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24 December 2017
The decision to equalise the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) rates between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) starting Jan 1 will not affect the arrival of international tourists in this country.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has proven to be a highly effective and independent agency in resolving air passenger complaints quickly and fulfilling its pivotal role of safeguarding the rights of consumers in the aviation industry.
Its track record shows that Mavcom managed to resolve 99% of the staggering 2,600 complaints by air travel passengers it had received as at November 2017.
Mavcom Executive Chairman Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad (pix) said this was a major advancement in safeguarding the rights of consumers in the aviation industry in Malaysia as passengers had little recourse previously.
"The commission's efficiency has led to 35 million out of the 90 million passengers who travel in Malaysia to benefit in terms of ticket price transparency, as well as not having to pay for services they didn't need.
"Passengers before were sometimes at the mercy of the airlines, but now Mavcom can take action against the airline if it does not entertain complaints by passengers or in the absence of a satisfactory response.
"Mavcom has the power to impose penalties on airlines which do not take action," he said in an interview.
Many of the complaints centred around air ticket refunds, damaged or mishandled baggage and flight cancellations.
Others included online booking issues, denied boarding, customer services, in-flight services, frequent flyer programme, food and beverages, upgrading of flights and special assistance for persons with disabilities.
With Mavcom, Abdullah said most of the complaints were resolved within 30 days, a move which clearly reflects the commission's effectiveness in protecting air travel consumer rights.
Its role also included equalising passenger service charges (PSC) for long-haul flights at both KLIA and klia2 effective Jan 1, 2018.
A clear reflection of its role in protecting consumer rights was the introduction of the Asean Tier, whereby the charges for Asean travel would be reduced to RM35 from RM65.
This was because a study by Mavcom showed that middle-class Malaysian families could only afford a holiday within the region.
That means a passenger who flies further to long-haul destinations would pay a higher rate compared with another passenger flying to an Asean destination.
Malaysia is the first country in Asean to introduce the Asean Tier, he said, adding that PSC paid by Malaysian passengers remain the lowest globally.
Abdullah also said that airlines also are now keen to deal with consumer complaints quickly to safeguard their reputation.
Mavcom was set up in March last year to regulate economic and commercial matters related to civil aviation in Malaysia, which includes consumer rights as well.
However, Abdullah lamented that awareness was still lacking among air travel passengers over their consumer rights, which was why Mavcom would undertake a road show next year to create greater awareness besides the usual promotions.
Mavcom Chief Operating Officer Azmir Zain said the Malaysian Aviation Consumer protection code lays out certain rights for the consumer, for instance providing entitlements in cases of flight delays, flight cancellation and damaged luggage.
Azmir said the code also spells out the minimum service levels to be complied with, including price transparency, disclosure of terms and conditions of a ticket and providing adequate access for persons with disability.
The consumer protection code also prohibits airlines from automatically adding on products or services onto a passenger's airfare without the passenger having actively chosen that product or service.
"The passenger would only pay for those services which they themselves need or actually want (and) as a result, we believe consumers have enjoyed savings compared to the situation before," he said.
Azmir pointed out that prior to the introduction of the consumer protection code, the airline via their booking website was able to add on automatically additional products or services onto a consumer's ticket without the passenger having actively chosen for that product or service.
Asked on plans for next year, he said Mavcom would roll-out the airport quality of service framework to essentially incentivise the improvement of service levels at airports in Malaysia, starting with KLIA and klia2 in the third quarter.
Elaborating, he said: "We would for example be setting minimum targets for queueing times, for luggage to come out at the carousel, cleanliness of washrooms, and ensure the functionality of lifts, walkalators and aerobridges.
The end result would be more comfortable and enhanced travel experience for passengers whenever they go through Malaysian airports, he said. — Bernama
Original Source: thesundaily
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Germany: Craft spirits have ‘untapped potential’
It may be one of the biggest markets in Europe, but Germany has a conservative drinking culture, with tried and tested brands being favoured. A spirit of adventure, however, is slowly starting to permeate the country, writes Claire Dodd.
*This feature was originally published in the March 2018 issue of The Spirits Business
“Germany is unusual. It’s one of the last big European economies to forge a taste for international spirits,” says Nick Blacknell, international marketing director, Havana Club.
“In the past, people looked to Germany as a bit of a paradox because it was the largest economy in Europe and yet one of the lowest for international spirits. It still has a very strong local spirits market. So for international brands there’s still a lot of room to grow. Germany has potential. That’s what we see.”
Looking at Germany’s best-selling spirits brands (see the following page by Euromonitor), there’s no doubt that such an assessment of this insular market rings true. Three of the top five brands are German; from vodka to brandy to herbal liqueurs, it’s a snapshot of long-held German tastes. Anyone who has visited this European stalwart will know that traditional fruit liqueur stores abound, and hyperlocal products have long been favoured. But, of course, the reality is a lot more nuanced. And yes, this slower-moving market is changing.
Considering the taste profile of homegrown power brands such as Jägermeister, it’s no surprise that bitter flavours appeal. It’s often the case that if consumers aren’t choosing German brands, they’re reaching for Italian. Pernod Ricard’s Italian half-bitter Ramazzotti Amaro is one of the most successful spirits in Germany, says Christian Seel, marketing director of Pernod Ricard Germany: “In terms of sales figures, the brand has been the number-one import spirit in Germany since 2002.”
And Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato and Lillet are experiencing “above-average growth within a highly competitive market”, says Seel, thanks to “the continuing trend for lower-abv drinks. Lillet could even double its consumer reach in the growing apéritif market while developing a loyal consumer base and engaging premium shoppers.”
Aperol is very popular in Germany
International powerhouse Campari, as the fifth-biggest player in the market, is well placed to reap the benefits of such entrenched tastes, despite the fact that “super-premium categories are not as developed here as in other markets,” as Kathleen Schuart, Campari’s senior director of marketing and sales, on-premise in Germany, points out. The company’s Averna Amaro brand is growing significantly, according to the company. And Aperol is the fifth-biggest spirits brand nationally by volume.
But times – and tastes – are changing, says Schuart: “Unlike consumers in the US or the UK, Germans tend to prefer a smaller set of brands that offer premium but still affordable products, rather than try new flavours, products or trendy drinks.”
No flavour fads here, then. The onus is still on tradition. “There are historical brands that still have significant pull in the German market – brands like Campari or Ouzo 12 – and it is harder to have successful flavour or innovation launches here,” Schuart adds.
“With each generation of consumers there is a gradual trend towards more international products, such as rum or vodka brands over local products like fruit brandy or korn. There are strong premiumisation trends in whisky, gin and apéritifs.
“As in other markets, consumers are drinking less than their predecessors. Apéritifs have benefited from this trend because of the low abv, but also the liquid’s lighter texture compared with beer.”
Schuart has a point. In a market that is experiencing slight spirits volume declines of 0.69% (Euromonitor), there are a number of categories that are gaining ground. And the one creating the most excitement and a large number of launches is, surprise surprise, craft gin. In this, at least, Germany is following European trends.
Brands such as Elephant Gin, Monkey 47, Ferdinand’s Saar, and now a plethora of hyperlocal brands using botanicals specific to their region are starting to emerge – and export.
German potato-distilled gin Windspiel launched in the UK in mid-2016. It claims that the volcanic rocks the potatoes grow among give it a unique flavour. Is this love for the category presenting elusive opportunities for international brands?
French wine-based aperitif Lillet
According to Diageo, the past couple of years have seen significant growth for its gin brands in Germany, with Tanqueray and Gordon’s both performing above average. And while Pernod Ricard’s top three brands in the market are Ramazzotti, Havana Club and Absolut, the gin and tonic is seen as one of the new favourite drinks of the Germans, adds Seel.
Euromonitor analyst Florence Schmit says: “As the consumer group for gin is getting bigger, and thus demand is also growing, the opportunities for the off- and on-trade channels are increasing. Furthermore, several German distillers from southern Germany have attracted strong consumer interest recently, as they are producing interesting quality gins.”
But is the hype for German gin overblown? How much of the market does it really represent? Nick Blacknell of Havana Club says: “Gin is a long, long way behind rum, though there’s a lot of buzz about it. Germany is the lead market outside Cuba for Havana Club. It is a key market for us, at just over 900,000 cases. So it’s big. We’re growing at around 7% annually in volume at the moment.”
Why rum? Blacknell puts it down to exotic appeal. “For us, the Cuba thing still plays very strongly and there’s no reason to move away from that,” he says. “What we do need to do is to make sure the next generation of young consumers also gets the brand. It’s work we’re doing at the moment – freshening up how we portray Cuba.”
CRAFT SECTOR EMERGES
But though Germany is a market with some pretty long-held preferences, there’s no denying the emergence of the craft sector as a whole. Euromonitor’s Schmit says: “Local microdistillers are emerging rapidly in the German market. Hence, craft spirits produced by local microdistillers are gaining traction, but remained negligible in overall volume terms in 2016. The most notable types of locally produced spirits are gin, vodka and liqueurs. Held Vodka, produced in Berlin, is also enjoying rapid growth in consumer awareness, as well as Monaco Vodka by Munich Distillers and The Duke gin from Munich. The availability of these products so far remains restricted to some bars in large cities, such as Berlin, Munich or Hamburg, and to specialist distributors.”
And it’s via ‘craft’ that major players see an opportunity to break into the market. Pernod is testing a new craft rum, Pacto Navio, in the German market, says Blacknell. “It is our belief, as has happened in many other markets, that the craft gin boom will spread into many other sectors,” he says. “So we have already developed NPD for the German market, a craft rum brand, not under the Havana Club name, but made by us. It’s very much aimed to tap into what we see coming next, which is a craft rum boom in the German market.”
Pacto Navio: Pernod’s new craft rum
Pacto Navio is extra-aged rum finished in wine casks, which recalls a 19th-century tradition of returning empty wine barrels imported to Cuba from France filled with rum. The expression is currently in limited test distribution.
In terms of other new launches, from March, Diageo will launch Baileys Almande in the region, aimed at a growing trend for healthy living. Made with almond essence and almond oil, the variant is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan. Pernod Ricard, meanwhile, is to launch its 2018 Ramazzotti Amaretto, inspired by Italian almond blossom, alongside two new ready-to-drink expressions – Absolut Mixt Guarana and Malibu Pineapple – both available from April.
So, the German market is changing. On the one hand, local craft brands continue to grow – slowly. But with such huge untapped potential earmarked by international brands, local players can’t expect to have the market to themselves for much longer.
Perhaps Havana Club’s Blacknell puts it best: “Germany is an interesting market, because it is completely different, dare I say, from anything else in Europe. It is not developed in the same way as other European markets, which is quite exciting for spirit brands as there is lots of potential for the future. And on top of that you have a big economy. But it doesn’t necessarily follow the rules. That makes it hard to market in.
“Getting it right is part of the challenge. You can’t go into Germany and expect it to be the same as France, Spain or the UK. Knowing the market and adapting international brands to the German market is the key to success. But there is no doubt about its potential.”
Click through to the following page to see the best-selling spirits brands in Germany.
Best-selling spirits brands in Germany
*Percentage share of German spirits market. Source: Euromonitor International
Wilthener – 3.3 (2015) 3.4 (2016)
Jägermeister – 2.8 (2016) 2.8 (2016)
Wodka Gorbatschow – 2.2 (2015) 2.4 (2016)
Amaro Ramazzotti – 1.9 (2015) 1.9 (2016)
Aperol – 1.6 (2015) 1.7 (2016)

