 85 percent of the world lives in areas with cellular coverage, only 30 percent are accessing the Internet, according to Internet.org. But Facebook spokesman Derick Mains said there are no plans to monetize the Internet.org app.
"If we wanted to focus on just making money, the right strategy for us would be to focus solely on the developed countries and increasing the engagement of people already on Facebook," Mains said. "Facebook's mission to make the world more open and connected means the entire world - not just the richest, most developed countries."
It could take a while before Facebook is able to generate the number of followers for advertisers to be interested in specific markets, like Zambia. Eight years ago, Myspace struggled to sell ads in areas like Malaysia and Vietnam, even though it had a large audience in those countries, said Jay Stevens of the Rubicon Project, which automates the buying and selling for ads online.
"The biggest barometer of how online spend (by advertisers) is going to go is how big the middle class is," said Stevens, who used to run the European operations for Myspace.
For example, the cost of a desktop ad viewed 1,000 times in the United States would be roughly double that of an ad in Southern Europe, Stevens said. The cost would continue to go down from there for emerging markets like Southeast Asia and Central Africa, he said.
Simply put, ads are cheaper in Zambia than in the U.S. because customers there don't have as much disposable income. But if Facebook is able to increase its base of users worldwide, it could become especially attractive to companies that operate on a global level, Stevens said. For example, if a global brand like Dove or Coca-Cola wanted to run a single campaign in many countries, Facebook could be its best avenue.
"The reality of it is, Facebook is making a play largely on their belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts," Stevens said. "That puts them in a very, very unique position. They have the ability to command the lion's share of marketing spend."
Facebook has had experience whetting users' appetite for Internet. Last year, the social media company partnered with a cellular carrier, Globe, to give its customers free access to Facebook in the Philippines. In the first three months of the campaign, 3 million people who didn't pay for Internet before tried the service.
There is potential for huge growth in emerging countries. Even among the few people who do go online in such nations, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are popular, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. About 1 in 4 cell phone users in those countries go to a social-networking site "regularly on their phone," the report said.
"Once people have the opportunity to use the Internet in those nations, they tend to incorporate it into their lives very quickly," said Richard Wike, the center's director of Global Attitudes Research.
Testing out apps
Earlier this year, Facebook and Ericsson announced a lab in Menlo Park where they will test out apps for developing countries. Rosen says the Internet.org initiative is a "really, really long-term project." He recently swapped his iPhone 5s for a much simpler device - a Moto E phone - and tried to maneuver his way online.
"We're all trying to really understand using the Internet outside of California," Rosen said.


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While Konami continues to tick off their fan base with Metal Gear Survive, Hideo Kojima seems to have moved on, thanks to his upcoming game Death Stranding. The game comes next after Kojima?s cancelled Silent Hills, but no one knows what the game will be about, though Norman Reedus returns to work with Kojima. It seems like he won’t be the only big name actor in it though, as various tweets may have confirmed that the game would have the star of Hannibal.
Various tweets, including one from Kojima, seemingly confirmed that Mads Mikkelsen will be in Kojima’s upcoming PS4 game. If this turns out to be true, it will be great news for fans of the actor or those who enjoyed his performance in Hannibal. He will also be the villain in November’s Doctor Strange from Marvel Studios.
Considering that Death Stranding already has Reedus, who most fans know as Daryl from The Walking Dead, it’s clear that a lot of star power is being put into this game. One has to wonder if that is needed, since Kojima’s name is usually enough to get people interested in games. Kojima has also worked with Keifer Sutherland and renowned director Guillermo Del Toro.
Then again, his PS2 game Zone of the Enders and its sequel didn’t exactly sell like hotcakes, though it did get a remastered collection on PS3. This is Kojima’s first original IP in the longest time, so it is somewhat understandable that he would try to get a number of big name actors to raise awareness for the game.
Still, there is plenty of excitement for the game. Kojima gained a lot of sympathy after he wasn’t allowed to accept an award for his work in Metal Gear Solid 5, so there’s a good chance that this game could sell better than Zone of the Enders. Will it sell better than Metal Gear? That’s doubtful.
Death Stranding has no release date yet, but it will be coming to the PS4. It’s not yet known what type of game it will be, though given its connections to the cancelled Silent Hills, it could be a survival horror game.


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Perry Hall Gino's Menu: Preview the Prices
The new Perry Hall Gino's is scheduled to open early next week.
This will only be a "soft opening," according to general manager Debbie Wait. The grand opening with founder and namesake Baltimore Colts legend Gino Marchetti will occur later, she said.
The Gino's corporate website states the Perry Hall location will open to the public on March 5.
In the meantime, Patch has acquired a copy of the menu, which, unlike its online counterpart, includes prices. See the photo gallery for the front and back of the full menu.
How does the price for Gino's signature sandwich, The Gino's Giant, compare to other local burger chains?
|Restaurant||Sandwich||Sandwich Price/Combo Meal|
|Gino's Burgers and Chicken (Perry Hall)
||The Gino's Giant||$5.89/$9.68|
|McDonald's (Perry Hall)||Big Mac||$3.69/$6.19
|Wendy's (Perry Hall)||The "W"||$3.92/$6.04|
|Burger King (White Marsh)||Whopper||$3.39/$5.79|
|Five Guys Burgers and Fries (White Marsh)||Cheeseburger||$5.99/$12-13|
What do you think about the prices? Are you planning to visit the new Gino's? Tell us in the comments.


