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Business News›PLI scheme
Government plans PLI scheme for basic chemicals used in pharma, other industries: Mansukh Mandaviya
Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced plans to bring a PLI scheme for basic chemicals to make the country self-reliant and ensure affordability in the agro-chemicals, petro-chemicals, and pharmaceutical active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) industries. Mandaviya stressed the need for research and development in the field and asked MSMEs to use the government's open facilities.
Introduce PLI for crucial components, reverse engg industrial labs, not small firm-dominated goods: GTRI
“Given the upcoming carbon border taxes imposed by the EU and soon by other countries, India must invest in clean energy technologies…Sectors like steel and aluminum, significantly affected by carbon taxes, should be prioritized for PLI incentives,” said Ajay Srivastava, co-founder of Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).
Do not introduce PLI for small firm-dominated products: GTRI to Govt
Think tank GTRI has advised the Indian government not to extend its PLI scheme to small firms for products like leather shoes and handicraft, arguing that such a move could force business away from such enterprises. The PLI scheme is in place across 14 sectors such as textiles and pharma and is aimed at boosting manufacturing, exports and job creation.
Cabinet approves PLI-II for IT hardware with Rs 17,000 crore outlay
The cabinet approved the second phase of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware with a budgetary outlay of Rs 17,000 crore. This scheme will allow applicants to choose 2023, 2024 or 2025 as the base year for starting production and envisages an incentive of up to 5% on incremental sales, more than double the roughly 2% being offered under the first phase.
PLI schemes for labour-intensive toys, leather sector on the cards
"PLI scheme is showing significant dividends across many sectors. The intention is to also roll out this PLI scheme for more labour-intensive sectors such as toys, leather and footwear and other such sectors where employment benefits will be more significant," Singh said at an industry interaction.
Considering extension of PLI scheme to some labour-intensive sectors: DPIIT Secretary
"PLI scheme is showing significant dividends across many sectors. The intention is to also roll out this PLI scheme for more labour-intensive sectors such as toys, leather and footwear and other such sectors where employment benefits will be more significant," Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Rajesh Kumar Singh said here at an industry interaction.
Cabinet approves Rs 17,000 crore-IT Hardware PLI, Rs 1.08 lk cr fertiliser subsidy"For IT PLI, the budgetary outlay is Rs 17,000 crore. The tenure of the programme is six years," Union Minister for IT and Telecom Ashwini Vaishnaw said after the cabinet meeting. The scheme for IT hardware covers laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, servers and ultra-small form factor devices.
Investments via PLI schemes top priority: Nirmala SitharamanIndia's production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, designed to encourage investment in the country, are being extended to new sectors including semiconductors and solar components, according to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Speaking at a business conference in Tokyo, Sitharaman promoted India as an attractive location for foreign investment due to relaxed restrictions and a commitment to meeting targets for renewable energy and environmental goals.
Government may hike IT hardware PLI sops more than double to Rs 17,000 crore in new planUnder the revised package, the scheme's validity is being increased to eight years, starting April 1. But applicants may choose the starting date as April 1, 2024, or even April 1, 2025. The scheme will be applicable for six years.
PLI beneficiaries, MITRA parks & fair price shops are now being mappedBesides expediting the implementation of infrastructure projects, such mapping will aid data consistency, better planning, and prevent time and cost overruns, officials said.
Govt releases standard operating procedure under PLI scheme for automobile sectorNew Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) The Union government on Thursday announced the standard operating procedure of the production linked incentive scheme for automobile sector, whereby applicants can submit applications for testing and certification of advanced automotive technology products, which will help
Rs 53,500 cr PLI investment till December 2022, govt disbursed Rs 2,874.71 cr till MarchPLI schemes for 14 sectors were announced during the Covid pandemic in 2020 with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore to boost domestic manufacturing and exports.
Steel sector PLI may include capital goodsCapital goods companies that manufacture machinery for the steel industry could be one of the segments that can be included within the ambit of the PLI scheme for steel, the official said. It currently covers only speciality, or value-added, products in the steel sector.
Launch 'PLI Plus' initiative; focus on new product development to boost mfg: GTRI to govtThe government should consider launching a 'PLI Plus' scheme with focus on development of new products, industrial designs and enhancing productivity with a view to boost domestic manufacturing, economic think tank GTRI said on Sunday.
Auto production-linked incentives: Govt eases norms for availing benefits but many concerns remainThree execs aware of the Monday meeting between government officials and industry stakeholders said the Centre explained the tweaks to the executives concerned during the discussions, although clarity was still awaited on incentives that fell due at the end of FY23.
Indian kids are pushing the need for a robust ‘Toyconomy’. But where are the Indian toys?The toy sector is a very complex industry even though it caters to around 26% of the Indian population,
Can India find its manufacturing mojo as the world trade lines get redrawn?China’s position of being an undisputed manufacturing destination is on the wane. Experts say it is now increasingly clear which sectors India should focus on to capitalise on the significant opportunity.
Change in mindset essential to make India a global manufacturing leader: Raamdeo Agrawal“The biggest manufacturing exports started happening in Japan and Korea as their domestic market was very small. So, they set up capacities and businesses only for exports. Even the government (policies) were aligned to make it supportive of exports,” Agrawal said.
Free Trade Agreement negotiations are going on with United Kingdom, EU and Canada: Nirmala SitharamanThis confirmation comes at a time when a recent report suggested that the FTA talks between the two countries are suspended over the UK's failure to denounce vandalism by Khalistsupporters outside the Indian High Commission in London last month.
Indian smartphone export likely crossed over Rs 82,000 crore in FY 2022-2023Mobile phone manufacturing in India saw a 66 per cent jump to Rs 45,000 crore within the first year of the roll-out of the PLI scheme in April 2020, as per IT Ministry.
TRAI suggests MIB to design a suitable PLI scheme for STB manufacturingThe Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended that linear set-top boxes (STBs) be included in the PLI scheme to promote local manufacturing in the television broadcasting sector. The TRAI has also suggested conducting periodic reviews of indigenous components, factoring in local components in determining localisation levels under the PLI scheme, and reviewing investment outlays required for MSME manufacturing for selected equipment.
India should be able to create proven semiconductor chips by 2028: IESA’s Sanjay GuptaSanjay Gupta, President & CEO of Spark Minda and Vice-Chairman of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) says, India will have the ability to create semiconductor chips by 2028. He further asserts that India has the potential to fill the gap in the global semiconductor industry amid the ongoing disruptions.
Government to announce first PLI for drones soonThe government will announce the first set of production-linked incentives (PLI) for drones soon, civil aviation secretary Rajiv Bansal said on Monday at the CII International Conference and Exhibition on Advanced and Short Haul Air Mobility for All in Bengaluru.
Special steel production under PLI schemes to save forex outgo: Faggan KulasteTo promote the production of special types of steel in the country and to imbibe the concept of self-reliant India, "Our government launched PLI scheme for Specialty Steel to become Atmanirbhar in specialty steel output and increase its capacity," Kulaste told PTI.
Govt plans to introduce PLI 2.0 for specialty steel: Jyortiraditya Scindia"Today is an important day in the history and future of the steel industry. PLI 1.0 is not a full stop, it is the beginning of the journey. Our ministry is already looking at PLI 2.0," he informed the participants of the first edition of PLI for specialty steel.
IT hardware companies flag PLI’s investment amid unused slack capacitiesThe firms reasoned that most manufacturers have slack capacities that first need to be used up before committing to expansion at a time when global PC and tablet sales have been steadily declining.
Some more PLIs: FY24 could be inflection point for surge in India’s manufacturing capexWith the PLI scheme in place, the annual investment in India’s manufacturing sector may remain high for a few years from FY2023-24. But questions remain on whether the global economic uncertainty will delay the execution of projects and mess up the government’s math on private investments. According to a recent analysis by credit rating agency ICRA, the deployment of capex may kick in in a big way in the next fiscal year of 2023-24, with investments likely to cross the `1 lakh crore threshold, and may touch `1.7 lakh crore in FY26.
Centre planning phase 2 of specialty steel PLI schemeThe Centre had provided ₹6,322 crore for the specialty steel PLI. Till now 67 applications from 30 companies have been selected under the first round of the scheme. Contracts for these are expected to be signed by the end of this month.Load More
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Bloomreach, an e-commerce personalization platform, has launched a new one-click unsubscribe feature for its customers to comply with Google and Yahoo’s recent email sender requirements.
The feature allows email recipients to unsubscribe from mailing lists with a single click in the header or body of the email. Bloomreach has also provided expert guidance for marketers on navigating the new requirements, including the importance of personalization, email list cleaning, and following authentication protocols.
Also read: 15 Email A/B Testing Best Practices
Gmail and Yahoo have also announced a spam complaint threshold of 0.3%, making it necessary for businesses to monitor spam complaints and optimize their email strategy.

