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Facebook removes ads of illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia as online business surges
YANGON (MYANMAR) – Social media giant Facebook has taken down hundreds of ads related to illicit wildlife trade. This comes as part of a major crackdown on the trade which is thriving in Southeast Asia.
“Not too wild, not too-well behaved. If interested, call…” a seller wrote on an ad with the picture of a civet cat in a cage, giving the details of an account in Myanmar, which is a major source and transit point in wildlife trafficking.
Although Facebook has banned such sale on its platform, a report says that over the five months through May, researchers of WWF have tracked 2,143 wild animals spanning 94 species for sale on Facebook from Myanmar alone.
As much as 92% of posts offered live animals, including birds of prey, for sale. The other animals include gibbons, langurs, wild cats and hornbills, which are in high demand.
More than 500 posts, accounts, and groups were taken down in April and July after wildlife activists alerted Facebook.
“We are committed to working with law enforcement authorities around the world to help tackle the illegal trade of wildlife,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
According to wildlife activists, the advent of zoonotic diseases like coronavirus has not diminished the demand for wild animals.
Southeast Asia is a major hub of wildlife trafficking involving billions of dollars and sellers make use of social media platforms to strike deals because of its huge reach and private chat options.
“It’s increasing in every country,” said Jedsada Taweekan, a regional program manager for WWF.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field


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Over the past few years, Ford has faced quite a few quality woes, culminating with it becoming the most recalled automotive manufacturer of 2023. However, Ford CEO Jim Farley has since made improving the company’s initial quality a major point of focus, admitting that he wishes he would have done so sooner, to boot. Farley also tempered expectations a bit by noting that righting this proverbial ship will take years, but it seems as if the automaker’s efforts to improve initial quality are already showing up in the real world, as he discussed during Ford’s Q4 earnings call with investors.
“Yes, we committed to $2 billion of cost savings across the industrial system,” Farley said. “But to me, much more important than that, last year was the first year we turned around initial quality, 10 percent better. Yes, we lost – you talked about Pro. We lost a lot of launch volume in Super Duty because we protected the launch for quality because the vehicles were engineered through that same system. We have to put belt and suspenders (on) when we come to launch and that launch spike was the best we’ve ever seen at Ford.”
As Farley noted here, The Blue Oval held back deliveries of the redesigned 2023 Ford Super Duty as it worked to ensure that those trucks were problem-free before its launch, a practice that cost it a cool $1 billion, but has also been emulated with a number of other new and refreshed models in the months since.
FoMoCo has set “best-in-class” targets for quality for its models moving forward – some of which are scheduled to happen in 2025, while others will follow later on. The automaker is also looking to some of its rivals that have stellar reputations for quality, historically speaking, most recently using the Toyota Tundra as a benchmark for the refreshed 2024 Ford F-150.

domain: news


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Emerging research suggests that sugar may be linked to deadly diseases, but Health Canada’s current food labelling regulations make it tough for Canadians to get an easy picture of how much of the sweet substance they are consuming — and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon.
The groundbreaking and controversial research explored by the CBC’sthe fifth estate in its season premiere tonight links sugar to diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer and Alzheimer’s.
“Sugar is toxic beyond its calories,” Dr. Robert Lustig, an expert on childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, told the fifth estate’s Gillian Findlay.
Watch The Secrets of Sugar on the fifth estate on CBC-TV tonight at 9 p.m.
While Canadians have become used to warnings about the dangers of consuming too much fat or salt, nutrition labels on food have never included recommended daily limits specifically for sugar.
Health Canada does not have a recommended limit for how much sugar Canadians should consume in a day.
A representative of Food and Consumer Products of Canada, an industry organization that represents the largest food companies in the country, says it sees “no need” for a recommended daily limit on sugar intake.
- Check out how much sugar is in popular grocery items
- Watch a medical researcher talk about eating fruit
Health Canada declined numerous requests by the fifth estate for an interview, but former Health Canada employees did speak off the record, and said the department does not think that sugar should be singled out as a major culprit behind chronic diseases.
Stirring up debate
According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian consumes 26 teaspoons of sugar per day. That works out to 40 kilograms per year —– or 20 bags.
While neither the Canadian nor U.S. governments has a recommended daily limit for sugar consumption, one major U.S. medical group is recommending people cut back on the sweet substance.
The American Heart Association is suggesting men consume no more than nine teaspoons a day. For women, the recommendation is a maximum of six teaspoons.
That recommendation comes as research from a small but influential group of medical researchers is stirring up debate on the impact sugar has on health.
One of the most vocal of those researchers is Lustig, an author who has become a YouTube sensation for a 90-minute lecture in which he calls sugar a toxic poison.
“I use those words and I mean them. This is not hyperbole. This is the real deal,” he told Findlay.
“Everyone thinks that the bad effects of sugar are because sugar has empty calories. What I’m saying is no, there are a lot of things that do have empty calories that are not necessarily poisonous.”
Breaking down the sugar
Lustig says that sugar, which is made up of glucose and fructose molecules, is a poison because of the way our bodies break it down.
“When you metabolize fructose in excess, your liver has no choice but to turn that energy into liver fat and that liver fat causes all of the downstream metabolic diseases.”
But not everyone agrees with Lustig’s theory, including other doctors and food industry representatives.
Dr. John Sievenpiper, a researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, questions Lustig’s methodology and his view that “sugar and only sugar” is the prime factor in the international food supply that “predicts [the] diabetes rate worldwide.”
Sievenpiper notes that during the same time period when Lustig points to increasing sugar consumption and rising rates of obesity —– something that has been linked to diabetes — there was also increasing consumption of bottled water.
‘We have to be careful in putting too much of the biological plausibility in wanting to believe patterns that we see.’– Dr. John Sievenpiper
“But there’s no real biological plausibility in the link between bottled water and [being] overweight and obesity. We have to be careful in putting too much of the biological plausibility in wanting to believe patterns that we see.”
Sievenpiper isn’t recommending people eat a lot of sugar, but he does suggest we should be careful about saying fructose is largely responsible for various health problems.
“As long as you match for calories, fructose does not behave differently than does any other form of carbohydrate, namely starches or fine starches and glucose. And that’s not to say that they’re benign, because I don’t think we should be having a lot of refined starch or glucose. But it’s not behaving any differently.”
A representative of Canada’s largest food industry association is also skeptical of Lustig’s research.
Phyllis Tanaka, vice-president of scientific and regulatory affairs for Food and Consumer Products of Canada, isn’t worried about Lustig’s claims about one of her industry’s key ingredients and doesn’t think consumers should be either.
“I think it’s important that we step back and look for ways to educate and help consumers fit sugar into a healthy dietary pattern,” she said.
But current food labelling regulation can make it difficult for consumers who want to avoid sugar.
On Canadian nutrition labels, manufacturers are required to list ingredients in order from greatest to least volume. But many labels list multiple kinds of sweeteners with different names. For example, honey, barley malt syrup and evaporated cane juice could all be listed separately, even though the human body treats them all as sugar.
Also, sugar is measured in grams on labels, instead of more consumer-friendly teaspoons. For someone trying to keep track of intake, four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon.
In a can of Coke, for example, there are more than 10 teaspoons of sugar. The popular “Healthy Choice” microwave chicken dinner has 5½ teaspoons.
Tanaka says her group has worked with Health Canada over the last few years on how to help consumers make “informed choices,” and that for those who want to avoid sugar, all the information they need is already on the label.
“At this point in time, I’m comfortable in saying the science just isn’t there to support a role in chronic disease.”


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WhatsApp image leads to the arrest of drug dealer in Britain
WhatsApp adds new feature to download deleted media; here's how it works
Social media helps researchers get more citations: Study
Instagram to soon let you download your data
Twitter replaces 'pistol' emoji with 'water gun'
Mark Zuckerberg vows to revamp Facebook, admits his own data was shared
Here's how Instagram's 'Focus' for stories works
Instagram testing 'Nametag,' clone of Snapchat's 'Snapcode'
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vows to fight poll interference, fake news
China closes app, WeChat account for vulgar content
Instagram will soon launch a Snapcodes competitor called 'Nametags'
Snapchat takes a U-turn, will show you recent stories first
Twitter collaborates with US researchers to curb online abuse
Facebook to soon roll out 'unsend' feature for users: Report
Nubia Red Magic gaming smartphone launched: Price, specifications and features buff.ly/2JZvGlq https://t.co/cbyiyXuDhR
.@Netflix introduces 30-second video previews on iOS buff.ly/2Hds6SY https://t.co/9YXAd3aLuN
.@Samsung #GalaxyS9Mini will probably be named Dream-Lite buff.ly/2qISPAG https://t.co/n693fwc1JA


