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The issue of banning single-use plastic bags is once again floating through the air. A group called Durango Beyond Plastic is urging like-minded residents to attend the City Council meeting next Tues., Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m. to voice their support for a ban.
According to the group, Durango hands out 100,000 bags per day, much of which ultimately ends up as microplastic in our air, water and soil.
If Durango banned single-use plastic bags, it would join numerous other Colorado towns, states and countries that have done likewise.
This is not the first attempt to eradicate the lowly plastic bag. In 2013, City Council approved a 10-cent fee on plastic bags distributed by the largest grocery stores, but that fee was later repealed by voters.
Regardless of what happens, The Kroeger Co., parent company of City Market, is taking its own steps to phase out plastic shopping bags by 2025.
- 75 years after Little Boy
- By john van becay
Reckoning with Durango's troubled atomic legacy
- Read More
- Charge it
- Bluer than blue
- Getting iced
Just like video killed the radio star, social media has put a hurtin’ on Silverton’s spectacular Ice Lakes Trail. One of the most popular – and most FBed and Insta-ed – trails in the San Juan Mountains, Ice Lakes is seeing even more unprecedented numbers of visitors this summer with the pandemic.
- Not your dad's jorts
Leave it to the folks in Aspen to elevate even the lowliest of mountain wear to new fashion heights. Take the humble jort, a staple on local trails since, well, at least Chad Cheeney moved here in the ’90s. Introducing the world’s first “action sport jort,” made with technical fabric to bring that “I-give-zero-effs” attitude to any outdoor adventure while supplying that all important stretch and secret anti-chafing properties to the underside.


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The drinks giant announced the terms of the $2bn (£1.3bn) deal to buy a minority share in India’s biggest spirits maker with a view to ultimately gaining control of the business this morning.
The announcement ends several months of talks between the two sides and will see Diageo, the owner of brands such as Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness beer, gain a major foothold in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing drinks markets.
Diageo will acquire a 53.4pc stake in United Spirits for 1,440 Indian rupees each (£16.54).
For Mr Mallya, the sale of shares in United Spirits will provide the Indian tycoon with much needed funds to help prop up his struggling Kingfisher Airlines, which has been grounded for more than a month following protests over pay and safety concerns.
United Spirits has seen its shares soar this year amid speculation about the tie up with Diageo. The investment by the world’s largest drinks company will also provide cash to help United reduce its own debt pile, which currently stands at about $1.6bn.
Gaining control of United Spirits would continue Diageo’s move to expand its operations in emerging markets, viewed as a better source of long-term growth for the company than established economies.
In February, Diageo bought Turkish spirits maker Mey Icki for £1.3bn as part of a move to gain access to the country’s growing middle class. Diageo is also targetting growing Asian markets such as China and Vietnam.
Mr Mallya will remain as chairman of United Spirits and will continue to control 14.9pc of the group through his United Breweries business.
However, Diageo will have the right to appoint a chief executive and a chief financial officer.

domain: news


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Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is on a mission in China. His objective has little to do with the company he founded, especially given that 90% of Windows copies in that country are pirated....
... of Windows updates, Instagram indifference, Apple fashion tips and Office porn
Giveaway: Win the Logitech G910 Orion Spark mechanical keyboard!
Microsoft reveals next set of phones to receive Windows 10
Check out our coverage of Windows 10 for the desktop and phones
VisionTek USB Pocket SSD 120GB - Review
Dell is contacting buyers of its PowerEdge 1650 servers because of a defect that can cause the systems to overheat, emit smoke, and shut down, the vendor said Wednesday. The motherboards of all PowerEdge 1650...
Spellbound Entertainment has issued an English demo for Smoking Colts (a.k.a. Rauchende Colts), their recent arcade gallery shooter. The demo offers the same level as the previous German demo, and is otherwise virtually identical as...


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HTC has just sent out invitations to a press event in New York City on September 20. Unlike HTC’s invitations to past events, it doesn’t look like there are any hidden secrets to be found within the graphic. We know the HTC Holiday, Kingdom, Vigor, Bliss and Amaze (the phone formerly known as Ruby) should be making their way to major US carriers within the next month or two, but we’re not sure if HTC would actually unveil its entire fall lineup in one day. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Until Peter Chou takes the stage on September 20 in NYC, your guess is probably as good as ours.
HTC has had a pretty solid year so far, and we hope they can continue their incredible momentum in the second half of 2011. Just for fun, we’ve thrown in HTC’s video recap of their HTC Titan and Radar launch meetups in Europe from last week. We wish HTC would host more events like this within the US, so that the public can spend some quality time with HTC’s new devices before they have to hand over their hard earned cash.
What do you think HTC will be unveiling on September 20? Let the speculation begin!


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BillerudKorsnäs and researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden have together taken an important step towards the future’s paper batteries. Together they have taken basic research based on pure cellulose from algae and developed it to work with the same type of fibre that BillerudKorsnäs usually uses to manufacture packaging material.
This development opens up for both inexpensive and eco-friendly batteries. The long-term aim is to enable large-scale production and the future use of paper batteries for applications in areas such as smart packaging.
The development work is being carried out by one of Sweden’s foremost research teams under Maria Strömme, collaborating with BillerudKorsnäs, as a leading company in the development of sustainable packaging technology, in a completely new form.
“What’s special in this case is the model for collaboration between BillerudKorsnäs and Uppsala University that has resulted in technology adapted to large-scale production processes. We’re combining the deep theoretical expertise of the researchers with our understanding of innovation and production technology. By successfully creating a joint platform, we can focus our work on the future, on creating an advanced product that can still be produced in an effective way,” says Lars Sandberg, project manager for innovation at BillerudKorsnäs.
In the long term, the paper battery opens up possibilities for developing packaging that is both smart and more sustainable. Small paper batteries with sensors can in the future open up for packaging that can be traced through the entire transport chain. This includes, for example, packaging that measures temperature or position in real time and provides information on what is happening with an item during transport.


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HYPEBEAST 100: The innovators from all realms of creativity in the spotlight.
With in-depth interviews, focused features and fashion-forward editorials, our print publication features long-form coverage of the topics valued by readers.
Explore and be inspired by the latest women's fashion news and trends.
Pump, Pump, Pump it Up.
The Japanese favorite bring’s its signature aesthetic to the Pump Omni Lite and Instapump Fury Road.
The iconic Reebok silhouette reworked with vintage vibes.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Reebok’s famous internal inflation mechanism first
In a joint effort, Reebok has teamed up with the street art icon Keith Haring for its 2014
Iconic to not only Reebok, but to the culture of design, fashion, sports, and more, the Pump
A nod to thew anti-drug campaign in which the late artist was involved back in the 1980s, Reebok
After sporting the rugged construction over each of the previous two seasons, Reebok’s Pump Omni
Following November’s premiere of the modernized Reebok Pump Omni Lite CORDURA trainer in black, the
Reebok has followed up its 2013 fall/winter “Cordura” pack with a new batch featuring the same
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NEW DELHI: The food ministry's proposal to export 2 million tonne wheat from FCI godowns at subsidised prices has hit a roadblock after the finance ministry raised objections to the scheme.
"The government will have to shell out an export subsidy of 750 crore for 1 million tonne, which is not justified," said an official in the finance ministry. After the PM's economic adviser Dr C Rangarajan recommended a subsidy for shipping out excess grains, the food ministry has been preparing a suitable policy, which has to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic affairs. "At a time when prime minister Manmohan Singh has hinted at a substantial cut in subsidy to rein in the fiscal deficit, the finance ministry's reservations may put a spanner in the food ministry's plan," the official said.
The commerce ministry, through government-run trading company State Trading Corporation, had invited bids to discover export prices. It received six quotes, ranging between $150 ( 8,250) and $230 ( 12,650) per tonne. Multinational trader Glencore International was the top bidder.
These prices are significantly lower than the government's cost of 18,220 ($328) a tonne for buying and storing the grain. Global wheat prices are expected to drop further in July after Russia's new harvest becomes available for export. "The government will have to pay the difference if exports have to happen. It is better to trade off the excess grain in domestic market at subsidised rates," said a commerce ministry official.
The government recently decided to push another 6 million tonne of grains to ration shops and sell 3 million tonne of wheat at below minimum support prices for bulk purchasers like biscuit makers and wheat flour companies to ease mounting pressure over its choked godowns after the record procurement of 82 million tonne.


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The COVID-19 pandemic impacted industries across the globe, with e-commerce being no exception. In fact, e-commerce sales have soared, increasing by over 33% in 2020 and projecting to grow another 13% in 2021.
When new materials and innovations are introduced to an industry, it’s important for companies to embrace and utilize them to their advantage. According to Business Unit Director Bruce Todtfeld, that’s exactly what Keen Utility is doing.
New for Spring, 2021, KEEN Utility, a modern innovator in safety footwear, introduces the brand’s fan-favorite San Jose work boot now in a woman’s ﬁt, built for the unique ﬁt needs of today’s tradeswoman and skilled worker.
A physical therapist at Rocky Mountain Human Performance and Pedorthic Specialist at Turnpike Comfort Footwear are both treating lower extremity issues in athletes and other patients with SelectFlex®, the first arch control insole of its kind.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports at least 60,000 foot injuries are responsible for keeping people from work every year. The average cost of one of those lost workdays is $9,600, and 80 percent of foot injuries are caused by objects that weigh 30 pounds or less.