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IAC/InterActiveCorp announced a deal to sell ReserveAmerica, an online camping reservationwebsite to another sports website called The Active Network for a stock deal. Active Network Inc. raised $80 million in funding this past August. In exchange for the site, InterActiveCorp received 3.5 million convertible preferred shares in The Active Network. InterActiveCorp now owns about 9% in the company. The deal will be wrapped up by the end of the month.
The $80 million in funding that The Active Network raised this past August was led by ESPN. The funding will be used to make strategic acquisitions.
ReserveAmerica was part of IAC’s “emerging-business” division. This division also includes sites like CollegeHumor, Busted Tees, RushmoreDrive, and TheDailyBeast. “We don’t think emerging businesses are the tomorrow of our business,” stated Barry Diller in a Q3 earnings call this past November. IAC will start selling more of their emerging businesses this December.
ReserveAmerica was founded in 1984. Seth Rosenberg is the President of the company and he will remain in his current position. ReserveAmerica has over 300,000 campsites in their database.


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GLASSBORO – The popular South Jersey bakery closes the doors of one of the outlets later this week.
Liscio’s bakery, best known throughout the region for its bread, announced on Facebook on Wednesday that its Glassboro store would close on Sunday.
The bakery house at 128 S. Delsea Drive was reportedly purchased.
“The building was sold and we needed to close our store earlier than we expected,” the Facebook post said.
Liscio notes on social media that he is “looking for a possible new place.”
The bakery also has retail stores in Sicklerville and Washington Township that offer bread, hags, cakes, pizza and more.
Fans of the Glassboro location have expressed concern in response to the announcement.
“We like this place,” Amy Fasula said in a response on Facebook before adding, “I hope you stay in the area.”
“Oh no. I go there all the time!” Barb Wetzel Payne wrote: “Other places are too far away. It’s sad to see it close.”
Others saw the closure as an opportunity, begging Liscio to open up next to them.
Mantua, Mulika Hill and Vineland were among the most sought after comments.
Liscio’s was founded in 1994 and has operated the South Delsea Drive website in Glasbour since 2004, the website said.
Anthony Coppola, a native of South Jersey, has covered a variety of battles in The Daily Journal, Courier-Post and Burlington County Times, including awards in sports and business coverage. Coppola, who joined the staff in 2008, now focuses on regional education reports. Please consider supporting local journalism with a digital subscription.


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Lancashire County Council will provide £3.2m to support the delivery of Burnley’s £26m Pioneer Place retail and leisure development, set to include a cinema, restaurants, and a public plaza.
The council has signed off the funding package to help deliver road and infrastructure improvements in the Curzon Street area which will help improve access to the site.
Maple Grove, part of the Eric Wright Group, is already on board as development partner for the site which will also include shops and a 125-space car park.
Under the proposals Reel Cinemas would move from its current site in Manchester Road, on the edge of the town centre, to a new multi-screen complex. A national supermarket chain is to be signed up to take over and convert the existing cinema, together with a redesigned car park and improved access.
Pioneer Place forms part of a wider plan to regenerate Burnley town centre in a programme that could add more than 1,000 new jobs, nearly 600 homes, and £100m in additional GVA per year.
Cllr Mark Townsend, leader of Burnley Borough Council, said: “Pioneer Place is a major part of our vision for Burnley town centre.
“Burnley is bucking the trend and recent investments have already seen increases in the number of visitors to the town. Pioneer Place will build on this, by diversifying our offer and attracting even more visitors to our town centre. This will further boost the local economy and benefit local businesses.
“We want a town centre that everyone is proud of and I know our residents are looking forward to this development. This is an exciting time for Burnley as we continue to transform the town.
“I would like to thank the County Council for their significant support which is a further milestone in the delivery of this scheme.”
- Find out more about the vision for Burnley at a special Place North West event later this month – click here to buy your ticket


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Huawei has announced the Enjoy 9S about two weeks ago but some new images and complete specs have leaked online.
The press renders show that the phone will have an U-notch at the top for the 8MP selfie snapper while the chin of the device, while not as prominent as in the past, is still pretty thick. The screen will measure 6.21 inches, will have a 1080 x 2340 Full HD+ resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
It will run on a 12nm HiSilicon Kirin 710 chipset with a 3,400mAh battery and will have 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage. A 128GB internal storage variant will also be available.
The phone has a triple camera array on the back that will host a 24MP primary sensor, a 16MP wide angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor in addition to a fingerprint reader.
It will most likely ship with Android 9 PIe EMUI 9.0 out of the box.
The phone will be unveiled in China on March 25th.


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IKEA is to open a series of smaller stores in UK – prompting speculation Aberdeen could finally get its own branch.
The Swedish furniture giant is to trial a scaled-down version of its store, allowing customers to order and collect items.
The first store of its kind will open in Norwich in the autumn.
The news comes after Aberdeen Donside MSP Mark McDonald asked the firm to look again at building a shop in the city.
IKEA chief Gillian Drakeford last considered a North-east store in 2011 but Mr McDonald said rising population and the opening of the AWPR bypass in 2017 made Aberdeen even more attractive.
Mr McDonald has asked for a fresh feasibility study of the region.
He said: “Soon there will be no missing pieces when it comes to assembling Aberdeen’s business case for an Ikea.”
An IKEA spokeswoman said: “Over the next year, IKEA will test three Order and Collection Points in the UK, exploring slightly different formats in each selected market and using this as an opportunity to find out more about how customers want to shop with IKEA in these areas. The first Order and Collection Point will open in Norwich this Autumn. We will confirm the other two locations in the coming months.
“Regarding the locations, we are exploring potential locations across the UK for the next two test formats but have not yet secured sites for these.”


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ALEXANDRIA, Va.—On this week’s episode of Convenience Matters, “New Normal Retail Store Design,” NACS hosts Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives, and Carolyn Schnare, director of strategic initiatives, discuss store layouts that incorporate social distancing with Joseph Bona, president and founding partner of Bona Design Lab.
“Right now, we’re in a scramble, and everyone’s trying to do the best we can. We’ve got painter’s tape on the floor telling us where to stand; we’ve got paper signs, etc.” Bona said. “As we take safety and hygiene into consideration and they become part of our everyday offer, I think consumers will look for this in most retail environments. It will be how we execute this to give people the confidence that we’re serious about safety.”
In the future, some of these modifications might become more integrated into stores. “Maybe queuing systems become a bit more focused and intentional,” Bona said. “If you think about convenience stores today and many legacy stores in particular, the checkout counter’s located right up against the front window [near the] front door [… creating] an area of congestion, which would be very difficult to maintain six-foot distance. If that pay point is moved farther back in the store with a queue system to guide and direct from the beginning on that trip, … then maybe a little bit of separation becomes a bit easier … and more organized. I think layout could serve a very important point going forward.”
Retailers have challenges to find ways to incorporate social distancing into their layout. “Think through queue lines in existing environments,” Bona said. He recommended looking at everything a retailer could move, like gondolas, and then considering a checkout system that could be placed into the current format.
Each week a new Convenience Matters episode is released. With more than 200 episodes to choose from, the podcast can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and other podcast apps and YouTube and at www.conveniencematters.com. Episodes have been downloaded more than 130,000 times by listeners around the world.


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Hits £88m revenue, joins with Dutch brand Greetz to create European leader in online greetings cards & personal gifting
Moonpig, the UK’s leading online personalised gifting, flowers and card retailer has reported revenues of £88 million for FY18 – its 10th consecutive year of double-digit growth – as it continues to disrupt the greetings cards market, 90% of which is still offline.
The year ending 30th April 2018 saw Moonpig deliver an award-winning brand refresh, and continued innovation in its flowers and gifting business alongside its industry leading range of personalisable card designs.
Since then, the company has appointed ecommerce entrepreneur, Nickyl Raithatha, as Managing Director in addition to other senior hires from the likes of Net-a-Porter, Farfetch, Etsy and Sainsburys to fuel momentum.
In Summer 2018, parent Photobox Group acquired Greetz, Moonpig’s Dutch equivalent, creating a European category leader in online cards & gifts. It also moved into a new award-winning £20m HQ in the heart of London’s tech community.
Outside of London, Moonpig boosted its technology leadership with an investment in 50 new engineering roles located in a new Manchester tech hub.
“We continue to innovate around the simple act of giving, providing the most meaningful way for people to celebrate their most important relationships” said Nickyl Raithatha, MD of Moonpig.
“In a world where so many of our connections happen digitally, being able to show you care with a card or gift is more powerful than ever before.”
Moonpig’s parent, Photobox Group reported £315 million in revenues for FY18 with an underlying EBITDA of £47.6 million.
A series of major investments in the Group’s ‘photo gifts’ businesses – Photobox, Hofmann & PosterXXL – included the opening of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub with 60 tech specialists in Paris, underpinned by the migration of 5.7 billion photos to the cloud – the largest ever data migration in Europe.
“2017-2018 saw Photobox Group cement its position as Europe’s leader in ‘emotional commerce’ – helping more than 14 million customers across 15 markets celebrate their most meaningful relationships and milestones through the creation of over 30 million unique personalised books, gifts and cards,” said Jody Ford, CEO Photobox Group.