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Walmart will establish a Supercenter store in the new south Sacramento Delta Shores project, part of a shopping area of up to 600,000 square feet that could open along Interstate 5 by the end of 2016.
Delta Shores and Walmart representatives Friday announced the store, which will be 189,636 square feet and include groceries, pharmacy, garden center and an oil and lube center, in anticipation of a formal application for the project with the city.
“One of the interesting things is that if you go on I-5 from Natomas to Stockton, there’s really no retail,” said Gary Muljat, a vice president with Delta Shores’ development company Merlone Geier Partners. “And with the all the community meetings we did, I can tell you the community down there is very hungry for retail.”
Signing the Walmart store to anchor the retail site also helped attract a number of other retail tenants, Muljat said, including a movie theater, several restaurants and stores for crafts, sporting goods, party supplies, pet supplies, discount department store items and cosmetics. Muljat said he couldn’t yet name the specific retailers, though he described them as “best in class” for their respective categories.
City approval for the project is expected by this fall, with construction getting underway about a year from now. Muljat said the stores should be ready for occupation in summer 2016.
Delia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Walmart, said the retail giant was excited to open its first Supercenter in Sacramento, noting the company knows customers near the future store site are already shopping at Walmart Supercenters around the region. The nearest Walmart stores to the site are in Elk Grove and a Supercenter in West Sacramento. When it opens, the Delta Shores Walmart Supercenter will have about 300 employees.
Walmart and Delta Shores representatives also said a Sacramento City Council vote last year to amend an ordinance that banned big-box grocery stores was significant.
“When they amended it, it was pretty clear they acknowledged that in big growth areas, it was appropriate to have big-box grocery stores,” said Greg Thatch, an attorney for Delta Shores. “And the ordinance was stymieing competition. Plus the city knew it was bleeding sales tax revenues.”
The retail center will be the first tangible development for Delta Shores, an 800-acre project on the city’s southern edge, mostly east of Interstate 5. At buildout, the project will have 1.3 million square feet of retail space and 5,200 homes.
Work is well underway for necessary infrastructure for the project, with a new interchange at I-5 and Cosumnes River Parkway set to be completed by year’s end. Extension of Cosumnes River Parkway to the east to link it to Franklin Boulevard – and create a connector route between I-5 and Highway 99 – should be finished in about a year’s time, Thatch said. Merlone-Geier is contributing more than $50 million toward those projects.
But Muljat said it’s not clear yet when residential development in Delta Shores could get underway. Thatch noted Merlone-Geier is primarily a retail developer and will likely pass the residential portion of the project off to a company with homebuilding experience.
“I know this is viewed as one of the premier residential projects in the entire region,” Muljat said. “But at this point, I can’t predict when the homes will be built.”


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Dining Out, Digitized
(Bloomberg) -- Add the analog menu — soggy from wet glasses, or ketchup-stained — to the long list of things the pandemic disrupted.
Although by now there’s scant evidence that germy surfaces aided the transmission of Covid-19, thousands of eateries across the globe responded to the threat by introducing touchless, digital ordering. Diners venturing back into restaurants that have re-opened to full capacity are often finding that some familiar icons of the eating-out experience — leather-bound wine lists, card-stock notices offering daily specials and signature cocktails — are missing. They’ve been replaced by black-and-white QR codes posted on tables and mounted on walls.
Intuitive for many internet-savvy guests, harder to swallow for older patrons, digital menus are changing the experience of eating out. When scanned with a smartphone camera, QR codes direct patrons straight to a restaurant’s website, or the landing page for a digital menu. The technology is not a pandemic invention: QR — short for “quick response” — codes were created in 1994 and caught on first in Asia. Scanning them in the U.S. required a special application, and for decades the grids were “widely seen as unsexy, even a hassle,” as the New York Times’ Lora Kelley wrote. But in 2018, Apple put the QR code scanner right into the camera and using them became more intuitive. Now, a global catastrophe has helped make these patterns ubiquitous.
“For an operator, they never really imagined a world where they didn’t have to print menus. And then you show them that world, and they’re like, ‘I’m not going back,” says Kim Teo, the CEO and co-founder of Mr. Yum, an Australia-based company that develops QR code menus and ordering systems for cafes and restaurants. Launched in 2018, Mr. Yum grew 27-fold in 2020, and closed an $11 million funding round in April 2021. Pre-Covid, just 100 restaurants in Australia used the platform for take-out and in-house ordering; that number has since surged to 1,200 globally, and the company is expanding into restaurants in the United Kingdom and across the U.S.
As the restaurant industry recovers from the pandemic, which forced 10% of the nearly 800,000 U.S. establishments to shutter in 2020, restaurateurs are rethinking longstanding practices in an effort to trim overhead and keep workers and patrons safe. But the printed menu may not go away quietly.
The art of menu engineering
Menus have been found in Song Dynasty-era China and ancient Greece, but they didn’t emerge en masse in the Western world until the 1770s, when restaurants — considered restorative spaces for the upper-class — hit the scene in France. “Previously, if you were traveling, and you stopped at an inn, and if you were lucky, and you got there around the time that people ate dinner, the innkeeper might give you dinner, but it would be pretty much whatever he had,” says Rebecca Lee Spang, a professor of history and the author of The Invention of the Restaurant. “Restaurants said, well, you can have a choice.”
From the 1800s up to 1840, early menus — a French term for a small, detailed list — looked a lot like newspapers, with the wine list printed along the bottom, where the serialized novel would usually go, she says; later, they looked more like paperbacks; new printing technologies of the end of the 19th century ushered in elaborate Art Nouveau menus illustrated by artists like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. In the 20th century, menu design reflected changing cultural tastes and the rise of eating out as an option for a growing urban middle class; the post-war era brought spill-proof plastic lamination, fun novelty shapes, and kids’ menus; the 1960s featured psychedelic graphics. By the late 20th century, the menu had become a dining staple, a computing tool, and a synonym for “choice.”
Beyond their immediate functionality, menus have also always played a key role as marketing objects, says Alison Pearlman, a professor of art history and the author of May We Suggest: Restaurant Menus and the Art of Persuasion. The 1920s advent of “scientific management” applied to businesses brought renewed attention to the language menus used, and the early 1980s introduced the concept of “menu engineering,” which focuses “on maximizing the profitability of menu ‘real estate.’” Psychologists and color experts consulted with restaurants on how best to direct consumers’ eyes and lure them into spending lavishly. In his book Priceless, William Poundstone unpacked the behavioral science engineered into menu design, with high-profit items and super-costly “anchor” dishes listed on the eye-catching top right corner, so that less-expensive entrees will appear more affordable in comparison. (Unprofitable dishes, meanwhile, get exiled to “menu Siberia.”)
Cocktail menus are often provided by alcohol distributors themselves, who develop copies to give to restaurants. In exchange for handling graphic design and printing for bars and eating establishments, the alcohol distributors can control the order and placement of cocktails in the book, elevating certain flavors and drinks.
Pre-Covid, some of this marketing activity had already migrated online; restaurants have been building out their websites since the early days of the World Wide Web. But when the pandemic hit, establishments that already had a robust digital presence were better equipped to manage the sudden shift to take-out only. In those early days, BrandMuscle, the U.S.’s largest purveyor of alcohol marketing materials and menu books, launched a new product called SpotMenus, which allows restaurants and bar owners to create custom QR-code based menus and host them. By now, more than 5,000 establishments across the country have turned their menus digital with BrandMuscle, and menus are being shown online every minute of every day.
The advantages of online menus and ordering platforms are obvious: At a time when food supply chains have been disrupted, QR codes offer flexibility. “In the print world, it would be very expensive and cumbersome to keep printing your menus,” says Richard Mendis, BrandMuscle’s chief strategy officer. “In the digital world, it’s a couple of clicks and you’re done.”
Some restaurant staff agree. Digital menus are one less thing to clean and clear each night, say servers and bartenders I talked to recently in New York and Minneapolis. Seasonal menu changes don’t have to come with the sacrifice of trees. Restaurants can show a special brunch menu on Sunday morning and another one on Wednesday, using the same QR-generated link. Instead of black marker edits on laminated menus, restaurants can hike prices without drawing attention to the change. (“It’s hard to get angry about something you didn’t know happened,” says Spang.)
Russell Jackson, the head chef and owner of a California-style fine-dining restaurant in Harlem called Reverence, never had a printed food menu, or even a direct telephone line into the restaurant: Reservations are made online, or by scanning a QR code affixed to the front door.
This reliance on technology wasn’t born out of Covid. Lafitte, Jackson’s San Francisco restaurant that closed in 2012, had a video feed aimed at the kitchen and front of house to increase transparency; the restaurant was one of the first to adopt iPad menus in 2010. Digital menus helps him avoid one of his own pet peeves: “To be told, ‘Oh sorry, we’re out of that, we don’t have that bottle’ drives me f---ing bonkers,” he says. “I never wanted somebody to have that kind of experience in one of my restaurants.”
But Spang, the author of The Invention of the Restaurant, finds the act of whipping out one’s electronic device to begin or punctuate a meal disruptive. “It makes the whole thing so solipsistic,” she says. “There’s no communication. It really does make the people serving the table less and less like people — and more and more like robots.”
A death knell for servers?
Jesse Johnson, 66, has worked at the San Francisco International Airport for 40 years, 33 of them spent as a bartender. He’s also on the executive board of the labor union Unite Here, where he serves as a shop steward. After a year of living off unemployment during a pandemic furlough, Johnson was eager to return to his $15.10 an hour job at SFO’s Union Street Gastropub in June. But management of the bar, the global company SSP America, proposed a restructuring plan, laying off servers and allowing customers to order drinks via QR code menu instead.
While Johnson’s role mixing drinks would be safe, he and other union representatives pushed back on the plan. Decades ago, Johnson worked on an assembly line on an auto plant, he says, so he knows what happens when automation comes for good-paying jobs; he’s worried that other airport restaurants may reduce full-service options in response, he says. “Sooner or later they’ll be coming for you, in some form or another,” he says.
Management responded by continuing to delay the restaurant’s reopening date. (SSP America did not respond to multiple requests for comment.)
Labor shortages in the hospitality industry mean that restaurants are scrambling to hire back staff fast enough, making the streamlining of ordering an attractive fix. But workers like Johnson, who are eager to return, see the potential of pairing QR code menus with new digital ordering and payment systems as a death knell for servers. Mr. Yum’s Teo says that while digital ordering has been slower to catch on in the U.S., it has “really heated up in the last three months.”
Suzy Liebowitz, who’s worked at Winfield’s Restaurant and the Gazebo Bar & Grill at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut, for two decades, has been caught in limbo for the past year as she waits to know whether her pandemic layoff will be made permanent. Already, room service at the hotel has been replaced with a to-go option that involves online ordering and delivery fees that colleagues say cuts into tips; management has told her Unite Here union chapter that the still-closed Winfield’s is weighing a similar transition. The Hyatt did not respond to requests for comment.
“The hospitality industry is trying to get back to full occupancy without ever bringing back its full workforce. That’s bad for workers and guests, because restaurants are using Covid-19 as an opportunity to eviscerate jobs and cut services, and when you think about a restaurant without real hospitality, that’s almost like a college dorm experience,” said D. Taylor, the president of Unite Here, in a statement. “Servers, bussers, hosts, bartenders, and more are the backbone of the service economy, and taking these jobs away means that many working families and especially communities of color might never recover.”
Restaurant labor organizations seem to recognize that the introduction of features like QR codes could herald broader automation. Culinary Union, which represents 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas, built a technology clause into their contract in 2018, stipulating that every time a restaurant brings in new tech, workers need to be notified in advanced, and involved in the roll-out. “Hospitality jobs will continue to change and evolve as they always have,” a union spokeswoman said in a statement. “The Culinary Union’s innovative technology language ensures that workers can grow with technology, have a seat at the table, that new technology is implemented in a worker-centered way, and that workers have the opportunity for job training or re-training in order to access any new jobs created due to technology.”
Jackson, the head chef at Reverence, says tech should be welcomed, not feared, by servers, because it lets them do their jobs more quickly and focus on other elements of hospitality. He compared it to Bruce Lee demonstrating Jeet Kune Do, his martial arts fighting style. “He said, I’m taking classic karate, and I’m cutting away all of the dance moves and all of the superfluous movement and steps. And I’m going straight to the power,” he says. “I’m being efficient with my actions and my energies and not wasting. That’s the core mandate of what we’re doing.”
A menu that looks back at you
There’s another thing about dining technology that might give patrons pause: When you look at an online menu, the website begins to track you, too, opening up a new universe of behavioral nudges and menu engineering options. “In this phase, menus merge with data streams,” says May We Suggest’s Pearlman.
On sophisticated websites, restaurants are able to tell how many people are looking at their menus, for how long; where their eyes linger and whether people ever scroll down to dessert. (The top 5% of any given menu gets two and a half times more clicks than the next 5%, says Mr. Yum’s Teo.) Restaurants can use the information they glean online to influence their food offerings, or fine-tune the order of the food they list.
That means that scanning at a menu in a restaurant might soon be a little bit more like scrolling Facebook: Sponsored content and featured drinks and dishes custom-tailored to guests based on their browsing history are not far away, says Sly Cosmopolous, the director of beverage marketing for Republic National Distributing Company. “I think it’ll just be a lot more advancement and offerings above and beyond just being able to scan and look at a menu,” she says.
Cosmopolous says she wouldn’t advise restaurants get rid of all printed options — there are always going to be the phoneless, or the phone-averse, and to bridge a language gap, nothing beats pointing to the words on the page. Many fine-dining restaurants have not hesitated to bring their handsomely bound menus back. But even this incomplete transition to online ordering has triggered some preemptive nostalgia among those who fret that dining is losing something essential.
Jan Whitaker, a writer and restaurant historian who writes the Restaurant-ing Through History blog, uses old menus as a primary source, and a visual guide through the evolution of eating out. At antique book and collectibles shows, she often leafs through menus that had been taken home by guests, creased in the middle to stash in pocketbooks or signed by the diners as a souvenir. Each tells a story about some long-lost special occasion
When she first saw the barcode displays, she figured they’d be a temporary “desperation measure.” Like the plastic igloos in which winter diners huddled, she assumed they’d disappear when the threat of Covid passed. “If everybody were to go [digital], it would be very boring,” she says. “I don’t know if it would hurt their bottom line, but they would lose a big chunk of what gave restaurants a certain character. They would lose some richness, I think, that the printed menu can have.”
She’s not convinced that the time- and labor-saving efficiencies that the new technology promises are worth this trade-off. Removing the act of browsing a physical menu runs the risk of removing some of the timeless mystique of dining out.
“I think the restaurant always treads a little bit on dangerous ground when it tries too much to rationalize the system,” she says.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.