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First and foremost, I have to say, please take this with a grain of salt. There’s nothing confirming that this piece of news is real, and there’s a lot more evidence against it. That being said, there’s a glimmer of hope that Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy could come to Switch. Maybe.
Latest Nintendo Rumors Aricles
A while back, a potential leak was going around that said L.A. Noire was coming to the Switch. The same source is now hinting at GTA V coming to the Switch as well. He or she was right about Noire, so maybe there is some truth behind this recent rumor.
Super Mario Odyssey lands on store shelves worldwide next month, and Nintendo is putting up ads ahead of its launch. They’re nice looking ads, of course, highlighting different kingdoms in the game. It even shows where the kingdom lies on the world map. However, the interesting news comes from a dolphin shaped island on the map, similar to Isle Delfino from Super Mario Sunshine.
Data mining is a touchy subject, as people have to grab the code then figure out what files are. We’ve covered some data mining for Splatoon 2 in the past, and they turned out to be right. Now, more data mining uncovers what might be a new mode and some other cool stuff. Take it with a grain of salt, but check it out.
Now, I’ve labeled this as a rumor, so take this with a grain of salt. It appears, through a tweet, that Nintendo asked Walmart to cancel SNES Classic preorders. We’re not sure if this is true or not, but here’s some evidence.
Update: So, this isn’t totally ruled out, as nobody has come out and explained this as a hoax, but we do know that the image is indeed fanart. This makes us doubt the credibility of the rumor, but it could still be real. Original article follows:
In a strange twist of fate (hyuck hyuck hyuck), we appear to have a fascinating rumor on our hands. This rumor comes from Amazon Spain, where they listed and removed Fire Emblem Fates Complete Edition for Nintendo Switch. Now, we don’t have any confirmation but let’s take a look.


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If you just lie around all day doing nothing, living off the fat of the land and slapping on gobs of weight, you might have a problem.
Unless you’re a pumpkin.
Then you worry more about shrink.
It’s that time of year when headlines gravitate to the girthy, orange giants, like moons to their planet.
Champion pumpkin growers are crowned. They break records, or records break them.
California’s Salinas Valley is a key player in this harvest ritual.
The Xtreme Gardening line of products from Salinas-based Reforestation Technologies International is in wide use among the growers.
We’re not just lettuce and strawberries here.
“We culture mycorrhizae for the giant pumpkin community,” said Dan Balma, a salesman for RTI.
“It’s a naturally occurring fungus that helps plants take up water and nutrients.”
RTI president Neil Anderson began culturing the fungus 18 years ago.
It was taken up by giant pumpkin growers several years ago, when the first such customer pocketed a world record.
The previous record of 1,810.5 pounds was set last year by Xtreme Gardening user Chris Stevens of New Richmond, Wis.
“This year one of our customers got 1,807.5,” Balma said.
“The record would have been the difference of a half day on the vine. Some of these pumpkins take on an average of 30 pounds a day, 50 pounds at their peak.”
In state competitions in October, Leonardo Urena set a California record at 1,704 pounds, while Thad Starr notched Oregon’s highest-ever, 1,685 pounds.
Both are RTI customers, Balma said.
Canadian growers Jim Bryson and Kelsey Bryson of Ormstown, Quebec, notched a new world record Oct. 15 when their giant weighed in 1,818.5 pounds at the Prince Edward County Pumpkinfest.
RTI numbers the Brysons among their customers.
Several of this year’s top pumpkins in Great Pumpkin Commonwealth sanctioned events were scheduled to appear Oct. 20 in a media event at the New York Botanical Garden.
So if you need a flatbed truck to haul your pumpkin out of here, count yourself a success.
The RTI products used by the growers include Mykos, Azos and CalCarb.
Azos is named for a bacterium that fixates nitrogen. CalCarb, a proprietary calcium carbonate, boosts CO2 levels in plants.
Just how competitive the world of giant pumpkins can be is evident from the fact that some growers this year obtained samples of a new bacterium in trials at RTI, but more wanted it.
Called PPFM — for pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs — it converts a plant’s methane output into a growth hormone associated with seaweed.
The company boasts an endorsement from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, and has its banner on display nationwide at GPC-sanctioned contests.
A retail line is available through a client list that includes Orchard Supply Hardware.
“We package it for retail so the average gardener can add some mycorrhizae to the soil,” Balma said.
“Your backyard might not have much of it, or it was disturbed by fertilizers. It’s beneficial.”
Lately RTI is linking up with Salinas Valley’s broader agricultural industry.
“We’re doing a lot of trials right now with Green Giant on leaf lettuce and romaine,” Balma said.
“Instead of using a tried-and-true high nitrogen synthetic chemical, we’re just applying the beneficial fungus that can fixate atmospheric nitrogen for the plant.
“(If successful,) it would mean a 70% to 80% reduction in synthetic nitrogen use. That could be a huge plus for growers’ bottom lines and the environment as well.”
RTI also has trials on onion fields in the King City, Calif., area.
Spinach doesn’t benefit from mycorrhizae, but the company is looking at alternatives there.
What's your take? Leave a comment and tell us your opinion.


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Selfie-editing app maker Meitu is looking to raised $500 million to $1 billion through a stock market listing, although there are some question marks over its business, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
If the company comes in at the high-end of the range, the initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong exchange would be very close to that of messaging app LINE, hailed as the year’s biggest tech IPO, where it raised $1.3 billion.
Meitu’s popular apps offer image editing features that let users adjust their heights, add make-up and alter their complexion. It also offers a live-streaming app similar to Periscope and Meerkat.
In its prospectus, Meitu laid out certain risks for investors.
This include the fact that although its monthly active users grew to 446 million as of June, from 88 million in 2013, that could end because “‘we can’t necessarily always keep pace with constantly evolving tastes. It could be that we can’t push out new products or serve customers in a timely manner, or push out new products that fail to win customer acceptance”.
The WSJ noted that while this means Meitu has a bigger base than Twitter, there is likely to be some overlap between users of different apps, meaning the unique user number is lower.
What’s more, the company makes almost all its revenue not from apps but from hardware, such as devices tailor-made for selfies. It warned that rising component costs could create trouble in the future, and means it is working in the same competitive device market that is causing woes for dedicated players in this space.
And when it comes to monetising its user base, again the company is facing tough competition, and its core features could be replicated by a raft of competitors, including device makers, social networks and other app players.
According to Bloomberg, Meitu’s revenue was CNY585.5 million yuan ($88 million) in the first six months of 2016, when it made an operating loss of CNY279 million.
The firm was valued at about $3.8 billion following a fundraising round this year led by Keywise Capital Management. It is seeking a valuation of roughly $5 billion from its IPO, the report said.
Founded in 2008, Meitu raised $360 million in 2014 at a valuation of $2 billion. Backers included IDG and Qiming Venture.
Meanwhile, the listing may help Hong Kong convince more tech companies, such as Xiaomi and Didi Chuxing, to list in the region, rather than pick the New York stock exchange instead, as Alibaba did.
Tech firms made up just 10 per cent of Hong Kong’s stock market capitalisation at the end of last month, the largest being Tencent.
The WSJ report said Meitu hopes analysts may value its shares more highly because of the lack of tech firms.
The company’s management team doesn’t include strong English speakers and may also feel more comfortable dealing with Hong Kong investors, it added.


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During Apple’s recent Q308 financial results conference call, “Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer told analysts that a ‘future product transition’ will lower gross margins from nearly 35 percent during the quarter that ended in June to about 30 percent in 2009,” John Boudreau reports for The Mercury News.
“As usual, Oppenheimer was cryptic, saying only ‘we’re delivering state-of-the-art products at price points that our competitors can’t match,'” Boudreau reports. “He added that one of the investments is ‘to introduce new products that initially cost more because they deliver an entirely new level of value to the customer… We have some of these types of investments in front of us that I can’t discuss.'”
Boudreau reports, “Analysts say the mystery could be a refresh of Macintosh laptops, a new architecture for its PC line, a new mini-laptop or a completely new product… Jennifer Colegrove, an analyst with iSuppli, is convinced Apple is cooking up a new touch-screen mini-laptop. Sales of touch-screen technology, popular with handheld devices such as the iPhone and iPod touch, are expected to double between now and 2013, becoming a $6.4 billion industry, she said in a new report.”
Boudreau reports, “Colegrove believes Apple might unveil a 7- to 10-inch laptop, joining the many other PC companies that are offering relatively low-cost and lightweight laptops. ‘If you look at Apple’s products – the iPhone, the iPod touch – what’s next?” she said. “It’s natural that you’ll see (touch technology) with notebook computers.'”
Full article, with more analysts’ speculation, here.


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The divisional administration has booked 14 profiteers and arrested two others for selling commodities at high rates during a crackdown against profiteers during the last 24 hours.
The price control magistrates are conducting daily crackdown against stockers and profiteers to ensure the availability of commodities at controlled rates.
The price control magistrates have also imposed a fine of Rs24,000 on sugar profiteers during 73 separate raids. T
The commissioner office sources said that 23 fair price shops were functional in 23 Ramazan Bazaars of the region where the provincial government offering subsidy on 13 commodities.
During a day, 40,485 kg sugar, 28,158 flour bags of 10 kg, 1195 kg oil, 3,510 kg Ghee and 3,425 kg Chicken has been sold at Ramazan Bazaars of the region. The Ramazan Bazaars were being monitored through proper feedback mechanism.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2021.