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It’s been a whirlwind week in the hospitality world, with announcements and expansions aplenty. Here’s your wrap on all that’s going down in the hotel space.
Accor announces new Art Series hotel for Perth
Accor has announced it will open its ninth Art Series hotel in Perth’s CBD in October 2019, heralding the arrival of the Art Series brand in Western Australia.
Dedicated to Australia’s contemporary artists, the fundamental design concept of the 250-room Art Series hotel will draw inspiration from its incoming namesake artist, with custom contemporary furnishings and original artworks and prints adorning the walls and halls of the hotel.
In another first for the state, the art-inspired hotel will also be home to a chic new international food and beverage destination, serving Mediterranean cuisine and the city’s best cocktails. The venue will be centred around the hotel’s stunning pool area on level one, directly above Hay Street.
Marriott International to open first Ritz-Carlton hotel in Bangkok; Brisbane Marriott Hotel unveils new look
Marriott International has announced it has signed an agreement to open its first Ritz-Carlton hotel in dynamic Bangkok with One Bangkok, a joint venture between TCC Assets and Frasers Property.
The hotel is expected to occupy a planned 50-storey tower in the One Bangkok lifestyle development, now rising in the city’s commercial centre. Construction on The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok already commenced, with the hotel expected to open in 2023.
Marriott has also unveiled its Brisbane Marriott Hotel, showcasing its $20 million reimagined hotel. The extensive redesign transformed the hotel’s 267 guest rooms and suites, Executive Lounge, two floors of event space and its signature restaurant, reinventing the experience of the legendary hotel.
DoubleTree by Hilton expands global portfolio with key openings
DoubleTree by Hilton has expanded its global presence, opening a further seven new hotels in the first quarter of 2019. The brand has seen substantial international growth in the last decade, and with these newly opened properties, DoubleTree by Hilton now boasts more than 560 unique upscale hotels in key destinations around the world.
In 2008, the brand began its global expansion with simultaneous openings of two properties in Costa Rica, and at the time operated 160 hotels.
Ten years later, DoubleTree operates in 45 countries across six continents, providing upscale solutions to those in or traveling to key hubs around the world, with hotels such as the recently opened DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral in Florida and DoubleTree by Hilton Kocaeli in Turkey.
Virgin Hotels opens second hotel in San Francisco
Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, officially opened the doors of its highly anticipated second property, Virgin Hotels San Francisco, on 19 February 2019.
The hotel, located at 250 Fourth Street, is situated South of Market (SoMa) just steps from Yerba Buena Gardens and the Moscone Center, and features 192 Chambers and two Penthouse Suites, as well as multiple dining and drinking outlets, including the brand’s flagship space, Commons Club and Funny Library Coffee Shop.
There are also numerous meeting spaces, and the city’s newest rooftop bar, Everdene. The hotel is also in close proximity to the new Central Subway Station, which, upon opening later this year will connect South of Market with Union Square and Chinatown.
Crown unveils ‘Mumcations’ package
New research commissioned by Crown Metropol has revealed that overseas travel is becoming increasingly difficult for Aussie Mums with young kids.
In response to the growing trend of ‘Mumcations’, Crown Metropol has launched a specific offer designed for busy Mums to take time out close to home, at its properties in Melbourne and Perth.
The package features all the necessities for a great girls’ night, including a bottle of sparkling wine to kick things off in style and a $100 food and beverage voucher.
Mums can take their pick of the many dining options across the Crown complex, which span from French-style eats at Bistro Guillaume to premium Japanese at Nobu or can kick back and relax in their room with in-room dining.
Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji celebrates major restoration expansion
Nanuku Auberge Resort has unveiled 13 luxury Auberge Beach Villas, increasing the resort’s overall accommodations to 37 suites, villas and residences.
The villas are set along Nanuku’s famed three-kilometre stretch of sand, providing unparalleled year-round access to activities such as snorkelling the resort’s own untouched coral reef.
Each Auberge Beach Villa, now available, will offer sumptuous, indoor and outdoor living including contemporary-styled interiors and exteriors.
Options include Beachfront Pool Villas with uninterrupted ocean views, or Garden-View Pool Villas nestled among lush tropical gardens with partial ocean views in either one-bedroom (84 square metre) or two-story, two-bedroom (172 square metre) sizes.
Best Western launches ‘SureStay Hotel by Best Western’ in Australasia
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has announced the first six hotels within its SureStay and soft brand ‘SureStay Collection by Best Western’ portfolio in Australasia.
Positioned in the economy and upper economy accommodation categories, SureStay Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection by Best Western provide options for guests who like to travel simply and rest in comfort while being assured of the quality and service they’ve come to expect from the Best Western brand.
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts celebrates 25 years with a more than 25 per cent reduction of single-use plastics in a year
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts celebrates its 25th anniversary and Earth Day 2019 with over 25 per cent group-wide reduction of single-use plastic in a year.
The group announced a pledge against single-use plastic in support of Earth Day 2018 theme ‘End Plastic Pollution’. Within a year, this declaration has inspired the change across its 48 hotels worldwide and successfully eliminated 4.2 million single-use plastic items, equating to a significant 26 per cent reduction in total usage.
Championing 25 years of sustainable development since its inception in 1994, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has pioneered the journey of stewardship in its commitment towards the environment and communities through its philosophy of “Embracing the Environment, Empowering People”.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts launches limited-edition high tea experience
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has announced the launch of ‘Haut Patisserie’: a limited-edition, art-inspired high tea available across all InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Australia and New Zealand.
The high tea is a creative extension of the brand’s partnership with contemporary artist Alexander Hall, also known under the alias as Haut de Gamme, who created a stunning, one-of-a-kind art installation to celebrate 200 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts across the globe.
Alexander recently visited Australia to officially unveil Haut Patisserie in collaboration with InterContinental’s inspired culinary talent.
During his Sydney visit, 15 exquisite pieces of the 200 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts art installation were specially flown into Double Bay, including unique pieces created for Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Japan.


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Portillo’s announced plans to open its doors in the great state of Texas for the very first time this fall. Located at the intersection of Highway 121 and Destination Drive in The Colony, the restaurant will be part of the 400-acre Grandscape complex, the largest mixed-use real estate, retail, entertainment and restaurant development in North Texas.
“Texas is an amazing market, and I can’t wait for our fans there to see this showstopper of a restaurant,” says Michael Osanloo, Portillo’s President & CEO. “Texas is the Number 1 state for our shipping business, and we’ve had fans asking us to bring a brick-and-mortar restaurant there for years. We’re investing in the right people and the right real estate to make this restaurant a home run for them.”
Known for its signature menu items of unrivaled Chicago street food, guests can expect to enjoy Chicago-Style Hot Dogs, Famous Italian Beef Sandwiches, Char-Grilled Burgers and Portillo’s Famous Chocolate Cake.
True to Portillo’s unique design style, the new restaurant will be entirely unique, incorporating elements of the surrounding community as part of its décor. That will include a vintage Toyota vehicle on-site as a nod to the nearby North American headquarters of automaker Toyota. The 7,900-square-foot restaurant will include indoor seating for more than 180 guests, as well as exterior seating for more than 80 additional guests on two air-conditioned patios.
“We are very excited to welcome this iconic brand to Grandscape,” says Jeff Lind, president of Grandscape. “Our mission continues to be creating a destination unlike any other, offering brands that are often first to the market while creating a one-of-a-kind visitor experience. Portillo’s is famous for their offerings and their service, and we look forward to being their first home in the state of Texas.”
Fans are invited to sign up for the chance to attend a free sneak peek training meal prior to opening at www.portillos.com/colony. Loyal fans will also receive updates on Portillo’s The Colony development and events surrounding the new restaurant.
Portillo’s is also holding a Texas-themed trivia sweepstakes to celebrate its upcoming Texas opening. Fans are invited to answer themed questions, and all participants will be entered for the chance to win Portillo’s for a year


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Lemon production in Turkey climbed in 2020-2021, but grapefruit production is expected to decline, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
Lemon production reached 1.1 million metric tons, which is 13% more than in the 2019-20 season.
Lemons have a longer season compared to oranges and tangerines in Turkey because different lemon varieties ripen at different times during the marketing year.
Consumption of lemons in the country is forecast to decrease to 482,000 metric tons. The decrease is due to high export volume and low demand caused by the closing of cafes and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lemon exports are expected to soar 49% in 2020-21 compared to the previous season. The top export markets for Turkish lemons are Iraq, Russia and Ukraine.
Turkey had 41,000 hectares of lemons planted in 2020-21, compared to 40,154 hectares in 2019-20 but up from 35,911 hectares in 2018-19. There are 11.1 million bearing trees, up from 9.8 million in 2019-20 and 8.7 million in 2018-19.
Grapefruit production is expected to be 251,000 metric tons in 2020-21, down 7% from the prior season. The drop is due to intensive hail during the blooming season.
Production of grapefruit depends on appropriately hot weather conditions, and Turkey’s climate does not provide ideal conditions. Turkey is only able to export grapefruit varieties that are more sour and less sweet, which creates limitations for expanding export markets.
Domestic demand for grapefruit is very small, and the fruit is mostly consumed as fresh-squeezed juice. Although grapefruit production is quite low, it is still six times the amount of domestic consumption.
In 2020-21, grapefruit exports are expected to be 12% lower than the previous season at 161,000 metric tons. Grapefruit exports are primarily to Russia, Poland and Ukraine.
Turkey has 5,100 hectares of grapefruit in 2020-21, down from 5,222 hectares in 2019-20 and 5,181 hectares in 2018-19.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service
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Capitec Bank is among the fastest-growing South African lenders as it targets low-income earners who were largely untapped by the well-established and conservative banking behemoths of the country.
But being exposed to the lower-income bracket, the bank also bore the brunt of higher impairments as its customers came under strain after 10 successive interest-rate hikes.
The lender, South Africa's biggest retail bank by customer numbers, has seen the chance of retail credit turning into a non-performing loan shrinking back to levels seen four years ago, chief executive officer Gerrie Fourie said on an investors' call.
"We believe we have turned a corner," he said, adding retail loans that could turn sour stood at 7.6%, last seen in August 2019, and would come down further in the next few months.
The lender, which serves 21 million customers or a third of the country's population, said its credit impairment charge rose almost by two-thirds to R4.76bn ($248.20m) for the interim period.
But there were signs the situation was improving, with the overall impairment charge of the second quarter lower by 8% from the first quarter, Fourie said.
Capitec Bank reported a 9% rise in its half-year profit with headline earnings per share - the country's standard profit measure - of R40.72 ($2.13), and distributed more than a third of this dividend.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day.Go to: https://www.reuters.com/


