text:
How ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ LL Cool J Helped ‘Shark Tank’s’ Daymond John Become a Success
Daymond John is known as a savvy investor on ABC’s Shark Tank and the founder and CEO of the hip hop clothing company FUBU. John has spoken in the past about growing up in Queens where he started the billion-dollar apparel empire, and how he got it to take off. What John has also been vocal about is how LL Cool J, star of NCIS: Los Angeles, had a hand in the brand’s success.
How FUBU started
John always had an entrepreneurial spirit. “As a young kid growing up, I was always trying to sell something,” John told CNNMoney. “Whether it was pencils in school… Super Soakers on the beach. I was always selling something.”
At the age of 20, he combined his passion for hip hop and fashion and started FUBU, though he had to close down business a few times between 1989 and 1992, according to CNNMoney. He kept going though, working out of his Queens home making hats and T-shirts with the help of his mom and business partners, New York buddies J. Alexander Martin and Keith Perrin. He would market his products out of a van. “On the weekends I would take the seats out of that 15-passenger van, pack it full of FUBU and go down to a festival and sell FUBU, and then sleep at night in the van, to then go to another festival,” John said.
Enter LL Cool J …
Since FUBU was the combination of hip hop and fashion, John decided to try to get popular rappers to wear the brand starting with LL Cool J, who was also from Queens. “I would camp outside his house,” John told CNNMoney. “We need[ed] a spokesperson, a face,” he said.
Persistence paid off. A few years after FUBU started, LL Cool J agreed to be photographed wearing the brand, and the company skyrocketed. “He took that one picture for us, and after we put that in a small magazine, we got calls from everywhere,” John said. “He would then go on to be our spokesperson and take us to a place that we never thought we could go.”
Then there was the Gap commercial
In 1999, LL Cool J was hired to do a 30-second ad for the Gap, according to Complex. The rapper decided to go a little “off script” and turned the spot into a rap while wearing a FUBU hat in the commercial. He even referenced the brand by rapping what the acronym stands for, “For Us, By Us.”
Heavy reported that the Gap didn’t realize the nod to Fubu til months later. It was a game changer. “FUBU was clever enough to put a hat on LL in a Gap commercial,” Esco Clothing founder Willie Esco Montanez said, according to Complex. “Changed everything.”
John pays it forward on ‘Shark Tank’
Remembering how LL Cool J gave him a chance, John now does the same as an investor on Shark Tank to contestants hoping to launch a business. “I’m part of a cast of people who hopefully influence the next generation,” John told CNNMoney.
The show has also opened doors for John. In 2015, President Barack Obama named him one of nine Presidential Ambassadors of Global Entrepreneurship. “I got to travel the world with President Obama. I don’t think that would’ve necessarily happened without the show,” John told CNNMoney.


text:
If you received an email from Amazon today saying your password has been reset, you're not the only one. ZDNet is reporting that a number of people were notified by Amazon that their password has been reset due to unidentified reasons.
Tagged With password reset
Predicting the future is near impossible -- but that doesn‘t stop us all from having a red hot go. Human beings have been predicting the future since the beginning of history and the results range from the hilarious to the downright uncanny.
One thing all future predictions have in common: they‘re rooted in our current understanding of how the world works. It‘s difficult to escape that mindset. We have no idea how technology will evolve, so our ideas are connected to the technology of today.

domain: news


text:
Apple was ordered to give rival company Samsung all of the information it has in an agreement with HTC. The Verge reports that Samsung wants to have a patent agreement between Apple and HTC to potentially aid it in its defense in the ongoing efforts from Apple to take Samsung’s biggest selling items off store shelves.
“If so, the company argues, Apple's request that infringing Samsung products be removed from the market falls apart, because Apple was happy to ‘forego exclusivity in exchange for money’ -- and, in this instance, Apple is already receiving money in the form of a hefty $1.049 billion verdict.”
The ruling resulting in the Apple tantrum occurred on Thursday and could change the pace of the Apple lawsuit. Filed in February, the Apple lawsuit alleges that Samsung violated Apple’s patents on user interface, other aesthetics and technology.
Apple won the initial decision, earning the company behind the iPhone and iPad $1 billion. Samsung is continuing its attempts to get the ruling thrown out.
While Samsung tries to lessen the legal blow to its company, Apple is tacking on items to its infringement suit, according to Yahoo News. Items on the list include Samsung's Galaxy S III, Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wifi, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy S III Mini.
The incident is being referred to as a tantrum because Apple claims it will continue filing lawsuits against Samsung until it gets its way. “If Apple were not allowed to supplement now, Apple would be required to bring an entirely separate suit against the new products, involving exactly the same patents, patent claims and legal theories," reads the Apple filing, according to the Wall Street Journal.


text:
Panalpina increases customer focus with new region and CCO
In its quest to move ever closer to its customers the Panalpina Group is realigning its regional setup and appointing a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). A fourth region consisting of the Middle East, Africa and the CIS (MEAC) will come into effect on January 1st 2014. The new region will be headquartered in Dubai.
“Becoming ever more customer-focused is at the very top of our agenda,” said Panalpina CEO Peter Ulber. “By introducing the MEAC region and appointing a Chief Commercial Officer to our Executive Board, we are moving yet closer to our customers to better serve their individual needs.”
Tapping into growth markets
Countries in the current region Europe, Middle East, Africa and CIS will be split among the new MEAC and Europe regions. On the one hand this will reduce the complexities associated with the current setup. On the other hand it will make it easier to tap into the many business opportunities in the fast growing markets between Port Elizabeth in South Africa and Sakhalin in Russia.
Long-standing senior manager Peter Triebel will run the new MEAC region and join Panalpina’s Executive Committee (ExCom). Triebel started his career as an export manager at Swiss freight forwarder Jacky Maeder and acted as its CEO when the company was acquired by Panalpina in 1999. Since then he has held various senior management positions for Panalpina in Europe, Africa and Asia. Triebel is currently Area Manager for Northwest Europe. For his new role he will move from London to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Fostering customer relations
In his new role as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) on the Executive Board, Karl Weyeneth will be responsible for Sales, Marketing and Quality as well as for the company’s Operations Transformation Program. Weyeneth, who has acted as Panalpina’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2008, is expected to drive growth while playing a crucial role in securing and fostering key customer relations.
The COO function will be dissolved meaning that the Global Heads of Air Freight, Ocean Freight and Logistics will report directly to the CEO. “Moving forward, the two dimensions of our matrix organization, the products and the regions, will be equally balanced,” explained Ulber.
The new four region set-up (Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and MEAC) and changes in management structure will come into effect on January 1st 2014.
The Panalpina Group is one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions. The company combines its core products of Air Freight, Ocean Freight, and Logistics to deliver globally integrated, tailor-made end-to-end solutions. Drawing on in-depth industry know-how and customized IT systems, Panalpina manages the needs of its customers’ supply chains, no matter how demanding they might be. The Panalpina Group operates a global network with some 500 offices in more than 80 countries, and it works with partner companies in a further 80 countries. Panalpina employs around 15,000 people worldwide who deliver a comprehensive service to the highest quality standards – wherever and whenever.
This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


text:
Ireland: Hotel luxury without the bill
New apartment, minimal decor, right? Wrong, say one couple, whose penthouse has staying power. Karen Hesse reports
Owners of large apartments everywhere are feeling the pressure. Lots of space means minimalist decor — bare, sparse and lacking in home comforts. In fact, it’s almost expected for these type of homes. But Jacqueline Daly and Kieran Dunne were having none of it.
The business partners behind Bunalun organic food products have recently announced their engagement, and with that announcement came the search for an ideal home.
They had, however, already sorted out their ideal recipe for the design and decor.
The residence was found in a 1,900 sq ft penthouse at The Ramparts, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin. Having sold their own houses and checked out many properties, including city centre apartments, they were wooed by the sense of spaciousness — it accommodated 50 guests with ease at the house-warming — and the convenient location on the edge of the city.
One of the features that most appealed was the 400 sq ft


text:
Wal-Mart employee charged in theft
A Wal-Mart employee was accused of stealing more than $7,800 worth of electronics from the store between Aug. 29 and Sept. 5.
According to a North Augusta Public Safety incident report made Sept. 6, the employee would remove the items from their boxes, conceal them in his pants pockets and return the empty boxes to the secured cage.
Items reported stolen include several cellphones and tablets.
Antonio Raynard Johnson, 20, of the 500 block of East Buena Vista Avenue was arrested and charged with breach of trust with fraud intent.


text:
Paym has ambitious plans for the future
Paym, a new mobile commerce platform, was recently launched in the United Kingdom and represents one of the most highly anticipated mobile services to be released in the country so far this year. The platform is backed by many of the United Kingdom’s largest financial institutions and this has allowed it to find early success where other, similar mobile commerce platforms have struggled to find traction with consumers. Paym’s ambition is to reach a significant user base by the end of the year in order to solidify its place as a leading platform in the mobile space, and it is already well on its way to achieving this goal.
Commerce platform already boasts of more than 7 million registered users
The service currently boasts of some 500,000 registered users through the nine banks that have partnered with Paym. These banks boast of a large pool of customers that are already making payments through Paym. The platform is specifically designed as a person-to-person payments service and has managed to acquire strong support from consumers as such. The Paym service is integrated into the mobile applications that are associated with its partnered banks and other organizations.
Platform manages to find favor with consumers despite crowded market
The platform has received an overwhelming positive response from consumers in the short time after its release. This has provided the platform with the momentum it needs to compete against other services that exist in the mobile commerce sector. Both PayPal and Google have managed to establish a formidable presence when it comes to mobile payments, but these two companies are far from being considered the default mobile commerce service providers among consumers. Indeed, many people are happy to make use of a wide variety of mobile commerce services, moving from one service to the next as they see fit.
Small firms fight for the attention of consumers
As mobile shopping continues to grow in popularity in the United Kingdom, it is likely that the market will continue to be flooded with new and ambitious mobile services. These services will compete with one another and likely die out due to a lack of exposure. Large organizations, such as PayPal, are able to avoid much of this competition because of their built-in user base, but smaller organizations will have to fight hard for the attention of consumers.


