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More than 100 Bramco workers have not received their salaries for over ten months now. After labour officials intervened, measures have been taken to sort out the matter. Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) in Bahrain has been keenly following up and trying to reach basic groceries for these unpaid workers who have no money. Yesterday MWPS had visited these workers and had provided them fresh vegetables.
“The plight of these employees are really bad. They have not received their salaries now for up to 10 months and in fact, they are getting very little money such as BD10 and BD 20 which itself is not enough. Their accommodation is a stranded area where there is not even a small cold store there. They do have drinking water but there is not even a shop selling fruits or vegetables nearby” said MWPS Head of Labour Safety and Welfare Committee Katib Zuhair to Albilad.
“There is a mosque nearby so on Fridays after the prayer there are people who come and sell fruits and vegetables to these workers. Right now that is the only source that they have so they are in a dire condition and we need to help them every way we can. Even if people can contribute little, that itself is a great thing for them” he added.
MWPS is collecting dry ration for employees of Bramco. Contributions of certain items such as rice, wheat flour, chana dal, masoor dal, cooking oil, powder milk, tea, sugar, and salt have been requested.
“As these workers themselves are struggling so much here they cannot even think of sending money back home in turn affecting their families. Now even if the workers decide to leave the salaries and just return to their home countries, that too seems to be impossible because most of these workers visa’s have also expired” said Katib Zuhair.


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Harvard Class Believes They’ve Built the Perfect Barbecue Smoker
Think a college class in cooking barbecue sounds like an easy A? At a university as prestigious as Harvard, think again.
The Ivy League institution offers a course for undergraduate juniors called Engineering Problem Solving and Design where students must tackle a real design problem for a real client. This semester, professor Kit Parker, who teaches the class, partnered with Williams-Sonoma in a quest to have his students construct the ultimate smoker.
By applying advanced science and engineering, Parker believed his class could come up with a smoker that would be able to produce a perfect brisket every time.
Each member of the 16-person team spent an estimated 40 to 50 hours a week designing, modeling and—the most delicious part—testing the smoker, starting with computer simulations of smoking digital brisket before upgrading to nearly two dozen weekends' worth of actual barbecuing—going through 220 pounds of meat in the process.
In the end, what sets Harvard’s smoker apart is its ability to eliminate hot spots and keep a constant and precise low temperature both in the smoker and the meat itself. Part of the project is that the end result also has to be consumer-friendly, so students also invested time in making the smoker aesthetically appealing and producing a unit that could retail for under $1,000.
The students are claiming success. Their brisket scored a 9 from Willaims-Sonoma, the barbecue equivalent of an A. Now the university is attempting to patent their design. So yes, maybe a bunch of youngsters from Cambridge can make the perfect brisket. Just don’t tell anyone from Memphis that.
Meanwhile, Williams-Sonoma has brought the project back to headquarters to see if it can actually be brought to market. Just make sure to look for the Harvard smoker—not one of those crappy Cornell knock-offs.

domain: news


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Just 8% of 100 breakfast cereals tested recently by Which? received a green light for healthy sugar levels. Some were so sugary they were indistinguishable from confectionery, said the consumer body.
31 cereals out of the 100 compared in Going Against the Grain contained more than four teaspoons of sugar per recommended serving and only one of the 28 cereals specifically marketed to children was found not to be high in sugar (but was still high in salt).
Morrisons Choco Crackles topped the sweet mountain with more sugar per serving than a Cadbury’s Chocolate Flake, followed closely by Kellogg’s Coco Pops Moons and Stars, Frosties and Ricicles which were over a third (37 per cent) pure sugar.
Many brands positioned as healthy, such as Kellogg’s All Bran, Bran Flakes and Special K did little to bowl over Which? researchers. Starting the day with Special K, it says, would be almost the sugar equivalent to waking up to a bowl of Tesco’s Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Ice Cream. (Ed’s note – haven’t I always said that!!) NPN May 09
Unsurprisingly, porridge comes out top. To read the full report on the Which? Website, click http://www.which.co.uk/static/html/pdfs/cereals_report.pdf