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Fromagination assisted with a world record on Wednesday, August 1! The world’s largest cheese board was assembled in downtown Madison…and we helped!
4,437 pounds of cheese came to the Capitol Square – engineered by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (formerly the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board) to break the Guinness Book of World Records’ mark, previously set in the Netherlands.
Assembled on a huge cheese “board” on King Street, directly east of the Capitol Square, the gigantic display was seven feet wide and 35 feet long! 2000 guests received a curated cheese plate with Wisconsin cheeses chosen by Fromagination. Others were invited to bid on wheels of cheese for a raffle that benefited the Great American Milk Drive.
Fromagination’s owner and general manager, Ken Monteleone (picture above on an optical illusional chunk of cheese), helped coordinate the cheese cutting, which took place next to the Fromagination shop at Madison’s Park Hotel. He was there at 6:00 a.m. to make sure that the Guinness representative saw all the cheese officially weighed before it was delivered to the street display.
“It was a long day,” Monteleone said, “but it was an impressive display of Wisconsin’s flagship export, artisan cheese! And lots of people got to taste some very delicious cheeses.”
The leftover cheese was donated to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, which provides food to people in need.


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JSE-listed and Europe’s second biggest furniture retailer, Steinhoff, wants to acquire 98 percent of issued ordinary shares of South Africa’s struggling furniture retailer, JD Group, for R27. 77 ($2.59) a JD Group share, it said on Wednesday.
Steinhoff’s move has been prompted by the fact that Steinhoff wants to bolster its capacity to boost the troubled JD Group, which is confronted by numerous problems in South Africa’s furniture retail and “consumer finance segments.”
The tender offer – which simply refers to a takeover bid – will give JD Group shareholders an appealing 38.1 percent premium to the present JD Group share price. It will also give them a chance to invest in Steinhoff, which has global exposure.
With this tender offer, Steinhoff also claims it will give JD Group shareholders global limelight and superior liquidity as it has good growth trajectory and the fact that it is the second biggest furniture retailers in Europe.
Steinhoff said the tender offer is open for the taking right away on a first-come-first-serve basis. Steinhoff also urged JD Group shareholders to tender their acceptances without wasting time.Steinhoff In Takeover Bid For JD Group


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Australia Post welcomes the view of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that it does not object to a proposed increase in the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) from $1.00 to $1.10.
Australia Post will now progress the required processes associated with the proposed increases to take effect on 2 January 2020.
This will be the first increase in four years and cost the average household less than $1.50 per year.
There will be no change to the price of concession stamps at 60 cents, available to 5.7 million Australians, including pensioners and veterans. Similarly, the 65 cent seasonal greeting card stamps will not change.
The increase is subject to regulatory processes which Australia Post expects to be completed over the coming weeks.


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Every year in early autumn Apple holds its event where it presents new iPhones, Apple Watches, and iPads. This year wasn’t an exclusion. But yesterday’s presentation didn’t result in Apple stock growth, and here’s why.
FTSE 100 rallies on weakening pound
On Wednesday, Britain’s key stock index managed to ascend because the benchmark was backed by a weakening pound against the backdrop of lingering worries as for the country’s escape from the European Union.
Concerns about so-called Brexit put pressure on Britain’s currency and market participant’s mood. However, the pound’s weakness gave some boost to businesses doing business abroad.
The FTSE 100 leapt by 0.6% demonstrating an outcome of 7,762.23 having leapt by 0.7% in the previous trading marathon, putting the UK equity gauge on track to report a fourth straight profit as well as its most impressive gain since May 24.
The currently pair GBP/USD tumbled to a value not observed since August of 2017.
So far this week the UK blue-chip gauge has ascended by 1.3% that would mark its greatest weekly jump since May 11.
It’s apparent that a weakening pound can help the sale and profits of UK companies that run business overseas.
Remarks from trade minister Liam Fox had generated fresh concerns regarding Brexit, after the statesman put the likelihood of a so-called tough Brexit at about 60%, and without any firm plan, which would outline the future relationship between Great Britain and the European Union.
On Tuesday, America came up with a list of $16 billion in China’s products, which are going to be subject to 25% duties. It actually slaps tariffs on the Asian country’s duties set to come true on August 23, to about $50 billion. American statesmen told they’re considering extra tariffs on $200 billion.
Market participants are afraid that an intensifying conflict between the two major economies around the globe will heavily affect other economies. However, market participants appreciated the fact that the American economy is currently in a decent shape.
Paddy Power Betfair PLC slumped by 6.3%.
Richard Branson offloaded nearly 10 million shares, which equals about 4% of the Virgin Galactic stock, leaving him with an 18% stake.
Today at 00:00 GMT+3 SPCE will present the second quarter 2021 financial results. We will get to know everything about the company's financial condition and plans.
The Japanese yen fell to its lowest level against the US dollar in 33 years. Read the full report to learn the next target for USDJPY!
The US stock market fell in the third quarter. What's going on and why economists think that the last quarter will be better? Let's discuss it all here.
BlackRock CEO forecasts the Fed may have to raise rates further. The US dollar index (DXY) gains 130 points today. Read the full report to get more fresh news and technical analysis!


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The charming automated assistant in Spike Jonze’s new movie isn’t realistic. But if they were designed thoughtfully, computerized interlocutors could make us better people.
Oculus Rift has heavyweight developer support and millions of dollars of crowdsourced investment. But many of the old challenges to this new technology remain.
Though still volatile, Bitcoin is surging in value and being spent more freely; it’s also inspired a legion of competitors.
An app called Audio Aware lets the hard of hearing and the distracted know when danger approaches.
They’re not just disruptive—these 50 companies are also intelligent in the way they build their businesses.
With the devices business gone, Nokia’s CTO says he’ll try to capitalize on innovations in sensors, materials, and cloud software.
IBM says it will invest $1 billion in the computer system that won on Jeopardy! but has stumbled so far in the real world.
Smart home appliances could become more common thanks to efforts by major companies including Lowe’s and Staples to make gadgets compatible.


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(Adds details on results, background)
April 27 (Reuters) - Hasbro Inc topped Wall Street expectations for quarterly revenue on Thursday, boosted by strong growth in the company's digital gaming segment at a time when demand for its toys has taken a hit from a drop in consumer discretionary spending.
Following bumper revenue growth during the peak of the pandemic, U.S. toymakers are seeing a slowdown in demand while retailers are also cutting down on toy orders under the weight of inflation and worries of a recession.
While demand for Hasbro's NERF blasters, Play-Doh and Peppa Pig toys fell in the first quarter, the company saw strong fan engagement in its Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment, with revenue from its "Magic: The Gathering" card game up 16%.
Hasbro faced a backlash from the Magic fan community late last year with players criticizing the company for overprinting its playing cards and scheduling several releases within a short window of time.
The company has since then returned to spreading out releases for this year, with the February release of its "Phyrexia: All Will Be One" game set driving sales.
Hasbro also saw robust demand for its "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game in the quarter.
The company reported an adjusted profit of 1 cent per share in the first quarter, in line with analysts' estimates, according to Refinitiv IBES data, while also maintaining its annual sales and earnings forecasts.
In contrast, rival Mattel Inc on Wednesday posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss, pinched by retailers trimming orders for its Barbie and Hot Wheels toys.
Hasbro reported net revenue of $1.00 billion in the quarter, compared with $1.16 billion a year earlier. Analysts had expected revenue of $878.4 million, according to Refinitiv IBES data. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)


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|A ring printed at the new higher resolution. (I get the Opera House, and Sydney Harbour Bridge, but is that a beer bottle at the back??)|
Friday, 28 September 2012
UP! - Grade coming
Some exciting news. PP3DP, the makers of the UP! printers have announced there will be a new version of their software released on the 30th of September. The two major changes will be the ability to print thinner walls than previous, and the one that interests me most, a reduction in layer thickness! The UP! Plus will go from a minimum of 0.2mm to 0.15mm and the new MINI will go from 0.25mm to 0.2mm. I'm sure there will be other changes, but we have to wait a few more days yet....


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A SPY caused panic in the All Blacks camp before last year's historic Second Test against the Lions.
New Zealand boss Steve Hansen had to halt training at their Wellington base when he spotted a spook in the bushes.
The revelations come to light in a new Amazon Prime documentary, All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks, which is released next month.
Hansen said: "We have a security team and we saw someone up a tree.
"We know people have filmed our training runs. So we are always cautious. It comes with the game now."
It is not the first time that the Kiwi's have been embroiled in an espionage saga.
In 2017 their Sydney hotel was bugged with a listening device in the build-up to their Bledisloe Cup game against bitter rivals Australia.
There were no suggestions that the spy was from the Lions camp.
RISE FROM ASHES Chris Ashton still dreaming of performing iconic Splashdown in an England shirt again
Days later Warren Gatland's tourists won the Wellington Test to level the series 1-1.
But the biggest talking point from the game was the red card shown to Sonny Bill Williams for his horrific shoulder charge to the face of winger Anthony Watson.
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Disgraced centre SBW became the first All Black in 50 years to be sent off.
And in the Amazon series he blames referee Jerome Garces, who he felt got the call wrong.
Sonny Bill said: "It was just a blur. A nightmare. For the ref to make such a dramatic call in a massive game like that - it's 50 years. It's a big call.
"Walking off he said I could sit on the sideline or the sheds. I had let the team down, but I walked over to the bench and sat there."
Manchester City had the Amazon cameras follow them in last season's record-breaking Premier League title win.
All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks is available on Prime Video from Friday, June 1.