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The May ISA Economic Indicator Report (EIR) from the Industrial Supply Association showed slower growth for manufacturers and distributors in April. The ISA Manufacturer Index decreased to 55.5 in April from 66.6 in March. Meanwhile, the ISA Distributor Index decreased to 57.5 in April compared to 65.3 in March.
“The results from the May survey showed that economic growth continues for our members, but at a slower pace than last month,” says Bryon Shafer, general manager of ASG Industrial and chair of ISA’s Strategic Information Committee. “As one survey participant noted, companies are still experiencing steady but sluggish market conditions.”
For each index, a reading above 50% indicates expansion, while a reading below 50% indicates contraction.
For more information, visit: www.isapartners.org


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With headlines invoking apocalyptic visions of a world ruled by AI, it’s easy to live in fear of the next generation
of manufacturing bot or algorithm. But how can a savvy business owner seize the opportunities offered by automation and embrace this rise of the machines?
Some fast-moving larger companies are already beginning trials of driverless cars, introducing automated packing lines, or turning
to online bots as a means of boosting their customer service operations. And as these technologies become increasingly widespread, they’re also becoming more affordable.
While the first wave of early adopters explore automation options, what’s next on the horizon in terms of innovation?
What steps can businesses in industries that are threatened into obsolescence take now, to ensure that they’re ready and able to adapt to an automated future?
Join us to debate these questions and more at a Telegraph Better Business Connect evening seminar on Tuesday 19 September at 6.15pm.
A panel of experts will explore how agile and forward-thinking firms can leapfrog big companies with the right planning, and take questions directly from an audience of entrepreneurs.
- Date: Tuesday 19 September, 2017
- Time: Registration at 6.15pm
- Venue: Telegraph Media Group, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0SR
Panel (more to follow)
- Ian Watson, chief executive, Start-rite
- Tabitha Goldstaub, co-founder, CognitionX
- Conway Kosi, head of managed infrastructure services, EMEA, Fujitsu
This event is sponsored by Volvo


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In the past year, important PR tools such as holding press conferences have shifted significantly amidst the pandemic and are now being conducted virtually. Does your business have newsworthy announcements to share? In this recorded presentation from Fort Collins Startup Week, Comprise’s COO/CSO, Amy Leger and Director of Public Relations, Melissa Christensen discuss three steps businesses can take to successfully use video conferencing as a PR tool.
Covered in This Presentation:
- The value of a virtual press conference
- How to determine if your news is worthy of a virtual press conference
- How to prepare your business for such an opportunity


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Three-Year Ban on Pets for Sale in Pet Stores Proposed in Los Angeles
Los Angeles could possibly ban the sales of kitten and puppy mill animals in pet stores for three years. Read more below!Published October 10, 2012
Flickr User PMDBDigitalFoto
Remember Patti Page’s 1952 smash hit “How Much is that Doggie in the Window?” With its huge popularity and “fetching” sentiment, it reached #1 on the Billboard and Cash Box charts. With a ban on selling pets in LA pet stores already in place since 2010 in California’s West Hollywood and South Lake Tahoe, along with other municipalities across the country considering instituting a similar ban, the glorification of pet store puppies expressed in this one-time red-hot hit seems today to have turned quite chilly.
According to an item on LA WEEKLY Blogs, the Los Angeles City Council could be hearing a proposal this month introduced by Councilman Paul Koretz, chairman of the Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee, effectively banning the sales of commercially bred cats, dogs and rabbits for three years in retail pet stores in the city. The ordinance would, however, permit the sale of pets obtained from shelters and non-profit rescue groups that are registered with the city’s Department of Animal Services.
The proposed ordinance’s goal is reducing the overcrowding and wanton euthanasia of surrendered or discarded pets languishing in city animal shelters. Koretz’s ultimate aspiration is turning all Los Angeles animal shelters into no-kill facilities. In commenting on the proposed ban, Koretz said, "That's going to take a tremendous amount of work and many steps. This is just one step in that direction."
Additionally, city administrators envision that the demand for commercially bred baby animals in kitten and puppy mills will be drastically reduced. Due to the information disseminated by animal activist groups concerning the inhumane and filthy conditions existing in these pet “factories” (where baby animals are churned out non-stop just to make a hefty profit), officials are hopeful that potential pet owners will adopt from local shelters rather than visit pet stores.
Animal activists claim that if the ordinance passes, other municipalities will follow suit since Los Angeles leads the way in many other humane animal-related issues.
On the other hand, according to the Contra Costa Times, those involved in the pet industry call the proposed ban a “witch hunt” that will result in financial ruin for owners of ethical pet stores.
Michael Canning, the President of the Washington, D.C.-based Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, strongly disagrees with the ban since it would effectively close 11 local pet stores and put more than 60 people out of work.
Canning said, “Anybody that would engage in substandard breeding already doesn't follow the rules. This will just drive people to sell their puppies on the Internet or some other unregulated way like the flea markets or out of their trunks on the street." He added that no studies have been made that demonstrate that anyone wanting a purebred puppy would seek one from a shelter if they were not available for sale at pet stores.
Do you think that pet stores should be banned from or allowed to continue selling kittens, puppies and rabbits? On which side of the issue do you stand? Share your views in a comment.


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Whoever becomes the next Prime Minister we can be confident they will put in place further financial measures to support households confronted by unprecedented rises in energy costs. The Government has already announced a support package of £37 billion which is being rolled out to all energy bill payers, with a specific focus on the elderly, disabled and those on means tested benefits. Clearly more help is needed, not only for the most vulnerable, but also for all low and middle income households.
There has been no help so far for small and medium sized businesses. These businesses are already struggling with the full impact of soaring energy costs as the price cap does not apply to them. Small and medium sized business are the livelihoods of hardworking people and their families. These businesses create jobs, deliver growth, pay taxes, and business rates and provide services to local people. A business is often the product of a lifetimes work. Hospitality is being particularly hit hard from all sides. Customers are tightening their belts, cutting eating out and takeaways, so their sales are already down. Thanks to inflation and now spiralling energy prices, their costs are not just up but completely overwhelming with no end in sight. For some it is already costing more to stay open than to close, for others their business is unviable. Any business that borrows to pay its running costs will also be hit by increased interest costs. Businesses are closing now to cut future losses.
Government must act to protect local business. I am pushing for a rapid and immediate response to this crisis. Whilst there has been support for households, and there is more to come, there has been no help for business. Why save businesses from the pandemic, only to let them go under in the energy crisis, triggering job losses and a full-blown recession. Business needs an equivalent of the pandemic response now: a VAT discount, a business rates holiday, interest free Government backed loans. These businesses are the lifeblood of our community and provide local jobs on which so many depend.


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The search continues for suspects involved in a shooting outside Fashion Fair Mall that sent shoppers scrambling Saturday night.
The Fresno Police Department says the shooting was an isolated incident, sparked by a fight between two groups of men.
This is the second shooting to happen at Fashion Fair so far this year.
Both have been isolated incidents, but the recent rise in mass shootings is leaving a lot of people on edge.
Shoppers ran for the doors after the sound of gunshots echoed through the mall during this latest shooting.
Brianna Mercado works at Claire’s and says she immediately guided shoppers, including small children, to the backroom of the shop to shelter in place.
“It’s so surreal, it feels like you are watching a movie where everyone is running and screaming and there are kids that are crying,” said Brianna.