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Gaming Events Calendar
Collaborate and connect this January to build a strategic operation and leadership team that provides resources and growth for the future of Indian gaming. Three Days of Interaction – strategic operations and leadership content for Tribal gaming Master Class Roundtable Series – keep the learning going after the event High Level Collaboration – Unique opportunities... Read more »
ICE London at ExCeL London is the biggest b2b gambling industry event in the world and features games creators, distributors, operators, retailers, innovators, trade associations, strategic bodies and regulators – representing every gaming vertical. The return of the major supplier brands to the land-based sector following a Covid-enforced absence combined with an across the board... Read more »
SBC has announced the latest addition to its esteemed portfolio of events – SBC Summit Rio. Set to take place on March 5-7, 2024 at the 5-star Windsor Barra Hotel, the conference and exhibition will serve as a pivotal gathering for the key industry stakeholders in Brazil. With a focus on regulations, localized product offerings,... Read more »
SAGSE Latam is the most important gaming expo in Latin America, with extensive experience, great experience and leadership, it has brought together exhibitors from the most prominent companies in the gaming industry in its 30 editions. From manufacturers of slot machines, electronic roulettes, table games and apparel to providers of services and technologies for casinos... Read more »
Big Africa Summit seeks to involve all African gaming stakeholders in providing an impressive exhibition floor, networking opportunities as well as the exchange of knowledge during conferences sessions. The summit constitutes the optimal platform for gaining access to the gaming industry on the African continent – an event for gaming operators and suppliers to meet... Read more »
As the longest running gaming tradeshow in history, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention delivers the insight and strategies you need to rise to the top of the competitive gaming industry landscape. Meet industry leaders, access cutting-edge trends and celebrate a proud tradition of success. Formerly referred to as the NIGA Tradeshow, the organization dropped... Read more »
Formerly called iGB L!VE North America Summit, the DigitalPlay Summit will, in partnership with the Indian Gaming Association, take place April 10 - 11 at the Anaheim Convention Center in conjunction with the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention. Join us for this new event bringing together the sports betting and iGaming industry to shape the... Read more »
A growing beacon for enterprise, Latin America’s opportunities hallmark its place in the global gaming industry as one of incredible promise. With regulated markets enjoying fast growth and newly emerging ones eyeing future potential – SiGMA America’s first event for the market is perfectly timed to connect its wide-reaching network in the West with LatAm’s... Read more »
SBC Summit North America is the leading conference and tradeshow dedicated to the high-growth online betting and gaming industry in the U.S. and Canada. Taking place in New Jersey, home to one of the largest sports betting and iGaming markets in North America, the third edition of the event will again see executives from every... Read more »
Created by professionals linked to Affiliate Marketing, Flávio Raimundo and Paulo Faustino, the event brings together the entire sports betting, casino and online gaming industry, as well as affiliates, companies, agencies, advertisers, buyers and sellers of traffic and all types of users and companies directly or indirectly linked to betting.
Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) is renowned as a key gaming and entertainment business hub across the continent. It is the must attend marketplace for the Asian gaming-entertainment industry, offering a one-stop platform to the industry professionals to network, forge fresh connections, source new products and solutions, and gain a deeper insight into the... Read more »
iGaming Germany 2024 is the ultimate event for those seeking to make their mark on the German iGaming market. From 5 - 6 June 2024, C-suite representatives from the biggest operators, providers, and investors in German iGaming will converge on the Courtyard by Marriott Munich City East to shape the future of iGaming in Europe. Germany boasts one of the world's... Read more »
Peru Gaming Show is the most important international games of chance fair in Latin America. We convene important companies in the gaming sector which exhibit their services and products during the 2 days of the fair, in addition, they can participate in Conferences in charge of important representatives of the gaming industry.
The All American Sports Betting Summit has a clear goal: to help gaming sector professionals understand these state regulations, create a responsible gaming environment, and open up the market to the game-changing technological innovations, marketing strategies and networking opportunities that our summits are known for.
The Canadian Gaming Summit (CGS) is Canada’s premier annual conference and exhibition for Gaming and Sports Betting senior executives from across Canada and beyond. Taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 18-20, 2024, the 27th edition of the renowned industry event will be, for the second time, proudly produced by SBC in... Read more »
GAT Caribe has brought together gaming industry leaders from the Dominican Republic, the Antilles and Central America mainly, in three consecutive events held in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with an important academic component that complements the exhibition of products and services for casinos, online gaming platforms and lotteries. Starting in June 2023, the third version... Read more »
Sports Betting East Africa+ provides vital summits and exhibitions for African operators, regulators, manufacturers, payment and software providers and other stakeholders to meet, share experiences, see the very latest gaming innovations and contribute to the overall development of the gaming industry across the region.
GAT Showcase is a key event in the land-based and online gaming industry due to the importance of Bogotá as a business center and base of operations for multinational gaming companies that have the capital of Colombia as their headquarters for their foray into the market of the country and South America. GAT Showcase will... Read more »
Every second year, the WLA organizes a major international convention – known as the World Lottery Summit (WLS) – that features a comprehensive business program, an extensive social program, and a vast trade show showcasing the latest in supplier products and services. The convention is generally regarded as the largest lottery event in the industry,... Read more »


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SM Cinema has announced on Wednesday that the anime movie Suki ni Naru Sono Shunkan o: Kokuhaku Jikko Iinkai is set be screened in select branches starting Wednesday, April 5.
Yey, the digital terrestrial channel of ABS-CBN, has announced on Tuesday that the popular comedy anime Himouto! Umaru-chan will have its terrestrial premiere on the channel next month.
Southeast Asian anime channel ANIPLUS Asia has uploaded on Saturday the second promotional video of the second season of highly-popular anime series Attack on Titan.
Japanese music companies and labels has announced on Friday that they will join forces to form ANiUTa, a brand new subscription-based music streaming service.
Terrestrial broadcaster GMA Network has announced that the classic mecha anime Voltes V is set to return to Philippine television starting Monday, March 27.
Anime Pilipinas has obtained a survey from theater chain SM Cinema, which asked Japanese anime fans and movie goers their interest in watching Kantai Collection anime...


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Unibic India, established in August 2004, focussing to produce quality biscuits in a niche and premium segment, has appointed MediaCom to handle its media duties. The win comes close on the heels of MediaCom winning the Royal Orchid business.
It is understood that Unibic had not invited a formal pitch before appointing MediaCom. Grey Worldwide handles the creative mandate for the business.
Confirming the move to exchange4media, Kumar Vel, Senior VP, Sales Operations, Unibic Biscuits India said, “We are looking at increasing the brand awareness for Unibic in India taking the creative route. Based on presentation MediaCom made, we are sure we will be able to take the brand vision forward. As our business was growing we felt the need to bring a media partner on board. We did not have any media agency on board prior to this.”
Kumar refused to put an estimate to the business citing that it would all depend on the market needs. But industry sources peg the account to be in the vicinity of Rs 10-12 crore.
Anita Devraj Mookerjee, GM, MediaCom South, added, “We are excited to add an FMCG brand to our stable. Ours is a young team that thinks innovatively on the usage of media for brands, which I believe worked in our favour in getting this business.”
She added, “We have been growing consistently in the South where we recently added TVS Tyres, Royal Orchid and now Unibic. It has been a steady growth pace.”


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The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced a crackdown on mobile phones with fake international Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).
UCC spokesperson, Fred Otunnu, said the exercise which begins this March is intended to fight cybercrime and detect fake phones on the network.
UCC has already created a Centralised Equipment Identity Register system to automatically monitor and oversee mobile phones in both public and private sectors.
Otunnu says they will deregister such phones that have not gone through a complete process of certification on quality of material by the Global Systems for Mobile Association.
ICT minister Frank Tumwebaze says the process is not about monitoring phones but testing of equipment/devices to avoid fake, defective and dangerous communication equipment from flooding the market.
“Equipment testing and approval is a mandate of communication regulatory bodies globally,” Tumwebaze clarified.
Uganda Communications Centralised Identity Equipment Regulation 2015 has already been submitted to Tumwebaze for perusal before being tabled in Parliament.
Previous attempts to switch off fake mobile phones in 2013 were curtailed by lack of a regulation.
UCC executive director, Eng Godfrey Mutabazi will use this new regulation to target cyber bullies, stalkers, hackers, peddlers of fake news and paedophiles who use popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp.


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Competitive pricing policy.
ebay.com.au has announced a partnership with Fulfilio, a new Australia Post business that offer a national fulfilment network to its sellers. The new service, eBay Fulfilment Partner, is claimed to provide eBay sellers with, “the best price to pick, pack and deliver their eBay orders.”
More than 53.2 million eBay parcels were shipped domestically in the last 12 months.
Fulfilio is a new business of Australia Post, providing eCommerce software, warehousing, pick and pack, and delivery services tailored for eCommerce merchants. Fulfilio will provide warehouse locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, enabling inventory to be located as close to buyers as possible, ensuring faster fulfilment times.
With more than 11 million Australians visiting eBay each month, eBay is offering its sellers what it said are the best rates, helping them reduce costs, save time and remain competitive. For example, on 500g parcels sellers will pay rates as low as $5.74 for pick, pack and delivery of cross-town service, and $6.83 for interstate service, saving sellers up to 30% on fulfilment costs, based on industry averages across pick, pack and last mile costs.
By utilising the Fulfilio service, eBay sellers will avoid the hassle of eCommerce fulfilment to free up time for growing sales.
eBay senior director of product and shipping, David Ramadge said the number one priority at eBay is to support the 40,000 Australian businesses that operate via ebay.com.au. “In this partnership with Fulfilio and Australia Post we are giving our sellers Australia’s most comprehensive fulfilment network with over 57,000 square metres of storage and distribution space across the country.
“We will continue to deliver sellers the lowest cost to pick, pack and fulfil their eBay orders so they can put their inventory closer to their customers and spend less time packing and more time selling,” he said.