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Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio
Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Ulis Fleming, Dennis Dura, and Tracy Wood for the following tips:
The prized retro audio components are mostly manufactured in Russia and China. Now, a small Georgia company is rebooting US production.
ROSSVILLE, GEORGIA, ON the border with Tennessee, doesn’t look like a tech town. It’s the kind of place where homey restaurants promising succulent fried chicken and sweet tea are tucked among shuttered businesses and prosperous liquor stores. The cost of living is moderate, crime is high, politics are red, and the population has withered to 3,980.
But in the view of entrepreneur Charles Whitener, Rossville is the perfect place to stage a revival in US technology and manufacturing—albeit with a device that was cutting edge when the Ford Model A ruled the roads.
Whitener owns Western Electric, the last US manufacturer of vacuum tubes, those glass and metal bulbs that controlled current in electric circuits before the advent of the transistor made them largely obsolete. Tubes are still prized for high-end hi-fi equipment and by music gear companies such as Fender for their distinctive sound. But most of the world’s supply comes from manufacturers in Russia and China, which after the transistor era began in earnest in the 1960s helped sunset the US vacuum tube industry by driving down prices.
Whitener, a 69-year-old self-described inventor, vintage hi-fi collector, and Led Zeppelin fanatic, bought and revived AT&T’s shuttered vacuum tube business in 1995. The business has ticked along in the era of cheap overseas tubes primarily by serving the small market for vacuum tubes in premium hi-fi equipment with a model called the 300B, originally designed in 1938 to enable transoceanic phone calls. [Continue reading…]
100 years is an incredible milestone for any business or organization! In this Valley PBS Original Documentary, we take you back in time as we explore the origins of KMJ as a conservative talk radio station as well as the long-lasting legacy and impact of their century-long run on the air and in the hearts & minds of their listeners.
2023 Edition of The Domestic Broadcasting Survey
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who notes that the 2023 Edition of The Domestic Broadcasting Surve is available for download at:
Many rely on radio broadcasts in Zimbabwe and across Africa (Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette via AP)
Many still rely on radio broadcasts for news, entertainment across continent
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Just the size of his hand, the radio set hung in the busy marketplace stall is essential to Mark Nyabanda.
“I can’t do without it,” said the 25-year old, taking a break from selling fertilizer in Mbare market in the capital, Harare, to listen to a radio weather report warning of possible floods.
Radio bulletins also provide him with information on disease outbreaks, political news and entertainment, he said.
“I don’t trust these new technologies,” he said, referring to social media. “They are full of falsehoods. We saw it during the coronavirus outbreak.”
In many Western countries, conventional radio has been overtaken by streaming, podcasts and on-demand content accessed via smartphones and computers.
But in many of Africa’s 54 countries, with a combined population of 1.3 billion people, traditional radio sets are widely used, highlighting the digital divide between rich countries and those still struggling to have reliable internet.
Radio sets are all over the place in Zimbabwe. Rural livestock herders dangle them from their necks while tending animals while those in the cities listen to their radio sets for news. [Continue reading…]
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Pixelworks reaches strategic agreement with HMD Global
Cooperation extended to Future Nokia smartphones
Pixelworks is a company with quite remarkable mobile display processing technology packed into rather small chips that enables some high-end video and display features at very low cost and power. After working with HMD to help make the mainstream-priced Nokia 7.1 really pop with high end HDR display features, the two companies announced strategic partnership to extend the cooperation.
ARM CEO sees the fifth wave of computing
5G, big data and processing
Simon Seagers, ARM’s CEO talked about the 5th wave of computing and that is obviously the one that is coming after the last big leap that brought us closer to mobile and cloud mix.
IBM cracks processing barrier
Electrified graphene is 97 percent accurate
IBM has come up with a way to go beyond 7nm processing using electrified graphene.
Samsung lays out process roadmap
New process technology down to 3-nanometer
More details have come out about Samsung's roadmap for process technology.
TSMC starts work on new 5nm plant
3nm will be on the same site in 2020
TSMC will break ground this week for the construction of its new 5nm fab in the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP), where its 3nm fab is believed to see construction start in 2020.
Samsung ramping up to 7nm next year
Will be ready for volume production
Despite having its CEO behind bars, Samsung will be ready for volume production of its 7nm process node in 2018.
TSMC confirms the existence of 12nm
It is between 13 and 11nm dummies
A while ago the dark satanic rumour mill suggested that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was planning to release a sexed-up version of its 16nm manufacturing technology dubbed "12nm".
Intel looks forward to 10nm next year
Moore’s Law grinding on
Intel is starting to talk up its new, 10-nanometer chip-manufacturing technology and claims that it is going to prop up Moore’s Law.
SK Hynix moves to 10nm DRAM
SK Hynix is going to mass produce 10-nano-range DRAMs next year and says that this will be the world’s second mass-production of 10-nano-range DRAM.
Glofo thinks 7nm vital for industry
IBM purchase cleared the way
GlobalFoundry’s CTO has said that the industry needs 7nm and its recent IBM purchase is helping him build up a new cunning plan for the technology.


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just-food's outlook for 2013
Our team of writers gaze into their crystal balls and - with the help of industry experts - predict what the year holds for NPD, M&A, international retail and sustainability.
If innovation is the lifeblood of a healthy brand, then getting that innovation right is key to growth. Over the coming year, we are likely to see a swathe of development across the food sector. However, success will hinge on a good understanding of consumer trends. It will identify a growing demand or niche that is yet to be filled. Katy Askew takes a look at some of the key consumer trends that are likely to drive innovation during 2013.
As food companies continue to develop their sustainability strategies and improve performance across a range of environmental and social criteria, issues such as water efficiency, carbon emissions, the use of renewable energy, climate-friendly packaging and sustainable agriculture will all be much discussed during the coming 12 months. However, for the food industry this may be a year when one particular subject eclipses all others, and that issue is food waste. Ben Cooper reports.
There may be caution over the prospect for blockbuster deals in a dilapidated economic environment, but the food sector mergers and acquisitions table still has plenty to whet the appetite.
2012 was undoubtedly a year of economic pressure for grocery retailers, as consumer spending continued to constrict. With little less pressure expected in 2013, will we see the trend towards internationalisation slow further? Michelle Russell takes a look at some of the key trends that will shape the international retail scene.
- Maspex: M&A opportunities in eastern Europe
- The just-food interview: Bega Cheese CEO
- Nestle's 2014 results: 10 Things to Learn
- Sustainability Watch: The US packaging challenge
- Why "simple" and "real" will be industry buzzwords
- Gruma FY earnings surge as margins improve
- UPDATE: Mondelez confirms Irish plant changes
- WhiteWave launches "Australian-style" yoghurt
- Bright Food "to buy 70% of Tnuva"
- 2 Sisters Food Group eyes Fox's job cuts