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Gasoline prices are soaring and it’s not just the price that’s going up.
The other side of the equation is that prices are rising, but that’s the price you have to pay for a reliable gasoline supply.
It’s the gasoline that your car burns.
That’s the fuel that you can’t replace on a regular basis.
That fuel is the source of the high gas prices in the United States.
That fuels the argument that Americans should use less gasoline.
And the good news is that there are several things you can do to prevent your fuel costs from spiraling out of control.
Let’s start with the good.
The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of gasoline.
The number of cars on the road in the U.T. is up almost 60 percent since 1999, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API).
That means more and more Americans are getting in the habit of buying gas from their local convenience store.
If you want to be the first to know about the latest news on gas prices and fuel economy, subscribe to our newsletter here.
But gas prices aren’t the only issue facing gas consumers.
The United States is the only major country to rely on oil imports to supply the majority of its petroleum needs.
That means when the oil price spikes, that means oil companies can’t sell that much gasoline.
That makes it harder for consumers to keep their cars running and makes it more difficult for the U-Haul fleet to meet the demands of those who depend on it for transportation.
And it’s the same thing for trucking companies that rely on gasoline for their vehicles.
There are plenty of things that can be done to reduce fuel consumption.
Here are some ways you can save on gas in your life.
• Use less of your car.
According to a study by the University of Minnesota’s Department of Public Policy, if you keep your car on the same mileage as when you last bought it, you can cut your car’s mileage by nearly three months.
That could mean a reduced fuel consumption of 10 to 15 percent.
• Turn off your computer.
According the University at Buffalo’s Robert R. Shiller, if your computer can be programmed to only use about 2 percent of the battery it’s using, you’ll save $1,100 a year on gas.
• Buy fewer miles per gallon.
According a study from the Brookings Institution, an average American uses about 1,600 gallons of gas per year.
If your car can’t run on a full tank, it can’t use as much gas.
If the same car can only use half the gasoline, the average American can save $5,000 per year on their gasoline bill.
• Get a fuel-efficient car.
Even if you don’t like to drive your car, there are many options available for the average car owner.
In addition to purchasing a more fuel-effective vehicle, consider using a lower-emission vehicle like an electric vehicle or a hybrid.
If both of these options are in the same family, the savings can be huge.
• Go electric.
Electric cars are a lot cheaper than gas-powered vehicles.
A new study from Harvard’s Joint Center for Environmental Studies found that electric vehicles are more fuel efficient than gasoline-powered cars.
This means they can be used to cut your fuel consumption by about 75 percent, the equivalent of saving an average of $1.25 a gallon.
• Drive fewer miles.
A study from Carnegie Mellon University found that if you use your car for less than 50 percent of your daily driving, you could save up to $1 on your gas bill.
If that’s enough to keep you from having to purchase gas from the local convenience stores, it could mean saving an additional $1 a month on your bill.
A little extra cash won’t hurt.
Most people who use a vehicle for transportation also use it for entertainment.
This makes a lot of sense.
With fewer people around to see your car at the wheel, you might find yourself spending more time in the car and less time on the roads.
And if you do want to get the most bang for your buck, you should definitely consider buying a fuel economy vehicle like a hybrid, electric or electric-assist hybrid.
But if you want a more economical option, you have options.
A fuel economy car is a vehicle that uses less fuel than its gasoline equivalent.
For example, a hybrid electric vehicle could use roughly the same amount of gasoline as a conventional gas-electric vehicle, but you can also get a fuel efficiency rating that’s closer to the equivalent value of a gasoline-electric car.
• Invest in a fuel efficient vehicle.
You don’t need to buy a new car to be able to get around in your preferred style.
If it’s a gas-fueled car, the best option is to invest in a gas efficient vehicle to save money on fuel.
If a car is an electric or hybrid, it’s possible to save more money on gas and the


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12th April 2022 By Staff Reporter | email@example.com | @foodtickernz
The Overseas Investment Office has granted Australian fuel retailer Ampol permission to proceed with its $2bn purchase of Z Energy.
The green light followed the Commerce Commission’s approval last month, subject to Ampol selling its Gull service stations to Allegro Funds.
Z Energy is New Zealand’s largest fuel company and has a portfolio of 481 service stations, which stock hundreds of different food and beverage products.
28 Apr 2022 Good Spirits abandons $27m Nourish Group buy
28 Apr 2022 Z Energy to delist on 10 May
19 Apr 2022 Blue Sky takeover acceptances creep higher
1 Apr 2022 Blue Sky offer goes unconditional


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New Wormtown Owners Plan to Open an Experimental Brewery in Keene
Wormtown Brewery cofounder Tom Oliveri has sold his remaining stake in the Worcester company, and the new owners—a trio of former beer distributors—plan to open an additional, 10-barrel brewhouse in Keene, N.H., next year.
Oliveri, who launched Wormtown in 2010 with master brewer Ben Roesch, is no longer involved with the brewery, Brewbound reports.
“Craft beer as a whole is reaching its peak and, in my opinion, will level out a bit,” Oliveri told the industry blog. “You always want to sell at the peak, and I was given an offer I could not refuse.”
Three years ago, Oliveri and Roesch sold a majority interest to former beer wholesaler David Fields. The new owners, Richard Clarke, Jay Clarke, and Kary Shumway, are longtime friends of Fields’, he said in a press release. Richard and Jay Clarke were previously behind the Keene, N.H., group Clarke Distributors Inc., which sold to another New Hampshire distribution company last year.
The new Wormtown Brewery will take over most of a 4,000-square foot former Clarke Distributors warehouse, and Fields plans to produce about 3,000 barrels out of the space once it gets up and running, he told Brewbound. That will reportedly include a range barrel-aged offerings, sour beers, and New England-style IPAs.
Meanwhile, Wormtown is in the midst of a $2 million expansion of its Shrewsbury Street headquarters (in the same plaza as the Deadhorse Hill team’s forthcoming second concept), to increase its output to 37,000 barrels annually. In 2016, Wormtown produced 15,000 barrels, while Fields expects to make 27,000 in 2017, he told Brewbound.
Oliveri will continue to own some Central Mass. restaurants, including Peppercorns Grille & Tavern, the Park Ave. spot with an attached brewhouse that was Wormtown’s original home in Worcester. Now home to Flying Dreams Brewing, Oliveri used money from the Wormtown sale to purchase that brewing equipment. He hopes to continue using the space as an “incubator” for Worcester breweries, he told Brewbound.
Speaking of Worcester breweries, the Mass. Brewers Guild has an upcoming opportunity to get acquainted with them. As for Wormtown’s Keene brewery, it could open by early or mid-2018.
Wormtown Brewery, 72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, 774-239-1555, coming to 472 Winchester St., Keene, NH, in 2018, wormtownbrewery.com.


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Bacon is getting a whole new sizzle on the gourmet scene these days — would you believe chocolate bacon Fudgsicles? — and Russell Bird is making sure Alberta gets its due.
The Sherwood Park man represented his country in the bacon category at the World Food Championships in Florida last month and reports things have never looked better for everyone’s favourite cured meat.
“Bacon has been a hot spot in cooking the last three years,” said Bird. “I saw bacon desserts at the WFC that would blow your mind.”
Bird, a marketing specialist in promotional products, is also doing his part to add to bacon’s culinary canon — an effort that began last year when he and wife Jocelyn, also an accomplished cook, wound up with 16 pounds of bacon after a work-related swap.
“We get together with three other couples who love food and have these ‘fests,’ judging each other’s entries. So we decided to have a Baconfest. I made a bacon salad, and my wife made sushi with bacon. Her dish won.”
The concept was resurrected when Bird, who had won a couple of ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen cooking contests, was invited to compete in the Canadian Food Championships, part of the Taste of Edmonton promotion, this summer.
Bird set out to perfect his wife’s creation, testing different types of bacon.
The duo perfected the process for their first-round entry, a butter-poached lobster tail bacon sushi roll. The second round required using maple syrup, so they created a sushi roll with the bacon and rice glazed in maple, and traditional tomago cooked eggs in the centre, also enhanced with maple. The lobster tail sushi came fourth and their breakfast entry first, giving them a third-place overall finish.
The top two teams earned a berth in the world championships, but when one couldn’t make it, Bird and his father-in-law joined 18 Canadian teams competing in the various categories. The event attracts hundreds of teams competing for a $100,000 grand prize.
Using 25 pounds of President’s Choice Blue Menu natural wood-smoked bacon (which Loblaws shipped to Florida for him), Bird created two dishes. The first category — a ‘structured build’ — was a bacon dumpling, and his green onion cake with bacon and fennel was judged 14th best overall. His now signature bacon and egg sushi grabbed 13th spot.


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Hops & Grain, an Austin-based brewery, plans to open a new brewing facility and tasting room at 110 E. MLK Drive, San Marcos by late 2017.
Hops & Grain, 110 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, will begin brewing by mid- or late September, owner Josh Hare said. The San Marcos facility will be the Austin-based company’s second brewery.
The new facility will feature a brewery and taproom serving beer, coffee, baked goods and snacks. The taproom will likely open by mid- or late October, Hare said.
To mark the opening of the new brewery, Hare said Hops & Grain is planning to introduce Haze County, an imperial India pale ale, which will be offered at the brewery and in cans at local retailers. www.hopsandgrain.com
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MGS Inc has completed an acquisition of Maxey Companies, located in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The acquisition marks the combination of two multi-generational companies that began in the 1960s, each of which is headed by a former president of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM).
MGS Incorporated is a growing national enterprise that started in 1962. The company manufactures specialty equipment trailers and related products for the OEM, military, and public utility industries. It also has a large retail business for fleet, small business, and homeowner markets.
“This has been part of our long-term planning process,” says Andy Gehman, MGS president. “After working with Maxey Companies for years, we know we have found our perfect match for manufacturing and trailer sales on the western side of the country.”
“Maxey has been very close with MGS for years,” says Carl Maxey, president of Maxey Manufacturing. “We have similar goals and long-term plans, and I see nothing but great results by adding Maxey to MGS Inc. We have a large, loyal customer base in the greater Colorado region, including the West Coast, and I think they will benefit in many ways”.
Maxey Companies, in business since 1969, is known for its retail trailer sales and parts operations, along with its truck upfitting services. Maxey is also known as a manufacturer of specialized trailers.
Carl Maxey served on the board of NATM for seven years, including six with Gehman. When Maxey stepped down as president of the association, Gehman took office.
The Maxey name will remain, as will its president.
“We will build MGS trailers right along with ours,” he says. “And MGS will produce Maxey trailers at their plant in Danver, Pennsylvania.”
Carl Maxey has no plans to leave the industry.
“I plan to be here for many years,” he says. “I’m committed to this new venture, and immediately bought MGS stock when the sale was finalized. Both companies believe that this is a very good fit. We look forward to what the future holds.” ♦


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Especially outside of the United States, as Apple has often been extremely slow when it comes to rolling out new features for users who don’t live in the company’s home market.
Apple Maps, for example, has already received massive updates in the United States, including better maps and new features like traffic information with road signs and traffic light warnings, but this new experience continues to be available in limited markets.
But on the other hand, the iPhone maker is working tirelessly to expand Apple Maps to more markets, as the company itself knows it’s pretty much the only way to compete with Google Maps.
And more recently, Apple sent its fleet of Subaru Impreza used for data collection to Austria, with the mapping process due to start today. The company hasn’t shared any information on how long the entire process will take, but according to local media, Apple just wants to focus on vehicle-based data for now, so foot mapping wouldn’t take place. as part of this first step in the process.
This is probably a sign that Apple wants to improve the navigation component of its app, although time will tell how quickly the new data will be available to users in Austria.
The good news is that Apple is indeed making very good progress when it comes to expanding Apple Maps to more regions. Right now, this is one of the biggest shortcomings of using Apple Maps compared to alternatives like Google Maps, as the preloaded app on iPhones still lacks map data. updated and new features in many major markets.
Apple has yet to confirm Apple Maps’ expansion in Austria, but expect to see the company’s Subaru Imprezas on the streets of the country for several months.