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Millions of Ariana Grande fans attended a string of concerts last week, held not in a traditional venue but within the video game Fortnite. These huge events, complete with music and surreal 3D graphics, are the latest example of Silicon Valley’s new favourite buzzword: a metaverse.
It’s a shared online space that incorporates 3D graphics, either on a screen or in virtual reality. Science fiction author Neal Stephenson coined the term in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, which features a future virtual reality version of the internet called the Street: a 100-metre-wide road that runs around the 65,536-kilometre-circumference of a fictional planet. More recently, a metaverse called OASIS featured in the novel and film Ready Player One.
Perhaps the first attempt to create a real metaverse was Second Life, a virtual environment that launched in 2003 and grew to around a million regular users at its peak. Its creator, Linden Labs, said in 2007 that Second Life was no simple video game game: “There is no manufactured conflict, no set objective.” Essentially, there was nothing specific you were supposed to achieve – it was just an environment for mingling and communicating. It had its own currency and users could build property, organise events and design their own avatar.
Long before Ariana Grande’s performance in Fortnite, Duran Duran staged concerts within Second Life in 2006, and later even opened their own headquarters within the virtual environment where fans could play themed games and watch content about the band.
Other video game developers also have their eyes on becoming a metaverse. Take Roblox, which allows players to create and share their own games. “Just as the mail, the telegraph, the telephone, text and video are utilities for collaborative work, we believe Roblox and the metaverse will join these as essential tools for business communication,” co-founder David Baszucki told The New York Times. If that sounds unlikely, consider that players spent almost 10 billion hours inside Roblox in the first quarter of this year.
Facebook has been a place for users to talk and share information online for almost two decades, but last month founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that it will become, or at least spawn, a metaverse called Horizon.
On top of the current web and app versions of Facebook, the company will offer either augmented reality or virtual reality universes where users can interact with each other. Facebook currently claims to have 2.85 billion monthly active users. If they all get on board with the Facebook metaverse then it would become easily the biggest VR and metaverse experiment to date, but creating a visual system that can handle that sort of foot traffic will be no mean feat.
Speaking to CNET in May, Zuckerberg said: “We want to get as many people as possible to be able to experience virtual reality and be able to jump into the metaverse and… to have these social experiences within that.”
The move sheds more light on the 2014 purchase by Facebook of VR headset maker Oculus for $2.3 billion. If Facebook starts to migrate millions or billions of users from a website and app to a virtual reality metaverse then it will be able to make a profit by selling them all the necessary hardware.
Microsoft, too, is talking about becoming a leader in the field of “metaverse apps” and also has its own augmented reality hardware, HoloLens.
While metaverses and virtual reality have been available for decades, they have remained niche and far from convincing. But the hardware and software has advanced to a point where it’s entirely possible that they could reach a tipping point.
Spearheaded by gaming, metaverses using virtual or augmented reality on affordable and powerful devices could become far more popular and start offering truly practical or entertaining features.
And of course, there is a lot of money to be made. Fortnite made $9 billion in revenue in 2018 and 2019 combined, with people paying to customise their avatar. Fornite‘s developer, Epic Games, updated the iOS version of its software in 2020 to allow people to make direct payments, bypassing Apple’s payment system. In turn Apple, keen for a slice of the profit, kicked Fornite off the App Store. The two companies are now in a legal battle.
The decentralised technology behind cryptocurrencies may also play a role. One metaverse called Decentraland has an associated currency called MANA that can be used to buy land or NFT artwork within it. Auction house Sotheby’s, which is pushing hard into the NFT world, owns a piece of Decentraland, where it has built a replica of its London galleries – this is the kind of thing organisations were getting up to in Second Life over a decade ago.
Meanwhile, the Open Metaverse Interoperability Group is pushing for a future where different metaverses share technology so that avatars can move seamlessly from one to another, just as you can move from one website to another on the internet without changing your browser.
Whether any metaverse will replace the current internet, as predicted by Stephenson, is less clear. It’s hard to imagine what advantage a 3D environment would bring to looking something up on Wikipedia or buying socks, for example, so it’s likely that both will coexist.


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Superintendent Linda A. Lacewell Announces PayPal To Be the First Approved Entity for DFS Conditional Bitlicense
With DFS Approval, PayPal Partners with New York State Chartered Paxos to Engage in Virtual Currency Business Activities
Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell today announced PayPal, Inc. (PayPal) is the first to receive a conditional Bitlicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). With approval from DFS, PayPal, in partnership with Paxos Trust Company (Paxos), has launched a new service enabling its customers to buy, sell and hold certain cryptocurrencies. Paxos, a New York State chartered trust company, will provide cryptocurrency trading and custodial services to PayPal for the benefit of PayPal customers.
“DFS’ approval today follows our June 2020 announcement for a new framework for a conditional Bitlicense to encourage, promote, and assist interested institutions to have a well-regulated way to access the New York virtual currency marketplace in a way that is both timely and protective of New York consumers, through partnerships with New York authorized virtual currency firms,” said Superintendent Lacewell. “DFS will continue to encourage and support financial service providers to operate, grow, remain and expand in New York and work with innovators to enable them to germinate and test their ideas, for a dynamic and forward looking financial services sector, especially as we work to build New York back better in the midst of this pandemic.”
This announcement follows Superintendent Lacewell’s public comments approximately one year ago at DC Fintech week, when she promised to take a fresh look at DFS’ regulatory framework for virtual currencies. Since that time, and during the 5th year anniversary of DFS’ virtual currency licensing framework, DFS has taken a series of steps to update its approach, including guidance for companies to adopt new coins, a proposed conditional licensing framework, and additional informational resources for applicants and licensees. These efforts aim to help emerging, nascent, and seasoned firms to start, enter, and grow in New York.
“We are proud to become the first company to receive a conditional virtual currency license from the New York State Department of Financial Services,” said Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal. “This approval represents an important step forward in our goal to contribute to the evolution of the regulatory framework for digital currency and help our consumers safely and responsibly engage with cryptocurrencies.”
With the DFS’ approval, New York State chartered Paxos will be able to provide trading and custodial services to PayPal to enable PayPal customers to buy, sell, and hold, virtual currency. Four DFS-approved virtual currencies will be initially available: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
“Paxos is pleased to partner with PayPal to support their entry into the cryptocurrency marketplace,” said Charles Cascarilla, CEO, Paxos. “We were the first company to receive a New York Trust Charter for virtual currency business activity so it is fitting that we are also the first to support the Department’s new conditional licensing framework. PayPal’s selection of Paxos is a reflection of New York’s status as the gold standard for cryptocurrency regulation.”
Additional information about DFS’ virtual currency business process can be found on the DFS website.
Since 2015, DFS has approved 26 entities to engage in virtual currency business activity in New York State, including today’s announcement.
Additional information about the announcement can be found on the PayPal website.