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Focus on 'growth engine'
‘Overlooked’ mid-sized firms should get tax relief, says report
A new report has called for a series of tax reliefs to support Britain’s “undervalued” mid-sized companies which could play a major role in economic growth.
Companies supplying exporters should be eligible for zero-rated VAT, it says, and exporters opening branches or subsidiaries overseas should also get tax relief.
The measures are contained in a report entitled Building the New Economy from accountancy firm BDO which argues that despite being such a powerful engine for growth, the UK’s mid-market remains “overlooked and undervalued”.
They are seen as too small to achieve the levels of attention FTSE firms command from the media and policy makers. Equally, they are too large to benefit from policies specifically tailored to small business. Hence, the report’s authors say the UK’s mid-market remains “stuck in a policy and profile gap.”
BDO is calling for policy-makers to determine a bigger role for the mid-market in their thinking and help this already successful sector expand further.
Three key policy recommendations from BDO’s “Building the New Economy” report specifically focus on how to rebalance the economy through the mid-market:
1. Use Long Term Lending Trusts to encourage investment in mid-market businesses: Today, mid-market firms can struggle to find the long term finance they need to invest for the future. Long term lending trusts would offer income tax relief to savers investing in long-term debt funding for ambitious businesses (as currently exists through the successful Venture Capital Trust scheme) for at least five years.
2. Zero VAT for supplies to exporters: The UK currently allows manufacturers to zero rate their exports. However, it is less generous with reliefs for domestic companies that supply to UK exporters. In contrast, Ireland has a more generous relief for regular exporters, where a qualifying exporter is able to inform its suppliers of its export authorisation and those suppliers can then zero rate their supplies to the qualifying exporter. We recommend that the UK introduces a similar relief.
3. Reduce the overseas tax barriers for UK exporters opening a new branch or subsidiary overseas: Taxation should be an instrument of economic policy and used to drive and encourage internationalisation of mid-sized businesses. When bi-lateral tax agreements are re-negotiated, the UK Government should take the opportunity to agree an exemption for UK businesses when opening a new branch or subsidiary from local taxes up to a de minimis level of economic activity of £1 million of total sales.
Martin Gill, Head of BDO LLP in Scotland, said: “Now that we are on the road to recovery, it is essential that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past and perpetuate an unbalanced economy too heavily reliant on one sector or region.
“The Government has started tackling the issues and plans around the Northern Powerhouse. More can be done though, and encouraging Scotland and Britain’s mid-market has to be at the heart of Government plans.
“We would like to see a ‘new economy’ that harnesses the entrepreneurial spirit of UK businesses and puts the mid-market front and centre of the UK’s growth plans.
“Germany’s Mittelstand is rightly lauded in its own country and it’s time our own ‘Brittelstand’ got the same recognition”.
The report reveals that Scotland’s mid-sized businesses (firms with a revenue between £10 million to £300m) have grown turnover by 63% over the last five years from £32 billion to £52bn.
Employment among this group has risen by 39% from 220,000 in 2010 to 306,300 in 2015.
Despite making up 1% of companies, the Scottish mid-market accounts for 15 % of private sector jobs and nearly 20% of all private sector turnover.
Across the UK between 2010 and 2015, the mid-market has outstripped the FTSE 100 in many key areas of performance. In terms of profitability, the UK’s mid-sized firms can boast profits up 110% compared to a FTSE 100 shrinkage of three per cent.
Jobs growth of the UK mid-market today is almost three times faster than that of the current FTSE 100. The UK mid-market now employs 50% more people than it did in 2010 (6.1 million jobs in 2014/15).


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If you search Amazon for streaming media players, you’ll find plenty of them. The one thing you won’t find is any Chromecast devices, and company CEO Jeff Bezos told the Re/code conference why not. Chromecast doesn’t currently offer access to Amazon’s own Prime Video platform, and Bezos says that isn’t because Google refuses to include it, but because it wants too much money for doing so.
[W]hen we sell those devices, we want our player — our Prime Video player — to be on the device, and we want it to be on the device with acceptable business terms. You can always get the player on the device. The question is, can you get it on there with acceptable business terms?
While he doesn’t say so outright, the meaning of the vague phrase is pretty clear …
There’s very little we don’t know about the OnePlus 3. The Chinese company’s flagship’s marketing campaign has been boiling up for some time now, and between that and an array of leaked specs it’s only the official launch date we didn’t know.
Microsoft and Xiaomi have announced today what they are calling the start of a long-term partnership. As part of the agreement, Microsoft is selling about 1,500 of its patents to Xiaomi, while the deal also includes a cross-licensing arrangement for other patents. Additionally, Xiaomi has agreed to preinstall Microsoft Office and Skype on its Android devices.