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arrests were made as police escorted the Muslim group back towards the Central London Mosque in Regents Park.
'I am proud to be British. I love my country. All these people are doing is breaking Britain apart.'
He added: 'They can say what Nike Air Max Womens Beige
Earlier, a group of English Defence League protesters were ordered to move on to accommodate the anti American demonstration.
Abdul Sallam, 41, who was waving a sign that read 'Keep The Silence', travelled down to London from his home in Glasgow to show the strength of his feelings
One of the guests at the Grosvenor Square memorial service said the protesters should be stopped from standing just across the road from the embassy and using a loud megaphone.
'Islam is all about peace, but what they want to do is hate other people.
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The 60 strong group briefly scuffled with police as they were forced away from their original location to a different part of Grosvenor Square.
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A small group of Muslims staged a counter demonstration nearby, holding up placards reading 'Muslims Against Extremism' and 'If You Want Sharia, Move To Saudi'.
One protester in Grosvenor Square said: 'You will always face suffering, you will always face humiliation, unless you withdraw your troops from Muslim lands
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'If the moderate Muslims all came out and spoke out, that would defeat them.
Twenty people were arrested for breach of the peace as the group was dispersed towards Oxford Street.
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The U.K.’s competition watchdog has cleared Facebook’s acquisition of Customer, a maker of CRM tools.
The purchase was announced last November — with a price tag we reported as $1 billion — but is pending closing after facing regulatory scrutiny.
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an inquiry on the proposed merger this summer, at the end of July. The European Commission has also been digging into the implications of the deal, opening an investigation in August.
In a summary of its decision to greenlight Facebook’s latest bit of B2B shopping, the CMA said it looked at whether letting Facebook go ahead and scoop up the customer service software maker would dent competition by raising barriers to entry in the online display advertising market; whether Facebook might harm the competitiveness of customer service tools maker by limiting or degrading their access to its messaging channels; whether the tech giant might harm the competitiveness of other B2C messaging services by preventing them from integrating with Kustomer’s services; and whether Facebook could rely on cross-subsidizing from its online ads business to undercut competitors by offering Customer for free or on a freemium basis, thereby undermining the ability of others to compete.
For each concern (or “theory of harm”), the CMA goes on to explain that it was satisfied the acquisition did not meet the required bar of a “substantial lessening” of competition.
The small size of the Customer appears to have helped allay concerns that letting Facebook assimilate the CRM maker might damage the wider market for such business tools.
“The CMA considers that, even if some competitors would struggle to respond to Facebook offering Customer on a free or freemium basis, sufficient competitive constraints would remain,” the regulator writes in its conclusion on the last theory of harm, for example, adding that it “considers that the largest providers may be in a position to adopt a freemium model, or to develop a basic low-price CRM product targeted at small businesses, with the expectation that CRM revenues would increase as businesses’ needs grew”.
“Most importantly, it is not necessary for other CRM providers to replicate the Merged Entity’s strategy in order to remain competitive,” it also writes. “While price is certainly an important dimension of competition, there are several other dimensions along which CRM providers could compete against the Merged Entity.”
Commenting on the green light in a statement, a Facebook spokesperson sought to spin the clearance as a positive endorsement of the deal as a boon to competitors, writing: “We welcome the CMA’s decision, which shows that this deal is good for competition. The transaction will increase competition and bring more innovation to businesses and consumers in the dynamic and competitive CRM and business messaging spaces. More people will benefit from customer service that is faster, richer and available whenever and however they need it.”
While the CMA has decided there’s nothing to see here, the EU is still considering whether to clear Facebook-Customer. So the regulatory scrutiny continues.
A Commission spokesperson had no comment on the CMA’s clearance — but confirmed its own “in-depth investigation” is ongoing, adding that there’s a provisional deadline of January 7, 2022, for EU regulators to take their own decision.
Despite the CMA’s relatively quick clearance of this particular Facebook purchase, the U.K. regulator does continue to dig into competition concerns attached to Facebook’s earlier acquisition of animated gif platform, Giphy.
After a finding of provisional concerns on Facebook-Giphy earlier this summer, it proposed remedies that could include ordering Facebook to unwind the acquisition — leading the tech giant to respond with a stinging rebuttal of any harms, earlier this month, accusing the regulator of making “fundamental errors” in its assessment of the competitive implications of that deal.
Regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech’s acquisitions in the region tends to focus on a fairly narrow consideration of competitive harms — such as how the CMA has looked at the Kustomer buy through the lens of the overall competitiveness of the CRM market.
However, in the Kustomer case, concerns have also been raised about the privacy implications of letting adtech giant Facebook get its hands on the support service’s customer data given that the smaller company operates in sectors including the health sector where it is likely to be processing sensitive information on behalf of its customers.
Back in February, for instance, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) raised a series of privacy concerns in a letter to Facebook — which it also published online, querying what uses the tech giant would be making for customer data held by Kustomer and asking whether such data would be combined with any other data held by Facebook and Facebook-owned companies.
Months later the ICCL said it had not had any response from Facebook to the letter raising privacy concerns.
Despite Europe’s comprehensive data protection framework — which is supposed to help safeguard people’s digital information — competition watchdogs in the region rarely consider privacy implications as part of their assessments of digital markets.
And there have been calls for more joined up working between competition and privacy regulators in order to properly tackle the market effects and consumer harms that can flow from digital giants’ command of other people’s information.
One outlier on this front is German’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO), which has been doing just that — in a pioneering case against Facebook’s superprofiling (which is ongoing).
The FCO is also looking at whether Facebook’s plans to acquire Kustomer fall under the scope of German merger control rules.


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The company is pushing its environmental credentials in an attempt to give it a point of difference in the own-label and Andrex-dominated market. It is using new packaging, TV advertising and a PR campaign to promote its Three Trees scheme, where for every tree SCA uses it replants three.
The initiative will be communicated on packs of both Triple and Quilted Velvet, which have been redesigned to feature the Three Trees and Forest Stewardship Council logos. The Velvet logo has also been tweaked to give the brand fresh appeal.
“During economic uncertainty, we understand consumers are driven by product value and quality,” said UK marketing director Chris Bartlett. “However, even in tough times, consumers are still highly motivated by a brand that is environmentally conscious and this is the ground we hope to fill. This initiative will deliver greater brand loyalty and frequency of purchase.”
The move will be supported with a new TV ad, in which the brand’s Baby MD advertising character will venture out of the boardroom for the first time and into the forest to explain the Three Trees message to consumers.
The Velvet brand grew 0.7% to £104.2m last year [Nielsen MAT w/e 4 October 2008] and was the only brand in the top five to post any growth. Market leader Andrex fell 0.3%, but at £337.3m is still three times the size of Velvet, its nearest rival.


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Aldi is set to open its new Motherwell store at 8am on Thursday, June 20.
To celebrate the first 100 customers in the queue will receive a ‘golden ticket’ to win a prize, including TVs, DVD players, MP3 players and many more.
The new store on Mason Street will create up to 20 jobs and features 81 car parking spaces.
In addition to the opening day ‘golden ticket’ giveaway, Aldi also welcomes several of its Scottish suppliers to Motherwell next Friday and Saturday (June 21 and 22) with samples of products for customers to try.
Area manager Mario Opua said: “After seven months of preparation, we’re looking forward to welcoming customers into our new Aldi store in Motherwell.
“We look forward to opening the doors and showcasing the range of products Aldi has to offer, and with the ‘golden ticket’ and ‘Specialbuys’ expect plenty of people to join the celebrations.”