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Speciality & Fine Food Asia and its four co-located F&B industry shows conclude with a resounding success
Speciality & Fine Food Asia and its four co-located F&B industry shows conclude with a resounding success; attracting over 7,300 local and international attendees
The long-awaited three-day event established itself as the must-attend trade show featuring the latest fine food, beverages, technologies and innovations
Singapore, 29th June 2022 – The fourth edition of Speciality & Fine Food Asia (SFFA), Southeast Asia’s leading trade show for artisan, gourmet and fine food and drink has concluded on a high note. SFFA 2022 was held alongside Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia (RPB Asia) and three newly launched shows – Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia (SCTA), Meat & Poultry & Asia (MPA) and Food2Go – at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre from the 22nd to 24th June 2022.
Organised by Montgomery Asia, the 5-in-1 show attracted over 7,300 attendees from 47 countries – exceeding the 2019 edition – and 188 exhibitors from 16 countries. To further enhance the exhibition experience, visitors were also able to continue connecting with exhibitors digitally via a digital platform.
The event was graced by Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry; Mr Christopher McCuin, Managing Director of Montgomery Asia; and Mr Victor Mah, President of the Singapore Coffee Association (SCA). After the opening ceremony, Ms Low also toured the exhibition hall, interacting with exhibitors and tasting some of the fine food and drink products being showcased.
Mr Christopher McCuin, Managing Director, Montgomery Asia, said, “We are proud to declare SFFA 2022 a huge success. We have successfully bought the industry back together creating opportunities for exhibitors and visitors alike to reconnect with one another and build new business opportunities. SFFA 2022 will be superseded by its 2023 edition held next September, with a larger floor space offering more showcases, exhibitors and business opportunities at Marina Bay Sands, we can’t wait!”
A key highlight of the opening ceremony was the signing of two Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) between Montgomery Asia and SFFA’s strategic partners to further solidify the existing partnerships leading up to the 2023 edition. The first MoU, signed by Montgomery Asia and SCA, Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association (SFMA), and Meat Traders’ Association Singapore (MTA), extends the running of SFFA, RPB Asia, SCTA and MPA in Singapore for another two years. The second MoU, signed by Montgomery Asia and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), will see the continuation of the Food2Go show for a minimum of three years. Food2Go, the inaugural business event for F&B takeaway and delivery innovations, helps bridge the gap between tech providers and F&B retailers in this fast-growth industry.
Mr Victor Mah, President, SCA, added, “SFFA 2022 was a wonderful platform not just for the coffee industry, but also for the whole F&B industry. The MoUs signed with Montgomery Asia will ensure that subsequent years’ events will see participation and close collaboration between network associations and businesses. At the Singapore National Coffee Championship (SNCC) @ Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia, it was a delight to witness the competitiveness and tenacity among the young expert baristas over the three-day competition, and I would like to warmly congratulate the winners on their well-deserved achievement.”
SFFA 2022 was ablaze with activity as visitors were treated to cooking demonstrations, panel discussions and tasting opportunities. Some highlights at the Fine Food Live Stage included the European Meat Roundtable by the European Union, the launch of the &SO product line by Monde Nissin, and presentations on food tech and the latest ingredients. The live cooking and butchery demonstrations at the Fine Food Live Stage also gained significant traction as visitors were able to taste freshly prepared food samples made on-site with the finest ingredients by renowned chefs. At the Innovation Stage, trade visitors were able to hear from industry experts on topics such as sustainable packaging, revenue-building, organisational resilience and cloud kitchens.
This year’s edition was well supported by exhibitors from across the globe. At the 10 country pavilions, visitors were able to taste the finest food and drinks from Singapore, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uzbekistan.
Huge turnout at the Singapore National Coffee Championship
The Singapore National Coffee Championship (SNCC) @ SCTA concluded after intense competition between expert coffee brewers and baristas in the National Barista Championship 2022 and Singapore National Brewers Cup 2022. The crowned winners, Lee Hee Wei and Elysia Tan, respectively, will be heading to the Melbourne World Coffee Championships later this year.
Lee Hee Wei, Founder, Olla Specialty Coffee and winner of the National Barista Championship 2022, said, “This is my sixth attempt in this competition and the feeling of being crowned the winner is overwhelming. I’m really thankful for this great platform for baristas to showcase what speciality coffee is really about and the mastery of it. Apart from the competition, the event brings together the community, and it was great to see fellow baristas displaying their skills.”
Elysia Tan, Co-Founder and Director, Homeground Coffee Roasters and winner of the Singapore National Brewers Cup, said, “It was a very nerve wracking experience, but at the same time I feel fortunate and excited to be able to again represent Singapore at the Melbourne World Coffee Championships later this year. This competition has been a good platform for the industry – making seemingly mundane work more exciting, and pushing boundaries to make better coffee. Seeing familiar faces at this event was one of the best feelings after such a long time.”
Partnership with The Food Bank Singapore
In line with Montgomery Group’s environmental sustainability policy, SFFA partnered with The Food Bank Singapore. As Singapore’s first food bank, the Food Bank Singapore bridges donors and member beneficiaries by collecting and redistributing donated food, and currently serves more than 100,000 families and over 300,000 people with all kinds of food – from fresh to cooked. On the final day of SFFA, exhibitors were able to donate their excess food items that contributed to Food Bank Singapore’s food relief efforts such as community pantries, emergency food ration deliveries and daily meal programmes.
Strategic Partners, Supporting Partners & Supporters
SFFA 2022 and its co-located shows are supported by a host of leading industry associations and brands. Strategic Partners include Meat Traders’ Association Singapore, Singapore Coffee Association, Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association and Singapore Manufacturing Federation.
Supporting Partners include the ASEAN Coffee Federation, Disciples Escoffier International, Association of Catering Professionals Singapore (ACAPS), Food, Drinks & Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), Hospitality Purchasing Association Singapore, Republic Polytechnic (RP), Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC), Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) and Packaging Council of Singapore (PCS), among many others.
This year’s Supporters include the Singapore Tourism Board, the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, the Employment & Employability Institute and Singapore Airlines.
Larger shows, bigger business opportunities in 2023
SFFA and its co-located shows RPB Asia, SCTA and MPA will return on 26th to 28th September 2023 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Food2Go will make its return as a co-located event alongside the 4-in-1 megashow. SFFA 2023 will focus on enhancing the full suite of F&B experience – from technological innovators to manufacturers and products, to end-to-end food delivery services. The Fine Food Live Stage, Innovation Stage, Singapore National Coffee Championship and the Tap Room will return with more in-depth expert insights, exciting product showcases and more opportunities for business and industry players. For the latest updates and announcements, visit https://speciality-asia.com.
About Speciality & Fine Food Asia and Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia
Organised by Montgomery Asia, Speciality & Fine Food Asia (SFFA) is Southeast Asia’s leading trade show for artisan, gourmet and fine food and drink. Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia (RPB Asia), a co-located show, is the only trade show that caters to the needs of the independent and boutique bars, restaurants, pubs and hotels in the region.
Both shows seek to connect gourmet, innovative and unique food & drink producers and purveyors with decision makers in the retail, foodservice and hospitality sectors, providing companies an excellent platform to discover new trends, expand their business and reach the right buyers. The fourth edition of the shows will be held from 22 to 24 June 2022 at Suntec Singapore and will feature an expanded programme line-up including fringe events, competitions, as well as a more diverse range of chefs, bartenders and speciality food and drink products and technologies.
About Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia
Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia (SCTA) will create a platform for speciality coffee bean and tea leaf growers and producers, suppliers, roasters, traders, retailers and café owners from around the region to network and develop the industry.
About Meat & Poultry Asia
Meat & Poultry Asia (MPA) will highlight the unseen craft of the meat industry and build a wider community for meat suppliers, importers and traders to tackle challenges and share sustainable solutions for the future.
Food2Go is the inaugural B2B F&B takeaway & delivery services event and one-stop sourcing platform for all your business needs in this fast-growth industry. Food2Go is the most targeted and focused business platform for you to expand the Takeaway & Delivery elements of your business in Southeast Asia!
About Montgomery Asia
Established in 2016, Montgomery Asia is a fully-owned subsidiary of UK-based Montgomery Group, one of the most widely respected exhibition companies in the world since 1895. It focuses on the growing Asian market, bringing the group’s flagship events to this region as well as developing new trade shows that meet the needs of the Asian market.
Montgomery Events Asia
Jo-Ann Teo / Glenn Tan
Blue Totem Communications (Singapore)
+65 9873 7794 / +65 9658 5749


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By JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing editor
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Three armed suspects robbed a gadget store in what is called a “broad daylight robbery,” perpetrated by still unidentified suspects, on December 4, 2022 along Corrales-Hayes Streets, this city.
The police identified the gadget store as “Steezy Gadget Hub,” displaying several gadgets but mostly mobile phones and accessories.
Initial investigation disclosed that the suspected robbers carted away an estimated total of P3.7 million.
The following items were stolen according to police investigators:
- iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14, iPhone 13
- MacBook Air, MacBook Pro M2
- iPad Pro M2, iPad Mini, iPad 10th Gen, iPad 9th Gen
- Z Fold 4, Z Fold 3, Z flip 3, Z Flip 4
- S22, S22 Ultra, S22 Plus
Video footage taken from the store’s CCTV camera showed the store only had several customers when two robbers wearing helmets suddenly entered the store and declared a hold up.
The staff of the store was told to get inside the store’s front desk while one of them also started harvesting the gadgets and mobile phones displayed at the designated display areas.
Investigators are now tracking the whereabouts of the suspects and studying the CCTV camera footage.
The police are also asking help from the people of this city to call and contact their offices if they can identify the clothing used by the suspects.