text:
Nintendo today reported its earnings for the 2017 fiscal year, which means a whole bunch of interesting new sales numbers to look at. They’re all impressive, and they all show the massive appeal of Nintendo Switch.
The Top Five Elden Ring Spells Players Love Slinging
Here are a few numbers that, taken together, make for some good perspective on just how successful Nintendo’s latest console has been throughout its first year on the market.
- First, there’s the system itself. Switch has now sold 17.79 million units, which is four million more than the Wii U (13.56m) has sold in its lifetime. For context, Nintendo had forecast 15 million and analysts had estimated 16 million. Reality was closer to 18 million.
- Super Mario Odyssey is the best-selling Switch game at 10.41 million copies, which means that 58% of Switches have a plumber with them. (Worth noting: Many of these sales likely came with the bundle.)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold 9.22 million copies, outselling the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8, which is at 8.42 million. Mario Kart 8 came out in May of 2014, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has now been out for less than a year.
- Breath of the Wild is now the best-selling Zelda game of all time, with 8.48 million copies sold on Switch and more than a million on Wii U. The previous best-selling Zelda was Twilight Princess, which launched simultaneously on Wii and GameCube in 2006.
- Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo was extremely excited in January when Nintendo announced that Splatoon and Splatoon 2 had sold the same number of copies, 4.91 million. But Splatoon 2 has skyrocketed since then, now hitting 6.02 million copies on the Switch.
- Even Kirby is benefiting from the Switch’s dominance, with the mediocre new Kirby Star Allies selling 1.26 million copies, the best debut in the pink fluffball’s history, according to the NPD group.
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
In conclusion, the Switch is a beast and should never be underestimated.


text:
KFC's Bringing Back Their Footy Final Favourite: The Zinger Pie
Kentucky Fried Chicken Pies
Even the Colonel is gearing up for footy finals with the news that, for a limited time only, KFC are bringing back their Zinger Pie.
The Zinger Pie first made an entrance back in 2013 but hasn't reappeared too much since - until now.
The cult favourite (seriously, there's a whole Facebook group baying for its return) consists of classic Zinger chicken and gravy, encased in a standard flaky pastry case.
In celebration of finals season, it'll be available both in store and via Deliveroo and Uber from tomorrow through until the end of September.
“The Zinger® Pie has been a fan favourite ever since it was first introduced in 2013, with calls for it to make a comeback time and time again," KFC Australia CMO Kristi Woolrych said.
"So we’re excited to bring this Australian exclusive product back for KFC fans just in time for the footy finals.”


text:
Tourism Ministry abandons plan to stipulate minimum rates for hotels.
The Tourism Ministry appears to have abandoned plans to set a minimum charge of per night for hotel rooms in Egypt after it was rejected by the Ismail Cabinet. Ministers refused the proposal after studies suggested no other nation has a similar policy, Deputy Tourism Minister Adela Ragab tells Al Mal. The committee mandated with the task had recommended imposing a minimum charge of USD 110 per night on five-star hotels in Cairo, while five-star hotels in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Alexandria, and Luxor charge guests USD 35 per person for an all-inclusive stay. The committee had also recommended a minimum charge of USD 25 a night for four-star hotels and USD 20 for three-star hotels across the country.
Nonetheless the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) wants the industry to be mindful of larger players undercutting smaller operators. Outgoing ECA boss Mona El Garf said that while setting a minimum charge for hotels is antithetical to a market economy, she warned against undercutting prices, which could help foster monopolies by favouring deep-pocketed players. The ECA will meet with Tourism Ministry officials to discuss antitrust strategies and policies which will implemented sector-wide on Wednesday, El Garf tells Al Borsa.


text:
Every parent wants to be the most powerful proponents that she or he can be when it comes to their children’s health. As a pair of moms who also happen to be longtime public interest advocates – both of us fighting to stem the rise of antibiotic resistance – we can’t help but have our children in the front of our minds when we go to work each day.
Much like climate change, antibiotic resistance seems invisible until it affects us personally – at which point it becomes all too real. For Lena, this reality hit hard in the early years of her older daughter’s life. Whether her daughter was battling bacterial infections in her ears, sinuses or throat, all too often the first-line antibiotic would fail just days after treatment ended, and symptoms would return and persist. Sometimes it would take three or four rounds of treatment before she was on the mend, even for something as seemingly easy-to-treat as strep throat.
For her part, Sasha – the mother of a one-year-old boy – wants antibiotics to remain a viable treatment option should her son ever get sick and need them.
That’s why we are encouraged to see the progress made by US chicken producers in reducing the use of antibiotics important to human medicine. This shift has enabled restaurant chains such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Subway and Wendy’s to commit to sourcing chicken that was either raised without any antibiotics or without any medically-important antibiotics, a term for describing drugs developed for human use. At the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), we estimate that roughly 40% of the US chicken industry has either eliminated or pledged to eliminate the routine use of medically-important antibiotics.
Meat producers routinely feed animals antibiotics to make them grow faster, and to help them survive the crowded, stressful, unsanitary living conditions that are typically found in factory farms. A whopping 70% of all medically-important antibiotics are sold in the US for use in livestock. The excessive and often unnecessary use of these so-called miracle drugs leads to bacteria developing resistance and weakens the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating humans.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections every year, and 23,000 die as a result. And these are conservative estimates: as Reuters recently reported, it’s likely that we’re significantly undercounting the human toll of superbug infections.
Chicken raised without the routine use of antibiotics is now one of the fastest growing segments of the poultry industry. Producers in this category include some of the biggest players in the industry: Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods and Foster Farms. After about a decade of trial and error in some cases, chicken companies are showing that raising animals without reliance on antibiotics is not only possible, it’s profitable.
While the majority of the chicken industry still needs to reduce antibiotic use, chicken suppliers are ahead of other meat producers. Their headlong leap into antibiotic stewardship is a result of two main factors. First is the industry’s production model – chickens have shorter lifecycles and likely fewer chances to contract infections than other types of livestock. Second, the vast majority of chickens produced in the US are raised by companies that own all or a significant part of their supply chains, making it possible for them to dictate specific farming practices across their entire operations.
The popularity of chicken with many Americans as a healthier protein alternative may also be a factor. The largest chicken companies and their top buyers – restaurant chains such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Wendy’s and Taco Bell – are responding to consumer priorities about how antibiotics are used in the chicken they grow or sell. Consumers are holding meat companies accountable for cleaning up their drug use practices. A case in point: in August, NRDC and our allies delivered petitions signed by more than 350,000 people to KFC headquarters, calling on the iconic chicken restaurant chain to establish a strong antibiotics policy for its chicken supply.
We need companies that produce pork, beef and turkey to rise to the occasion. Though slower in coming, there are signs of progress. Perdue now also raises about half its turkeys without antibiotics. This year, Tyson announced the launch of a new line of pork raised without antibiotics, and Cargill announced it was reducing its use of medically-important antibiotics in its beef production by 20%, a move that impacts approximately 1.2 million cattle.
The government now needs to catch up with industry leaders by swiftly enacting mandatory restrictions on the routine use of antibiotics across the livestock industry. Despite having known for decades that the misuse of antibiotics in livestock threatens our health, the Food and Drug Administration has almost entirely failed to act to stop it. All we’ve seen to date from the agency are loophole-riddled guidelines.
Millions of parents like us serve as powerful advocates for the health of their families each time they purchase meat at a grocery store checkout or a restaurant counter. But we cannot simply lay this problem at the feet of consumers. The government and food industry must do more. If most meat producers continue to use antibiotics as a substitute for good animal husbandry, then it’s our children who may end up paying most dearly.
Sasha Stashwick is a senior advocate of the food and agriculture program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Lena Brook is a food policy advocate in the food and agriculture program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.


text:
Street vendors who have for a long time been selling merchandise along several streets in Kampala were on Monday forcefully evicted by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
By 9:00am, most of the stalls and kiosks along city streets were demolished by KCCA law enforcement officers. The operation which started at dawn is part of plans to restore trade order in the central business district, KCCA said last week.
Among those most affected by the operation were vendors operating in down town Kampala, which is the busiest shopping hub in the city.
Newspaper vendors were also affected by the crackdown, as several KCCA officers chased them off the streets and confiscated some of their merchandise.
Along Allen Road which leads to the New Taxi Park, several wooden stalls were destroyed, and some of the traders complained that their merchandise was thrown into the nearby Nakivubo Channel.
"I have lost a lot of property which they destroyed. I found some of my merchandise in the Channel and I am now stranded," said Salim Seguya, a trader in fruits and vegetables.
Most of the merchandise is sold there in the evening, blocking access to Qualicel Bus Terminal and the New Taxi Park.
The area is popular for the sale of household products and food items, and was recently monitored for the sale of fake sugar.
Following the crackdown, some vendors attempted to move their items inside the New Taxi Park but faced resistance from those operating there.
Vendors operating along Colville Street, Kampala Road and William Street vacated the area, except those operating kiosks which are also in road reserves or pavements.
At 11:00am, a group of angry traders marched to City Hall purportedly to present their grievances to the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago.
The Police sealed off the area and dispersed the crowd shortly after Lukwago had entered the KCCA headquarters. The group then marched to Kikuubo, a busy trading area in the city as they wailed and chanted, but were soon dispersed again.
Along Ben Kiwanuka Street and Luwum Street, the Police deployed heavily to control angry traders protesting the demolition of their stalls.
The area, located outside the Old Taxi Park, is popular for the sale of second-hand clothes, shoes, handbags and other personal effects. Several traders stood along the busy street in small groups while others sat along pavements, pondering their next move.