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Dora Helms, of Galt, sits in a noisy Starbucks quietly reading an article in Sacramento Magazine when a male patron's cell phone loudly rings nearby.
"Hello?!" He answers in a voice loud enough to overcome the whir of a blenders pulverizing ice into iced coffees. It's the second time he's answered his phone in a matter of minutes. He stands in the coffee shop and begins to pace about, his voice level getting louder by the moment.


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Major Brazilian Supermarket Chain Oásis Starts Accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Litecoin (LTC) as Payment
A Brazilian supermarket chain called Oásis Supermercados has started accepting cryptocurrency payments. It will allow shoppers to pay in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin according to one of the managers named Douglas Andrade.
The supermarket is based in the capital of Rio de Janeiro and is successful in terms of profits, with $6.5 million in annual turnover and 90 employees. The 20 cashiers have already undergone training to accept cryptocurrency payments.
Andrade specified the ease of crypto payments, comparing it to a credit card but with the scanning of a QR code.
The Brazilian supermarket has tied up with CoinWISE to help them in convert cryptocurrencies into reais which are sent every three days after the payments.
Brazil as of now is keeping their eyes open on cryptocurrency deals in the country, due to tax evasions and money laundering. However, this still has not stopped the supermarket from bringing cryptocurrency into mainstream payments for grocery shopping.
Brazil is seen to be adopting cryptocurrencies in mainstream businesses. One such example was Brazilian GBS Group’s two public transportation companies Brasil Sul and Viação Garcia accepting Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin.
Even the subway system of Rio de Janeiro, the Metrô Brasília, accepts Bitcoin (BTC). Technisa which is a construction company in Brazil has encouraged the use of BTC by offering a 5% discount if payments are made in BTC.
It’s not only Cryptocurrencies but even Blockchain which is seen to be making an impact for supermarkets. IBM has signed European supermarket giant Carrefour in the IBM Food Trust to help track their supply chain.
So don’t be surprised, the next time your supermarket cashier asks you if you want to pay in cash, credit card or Cryptos!
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- Xiaomi led the smartphone tally with 23.4 per cent share
- Online channels clocked a record high 52 per cent share
- India third-largest 5G smartphone market globally, said IDC
- The OnePlus Nord CE, iPhone 12, and Galaxy A22 were the most popular 5G models in the quarter
"The first nine months of the year (January-September 2021) already shipped 120 million units, with H1 2021 clocking 42 per cent y-o-y growth. Due to supply challenges, Q4 2021 is expected to see a decline, resulting in annual shipments below 160 million in 2021," IDC India Research Director (Client Devices and IPDS) Navkendar Singh said.
The first half of 2022 will remain challenging, with some easing out expected in the latter half of 2022, he added.
"Vendors/channels will keep an eye on the over-stocking situation in case demand stays limited due to the price hikes by the suppliers and vendors," Singh said.
The smartphone market registered a year-on-year decline of 12 per cent in the September 2021 quarter.
IDC said much of this can be attributed to component shortages as well as an "unusually high third quarter 2020 comparison base" (whereas this year's post-lockdown demand was addressed by July).Compared to the third quarter of 2019, September 2021 quarter grew by 3 per cent as channels stocked up for the Diwali quarter amid the supply shortages, it added.
Xiaomi led the smartphone tally with 23.4 per cent, followed by Samsung (16.9 per cent), Vivo (16.4 per cent), Realme (15.7 per cent) and Oppo (10.7 per cent) in the September 2021 quarter.
Online channels clocked a record high 52 per cent share, although with a 5 per cent y-o-y shipment volume decline, it said adding that offline channels registered an 18 per cent y-o-y shipment decline.
IDC said India was the third-largest 5G smartphone market globally with 7 per cent of worldwide 5G shipments, shipping 10 million units at an ASP (average selling price) of USD 401 in the September 2021 quarter. From January-September 2021, 17 million 5G smartphones were shipped to India and are expected to be under 30 million for 2021.
The OnePlus Nord CE, iPhone 12, and Galaxy A22 were the most popular 5G models in the quarter under review.
Overall ASPs peaked at USD 196, driven by price hikes and a greater 5G contribution, IDC said. The sub-USD 200 segment dropped by 24 per cent, while USD 200-plus smartphones grew by 56 per cent, signalling a shift to higher price buckets, driven primarily by supply, it added.
"IDC believes that a growing dependency on smartphones triggered by remote work and learning, as well as a subsequent requirement for better quality hardware is pushing consumers to spend more. With continued chip shortages and logistics costs, brands are also compelled to expand upwards in terms of price points across channels," IDC India Research Manager, Client Devices Upasana Joshi said.
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A company, like an individual taxpayer, is also required to disclose its overseas financial interests, subsidiaries, and bank accounts in the annual I-T returns.Need More Direct and Indirect Tax Reforms
There is need for further reforms in the direct and indirect tax regimes, revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj said.Global Apparel Cos Bounce Back in Style
About half a dozen global apparel and lifestyle brands expanded anywhere between 30% and 70% to garner combined annual revenues of nearly $2 billion in FY22, reversing the performance from a year ago when Covid-induced curbs on mobility and business operations caused sales to shrink.
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Analytical company IDC has published a report on the PC market in the third quarter of 2018. During this period, the world has sold nearly 67.4 million desktops, laptops and workstations.
This represents a decline of 0.9% compared to the same period a year ago. However, the five leaders only one of the company’s sales have not grown. She was Apple.
Apple takes fifth place in sales of computers in the world. For the quarter, it sold 4.7 million PCs and took a market share of 7.1%, which is 11.6% less than in the previous year. The other four leader got at least a small, but growing. In the first place is Lenovo from 16.15 million and a share of 24%, the second HP from 15.36 million and 22.8%, followed by Dell from 11.47% and 17%, and Acer with 4.87 million and 7.2%.
Read more •••


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Topspin Media, a startup launched by former Yahoo Music General Manager Ian Rogers and widely regarded as digital-music maverick, has raised a new round of founding from Denver Boulder, Colorado-based VCs at The Foundry Group. The news was announced on the Foundry Group blog by partner Ryan McIntyre, but the funding amount wasn’t disclosed. The company recently came out stealth and was featured in Billboard magazine. Topspin also raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Redpoint Ventures.
So why are VCs all hot and heavy about this company? The shift to downloading music has boiled away the fat in the industry. Now all you need is an artist, a recording studio and an audience willing to pay for the artist’s music. But someone still needs to handle the marketing and distribution of that music across the web. That’s where Topspin comes in: The company is creating an enterprise-class software platform to track, analyze and monitor music sales and fan response.
As Hypebot, an influential music industry blog notes, “Topspin appears to be breaking through the clutter of disjointed widgets and apps.” And that makes selling easier.