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Single-use plastics are nearly impossible to avoid. But it's consumers who foot the bill for cleaning them up.
We're calling for a new approach: "producer responsibility." Companies that make products designed to become waste should also be financially responsible for the cleanup.
Add your name to tell your state senator to support producer responsibility legislation.


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(By Balachander) U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher opening on the Wall Street after the Federal Reserve announced plans to purchase mortgage bonds at a pace of $40 billion per month to spur growth.
Mini Dow Industrial Average futures advanced 33 points to 13,478. The Nasdaq futures gained 8.75 points to 2,829.75. Standard and Poor's 500 futures rose 3.20 points to 1,453.60.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the rate-setting committee of the Federal Reserve, also decided to keep interest rates "exceptionally low" at least through middle of 2015. The policy should put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates, support mortgage markets, and help to make broader financial conditions more accommodative, the FOMC said.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke justified the latest action from the central bank, saying new measures were needed to address persistently high levels of unemployment.
If the outlook for the labor market does not improve substantially, the Committee will continue its purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities, undertake additional asset purchases, and employ its other policy tools as appropriate, the FOMC said.
The Fed reduced its 2012 growth projections to 1.7 percent to 2.0 percent from June forecast of 1.9 percent to 2.4 percent, but raised 2013 GDP projections to 2.5 percent to 3.0 percent from 2.2 percent to 2.8 percent.
On Thursday, U.S. stocks ended sharply higher after the Fed policy statement.
On the domestic data front, the Commerce Department reported August retail sales and core retail sales rose 0.9 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. Economists expected a 0.7 percent and 0.6 percent rise each in retail sales and excluding autos sales.
Another data showed that core consumer price index inched up 0.1 percent in August, while economists expected a gain of 0.2 percent. The headline index gained 0.6 percent, coming in above expectations of a rise of 0.5 percent.
At 9.55 am ET, the Reuters/University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment may show the index to have edged down to 74.0 for September from 74.3 in the prior month.
Hot Stocks Of The Day: SPLS, WDC, WERN, DFN, GWR, ALOG
In corporate news, Staples Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS) rose 4.77 percent in premarket. Fortune reported that private-equity firms are considering buying the office products company.
Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) reduced its first-quarter revenue guidance, citing muted hard drive demand. WDC also said its board adopted a cash dividend policy and an increased authorization of $1.5 billion under its share buyback plan. Shares rose 2.63 percent in premarket.
Werner Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) plunged 11.28 percent in premarket after the transportation and logistics company guided third-quarter earnings below market expectations.
CareFusion Corp. (NYSE:CFN) announced it has delayed filing its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30. The medical technology company is consulting with the federal regulators about its accounting policy for sales-type leases in its Pyxis medication and supply dispensing product lines.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (NYSE:GWR), which operates short line and regional freight railroads, said it has priced class A common stock offering of 3.5 million shares at $64.75 apiece. Shares inched higher in premarket.
Analogic Corp. (NASDAQ:ALOG) soared 11.66 percent in premarket after the maker of medical imaging systems posted fourth-quarter earnings that more than doubled from last year amid a 12 percent rise in revenue. It forecasts high-single-digit organic revenue growth for 2013.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA) has agreed to sell its U.S. based animal health business to Bayer HealthCare LLC for $145 million as part of its move to focus on its core business assets.
European markets rose sharply, with Germany's DAX up 1.45 percent to trade at 7,416.57. France's CAC40 added 2.07 percent to trade at 3,574.41. U.K.'s FTSE 100 jumped 1.55 percent to trade at 5,910.10.
Asian markets closed sharply higher, with China's Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index adding 0.64 percent to finish at 2,123.85. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 1.83 percent to end at 9,159.39. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.90 percent to close at 20,629.78. India's BSE Sensex closed at 18,464.27, up 2.46 percent.
Commodity & Currency Scan:
Ahead of the opening bell, crude oil futures climbed 1.34 percent to $99.63 per barrel. Gold futures slipped 0.11 percent to $1,770.2 per ounce.
In the currency market, the euro rose 0.76 percent against the U.S. dollar to 1.3088 and the British pound advanced 0.27 percent to 1.6199. The dollar added 0.84 percent against the Japanese yen to 78.1300.


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The photo above says it all! And what do you say?! Revolutionary, right? A bus ride and a fitness class in the same time. For all the people having trouble finding some time for a workout during a workweek, this must be a revelation. And who came up with this brilliant idea?
1Rebel, a British fitness company, has recently announced a plan to transform some London buses into a mobile spinning studios. Currently, they are in the middle of negotiation with several bus companies but the final word has to come from the government. If the government approve this project, people of London should be able to have this fantastic fitness ride after a summer.
The fitness bus will cruise trough the most popular commuter routes across London. The final stop would be 1Rebel studio at the business area where passengers can have shower and refreshment before they go to work. Saving time, for sure, and what about money? The cost of 45min ride, or a fitness class, should be between £12 and £15. Not bad at all, considering that you will save a money for the ride, or a fitness class. This idea is so good that we already can see it happening.


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Popeyes sets sights on first Lake Norman site
by Staff Writer
MOORESVILLE – Lake Norman’s fried chicken fast food market has no shortage of options, including KFC, Bojangles’ and Chick-fil-A. Popeyes Louisiana Chicken will soon jump into the mix, as well.
The Sandy Springs, Ga.-based chain -– whose only location in the area is in the food court at Concord Mills – will open a Popeyes restaurant at 379 W. Plaza Drive.
Jack in the Box, another fast food franchise, previously occupied the building.
Alicia Thompson, a spokeswoman for Popeyes, said the Mooresville location will open soon.
“We are currently under construction in Mooresville with a scheduled opening before the end of the year,” she said. Popeyes has more than 2,060 franchises in 40 states and 26 countries, including Turkey, Bahrain, China, Hong Kong and Canada.
Increased revenue in the U.S. and overseas has enabled Popeyes to expand its base.
Popeyes’ focus has been on expanding its brand in new locations all year. The new restaurant in Indianapolis was the first Popeyes to enter the city.
A seven-year drop in company-owned franchises did nothing to dispel Popeyes’ desire to move to the Lake Norman area, which has been dominated by Charlotte-based Bojangles’ in the fried chicken market.
Bojangles’ has roughly 500 franchises, a much smaller number than Popeyes, in 10 states.
So, why start a new restaurant to compete with a known local product?
It’s simple, Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce President Kirk Ballard said. More people are moving to the town and bringing with them a hunger for more fast food options – and more jobs.
“The population of Mooresville has doubled in the past few years,” Ballard said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth and (restaurant companies) see that. Every one of the restaurants coming to the area leads to hiring local individuals for positions. Those jobs are helping the economy.”


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Apple has signed a deal with the world’s largest mobile carrier, China Mobile, to bring the iPhone into the Chinese Market. As China Mobile has more than 760 million subscribers, the partnership is sure to mean good things for both companies.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook, regarding his company's new partnership with China Mobile, said in a statement that the agreement “presents us the opportunity to bring the iPhone to the customers of the world’s largest network.”
China Mobile was one of only three networks to be awarded the country’s first 4G licenses earlier this December, making it the best carrier in the world’s largest smartphone market, with about 1.2 million users.
Now that China Mobile’s technology has upgraded from 3G to 4G, the network is now compatible with Apple devices.
Apple to bring iPhone to China Mobile
Apple has been aiming to break into China’s smartphone market for some time, but each attempt has been met with steep competition from rival companies. Despite China Unicom and China Telecom, the country’s other two main carriers, already offering the iPhone to subscribers, consumers have been purchasing cheaper devices from Samsun or domestic developers. This could be due to the fact that most phone carriers in emerging markets do not subsidize phones, meaning consumers are expected to pay the full cost of an iPhone up front.
To combat this during their new deal, Apple has released a cheaper version of their product, the iPhone 5c, although they still have not revealed the price that consumers in China will be expected to pay for the model.
Despite these hiccups, the deal still presents huge potential for both Apple and China Mobile — analysts such as Cantor Fitzgerald Research estimate sales of around 24 million iPhones next year to China Mobile customers alone.
For comparison's sake, last year, the company sold 102.4 million iPhones across the globe.
While there are still some struggles to get through, this deal is certainly something to keep your eye on.


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Food in the News: Cows, Cheese, Chocolate and Wine
A sampling of recent food-related news stories that caught my interest:
- Cows with names produce more milk than those without names, according to Scientific American—which, incidentally, just introduced me to an entire scientific field I'd never heard of. They found the named-cow study in the latest issue of Anthrozoös, a British-based quarterly which seeks to "address the characteristics and consequences of interactions and relationships between people and non-human animals."
And thus I fell down a rabbit hole and whiled away half my morning reading papers with titles like "Visceral disgust motivates concern for animals" and "Problematic knowledge in Finnish wolf policy."
What was I talking about?
- Oh right, milk. Which there's a national surplus of right now, driving prices down and hitting dairy farmers hard. But a proposal to "retire" some of the nation's dairy cows into hamburgers was skimmed out of the latest economic stimulus bill after some wrangling by beef lobbyists. (I propose a much less bloody solution to the surplus: Pass a law against naming dairy cows.)
- Speaking of both beef and dairy (sheep's milk this time), did you notice this story in the Washington Post about Roquefort cheese? One of the last acts of the Bush administration involved raising the 100-percent import tax on the stinky French cheese to an astounding 300 percent—a measure meant to punish the European Union for its ban on imports of hormone-treated beef (as most U.S. beef is).
And, buried in the federal register, the news that punitive tariffs (100 percent, starting March 23) will also affect imports of many other European edibles (complete list here), including lingonberry jam, chocolate, chewing gum and most types of meat from any EU country except the United Kingdom. So yes...that includes Belgian chocolate, sadly.
- If all this food fighting leaves you wanting a drink, Newsweek sums up the latest reasons to have a glass of red wine, highlighting studies that suggest moderate consumption may help fight Alzheimer's, promote cardiac health, and lower lung-cancer risk. (Who drinks the most wine in the world? Unsurprisingly, the French—but that may be changing. The Economist offers a nifty chart.)