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- ford has shared the first official images of the 2023 bronco raptor, as exclusively captured by bronco nation.
- these photos show the bronco raptor's wide stance, available 37-inch tires, and other exterior details.
- ford says the bronco raptor will arrive next year, and it'll join the f-150 raptor that's on sale now.
ford bronco enthusiast website, bronco nation, is lucky enough to have gotten an official sneak peak at the upcoming bronco raptor, which will arrive next year and join the f-150 raptor in ford's new high-performance off-road lineup. we've seen spy photos of the bronco raptor before, but these lightly camouflaged images show its assertive stance, burly rubber, and aggressive looks.
the ford bronco raptor will be equipped with fox's live wire twin-tube bypass dampers (also used on the f-150 raptor), making it ride much higher than the standard suv. it'll be available with 37-inch bfgoodrich k02 all-terrain tires (also a newly available option on the f-150 raptor), though a set of smaller 35-inch tires should be standard. tying all these aggressive elements together will be a significantly wider stance, as clearly seen here, with bulging fender flares. it also has a "ford" script grille like the f-150 raptor, amber headlights and marker lights, meaning it'll be more than 80 inches wide, skid plates, and darker, unique taillights.
ford has yet to reveal any details on what will power the bronco raptor, but rumor has it that it'll use a significantly more powerful ecoboost v-6. currently, the bronco's most powerful engine is a 330-hp twin-turbo 2.7-liter v-6 that helped propel the two-door bronco first edition to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds in our testing. the bronco raptor's output should be much higher and could even approach upwards of 400 horsepower. but it'll have to compete with the new jeep wrangler rubicon 392's 470-hp v-8.
look for more information, including powertrain specs, on the 2023 ford bronco raptor as the automaker releases more information closer to its arrival next year. for now, we'll drool over these images thanks to bronco nation.


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Further reports released for Trend Tracker Subscribers
Trend Tracker has revealed the release of further reports for its subscribers, further improving the value from its new monthly subscription, accessing these and all-future reports.
The reports contain extensive desktop research as well as contributions from its data and insight partners. These significant reports are available now to consume for subscribers, with the combined current sale value of £1,585 for a monthly subscription of £75 – great value from Trend Tracker to the industry, offering critical data and insight on the Car Body Repair Market
The detailed and comprehensive reports from 2019 and 2020 are significant studies into the Car Body Repair Market and are what Trend Tracker is recognised for. They are accompanied by the first of the new quarterly smaller reports Trend Tracker produce, focusing on the effected of COVID-19 on the industry. Each quarter a new topical report will be available for subscribers (also available to buy separately), leading to the next significant study due in October 2022.
Paul Sell, Associate Director of Industry Insights, new owners of Trend Tracker explained: “We are delighted to offer this fantastic value to our new subscribers, the reports offer great insight into the industry, which we are building on with our new quarterly releases. We have just released ‘Emerging from COVID-19’ and are already working on the EV report.”


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(CNN) — In all probability one of the important finest mysteries of Thanksgiving is the cranberry sauce — and we’re no longer talking about why other people use it: Why are the labels on Ocean Spray cans upside down?
Observant shoppers occupy seen that the labels on jellied cranberry sauce cans are flipped, which suggests the rounded edge that’s in total on the bottom of most canned goods is on high of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce cans.
Primarily based mostly totally on Ocean Spray, that’s intentional: It creates a seamless serving experience.
The cans are “stuffed and labeled upside down with the rounded edge on high and the animated can-love edge on the bottom to preserve the jelly total,” an Ocean Spray spokesperson advised CNN Industrial. That creates an air bubble on the rounded side (a.good passable.a. the tip) so clients can “swipe the fringe of the can with a knife to smash the vacuum and the log will effortlessly experience out.”
This assignment has been in spend since the early 2000s.
Adweek, which currently reported this fundamental can caveat, well-known that about 67 million cans are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
But love assorted Thanksgiving meal staples, canned cranberry sauce might perchance very well be laborious to map by. The sauce has 79% availability across nationwide retailers, which is down from 89% in that same period, in response to IRI, a market overview firm that tracks US retail sales.
Ocean Spray, a farmer co-operative that makes cranberry sauce and sells bagged cranberries, stated that “shoppers might perchance experience some availability factors at events on a diversity of cranberry merchandise,” thanks to provide chain factors. The co-op well-known that it doesn’t demand “important impacts” on the provision of its merchandise.
— CNN Industrial’ Danielle Wiener-Bronner contributed to this file.


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Posted On: Jul 3, 2019
AWS now supports China based customers, who use services in US commercial regions, to pay their invoices from Amazon Web Services, Inc. (“AWS Inc.”) in Chinese Yuan through a China UnionPay credit card.
AWS has partnered with Lianlian Yintong Electronic Payment Co., Ltd. (“Lianlian Pay”), a licensed payment processor in China, to enable China based customers using services billed by AWS Inc. to pay their invoices in Chinese Yuan. Customers no longer need to navigate complicated and time consuming foreign exchange requirements to produce the US dollars needed to pay their monthly invoice. Starting today, customers only need to conduct a one-time registration process through the AWS Billing Console to bind their China UnionPay credit card to their AWS account. One registered, customer’s following month anniversary billings will be deducted automatically through their China UnionPay credit card in Chinese Yuan.


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Greenfrog Botanic, which produces a bodycare range based on Himalayan soapberries, is crowdfunding in a bid to raise £160,000. The healthy, ethical and environmentally-friendly company, founded by Nick and Julie Bridger, aims to use the cash to expand its range and rapidly grow its sales. The company’s Botanical Handwash and Bodywash are available in Rose […]
Aduna has launched its #MakeBaobabFamous campaign, aiming to increase awareness of the African superfruit to ultimately lead to sustainable income for ten million households currently living in poverty. At the heart of the campaign is a partnership between Aduna, Virgin Media and Holland & Barrett whose 740 UK stores have had a #MakeBaobabFamous makeover and […]
With summer just around the corner, Natural Elements has launched with a Sun Care Kit and a 10 Years Younger skincare kit. The Sun Care Kit comprises an organic facial and body oil to provide 100% UVA protection. When applied before an SPF, the oils can act as a barrier to the chemicals found in […]
Independent health store chain Revital has opened a new London store and completely overhauled its brand identity. “We’ve been expanding – over the last three years we’ve opened five or six new stores – and we’re continuing that trend,” explains Rahil Vora, director. “We’ve seen a growth in the industry and a growth in demand.” […]
Sports nutrition NPD is at an all time high as brands respond to emerging active lifestyle trends, writes Jim Manson Last month, researchers working for Macmillan Cancer Support reported that a brisk walk of just one mile a day could help cancer patients slash their risk from dying of the disease. “Physical activity is a […]
Vegetarian Society goes underground
February 19, 2018 Rosie Greenaway
The Vegetarian Society is to launch its first ever London Underground poster campaign for two weeks this spring, coinciding with National Vegetarian Week 2018 which runs from 14-20 May.
TED-style talks on stage at NPE
The Natural Products Talks Theatre programme at this year’s NPE will feature a mix of fast-paced TED-style talks, dynamic panel discussions and live interviews.
Living Nature Skin Steps land on UK shelves
Living Nature, a certified natural skincare and cosmetics range from New Zealand, has now made its new-look Skin Steps box sets available to the UK market.
Carun Active Hemp conquers the den
Hemp product producer Carun UK secured an investment of £50,000 from Jenny Campbell in a recent edition of BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den.
November 21, 2017 Jane Wolfe
With mounting research emphasizing the crucial part the microbiome plays in preventing and fighting disease, Jane Wolfe takes a look at the best ways to optimize gut health (more…)
Food of the gods
Regularly consuming a little of what you love could have long-term health benefits – even where chocolate is concerned, discovers Rosie Greenaway (more…)
A significant rise in job insecurity since the UK’s decision to leave the EU means people are loath to take time off work – and with an increase in colds and flu, this is leading to higher demand for OTC remedies. Jane Wolfe reports (more…)
Let’s do lunch!
Sharna Waid has been taking a look at how natural products retailers and brands are maximizing the crucial two-hour lunchtime selling period (more…)
Natural beauty made in Cyprus
Sharna Waid has been finding out how passionate producers in Cyprus are using the fruits of the land to create natural beautifying cosmetics. According to the ancient myth, Aphrodite – the goddess of love and beauty, pleasure and procreation – was born out of the waves off the coast of Cyprus. Aside from attracting three […]
As Europe braces itself for a winter flu outbreak, protect yourself with Sambucol and the power of black elderberry.
Experts across Europe have warned the EU to brace itself for a bad flu season this winter. A new vaccine has been produced which is effective in fighting H3N2, the flu strain likely to hit the region this year; however, the vaccine is generally available for free to over 65s, pregnant women, those with an […]


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General manufacturing trends
Just a decade ago, the primary focus for bio/pharma research companies and manufacturers was large-batch blockbusters or traditional drugs, remarks Andreas Mattern, vice-president Strategy and Global Product Management Pharma at Syntegon. “Today, these medicines continue to make an important contribution to human health. Some of them, such as blood thinners, painkillers, or insulin, have become an indispensable part of the drugstore shelf. They are produced on lines in 24-hour operations,” he says. “Further new drugs in this realm (e.g., a high-dose injectable version of the incretin mimetic semaglutide) will continue to push the need for high-speed production.”
However, there is an apparent drive towards more niche areas. “Special and often personalized medications are now available to cure or at least delay some life-threatening illnesses. Cellular and molecular biotechnology has been accompanied by a revolution in pharmaceutical manufacturing: while high-speed, high-throughput lines used to be in the greatest demand, more and more pharmaceutical companies are now investing in the development and commercialization of small-volume medicines, which have very different production and filling requirements,” Mattern asserts.
“The increasing prevalence of advanced therapy medicinal products, such as cell and gene therapies and bioengineered tissue products, shows that the industry is specializing steadily,” Mattern continues. “These drugs are not manufactured on huge lines. Instead, the focus is on what is commonly known as small batch production.”