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Richard Evans has been promoted to head up Citi's global electronic execution business. In his new role, based in London, Evans will be charged with continuing Citi's drive to create consistent global electronic trading product offerings from agency program trading to transaction cost analysis, market data monetization and the Lava e-trading business."Citi customers expect innovation in financial products and global consistency," says Evans, who will oversee teams in the U.S., London and Asia. "We've been regionally silo'd in our approach until now with electronic execution as a business in the U.S. and alternative execution as a business in Europe so we're working to bring that all together."
Evans explains that as electronic trading has matured in the U.S., there is a great opportunity to leverage the product and knowledge base built up and extend that out to Europe, Asia and beyond.
"Even though the U.S. market place is the biggest market in terms of opportunity, the rate of change is not the same as it is now in Asia and Europe," says Evans. He adds that with MiFID in Europe and Reg NMS in the U.S. he sees the markets starting to converge in terms of the way people trade.
"The markets are very different by region, but I believe the market structures are likely to converge in the long term," says Evans. "The fragmentation of liquidity is only going to increase in Europe, Aisa and the U.S. as competition continues to increase...where there is a liquidity pool Citi will be connected."
Evans adds that ultimately his teams will strive to provide consistency and continue to work to broaden its offerings. "We bought Lava and recently acquired ATD, which was consistent with our stated objective to become a liquidity aggregator. So now we're working to ensure our talent and knowledge in other regions in consistent."


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The ScotlandsPeople service, a family history platform run by National Records of Scotland, is being overhauled, with web designers sought to work on the project.
The Design Museum is calling for recently graduated designers to apply for next year’s Designers in Residence programme.
Westminster City Council is looking to use service design to tackle issues around the borough such as employment skills and emergency service integration.
A £300,000 pot of funding is being launched to find innovative new physical product designs in the UK.
The Victoria & Albert Museum in London is looking to overhaul its online presence and create a platform that “befits our global reputation [and] puts our online visitors at its
Sellafield nuclear plant is seeking to appoint designers to a four-year framework worth £2 million-£3 million.
London’s National Maritime Museum is seeking a web design consultancy as it looks to overhaul its website.
The Royal Mint is seeking “exhibition design and management services” as part of its plan to open a visitor centre at its South Wales headquarters in 2016.
The University of Central Lancashire says it is looking to appoint branding, graphic and digital designers to a new four-year framework.
A £50,000 contract is on offer in a drive to find new products or services to improve the lives of disabled people.
Engineering group the Centre for Process Innovation is looking to work with designers and the aerospace industry to realise windowless planes, which project the outside view onto the inside of


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Windows 7 Mobile release will be delayed. This powerful operating system for mobile phone is currently on its 6.1 version and the next update will not be available until the second half of 2009. Considering the time of release of the latest OS of Windows Mobile (6.1 version) the next release could be a little bit late for Microsoft. There are two sides of the coin for this delay. Obviously, the lack of updates in Windows Mobile will give chance to its competitors to move forward with their mobile phones and software. The mobile phone industry is a very volatile industry that by the time Windows 7 Mobile would come out, everyone has already established their position and there might not be enough space for
Pack your bags – we’re going to Professional Developers Conference at the end of October. It will feature the latest innovations in cloud computing wherein demos and applications for cloud computing will be distributed to every attendee in a 160GB hard drive. Although cloud computing hopes to revolutionize the programming industry; one particular OS is expected to be inside the 160GB HD – Windows 7. The operating system is finally coming and will be available in PDC. This release will still be an Alpha or a “pre-beta” release which means few tweaks and bug fixes on the operating system is needed before the commercial version will be released. There a lot of questions being asked right now that could be answered in this Alpha version.


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Sajid Javid was joined by the Government’s new HRT tsar, Madeleine McTernan, pharmacy representatives and manufacturers in Thursday’s meeting to address the shortage of the treatments used by menopausal women.
After the discussions, which are understood to have lasted around an hour, Mr Javid tweeted: “I want every woman who needs HRT to receive it quickly and without hassle.
“Today I met with manufacturers and pharmacists to understand how they’re boosting supply and how we can better work together to meet demand.”
The talks involved major pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer, Novo Nordisk and Besins-Healthcare, the company behind the in-demand HRT treatment Oestrogel.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said it was good something is being done to address the matter and it looked forward to working closely with the Government.
Gareth Jones, director of external affairs at the NPA, said: “As experts in medicines, pharmacists should be given greater flexibility to take decisions at the point of care to manage supplies.
“This includes the authority to amend prescriptions or share stock amongst pharmacies when to do so could help maintain supplies.”
In a joint statement following discussions, Mr Javid, Ms McTernan, women’s health minister Maria Caulfield and industry representatives said they were “working collaboratively” to meet demand and boost supply.
They said: “We are looking at wider solutions – such as improving the communication between the Government, manufacturers and pharmacists – and understand how the market might change to ensure demand is being met now, as well as in the future.”
More than 1 million women in the UK use HRT to manage symptoms of the menopause, such as hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings.
Supply chains have struggled to keep up with a surge in demand, which has more than doubled in England over the past five years.
Last week the Government announced prescriptions for some HRT products will be limited to a three month’s supply in order to “ensure continued access”.


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PETALING JAYA: Some 66% of Malaysian small businesses grew in 2023 with 2024 expected to be an even better year for them, a new survey by CPA Australia shows.
The annual Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey found 78% of Malaysian small companies expect to grow in 2024, the country’s best result since 2012 and higher than the survey average of 70%.
The upbeat sentiment is pegged to the confidence in the economy with nearly three quarters expecting it to grow this year, above the survey average of 65%.
In a statement, it said 59% sought external funding for business growth in 2023 reflecting a shift from business survival in 2022.
The increasing cost of doing business, however, remains a key concern with materials, utility costs, staff costs and rent being the costs that impacted businesses the most last year. Close to 50% said increasing cost negatively impacted their business.
“Young entrepreneurs are driving the momentum on innovation and technology uptake. The survey results have shown over many years that small business with younger entrepreneurs are more likely to be growing, innovating, using emerging technologies and exporting,” said CPA Australia Malaysia Division president Surin Segar.
Strong returns from online sales through a wider choice of new digital and payment technologies and greater social media presence are driving technology spending. Mobile apps remain the most popular technology for Malaysian small businesses to invest in 2023, with almost 50% reporting their technology investment improved profitability. 32% said they will introduce a new product, process or service to Malaysia or the world in 2024. This will support long-term growth and improved competitiveness of Malaysia’s small businesses.
Fearing cyber risks from the increased use of technology, 52% of small businesses owners reviewed their cybersecurity in the last six months compared to 48% in 2022.
“It is encouraging to see the increase in cyber risk awareness as the government continues to strengthen regulatory frameworks with the new Cyber Security Bill tabled in Parliament. This is aligned with the Communications and Digital Ministry’s call for collective action and global coordination to counter cyber threats,” said Surin.