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Obesity cure should address sloth not greed
Fewer cheap deals on fattening foods may make more impact than lectures on exercise
OBESE people are more interested in how long it will take them to prepare and clear up their meal than they are in what they are actually eating, research shows.
Most regard food more as “fuel” rather than something that can make them healthy or provide them with a shared social occasion. For them meal times act as little more than a pitstop at which they can refill.
They are also far less likely than any other section of the population to take regular exercise and far more likely to eat their main meal of the day in front of the television.
The research, conducted by the market research company TNS, suggests that efforts to persuade obese people to take more exercise and eat healthily


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Just as consumers get used to using their chip credit cards, experts say smartphones are the faster, safer way to pay.
“They are going to be much safer even than chip cards,” said Alex Johnson of payments consulting firm Mercator Advisory Group.
Johnson calls mobile payments the next generation.
“The beauty is that they use a secondary authentication,” Johnson said.
While using a chip card in the U.S. requires a signature, certain mobile payment technology requires a passcode or a thumbprint.
“That makes it safer because it’s difficult for someone to steal both your phone and your thumbprint,” Johnson said.
But only 28 percent of smartphone users made a mobile payment in 2015, according to the Federal Reserve, which cited security concerns as one of the main reasons people don't use mobile payment technologies.
“That’s very, very safe,” Johnson said. “It’s almost bulletproof. It’s very difficult to compromise.”
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
In addition to security, it's also convenient. Most mobile payment technologies have you load a major credit card onto your phone so you don't reach for your wallet. You hold your phone, tap and go.
“When you tap the phone, you don’t need to open it up, you don’t need to unlock it, you don’t need to select a card,” Johnson said.
Some retailers, like Wal-Mart, offer a phone app to pay for purchases, but few merchants actually make mobile pay an option for consumers, even though many businesses have the technology available since it came with the new chip card readers.
“So there’s a lot of merchants that can accept mobile payments, but not many of them do today,” Johnson said.
It's an added expense to have both up and running, the National Retail Federation said. It wants more flexibility in choosing mobile payment alternatives that will drive competition, cost less and be the best value for its customers.
Some banks offer rewards for consumers who choose to use their credit card as a default on their phones.
“That, I think, is a really good way for consumers, especially now when these services are still kind of new, to cash in and actually benefit from some of these changes that are happening,” Johnson said.


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“Ultimately, we failed to overcome the chicken-and-egg issue between application developers and user adoption of those applications,” Caldwell wrote. “We envisioned a pool of differentiated, fast-growing third-party applications would sustain the numbers needed to make the business work. Our initial developer adoption exceeded expectations, but that initial excitement didn’t ultimately translate into a big enough pool of customers for those developers.”
On the other hand, the app thatattempted to take on — Twitter — isn’t exactly doing so well either. Anemic user growth and equally disappointing revenues have had many investors concerned with the social media site for quite some time, and it’s unclear as to what the future of the 140-character company will be at this point either.


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The rumours of Apple’s wearable wrist-computer device thing are getting a little more detailed, with sources now claiming that Apple has a rather hefty-sized team working on the tech.
Two sources who asked not to be named, speaking to Bloomberg, have said that Apple has a team of about 100 people working on the project, suggesting that the tech may be further along than was initially thought. The team apparently consists of members of the marketing group, managers and hardware and software engineers who have worked on the iPhone and iPad in the past.
If the new technology from Apple is on the way, it might have a huge effect on the company. A tech consultant and former Apple employee, Bruce Tognazzini, said in a blog post “The iWatch will fill a gaping hole in the Apple ecosystem. Like other breakthrough Apple products, its value will be underestimated at launch, then grow to have a profound impact on our lives and Apple’s fortunes.”
A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment on the new rumours.


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In a McKinsey & Co. survey of 38 chief procurement officers at clothing companies, 71 percent said they plan to increase their nearshoring share, including 13 percent who expect to do so by more than 10 percentage points. Twenty-four percent plan to increase reshoring in their sourcing strategy.
In Europe—the home of two-thirds of the survey’s respondents—the attention to nearshoring has translated into increased interest in Turkey. When the consultancy asked CPOs to rank countries according to sourcing potential over the next few years, Turkey took the third spot, marking the first time in the survey’s 10-year history when a near-shore country landed in the top five.
For U.S. companies, Central America ranks highest on the list for future nearshore activities. Roughly eight of 10 North American apparel players—nearly one-quarter of respondents are based in the region—plan on increasing their company’s sourcing value share in Central America.
An “advantage of nearshoring is that the shorter transport routes increase sustainability while lowering greenhouse emissions,” Saskia Hedrich, the report’s co-author, said in a statement. “Nearshoring also allows more flexible in-season production, which helps to reduce overproduction.”
The increased interest in nearshoring aligns with the latest data on denim imports from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel. According to OTEXA, blue jeans imports from Western Hemisphere countries to the U.S. rose 43.46 percent through September of this year compared to the same period in 2020 to a value of $610.5 million. Overall imports, by comparison, rose 28.56 percent to $2.54 billion.
Asia, of course, continued to dominate executives’ sourcing plans, with Bangladesh and Vietnam leading the way once again. When asked what countries they see as “top 3 country hot spots” over the next several years, 61 percent of respondents selected Bangladesh, including 24 percent who ranked it first. Vietnam came second, with 34 percent of CPOs naming it, including 13 percent who placed it first. Turkey also received the support of 34 percent of the executives, but received fewer first- and second-place votes. Indonesia and China came fourth and fifth overall, both receiving the same percentage of first-place votes—11 percent—as Turkey.
“Harbor shutdowns, port congestion, container shortages and capacity issues in sea and air freight are putting the fashion industry under massive pressure,” Karl-Hendrik Magnus, a senior partner at McKinsey and the leader of its Apparel, Fashion & Luxury practice, said in a statement. “For the first time, shipping disruptions are becoming the biggest cost driver.”
When allowed to select five demand forces and supply risks impacting their company’s future approach towards speed and supply-chain flexibility, 74 percent of respondents named shipping disruptions. An “overall increased volatility of demand” came in second, with 66 percent placing it in their top five concerns and 24 percent ranking it first—well above the 8 percent who said the same for shipping disruptions. McKinsey specifically called out the impact of pent-up demand due to Covid-19 and the pressure the growing income gap is putting on the mid-price segment. The pandemic arrived in third with 61 percent of the vote, including 13 percent who placed it first.
In fact, though shipping disruption was the most-cited factor overall, it received the same or fewer first-place rankings than “disruptions in raw-material supply,” “geopolitical supply-chain risks,” “growing online share” and “increased competition by new generation of fast-fashion players.”
When it comes to sourcing-cost inflation, however, shipping costs are clearly the largest concern for procurement executives, with 63 percent saying they expect them to have a “very high impact” on sourcing cost development within the next 12 months and 19 percent saying they anticipate they will have a “high impact.” Sixty-nine percent said they expect the cost of fabrics and yarns to have a very high or high impact. Labor costs came in a distant third with 21 percent.
“The era of sourcing continuous cost improvement is being challenged as never before and there’s an increasing focus on other competing goals”, Patricio Ibáñez, co-author of the study and partner at McKinsey, said in a statement. “Fifty percent of companies have already embarked on extensive transformations to increase sourcing speed and flexibility.”
For example, Crocs has been vocal about diversifying its matrix to include production in Indonesia and India while Nike, by contrast, is doubling down on manufacturing in Vietnam, where it lost at least 10 weeks of output in the wake of extended factory closures.
The transformations Ibáñez hinted at include changes to the role of sourcing offices—one-quarter are planning a “very high” degree of transformation by 2025—assortment planning, sampling and supplier partnerships. One in three companies plan to improve demand planning by 10 to 20 percent by 2025, and 13 percent are aiming higher. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they hope to boost the share of products sold at full price by more than five percentage points.
Most companies surveyed plan on following what McKinsey called a “less is more” approach that includes greater in-season reactivity, but fewer assortment options and complexity. One-third of respondents said they plan to trim their products by 5 to 10 percent over the next four years. More than one-fifth expect to cut down by 10 to 20 percent. Almost three-quarters of “midmarket players” hope to decrease their assortment by up to 20 percent.
McKinsey published the results of its sixth Apparel Chief Purchasing Officer Survey Friday. The survey’s respondents represent a mix of international apparel and sportswear brands and retailers who together command roughly $100 billion of sourcing volume.


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It was a wonder in its time: A camera that spat out photos that developed themselves in a few minutes as you watched. You got to see them where and when you took them, not a week later when the prints came back from the drugstore.
But in a day when nearly every cellphone has a digital camera in it, “instant” photography long ago stopped being instant enough for most people. So today, the inevitable end of an era came: Polaroid is getting out of the Polaroid business.
The company, which stopped making instant cameras for consumers a year ago and for commercial use a year before that, said today that as soon as it had enough instant film manufactured to last it through 2009, it would stop making that, too. Three plants that make large-format instant film will close by the end of the quarter, and two that make consumer film packets will be shut by the end of the year, Bloomberg News reports.
The company, which will concentrate on digital cameras and printers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2001 and was acquired by a private investment company in 2005. It started in 1937 making polarized lenses for scientific and military applications, and introduced its first instant camera in 1948.
The Lede remembers fondly how magical it was to watch the image gradually manifest itself from the chemical murk right there in your hand. But truth be told, the Lede’s own scuffed Polaroid SX-70 camera, which used to get regular use in all manner of situations, from producing a quick step-by-step primer on how to do the Ickey Shuffle to documenting a problem with a house he was buying that cropped up the day before the closing, hasn’t come out of its cabinet drawer in years.
Loyal users take heart, though — Polaroid said it would happily license the technology to other manufacturers should they want to go on supplying the niche market with film after 2009.