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The peak of Malaysian durian sales takes place during the winter season. However, Malaysian durian export to China rapidly declined this year as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Manager Luo, spokesperson for the Malaysian company DULAI FRUITS ENTERPRISE SDN BHD , recently talked about the conditions in the Malaysian durian industry and the impact of COVID-19 on durian export to China.
"Frozen fruit is not an essential product, which means that market demand more easily drops during a crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacts the international fruit market. The sales volume of our frozen durian is now much lower than around this time last year. Furthermore, isolation measures present obstacles for distribution, which in turn affect our sales even more. Chinese companies are slowly resuming operations as the spread of COVID-19 is gradually brought under control in China. We are also shipping a small volume of shipping containers full of fruit to various suppliers. It is our understanding that suppliers mainly sell their products online," said manager Luo.
"The current wholesale price of frozen Malaysian Musang King durian is around 130 yuan [18.32 USD] per kg in the Pearl River Delta. The price is more or less around the same level as before Chinese Spring Festival [25 January, 2020]. The current retail price of frozen durian paste is around 120 yuan [16.91 USD] per kg, which is a decline of 5% in comparison with the period prior to Spring Festival."
"Malaysian durian processing factories temporarily halted operations starting from last week as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when Malaysian suppliers receive new orders, they will have a hard time processing them on time," explained manager Luo.
"We can only rely on the stock in our own warehouse to process recent orders for Musang King durian and D24 durian. Most durian suppliers only have very small reserves left over. Since the COVID-19 pandemic creates much uncertainty in the Chinese durian market, many suppliers purposefully slow down durian sales to keep some fruit in reserve for when the market price starts to rise again."
"Malaysia obtained permission in 2019 to export whole durian to China. Since then, the Malaysian durian export volume rapidly increased. Our company exported a large volume of Malaysian durian to the Chinese market in only a one month period between July and August. That is nearly a three-fold increase in comparison with our durian export volume in the same period last year.
"In addition, our export volume of frozen durian paste also shows a steady growth of 10% per year. At the moment, the best-seller among Malaysian durian is the D24 durian variety. This durian has a great price-quality ratio. It also has a flavor that is popular among a great number of consumers," said manager Luo. "We have great expectations of the Chinese market potential for durian sales. We hope the COVID-19 pandemic will pass soon and the market will rapidly recover."
For more information:
Kenny Loh Nyat Wai
DULAI FRUITS ENTERPRISE SDN BHD
Tel.: +60 173010333


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personal finance has long been a financial cornerstone of consumers in managing their money
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 04, 2015
Debt Consolidation USA shared in a recently published article how consumers can look at personal finance in a whole new light. The article titled “Why Personal Finance Is A Wrong Notion” takes a look at how consumers really manage their finances and if it is something that they can accomplish all on their own.
The article starts off by stressing the fact that personal finance has long been a financial cornerstone of consumers in managing their money. It is also one of the most talked about topics when it comes to finance. But rarely do people hear about personal finance not really being a personal matter.
The first thing the article points out is that personal finance is something married people work with their partners with. They do not refer to it is as “couple finances” but the idea is that people work with their partners to ensure that they are on track with their household budget and their long term financial goals.
Another thing is that managing finances needs the whole family’s participation. Consumers with a husband or wife and kids would be hard pressed to undertake financial management in their own. They need to include and incorporate efforts from all members of the family even the kids.
The article also shares that employers play a crucial role with how consumers manage their finances. Their options in saving or investment are sometimes defined by what is being offered by their employers. It can be having stock options or how their 401(k) matching program works.
To read the full article, click this link: https://www.debtconsolidationusa.com/personal-finance/why-personal-finance-is-a-wrong-notion.html


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With spin offs, a significant acquisition and the entry of a new chief executive, Europe’s largest food retailers dominated industry headlines last week.
Carrefour, the French retail giant and world’s second-largest retailer, announced plans to spin off part of its property unit and its Dia discount business. CEO Lars Olofsson said the moves would provide Carrefour with more focus and “create value” for its shareholders.
In recent months, there has been talk of mounting pressure from key Carrefour investors – including US private-equity firm Colony Capital and French billionaire Bernard Arnault – for the retailer to improve shareholder returns. However, analysts are unsure how much the spin offs would benefit Carrefour’s shareholders and Olofsson has already sought to defend the decision, arguing that it would allow the company to concentrate on the turnaround of its core business.
Further north on Thursday, Belgium’s Delhaize, the retailer which also has stores from the US to Indonesia, announced the acquisition of Serbian retailer Delta Maxi, a business with 450 stores in Serbia and across the Balkan peninsula.
The deal, struck for over EUR932m, is a notable move for Delhaize. Ownership of Delta Maxi will give Delhaize, which generates around 70% of its sales in the US, greater exposure to emerging markets like Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of course, investing in such markets carries risk but Delta Maxi is the retail arm of Serbia’s largest company, providing Delhaize with an established business and a platform upon which to grow. Delhaize CEO Pierre-Olivier Beckers also pointed to the possibility of local economic growth receiving a boost in the years ahead if more of the region’s countries join the EU.
Delhaize’s Benelux retail rival Ahold, meanwhile, is facing questions about its own M&A ambitions. The retailer reported its 2010 numbers last week and analysts repeatedly quizzed new CEO Dick Boer about Ahold’s acquisition strategy.
Ahold has made two acquisitions in the US in the last 15 months – the December 2009 purchase of Ukrop’s and the February 2010 acquisition of five Shaw‘s stores from SuperValu Inc. However, Boer was pressed on Ahold’s plans and he admitted the retailer wanted to continue to expand through acquisitions – and revealed that he expects “more opportunities to arise” this year.
Tesco was the European retailer welcoming a new chief executive last week as Philip Clarke, the former head of its international operations, took the helm at the UK business. Clarke will face challenges balancing the growth of Tesco’s newer ventures in the UK – such as in banking and in mobile – with the competitive threat from the likes of Sainsbury’s but it could be in international markets that Clarke makes more of a mark.
The retailer’s operations in the US have proved something of a talking point from the moment the company announced four years ago that it would enter the market. Tesco has faced pressure from some investors to quit the US but the retailer expects to break even there during 2012/13 and last week opened its first stores in northern California. It has plans for ten more by the end of April.
Discussing Clarke’s move into the hot seat, Shore Capital analyst Clive Black said last week that the new Tesco CEO had “already set an ultimatum in our minds” that either the retailer “demonstrates within a year or so a trajectory towards materially improved financial performance – or it’s going to be either closed or sold”.
However, Black said that, should Tesco turn a profit in the US, it would be in a “virtuous situation” as it owns its own HQ, distribution and food production facilities. Expect more on Tesco’s US ambitions next month when Clarke presents the retailer’s annual results for the first time as chief executive.


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Wells Fargo to donate about 400 million USD to small businesses impacted by coronavirusChristian Fernsby ▼ | July 12, 2020
Wells Fargo unveiled the details of an approximately $400 million effort to help small businesses impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic keep their doors open, retain employees, and rebuild.
Business Wells Fargo
Topics: Wells Fargo
Through June 30, Wells Fargo funded loans under the PPP for more than 179,000 customers, with an average loan amount of $56,000, totaling $10.1 billion.
Of the loans made, 84% of those are for companies that have less than 10 employees; 60% were for amounts of $25,000 or less; and, 90% of these applicants had $2 million or less in annual revenue.
Given the federal government’s extension of the PPP, Wells Fargo will reopen its PPP loan application process to eligible customers as soon as possible through a link in Business Online Banking or CEO.
“By donating approximately $400 million in processing fees to assist small businesses in need, Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund creates opportunities for near-term access to capital and addresses the road ahead to meaningful economic recovery, especially for Black and African American entrepreneurs and other minority-owned businesses,” said Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf.
“Wells Fargo is committed to helping small businesses impacted by COVID-19 stay open and get back to growth.”
According to data from Wells Fargo’s June Gallup/Small Business Index, more than half of small business owners surveyed expect either stagnant or decreasing revenues in the coming 12 months. ■


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Nestlé S.A to review ad spending of 5 divisions
- Staff St. Louis Business Journal
Nestlé Purina PetCare has begun an agency review for its media and digital planning and buying work.
The review also will include Nestlé S.A.'s four other U.S. divisions: Nestlé Waters North America, Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Professional and Nestlé USA, a company spokeswoman confirmed to Ad Age. Combined, the five U.S. divisions spent $793 million on measured media last year, according to an Ad Age DataCenter analysis of data from Kantar Media.
ZenithOptimedia is the incumbent agency and will be included in the review.
Only Nestlé USA is expected to be included in creative, PR and digital agency reviews, sources told the trade publication.
St. Louis-based Nestlé Purina PetCare contributed about 25 percent of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A.’s $24 billion in U.S. sales last year.
Accountant, Client Accounting Cassidy Turley | Saint Louis, MO
Salesperson Coldwell Banker Gundaker | Saint Louis, MO
Advertising Account Executive Image Publishing | Saint Louis, MO
Skilled Nurse Biller Robert Half Finance & Accounting U.S | Saint Charles, MO
Network Data Engineer Verizon Wireless | Weldon Spring, MO
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What if you could drive across the entire United States -- from East coast to West coast -- on just one tank of gas? Sounds like a crazy idea, right? Ever since Nicholas August Otto developed the gasoline engine in the 1870s and Rudolph Diesel invented the diesel engine in the 1890s, people have improved upon vehicle efficiency in fits and starts.
As concerns continue to grow over the possible consequences of global warming, nations and governments are beginning to react. The European Union continues to revise its strict emission standards, and ultracompact cars like the Smart Car, the MINI Cooper and the iQ Car catch lots of attention for their space- and energy-saving qualities. In the U.S., meanwhile, President George W. Bush signed an energy bill on Dec. 19, 2007, that encourages automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles and increase the industry average to at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
While these are small steps toward a respectable goal, Aptera Motors, Inc., a private company based in San Diego, Calif., may be taking a big leap with the Aptera, a three-wheel, two-passenger prototype that aims for an astounding 300 miles per gallon. The company was founded in 2006 by Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony, two independent entrepreneurs with experience in everything from composites and biotechnology to aerodynamics and finance.
This combination of expertise led to the Aptera, a truly unique vehicle that looks like a cross between a dolphin and a helicopter. Technically classified as a motorcycle, the vehicle will only be available to residents of California when it's initially produced. If the Aptera sells well, AC hopes to offer its vehicle to national and international markets.
The initial prototype of the Aptera achieved 230 mpg, a number that is 195 mpg over the projected standard outlined in President Bush's recent energy bill. As of now, the developers still have more time to work out the kinks and improve its efficiency -- AC expects the Aptera to be ready for Californians in late 2008.
How fast will the Aptera go? Since it's technically a motorcycle, what are its safety features? Read on to learn more about the Aptera.