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Tri-State Enterprises, a wholesale distributor of aftermarket automotive parts and truck accessories, has acquired 12V electronics distributor O.W. Donald.
O.W. Donald, a third-generation family owned business, started in 1968, specialized in products for the RV industry. In 2005 OWD expanded to become a distributor for the 12V aftermarket, with a focus on higher quality brands and product offerings from audio and remote starts to tint and speakers. Such brands consist of JVC, Kenwood and Pioneer.
“By acquiring O. W. Donald and it’s crew, Tri State gains 30 years of 12V Electronic experience that they will use to immediately expand their 12V product offerings. Tri State is growing at an impressive rate and the entire crew at OWD is proud to be the newest part of the Tri State team,” said Roger Donald, president of O.W. Donald.
“Tri State is very excited to add O.W. Donald’s line of accessories and its team. OWD products and services allow the TSE organization to expand into new markets and at the same time continue to grow our current customer base with the addition of the 12V line,” said Tristan Taylor, owner of Tri State Enterprises.


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in february, the us state of New Mexico rejected two bills demanding a ban on the use of aspartame, an artificial sweetener in food items.
Aspartame, found in products like cough syrups, chewing gum, candy, desserts and soft drinks, is said to increase the risk of cancer, among other things (see 'Sweetener unsafe', Down To Earth, December 31, 2005). A ban would require removing it from around 6,000 such products in the market.
One of the bills was rejected by a state Senate committee on February 11, 2007, by a six to two vote. The following day, a similar bill was rejected by a House of Representatives committee by a four to two vote.
Ajinomoto Corporation, a Japanese company operating in America, and Calorie Control Council, an Atlanta-based organisation promoting the use of artificial sweeteners, were the two leading industry lobbyists who influenced the decision. Dick Minzner of Ajinomoto said the bills would be "an invitation to commercial chaos" because manufacturers would have to change products to meet the new regulation. Calorie Control Council argued the product should not be taken away from those, like diabetics, who needed to limit their consumption of sugar.
Ajinomoto claimed the Senate committee could not decide on this since it lacked the expertise of the Food and Drug Administration, a government regulatory body, which had approved aspartame in 1981.
An impact report of the bill by a committee says the government could face litigation from bill opponents and federal government since aspartame has fda's approval.
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Safelite® Group, parent company to Safelite AutoGlass® and Safelite® Solutions, announced John Stacy as the company’s new executive vice president, supply chain.
“Our industry-leading supply chain has long played a key role in Safelite’s success, helping us serve customers where and when they need us most,” said Tom Feeney, Safelite CEO and president. “Supply chain excellence will be even more essential moving forward, given our continued growth and the increases in windshield technology. Successfully evolving our operations will require new systems, optimized processes and outstanding leadership.”
Stacy brings supply chain expertise to Safelite, developed across multiple manufacturing and retail organizations. Most recently, he served as senior vice president, supply chain, for Kirkland’s. Before Kirkland’s, he excelled in various supply chain and finance roles over 11 years at Advance Auto Parts — ultimately serving as vice president of supply chain operations excellence and analytics.
At Safelite, Stacy will assume responsibility for all supply chain activities, including procurement, inventory, warehousing, distribution and logistics, according to the company. He will also serve as a member of the senior leadership team, reporting directly to Feeney.
“I know that John’s track record of effectively evolving supply chains to enable outstanding retail operations will be crucial in Safelite’s continued future growth and success,” Feeney said.


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Parry’s organic spirulina goes GRAS
The GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status was self-affirmed by an independent panel of experts, which Parry said was made up of former senior FDA and EPA toxicologists.
According to the Indian firm, the GRAS status is valid for use of the ingredient at an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 20g per day.
Parry said the ingredient can be used to “supplement or enhance the nutritional value and phytonutrient level” of products.
Potential applications include non-alcoholic beverages and beverage bases, breakfast cereals, fresh fruit juices, frozen dairy desserts, hard candies, milk products, processed fruit juices, processed vegetable juices, condiments and relishes, grain products, pastas, and snack foods.
The company said its spirulina is produced according to new cGMPs. Its production facilities are also certified HACCP, ISO 9001 and ISO 1401.
The organic certifications the company holds for its ingredient include USDA NOP, Naturland - Germany, Ecocert - France, and OCIA - IFOAM standards.
Parry said its spirulina is also verified under the USP Ingredient Verification Program and is Kosher and Halal.
Producing organic spirulina has caused some obstacles for manufacturers in the past, after the National Organic Standards Board's (NOSB) ruled out the use of Chilean nitrate in organic production.
Chilean nitrate is a water-soluble source of nitrogen. It is an organic material but, since it is mined, not a sustainable one. While a water-soluble source is required in microalgae farming, in terrestrial farming it is not desirable as it can lead to the contamination of ground water.
In 2005, as the ban came into place for spirulina production, two major producers – Cyanotech and Earthwise – both opted to cease offering organic spirulina.
The companies said they conducted research into potential alternative fertilizers for spirulina, but both concluded that maintaining organic production would not only result in a lower quality product at higher cost, but also compromise the safety of their products.
They therefore opted to continue producing spirulina in just the same way as they had for more than a decade, but said they would no longer call it 'organic'.
Parry Nutraceuticals said it uses only vegetarian sources of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients in its production process, which it spent two years developing.
"We have worked very hard to create an all-vegetarian spirulina that is certified organic in the US and Europe," Parry's US agent Dr John Benemann told NutraIngredients-USA.com at the time.
He said that Parry was using a plant-based nutrient source.


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There’s a silver lining in the dark cloud of the Great Recession. A new Census Bureau report reveals that from 2002 to 2007, the number of black-owned businesses in the United States increased by 60.5 percent to 1.9 million–more than triple the national rate.
The reasons for this are many, beginning with the long history of African-American entrepreneurship in response to poverty, high unemployment, and discrimination. Consider the case of Madam C.J. Walker. The daughter of slaves, in the early 1900s she turned her dream of financial independence into a hair care and cosmetics business that revolutionized the beauty products industry, created well-paying jobs, and made her a wealthy woman and philanthropist.
“I had to make my own living and my own opportunity, but I made it!” the trailblazing African-American businesswoman said. “Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”
Like Madam C.J. Walker, many African Americans may have turned to entrepreneurship in recent years because of high unemployment in our communities. The fact is, black unemployment never got back down to where it was before the 2001 recession. So in effect, we’re seeing entrepreneurship by necessity.
There’s also an economic independent streak, particularly among new generations. Building a business gives great satisfaction and cushions entrepreneurs from the shock of losing jobs because of economic down cycles.
New York State leads the country with more than 204,000 black-owned businesses, followed by Georgia and Florida. From 2002 to 2007, nearly 4 in 10 of these businesses operated in the health care and social assistance industries, as well as the repair, maintenance, and personal and laundry services sectors. The retail trade and health care and social assistance sectors accounted for 27.4 percent of black-owned business revenue.
The Census also found that in addition to an increase in the number of black-owned businesses, annual sales at these businesses increased by 55 percent to $137.5 billion.
“Black-owned businesses continued to be one of the fastest growing segments of our economy, showing rapid growth in both the number of businesses and total sales during this time period,” said Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau’s deputy director.
Despite this surge in African-American entrepreneurship, black businesses still make up only 7 percent of all companies, and they tend to be smaller than other businesses. Black-owned businesses are also often hampered in their revenue growth by a lack of capital, connections, and contracts.
On behalf of the National Urban League, I recently called on federal, state, and local governments to develop a “hyper-focus” on black- and minority-owned businesses. Every city, county, and state needs to have a plan that focuses on small and minority business. There’s a spirit of entrepreneurship out there that needs to be nurtured and energized.
I hope these new findings by the Census say loudly and clearly to the investment community that it’s missing an emerging market in the United States. If minority businesses are growing at a faster clip than overall businesses, imagine what the growth rate would be if those barriers were eliminated or lowered. We need investors to recognize that they’re missing an incredible opportunity.