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Two Vancouver businesses will appear on the season two finale of The Big Decision this month.
An offshoot of the hit cut-throat reality television show Dragon's Den, the show features the owners of two separate Canadian businesses per episode seeking advice and, more importantly, around $250,000 in capital from one of the show's two business tycoon hosts.
The owners of both the Flag Shop, a local banner and flag manufacturer, and Gastown's revitalized Save-On-Meats restaurant and butcher shop recently pleaded their case to Dragon's Den denizen and Venture Communications CEO Arlene Dickinson, who Forbes Magazine estimates has a net worth of $80 million, in a new episode airing on CBC, Nov. 27.
Both local entrepreneurs are contractually sworn to secrecy on their respective verdicts but say the experience was worthwhile regardless of Dickinson's decision.
Flag Shop owner Susan Braverman, who took over running the 35-year-old family business from her mother Doreen six years ago, says simply participating in the show led to landing some major new business contracts.
"One of the challenges she gave me was to pitch a big-box company cold," Braverman told the Courier. "I basically found out on a Friday night that I would be going out to pitch a bunch of executives at Best Buy on Monday morning. Arlene told me I would need samples to show them and so my gang - my production and my marketing team - came together and helped create what I envisioned and I went out and it was fantastic. They've now turned into a regular client."
The show typically profiles small businesses desperately trying to stay solvent, and viewers often get to watch the hopes and dreams of business owners crushed by either Dickinson or co-host and fellow multi-millionaire Jim Treliving. "When you're somebody's last hope, it's never just business," Dickinson intones ominously in ads for the show.
Braverman, however, claims her business is actually doing just fine and she was surprised by the do-or-die way the show is being promoted.
"It's been a challenge because we are not a company that's struggling and yet that seems to be what The Big Decision is all about, and we didn't fully know that when I submitted the application," said Braverman, who has 12 more franchise outlets across the country supported by her flagship Powell Street location. "We are actually on the verge of huge growth, and I was aware that if I didn't do it properly then problems could ensue. That's basically why I applied, because this woman is a marketing icon."
Save-On-Meats owner Mark Brand, 37, echoed the sentiment, saying he was just as interested in spreading his philanthropic business model to other cities as he was in Dickinson's dollars. While he and his wife Nicole run several successful restaurants in the Gastown area such as Boneta, the Diamond, and Sea Monstr Sushi, they also provide employment, free educational opportunities and material resources to countless residents of the perennially troubled Downtown Eastside.
"The more people who can see what we do and the real guts of it the better," said Brand, whose business was also recently profiled on the series Gastown Gamble broadcasted on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network.
"What I asked from Arlene is much more of a partnership on a social level. Yes, I do ask her for money, but I also asked her to put both feet in. It's a much different thing than just a business transaction and I can tell you she was exceptionally touched by what we do, something that would be really beneficial to a certain demographic that exists in every single city. But that doesn't necessarily make it a good business move."
The couple's latest initiative, working with Atira Women's Resource Society, involves providing daily nutritious meals to roughly 500 needy women living in single-room occupancy hotels. Their goal is to eventually serve a thousand or so more.
"We've created a model that has a circular mix; it employs, it feeds, it trains and repeat," said Brand. "There's no gravy, there's no funding from the government for the things we do - even though it is their direct mandate - and I want to grow these things but I can't grow them without money."


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Cryptocurrency exchange, Crypto.com, has announced that it is launching a Rand wallet. However, at the same time, non-Rand fiat wallets would be disabled for its South African customers.
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange company based in Singapore. As of 2022, the company has 50 million customers and 4,000 employees. The platform’s official cryptocurrency is Cronos ($CRO). The exchange also stands out because of its brand partnerships, where alongside FTX exchange, they have shown a huge appetite for partnering with sports brands.
In 2018, the company got its name as Crypto.com following a purchase of a domain owned by cryptography researcher and professor, Matt Blaze. Domain sellers valued the domain at $5 – 10 million.
Crypto.com has informed its South African customers of the coming changes, saying:
“We are pleased to announce that we have made progress in our expansion of services in South Africa. Please be informed that Foris DAX SA (Pty) Ltd will become the contracting entity of the Crypto.com App on 10 July 2022.” – crypto.com
To continue using the exchange, customers in South Africa must accept its updated terms and conditions with Foris DAX, which will take over the management of their accounts.
After accepting the new terms, Crypto.com said the following changes would take effect:
- Non-Rand fiat wallets will be disabled
- Any remaining non-Rand fiat balances after July 10 2022 will be converted to $USDC (Circle’s stablecoin)
- Other products and services available to South Africans in the Crypto.com app will remain unaffected
“Before 10 July 2022, you can use the remaining non-Rand fiat balances to purchase cryptocurrencies. Rest assured that your funds will remain safe and accessible to you during this transition.” – Crypto.com
Crypto.com said no action is required for now and that customers would be notified on the next steps.
Read More:Crypto.com Expanding to South Africa – Launches a Dedicated Rand Wallet for Users –


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Keurig Green Mountain Inc. shares surged to a record high after announcing a deal to bring Kraft Foods Group Inc. coffee brands such as Maxwell House, Yuban and McCafe to its home brewing system.
Kraft will offer its coffees in portion packs for Keurig machines as part of a multi-year licensing, manufacturing and distribution pact, according to a statement today. That includes K-Cup packs, which make single cups of coffee, as well as the K-Carafes and Bolt packs for larger portions.
The move brings another high-profile partner to Keurig, which also is working with Coca-Cola Co. on a system for producing cold beverages. In February, Coca-Cola bought 16.7 million newly issued shares in Keurig for about $1.25-billion (U.S.). The beverage giant announced that it was increasing its stake to 16 per cent in May, making it Keurig's largest shareholder.
The Kraft agreement helps Keurig by giving it the biggest family of coffee brands that isn't already on its system, Mark Astrachan, an analyst at Stifel Financial Corp. in New York, said in a research note.
Keurig jumped 13 per cent to $133.36 in New York, marking the biggest intraday gain since May. Shares of the Waterbury, Vermont-based company climbed 77 per cent this year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index has advanced 7.6 per cent.
"Adding Kraft's celebrated brands to the licensed Keurig family means Keurig consumers will be able to enjoy even more beverages they know and love with the quality and consistency they expect from their Keurig brewer," Keurig Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelley said in today's statement.
The Kraft-branded Keurig packs will begin appearing in the fall, with both companies initially making them. Eventually, Keurig plans to take over manufacturing of the packs, with Kraft supplying and roasting the coffee.
The agreement also covers Kraft's Swedish-inspired Gevalia coffee. Its McCafe product is part of a collaboration with McDonald's Corp., with the two companies jointly marketing the brand and selling it at grocery stores nationwide.
Kraft Foods, based in Northfield, Ill., broke off from Mondelez International Inc. in 2012, taking the North American grocery business and brands such as Kool-Aid and Velveeta. Mondelez is focused on snacks, including Oreo and Wheat Thins, which it sells globally.
Keurig, which changed its name from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. in March, has been seen as a takeover candidate for at least three years, in part because of its rapid growth. The Coca-Cola investment could be a precursor to an eventual acquisition of Keurig, Ali Dibadj, a New York-based analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., said earlier this year.


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We’re spoiled! We’re so accustomed to getting real-time/right-time personal and business information via mobile devices and apps that we now expect similar responsiveness from the public sector. Could game-changing mobility be the answer to speeding-up the so-called slow-turning wheels of government?
Yes! And government leaders are poised to make it happen. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel named 2012 as “the year of mobile government.” And IDC Government Insights predicts that in 2012, mobility will become the number one IT governance issue in government.
But the U.S. GSA’s Gwynne Kostin notes, “The biggest hurdle in mobile gov now is that we are hampered by what we already know. We think in terms of websites and pages and the way we currently deliver services, and ask, ‘How do we mobilize that?’"
Pour a cup and join us for food for thought on “Mobile Government? Yes! Trends and Realities”.


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Top Selling Compact SUVs In July 2020
Overall sales of the segment have gone down, but the tide is expected to change.
July 2020 compact SUV sales have surged when compared to June 2020 sales, but the overall figures are less than what was witnessed last year. But the gap is not huge this time around.
First up comes Maruti Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza that leads the way by selling 7807 units in July, a 47 percent growth year-on-year (y-o-y). The compact SUV had sold 4542 times in June.
In second spot is the Venue with 30 percent less sales at 6734 units, followed by the Nexon at 4327 units, up by 29 percent. Both cars once again did well than in June this year.
Fourth spot was that of Mahindra’s XUV300 which reached 2519 customers with a de-growth of 44 percent. The tides might change for the car that has been named the safest vehicle made in India at the moment.
Ford EcoSport rounds up the list of cars in the July 2020 compact SUV sales list that fetched sales in four digits. However, it still saw de-growth, by 22 percent infact. However, when compared to June this year, the EcoSport saw numbers double.
Honda’s WR-V fetched 733 unit sales in July, not much of an improvement over last month and a 45 percent negative growth over last year. Finally, the TUV300 once again failed to attract any buyers in July as well.
Overall sales of the segment was 24,558, a reduction of 13 percent y-o-y, but a drastic increase compared to last month where the sales witnessed was just over 15,000 units.
What is evident is that auto sales is reviving thick and fast and with the introduction of new models, the compact SUV sales is expected to grow and reach acceptable levels.