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Mitsubishi i sales plan moved up in U.S., Mirage EV coming in 2013
Meanwhile, over in Norway, the round i-MiEV (as it is known overseas) is selling quite well, moving 1,000 units there. The minister of the environment (and development cooperation, he holds two posts), Erik Solheim said he believes that EVs offer a solution for "achieving a real reduction of emissions." He also said that he wanted to make "an extra big thank you" to the customers that asked for and purchased the electric cars, since what they want is more important than what either politicians or companies promote (all quotes from Google Translate). While not as noticed as other EVs, the i-MiEV is being tested and sold around the world, from Estonia to Thailand.
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Small Business Startup News
More Than Half Of Consumers Respond To Satisfaction Surveys To Report Positive Experiences
Written by Jenna Weiner
Consumers use customer satisfaction survey to voice good experiences or suggestions for improvement.
Entrepreneur news has found that businesses may want to pay greater attention to customers who complete satisfaction surveys, as 50 percent who do so hope to improve the company, a recent survey finds.
Research from Chadwick Martin Bailey turned the common precept that customers only respond to surveys to complain on its head. In addition to the above figure, it also found that 57 percent of respondents answer surveys to share a good experience and 81 percent complete the forms equally for positive and negative experiences.
"Our research shows that companies currently managing customer satisfaction or 'Voice of the Customer' programs have a huge opportunity to cultivate and nurture key customers," said Jeff McKenna, senior consultant and director of customer satisfaction solutions at Chadwick Martin Bailey.
"Overall, they are showing devotion to a company and, at the very least, companies should be thanking the customers who provide insightful comments," McKenna added.
Customer satisfaction surveys can be delivered through a variety of channels, including email, direct mail and social media. Regardless of the medium, businesses will want to ensure questions are worded clearly and concisely to see the best response rate.
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Harvey Nichols Sees Profits Grow, Following Knightsbridge Store Revamp
1 month ago - By WWD
LONDON - Harvey Nichols is seeing its revenues grow, as the storewide refurbishment of its Knightsbridge flagship starts to take shape.
In the financial year ending March 2018, revenues were up 9 percent to 210 million pounds, compared with 194 million pounds last year.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization were up 102 percent, to 14.7 million pounds, compared with 7.3 million pounds last year, when the store's ongoing overhaul ate into the retailer's bottom line.
“Our ambitious Knightsbridge store refurbishment plans have had a positive impact,” said Manju Malhotra...
Read more ...
Profits rocket at Harvey Nichols
1 month ago - By Drapers
The Harvey Nichols Group has reported a 102% jump in EBITDA to £14.7m for the year to 31 March, following the completion of its Knightsbridge refurbishment.
Read more ...
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“It is the moment for a frontal reaction, whether in the whole of the tax administration, or individually by every director and employee of this administration.
“We are facing a situation where the issuance of tax receipts is at an all time low.
“We have a difficult, but necessary, battle against informality and this is the direct responsibility of the tax administration,” declared Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Following these statements by Prime Minister Edi Rama, Finance Minister, Anila Denaj, was on the ground attending verifications and inspections.
She called for business formalization in the name of fair competition.
But in a part of businesses, mainly small ones located in the suburbs or peripheral areas of Tirana, informality continues to be present.
According to citizens, hairdressers, beauty centers, grocery stores and neighborhood coffees are the most common culprits of failing to issue the required tax receipt.
In a meeting with tax officials, the Prime Minister warned that businesses not adhering to the requirements will face punishments, up to and including the complete closure of their business.


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Financial News Network
September 12, 2012 AT 1:27 PM
McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) releasing their August sales, reporting a weaker than expected 3.7 percent rise. This is better than July's numbers, the company's worst month in five years. By region, the fast chain saw a 3 percent rise in the U.S. and a 3.1 percent rise in Europe. Both results were below expectations. McDonald's has seen success in recent years, but should be cautious about other companies. Both Wendy's and Burger King are rolling out new menu items and revamping their stores, making more competition for America's number one fast food joint. Analysts like the numbers increase this morning though. McDonald's stock is currently up two tenths of a percent to $91.51.


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Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:BABA) missed analyst estimates for its fiscal first-quarter revenue as its e-commerce business was hurt by rising competition from smaller players such as JD.com (NASDAQ:JD) and Pinduoduo.
Alibaba’s results mirror those of e-commerce giant Amazon in the U.S., as the easing of pandemic-related restrictions has led to more consumers visiting physical stores rather than shopping online.
Overall, revenue for Alibaba rose 34% to $31.83 billion U.S. in its first quarter ended June 30, below estimates of $32.34 billion U.S., according to Refinitiv data. Net income attributable to shareholders rose to $6.96 billion U.S. compared with $7.36 billion U.S. a year earlier.
Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group, recorded a profit of $2.09 billion U.S. in the quarter, according to the Chinese e-commerce giant.
The results come amid an ongoing Chinese regulatory crackdown on industry, during which Alibaba has been one of the main targets.
Late last year, regulators halted a planned $37-billion U.S. initial public offering (IPO) of Ant Group in Shanghai and subsequently called for a restructuring of the financial unit.
This past April, China’s anti-monopoly regulator fined Alibaba $2.75 billion U.S. for engaging in what it called “anti-competitive practices.”
Alibaba’s stock is down 12% year to date at $200 U.S. per share.


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Highlighting vital agricultural reforms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday explained farm trade has been freed up from all limits, enabling farmers to offer their create anyplace in the place.
By drawing parallels with cleaning soap or cloth manufacturers who ended up capable to offer their goods anyplace at will, Modi explained even following over 7 decades of Independence, farmers did not enjoy the liberty to trade their commodities beyond community mandis.
In his seventh straight Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort right here, the key minister explained that creating farmers self-reliant has been a cornerstone of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign and is also proving to be a price addition to cater to the demands of the world-wide sector.
As part of the reduction package to offer with the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, the governing administration promulgated two ordinances allowing for farmers to offer their create outside mandis and enter into an arrangement with private players and processors for sale of farm create.
The governing administration also deregulated foodstuff items under the Essential Commodities Act. These moves are aimed at enabling farmers to offer their create outside of community mandis.
Modi explained the governing administration has designed reforms in the agriculture sector following a lot of decades of Independence and freed up farmers from all limits on advertising and marketing their create.
Conveying his point, Modi explained items like cleaning soap, dresses and sugar are bought anyplace in the place irrespective of the spot of production.
“Many individuals are not aware that my farmers ended up not permitted to offer create outside their community mandis,” he explained, incorporating that there was a boundary defined for farmers to offer their commodities.
“All these limits have finished now. Now, Indian farmers can breathe freely following a lot of many years of the country’s Independence. They can offer create not only in India but also overseas at very own conditions,” Modi explained.
The key minister more explained that for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the precedence is to make farmers and the farming sector self-reliant.
To this, he explained the governing administration has taken several actions including elimination of advertising and marketing curbs on farmers and setting up of ₹1 lakh agri-infrastructure fund.
Hailing the attempts of farmers in making certain sleek foodstuff materials for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, Modi explained: “There was a time we imported grains, but now our farmers are creating plenty of not just for India but also for these in want throughout the environment.”
Having said that, the Indian farm sector demands to adapt alone in line with the needs of the environment, he included.
The want of the hour is to make Indian agriculture contemporary with fantastic infrastructure in spot for processing, price addition and much better advertising and marketing, the key minister explained.
Just lately, the ₹1 lakh crore agri-infra fund was established for the welfare of farmers. “With this, farmers will be capable to get much better costs in the sector.”
To boost farm money, he explained the governing administration was concentrating on minimizing agri enter charges like encouraging farmers to shift from diesel pumpset to photo voltaic pumps other than marketing allied farm activities like beekeeping, fishery, poultry and many others.
Modi also explained that the way Sikkim has obtained recognition as an organic and natural state, Ladakh will be recognized as a carbon neutral spot and the governing administration is performing hard to accomplish this aim.


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According to Automobile Magazine, Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz have agreed to share the SL and GL platforms of the German manufacturer. The first product of the partnership between the marks would be a sports car.
The Jeep has confirmed on Tuesday (25) the arrival of the line 2014 Compass to the Brazilian market. The utility has undergone some cosmetic, external and internal changes, and arrives at dealers with a suggested retail price of U.S. $ 102,100.
Rinspeed has revealed more pictures and some videos of Xchange concept. The prototype will be presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, and anticipates the technology of legalized autonomous vehicles to the streets.