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“The Boy Genius brings the iPhone 4.0 hype with some leaks about Apple’s next-generation iPhone OS — confirming some of what we’ve heard before with some new tidbits to light our imaginations:”
The new iPhone OS is set be to announced on 27th of January, according to BGR, the new OS is going to add a variety of new gestures, multi tasking features, which Apple is very delighted to show off. Gestures are hinting at what Apple might bring to the table… get ready! yes a tablet. What a surprise. The new update is for the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS and of course the 4G, but leaving the 2G out to rot. The new iPhone is supposably going to be released at its normal schedule, Summer. Just like all the other phones in the past at WWDC.
BGR reports of Apple bringing new multi tasking features to the device, which is unlikely, knowing Apple as they are pretty much against the thought of too much CPU power being used. Knowing that, Apple is saying its new update will put them way ahead of the smartphone markets, because its going to be a “fully fledged computer”
Right now its anyones call on what the new OS will bring, we will find out for sure, when and if Steve, Phill, or Scott announce it.
That’s right, y’all. We’re back at it, and this time we’ve received some exclusive iPhone OS 4.0 details from one of our trusty Apple connects.
Here are some iPhone OS 4.0 features, according to our guy:
- There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
- “A few new ways” to run applications in the background — multitasking.
- Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
- The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”
- The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.
That’s all we have for now! Who can’t wait for next Wednesday?


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Starbucks to partner with Google for faster Wi-Fi
Houston: US coffee store Starbucks customers will have access to faster Wi-Fi speed from August, thanks to the company`s new partnership with Google.
The Seattle-based company has made Wi-Fi free at its stores since July 2010, eliminating a previous fee of USD 3.99 for two hours of access.
Starbucks said that Google, in conjunction with Level 3 Communications, will now be providing Wi-Fi service to its stores located in the US.
The new service will have an internet speed 10 times faster than the current service powered by AT&T.
The faster service will first appear in new Starbucks locations over the next month. Starbucks will then roll it out to its 7,000 other US stores, starting with the busiest locations where Wi-Fi usage is highest.
The company expects to complete the transition in about 18 months.
"This is obviously an important milestone in our relationship with Google," Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman told CNET.
"We do hope this is one step amongst many that we can continue to build upon what`s already a great partnership with Google," he added.
- Bhagat Singh's name termed as terrorist to be removed from DU textbook
- Ludhiana: Protest against DU for calling Bhagat Singh as terrorist in textbook
- Delhi: INTUC workers protest outside Subramanian Swamy's residence
- Special CBI court accuses Naveen Jindal for criminal conspiracy in coal scam
- Gujarat announces 10% reservation for economically backward class
- Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’ in trouble – Click here to read more
- Kapil Sharma meets 'showman' Subhash Ghai at Whistling Woods—See pic!
- Centre to release 25 declassified files related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose today


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India's EV battery race is led by a newbie Bengaluru-based scooter maker- Ola Electric
Bengaluru-based startup Ola Electric will get more government subsidies than the much larger Reliance Industries.
The dark horse of India's battery race is pulling away from the pack, but can it beat the bookies' favorite?
Ola Electric Mobility Pvt., a Bengaluru-based startup, will get state support to manufacture EV batteries that can store a total of 20 gigawatt-hours of power, the government said on March 24. Reliance Industries Ltd., the country's largest conglomerate, will get subsidies for five gigawatt-hours. The upstart is getting 40% of the total capacity covered by New Delhi's $2.4 billion in battery incentives over five years. The plan is to shave off $33 billion from the country's fuel-import bill.
Paying firms to play has a checkered history in India: Favored companies invariably ask for protectionist cover. But with Brent crude oil at $120 a barrel, this particular gamble has some merit. Consumers are already shelling out too much at the pump because of high domestic taxes on gasoline and diesel. However, cutting the levies will only make the government's pandemic-strained budget creak and groan. Hence, the desperate policy push to EVs.
There's another goal behind giving money to battery makers, something that can't be articulated in a government press release. The idea is to keep the nascent EV adoption as far away from Chinese technology and raw materials as possible so that India's hydrocarbon dependence doesn't metastasize into a different kind of geopolitical liability in the future. “Today 90% of global capacity is in China,” Ola Electric founder Bhavish Aggarwal said on Twitter after winning state support. “We will reverse that and make India a global hub for EVs and cell tech.”
That's a lot of chutzpah for a startup valued at $5 billion, based on its last $200 million funding round in January. Ola Electric, backed by SoftBank Group Corp. and Tiger Global Management, is tiny compared with Reliance, which is 45-times bigger in public markets. The conglomerate is controlled by Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, who also owns the world's largest oil-refining complex. Last year, he pirouetted to clean energy by announcing plans for everything from solar panels and batteries to green hydrogen and fuel cells. He committed $10 billion, but has already raised the investment target to $76 billion. There's unlikely to be a bigger national champion of India's bold pledge at the COP26 climate summit.
Yet, New Delhi is backing the lesser-known newbie. Aggarwal won incentives for the maximum 20 GWh that any one company was eligible to receive. Reliance also applied for the full quota, but was put on the waitlist for 15 GWh.
Unlike Reliance, which recently bought a U.K. company with patents in sodium-ion cells — cheaper than lithium-ion, and therefore, potentially more attractive to buyers in emerging markets — Ola is yet to drop a hint about its technology. It wants to research and develop its own batteries, and fill the gaps with investments like the one it made recently in Israel's StoreDot, whose silicon-dominant anodes claim to provide rapid charging. To show his commitment to R&D, Aggarwal has roped in Prabhakar Patil, a former chief executive of LG Chem Power Inc., the U.S.-based research arm of the world's No. 2 EV battery maker, to the Ola Electric board.
Like Ambani, Aggarwal too has made a pivot. In 2011, three years after graduating with a computer science degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, he cofounded Ola Cabs, a ride-hailing app that competes in India with Uber Technologies Inc. But as the pandemic sucked the wind out of transportation services, Aggarwal jumped on to the EV manufacturing bandwagon.
Last year he built — in record time — a “Futurefactory” that would be the world's largest producer of electric scooters at full capacity, run entirely by 10,000 women and 3,000-plus robots. It's had a bumpy start. The first product — the two-wheeler S1 Pro — initially got delayed, and then ran into bad press. “In its hurry to launch a product, Ola Electric hasn't given the battery enough time in the development process to evolve and mature, resulting in breakdowns that are potential safety hazards and could be Ola Electric's undoing,” the Morning Context, a news portal, wrote last month based on user feedback.
Still, consumers appear to be keeping their faith. In February, Ola delivered 7,000 scooters, garnering a market share of nearly 9% among high-speed two-wheeler EVs, according to the research arm of Haitong International Securities Group. This month's target is 15,000. Ola even bagged a slice of a separate $3.4 billion pool of incentives that New Delhi has set aside for auto and parts makers.
India is at the cusp of an EV revolution. It won't start in cars but in the scooters and motorbikes that are usually the first vehicles owned by a middle-class family. Electric two-wheelers, which cost roughly $1,400 apiece, will see faster adoption in India than smartphones, according to Goldman Sachs Groups. Inc., whose base-case scenario is for EV penetration in the segment to swell to 38% by 2030 from 2% this year. Still, Indian automakers don't seem terribly interested in cell manufacturing. Indeed, the only established vehicle brand to have qualified for India's battery subsidies is South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co.
Which makes tiny Ola Electric the big exception — and in more ways than one. China's ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc. has become an unwitting poster child for Beijing's crackdown against the tech industry. Grab Holdings Ltd., Southeast Asia's Uber slayer, has diversified into financial services. Its rival Gojek reduced its reliance on mobility by merging with Indonesian e-commerce platform PT Tokopedia to become GoTo Group. But they all stuck to the consumer-data business — none of them hit the shop-floor to get into EV and battery manufacturing. The path ahead for Aggarwal is guaranteed to be a potholed Indian road, but as long as he can keep private-market investors, consumers and — above all — policymakers hooked to his vision, he can clock the miles.
Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services. He previously was a columnist for Reuters Breakingviews. He has also worked for the Straits Times, ET NOW and Bloomberg News.