text:
A Vancouver Island teacher has been put on paid leave for a second time for showing students an inappropriate video.
Playful and brightly coloured to celebrate the Year of the Horse, DKNY’s Happy New Year Collection is available exclusively in Vancouver at DKNY’s Oakridge and South Granville locations and at Enda B on West 10th Avenue.
New lifts and terrain have opened at Big White thanks to epic snowfall — 61 centimetres in the last seven days alone, making for an alpine base of 176 centimetres.
Operation Red Nose is seeking volunteers in hopes of setting a record for the number of people they get home safely during the holiday season.
The number of lost goods at Vancouver International Airport increases by about 10 to 20 per cent during the Christmas season in tandem with the seasonal rise in the number of passengers, according to Reg Crake, the airport’s director of customer care. “Anytime people have an opportunity to set things down, there is an opportunity for them to misplace something,” Crake said. “We monitor at the food courts and washrooms, as well as security or information counters.”
Trevor Gay is known as the “piano man” at the Salvation Army’s Vancouver Harbour Light on East Cordova, where he regular plays for Downtown Eastside residents. On Thursday — Christmas Day — he was focused on filling his stomach and not tickling the ivories. “Today is all about my tummy,” he said with a laugh, having stowed away his turkey dinner to be eaten later before heading to a church meal on East Hastings. “When I leave here, I’m going to First United and fill up with some more.”
Every year the Canada Post receives 1.3 million Santa letters and Fred Danells, a retired postal employee leads the team in Vancouver. Danells along with the Santa from Grouse Mountain reads some of the cute letters received from children this holiday season.
EDM fans can get their dance party on for two days straight as Contact Winter Music Festival returns to BC Place for the third year.
In Europe, Christmas lasts much longer than a day. The season stretches well over a month - not to extend the shopping season, but to fit in the many holy days and festivities. First comes Advent, beginning four Sundays before Christmas Eve. Next up is the Feast of St. Nicholas, celebrated mostly in Catholic countries on Dec. 6.
What’s Christmas dinner without food in quantities large enough to turn your walk into a waddle and cause a button or two to pop off? “It’s automatic,” says chef Waldemar Bilski of W Catering in Vancouver. “You can’t not have leftovers. It’s tradition. You show generosity and besides, for the next day or two, nobody wants to cook, so you eat leftovers. It’s one of the purposes of Christmas dinner.”
Volunteers will put together 800 Christmas hampers, organize toys and prepare for the 20th Annual Labour Community Christmas Dinner.
As Christmas trees go, at least in modern North American times, it is perhaps the most iconic. It’s not even a real one, but instead a figment of cartoonist Charles Schulz’s fertile imagination and, through his comic strip Peanuts, his ongoing quest to use humour to poke at sacred cows and, in the case of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, to explore the true meaning of Christmas.
The holiday season is upon us, and with it a chance to spend more time with family, eat good food, and hit the slopes. It’s also an opportunity to appreciate and reflect upon things we often overlook or take for granted — including the importance of this period for the B.C. economy, and the complex supply chain that helps make our holiday season such a special time of year.
A white Christmas in Vancouver? It could happen, but it’s not very likely, according to the meteorologists at the Weather Network.
“The Christmas spirit is awesome,” Candy Kung says. She gets to “hang out and bond” with her family, share presents and enjoy lights sparkling on Christmas trees.


text:
New appointments at the head of the "Office Agency" department at JLL Belgium
Press Release available in Dutch & French
JLL is pleased to announce two new appointments within its teams.
Christophe Golenvaux becomes the new Head of Office Agency Brussels & Wallonia and Ralph Schellen the new Head of Office & Business Development Belgium.
For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500® company with annual revenue of $20.9 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 103,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.


text:
Bunge has entered into an agreement to acquire Westfälische Lebensmittelwerke Lindemann GmbH & Co. KG, a supplier of oils and fats in Germany.
Established in 1902 in Bünde, East Westphalia, the family-owned business has grown to become one of the leading suppliers of oils and fats to both the industrial and artisan channels of the German bakery market.
The Lindemann portfolio is an excellent fit with Bunge and will allow the company to offer a broader, high value range of products in response to consumer trends and its customer requirements, Bunge said.
“This acquisition will allow us to build a more robust and balanced B2B oil and fat business by expanding our portfolio and capabilities to the bakery segment,” said Tommy Jensen, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bunge EMEA. “It will enable us to strengthen our presence in Northwestern Europe that we have established with our existing assets and our recent acquisition of Walter Rau Neusser.”
This agreement is the latest of expansions for Bunge this year.
Bunge completed the acquisition of Cargill’s soybean/rapeseed crush and oil refinery and the beans discharging operation alongside its processing plant in the port of Amsterdam, Netherlands, as well as its soybean/rapeseed crush facility in Brest, France on March 1.
The company also formed an ocean freight joint venture in mid-February. Koninklijke Bunge B.V. (Bunge), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bunge Ltd., a global agribusiness and food company, and Bahri Dry Bulk Co. (BDB), a subsidiary of the Bahri Group, the national shipping arm of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, created a joint venture to establish an ocean freight supplier for dry bulk import and export flows in and out of the Middle East region.
Partnerships are a priority for Bunge, said Soren Schroder, CEO of Bunge, during a Feb. 15 conference call with analysts to discuss fiscal 2016 results. The company has created strategic joint ventures in Brazil, Canada and Vietnam that are improving its competitive position and allowing the company to grow in a capital-efficient way. Bunge also has expanded access to critical markets through distribution partnerships, such as OSI and OFI in the Philippines for oil distribution in the Asia-Pacific region.
By Holly Demaree
Source: World Grain
Upon FoodBev Media’s return from Vitafoods 2022 – which took place from 10-12 May in Geneva, Switzerland – the team reflects on the event’s aim to bring together international nutraceutical suppliers and experts from across the globe.
Following a strategic review last year, Mondelēz International is planning to sell its developed chewing gum business, which includes brands Trident and Dentyne. This is in addition to offloading its Halls cough drop brand, as the food giant focuses on generating 90% of revenue in its chocolates and biscuits businesses, including baked snacks.
Givaudan has unveiled NaNino+, a patent-pending combination of plant-based ingredients and natural flavorings that can replace nitrite in processed meat. Designed with natural ingredients, it provides a lasting multi-sensorial food experience with a good taste, color and freshness.


text:
Apple loses its position as the world’s most valuable company. The price of shares falls — and Microsoft takes the number one spot.
The news follows after Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a $6 billion (€5.2 billion) quarterly loss, a result of unexpected manufacturing problems. Apple’s supply chain was hit by COVID-19. Although the organization observed that shortages were improving in October, chips remain scarce – “and most of our products are now affected”, Cook told Reuters.
While the price of Apple shares fell by 3.6 percent, Microsoft’s value rose by 0.7 percent; enough to knock Apple off its throne. Microsoft, with a market valuation of 2.46 trillion dollar (2.13 trillion euros), has become the world’s most valuable company.
The news is as big as it is unsurprising. The price of Microsoft’s shares rose by 45 percent in the past year. Its cloud foundation proved indispensable during the pandemic. Apple, for whom hardware is at the core, suffered supply issues. CEO Tim Cook reports that the setback only promises to be more severe during the upcoming holiday season.


text:
Helmut Lang is changing its creative lineup. Dazed magazine editor-in-chief Isabella Burley was appointed as Helmut Lang’s editor-in-residence, meanwhile Hood by Air designer Shayne Oliver was tapped to create a special collection for the label. Oliver’s collection will include menswear, womenswear and accessories and will launch in September. It is speculated that Burley will also continue to recruit new designers for future capsule collections as well.
Cocona global brand VP Christy Raedeke was promoted to the role of global marketing and sales EVP. Raedeke joined Cocona in 2013, where she worked with brands to create assortments using the company’s 37.5 technology across many markets. With nearly three decades of business development experience, Raedeke has held previous leadership roles at The Mountain Zone and Microsoft.
General Motors executive Clay Dean was tapped as Under Armour’s new chief innovation officer. In his new role, Dean will oversee the execution of Under Armour’s global innovation strategy, along with cross-functional collaboration between other teams. Dean joins Under Armour from GM, where he recently served as the leader of GM’s Global Advanced Design organization. With over 20years of experience at GM, Dean contributed to many internal projects, including the creative development of the Hummer H2 car.
Alexander Wang is shaking up its communications and marketing fleet. VP of global branding and communications Tanja Ruhnke and VP of press and retail marketing Souri Kim exited the company. Ruhnke joined Wang in 2012 and has held leadership positions at Rag & Bone and KCD Paris. Kim, who joined the label in 2015, also worked at KCD Paris and other fashion companies, including Moda Operandi. They will be succeeded by consultant Anjali Lewis, who manages her own consulting agency, The Curious Bird, and has previously held associate publisher positions at In Style and Vanity Fair. Wang also reportedly replaced two design staff members, who have not been named at this time.
Gap Inc. tapped Gymboree CEO Mark Breitbard as Banana Republic’s new CEO and president. Gap Inc. CEO and president Art Peck, will continue to directly manage Banana Republic until Breitbard joins the company in May. Before serving as Gymboree’s CEO for the past four years, Breitbard held various leadership roles at Gap North America from 2010 to 2013. Breitbard’s resume also includes previous stints at Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi Strauss & Co. and Old Navy.
Simparel hired Michael Ross as its new strategic accounts director. In his new role, he will market the Simparel Shop Floor Control (SFC) and other end-to-end business solutions to North America and Central America-based manufacturers. As a former uniform services executive, Ross has held many leadership positions, including group manager/VP of operations at Aramark Uniform Services and Omni Services.
Jil Sander creative director Rodolfo Paglialunga is exiting the company after showing his last fall collection in February. Paglialunga joined Jil Sander in 2014 after leading Paris-based fashion house Vionnet. Lucie and Luke Meier are anticipated to succeed Paglialunga, after helming the spring and fall ready-to-wear and couture studios at Dior.
Athletic tech-style apparel brand RYU Apparel named Brett Pawson as its new SVP of retail and operations. With over 15 years of sales experience in retail, Pawson has held leadership roles at many companies, including Lululemon and The Body Shop.
Givenchy appointed Clare Waight Keller as its new artistic director, effective May 2. In her new role, Waight Keller will oversee women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections, in addition to Haute Couture. Waight Keller will present her first Givenchy collection for Spring/Summer 2018 in October.
Kmart president and chief member officer Alasdair James exited the company. James is the latest executive to depart from Sears Holdings, the parent company of the Kmart brand. Sears EVP Jeffrey Balanga, along with Sears president and chief member officer Joelle Maher, left their roles in December. James joined Kmart in 2014 after holding several leadership positions at U.K.-based grocery company Tesco. Sears has not commented on James’ departure.