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Sony's new PlayStation Vue online TV service launched in three cities last week with more than 50 channels starting at $50. Additional channels can be had for $10 to $20 more, and the service comes . . .
The Oregon Senate expects to vote Tuesday on a bill giving tax breaks to Internet providers and companies that own data centers, the measure's sponsor said Monday. The bill is a response to an . . .
Salt Lake City will soon join a handful of U.S. cities in offering high-speed internet service through Google Fiber. Mayor Ralph Becker made the announcement on Tuesday at The Leonardo museum. Google . . .
An energy company is joining forces with a tech startup to harness computing power to heat homes in the Netherlands. Eneco, a Dutch-based energy company with more than 2 million customers, said . . .
Bright House and GCI have become members of the SCTE corporate alliance partner (CAP) program.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Monday announced it's expanding its scope to protect consumers as new connected technologies come to market.
The lawsuits challenging the FCC’s recent Internet activities have started to trickle in. Two suits challenge the Commission’s Open Internet plan. Another aims to block the agency from nullifying two specific state laws that restrict the expansion of municipal broadband networks.
Would you pay to see some of the Internet's best video clips first? Vessel, a new service trying to change the way that short video pieces make money on the Internet and mobile devices, is betting . . .
VeEX has added a set of OTDR modules to its RXT, the company’s modular multi-service test and measurement system.
Cablevision’s telephone service Optimum Voice has certified its Business Trunking system with 3CX’s newest firmware.
Google hasn't taken its eye of Google Glass and is still working to bring the controversial wearable to market.
Comcast is tripling the size of its social care team in order to focus on assisting its customer base via social media platforms. The idea is to have a Comcast team available to customers wherever those customers are on social media.
From 2012 to 2014 AT&T has invested over $ 1.8 billion in its Missouri wired and wireless network as a part of its project velocity IP (VIP) investment plan.
Antietam Cable will begin charging its broadband customers overage fees when they exceed their monthly data allocations, in what is now a common practice.
Telefonica, BT, and Orange, have wrapped lab trials of G.fast technology, in which they were able to accelerate DSL on local loops to 170 Mbps. BT is about to move into field trials, and a group of companies is looking to adapt the technology for cellular backhaul.


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According to a new patent, an Apple Car could have displays inside instead of transparent windows.
Apple has filed a patent for an in-vehicle virtual reality (VR) system that matches “virtual views” with the physical movement of a car.
For example, if the car is driving down a hill, the system can project an image that gives the illusion that you are on a roller coaster. The patent also indicates that the seats in the car can move accordingly.
Concept images have also surfaced online. According to the Daily Mail, they caused ridicule from some users: one compared the car to a coffin.
It is not yet clear when Apple will introduce its branded car, if at all. Previously, the company tried to find a partner among automakers, but so far these attempts have not been successful.


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Hanse Group Centralises Production
Greifswald/Freienohl, Germany, May 21, 2012: HanseGroup, which includes boat brands Hanse, Moody, Dehler and Fjord, is centralising its yacht and speedboat production to its German parent plant in Greifswald. This means that from August, the final assembly of Dehler yachts and the production of various small parts for Hanse yachts will be based in Greifswald.
The current Dehler site 600km away in Freienohl, will be closed at the end of the year.
“We hope that by moving the models to the Greifswald site, we can create synergy effects to implement customer-specific requests and to apply our research and development expertise,” said the company in a statement.
Once the move has been completed, Hanse, Dehler and Moody yachts and Fjord speedboats will all be produced in Greifswald.
Despite Dehler yachts being intended more for competitive sailing and Moody yachts geared toward cruising sailors, both brands according to HanseGroup require the implementation of a large number of individual customer-specific requests.
“For this reason, the production of Dehler yachts will be grouped together with Moody's semi-series production,” explained the builder. “Bundling production activities at one site is the logical consequence of an increasingly close collaboration.”
"Ever since the acquisition of Dehler three years ago, we started adapting the general production process of both brands. As a result, the move is relatively easy", says Dr Peter Barth, the HanseYachts AG director of production.
HanseGroup said bringing the production of Dehler yachts to Greifswald will have a positive effect: research and development facilities are located near Greifswald, making it easier to test and optimise the boats because they are produced directly on the coast and there is no need for a complex logistics system with the sites no longer 600km apart.
The company adds the move will in no way complicate matters for Dehler customers as the first of the brand’s yachts will be integrated into the production process at Greifswald from as early as September. The new 38-foot class, available from Dehler as from the fourth quarter of 2012, will also be produced at the main site in Greifswald.
"We would like to stress that our 89 employees in Freienohl are doing an excellent job and that we are offering each one employment on the coast", emphasised Dr Barth.
HanseYachts AG was established in 1990 and the company says it is now the world's third largest series producer of sailing yachts.
Since the early 1960s, the builder said the Dehler brand has been associated with sporty sailing yachts. After a number of cases, where associates were forced to go into administration, Dehler was acquired by the HanseGroup in 2009. Dehler's product range currently includes five models with lengths of 29, 32, 35, 41 and 45 feet. The 38-foot model will be added to the portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2012.
For more information, see www.windcraft.com.au


text: When is the flight and how can I watch it? Dutch teen on Blue Origin flight to space told Bezos he’s never used AmazonOliver Daemen says his billionaire co-passenger was shocked Big day for Bezos: Blue Origin launches its first crewed missionJeff Bezos is achieving his dream of flying into space while officially launching his company’s commercial operations. 9 great reads from CNET this week: Jeff Bezos, Lina Khan, Dune and moreWhat to make of billionaires in space, what to know about the new head of the FTC, what we spotted watching a bit of the movie Dune and much more. Jeff Bezos and brother to fly to space in Blue Origin flightThe Amazon founder will take the first human flight launched by his space company, Blue Origin. Jeff Bezos travels to space on own rocket: ‘Best day ever!’Amazon founder blasts off on his Blue Origin's first passenger flight, week after fellow billionaire Richard Branson rode his own spacecraft Bezos' $2bn offer to get back in race to the MoonThe billionaire offers to pay $2bn in Nasa costs to be reconsidered for a key Moon lander contract. Trailblazing female pilot will go to space at age 82 with Jeff BezosAmazon's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos will be joined by Wally Funk, one of the 13 women who passed NASA's astronaut training program in the 1960s, on the first crewed flight into space from his rocket company Blue Origin later this month. Blue Origin astronaut says Jeff Bezos flight 'didn't go high enough''I thought I was going to see the world, but we weren’t quite high enough.' Sorry, Jeff Bezos. You're still not an astronaut, according to the FAA.The FAAu00a0set new rules concerning theu00a0Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Programu00a0as Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos flew to space last week.


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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—the same agency recommending that all states adopt laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear federally approved helmets—is at it again. This time, the NHTSA has changed motorcycle helmet labeling rules to “help” consumers and law enforcement determine whether helmets have been approved by the Department of Transportation. The agency wants to crack down on counterfeit DOT stickers as well as reducing the use of non-compliant helmets. Starting on May 13, 2013, every approved helmet must sport a decal with the manufacturer’s name and/or brand name and the word “certified” placed horizontally under “FMVSS No. 218” lettering. The ruling also dictates where the decal must be placed on the helmet. Motorcycle rights organizations are investigating how helmets manufactured prior to May 13, 2013 will be addressed, including how law enforcement would be able to recognize when the helmet was made.
According to the NHTSA web site, “If you wish to submit a petition for reconsideration of this rule, your petition must be received by June 27, 2011.” Refer to Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0050 and send your petition to: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. The text of the ruling appears here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-05-13/html/2011-11367.htm
We’d like to thank the Feds from trying to save us from ourselves once again.