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Cisco executives historically have believed they could maintain momentum and stellar revenue growth even in hard times. But the turbulent economy has knocked Cisco's confidence down a notch as sagging sales of networking equipment have forced it to reorganize, lay off employees and tone down revenue expectations.
Shares in the company were up 39 cents by market close to $15.60, down from a 52-week high of $77 and not far from a 52-week low of $13.18.
Other networking companies say Cisco will always be a formidable competitor. But with its luster slightly tarnished, competing companies, particularly smaller but successful players such as Foundry Networks and Riverstone Networks, say they have a shot at grabbing market share, even though they face the same economic issues as their bigger rival.
"The good news for Cisco is there's not too many other companies who aren't hurting as badly as they are," said Lehman Brothers analyst Steven Levy. "But any time a market leader has to make significant changes to their modus operandi, it creates a dislocation--and that gives opportunities for others."
Foundry Networks Chief Executive Bobby Johnson says Cisco has often won sales deals by arguing to customers that it's on stronger financial footing than its rivals. Now Cisco can't do that, he says.
"Cisco competes in a (customer) sale by arguing, 'We're bigger, and you know we'll be around,'" Johnson says. "They attack us on size and the longevity issue. But we just celebrated our ninth consecutive quarter of profitability. We can claim we have...the financial staying power as well--that Cisco is not the only game in town."
Cisco ranks first or second in market share in many major product categories, but the company has had to fend off every other networking company to get there. For example, hard-charging Juniper Networks has captured about 33 percent of the high-speed Internet router market, while Cisco has about 60 percent. Cisco owned virtually all of that field several years ago.
Cisco Chief Executive John Chambers has argued that even in difficult times, Cisco can continue to break away from its competition because of its larger portfolio of products. Even with smaller players such as Extreme Networks nipping at its heels, Cisco has stayed strong in the past few years with revenue growth accelerating as the company got bigger. In the past year, for example, Cisco had quarterly performance of more than 60 percent growth.
Same strategy, new focus
Like others in the technology sector, networking companies have been pummeled by the U.S. economic slowdown that has dashed sales of networking hardware to businesses and telecommunications service providers. Nortel Networks, Lucent Technologies and 3Com, for example, are in the midst of layoffs.
Cisco, however, can argue that it is more focused than ever in key markets now that it has killed off three products that weren't generating immediate revenue. Cisco earlier this month discontinued the optical router it gained from its 1999 purchase of Monterey Networks. And earlier this week, the company axed video products from its acquisition of PixStream and discontinued Internet-based networking equipment that it acquired from buying Israel-based Hynex.
"Cisco's strategy remains the same:
Gartner analysts Jay Pultz and Mark Fabbi say Cisco Systems has long charged a high premium for its offerings, but customers are beginning to question the validity of such pricing.
Instead of focusing its efforts against every networking company, Cisco will have to concentrate on its bigger rivals, such as Nortel, Lucent and emerging players like Juniper. Juniper continues to steal market share from Cisco in the business for high-end routers, technology that sends data through the Net at high speeds.
"Juniper shows up on Cisco's radar screen, but someone smaller like Riverstone won't," said Lehman's Levy.
Riverstone, which focuses primarily on networks for metropolitan areas and Internet service providers, had $35.1 million in sales last quarter and expects sales growth to increase 20 percent to 25 percent sequentially in the next year.
Cisco is "a formidable competitor and will always do billions of dollars every quarter," Riverstone Chief Executive Romulus Pereira said. "But Cisco has to find $7 billion each quarter. It's a lot easier for us to find $35 million. So while we're suffering in the same market, we can operate under the effects of the macroeconomic trends. We can grow.
"Cisco altitude is at 38,000 feet. We're at 20,000 feet. They're running into the choppy weather up there. We're not in the middle of the storm."
Duking it out
While Nortel has made rumblings that it, too, can take advantage of Cisco's problems, analyst Ryan Sullivan, of Landenburg Thalmann, said all the big networking players--Cisco, Nortel and Lucent--are in the same boat.
"The best-positioned players are the midtier companies--Juniper is great, Sycamore (Networks) looks good. Those companies have cash, a product niche, and a more focused business," Sullivan said. "They have their engineers focused on a specific niche, and they can leapfrog the Ciscos and Lucents."
Overall, the networking industry may consolidate during the downturn, especially with start-up networking companies potentially running out of funding. The larger companies, such as Cisco and Nortel, will survive, and so will younger networking companies that have emerged in the past few years, such as Juniper, Foundry and Extreme, analysts say.
For example, Sycamore has more than $1 billion in cash and investments. Redback Networks has about $433 million, and Foundry has about $252 million. Others, such as Extreme, have about $160 million in cash.
But as networking companies duke it out for customers in a dismal economy, they expect tough competition from Cisco.
"Anyone who thinks that Cisco is not a successful company or that John Chambers has somehow forgotten how to be so would be sadly mistaken," Juniper Networks Chief Executive Scott Kriens said in an interview earlier this month. "That's a quality company, and we expect them to do extremely well."


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I first told you about frozen treat expert Gelato-Go‘s arrival to 1305 Montana Ave. back in October of 2017. Sadly, it appears that things have turned icy for the gelato chain: Gelato-Go is now closed in Santa Monica. You can still sample their gelato at other SoCal locations, or in Florida.
Back in August of last year, I told you about a new treat shop landing in the old Blue Plate space at 1415 Montana Ave. You wouldn’t know it from the lack of signs, but Santa Monica’s branch of Erin McKenna’s Bakery opened over the weekend, joining locations in New York, Orlando, and on Larchmont. Look for a menu of donuts, muffins, cakes, and other sweets, as well as breakfast and lunch items that are vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and kosher.
It was almost a year ago when I noticed that Spazio Caffe had vacated its space at 1511A Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. After an extensive build-out, window paper is announcing a new tenant. With locations in SoCal farmer’s markets, it appears that Breadblok is looking to get a brick-and-mortar. Expect a menu of Provence-inspired artisan breads, pastries, and tartets that are “organic, gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, gum-free, [and] refined sugar-free”.
I’d been hearing whispers (Thanks T!) that Montana Avenue’s perennially-busy fave Italian joint Forma was expanding into the cavernous hole left by the abrupt closure of Chaya Venice at the corner of Navy and Main St, but I had no evidence. Now there’s proof. An ABC application recently went up in the window confirming that the good people of Venice will soon be getting a Forma of their very own.
And while we’re on the subject of openings… Ever since I first told you about popular salad chain Sweetgreen‘s expansion to Montana Ave. in Santa Monica back in July, a great many of you have been checking for updates. So here ya go: Sweetgreen officially throws open its doors today (Friday Feb. 22) at 1517 Montana Ave. You’re welcome.
Back in May, I told you about the demise of Rawkin Juice from the location at 705 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. And now it looks like there’s a new tenant moving in. Window signage is up informing us that this will be a branch of meal delivery service Fresh n’ Lean. Promising healthy food that is “Fresh as F*#!” (their slogan painted on the wall inside), Fresh n’ Lean has locations throughout the U.S.
Remember back in July, when I told you about some incredible detective work sent to me by a reader, Patricia? Practically out of thin air, she had deduced that the new building that was under construction at Montana Ave. between 15th and 16th streets was soon to be home to Santa Monica’s second branch of popular salad slingers, Sweetgreen. I couldn’t get confirmation, but I passed this info along based on her confidence and the evidence she provided. Turns out, she was right. Paper is now up on the window for all to see that Sweetgreen will soon have a new location on Montana Ave.


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Security cameras made by Foscam but sold under a dozen different brand names are full of security flaws, researchers said.
F-Secure pushes into hardware with the Sense AC1750 secure wireless router. Let's take a close look.
The vast majority of malware targets Windows. This was true in 2016. It's true in 2017. And it's likely to be true for the foreseeable future. But the times, they are a changing -- especially when it comes to threats targeting Google Android and Apple Macs.
Copyright © 2011-2017 Hubbiz®


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Baidu Inc. , China’s biggest Internet company by market value, has developed a Web browser for personal computers, as the owner of the country’s leading search engine expands its range of services.
View full post on web development – Yahoo! News Search Results
Starz Media is ready to test the waters for sci-fi action thriller “The Resistance” and will do so by taking advantage of the digital age.
View full post on Yahoo! News Search Results for web development


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Loan-to-value restrictions have the potential to affect the lifestyle property market but there is no sign of them doing so yet, the Real Estate Institute’s rural spokesman says.
By Susan Edmunds
The lifestyle property market saw a 4.3% increase in sales volume in the three months to December 2013 compared to December 2012.
There were 32 more sales were recorded compared to the three months to November, an increase of just under 2%.
For the 12 months to December 2013 there were 6591 unconditional sales of lifestyle properties, an increase of 13.8% over the 2012 year.
Nine regions recorded increases in sales compared to December 2012 while five recorded decreases in sales. Northland recorded the largest increase, at 51, followed by Auckland, with 39 and Wellington with 23.
Compared to November 2013, nine regions recorded an increase in sales with four regions recording decreases.
The national median price for lifestyle blocks rose by $30,000 from $490,000 for the three months to December 2012 to $520,000 for the three months to December 2013 to reach a new record high.
Canterbury, Manawatu/Wanganui and Waikato all recorded new record highs for the three months to December.
The median price for lifestyle blocks in Auckland rose by 12.1% in the year to December 2013 to $817,500.
The number of days to sell for lifestyle properties improved by three days, from 62 for the three months to the end of November to 59 days for the three months to the end of December.
REINZ rural spokesman Brian Peacocke said: “A positive aspect of the lifestyle market is the steady increase in sales numbers over the past six months.”
He said LVR rules could have an impact if they slowed residential turnover significantly. “A lot of them flow out to lifestyle properties.”
But he said that had not been reported as a problem yet.


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Sales at BP Gas Stations Are Improving
Here’s an interesting tidbit from The Washington Post’s story today on whether BP can rebrand itself following the massive oil spill in the Gulf: apparently consumers are going back to BP gas stations.
According to the Post, some stations in the Gulf saw their sales drop 50 percent after the spill. Now, the Post says, sales are down about 10 percent in the Gulf and even less in the rest of the country.
The Post checks in with John Kleine, head of the BP Amoco Marketers Association, a group that represents the owners of BP gas stations:
Kleine, who calls the station owners “investors” in BP’s brand (their only link with the company is contracts to buy gasoline), said they began facing angry protests after the spill and turned to BP for help. The company gave them signs and took out print and radio advertisements emphasizing that the stations were locally owned and operated. At some stations BP helped the owners do customer appreciation campaigns with free car washes and cups of coffee. Corporate staffers flew in to stand in driveways and listen to customers’ concerns, Kleine said.


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Realme U1 Launch India
Reality is ready to bring its new smartphone. Chinese smartphone maker has announced that the new Realme U1 will be launched in India on November 28, 2018. Realm U1 will be the world’s first smartphone which will come with the latest MediaTek Helio P70 mobile processor. Realy U1 teaser company has released as ‘SelfiePro’. It is expected that the smartphone will be powered with a strong front camera. It is worth mentioning that Shamoji is also launching its Redmi Note 6 Pro on November 22 in the country.
Realme U1 specification
There is no information related to the Realme U1 specification. The phone can have an Helio P70 mobile platform and a strong selfie camera. Helio P70 is an upgraded processor of the last Halo P60 platform. It has upgraded technology to AI features and CPUs and GPUs. MediaTek claims that the latest mobile platform will provide superb performance, better camera features, faster connectivity, and more battery life. Reality U1 will be an Amjon India Exclusive Smartphone.
Reality U1 will be the first smartphone of the company, with the Waterdrop Nach display. The company is calling it DuDrop Knoch. The smartphone is expected to run on the Android 8.0 OS operating system.
Also, Read Click Here
Recently, Reali has announced an Android Pie update for their Reality 1 and Reality 2 smartphones. With Android Pie Update, both phones will find features such as New System Navigation, Smart Text Selection, Rediscovery Quick Settings, Easy Volume Control, New Dashboard, App Timer, New Do Not Disturb Mode and Wind Down.