text:
Top Reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S5
Top Reasons to buy Samsung’s flagship of 2014, the Galaxy S5
The Galaxy S5, one of 2014 highly anticipated device, was announced back at MWC 2014. Instead of making it more gimmicky and adding more software tricks, this time Samsung added new features that are actually useful and improve the overall experience. And here are the most significant features and improvements.
Battery life is one main things we are concerned about when buying a new phone or tablet, and rest assured the Galaxy S5 doesn’t disappoint. Although with only a 2800 mAh battery it outperforms the likes of the Galaxy Note 3 (3200 mAh), LG G2 (3000 mAh) and the Sony Xperia Z1 (3000 mAh), according to the tests carried out by smarthphone.bg.
(Image Source: GSMArena)
This year Samsung’s flagship phone is equipped with a 5.1 inch FHD Super Amoled Display. And according to Dr. Raymond M. Soneira’s report from DisplayMate, the Galaxy S5 has most accurate and best performing screen ever tested. As stated, instead of increasing the resolution or screen size of the Galaxy S5, Samsung focused more on improving the viewing angles, power efficiency, color accuracy as well as the display brightness.
Finger Print scanners have become the norm in current mobile devices and Samsung didn’t want to be their devices left out from the crowd. So unsurprisingly the Samsung has added a finger print scanner to the home button of the Galaxy S5, which will be used to secure the phone as well as to ensure a secure verification to services of different apps.
On the camera side, the Galaxy S5 is featured with a 16MP camera and a 16:9 sensor, as well as 4k video capture. Finally OEMs are starting to think right, because with most phones when taking a widescreen shot the final picture is cropped and is at lower resolution. It also has a Phase Detection Auto focus, allowing the camera to focus very quickly, Samsung claims it to be fastest on any phone. Mind you the Galaxy S5 doesn’t have optical image stabilization.
Water and Dust resistant
With an IP67 certification, the Galaxy S5 is water and dust resistant. With that, you should be safe from any accidental splashes and not be worried of dust or sand. Other than the Sony Xperia Z2, this is the only high-end premium smartphone from a respected OEM that is water resistant.
All in all the Samsung Galaxy S5 is worthy of phone checking out even if it isn’t a huge spec bump from the Galaxy S4, and rest assured you won’t have any buyer’s remorse. Now if only there’s a Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition in the near future…


text:
5/1/2008 10:08:00 AM
O2 increases fixed-line broadband range
O2 will increase its fixed-line broadband offer in May with a nationwide rollout of its consumer offering, and with the launch of a broadband service for business customers.
The operator’s unbundled home broadband service, which was launched in October last year, covers 60% of the country, but from 1 May it will use BT’s wholesale network to reach the remaining 40% of the country.
O2 will also launch a business broadband service on the same date.
Existing O2 customers will be charged £17.50 per month for unlimited downloads, free connection and a wireless router.
Prices for O2 home broadband delivered over O2’s local loop unbundled network will start from £7.50 per month.
The launch of O2 Business Broadband will offer download speeds of up to 20MB, unlimited usage, and a free O2 wireless router for between £15 and £20.


text:
The global economy is facing a number of challenges in 2023, including geopolitical tensions, inflation, and tightening financial conditions. However, economic activity remains resilient, thanks to strong consumer spending, positive labor market dynamics, and China’s reopening. Advanced economies are expected to experience limited growth of 0.9% in 2023, but the global GDP growth forecast is raised to 2.7% due to the recovery in China and India, which are expected to grow by 5.3% and 6.2% respectively. However, there are concerns about fading reopening effects and fiscal headwinds that may impact global growth in 2024.
Inflation is expected to gradually ease towards central bank targets over the next 12-18 months, with global consumer prices projected to average 3.7% in Q3 2023, 3.4% in Q4, and 3.0% in 2024. Strong labor markets and slower-than-expected inflation easing have led to higher interest rates, and major central banks are anticipated to continue the hiking cycle in the second half of 2023. However, a shift towards an easing stance is expected in 2024, as disinflation provides a potential silver lining.
In the United States, most forecasts indicate that the economy will avoid a downturn in 2023, with upgraded growth outlooks ranging from 1.2% to 1.8%. However, a mild recession is likely in the second half of 2024. Consumer spending and the labor market have shown resilience in the first half of 2023, suggesting that the slowdown may not be as immediate or severe as predicted. Headline inflation is expected to have peaked, with CPI forecasts for 2023 lowered to 4% due to lower energy prices. Core inflation remains resilient, leading to a raised CPI forecast of 2.7% for 2024. The Federal Reserve is expected to implement two more 25 basis points rate hikes by the end of the year, bringing the target range to 5.5%-5.75%. Turmoil in the regional banking sector and higher interest rates will lead to tighter credit conditions, impacting growth prospects in the US.
In the European Union, Eurozone growth is expected to be slow but positive over the next two years. The European Central Bank (ECB) will tighten policy to control inflation. Southern European economies continue to grow, while Germany and the Eurozone have experienced a technical recession. Growth forecasts for 2023 have been revised down to 0.6%, with 2024 forecasted at 1%. Inflation forecasts have been lowered to 5.5% for 2023 due to improving energy conditions and a weaker growth environment. However, strong wage-driven services inflation prompts an upgrade to the 2024 forecast of 2.6%. The ECB has hiked rates by 25 basis points and is expected to continue raising rates later in the year. Eurozone inflation remains stubbornly high, with headline inflation at 7% in April. Eurozone household consumption is weak due to higher borrowing costs and persistent inflation, leading to a slump in retail sales and weak industrial production.
The United Kingdom has seen resilient global growth, lower energy prices, and fiscal support. However, aggressive rate hikes, squeezed consumer spending power, and medium-term fiscal tightening have impacted the economy. The UK is expected to see a slight increase of 0.1% in GDP this year, avoiding a recession, and a tepid recovery of 0.4% in 2024. UK inflation remains high compared to other advanced economies, with CPI at 8.7% in April. The Bank of England predicts a prolonged period of elevated inflation, with CPI not reaching the 2% target until early 2025. The MPC has been consistently raising interest rates, reaching 4.5% in May, with expectations of further rate hikes. China’s GDP is forecasted to grow at a rate of 5.3-5.6% in 2023 and 5.4% in 2024. The post-COVID consumption recovery is gaining momentum, but challenges and unbalanced activity persist. Falling industrial margins and the housing sector act as drags on the consumption-led recovery.
In the equities market, despite the banking sector crisis, equities have performed well in 2023. Lower market rates have helped offset weaker corporate earnings, but increased uncertainty is likely to impact the equity rally. Companies with strong quality credentials are expected to be rewarded. Over the long term, stocks are expected to outperform bonds significantly. In the fixed income market, bond investors have an opportunity to diversify and earn high income. Government bonds and interest rate duration, especially in the US, are becoming more attractive, while caution is advised in the euro zone and the UK.
In alternative investing and private credit, private credit is experiencing a capital shortage as banks reduce lending. Qualified investors could earn equity-like returns in selected debt securities, such as loans for private equity buy-outs, lending to later-stage venture companies, and mezzanine debt for real estate refinancing. A credit collapse is not anticipated, and potential credit issues are expected to be concentrated in commercial real estate.
In summary, the global economy is facing challenges from geopolitical tensions, inflation, and tightening financial conditions. However, there are signs of resilience in economic activity, supported by consumer spending and labour market dynamics. China’s recovery and India’s strong growth are contributing to the global GDP growth forecast. Inflation is expected to gradually ease, but higher interest rates are likely in the near term. The US, EU, UK, and China each have their own economic outlooks, with varying levels of growth and inflation forecasts. Equities have performed well, but increased uncertainty may impact future performance. Bond investors have opportunities for diversification and higher returns, while private credit is experiencing a capital shortage but offers potential for qualified investors.
J.P. Morgan https://lnkd.in/emNW5tZT
Morgan Stanley https://lnkd.in/eTWzrj3B
Wells Fargo https://lnkd.in/eXhvxEUx
State Street https://lnkd.in/ei8zyWMR
M&G plc https://lnkd.in/eaH_f5xc
Wellington Management https://lnkd.in/etSSFD2H
Capital Group https://lnkd.in/esfpGZnP