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Fri, May 27, 2022
light rain with thunder
Before going to press
7 days news
Chips + Components
Displays + Photonics
IT + CE
Mobile + Telecom
Battery + Green energy
Asia Supply Chain 100
Internet, Cloud, AI
Accelerators & incubators
Research on demand
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China smartphone AP
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Commentary and analysis
Biz Focus home
CONNECT WITH US
Grand Opening of Wolfspeed Mohawk Valley 200mm SiC Fab
Apacer upbeat about 2H22 sales
Before Going to Press
May 26, 22:57
Acer-affiliated companies expand business scales
Before Going to Press
May 26, 20:20
China security surveillance market boom buoys SmartSens
Before Going to Press
May 26, 20:00
NEWS TAGGED HEADSET
Friday 27 May 2022
AR/VR headsets to usher in opportunities for 3D, SWIR sensor suppliers
AR/VR headset could be a tipping point for 3D-sensor-related optical components and sensor technology, driving new opportunities for 3D sensor suppliers in the augmented reality (AR)...
Tuesday 22 February 2022
Apple reportedly conducts 2nd-phase EVT for upcoming AR headset
Apple has reportedly conducted its second-phase engineering validation and testing (EVT 2) for its first AR headset, which is expected to debut by the end of 2022, according to sources...
Monday 7 February 2022
AR/VR startup leverages interoperability to gather momentum: Interview with CEO of OVA
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have grown in popularity in various fields. OVA, an AI-enabled immersive software company, has been using the technologies to help...
Thursday 17 June 2021
Bluetooth headset suppliers see worsening shortages of ICs
Bluetooth headset suppliers have seen shortages of related ICs become worsen in the second quarter, according to industry sources.
Monday 7 June 2021
TWS headset shipments gain momentum in India
Shipments of TWS (true wireless stereo) devices in the Indian market remained strong in first-quarter 2021 with local brands having a major share, according to Counterpoint Researc...
Monday 10 May 2021
Global TWS headset shipments to reach 259 million units in 2021, Digitimes Research forecasts
Global shipments of TWS (true wireless stereo) headsets are likely to grow 40.5% on year to 259 million units in 2021, according to the latest forecast by Digitimes Research.
Tuesday 17 November 2020
Ampacs to expand production capacity in Vietnam
Gaming handset and TWS (true wireless stereo) earphone maker Ampacs plans to invest NT$200 million (US$6.9 million) to add an integrated production line at its factory in Vietnam,...
Wednesday 27 May 2020
XRSpace launches 5G-connected VR headset
XRSpace, a VR headset specialist founded by former HTC CEO Peter Chou three years ago, has launched what it claims is the world's first 5G VR headset for the mass consumer market.
Monday 16 December 2019
Demand for capacitive MEMS speakers from TWS headset applications rising, says Digitimes Research
The mainstream design of high-end active noise-cancelling true wireless stereo (TWS) headset has been trending toward hybrid driver configurations that have helped drive up the growth...
Monday 9 December 2019
HTC cuts VR headset prices, launches streaming service
HTC has reduced prices of its VR headsets and also released a Beta version of Viveport wireless cross-platform streaming services aiming to boost sales during the year-end shopping...
Friday 22 November 2019
Demand for bone conduction headsets gaining momentum
Global demand for bone conduction headsets is gaining momentum along with the thriving sales of true wireless stereo (TWS) headsets, according to sources at headset makers in China...
Tuesday 12 November 2019
TWS earbud chip prices fall below US$1.50
Unit prices for SoC chips used in true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds have fallen below US$1.50 recently, down from US$2.50-3 in the first quarter of 2019, amid growing presence of...
Monday 4 November 2019
Apple may unveil AR headsets in 2H20 developed with US partner
Apple reportedly has partnered with US game developer Valve to develop AR head-mounted display devices, which may be released in the second half of 2020 at the earliest, with Taiwan's...
Wednesday 30 October 2019
Kinsus, Nan Ya reportedly among SiP substrate suppliers for new AirPods
Taiwan's Kinsus Interconnect Technology and Nan Ya PCB are both reportedly among SiP (system in package) substrate suppliers for Apple's just-unveiled AirPods Pro series, which adopt...
Monday 22 July 2019
TWS headset market booming
Taiwan-based VCSEL sensing component makers including HLJ Technology and TrueLight will be able to continue to ramp up their shipments in the second half of 2019, driven by the increasing...
Tuesday 27 August 2013
Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB gaming headset
Razer has announced its latest audio product, the Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB gaming headset. The Razer Kraken 7.1 comes equipped with an advanced virtual surround sound engine capable of ultra-low latency audio processing that simulates a 360-degree surround sound experience that is usually achievable only by incorporating more than one positional speaker driver in each ear cup. Driven through Razer's Synapse 2.0 unified configuration software, the engine is capable of a high degree of customization, allowing gamers to tweak and specifically position each surround sound channel, boost bass levels and even balance incoming voice audio for astounding aural precision, the vendor said. The omnidirectional digital microphone on the Razer Kraken 7.1 comes equipped with an optimized algorithm, offering better frequency response, sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio than a standard analog microphone, the vendor said. It also has a mic mute button and an LED indicator on the tip to indicate when the mic is active. The headset is priced at US$99.99.
May 27, 10:24
Empower manufacturing with AI: Into new era of smart manufacturing with collective wisdom
Tuesday 24 May 2022
MSI unveils new lineup at Computex 2022 Online
Thursday 19 May 2022
STAr Technologies unveils one-touch memory test probe card
Thursday 19 May 2022
Computex Focus: DataVan to showcase new retail solutions for new normal
Renesas to reopen Kofu factory as 300mm wafer fab dedicated for power semiconductors
IC design houses bracing for cutback in orders from China handset brands
TSMC to move CoWoS-L technology to commercial production in 2 years
Intel makes key investments to advance datacenter sustainability
Concerns rising over potential foundry overcapacity in 2024
Apple car team reportedly in talks with Korean and Japanese suppliers
AMD, MediaTek reportedly in talks to form JV
TSMC to raise quotes for advanced, mature process technologies by 10-20%
BYD Semiconductor takes major stake in Energen
Is GF a good buy for Intel?
EV penetration to rise to 30% in 2025, says DIGITIMES Research
Non-foundry IC segments gaining weight in HPC era, says DIGITIMES Research
DIGITIMES Research worldwide notebook shipment update – February 2022
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Microsoft continued to flesh out its $5 billion investment into the IoT and edge space with its latest push targeted at the developer community. The company launched cross-platform availability of its Open Enclave SDK that helps manage devices deployed in edge network architectures. It also previewed the integration of that platform into its Azure IoT Edge security manager.
Eustace Asanghanwa, senior program manager for Microsoft’s Azure IoT business, explained in a blog post that the expanded reach of the Open Enclave SDK will allow developers to write trusted applications that can run in trusted environments within Arm and Intel chip architectures. Those environments are known as enclaves, which are secured parts of a chip architecture.
“This broad applicability across different enclave technologies and integration with IoT Edge greatly simplifies the work developers must do to protect data and devices at the edge,” Asanghanwa wrote.
The Open Enclave SDK provides a consistent API surface and secured hardware abstraction to support trusted computing application development. It basically abstracts the developer away from having to deal with hardware security. Microsoft open sourced the platform early last month.
The SDK builds on Microsoft’s Azure Sphere. That platform supports the building of secured microcontroller devices that can work with edge applications. It was also the first completely open source-based product built by Microsoft.
The Azure IoT Edge security manager platform protects devices and components deployed into the Azure IoT Edge architecture by rooting the identity and sensitive workloads in secure silicon, or what it also described as a hardware security module (HSM). The platform was initially announced last year, and hit general availability this past June.
Gartner recently noted that security is the most significant area of technical concern for organizations deploying IoT systems.
“However, by 2023, we expect to see the deployment of hardware and software combinations that together create more trustworthy and secure IoT systems,” said Nick Jones, research vice president at Gartner, in a report. “We advise CIOs to collaborate with chief information security officers (CISOs) to ensure the right staff are involved in reviewing any decisions that involve purchasing IoT devices and embedded operating systems.”
Microsoft’s $5B Pledge
Microsoft in April pledged $5 billion in spending toward IoT and edge technologies over the next four years. That pledge came a week after a companywide reorganization announcement that prioritizes Microsoft’s cloud and edge products and services over Windows.
It has since moved on a number of IoT and edge fronts.
In September, Microsoft rolled out general availability of its overarching Azure IoT Central platform. That platform was initially launched as a preview late last year. The Azure IoT Central platform is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) product that allows a customer to rapidly provision an IoT service.
Microsoft also added support for the use of digital twins on its Azure IoT platform. The model uses its Azure IoT Hub platform to connect IoT devices and sensors that keep the digital model up to date with the physical world.
Digital twins are software models of physical items. This allows for the ability to model and monitor a physical item in real-time without actually touching the current status of that item.
IDC predicts the IoT space will generate $772.5 billion in revenues this year, a 14.6 percent increase compared with 2017. Software is expected to be the fastest growing segment of the IoT space with a 16.1 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years.
“Software creates the foundation upon which IoT applications and use cases can be realized,” noted Carrier MacGillivray, VP of IoT and mobility at IDC.


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Spinx first entered the electric-vehicle charging market in 2011, installing five EV chargers in an early effort to establish a charging network across South Carolina. Today, the retailer works with EVgo and Tesla to operate charging units on Spinx properties.
“We pipe all our new sites for the potential of new EV units.”
“Through partnering with these industry leaders, equipment costs and operations remain with the vendor while Spinx benefits from increased inside sales,” said Shaun Bolger, who oversees fuel marketing for the convenience-store chain. The most used of Spinx EV sites is a major highway location that generates about 60 charging sessions per day.
“Our goal is to continue with our strategy and deploy EV charging at the appropriate existing sites, as well as new builds,” he said. “Currently, we pipe all our new sites for the potential of new EV units. Much like many in the c-store arena, we will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly to the EV industry advancements.”