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Screen-Free Week is celebrated – not suffered – April 30 to May 6. Studies show that too much screen time, whether in front of the T.V. or an iPad or computer can hurt development and stifle creativity. So unplug and give your kids the gift of a Screen-Free Week.
Teens drinking hand sanitizer to get drunk is a new trend noticed by California authorities. While overall underage drinking has been going down in the past decade, 72 percent of teens who do report having had an alcoholic drink apparently were able to get it without resorting to the gooey gel.
Experts say the more creatively children play, the less lucrative it is for toy makers. They advocate returning to the games kids no longer play.
In today's highly sexualized environment – where 5-year-olds wear padded bras – some see the toddlers-and-tiaras Disney princess craze leading to the pre-teen pursuit of "hot" looks. Do little girls become little women too soon?
When self-expression gives way to self-doubt, a little support can help.


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Perhaps the industry's worst-kept secret over the past several months concerned the vacancy left at American fashion house Calvin Klein when its women's and men's creative directors, Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli respectively, both suddenly departed from their roles in April.
The plan was to unify the Calvin Klein brand under "one creative vision," in order to help it fulfill its long-term goal of becoming a $10-billion global business. In addition, the label consolidated all of its lines — including underwear and jeans — and revamped its advertising strategy immensely, with its recent campaigns featuring both cool up-and-comers and social media-savvy celebrities, like Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Frank Ocean and OG CK face, Kate Moss.
Rumors have swirled about who would take over the house, overseeing all of the brand's product categories as well as its marketing and advertising strategy, and though many names came up in the discussions, one stood as a clear frontrunner: Raf Simons. In fact, Calvin Klein, the person, even hinted at the Belgian designer himself. And on Tuesday, in an announcement that surprised very few, Simons was officially named the chief creative officer at the house, and will make his runway debut for Calvin Klein during the fall 2017 season of New York Fashion Week.
Most recently, Simons served as the women's creative director at the LVMH-owned house of Dior, a role he held for three years. Before that, he was creative director at Jil Sander for seven years, where he was lauded for his minimalist, feminine designs. Plus, he designs his eponymous Raf Simons label — a line that has garnered an almost cult-like following among menswear enthusiasts —which is heavily steeped in youth culture and was founded in 1995.
"The arrival of Raf Simons as chief creative officer signifies a momentous new chapter for Calvin Klein," said CEO Steve Shiffman in a statement. "Not since Mr. Klein himself was at the company has it been led by one creative visionary, and I am confident that this decision will drive the Calvin Klein brand and have a significant impact on its future. Raf's exceptional contributions have shaped and modernized fashion as we see it today and, under his direction, Calvin Klein will further solidify its position as a leading global lifestyle brand."
Calvin Klein also announced the appointment of Pieter Mulier, who was Simons's studio director at Dior, to the role of creative director. Mulier will report to Simons and help execute his vision across all Calvin Klein lines, managing all men's and women's design teams.


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Fifteen Japanese companies have established an organization to create Japan's first certification system for plant-based meat, marking the first step for the country to regulate the burgeoning industry.
The Plant-Based LifeStyle Lab (P-LAB), launched March 1 by companies including Kagome Co., Itochu Corporation, Fuji Oil Group Inc., Pasona Group and Calbee Co, will participate in the Foodtech Public-Private Council, an organization initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to create and promote standards for plant-based meat, the Nikkei reported.
The group will work with the ministry to decide quality and labeling standards for such food, and a certification system will be established by fiscal 2021. In addition to certifying plant-based meat, they will take reference from overseas examples and create easy-to-understand labelling and other standards for plant-based food, with an eye to making things easier for overseas consumers who are on a vegan diet, according to the newspaper.
Only 2% of Japan’s population are vegan, compared to 5% of the country’s 30 million visitors in 2018. However, the popularity of plant-based food is rising among Japanese as consumers become more conscious about the environment and health.
There are currently no standards for plant-based meat in Japan. Globally, only a few countries have introduced certification systems or set standards for the industry.
In the US, the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA) was established in 2004 in collaboration with companies that produce plant-based foods, certifies plant meat, cheese, cream, and other products. In addition to specifying the ingredients, the PBFA also requires that "vegan" and "plant-based" be prominently displayed on the label.
China released its first group standards for plant-based meat in December. The standards, published by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology in late December, were drafted by experts from institutes like the China Agricultural University and involved companies such as Unilever, Cargill and Nestle.


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Travel Republic is poised to unveil its first mobile app in time for January peak trading, as it ramps up efforts to exploit alternative channels to conventional search advertising.
The OTA, which was bought by Emirates-group owned dnata in December 2011, is not alone in the highly competitive sector in looking to reduce its reliance on search (Google) advertising.
It launched a consumer ‘last click’ brand campaign earlier this year, emphasising the brand’s best price proposition and has been pushing ahead on social, meta and search optimisation.
But with all the big global OTAs seeing mobile as an essential channel to drive up customer engagement and loyalty, Travel Republic has decided to develop its own app.
The joint managing director team of Ian Simmonds and Neale Chinery are now in place, the latter came from the Kingfisher Group, following the departure of its founding directors.
Simmonds said brand advertising would continue to be a feature of Travel Republic’s armoury following the ‘last click’ campaign.
He said this, and a focus on search engine optimisation helped to drive direct brand traffic, as Travel Republic looks to reduce the cost of customer acquisition.
“What we have tried to do over recent months is to rebalance so while Google remains a core part of the marketing channel we reduce dependence on that channel.
“We are looking to diversify to those cheaper and hopefully free sources of traffic to reduce the costs of acquisition.”
Chinery said all advertisers are seeing search cost inflation, and all are looking to drive up loyalty.
He said that prior to his arrival Travel Republic had taken the decision to pursue a mobile first strategy, and its website is already mobile responsive.
He added the retailer is keen to ensure that its new in-house built app is relevant in the marketplace, so it will initially offer a restricted range of activity and develop functionality over time.
“Historically we have told consumers how to interact with us,” he said, “but in the future the consumer is increasingly going to chose how to live their life.
“The whole landscape of mobile is hugely interesting to us. Everyone is looking to be in a position where you are with the customer throughout the whole of their holiday.”
Simmonds added: “One of the challenges we have is we need to be ready to have a conversation with the customer when they are ready to have that conversation.
“With holidays it tends to be a fairly restricted number of transactions over the course of a year, so it’s trying to find a way of maintaining a conversation with the consumer.”
Travel Republic is best known in its home UK market, but it is now operating in four countries; Ireland, Spain and Italy from its office in Barcelona.
More marketing and human resources are being dedicated to those countries, said Simmonds, so that Travel Republic can offer good customer service through locally based teams.
Dnata has benefited from Travel Republic’s technical knowhow and Simmonds said it wanted to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that saw the firm rise to prominence.
“Dnata’s philosophy is that they look for well established and well run businesses and they want them to continue to operate as they were before.
“Travel Republic’s legacy as an entrepreneurial business means we are very agile and they wanted to make sure that culture remained within the business.
“They are very supportive, great partners and give us expertise in areas where we did not have in-house expertise.
“We have worked very well over the last three years in terms of maximising our knowledge across our business and driving forward together where it makes sense.”
Chinery, who previously worked for Thomas Cook and Tui before a spell out of travel with Dixons and Kingfisher, said not a lot had changed in the sector.
However, he said the propensity to buy online was much higher in travel than in other sectors selling tangible products, where consumers want to touch and feel before buying.
This places a requirement on travel firms like Travel Republic to be agile with their technical developments, so they can bring new things to market at speed, said Chinery.
“Travel Republic is a technology company as well as a travel company and the quality of the technical resources here are excellent.
“We need to recruit people who are great at tech but who are commercially minded as well and who can do a mix of roles. In other organisations you tend to shoehorn people into specific roles.
“Technology is constantly evolving and the nicest thing here was to find it all in one place, easily accessible and completely joined up.
“That creates a great opportunity for us to talk to our customers.”