text:
Home » Business » Page 246
This is despite the fact that the Covid-19 jolted the India startup ecosystem across multiple dimensions and the impact was severe during the lockdown period from March to June 2020
Launches product variants for both passenger and cargo segment offering 35 kms and 80 kms range in a single charge
As part of the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' package, the government in May had announced that there will be a maximum of four public sector companies in the strategic sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatised
The partnership will enable Hyderabad-based Cyient to identify new business opportunities, to lower its product development costs and to offer geospatial solutions with higher precision
The festive offers will run till November 15
India is likely to bounce back with an impressive 8.8 per cent growth rate in 2021, thus regaining the position of the fastest growing emerging economy, IMF said
IMF says growth to be -4.4 per cent in 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
Niti Aayog CEO said the government is finalising its plans to expand its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to more sectors for boosting domestic manufacturing
As the festive season peaks, the company expects enhanced demand in categories like snacks, juices and other carbonated beverages led by the sentiment of celebration
The trend is expected to reverse only slowly as investors feel more confident to save more once their own income stream stabilises, said Vidya Bala, co-founder of Primeinvestor.in
At present the country requires around 165 million tonnes of iron ore as against production of 206 million tonnes
This initiative will allow the PF subscribers to interact directly with EPFO's regional offices at a personalised level adhering to one-to-one guidance principle.
This acquisition will help Wipro to expand into newer market segments and elevate customers' journey in connected products, embedded AI and security, the regulatory filing by WIpro said
The report comes following a study, across 49 cities, released by private firm OpenSignal in September declaring Bharti Airtel to have the fastest download speed in India.
Vodafone Idea has a need for large scale data transformation with a focus on architecture modernisation, open-source adoption and using predictive analytics for data modernisation.
The S&P 500 rose 1.6% to 3,534.22, with Big Tech stocks, including Apple and Microsoft, powering much of the gains.
Exchange data showed that foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 615.17 crore on a net basis on Monday.
The decline in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was 10.8 per cent in July. The contraction in August stood at 8 per cent, as per the latest data.
This cross-border acquisition will help NephroPlus to access the $400 million Philippines dialysis market and the company aims to clock a business of $50 million by 2025.
The Hyderabad-based space-tech company is keen to use India as a launch pad and build space-tech solution for countries around the world.


text:
The Marich Confectionery story began in the Netherlands during World War II. Marinus van Dam watched as Nazi soldiers forced his father, a member of the Dutch resistance, into a car. The family never saw him again. Fifteen-year-old Marinus, suddenly the head of the house, took a job cleaning up at a local candy factory.
“His hard work caught the eye of management and they sent him to Candy Technology School,” said Marinus’s son Brad van Dam. “He came to America when he was 28 and worked for candy companies here. In 1983, he founded his own company, Marich Confectionery Company, in Watsonville.”
Now located in Hollister, the confectionery is managed by van Dam and his brother Troy.
“Our first customers were candy and nut retailers like Morrow’s Nut House, with stores and stands in shopping malls,” van Dam said. “They carried us for the first year while we worked on getting new customers. In 1995 we bought land in Hollister, which gave us the chance to build one big facility to handle everything and we moved there in 1998.”
Their best-known product is their line of chocolate-covered caramel, fruits and nuts. They also produce plant-based gummy candies and toffee.
“Chocolate cherries have been our longest-running, top-selling product,” van Dam said. “The usual chocolate-covered cherries were maraschinos and my father thought, ‘There must be a better way of doing this so it is not as sweet.’ He used dried dark cherries and initially, the consumers did not understand them. They came to realize it was something very different.”
Once the cherries caught the interest of consumers, the race was on to introduce a greater variety of candies.
“We started looking to find other things we could cover in chocolate,” van Dam said. “We thought of dried blueberries and strawberries. And then we had all the nuts as well, like the almond, which you can flavor in so many different ways.”
For over two years now, Marich Confectionery has been producing Pine Bros Cough Drops, a product celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
“We originally looked at Marich to help us with packaging,” said Pine Bros owner Rider McDowell. “When we got to talking to them, we realized they had the same interest in producing a high-quality product that was pure and natural. For us, it is a perfect match.”
McDowell also owns the Betabel Project off Highway 101.
With over 150 employees and an international customer base, Marich is the largest candy company in San Benito County.
On the other end of the scale is Margot Tankersley, creator of Kayla’s Kandies and owner of Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor in San Juan Bautista, who also began her career at a very young age.
“I started making candy in the seventh grade,” Tankersley said. “My neighbor was selling lollipop making kits and I bought one. When I went to Idaho State University, I started making them and I sold them in the student union building.”
What began as a way for her to make gas money while in school eventually became a career.
“When I moved to Sparks, Nevada, I started going to a cake decorating class to meet people,” Tankersley said. “After putting on 10 pounds I thought ‘there has to be something smaller to make.’ I found a shop in Reno that sold candy making supplies and had classes.”
Returning to Hollister in 1995, she began taking courses at a beauty school and would treat the other students to her homemade chocolate. When she had the chance to buy the ice cream parlor, she grabbed it and proudly featured her chocolate truffles.
Both businesses have something in common beside chocolate: they have been able to stay open during the pandemic, benefitting from PPP and business loans.
“We were fortunate to be included in food manufacturing, so we could continue to operate,” van Dam said. “It took some adjustment because we had to maintain proper distancing and proper protocols. Everything we do is to make sure that people can work without concerns.”
Tankersley was able to keep her ice cream parlor open with minimal staff, but her candy making stopped for a while.
“We did have people coming in, but they just bought ice cream,” Tankersley said. “I had to discard all my candy supply inventory because the chocolate was not selling.”
She started sending truffles along with delivery orders and offering samples at her shop to increase interest. She began making candy again in June on her shop’s 24th anniversary, adding new truffle flavors such as caramel and lavender.
Other related BenitoLink articles:
BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is working around the clock during this time when accurate information is essential. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s news.


text:
German new car registrations up in November: VDA
New car registrations in Germany, a key gauge of demand in one of the most important sectors of the eurozone's biggest economy, rose in November, trade data showed on Friday.
A total 269,300 new cars were registered in Germany last month, an increase of 3.0 percent year-on-year, the VDA auto industry federation calculated in its monthly statistics.
Looking ahead to the full year, new registrations were set to remain stable at a total 3.1 million, the federation said.
© 2011 AFP


text:
Reports out of Japan are suggesting that Atlus may be using the upcoming Tokyo Game Show to debut a sequel to last year's Maken X. This news comes to us via a few Japanese sources apart from Atlus itself, so don't take this report as confirmation. However, an Atlus representative alluded to the sequel in an interview with a Japanese newspaper a while back, so it's definitely looking likely.
The American version of part 1 should be out about a month following the Tokyo Game Show. Let's hope this news of a sequel turns out to be true, as having Atlus as a one hit wonder on Dreamcast would be a shame indeed.


text:
Britain said it will push G7 allies at talks on Wednesday (31 March) to do more to ban “pernicious practices” in trade, such as forced labour and intellectual property theft, in an apparent call for a tougher line towards China at the World Trade Organization.
Trade minister Liz Truss will host her G7 counterparts and the new head of the WTO, using Britain’s platform as current president of the group of rich countries to promote post-Brexit Britain as a leading free-trade advocate.
“People cannot believe in free trade if it is not fair,” Truss said in a statement before the meeting.
“Public trust has been corroded by pernicious practices, from the use of forced labour to environmental degradation and the stealing of intellectual property.”
Although Truss did not mention China directly in the statement, the issues she described are all issues Britain has raised in connection with China in the past. Beijing denies that it steals intellectual property, unfairly hurts the environment or improperly trades goods made with forced labour.
Since leaving the European Union and pinning its economic future on global trade, Britain has stepped up criticism of China’s trade practices.
Other G7 allies, including US President Joe Biden, agree on the need to reform the WTO and to address China’s rising global influence.
The ministers will be joined on the call by recently-elected WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who inherited an organisation that has struggled to enforce and modernise its rule book.
China, a WTO member since 2001, has expressed confidence in her leadership and also said it wants reforms and a more effective trading system.


text:
The MSI Pulse GL76 lineup is a range of no-nonsense gaming notebooks that pack the best hardware and tech around. If you are looking at
Day: Apr 1, 2022
It seems like Hideo Kojima and his studio Kojima Productions can’t do anything without being the centre of speculation from fans. Kojima recently posted a
Lenovo has announced the top 3 Finals Winners of their recent Legion Create competition, aimed at growing the South African streaming and content creation scene.
The ESA won’t be hosting an E3 2022 event this year whatsoever. This means that there is no physical in-person event taking place nor a
The inaugural Stallions Cup esports tournament presented by RGB Gaming and hosted by Kyalami Schools at their Beaulieu College campus in Kyalami, Johannesburg, kicked off
Microsoft is reportedly working on a ‘Family Plan’ for their popular subscription service Xbox Game Pass, according to Windows Central. This will apparently allow multiple


text:
Out of all the companies profiled in 2020, an impressive 41 were rated either a Positive or Strong Positive. Which topics and technologies bubbled to the top in 2020? Learn more from our expert, Anthony Schiavo in this blog.
The Lux Digital Team has identified topics and companies that rose to the top during the last year. Of all the companies that the Lux Digital Team profiled via primary interviews, 92 companies received a Positive or Strong Positive Lux Take.
Mobility continues to undergo its transformation with the rise of electrification and even a return of interest in hydrogen-powered vehicles. Looking back on 2020, our experts highlight some of the most important developments that occurred for the future energy for mobility storyline.
Get expert opinions on the latest emerging technology and innovation news. This past week was a big week for energy, and hydrogen specifically. Check out our analysts' coverage of Haldor Topsoe, Hyundai Motor, SK Group, and Singapore and Chile's plans for an international hydrogen supply chain.
With COVID clearly demonstrating weaknesses in local, regional, and global food systems, doing more with less was a key driver for 2020 development across the agrifood space. On the crop production side of the value chain, digital transformation, alternative crop protection methods, and production sustainability received a considerable proportion of innovation attention. In this blog, we provide some hand-picked examples from the year that exemplify progress in these innovation areas.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, many shared mobility companies have passed the stress test, tapping into new revenue sources like food delivery, pharmaceuticals delivery, and fintech. Reflecting on shared mobility in 2020, we take a look back at some of the most important developments that occurred in this space.
In this blog, our digital transformation experts summarize the two key takeaways from the CES 2021 with respect to the future of smart and connected consumer products and ecosystems.
As we reflect on 2020, we take a look back at some of the most important materials-related developments that occurred in the Consumer Transformation theme.