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On February 24, 2022, the Biden Administration announced its plan to strengthen critical supply chains and invest in U.S. manufacturing and infrastructure. Seven agencies released six reports outlining key areas of vulnerability and policies that the federal government can take to strengthen U.S. supply chains in critical industrial base sectors. These reports mark the culmination of a two year-long supply chain review undertaken in response to Executive Order (“E.O”) 14017.
The reports focus in particular on addressing the United States’ dependence for critical products and materials on foreign economic competitors, such as China and the European Union. Most of the supply chain vulnerabilities identified in the reports reflect fundamental problems in the United States’ industrial bases – such as a lack of domestic manufacturing capacity, decaying infrastructure, and lack of skilled workforce – that require long-term solutions. However, the reports generally stop short of proposing new federal programs or funding mechanisms to address these core vulnerabilities. Companies in any critical industry – including defense, ICT, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, energy, agri-business, pharmaceuticals, renewable energies, mining, and transportation – should stay abreast of the Administration’s supply chain initiatives and potential opportunities and risks that may arise as policymaking develops, including more domestic manufacturing incentives and new Buy America policies.
President Biden signed E.O. 14017, “America’s Supply Chains,” on February 24, 2021, launching a comprehensive interagency review to identify risks in the supply chains for products deemed critical to U.S. national and economic security, including: semiconductor manufacturing and packaging; large capacity batteries; critical and strategic minerals; and pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”). These reviews have been spearheaded by the Department of Commerce (“DOC”), the Department of Energy (“DOE”), the Department of Defense (“DOD”), and the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”).
The Administration announced the results of the initial 100-day supply chain reviews on June 8, 2021, with the release of four interagency reports. The 100-day reports examined a wide range of supply chain risks and identified five main sources of vulnerabilities: (1) insufficient U.S. manufacturing capacity; (2) misaligned incentives and “short-termism” in private markets; (3) strategic industrial policies adopted by competitor and allied nations, including China and the E.U., to advance their domestic competitiveness; (4) geographic concentration in global sourcing; and (5) limited international coordination on supply chain resilience. The 100-day reports also made a number of recommendations and announced immediate steps the Administration would take to strengthen U.S. supply chains while continuing to analyze potential long-term solutions to these problems. These immediate steps included:
- Formation of a Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force (“SCDTF”) to address near-term supply chain discontinuities. In its first year of operation, the SCDTF focused primarily on relieving bottlenecks at U.S. ports and monitoring pandemic-related supply chain disruptions in the semiconductor industry.
- DOE leveraging $17 billion in loan authority under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program to re-equip, expand, or establish advanced vehicle battery manufacturing facilities and $13 million in grants under the Federal Energy Management Program’s Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies.
- DOD deploying over $3 billion in Defense Production Act (“DPA”) Title III incentives1 – including grants, loans, loan guarantees, and off-take agreements – to promote sustainably-produced critical minerals.
- HHS establishing a public-private consortium under the DPA to on-shore production of 50-100 critical drugs from the Food and Drug Administration’s essential medicines list and making available $60 million in DPA funding from the American Rescue Plan to promote domestic manufacturing capacity for APIs.
This past week, the Administration issued the one-year reports. These reports detail the interagency working group findings of year-long reviews of the following six critical industrial base sectors: the defense industrial base (“DIB”); the public health and biological preparedness industrial base; the information and communication technology (“ICT”) industrial base; the energy sector industrial base (“ESIB”); the transportation industrial base; and supply chains for production of agricultural commodities and industrial food products.
There are several common themes and findings across the reports. First, they stress that any supply chain action must include significant investment in training and education of U.S. workers in critical industrial base sectors. Second, they call for the United States must invest in infrastructure and expand domestic manufacturing capacity. Third, they highlight the need to work with foreign partners to establish global standards to prevent supply chain vulnerabilities. Fourth, they recommend that the United States continue to diversify supply chains to improve resilience to global crises.
For the most part, the reports do not announce the creation of new programs to address the supply chain vulnerabilities they identify. Rather, the reports call for Congress to increase funding through existing or pending legislation – such as DPA Title III, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (“BIL”), and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act (“CHIPS Act”) – in addition to agency-specific policy changes. Some of these policy changes can be implemented immediately with existing agency programs and funding, while others require congressional support. The Administration also identified the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act (“COMPETES Act”), the United States Innovation and Competition Act (“USICA”), and President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda as key policy initiatives that could be used to implement the agencies’ recommendations. The near-term prospects for securing funding under any of these legislative vehicles appear to be limited, with the possible exception of the CHIPS Act which already has strong bipartisan support in Congress. The Administration also announced it will propose a new domestic manufacturing initiative through the Export-Import Bank. This initiative will make available $44 million in funding for commercial-ready technologies.
Key findings from the six interagency reports include:
- DOD’s analysis of the DIB found vulnerabilities in large capacity batteries, specifically lithium batteries, and casting and forging of metals and microelectronics. To strengthen these areas, DOD recommended the federal government: invest in training doctoral-level skilled labor; expand industrial security, counterintelligence, and cybersecurity; and expand domestic additive manufacturing. DOD also recommended that the DIB engage more small businesses as they are key members of the DIB supply chain.
- The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and DOC’s analysis of the ICT industrial base found that while U.S. ICT companies lead the world in innovation and development, most ICT products are made in China and the United States lacks the skilled work force to support re-shoring of ICT supply chains, leaving them vulnerable to continued disruptions. The report also identifies open-source software as a source of ICT supply chain vulnerability. To alleviate these vulnerabilities, DHS and DOC recommended that the United States invest in domestic manufacturing, work to improve international standards, and increase monitoring of ICT supply chains. Proposed sources of funding include the CHIPS Act, USICA and the COMPETES Act, and DPA Title III. The report also recommends use of “strong Buy America provisions,” particularly for projects funded under the BIL.
- DOE’s analysis of the ESIB found that the United States has an opportunity to sustainably grow its domestic clean energy supply chains but currently lacks a manufacturing ecosystem for raw materials and adequate domestic production capabilities. DOE’s report includes more than 44 specific policy changes that the agency intends to implement, contingent upon the receipt of funding under the BIL. DOE also recommended that Congress enact legislation to provide tax incentives for domestic clean energy manufacturing and funding for domestic workforce training and that the federal government leverage foreign direct investment in U.S.-based clean energy technology manufacturing.
- HHS’ analysis of the public health sector found that offshore manufacturing for personal protective equipment (“PPE”) and other health care supplies are a critical vulnerability and that pressure to reduce prices has resulted in a highly-concentrated manufacturing base that create vulnerabilities in supply chains. To address these issues, DHS recommended the United States invest in domestic manufacturing through DPA Title III funding; stockpile critical items; and improve workforce development.
- The Department of Transportation’s (“DOT”) analysis of the freight and logistics supply chains found that U.S. ports are a key vulnerability and a bottleneck of supply chains and that domestic transportation infrastructure requires significant investment to alleviate supply chain vulnerabilities. DOT recommended that the federal government invest in U.S. infrastructure and building the U.S. workforce in this sector, with most proposed policy changes contingent upon funding under the BIL.
- The Department of Agriculture’s (“USDA”) analysis found the agri-food supply chain vulnerabilities include: concentration of industrial food production; labor shortages; climate change; disease to livestock and poultry; transportation bottlenecks; and trade disruptions. USDA recommended taking action to address these challenges through existing funding mechanisms – such as USDA’s Local Agriculture Markets Program; Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program; Land Grant University System; and investments in Regional Rural Development Centers and Aquaculture Centers – as well as potential new sources of funding, such as the American Rescue Plan and the BIL.
WilmerHale will continue to monitor developments regarding the Administration’s supply chain security initiatives and provide strategic advice to impacted businesses.


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In a statemement, it said: “It is, however, ironic that at the same time as politicians are seeking to encourage lenders to increase their flow of mortgage lending to consumers, they are also keen to take steps to address the perception of "irresponsible lending". While the FSA's discussion paper is well thought out and logical, some of the wider political rhetoric around lending issues continues to seem more conducive to rabble-rousing than to properly considered debate.
“It is interesting to see the FSA note that it believes regulation cannot rely on the notion of borrowers behaving rationally - that is, in their own interests - and that the regulator may instead need to introduce measures to "protect consumers from themselves". It is important that the principle of consumer responsibility is not lost in such a regulatory environment, as it is a basic tenet upon which transactions of all kinds between firms and consumers rely.”
Commenting, Michael Coogan, CML director general, said: "We agree with the FSA that regulation in itself cannot resolve the problems of the recent market. However, we also agree that clearly delineated responsibilities, which remove regulatory ambivalence, will help lenders, intermediaries and consumers to know where they stand, and to accept the consequences of their actions.
"As always with regulatory change, the devil may be in the detail. But we welcome the consultative approach, and look forward to working with the FSA to ensure that the objective of regulatory fairness between lenders, intermediaries and consumers is achieved in practice."


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The Texarkana Texas Farmer’s Market at 500 Stateline Avenue will start off the 2023 Season on Saturday, April 29 at 7:00 am in downtown Texarkana.
Follow their FACEBOOK PAGE to keep up with the many activities and special days planned for 2023.
We are so excited to announce the opening day for the 2023 Farmers’ Market season.
Join us on April 29 from 7 am – noon as we kick off the season with lots of fun-filled activities!
Our vendors have missed you! They will have fresh produce, eggs, grass-fed and finished meats, fresh bread, artisan crafts, sweet treats, and more.
Thank you to our opening day sponsor: Farmers Bank and Trust.
Interested in becoming a vendor? Stay tuned for more info.


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KATHMANDU, Jan 13: Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) has unveiled an investor's handbook targeting to facilitate Indian investment in Nepal.
The book 'Investing In Nepal: A Handbook for Indian Investors', prepared by NICCI and Embassy of India in Kathmandu, is expected to boost foreign direct investment in Nepal from Indian entrepreneurs.
The book has incorporated a number of issues, from company and industry registration, availability of human resources, taxation, import-export laws and practices, means of dispute resolution, among others.
Addressing its 24th Annual General Meeting (AGM), NICCI's president Saurya SJB Rana said on Friday that the book contained answers to most of the questions of Indian investors.
"This is to provide further impetus to investments from India in Nepal. The chamber has come up with a concise and compact handbook which covers most of the questions relevant to investors to understand our legal framework and evaluate business opportunities in Nepal," said Rana.
The handbook is essentially in the form of questions and answers, making for easy reading and referencing, according to Rana.
Rana also highlighted few important policy and process bottlenecks that have hindered big investments from coming to Nepal.
"The mandatory requirement announced in this fiscal year's budget speech, that a productive sector company with investment of Rs 1 billion or more should to be listed in Nepal Stock Exchange Ltd, will be counter-productive," he said.
NICCI has also stressed on the need for immediate revision of outdated intellectual property rights policy, stating that such revision was crucial to attract large-scale multinational investments into the country.
The chamber has also stated that the inordinate amount of time taken for repatriation of genuine dividends and payment of agency fees has been a matter of tremendous concern for most of the multinational and bilateral companies.