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Calories could be bigger and bolder, the amount of added sugars will be listed, and servings sizes will be more realistic
An emphasis on calories, added sugars and more realistic serving sizes
It’s been 10 years in the making, but the agency sent guidelines for re-doing the nutrition label to the White House for review
Walmart announced this week that it will highlight healthy foods in stores with bright green “Great For You” labels.
On the podcast this week: results from a major Harvard study on how to eat right. Also, a controversial new trend in how some divorced parents are raising their children. And finally, the war over government labeling of …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that it will require many cuts of raw meat and poultry to feature detailed nutritional information, including calorie and fat content. The new labels will appear …


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As wineries around the world are battling the fallout of COVID-19 – its physical and political manifestations in the form of social distancing and government-imposed lockdowns – Vollherbst Labels sees the novel pandemic as a catalyst for innovation.
German-based Vollherbst Labels had its fair share of hardships: the family-owned company was founded in 1921 during one of the bleakest times in history. While the world was still reeling World War I’s many adverse effects, further devastation came with the dreadful Spanish flu of 1918 which, as the Coronavirus, wreaked havoc around the world.
It wasn’t an easy time to be positive, hopeful or creative. However, in 1921, it was an unquenchable lust for life which resulted in Franz Anton Vollherbst starting a new, innovative print and label company at a time when the world was making its way from the trenches. It would not be the last time Vollherbst Labels and its clients faced turbulence. The company also navigated World War II, and today, nearly a century after its birth, Vollherbst Labels is navigating yet another crisis.
Managing crisis in the modern age
This same resilience is still at the core of the Vollherbst family, who today pride themselves as prominent supplier of highly refined labels for multiple clients in the beverage and luxury food sector globally. These very industries have been hit hardest by COVID-19 as government-imposed lockdowns severely hindered market trade.
“When our clients are suffering, we are suffering,” says Matthias Vollherbst, fourth-generation Vollherbst to hold position as owner and CEO of Vollherbst Labels. This suffering, says Matthias, is not necessarily financially as Vollherbst’s commitment to their winery partners stretches far beyond mere “supplier obligations”. “We are really dedicated to the success of our winery partners, and therefore we are emotionally involved. It is difficult for us to see them suffer. We all have to be courageous and we particularly wish our partners courage and persistence.”
In South Africa, this “suffering” has been especially pertinent. In late March, government announced a total ban on local wine sales during its Level 5 lockdown period. At the time of writing, South Africa was nearing its third month of its national lockdown, with the country’s wine producers facing an increasingly challenging future. “The main goal for us now is to support our clients in this difficult situation – and this goes beyond label printing. We must understand their situation and how we can help them solve problems. Some clients haven’t had any sales for months. For every situation, we offer unique solutions to ease the burden during this difficult time,” says Matthias. These solutions include extended payment terms, cost-effective downsizing options and specialist label trials to find suitable solutions. “Really as much as we can to help our brand owners to come out this crisis as strong as possible.”
This complete lockdown also affected trade between Germany and South Africa, says Matthias. A production of labels completed before the lockdown, and shipped from Germany to South Africa were stopped ‘in transit’ – but these have in a meantime been delivered to respective brand owners who needed it for exports, as well as for stock readied for the lifting of the ban of alcohol sales on 1 June 2020. “Luckily in Germany we have been able to produce throughout the pandemic, without losing as much as a shift. This means that all the ordered labels have already shipped to our clients in SA.”
Streamlining internal processes
Although Germany also endured a lockdown period, it was much shorter. Vollherbst used this “recess” to improve and strengthen the company’s performance. “It gave us more quality time as a team as we were less rushed. We have noticed how our team has developed and found innovative ways to approach their daily tasks. Online meetings are now the norm, print jobs are organised from home, the use of paper has been reduced, and automatic calculation tools have been implemented. A lot of the steps we have taken the last weeks would’ve normally taken months, or even years. A lot is possible if one is willing to try.”
With emotional, physical and professional pliability, Vollherbst is geared towards a post COVID-19 era. “We have to rethink what we once perceived as being ‘normal’. We believe COVID-19 can help the industry to take better care of each other – not only after oneself, but also after employees, partners and even competitors.”


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DELRAY BEACH, Fla.–(HISPANIC PR WIRE – BUSINESS WIRE)–July 14, 2003–Office Depot (NYSE:ODP) today announced the launch of the company’s first Hispanic-focused, integrated marketing communications campaign. The campaign, which will support Office Depot’s multifaceted “Back to School” program, capitalizes on retail marketing and direct marketing, catalog, e-Commerce and public relations, in addition to advertising.
“Office Depot is committed to delivering the highest quality products and services to our Hispanic customers,” said Rachelle Franklin, Vice President of Integrated Brand Marketing at Office Depot. “Our intent is to develop and implement marketing programs, event sponsorships and philanthropic activities that build relationships with the Hispanic community and drive awareness of our brand.”
Franklin noted that Hispanics represent 20% of all school-aged children, are the largest ethnic minority (making up nearly 13% of the U.S. population) and comprise the fastest growing group – with a combined buying power of nearly $600 billion(1).
Helping Children Be Successful In School
Office Depot’s television and radio commercials illustrate how shopping early helps parents prepare their kids for school. The advertisements, in both English and Spanish, highlight Office Depot’s product and service offerings, such as having school supply lists in store, creating an easier shopping experience, offering Best-in-Class supplies at guaranteed low prices, providing specially designed furniture for children’s home workspace and selling prepackaged technology solutions at a value price.
“Parents want their children to be successful in the new school year,” Franklin noted. “Our advertising leverages this insight and shows how shopping at Office Depot helps children be better prepared for the first day of class and increase their chances for success.”
Office Depot’s Hispanic Back to School advertising will be supported by a multi-million dollar media plan and will be seen across a variety of TV programs, including the Univision’s Despierta America, Primer Impacto and various Novelas. The campaign will also be showcased on Galavision and Telemundo.
The :30 Spanish-language commercial, which debuts today, is one in a series of three new humorous TV spots (the other two are English language ads). It contrasts a mother’s fantasy of how well her son might do in school with the reality of kids being kids.
The new :60 Spanish-language radio spot highlights the desire of families to help their children do well in school – even if it means attending class with them.
Additionally, Office Depot has signed a multi-platform deal with Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation (HBC) to launch the company’s first major foray into Hispanic radio.
The campaign kicks off today with Office Depot as a key sponsor of “Tu Dinero Con Julie Stav,” a one-hour, financial advice program hosted by best-selling author, Julie Stav (“Get Your Share,” and “Fund Your Future”).
Elements of the deal with HBC include in-store appearances by Stav as well as participation by Office Depot representatives on her radio show. In addition to Back to School, Office Depot will also offer tips for small business owners, with these vignettes airing on all 62 HBC radio stations in 15 of the top U.S. Hispanic markets. An on-line presence, through netmio.com, and e-mail blasts are also included.
Other radio highlights include CNN Radio Noticias and Bloomberg Negocios.
Integrated Agency Support
According to Franklin, the Hispanic advertising program was made possible through the integration of several Omnicom agencies currently servicing Office Depot. BBDO New York created the television spots, including “Future,” which was subsequently adapted in Spanish by Omnicom’s Hispanic agency, Dieste, Harmel & Partners. Dieste also created print and radio advertising to accompany the television campaign. OMD, Omnicom’s media services agency, planned and negotiated the integrated media initiative and was instrumental in facilitating the partnership with Julie Stav.
“5% Back to Schools” and Star Teacher Programs
Additionally, the TV and radio spots support and extend the messaging around Office Depot’s “5% Back to Schools” and Star Teacher programs. These programs reward schools and teachers with discounts on everyday school supply purchases.
Now in its fourth year, the company’s “5% Back to Schools” program enables shoppers to select a local school to receive a 5% credit for qualifying back-to-school purchases. In 2002, more than $3 million in merchandise credits were awarded to schools around the country.
The Star Teacher Program, which launched this year, rewards educators with special “teacher-only” savings of 5% off school supplies and 15% off copy/printer services year-round.
“Office Depot has established these programs to help alleviate some of the financial burden teachers experience when purchasing school supplies with their own personal income,” Franklin said.
In addition, Office Depot will again offer free backpacks – more than 200,000 of them — as part of its National Backpack Donation program. The program is designed to make a difference in communities around the country and help underprivileged children with the tools they need to start off the school year.
About Office Depot:
Office Depot is the world’s leading reseller of office supplies, with annual sales of nearly $13 billion. The company, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, FL, conducts business in 22 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide.
Office Depot is an industry leader in every distribution channel – from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. The company is the world’s number two online retailer – on target to generate $2.5B in sales for FY’03.
In North America, Office Depot has more than 870 retail stores in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 24 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers.
The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index.
Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.
(1) Statistics according to numerous studies, including the U.S. Census Bureau and Selig Center for Economic growth.
Office Depot, Delray Beach


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Lenovo’s VeriFace Recognition let’s you use your face as your password. Instead of typing in your password, the Lenovo IdeaPad’s webcam detects your face and automatically logs you into your account. Matt Kohut says this system is secure and is tough to trick. Check out the video demo below.
James from jkOnTheRun pointed out that this technology isn’t new. In fact he bought an IBM web cam about ten years ago that did the same thing.
VerifFace will probably sway a lot of consumers to buy a Lenovo product for the first time. It’s super simple to use and definitely has a ‘wow’ factor.