text:
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra kills the camera bump and resurrects the Note series for a flagship phone that's still fresh enough to cut it.
In many unarguable respects, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra is a brand new phone. It has a new camera, a fresh set of cutting edge internals, a longer battery life than ever before and it also comes in maroon now. You’ll have heard these proclamations about many a handset before and that doesn’t stop them from being the case once again. Still, they’re not really the most-noteworthy thing about the South Korean tech giant’s latest flagship creation.
What’s really worth knowing about the S22 Ultra is that it’s a throwback to its maker’s future, resurrecting old innovations in a new streamlined form with a good deal of panache. Just as some of the plastic inside this device is upcycled from old fishing nets, its biggest ideas were previously discarded as outdated or irrelevant. If this all sounds like the gadget equivalent of a greatest hits album with an obligatory new track or two thrown into the mix, then you’d be right for thinking so. But who doesn’t love the classics?
Return of the Note
Before we get to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s make-up, it’s important to know the context behind it. Much more important than usual. So last year, I liked the S21 Ultra and its more reasonably-priced compatriots a lot. I liked their somewhat brutalist aesthetic with a huge camera cutout, I liked the camera’s actual trickery itself, and the rest of those phones also dialled into what the South Korean tech giant still does best, which is plenty.
Made of tough stuff
Although there are some notable changes to the S22 Ultra’s camera itself – including a refined portrait mode for photos and video, auto-framing for video and much-improved zoom shots at medium distances – the most obvious one is the biggie: there’s no camera bump. Instead, this phone’s entire camera module is sunk into its behind with each lens representing a small nubbin on its backside. Given the Ultra has three lenses in total (ultra-wide, wide and telephoto), alongside complimentary flash and laser autofocus modules, the visual effect is somewhat akin to an artful acne outbreak. One that’s protected against the added risk of knocks and bumps by the use of a new, tougher Gorilla Glass Victus+ material.
For whatever it’s worth, I think the camera design looks better on some colour schemes than others. The maroon, I’m very into. The pearlescent white? Not so much. Either way, it feels like the beginning of the end for ugly camera bumps. It's an intriguing aspect of an already impressive design, with the S22 Ultra proving comfortable to hold despite its considerable size. Part of that is down to its artfully curved edges, but at 229g it just isn’t that heavy – Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max weighs 240g by comparison.
Internally, the S22 Ultra’s improved photo processing and more restrained battery life is aided by a 4-nanometre processor for advanced AI capabilities. With an ample 5,000mAH battery and support for 45-watt charging that’ll top up your phone to 50 per cent in just 20 minutes, you can happily drain your life away without worrying about slowdown or stamina. While a lot of this stuff is very much par for the smartphone course these days, it’s still impressive on a technical level.
Aside from its far superior camera, sheer size and S-Pen, the real differentiator between the S22 Ultra and the rest of Samsung’s new Galaxy series comes down to price.
Old habits die hard
If a lot of what works about the S22 Ultra is its willingness to revive old traditions, what’s substantially less impressive is Samsung’s ongoing status as an eco laggard. As mentioned previously, the S22 series is Samsung’s first set of smartphones to really make a notable effort to lessen their environmental impact. They earn this achievement by repurposing ocean-bound plastics into a few of their parts to better protect marine life and coral reefs.
Still with ‘wow factor’
For a phone that doesn’t do a whole lot that’s genuinely new, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra sure does tell you a great deal about the state of tech in 2022. If Samsung’s folding phones are its very own DeLorean – striking, occasionally pernickety and beloved all the same – then the S22 series is a necessary counterbalance. One that ensures its maker has one foot firmly in the present day, where most people just want to buy a normal phone with a stellar camera and a battery that won’t run out of puff in a rush.
So long as you’re not yet fussed about the eventual future of smartphones or this one’s limited eco-credentials, then the S22 Ultra is proof that Samsung still knows how to make a familiar flagship with a bit of ‘wow factor’.


text:
The firm outlined its growth ambitions yesterday after buying back the "sub-master" franchise licence for Scotland in a deal worth 420,000.
It said the agreement provided it with "the opportunity to substantially increase its store network".
There are currently ten franchised Cash Converters outlets in Scotland which are contracted to pay weekly fees totalling almost 190,000 a year. Under the terms of the agreement, 70 per cent of those fees were retained by the previous franchise holder - Cash Converters (Scotland) Limited.
Cash Converters International, which started from a single store in Australia, in 1984, will acquire that income stream, plus the rights to develop the store network in Scotland "to its full potential of about 60 stores", the group said.
David Patrick, head of Cash Converters UK, said: "(The deal] will allow us to accelerate the growth of our store network and rollout of our financial services products in Scotland in line with what we are doing in the rest of the UK."


text:
Hello, my name is Munchkin. I am looking for the purr-fect partner
On Chinese Valentine's Day this week, more than the lovelorn are hoping for matchmaking magic. Pet owners, too, are out looking for breeding mates.
China's version of Valentine's Day, the Qixi Festival, falls on August 22 this year, and the place to go in Shanghai for pet matchmaking is People's Park. Long known for its matchmaking corner for humans, the park has become a gathering point for pet owners.
Like parents desperate about the marriage prospects of children, pet owner are appearing at the park with handwritten boards or ground posters bearing basic information about pets they want to mate.
A news video of the event on Jiuzhi News has been viewed a million times on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The partners for pets effort has evoked its own humorous moments.
"My mother said that either my cat or I must find a partner," one pet owner joked in the video.
People's Park in city center is an icon in Shanghai's history. It opened in October 1952 at the former site of the city's famous racecourse.
In the 1970s-80s, amid a lack of entertainment facilities, the park became a popular rendezvous for young lovers to date. In the early 2000s, it evolved into a matchmaking site, where parents gathered on weekends seeking partners for their children.
Finding partners for pets is a trend among the younger generation. There are more than 20,000 posts with tags related to "pet matchmaking" on lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu.
Harley Gu, 26, posted on Xiaohongshu that she is looking for a female cat to bear a litter for her male pet Munchkin.
"I won't buy him a 'wife' and I won't sell their 'children' if they mate," the post reads. "I'll just share them."
She told Shanghai Daily previous efforts to find a mate for her cat on WeChat Moments have failed, citing among other reasons, that most of her friends have had their female cats spayed.
A white paper on China's pet industry in 2019 estimated there were nearly 100 million pet cats and dogs in the country.
According to the report, issued by Beijing-based Pet'em Data Research Institute, more than 70 percent of pet owners are interested in breeding their pets, but only about 8 percent have succeeded.
In October 2019, the online second-hand market Xianyu reported that mating partners for more than 160,000 pets had been found on the platform, with more than 88,000 pets still lovelorn. The ratio of cats to dogs on the site is 9-to-1.
Beijing ranked first in numbers of pet matchmaking cases, followed by the cities of Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
The Pet'em report said breed, fur color, body shape, personality and the locations of owners are the biggest factors in pet dating.
Many breed their pets before having them neutered, according to the report.
Pet mating can be a form of socializing for owners.
"I have social phobia, but I can talk a lot when it comes to my cat," said a Weibo user.
Another netizen said she is looking for a man for herself who is also a cat lover.
According to Weng Zhitian, director of Pethouse Animal Hospital, keeping pets is a way for young people to relieve stress.
"It can enable people to meet others who share their interests," he said.
However, Shi Er, the owner of five cats, warned that owners should carefully check the health of mates chosen for breeding.
Gu said she thinks matchmaking might work better for dogs than for cats.
"Dogs can play together when they meet. Cats may fight," she said. "So, I think one-to-one dating is okay, but if several cats are involved, it could turn into a mess."


text:
How is China influencing global pig prices?
Pig prices in both Europe and the US started to climb sharply in March, following a reported 20% drop in Chinese sow numbers as African Swine Fever takes hold. However, the market reaction has slowed in recent weeks.
Chinese demand for imported pork, both real and anticipated, has clearly increased in the past two months. Indeed the latest EU export figures show an escalation in shipments. At the same time, reports suggest slaughter pig numbers have been tightening in Europe, lending further support to prices.
The situation is less straightforward in the US. While the USDA has recorded substantial weekly pork sales to China, these volumes have not yet been reflected in actual shipments recorded by US customs. There had been optimism that US-China trade negotiations would result in the removal of the additional 50% tariff on US pork exports to China. This may have helped boost forward sales, and support farmgate prices.
However, some of the optimism around US-China trade relations has abated in recent weeks. The Chinese cancelled some orders of US pork in early May, and futures prices have cooled. With no end to the China-US trade war in sight, the outlook for this market has become more cautious.
Market reports from continental Europe also suggest Chinese traders are now not accepting further price rises. The Chinese government has insisted all frozen pork stocks must be tested for ASF by 1 July. This may be temporarily dampening import demand, as stored pork is pushed onto the market. With this in mind, the small supply of slaughter pigs in the EU has become increasingly important in pushing EU pig prices higher.
Despite these bearish factors, it remains the case that Chinese pork production will fall substantially this year. In the second half of the year, import demand should start to strengthen again as pork stocks are depleted. This offers the potential for further price support.