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Midas share tips: Reed Elsevier and Concateno
Each week, Financial Mail on Sunday and thisismoney.co.uk bring you additional share tips from the long-running and respected Midas share tipping column. See the full Midas newspaper archive.
Most magazine publishers are reeling as the economic downturn and the rise of the internet make companies reluctant to advertise and consumers reluctant to buy.
But Reed Elsevier is different, as its focus is resolutely specialised.
The company's business is split into five arms - legal and risk, science, healthcare, exhibitions and business to business.
This last division publishes a wide range of special interest titles, such as Farmers Weekly, Estates Gazette and New Scientist, and Reed has put it up for sale because it is primarily print-based and it relies heavily on advertising.
In future, the group wants to focus on areas where it can provide printed and online material and in many cases offer scientists, lawyers, doctors and nurses web-based tools to help them do their jobs better.
This information material is so rarefied that companies are willing to pay good money for it and will often subscribe to Reed titles for up to three years, providing it with steady and predictable turnover.
Some of the online tools are incredibly advanced, showing trainee doctors how to operate using a virtual operating theatre or helping lawyers to organise their time and search more effectively for information.
Reed is also moving increasingly into risk management, providing insurers with information to help them assess whether they should offer cover in particular areas and if so, how much they should charge.
Meanwhile, the exhibition division is performing well, since it focuses on specialised business areas and is expanding strongly in emerging markets, such as China and India.
Interim results released in the summer showed profits up 17% to £557m for the six months to the end of June. The figures were particularly complicated as Reed sold an education business last year, has just bought a company in America and is trying to sell its business-to-business arm. Chief executive Sir Crispin Davis is hoping to retire next year too, after ten years at the helm.
• Midas verdict: Reed Elsevier in transforming itself from a rather old-fashioned publisher into a 21st Century multimedia group. The shares have yo-yoed in the past year but are now at 599½p, well below their high of 795p. Most City analysts believe the stock is worth 700p at the very least. Buy.
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Midas update - Suitors eye Concateno
Midas recommended Concateno on New Year's Eve, 2006, when shares were trading at 112p. Today, 21 months later, they are at 153½p, several suitors are circling the company and it has appointed investment bank UBS to advise it on possible options.
Concateno is Britain's biggest drug and alcohol testing group. Formed in 2005, it carries out tests for companies in a variety of sectors, ranging from construction to shipping and from banks to call centres. It also works with prisons, local authorities, the police and other public sector bodies.
The company has come a long way in a short time, making seven acquisitions, bringing together these businesses, reinforcing the top team and cutting costs across the group.
Interim results for the six months to June 30, released last week, showed the strategy is working. A pre-tax profit of £0.7m was achieved against a loss of £1.2m last year and turnover was 14% ahead at £23.3m.
Companies are increasingly testing their employees for drug abuse, either randomly or when hiring new staff. There are health and safety concerns and businesses are also worried about professional liability.
Concateno chairman Keith Tozzi and chief executive Fiona Begley recently formed a joint venture with Dutch electronics giant Philips to create a device that can detect drugs use instantly - a bit like the breathalyser but for cannabis, cocaine, heroin and other illegal substances.
Trials are ongoing with police, but the tool is expected to be widely adopted because driving while under the influence of drugs is a rapidly growing problem. Concateno is also keen to expand other parts of its business in countries such as France, Italy, America and in Scandinavia.
• Midas verdict: Concateno is on a growth trajectory and has the capacity to become a major standalone company if it stays independent. But there is clear interest from potential bidders, so Tozzi and Begley are only doing their job by hiring UBS.
Anyone who bought the shares at the start of 2007 will be sitting on a 35% profit. The best option is to hold on to the stock and keep a close eye on events as they unfold.
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Partnership sees Genius Sports Group’s official live sportsbook content fuel over 25 Italian sportsbooks via region’s leading betting and gaming platform provider.
Genius Sports Group (Genius) today announced a deal to supply one of Italy’s largest online betting and gaming platform providers, Microgame S.p.A., with official in-play sportsbook content.
The new partnership provides over 25 licensed Italian sportsbook brands operating on the Microgame platform solution, “Intrabos”, with Genius’ renowned and customisable LiveData and LiveTrading services.
Through the partnership, Microgame’s current and future customers will have access to Genius’ official live sports data and pricing, driving fast and reliable in-play betting products for major sports. This includes the English Premier League, Euroleague basketball, LigaMX, NASCAR and a full range of FIBA and FIVB competitions.
Microgame’s broad Italian market customer base includes Goldbet, Betaland and Betflag.
Genius Sports Group was named Italy’s best Sports Betting Supplier at the 2020 EGR Italy Awards.
Jack Davison, Chief Commercial Officer at Genius Sports, said: “The Italian market has been a hub of major investment for Genius Sports in recent years, from hiring, to product development and official rights acquisitions. Partnering with Microgame, another respected supplier in the region, is expected to further our local reach and will enable over 25 new sportsbooks to unlock additional in-play engagement and revenues.”
Marco Castaldo, CEO of Microgame, said: “The partnership with Genius Sports Group is an important step in the continuing development of our sportsbook. Adding the Genius data service will further improve top-quality event coverage for our customers, ensuring a better player experience and additional revenue opportunities.”


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See what’s on next on Antenna TV!
Posted on: 11:00 am, December 30, 2013, by Nancy B. Allen
This week may be your best shot, at getting the best deal on a new car!
Janet Piacenti from Landers Ford is here to explain what all car dealers are doing right now to get your business.
Join WREG on Facebook for more information 24/7.


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Telegram Fragment Sold $50 Million Username, Towards Creating Crypto Wallet And DEX
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, just announced Fragment sold $50 million worth of usernames in less than a month. Messaging app Telegram is expressing its ambitions to go deeper into the crypto space with the intention of creating a crypto wallet and setting up a DEX, despite the recent crises.
In a personal statement, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov said that Fragment, a completely decentralized auction platform, sold $50 million worth of usernames in less than a month. This week, Fragments will expand beyond usernames.
He also shared that Telegram’s next step is to build a decentralized toolkit, including a non-custodial wallet and a decentralized exchange, for millions of people to securely trade and store cryptocurrencies.
Mr. Durov claimed that decentralization was supposed to be at the core of the cryptocurrency industry, but ended up being centralized in the hands of the few, leading to a chain collapse from the latest name, FTX exchange.
The CEO writes that the most obvious solution is for the crypto industry to return to its decentralized nature, switching to solutions that do not need third parties. Mr. Durov thinks this is possible and calls on other developers in the crypto industry to create more decentralized financial products.
Mr. Durov is confident that these products can be easily delivered as it took him and four other colleagues just five weeks to complete Fragment, the Telegram username auction platform that runs on TON. Pavel Durov claims Fragment is an unexpected success, reaching a transaction volume of up to $50 million after just one month of launch.
Faced with the positive news, the price of TonCoin has a slight increase of about 3% and is currently trading at $1.77.
DISCLAIMER: The Information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.
Join us to keep track of news: https://linktr.ee/coincu


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Main Street Beaufort Dollars sell out in record time
Well, that was fast. Main Street Beaufort sold out of all of it’s available Main Street Dollars in a record time this morning.
$15,000 worth. In 13 minutes and 42 seconds.
Think folks are excited to shop in downtown Beaufort? You bet.
Patrons lined up early in the morning downt West Street Extension and along Bay Street to purchase their maximum allotted amount of $100 per person (for $50) which went on sale Saturday morning at 10am.
The program proved to be successful in 2012 when the public lined up to purchase the 15,000 MSB Dollars available which sold out in 18 minutes. The program is designed to boost the downtown economy at a historically
slow time of year and encourage locals to shop downtown. Main Street Beaufort reimburses participating businesses for 100% of the MSB Dollars they receive.
Folks holding the funny money have until March 21st to spend them at some 47 local participating businesses. (that’s some serious variety!)
For a the list of participating businesses, please visit Main Street Beaufort, USA at DowntownBeaufort.com
Cover photo courtesy Main Street Beaufort.


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Mandy Moore successfully pulled off a surprise backyard wedding this weekend and she looked like an IRL princess wearing the pastel pink wedding dress of our dreams.
View this post on Instagram
The This Is Us star married Taylor Goldsmith on November 18 in a gorgeous pink gown and matching veil. While the big day was kept under wraps all weekend (except for a small slip-up from a guest that was quickly deleted), Mandy confirmed via Instagram that she did in fact get married by posting a series of photos from the big day. Ever since, people cannot stop talking about her dress.
Mandy Moore’s wedding aesthetic has shaken me to my core pic.twitter.com/uxxC90Epeo
— Rachel Paige (@rachmeetsworld) November 20, 2018
Mandy Moore’s pink tulle wedding dress is literally my dream dress! ☁🕊🌸👰🏼
— Briar Rose 🌸 (@xxsophiebeth) November 20, 2018
I need everyone to send me as many pictures as possible of Mandy Moore’s pink wedding dress pic.twitter.com/RXsTBbwOkn
— Rachel Paige (@rachmeetsworld) November 19, 2018
The gown, which was custom made for her by Rodarte, featured a high-neck and layered skirt made of a tulle fabric that featured tiny metallic polka dots. Inspiration for her wedding dress was taken from a dress that appeared in Rodarte’s haute couture fashion show back in July.
Just a few months ago, Moore admitted that she still had not decided on a dress, but she had an idea of what she was looking for. She told People that she was “kind of confident that it’s not going to be the stereotypical white wedding dress, because it just doesn’t feel the most me.” She went on to say, “It’s going to probably be a little bit more non-traditional.”
Her gown wasn’t the only thing that was non-traditional about the big day. Moore wore a black dress to her reception and got on stage and performed at said reception with her new husband. Talk about wedding goals!