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FedEx (FDX) is seeing shipments soar during the holiday season while the first batch of coronavirus vaccines began shipping in December. Is FedEx stock a good buy?
For the answer, take a look at FedEx earnings and the FDX stock chart.
FedEx Stock Fundamental Analysis
The Memphis-based shipping giant offers package delivery service to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx acquired the Dutch company TNT Express in 2016 to help expand its European operations.
FedEx earnings-per-share growth has averaged -8% over the past three years, according to the IBD Stock Checkup. Sales growth rose an average of 5% over that span.
In fiscal second-quarter results released on Dec.17, FedEx earnings soared 92% to $4.83 per share, crushing analysts’ estimates. Revenue climbed 19% to $20.6 billion, also beating views.
“While the overall environment remains uncertain, we expect earnings growth in the second half of fiscal 2021 driven by the anticipated heightened demand for our services as we continue to execute on our strategic priorities,” CFO Michael Lenz said in the release.
FedEx didn’t provide a fiscal 2021 earnings forecast. But said its capital spending outlook for the year remains $5.1 billion.
The company planned to add more than 70,000 positions in the lead-up to the peak delivery season. It earlier announced that FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery and FedEx Freight will increase shipping rates an average of 4.9% beginning in January.
As Covid-19 cases surged in the U.S. ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, states reduced in-store occupancy limits for retailers. Retailers expanded Black Friday deals outside the traditional day after Thanksgiving sales to boost online orders.
While FedEx beat Q2 estimates, investors generally should look for stocks with sustained earnings and sales growth of at least 25%. FedEx earnings and sales are nowhere close to this.
FedEx Stock Technical Analysis
FDX stock briefly cleared a flat base with a 293.40 buy point in late November, according to MarketSmith chart analysis, but soon dipped back below the pivot.
The stock broke through its 200-day line following earnings in early July following months of resistance at the line. But FDX stock dived back below its 50-day line after the Q2 earnings report.
The stock market started to climb on Nov. 23 as the Trump administration began formal transition proceedings to the Biden administration. In addition to the e-commerce boom and the upcoming rush of vaccine deliveries, FDX stock could see more upside as President-Elect Joe Biden’s trade policy is expected to be less capricious and confrontational than President Trump’s.
The relative strength line for FedEx stock, which compares FDX to the S&P 500 index, neared a record high in early December before falling on earnings. The line had crashed amid the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Composite Rating combines several proprietary IBD ratings into a single score. All-time winners often have a Composite Rating of at least 95 near the start of big runs.
FedEx Prepares For Covid-19 Vaccine
But the Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at 94 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and FedEx has been building its cold storage facilities to store the vaccine doses. It has also boosted its ability to carry dry ice on cargo aircraft. Rival UPS (UPS) is also ramping up its supplies of dry ice to ship vaccines.
FedEx Ties With Microsoft, Amazon
In May, FedEx and Microsoft (MSFT) announced a strategic alliance to improve shipping for commercial customers, a shot across the bow at mutual rival Amazon (AMZN).
The multiyear pact will combine FedEx’s global logistics network with Microsoft’s AI and cloud expertise, a joint release said. A new service will give businesses real-time data to track packages. It also will alert customers to things like floods and clearance issues affecting the movement of goods.
But as the coronavirus looms over the global economy, FedEx’s chilly relations with Amazon continue as Amazon pushes ahead to build its own Amazon Shipping operations.
In December 2019, Amazon barred third-party sellers on its site from using FedEx Ground for Prime shipments. Back in August, FedEx didn’t renew its ground-shipping contract with Amazon, and it cut its domestic air deliveries for the e-commerce giant in June.
Amazon reversed its decision on third-party sellers on Jan. 14, saying that FedEx is meeting Amazon’s on-time delivery requirements.
FedEx says Amazon accounts for a small piece of total revenue. The delivery giant is courting other e-commerce customers that offer better margins. Meanwhile, UPS is getting much of the business as FedEx and Amazon lower ties.
FedEx Invests In Drones
FedEx and UPS are seeing a shortage of delivery vans as the coronavirus shut down factories that built the vehicles. The shortage isn’t delaying packages but instead is adding costs for shipping providers. Amazon said it hasn’t felt the squeeze of the van shortage.
But FedEx still has options in the sky. FedEx operates the world’s largest fleet of cargo aircraft and now it’s looking at new alternative transportation options.
In October 2019, FedEx delivered a package of snacks, over-the-counter medication and gifts from Walgreens (WBA) via an unmanned aerial vehicle in Virginia.
The drone was operated by Wing Aviation, a sister company of Google under the Alphabet (GOOGL) umbrella.
But FedEx isn’t the only shipper investing in drones. In September, UPS received Federal Aviation Administration certification for unlimited drone use. UPS announced a pilot program with Walgreens rival CVS Health (CVS) last October.
In August, the Federal Aviation Administration granted Amazon approval to deliver packages by drones, though the company is still test flying drones and didn’t say when they would start delivering packages.
Meanwhile, Walmart is partnering with drone delivery startup Zipline to deliver certain health and wellness products in the U.S. in 2021.
Bottom Line On FedEx Stock
The FedEx earnings outlook has improved as consumers shift more of their shopping online while coronavirus vaccines add to shipping volumes and offer hope for the global economy next year.
With demand booming, pricing power is also up, allowing FedEx to leverage more earnings growth. A Biden administration will be better for trade, and FedEx will play a major part in distributing the Covid-19 vaccine.
But management noted continued uncertainty during the pandemic, which has reached a new wave, and notably declined to offer any detailed guidance in its fiscal Q2 report.
Bottom line: FedEx stock is not a buy right now as shares remain below their 293.40 official buy point and have dived back below their 50-day line.
Investors looking for more stocks to buy can find other companies with strong stock technicals to put on a watch list. If you want to invest in a large-cap stock, a comprehensive selection of articles is here. The IBD Big Cap 20 index offers a selection of the very best large-cap stocks to invest in when the market is in a confirmed uptrend.
Follow Gillian Rich on Twitter @IBD_GRich for stock news and more
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Firm targets AfCFTA to raise earning
With World Bank disclosing that a broad scope of trade-facilitating measures will be necessary to unlock $292 billion of the $450 billion in potential income gains from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a software firm facilitating continental and global commerce through scalable technology-based solutions, Terminal Africa, is set to address the pain points of African businesses.
Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Terminal Africa, Udi Okoh, said: “As an aggregator of logistics services, Terminal Africa enables businesses of diverse scales (micro-scale to large corporations), including individuals, eCommerce firms, and online vendors, to seamlessly connect with trusted logistics services providers.
With the Terminal Africa platform, users can efficiently get shipping rates, arrange deliveries, generate labels, track shipments, and update their customers via a single online platform.”
While CEO of Terminal Africa, Nnamdi Okoh, said the goal is to keep integrating more local and international couriers as it expands into other countries.
“Beyond logistics services, The Terminal Starter, Terminal Basic, and Terminal Premium plans feature a wide range of enterprise-promotion tools that help enhance business performance and help digitise operations for both SMEs, large businesses, and e-commerce outlets.
“Some of these tools available on Terminal help with practical and targeted advertising, provision of e-commerce dashboards or customisable website templates, stock and inventory management, free transfers monthly to any local bank account and digital corporate invoicing.”
“We are making it easier for businesses, merchants, marketplaces, and platforms to grow and create value for the economy,” he said.


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Source Fashion returns July 2023
Source Fashion returns to London Olympia on 16-18th July, more than doubling in size and welcoming over 300 exhibitors from around the world.
Source Fashion offers a platform for decision-makers in buying, sourcing and procurement, with the reassurance of knowing that every exhibitor has been audited to ensure sustainability and transparency remains at the heart of their business model. The February launch show welcomed over 130 manufacturers from 20 countries including the UK, Peru, Cambodia, Pakistan, Turkey, China, India, Portugal, Hong Kong, Italy, and Greece, attracting nearly 5,000 visitors from leading retailers and brands including John Lewis, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, All Saints, Asos, Ted Baker, Bella Freud, FILA, Fred Perry, Matalan, Monsoon, Stitch Fix, Urban Outfitters, Very Group, and many more.
Suzanne Ellingham, Director of Sourcing of Source Fashion; “We couldn't have asked for a better first show. Leading retailers attended keen to source new, and crucially audited, producers and manufacturers. We champion responsibility, and sustainability isn’t just an addition to our show, it is our core value. We unite manufacturers practicing environmental, transparent, and fair-trade methods, with buyers looking to source sustainably.
“Our next show will be even bigger and better – we have already doubled the size of our floorplan for July and have been overwhelmed by the interest from both exhibitors and visitors. The global sustainability market is expected to grow by 24% annually in the next seven years according to Meta, which means now more than ever, brands are on the hunt for new sustainable manufacturers and suppliers to source from and the growth rate is staggering for Source Fashion. It is going to be firmly established as a significant platform for responsible sourcing by its second show.”
Source Fashion fashion show Clothing industry
Source Fashion by Hyve / Good Results


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On Jan. 21, 2020, Elizabeth Troyer sold their home at 2384 Little Mastens Corner Road, Felton to Connor B. Kiely for $178,000.
The amount paid for property taxes on this property in 2015 was $576.90, 0.32% of the sale price of the home.
The last time this home sold was Aug. 19, 2019. It last sold for $72,500.
In January 2020, 11 properties sold in Felton.