text:
The Australian Federal Authorities have introduced this week that they’ll be pushing to “apply an R18+ score to all video video games that include simulated playing”, a transfer that seems to be the strictest of its sort we’ve seen.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Coolest Zone Is Straightforward To Miss
Whereas Belgium’s notorious Loot Field legal guidelines have made headlines repeatedly after passing just a few years in the past, this new Australian proposal takes a barely completely different strategy, and can sort out all types of playing in video video games, not simply “shock mechanics”.
As the ABC report, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is asking the nation’s states and territories to log out on the plan, which might see any recreation with “simulated playing” hit with an adults-only score. Meaning something with simulated precise playing, so stuff like digital slot machines.
Whereas that will have an effect on some mainstream titles, the broader impression can be felt by any recreation nonetheless utilizing loot bins, because the proposed legal guidelines “additionally search to alter classification guidelines to require all video games with paid loot bins — the place gamers can buy a field with a randomised in-game merchandise inside — to hold at the very least a ‘mature’ M-rating.”
If these proposals grew to become legislation, that will imply that a few of the most profitable retail video video games on the planet, like EA’s FIFA collection, would see their scores soar from “G” (for basic audiences) to “M” for “Mature”. Be aware that in Australia “M” means one thing is really useful for individuals over 15, that means it received’t legally hold video games out of the fingers of youngsters, whereas the stricter “MA15+” score legally restricts the sale of merchandise to these over the age of 15.
“There may be rising neighborhood concern across the harms of simulated playing,” Rowland says. “A mother or father, for instance, would count on that if their kids had bought and was taking part in a recreation, and that recreation contained some simulated playing, that they’ve a proper to find out about that.”
They do! And it is a optimistic begin. It’s after all not good, and may’t hope to impression a few of the worst offenders—on-line areas like Roblox are infamous for this—nevertheless it’s a begin. After all what this could imply for sporting playing cards and Kinder Surprises, each of that are additionally primarily based on the identical ideas, is a debate for one more day.


text:
Johnson & Johnson has been told to pay almost $4.7 billion to 22 women who claimed that they developed ovarian cancer by using Johnson’s baby powder.
The award, made by a jury in St Louis, Missouri, is the largest yet in sprawling litigation that has involved at least 9,000 lawsuits across the United States.
Johnson & Johnson, the $334 billion consumer goods and healthcare company, is accused of failing to give adequate warning about cancer risks associated with using baby powder for feminine hygiene.
Some of the claims, such as those in the St Louis case, have alleged that talc was mixed with cancer-causing asbestos. Johnson & Johnson denies that its talc products cause cancer, citing several studies showing that they are not carcinogenic.


text:
Magazines Archives - 2012 August
Food & Hotel Thailand turns 20, moves to new venue
The trade-only fair, which will be staged in a new venue Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITE C) this year, will also be a bigger event, says its organiser, Bangkok Exhibition Services Ltd (BES), reinforcing its reputation as the premier international trade event for Thailand, while reaching out to the region's hospitality and foodservice industries.
FHT2012 will showcase the latest products, services, trends and technologies as it mirrors strong and continued growth in the foodservice & hospitality industries, says BES.
The 2012 show will feature products and services from local and international suppliers supporting the Thai government's policy of encouraging all sectors to be well prepared for the implementation of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
BES points out: "Thailand continues to attract investment due to its position and status as a regional gateway, growp41 ing domestic demand, growing exports and strong tourism industry supported by the government, which has implemented policies to boost revenue from the tourism sector, from Bt1.14 billion (US$36.2 million) it generated in 2011 to Bt2 billion within 2015."
The emergence of the AE C by 2015 is expected to generate more global trade, more intra-ASEAN trade, more tourist arrivals and higher-yield visitors for Thailand by boosting its status as a regional hub for the tourism and trade, it adds.
With more than 250 exhibitors from 25 countries showcasing over 750 exhibiting brands, FHT2012 offers participants in Thailand and the region the opportunity to source for premium products, including some imported for the first time to Thailand and Asia, says BES. In addition, the show will feature eight international pavilions: Belgium, EU, Italy, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey and the US.ICSC's world summit puts globalisation of retailing in focus
While development in mature markets may have plateaued, emerging markets will present growth opportunities for the immediate future. A booming middle class in emerging markets has created myriad new retail opportunities," says the ICSC in a press statement announcing the event.
Comments Michael P Kercheval, CEO and president of the ICSC: "There are seismic swings taking place in retail and retail real estate across the globe. Emerging markets now represent the largest opportunities for development, new revenue streams and job creation. Opinions may vary as to what degree, but there can be no argument that we are witnessing an unprecedented shift in the global market paradigm."
Michael Moriarty, a partner at AT Kearney, who will be addressing the summit as its keynote speaker, adds: "Global retailers must have a strategy for expansion into developing markets." Attendees at the summit in Shanghai will hear first-hand from retailers who are leading the globalisation of retailing by crossing borders and successfully broadening their brands.
Attendees at the summit in Shanghai will hear first-hand from retailers who are leading the globalisation of retailing by crossing borders and successfully broadening their brands.
To view full story, get a copy of Retail Asia. To subscribe, please download the subscription form from http://www.retailasiaonline.com/subscription.html
2012 August Stories:


text:
As taxes go up in Japan, consumers are developing a new taste for the old. As a result, the flea market is jumping. But not as per tradition; now the concept has shrunk to fit your pocket. The second-hand marketplace app Mercari is attracting smartphone shoppers, could it overtake eBay?
Studies show that three quarters of us are born with the inclination to make poor spending decisions - spurring the creation of Japanese money management app PhotoMoney. And while it's not the first, developers believe it's unique enough to effectively alter spending habits.
With more than ¥1 million in monthly sales, DIY-tool.com is catering to the rapid uptake of DIY in Japan. Shifting attitudes towards the home have enabled people to see how DIY can be both useful and enjoyable. But in a society that fetishises the new, what’s the appeal of fixing up the old?
Located in a high end Tokyo shopping complex, Pass The Baton is an innovative retail concept which relies on the appeal of personal histories - celebrity and otherwise - to sell quality second hand goods.
While WhatsApp wins over the West and WeChat conquers China, messaging app LINE has taken Japan by storm. With 400 million users worldwide, and 52 million in Japan alone, LINE's bright and vibrant customisable stickers are hugely popular – but can they really replace text?


text:
Hundreds of commonly used soaps, lotions, and cleaning products will soon have to undergo makeovers.
On Jan. 1, 2017, Minnesota became the first state to officially ban triclosan, an antibacterial agent found in more than 140 types of personal care and home products.
The entire United States will soon follow suit. In Sept. 2016, the FDA issued a final rule banning triclosan, giving manufacturers until Sept. 2017 to comply with the rulemaking by removing or reformulating products.
Triclosan has been linked to problems with sex and thyroid hormones and other bodily functions, as well as the development of resistant bacteria.
From an environmental standpoint, triclosan has been a problem for decades. Up to 96% of triclosan is washed down the drain during normal use, leading to significant concentrations in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, which is released back into lakes and rivers.
William Arnold, PhD, professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, has been studying the environmental impact of triclosan for over 15 years. His team’s research led to the ban in Minnesota.
Arnold and his team first began investigating triclosan to determine how its presence in WWTP effluent has impacted the lakes and rivers in Minnesota.
“We wanted to understand how it reacted under sunlight after it was released from wastewater treatment plants,” said Arnold, in an exclusive interview with R&D Magazine. “What we found was that a couple of its photolysis products were potentially of environmental concern as well.”
Previous research had already shown that exposure to chlorine, commonly used in WWTPs, altered triclosan.
By testing lakes and rivers, Arnold and his colleagues found an increasing amount of other chemical compounds, called chlorinated triclosan derivatives, that form when triclosan is exposed to chlorine during the wastewater disinfection process. When exposed to sunlight, triclosan and its chlorinated derivatives form dioxins that persist in the environment.
“So now instead of just having this triclosan you have triclosan and three chlorinated triclosan derivatives. All four of those compounds then react under sunlight to form four specific dioxins,” said Arnold.
Dioxins are a highly toxic and persistent class of chemicals in the environment that accumulate exponentially and can be transported long distances.
By looking at lake sediment cores, Arnold and his team determined that triclosan and these dioxins can stay in the environment for years. They found traces of the 3 chlorinated triclosan derivatives and the four dioxins going back to 1964 when it was first patented, with virtually no traces appearing before triclosan got to the market.
In March 2013, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton ordered all state agencies to stop buying products that contain the chemical compound triclosan. Arnold testified in a legislative hearing in 2013 when a statewide ban was first proposed.
It is important that consumers are aware of the chemicals in the products they buy, said Arnold
“There are all kinds of chemicals that are used every day and this is a nice case study for thinking about the products that we are using and where they go eventually,” he said. “We need to remember that what we put down the drain might persist a lot longer than we think. We also need to think about why we are using these chemicals. Read labels.”


text:
President Donald Trump backs boycott of Harley Davidson in steel tariff dispute
Sunday, 12 August 2018 ( 2 days ago)
President Donald Trump backed boycotting American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson Inc on Sunday, the latest salvo in a dispute between the company and Trump over tariffs on steel.
The Wisconsin-based motorcycle manufacturer announced a plan earlier this year to move production of motorcycles for the European Union from ...
The company announced it would move some production overseas due to retaliatory EU tariffs targeting its bikes. ▶ Harley-Davidson Fans to Boycott If Production Moves Abroad 00:38
You Might Like
Recent related news
Trump backs boycott of Harley Davidson in steel tariff dispute President Donald Trump backed boycotting American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson Inc on Sunday, the latest salvo in a dispute between the company and... Reuters India 2 days ago - Business
Trump says Harley-Davidson owners will ‘boycott’ a day after meeting with riders After ignoring the subject for a few weeks, President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday to go back on the offensive against Harley-Davidson Inc. Trump has been... bizjournals 2 hours ago - Business
Energy executives lament Trump tariffs as costs rise on pipeline projects U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to double tariffs on steel and aluminium from Turkey could push up costs even further for domestic oil and gas pipeline... Reuters India 4 days ago - Business Trump authorizes doubling of steel, aluminum tariffs on Turkey US President Donald Trump on Friday said he has authorized to double the tariffs on steel and aluminum products from Turkey to 50 per cent and 20 per cent,... Sify 4 days ago - Business Tweets about this
Other recent news in Front Page
Recent related videos
'You're Sued!" Trump Campaign Goes After Omarosa
President Donald Trump's campaign is suing former top WH aide Omarosa Manigault Newman. The news comes in response to Manigault Newman's new tell-all book, "Unhinged." Business Insider reports she's..
Wochit News - 3 hours ago
Turks buy Apple despite Erdogan's boycott call
Turks expressed differing opinions on Tuesday after President Tayyip Erdogan called on the nation to boycott electronic products from the United States, particularly iPhones, retaliating in a dispute..
Business Video Online - 4 hours ago