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After a failed first paid account verification attempt, Twitter will start rolling out its renewed Blue subscription on December 12, the company announced on saturday. Twitter originally launched blue verification for iOS devices in early November for $8 per month, but the company halted the rollout after the platform was overrun by verified trolls. On Saturday, the company also confirmed that the service will cost $11 per month when users sign up directly through its iOS app. On the web, the subscription will cost $8 per month.
In addition, the company says it has implemented new measures to prevent a repeat of what happened last month. To get started, users who want to display a blue check mark on their profile will need to register with a phone number after signing up for the service. Twitter says subscribers can change their handle, display name and profile photo after getting verified status, but the company will temporarily remove their blue check mark while they review their account again.
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Crypto collective raises $26 million to bid on US Structure copy
Say you need to purchase an early printing of the US Structure, however you’ve solely bought a few bucks. Usually, you’d be out of luck, however possibly not as we speak: during the last week, a collective has fashioned to boost sufficient cash to purchase a uncommon early printing of the Structure at public sale, elevating cash from anybody who needs to chip in on-line.
The doc is predicted to promote at Sotheby’s for as excessive as $20 million — what would appear to be an insurmountable value for a crowdfunding initiative. And but, by some means, the collective has raised $27 million so far. And so they nonetheless have greater than 24 hours to go.
There’s so much occurring right here, so I’m simply going to interrupt it down piece by piece:
- The doc being bought is considered one of 13 remaining copies of the Official Version of the Structure, a remaining draft created for the Continental Congress, based on Sotheby’s.
- The group elevating cash to purchase the copy is named the ConstitutionDAO.
- DAO stands for “decentralized autonomous group.” A number of these have been popping up currently within the crypto area, normally with particular objectives, like promoting merch or… shopping for a duplicate of the US Structure.
- DAOs are principally employee coops for crypto nerds. It’s a sort of decentralized company with all the foundations inscribed into good contracts on the Ethereum blockchain, so all of the delicate company features occur in a decentralized and computerized manner. In apply, it’s a strategy to elevate some huge cash actually quick for some sort of capital-intensive collective endeavor like shopping for a duplicate of the Structure.
- Individually, we’ve seen increasingly more situations of individuals collectively pooling funds on-line in ways in which have real-world influence however are additionally principally foolish: see the entire GameStonk factor.
- ConstitutionDAO had been selecting up velocity in current days, nevertheless it actually exploded this afternoon after being featured in The New York Instances, elevating greater than $10 million as we speak alone.
- As a result of it’s a DAO, the entire cash is being raised in Ether. Then, to trace who will get a say within the group, contributors will get governance tokens, giving them the flexibility to vote on what turns into of the doc (ought to they efficiently purchase it).
- If ConstitutionDAO wins the public sale, they intend to discover a companion group that can publicly show it, ideally totally free to guests.
- In the event that they lose, cash will probably be despatched again to contributors, minus charges.
The public sale is being held on Thursday at 6:30PM ET. Good luck to whoever is bidding towards the collective will of the web.


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The connecting dots for OOH industry are now visible
A look back at the 2011 calendar to know more about the agents of change that opened up the OOH industry to advertising opportunities.
It is observed that OOH is moving quickly from a commodity medium to a medium that advertisers are using strategically to deliver more. An increasing number of advertisers, who are looking at the best way to connect with the consumer outside home through various channels are now demanding accountability, innovation and better quality. The most important change in the year 2011 for the OOH industry is that it has opened up to advertisers for opportunities.
Here is a quick look at the 2011 calendar to know more of the agents of this significant change and what the future holds for OOH.
The Year of Business Consolidation
The year, 2011, for the Indian OOH industry as a whole has grown substantially. The year has brought in consolidations in major OOH agencies like Lintas Media Group – buying half of the stake from Aaren Initiative Outdoor Pvt Ltd, and Selvel - buying Outdoor Advertsing Professional (I) Pvt Ltd’s (OAP) stake from Rediffusion Y&R. This clearly is an indicator that the future of business is good and therefore, companies will stay invested in the business. On the other hand, the industry did a see a brief slowdown too.
Abhijit Sengupta, Outdoor Advertising Professionals (I) Pvt Ltd (OAP), remarked, "The year was more of sustenance or rather consolidation. We are yet to reach the peaks of 2008 and early 2009. But this is natural, because whatever one says is the growth or the pricing during those days was quite an aberration, which needed correction and it was done by the slowdown. Till now, I guess, the vacancy is hovering at around 25-30 per cent, which is sustainable. Well, the industry expected the vacancy to be around 10-15 per cent in the third quarter. But, because of the dullness in the money market as well as slow growth in many sectors, it was less than expected."
New Brand categories make way to OOH
What turned out to be an interesting observation was that new brand categories started showing interest in the OOH medium. New brands like Tanishq’s Mia, Tata’s Housing’s Amantra and Sulzon India’s PALS campaign, Bosch Home Appliances, MTV’s popular music series campaign Unplugged launched some really interesting and innovative OOH campaigns last year.
Commenting on this, Nabendu Bhattacharyya, Managing Director, Milestone Brandcom, said, "The year 2011 was not a great year from the perspective of the largest spenders. Telecom reduced spends, but OOH stakeholders pursued other categories and were convincing enough to bring local clients at city levels. However, few categories got convinced to invest more viz. jewellery, real estate, retail, media entertainment, automotive and FMCG. Thus, even in adverse conditions, industry grew due to other category contributions."
Major concerns for service tax structure
But it was the new service tax rule that united many outdoor media owners. The new service tax rule, which states that the service tax would have to paid on the 5th of 6th of every month once the invoice of the service was raised, left the media owners fuming because, in other words, irrespective of whether dues were collected from clients or not, media owners would have to pay service tax. Originally, they paid service tax after the collection of dues from clients. The implementation of such existing rules is something the advertising industry is wrestling with these days.
Development of SOP
Standardisation and organisation of systems was an imminent development for the Indian OOH industry. On this front, the industry now has a qualitative way in place with the help of Indian Outdoor Advertising Association’s (IOAA) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Media Research Users Council’s (MRUC) second study of IOS on the measurement of outdoor media.
Arminio Ribeiro, CEO, Madison Media Group, commented on the SOP development and said, "I believe the newly formed outdoor body IOAA and its SOP initiative is one of the best things that have happened to our industry. This development is a step ahead, wherein the IOAA together with specialist agencies can drive responsibility towards building advertiser confidence in the medium by reassuring them that the industry is making a serious effort to demonstrate responsibility accountability and over all improvements in the way the medium looks and that the OOH industry is united in its approach to its future growth. There needs to be a greater degree of co-operation between the major players on the buying and selling sides of the business, if we are to see some evidence of this manifesting itself on the street. The current SOP is one such initiative towards building advertiser confidence in the medium."
Sanjay Pareek, President, Percept Group, also expressed a similar opinion and said,” The effort by IOAA to organise and bring some method to the madness in the industry through SOP still requires complete buy in from all stakeholders of the industry, that is, from asset owners, agencies and the advertiser, but I think it is, in fact, a step in the right direction. It has to be followed through effectively taking all the key stake holders of industry interest in consideration."
Adding to this development, Pramod Bhandula, Managing Director, JCDecaux India, said, “The outdoor guidelines of many cities may be revised to reduce visual clutter and promote user friendly and service oriented formats. This will, in turn, enhance the aesthetics and overall cityscape.”
Digital OOH picked up lost pace
The development of digital OOH looks promising; it is a medium that will be able to offer much more depth to advertisers through engagement and connectivity. Although much of the digital development in India is yet to happen, the year has been bright for digital OOH.
Talking about the digital OOH space, Guarang Shah, Founder, DSN Digital Network, said, "The year, 2011 has been a very good year for the digital OOH industry. Advertisers are now using digital OOH services with more confidence and seriousness. Film promotions have used our medium the most this year and new brand categories like FMCG has shown keen interested in our medium."
If the industry builds on the momentum, makes strategic investments and stays committed to improving trade practices, OOH in India will quickly become a ‘must have’ for global advertisers and it will reinforce the belief of ‘a must investment medium’ for all local brand categories.
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ARLINGTON, VA - Krystal Register, director of health & well-being, for FMI - The Food Industry Association – offered the following comments on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final report, which was released today.
Register said, “The key to effective and achievable recommendations is that they be both science-based and practical for consumers to apply to their lifestyles. Food retailers have created a marketplace for healthy, accessible, nourishing food choices, along with information about health and well-being.
“In fact, 85% of the supermarket industry now employs dietitians, who assist in identifying and creating healthful messaging and personalized choices for consumers via meal solutions, accurate labeling, tours and consultations with their health goals and special dietary needs in mind. All this positions food retailers in a unique situation to help customers with innovative practical ways to encourage healthy dietary patterns and eating behaviors.
"Our research, as well as other existing research, indicates that those who eat and cook at home include more fruits and vegetables and consume fewer calories, fat, and sugar. Furthermore, current and emerging research indicates children and adolescents who share family meals at home are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary patterns and eating habits as well as emotional well-being benefits. FMI has created a movement around family meals designed to make eating and cooking at home easier, more fun and more economical. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this focus even more important.
“FMI appreciates the opportunity to review and provide comments on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report.”