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AFTER the huge success of their first event, the RSPCA is holding a second Car Boot Market this Sunday in West Burleigh.
Money raised at the event will go towards RSPCA’s ongoing fundraising efforts to ensure an Inspector and Animal Ambulance stay on Gold Coast roads.
Local Inspector Sommer Heath-Crilley said it costs the RSPCA approximately $100,000 a year to keep her on the road investigating animal cruelty.
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“This includes my vehicle, operational costs, ongoing training, specialist equipment, salary and more. As the RSPCA Gold Coast Branch is self-funded, the Car Boot Market is extremely important for the animals in our care,” she said.
Event organisers say this year’s market will be “bigger and better” with all sites already booked out.
There will be a ranged of quality new and used goods for sale, from clothing, bric-a-brac, furniture and vintage goods through to novelty portable gardens, sporting goods and handmade crafts.
In addition to the stallholders, there will be an organic, free-range BBQ breakfast, fresh coffee and homemade lemonade as well as live local music. There will also be raffles and special guest appearances by animals currently available for adoption.
The RSPCA’s Car Boot Market in on Sunday 2nd March at 18 Township Dr, West Burleigh from 7am to 11am. It’s free to browse and enjoy the morning.


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A team of inspectors from the US Department of Agriculture is in Brazil this week for a look at the government’s action plan to combat foot and mouth disease in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná.
They will meet with authorities from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and examine its National Plan for Eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease (Pnefa).
The group will also visit the Pan American Foot and Mouth Disease Center in Rio de Janeiro and have a meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues.
The American inspectors will also visit Paraguay, Bolivia and Ecuador after leaving Brazil on Wednesday, January 25.
Despite the problems involving hoof and mouth disease, it was just announced, Brazilian beef retained first place in world beef exports in 2005. 2.3 million tons of the product were shipped to 150 countries. The United States was no included even though American buy processed beef from Brazil.
Export volume was 18% more than in 2004, and earnings totaled US$ 3.149 billion, 22.4% more than in 2004. This was an all time record for the sector, according to the results announced by the Brazilian Association of Meat Export Industries (ABIEC).
ABIEC’s executive director, Antônio Jorge Camardelli, confessed that the sector expected the results to be slightly better. "We believed our earnings would amount to around US$ 250 million more than what we obtained."
In Camardelli’s view, the performance would have been better, had it not been for a series of difficulties, not limited to the outbreaks of hoof and mouth disease. Camardelli also mentioned the impact of the dollar, which fluctuated in a manner unfavorable to exports.
The biggest sales of fresh beef went to Russia, for a total of 433 thousand tons and earnings of US$ 525 million. Egypt provided the second largest market (215.3 thousand tons and US$ 252 million), followed by Holland (US$ 191 million), the United Kingdom (US$ 181 million), and Italy (US$ 152 million).
In terms of processed meat, the biggest importer was the United States, which spent US$ 205 million, followed by the United Kingdom (US$ 130 million), Venezuela (US$ 47 million), and Italy (US$ 31 million).
Belgium was among the countries to which Brazilian sales of processed meat grew the most. Brazilian beef exports to Belgium were up 163%, to US$ 12 million.


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Belgian biscuit and cake manufacturer Lotus Bakeries has announced an expansion in Thailand, with a new manufacturing plant for the Biscoff brand.
According to the company, the plant is intended to increase capacity in the Asia region, as well as improve response times to local trends and reduce transport costs.
Thailand was chosen due to its central location in the region and the availability of raw materials and strong industry, Lotus Bakeries said. The plant will be built in the Chonburi province, which is a part of the so-called Eastern Economic Corridor, developed by the Thai government. The corridor also has access to the nearby international port of Laem Chabang.
The project will start within the next few months and the plant is expected to be operational by 2026.
Sources: Lotus Bakeries


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SA’s mobile operators count losses after massive looting
South African mobile operators are still reeling after looters targeted their shops at shopping malls across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Over the past few days, SA has descended into chaos, with what started as protests for the release of incarcerated former president Jacob Zuma later turning violent.
The Constitutional Court recently sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after failing to appear at the State Capture inquiry.
At the time of writing, there was no end in sight for the unrest, which has claimed 19 lives in Gauteng and 26 in KZN.
Police also confirmed hundreds of arrests in the two provinces as the pandemonium continues.
While virtually any kind of business has been targeted, local telcos have also been hard-hit by this unprecedented violence, which has seen president Cyril Ramaphosa deploying the army as police were overwhelmed, leaving the looters running amok.
As the running battles between law enforcement and the looters continue unabated, the mobile operators have resorted to closing shops to ensure the safety of their employees and customers.
Fear and anxiety
Addressing the nation over the spate of violence in the country, Ramaphosa said: “Many South Africans are at this hour counting the cost to their livelihoods and property, to their shops and businesses, to their safety and security. Many more South Africans are feeling anxious and afraid.
“Parts of the country are reeling from several days and nights of public violence, destruction of property and looting of the sort rarely seen before in the history of our democracy.”
In a statement, Telkom says it has officially closed all its stores in KZN in light of recent unrest and protests across the country that are especially concentrated in that province – and has closed stores in some parts of the country, in the interest of the safety of its customers and staff alike.
“Please note on 13 July 2021, all Telkom stores across the country will be closed until the situation can be assessed fully and it can be established that it is completely safe to resume business activities,” says the telco.
Meanwhile, it encourages clients to use the self-service channels, where they will be able to receive guidance and information on the alternative assistance options, including information on the Telkom app, how to log into the self-service portal and checking coverage in their area.
“We understand that our customers will be relying on their connectivity during this time more than ever, and we have, therefore, put a range of plans in place to ensure network availability and stability. We remain steadfast in ensuring our connectivity services remain up throughout, and as such, all essential and necessary services will be running, managed and improved as needed," Telkom says.
Cell C has also confirmed to ITWeb the adverse impact of the melee.
Says the mobile operator in a statement: “We can confirm that several Cell C stores have been impacted by the protest action, with confirmed vandalism in KZN and Gauteng.”
As a precaution, Cell C says, a number of stores have been temporarily closed. “We are assessing the exact number of stores impacted and the extent of these incidents and will provide a further update when we have details.
“The safety of our staff and customers is our priority and we urge our customers to make use of our other channels to access services. Airtime can be purchased through ATMs as well as banking apps and internet banking platforms,” says Cell C.
MTN notes that since the weekend, it has closely monitored the growing incidents of rioting and looting in KZN that have now flared up in several other provinces as well.
“Our priority will always be the safety of our employees and our customers. The bulk of our stores in KZN are not open today, due to the ongoing risk of violence both related to the stores and public transport systems that have also been targeted,” says Jacqui O’Sullivan, executive for corporate affairs at MTN.
“Our primary call centre is based in KZN and has been heavily impacted. It is currently running at minimal capacity. We are referring customers to our MTN app for self-service options, as well as our social media channels MTN South Africa on Facebook and @MTNzaService on Twitter.”
MTN notes that customers are also encouraged to use the MTN WhatsApp service for support and self-service options on 083 123 0011.
Customers can also get support via MTN’s USSD service by dialling *136# or by visiting www.mtn.co.za.
“Our primary concern remains the safety and well-being of our MTN SA employees and customers, and we will provide further updates as the situation requires,” says O’Sullivan.
Says a Vodacom spokesperson: “The safety and security of our customers, staff and franchise store employees are of paramount importance and our top priority.”
According to the company, given the current protests, all Vodacom stores in KZN, many stores in Gauteng and certain stores in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Free State and Western Cape have been closed on a temporary basis.
“We urge customers affected by the temporary store closures to make use of our self-service channels.”