text:
Another week of news has come and gone. Let’s take a look at what’s happened over the last few days.
The big news that people are talking about this week is STILL the rumored Warner Bros. film featuring the Joker running around 1980s Gotham City. The movie allegedly will be a “super dark” crime noir film looking at the Clown Prince of Crime’s origins, and won’t be connected to the DC Extended Universe. The film is supposedly set to be written by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips and 8 Mile’s Scott Silver, with Silver also set to direct.
Now, Warner Bros. is also hoping to bring on Martin Scorsese to produce the film, which may also lead to the company enticing Leonardo DiCaprio to star as The Joker. This all sounds like a fever dream.
Sticking with DC, the new TITANS show scheduled for DC’s streaming service has found its Nightwing… or maybe its Robin, depending on how they go. Brenton Thwaites will take on the role of Dick Grayson in the project. The Australian actor joins Teagan Croft as Raven and Anna Diop as Starfire.
MARVEL LEGACY #1 is being touted (by Marvel itself, naturally) as the “single most important comic book of 2017.” It’s so important, that the company has released a trailer for it:
Marvel Legacy 1 is in stores on Sept. 27.
Speaking of Marvel, Comixology is having a Buy One, Get One sale on Marvel comic books and collections through Sept. 7.
A reboot of THE CROW franchise has been in the works for close to 10 years now, and the wheel keeps on turning on trying to get The Crow Reborn made. Now, Sony Pictures has picked up distribution rights for the film, even though there’s no projected release date and there’s still a question of whether last-reported star Jason Momoa or director Corin Hardy are even still attached.
Finally, The Casual Geekery – still your new favorite place on the Internet – is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement to run select content from the RETRO MOVIE NERD blog, hosted by friend of the site Chris Jordan. We’re all very excited about this new partnership and look forward to the content sharing to start soon!


text:
Though there are serious threats to global trade from potential trade wars, it continues to flow. Like clean drinking water, trade and the trade finance that secures it, are crucial to the health of the global economy and to that of individual nations. How can trade and trade finance be nurtured, especially in the face of costs and tensions that threaten to turn off the tap?
Trade finance fuels trade; if firms are unable to access it, this can have significant consequences for business development and global commerce. The current US$1.5 trillion gap between the demand for and supply of trade finance is undeniably a substantial barrier to economic growth. A recent BNY Mellon survey canvassed industry participants to discover what steps they think should be taken to close the gap, and the results point to two potential sources of relief: technology and regulatory revision.
For Better or for Worse: The Linkage Between the US Economy and the Major Economies of the Western Hemisphere
The US economy is on track to break its own record; its current 115 months of expansion is only five months shy of the record set in the 1990s. The next recession will come, maybe soon, as the economy succumbs to factors such as policy errors, foreign growth and corporate profit. And the United States will not fall alone; other Western Hemisphere countries will be dragged down with it.
Since trade finance is lifeblood of global business, it has a positive role to play in driving sustainable practices. Here, banks can lead by example: through collaborative efforts, they can play a crucial role in encouraging a diverse network of counterparties to safeguard environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, while also stimulating growth. So, how can “sustainable trade” be fully realized to meet these ends?
In spite of the recent rise of protectionism amongst major trade partners, international trade growth is strong, with emerging markets providing the main impetus. Trade growth could be even stronger if not for the shortfall in trade financing supply relative to demand, a gap that is partly due to regulation compliance. Technology is coming to the rescue, not only in addressing the trade finance gap but ameliorating operations throughout trade channels.
Money laundering and terrorism financing are serious issues that banks must address, especially as too many financial institutions are complicit in enabling the flow of unlawful funds. Unfortunately, the need to act decisively has also resulted in a disabling tightening of trade finance, sorely needed for economic growth. The new Asian Development Bank Scorecard seeks to ameliorate the inadvertent consequences of AML and CFT compliance.
The push on global trade to continue accelerating has not let up; but without sufficient trade finance, it will be restrained from keeping up the pace. With increasing appetite for purchasing pools of receivables—but a keen awareness of the associated risks—a growing number of banks are turning to Excess of Loss (XoL) trade credit insurance. How are banks leveraging this type of insurance to grow their trade-finance portfolios?
The digitalisation of the trade-finance industry is still very much a work in progress. The findings of the ICC Banking Commission’s latest Global Survey on Trade Finance, “Rethinking Trade and Finance”, shed light on the extent of the progression up until now and suggest what still needs to be done to accelerate the journey toward transformative innovation and its attendant benefits.
Financial managers need to know what to expect, but in the UK with the inevitability of Brexit there are as many or more unknowns as there are knowns, especially in relation to trade and trade finance. To reduce risks, policymakers who negotiate the terms of the Article 50 process should consider from the start how their decisions will affect trade and its finance.
Global trade growth depends on trade finance, which is not meeting demand. Regulatory compliance, protectionism, costs and complexities of technology have restricted banks’ willingness to provide trade finance. Measures such as collaboration, innovation, improved attitudes are a must if this fuel for the global trade engine is to be adequately supplied.


text:
- Oct. 27, 2021
-- We're on an award-winning streak! After another year of growth, Acmetek received the 2021 Partner of the year award from DigiCert, the most trusted global provider of high-assurance SSL (https://www.acmetek.com/
& PKI solutions (https://www.acmetek.com/
. We've received this prestigious award for our quality services, keeping customers' best interests, providing the best solutions, and collaborating with different divisions. We believe this award surely boosts our team to offer our partners and customers the most loyal services with the latest strategies and offers.
Acmetek, being a Platinum Elite partner of DigiCert (https://www.acmetek.com/
, offers our customers high assurance certificate options and award-winning customer support. We are proud of being one of DigiCert's most invested partners and have achieved the highest level of performance through exceptional customer service and support.
Ramesh Nuti, Founder & CEO for Acmetek, It is a great honor for Acmetek to have received this recognition from DigiCert. In our 11 years of being in the PKI/SSL business, we have never seen a time like this, with the significant increase in smartphones and the Internet of Things (IoT) and remote working, today we have a myriad of cybersecurity threats that didn't exist a decade ago, Cybersecurity's importance is on the rise and there is no sign that this trend will slow down. It feels like we are just getting started. Through our partnership with DigiCert, our customers benefit from industry leading SSL and PKI solutions and a channel program that offers the support and training to expertly win both mindshare and market share. I would like to congratulate the entire stellar team of Acmetek for this achievement, and a BIG thank you to our partners and customers across the globe.
Kevin Sanyasi Naidoo, Co-Founder & COO for Acmetek, Co-Founding Acmetek has led to a remarkable journey over 11 years! We power leading VARS as subject matter experts in PKI/SSL technology and earned our place in the industry through sheer dedication, trust and commitment to our clients! Forever grateful to the commitment and dedication of our entire Global Team! Also truly honored to be associated with DigiCert, a thought and innovation leader in the Certificate Authority Space!
Paul Ressler, Channel Marketing Manager at DigiCert, said, "We are pleased to recognize Acmetek Global Solutions as the 2021 DigiCert Partner of the Year. Acmetek goes above and beyond in their partnership with DigiCert. We recognize them for their ongoing commitment to promote and support our TLS and TSG solutions, and for their laser focus on customer satisfaction. Acmetek does a tremendous job of aligning with DigiCert values, particularly in taking care of their customers and in doing what's right for the industry."


text:
Plans for Priory Square Unveiled
Posted on November 15, 2007
A planning application for a public square, the next phase of the development of Priory Quarter in Hastings town centre, has been submitted by Sea Space, the local economic development company.
The plans show the new Priory Square at the south end of Priory Street, next to the new Lacuna Place offices (currently under construction) and behind the Post Office.
“The square would include a large water feature, seating and trees. It will be a small, appealing, outdoor public space within Priory Quarter, opening out from the new walkway that will run through Lacuna Place, linking Havelock Road and Priory Street,” said Abigail Gilbert, Communications Officer at Sea Space. “We are marketing the retail units on the ground floor of Lacuna Place to restaurant and café operators, so the plans allow for outdoor seating in the square, under a veranda or ‘loggia’.”
The square also allows better access from Havelock Road through Lacuna Place to Priory Street, particularly for wheelchair users.
The proposal from architects Proctor & Matthews were recently presented to local businesses, councillors and residents’ groups which were involved in the public consultation exercises in 2005 and 2006 when Priory Quarter ‘urban design framework’ was first created. The exhibition held in Priory Meadow at the time revealed that 82% of the public were in favour of the overall proposals for Priory Quarter and 87% supported the proposed public spaces.
“Future phases of Priory Quarter will see more offices, education and leisure venues,” said Abigail. “We want to create a thriving town centre district that’s bustling with local people, businesses, students, and visitors. Priory Square is an important part of this. It will provide an interesting, attractive place for people to relax or meet friends or colleague for lunch or a coffee.”


text:
March 3rd 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – Shops were this morning briefly closed at Juba market after fake reports of the deadly coronavirus were circulated, residents said.
One resident said the panic started after a group of people seated at a tea shop in Juba Town fled the shop randomly allegedly because a suspected coronavirus case was observed.
“This morning, we were standing at a forex in Juba waiting for money, a group of people, most of them are ground up people and educated, fled saying there was a person with coronavirus,” one resident said.
“Because of this, many people have been returning home and even some shops have been closed,” he added.
There is no reported or confirmed coronavirus case in the country. Authorities have set up surveillance in all ports of entry including at Juba International Airport.