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Bite By Bite
Taste Of Downtown Returns For Spring Installment
After earning a Culinary District designation, the Friendly City is looking more like the Foodie City. And, beginning March 10, local restaurants will once again offer delicious deals during the annual Taste of Downtown.
Held for the first time in Harrisonburg in 2008, Taste of Downtown highlights the local dining scene by providing attendees with an opportunity to taste a variety of foods — from Ethiopian to new americana — at a bargain price.
Local eateries offer special combos or deals, in addition to the normal menu, during the event, which is hosted by Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance and the Downtown Dining Alliance in March and August of each year.
“Taste of Downtown is a biannual restaurant week that promotes the downtown dining scene,” explained Kim Kirk, director of promotions for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. “It also serves as a collaborative effort between the restaurants and eateries.”
During the inaugural year, only nine restaurants offered dinner specials for Taste of Downtown, which lasted just three days. But over the years, the celebration has expanded not only in length, but in participants and options, as well.
This year, more than 25 restaurants will open their doors for what has grown into a week-long event, and now, Taste of Downtown includes more than just dinner specials with a “sweets, treats and other eats” category, showcasing local bakeries, coffee shops, wine and beer options, and farmers market vendors, Kirk explained.
“With the growth of specialty food businesses, Taste of Downtown has expanded to include those locations that may not offer a full meal, but still provide tasty treats,” she said.
The deals are now broken up into five categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch spots, as well as sweets, treats and other eats.
Two new restaurants will be participating this year — Bella Luna and El Sol — and previous favorites will return with new deals.
Rocktown Bites! will also offer a specialty food tour during Taste of Downtown, titled “Around the World in Rocktown.”
The tour will grant participants a behind-the-scenes look at seven international restaurants, along with the opportunity to sample ethnic food and drink options.
Kirk says she’s excited for Taste of Downtown and the opportunity to once again highlight the diverse dining scene downtown Harrisonburg offers.
“‘I’ve participated in the event for several years, but this is my first time getting a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and organization of the restaurant week,” she said.
“It’s wonderful to see so many restaurants and downtown businesses coming together to promote the culinary scene and diversity of foods that downtown Harrisonburg is known for.”
Taste of Downtown will be held March 10-16. For more information and the list of offerings, visit downtownharrisonburg.org/tasteofdowntown.
Participants are encouraged to call the individuals restaurants for specific times, as restaurant hours and menus vary.
Rocktown Bites! Special Tour “Around the World in Rocktown” will be from 2-4:30 p.m. March 15. Must be 21 years or older; to purchase tickets, visit rocktownbites.com.
Contact Sarah Stacy at 574-6292 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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In January 2023, Salesforce officially disbanded its M&A committee. This led some to believe that the company was no longer interested in making big acquisitions. However, in June 2023, Salesforce launched a $500 million AI Fund and invested $200 million in Hugging Face, a leading AI startup.
To end 2023, they also made 2 acquisitions - Airkit, an AI-based Agent that can interact directly with your customers, offering a boost to Commerce Cloud capabilities; Spiff, a commission management platform and non-AI startup to bolster core Sales Cloud features.
Acquisitions is how Salesforce stays ahead. So no, they're not backing down.
First, AI is growing crazy fast. There's no denying it's the tech of the future. Salesforce wants to be at the forefront of this trend, and acquiring an AI company would give it access to cutting-edge technology and talent, which they can use for their own AI-led products within Einstein GPT.
Second, Salesforce has a history of making big acquisitions to accelerate its growth. In recent years, it's acquired companies like MuleSoft, Tableau, and Slack. These acquisitions have helped Salesforce expand into new markets and add new capabilities to its product portfolio. An acquisition in the AI space could help Salesforce do the same.
Finally, Salesforce is facing increasing competition from other tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon. These companies are also investing heavily in AI, and they are not afraid to make big acquisitions. Salesforce needs to keep pace with its competitors, and acquiring an AI company could be one way to do that.
Here is a list of the 10 AI startups that Salesforce has invested in so far in 2023:
These startup investments are how they keep a pulse on innovation.
And if AI is the future (it is), Salesforce will need to make a move at some point.It’s just a matter of time.


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Eastern Europe ‘drowning’ in Ukrainian grain – Le Figaro
Anger is mounting across Eastern Europe as farmers in the region protest a glut of cheap grain from Ukraine threatening their businesses, Le Figaro reported earlier this week.
Struggling to sell their crops, producers in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria have suffered substantial losses due to the surge in imports from Ukraine.
Farmers in nations that had previously agreed to help get grain out of Ukraine and on to global markets now face unfair competition, they say. They also are not subject to the same regulatory requirements.
Last May, the European Union suspended customs duties on all agricultural produce imported from Ukraine for one year to support the economy of the war-torn nation. However, grains and other produce leaving Ukraine settled in the EU instead of being sent outside the bloc, putting competitive pressure on domestic production.
“Instead of going to international markets, to Africa, as politicians promised us, Ukrainian cereals remained in Poland,” Polish farmer Marcin Misiak told the media, adding that his regular buyers opted to purchase cheaper maize from Ukraine.
According to Misiak, he could sell wheat for €340 per ton in August 2022, but at the beginning of March 2023, it cost just €220.
“The EU was unable to anticipate the rapid effects of competition from Ukrainian grains,” said Sebastien Abis, a researcher at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) and director of the Demeter Club think tank, as cited by Le Figaro.
“Ukrainian operators did everything to monetize the situation. In European ports, competition was fierce and produce imported from Ukraine would have been favored.”
Last month, the European Commission announced plans to provide financial support to farmers from member-states neighboring Ukraine to compensate for their losses and limit the impact of market imbalances. Brussels tapped a crisis reserve totaling €56.3 million, financed from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section


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The results announced by Huawei show that the revenue in the first three quarters of this year increased by 9.9% year-on-year, and the net profit margin was 8.0%. It still achieved performance growth despite many factors, proving that this company has a strong toughness.
From the results announced by Huawei, we can see that in the first half of 2019, the first half of 2019, the first half of this year, and the first three quarters of this year, the year-on-year growth rates of revenue were 23.2%, 19.1%, 13.1%, and 9.1%. 9%, it can be seen that its revenue growth rate has been declining rapidly since the first half of last year.
Carefully analyze Huawei’s performance in the third quarter of this year and the third quarter of last year. According to Huawei’s announced revenue in the first half and first three quarters of 2019, it can be calculated that its revenue in the third quarter of 2019 was 209.5 billion yuan; The revenue was 217.3 billion yuan, and the revenue growth rate in the third quarter of this year was only 3.7%.
It can be seen that the year-on-year growth rate of Huawei’s revenue in the third quarter of this year has shrunk even more sharply. According to this trend, it may be difficult to achieve revenue growth in the fourth quarter.
The result is that several of Huawei’s businesses have been affected by chip supply problems. The first is Huawei’s largest business – the mobile phone business has been affected the most. In the fourth quarter of last year, Google stopped authorizing GMS services to Huawei. On September 14 this year, SMC could no longer manufacture chips for Huawei, and chip companies such as MediaTek could not supply chips to Huawei. As a result, Huawei will have to rely on its existing chip inventory to maintain the operation of its mobile phone business.
Due to these factors, Huawei’s mobile phone sales in overseas markets have continued to shrink since the third quarter of last year; in the fourth quarter of this year, due to chip supply issues, Huawei’s mobile phone sales in the domestic market may also shrink.
Huawei’s second largest business is the communications equipment business. Affected by well-known factors, many European countries have announced that they will not use Huawei’s 5G equipment, which directly leads to Huawei’s only one 5G equipment order since February this year. The equipment business mainly relies on the domestic market.
At present, the communication equipment business can maintain a good operation relying on the huge domestic market. At present, 600,000 5G base stations have been built, accounting for more than half of the world’s 5G base stations. Huawei has won more than half of the domestic 5G equipment market. The domestic 5G base station construction has completed the plan for this year ahead of schedule, and the domestic market may not be able to bring more revenue to Huawei in the fourth quarter.
Mobile phone business and communication equipment business account for more than 90% of its revenue. Based on the above, these two businesses may face huge resistance in the fourth quarter of this year, and from the third quarter, its revenue growth rate has shrunk to 3.3%. .7%, the cessation of revenue growth in the fourth quarter will be a high probability event.


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[Update: Fixed] Snapchat users report app crashing on iPhones after latest update, issue being looked into
New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on June 28, 2021) follows:
In the past hour or so, many Snapchat users from around the world have taken to social platforms such as Twitter to report that the app keeps crashing on their iPhones.
iPhone users say that after they installed a new update the Snapchat app began crashing upon opening.
The current version history on Apple’s App Store indicates that the app last bagged an update on June 21 as version 220.127.116.11.
This suggests that the details of the latest update are yet to be added. Nevertheless, here are some reports from users for reference.
Snapchat’s newest update has done nothing but crash Snapchat everytime I try to open it. Please fix this (Source)
@snapchatsupport updated snapchat and now it crashes everytime I try to open the app. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled it too (Source)
Hey since the latest update on iPhone XS Max, the app won’t load up anymore! What’s going on? 😭 (Source)
Some iPhone users have even shared video proof of the app crashing on the device. Here’s one such example:
As you can see, upon launching the app, all users can see is the main page of the app for a split second before it crashes.
Further, the Snapchat app is only crashing on iOS devices such as the iPhone XS, XR, and others as there aren’t any reports of the problem from those in the Android camp.
Snapchat support was quick to catch on to the reports and responded to a user’s complaint that they’re looking into the problem.
The app’s support team didn’t share any ETA for a fix, however, considering that the problem appears to be affecting users on a large scale, it shouldn’t be long before it’s addressed.
As usual, we’ll keep tabs on the situation and will post an update once we come across any further information.
That said, an individual says that there’s no problem with the beta version of Snapchat for iOS devices. So, you can try signing up as a beta tester to use the app without any hassle.
if you install snapchat beta it wont crash (Source)
Do note that you may run into other issues with the beta version but at least you’ll be able to use the app. Well, hopefully.
Update 1 (June 28)
07:06 pm (IST): Snapchat has published an official statement on Twitter acknowledging the iOS app issue, urging affected users to hang in there as devs work to fix it asap.
Update 2 (June 29)
Snapchat’s SVP of Product — Jacob — confirmed that the problem should now be fixed for all users.
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