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She wondered about Brock; what he was doing and if he was watching it at the same time as she. This issue is further compounded by the fact that shoe sizes usually stay exactly the same in your adult life, unlike your weight. More than 20 independently owned local and regional food vendors will take up residence in the 38,000-square-foot marketplace. The city’s first food hall and community-focused marketplace offers Indianapolis-area residents and travelers access to the food and unique boutique from local chefs and artisans. Until now, the real porcelain ware has been made from 3 or 4 specialized artisans' cooperation. Interestingly, you don't need to spend real currency to purchase the exotic wares from Xur. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Wyoming - one of the few states in the country without a food council at the time - saw food insecurity rates in the double digits and, despite its agrarian reputation, offered few opportunities for farmers to either reach new markets or even begin selling their wares.
Players can also get new exotic wares every week that are sold by Xur, a new trader in Destiny 2. For those unaware, Xur has already arrived in the game with a bunch of special exotics for the fans. Offer exchanging can be beneficial if financial specialists know the basics of exchange. I know that I can always rely on my chef’s knife to chop through anything. It always feels good when you can shop with a cause,' said Addison. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Hoi An offers peaceful streets lined with ancient shop houses, serene pagodas, and shops stocked with locally made handicrafts. Pumkinfish: unique gift shop of small-batch artisanal items found around the world. Through discussions with traditional healers and local health workers, her team found that kufungisisa, or 'thinking too much', was the most common descriptor for emotional distress. “Using those three letters, that mean so much to so many people, it showcases the amazing content we have on offer, as well as expressing our ability to affect culture and unite a nation. Concerned about the content?
“We’re not looking to help the person who has, you know, $3 million to go buy a new ranch and start a new operation,” he added. We want to help the people who are genuinely interested in starting a small backyard garden and starting to take produce to their market, or the person who wants to just start a greenhouse and become a medium-sized producer. “We need more producers; we need to get people interested in this,” said Adam Bunker, a member of the coalition’s executive committee and proprietor of Papa Joe’s Produce, a Sheridan-based greenhouse. Therefore, the duration of LH rise was extended by approximately four times using MVT-602.LH increases following MVT-602 were similar in PCOS and healthy women, but rose more quickly in women in HA. “There are a lot of programs out there for people who are looking to do that. That’s what we’re really looking to work with.
Because of concern surrounding COVID-19, officials made the difficult decision to hold a virtual Farm Show for its 105th year. When that decision was announced in August, the plan was to still hold a variety of competitions, including some livestock events. The only livestock competition that will be held this year is for the largest cattle. Plants are necessary to colonizing Mars, because they will create and sustain atmosphere; but, we are not yet on the threshold of terraforming them. But this year the arenas and exhibit halls are quiet. Additional vendors opening in The Garage in the new year include Certain Feelings Coffee Co., Pakistani-Indian inspired Chapati Beta and fish and chip shop The Harbour. “The Garage opening at the top of the new year presents countless opportunities for the exceptional list of vendors showcasing the best of Indianapolis - from food to retail to experience,” said Jeff Whiteman, chief operating officer at Geronimo Hospitality Group. The traps are one of few means of obtaining food for people, but the practice is illegal and inhumane, and presents a challenge for wildlife and conservation. Facebook users don’t like leaving that platform so one way to get people to sign up for your free giveaway is to host a custom tab within your Facebook page that provides the signup ability.


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Julian Smith MP visited Black Sheep Brewery in Masham to meet Andrew Slee, the new chairman of the brewery, and Jo Theakston, the managing director.
Black Sheep is a major employer in Masham, producing cask, keg and bottled beers and creating new and experimental brews. It is a family business with six generations of brewing expertise, and just a few weeks ago they beat a number of larger companies to win the British Beer and Pub Association “Beer Champion” award for 2017.
Julian Smith MP said ‘It was a pleasure to visit the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham. I was pleased to discuss the progress they are making, look around the brewery and understand the particular challenges they are facing around beer duty.’


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10 August 2009
Continued high food prices and growing unemployment justify expanding food voucher distributions in Burkina Faso, according to a mid-year evaluation by the World Food Programme (WFP) of its largest voucher programme in Africa.
9 April 2009
The World Food Program says its food voucher program in Burkina Faso has been expanded and now reaches 180,000 people in the country's two biggest cities. The WFP says the project improves peoples' access to food, while helping to boost the local economy. [..] WFP spokeswoman Emilia Casella tells VOA food is usually available in urban markets. But, many poor people cannot afford to buy it. She says distributing vouchers, instead of food, can be a more effective way of alleviating hunger in urban areas without destabilizing the market. "In essence, we are supporting the market because the vouchers permit the people who receive those vouchers to go to vendors and sellers who have been approved to participate in the program and exchange the voucher for food,"Casella said.
3 April 2009
Families in Burkina Faso’s second-largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso, have begun receiving US$3 vouchers that can be cashed in for maize, cooking oil, salt, sugar and soap. The distribution is the second half of a World Food Programme (WFP) urban hunger-alleviation experiment launched on 13 February in the capital, Ouagadougou, to help people cope with high food prices. [...] While WFP and its partners are looking at using food vouchers in other countries, Burkina Faso’s WFP director, Annalissa Conte, told IRIN the approach cannot work just anywhere. “Urban settings are more suitable [given] the good banking system, and it needs to suit the needs of people without destabilising local production.” [...] Shopkeeper Mouniya told IRIN the most common complaint he gets from customers is that rice is not included in the programme. “They want to be able to exchange their vouchers for rice. It is not easy to eat the same thing every day.” [...] But WFP’s Conte told IRIN that maize can better cover the population’s “consumption needs” than rice. “We knew that we might have some beneficiaries asking for rice in shops when vouchers allow for maize and not for rice, which is imported and more expensive than maize.”
27 March 2009
Rising prices in Burkina Faso have put some staple foods beyond the reach of the urban poor. So the World Food Program has launched its first ever emergency food voucher program in Africa to help make up the difference.
17 February 2009
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said it launched its first food voucher operation in Africa, deploying a new tool to address hunger in an urban environment where food is available, but beyond the reach of many because of high prices.
17 February 2009
The United Nations is giving food vouchers to poor families in Burkina Faso who have access to private sector markets, but can not afford higher food prices there. The innovative program is alsp helping local shopkeepers This is the first time the World Food Program is working through food vouchers in Africa. It is targeting more than 120,000 people in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou, who have access to staples such as millet and sorghum, but can not afford them because their price is up more than 25 percent from last year. "We have markets in urban areas that are functioning properly. You have food in the markets, but it is still unaffordable for the poorest," says WFP West Africa spokeswoman Stephanie Savariaud.
16 February 2009
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has launched its first food voucher operation in Africa, deploying a new tool to address hunger in an urban environment where food is available, but beyond the reach of many because of high prices. In a statement received here Monday, the UN agency said the new voucher program is targeting 120,000 people who are suffering from the impact of high food prices in urban areas of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, where the prices of basic staples such as millet and sorghum are more than 25 percent higher than they were last year. "Sometimes it makes more sense to give people vouchers than bags of food," said Annalisa Conte, WFP Country Director in Burkina Faso. "This is an innovative solution to hunger needs among people who live in a city where shops and market stalls may be full of produce, but prices are still too high for the poor and the vulnerable."
13 February 2009
Hundreds of women queued up to receive food vouchers in Burkina Faso on Friday under a scheme the U.N. World Food Programme says is a first in Africa and it will boost business for local markets. The scheme launched in the capital Ouagadougou, where there is no shortage of food in the shops but price rises of 25 percent or more in the past year have put some staples out of the reach of the poorest people. [...] "We needed to find a way to help those who needed to eat and at the same time boost business for small shopkeepers," said Annalisa Conte, WFP resident director in the landlocked country, which remains deeply poor despite a vibrant agricultural sector. Shopkeeper Alfred Vebamba said trade was brisk.
- Sahel food insecurity threatens 10 million people in 2013 Source: Reuters/AlertNet
- Sahel: Malnourished to remain above one million in 2013 Source: IRIN
- At meeting in Rome, UN officials stress link between food security and peace in Sahel Source: UN News Centre
- Building Resilience Key to Restoring Sahel Food Security Source: VOA News
- Burkina Faso: Low-cost steps for long-term food security Source: IRIN


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Export Development Bank of Iran to finance knowledge-based companies
Tehran, Iran, Sept. 2
The head of Export Development Bank of Iran Ali Saleh Abadi has announced that the bank would provide financing to knowledge-based companies.
"The bank has good planning in this regard and provides good advances. We have provided $23 million from the National Development Fund and $38 million from Export Development Bank's profit to knowledge based companies," said Abadi, Trend reports from the conference of knowledge-based companies in Tehran.
"The bank provides advances to companies based on their financial capacities, we are aware that knowledge-based companies do not have similar financial capacity as petrochemical companies, therefore their evaluation is different. Meanwhile our view toward these companies is different from petrochemical companies but a knowledge-based company should provide its financial statements for exports," he said.
"The bank would offer a 30-percent discount for its fees to knowledge based companies that are active in exports alongside providing services, identifying production supply chain, support of exports chain. It would open letter of credit (LC), accept guarantee from Export Guarantee Fund of Iran, facilitate the evaluation by creating special committee," he added.
"The staffs in the bank branches are educated and one of the roles of our bank is providing consultation to knowledge-based companies," he indicated.
"Identifying the exports opportunities via cooperation with chambers of commerce and introducing it to knowledge based companies alongside notifying tenders and international conferences are other function of Export Development Bank of Iran to support knowledge based companies," he noted.