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The next FREE electronics recycling event for Champaign and Urbana will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2018.
Red Bicycle Ice Cream is coming to The Pines in Urbana! Red Bicycle is a local business, serving farm fresh, hand-crafted ice cream.
The Atkins Group is seeking a hands-on accounting and financial professional with proven leadership, problem solving, and communication skills.
The Pines has been selected for a 2017 Merit Award for being “a model example of a commercial space that demonstrates commitment to enhanced aesthetics of our community, excellence in landscape design and for providing space for the public to enjoy the outdoors.”
The 9th annual Illinois Marathon’s race weekend will take place April 20th-22nd, 2016.
A residential electronics collection event is scheduled for May 20 at Parkland College. In order to participate in the event, residents of participating communities must first register online.
Finalists have been announced, and the celebration event is now taking RSVPs for those who would like to attend.
A new state-of-the-art 30,000 sq ft processing facility for organic and non-GMO sunflower and soy lecithin is slated to open in August 2017 at Titan Warehouse in northeast Champaign.
New warehouse tenant in Champaign for The Atkins Group is seeking a warehouse assistant.
The Atkins Group would like to welcome our newest Atkins 150 Warehouse tenant, United Sorbents.


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Agrify has acquired Precision Extraction Solutions and Cascade Sciences from Sinclair Scientific.
With the addition of Precision and Cascade, Agrify has expanded its core business beyond cultivation. "Precision and Cascade offer cutting-edge technologies and end-to-end service solutions for cannabis and hemp extraction and post-processing," the Agrify team explains. "These leading brands have collectively worked with over 30 multi-state operators (“MSOs”) and over a thousand cannabis and hemp customers. Precision and Cascade expect to generate approximately $40 million in revenue in 2021 with positive EBITDA. As a result of this transaction, Agrify now has a physical presence in seven states with a growing number of clients and business partners distributed throughout the country."
“Precision and Cascade have stellar reputations and powerful leadership positions in their respective spaces, which is a perfect complement to our existing business and should allow us to leverage new competitive advantages and synergies in order to accelerate our growth plans,” said Raymond Chang, CEO of Agrify.
Mr. Chang added, “This acquisition offers us a number of critical benefits including giving us direct access to the thriving global cannabis extract vertical, which is expected to grow to $24 billion by 2028, increasing our potential customer base by approximately 50%, and nearly doubling our annual revenue in 2021. Additionally, we believe this transaction provides us with a tremendous opportunity to engage with more MSOs through our fortified portfolio of solutions while also driving substantial gains to the lifetime value of our current and future clients as well as the legacy customers from Precision and Cascade.”
For more information:
1600 District Avenue
Burlington, MA 01803


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(CNN / AP) – Uber presented new options on Tuesday, including an extension of car travel and a helicopter service called "Uber Copter."
Uber launches a new helicopter service between the JFK and the Manhattan International Airport. (Source: Uber / CNN)
However, "Uber Copter" attractions are only available in New York City.
Another capture: customers who have achieved the status of platinum and diamond are eligible only for the company's benefit programs.
There is only one available route, between JFK International Airport and a heliport in Lower Manhattan.
Lucky passengers traveling to Uber Futuristic helicopters will travel in about half an hour.
But it will not be cheap. A single trip costs about $ 200.
Uber Copter is part of the company's drive towards flying cars, which is expected to launch in Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia, in 2023.
The service will finally be marked under the name of "Uber Air".
Also on Tuesday, the giant who came on foot launched "comfort" walks at the national level.
A minimum amount of legroom for cars under 5 years is guaranteed and you can use the application to indicate drivers who do not want to talk.
Comfort trips cost 20% to 40% more time and distance than standard Uber strolls.
In May, the company launched "silent mode" in its premium Uber Black and Uber SUV trailer services.
Users can now select a "comfort" trip from a list of options, including Uber Pool, UberX, Uber Black and UberXL.
Uber says that it responds to the requests of business travelers and other pilots.
The measure could help Uber to increase revenues, which could bring the company closer to profitability.
Uber has not yet obtained any profits and lost $ 1 billion during the first quarter of 2019. Managers have said that it might take years to get benefits.
Copyright 2019 CNN and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Big business backlash boosts Co-operative Group
Britain's biggest mutually owned retailer said a backlash against big business had boosted half year profits by 17 per cent.
The Co-operative Group, which champions ethical retailing, said a 'loss of trust' in large corporations had delivered profits of £228million for the six months to July.
Peter Marks, chief executive of the group which includes retailing, pharmacies and financial services, said: 'Our ownership model is different because we don't have to maximise profit at any cost.
Co-op boss Peter Marks said 'good old-fashioned banking' helped boost half year profits
'Everyone knows there is a problem with the whole capitalist structure and there has been a reaction against it.'
Membership has increased to 4.5million from 4.2million six months earlier. The biggest contributor to profit is its chain of 3,000 supermarkets - newly enlarged following February's £1.6billion acquisition of Somerfield.
The retail arm racked up total sales of £3.9billion with trading profits of £165.5million.
Stripping out the acquisition of Somerfield, the Co- op posted healthy underlying sales growth of 7.3 per cent (after Vat and petrol).
This is well ahead of market leader Tesco, on 3.7 per cent, and just ahead of Sainsbury's, up 5.7 per cent.
Marks said much of this was due to the modernisation of 700 stores and the success of its 'blowing in the wind' ad campaign.
Sales of its Simply Value budget line were up 80 per cent.
It also saw increases in its premium Simply Irresistible range, organics and fair trade products. However the recent splurge tripled the group's net debts from £531million to £1.6billion.
Its Financial Services unit saw the number of customers opening current and deposit accounts rise by 50 per cent. Following a merger with Britannia in August it now has more than £70billion of assets, 9m customers, and 300 branches.
'We practise good old-fashioned banking,' said Marks. 'People recognise we are a business you can trust - we even take deposits before we start lending.' ˜
- The British Retail Consortium recorded a 2.8 per cent rise in underlying sales for September - but this was against comparisons with collapsing sales a year earlier at the height of the financial crisis.
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Eating British grass-fed and organic livestock is a way of ensuring that meat consumption will not add to the deforestation crisis in the Amazon.
That’s the message from organic certification Soil Association as fires raging across the world’s largest rainforest highlight the role of beef and soya production in Brazil and consumption in western countries.
The Brazilian government agency monitoring the Amazon in Brazil released data earlier this month that showed that the rate of deforestation this year is the highest since records began. Meanwhile, reports of widespread fires, used to clear the forest, have been building across the media.
Links have been made to Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsanaro and his favourable stance towards logging and deforestation for soya and beef farming, as well as global consumption of both products.
“The fires in the Amazon are associated with land-clearance for soy production and cattle farming,” said the Soil Association’s head of food and health policy, Rob Percival.
“If we want to help here in the UK we should eat less intensively farmed, grain-fed poultry and pork, and more local, sustainable, grass-fed meat like organic.
“When purchasing soy-based products, look for organic certification, as organic standards prohibit soy from being grown on land converted from rainforests,” he said.
Around half of the world’s soya crop is grown in Brazil and Argentina, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Protein-rich soya is used to make oils and is used in many food ingredients, but the vast majority (70 per cent) goes into animal feed.
As a result, the average European consumes around 61 kg of soy a year, largely indirectly through animal products such as chicken, pork, salmon, cheese, milk and eggs, according to the WWF.
Richard George, head of forests for Greenpeace UK, said that the crisis in the Amazon is “directly linked to overconsumption of meat and dairy in the UK and other G7 countries”, the Guardian reported.
What can you do?
As well as highlighting alternative sources of beef and soya, the Amazon fires have prompted a spike in users of the Ecosia search engine, which is an alternative to Google, and uses its profits to plant trees.
Others have pointed to supporting indigenous people in the Amazon, who have been on the frontline of deforestation action for years, via campaign groups like Amazon Watch.
Greenpeace has a petition asking the Brazilian government to save the rainforest, while Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental fund, Earth Alliance, has raised over $5 million in emergency Amazon funding.


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Paul James: Legalize retail pot in Craig
To the editor:To the editor:
To the editor:
There is no question that the economy of Craig is looking pretty gloomy. There is also no question that Colorado as a whole has seen record growth, record jobs, and increased tourism, much of which has been due to the allowance of recreational cannabis in a majority of the state. The state has been bringing in record amounts of revenue because of the increases in business it has brought to the state. This is because industry is what causes an economy to prevail, and new industries help boost economies. Yet, here in Craig, local politicians refuse to allow this new industry, and have come up with only one solution; more taxes. First they increased the lodging tax, making it the highest in the area, now they want to add both a mill levy, and an increase in sales tax, in an area where wages have mostly remained stagnant and the job market isn’t anything like what it was even 10 years ago. I realize this may seem ominous to some, but there is a bright side to this situation. I am a part of a recently developed committee called the Committee to Grow Craig, CO (you can look us up on Facebook). Last week, we submitted an ordinance to allow recreational marijuana to be sold, cultivated, manufactured, and tested in labs.
If the proposed ordinance is allowed, then the city council could propose an increase in the excise tax on the ballot, which would only effect people shopping in the retail stores! They could also put an extra tax on wholesale out of the cultivation facilities. There are also fees for the licenses that must be renewed every single year. The council’s suggested taxes will not cause an increase in jobs or tourism to the area, but the ordinance that our committee is turning in this week could produce over one hundred above minimum wage jobs within the first year, increasing business to existing stores and restaurants, filling much of the empty retail or warehouse space in town. The fact of the matter is that by not allowing recreational sales here, the town has done nothing to keep marijuana out of Craig, because people can either grow their legal amount of plants on their own, or drive to Steamboat to purchase it (which hundreds of people are doing pretty regularly). The only effect that banning recreational cannabis in Craig has, is that of helping to diminish our already disparaged economy. Help us to urge our local politicians to make the right choice!
James PaulJames Paul
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