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LAS VEGAS (AdAge.com) -- Geico's slick CGI gecko is getting competition from some adorably low-fi characters. The insurance giant's ad agency, Martin Agency, has now made several TV commercials starring Xtranormal's adorably low-fi cartoon characters spouting robotic dialogue. The punchline: 15 minutes is enough time to get a quote from Geico, and, as one spot puts it, "15 minutes is exactly the amount of time we put into this commercial."
It's getting harder and harder to avoid videos created with tools from the Montreal-based startup, which allows anyone to create cartoons by typing simple text. Several of these videos have gone truly viral on the web this year -- "iPhone4 vs HTC Evo" has more than 11 million views -- and the collected works have become a YouTube staple; users have made more than 9.4 million videos since Xtranormal released its tools onto the web last year. At least one newscast has used Xtranormal's tools and characters to dramatize news events. Google and Unilever have also used Xtranormal to create internal training videos.
The company is still largely pre-revenue, but it's working out a "freemium" strategy it hopes will prove lucrative. Last year its approach resembled the model at the casual-gaming giant Zynga, which lets users do a lot for free but charges for extra goodness. Anyone could make an Xtranormal video gratis, but some paid for enhancements such as custom characters, scenes and movements.
At the end of December, however, Xtranormal switched to a system that requires users to buy points to make videos; new users get a certain number of points free when they sign up for the site so they can try it for free.
You might recognize these characters
Xtranormal is now rolling out a new slate of characters that it hopes the tech set will pay to use: a group of tech-y types that bear more-than-passing resemblance to Steve Jobs, Steve Ballmer and Google's Android guru Andy Rubin.


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We all know it's coming at some point, but it hasn't been officially announced just yet.
That doesn't stop us from checking around to see if various retail outlets have decided to post something about a new Uncharted for the PlayStation 4. That's exactly what the GameStop Germany website did, as you can see.
It just says "Uncharted" for PS4 and there are no additional details. But the fact that the title exists at all might say something. There's the possibility that the latest installment in the award-winning franchise will be announced very soon, and prospective PS4 owners are looking forward to that day. Naughty Dog delivered another elite exclusive IP this year in The Last Of Us and now that that's out the door, one would have to assume the new Uncharted is already in the works.
Rumor was that in fact, it was in the works during development on TLoU, and the developer split up teams to work on both titles. Well, whatever, just bring us another unbelievable Drake adventure!


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What recently happened to Transnet – together with the World Bank’s ranking of South African ports at the bottom of a global list of 351 ports – presents a big challenge to policymakers. This is according to North West University Business School’s Professor Raymond Parsons.
Vehicle exports statistics for July indicated a huge fall of almost one-third, or 8 381 units, compared with the 25 312 vehicles exported in July 2020. Last year, the export of vehicles and automotive components amounted to a new record of R175.7bn, equating to 13.9% of SA’s total exports. The automobile industry is the country’s fifth-largest exporting sector.
According to naamsa/The Automotive Business Council, the disruption of the industry’s exports and imports was the culmination of three developments during July, being the civil unrest, level 4 lockdown measures and the Transnet crisis. These disruptions also impacted domestic sales of new vehicles. The Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reflected that the magnitude of the monthly decline was worse than during the hard lockdown in April 2020. It curtailed the automotive industry’s good progress made during the first half of the year.


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(Reuters) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday it is currently investigating two separate listeria outbreaks linked to packaged salads produced by Dole PLC and Fresh Express.
The agency’s probe along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes after the CDC reported 26 illnesses from the two https://bit.ly/3mtbf52 companies’ https://bit.ly/3JbJo33 packaged salads, of which 22 have been hospitalized and three have died.
Earlier this week, the companies had announced a recall of some of their products over possible contamination with the listeria bacteria, which can cause a severe illness known as invasive listeriosis and could lead to death.
Fresh Express’s recalled brands include Fresh Express, Bowl & Basket and Giant Eagle, while Dole’s brands were the Ahold, Dole, Kroger and Little Salad Bar.
The affected packages were processed at Dole’s facilities in Bessemer City, North Carolina and Yuma, Arizona, while Fresh Express’ products were made at Streamwood, Illinois.
(Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V)


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Technological Advancements to Amplify the Perks of Home Entertainment Devices
Watching movies, listening to music or even reading a book without moving out of our comfort zone has become easier nowadays. Advanced technology, in recent years, has gifted boundless ways of entertainment. Within a few decades, the technology has followed the journey from the era of black and white television and radio to the smart television, Bluetooth connecting devices, advanced gaming devices, and various other devices for domestic entertainment. Furthermore, the cable, satellite TV and high-speed internet have increased the options for domestic entertainments. Moreover, the arrival of smart technology as well have augmented the trend of home entertainment devices to its next level.
Over the past few years, there has been a significant growth in the customer’s investment for home entertainment devices. According to report published by Allied Market Research, the global home entertainment devices market is expected to portray a significant growth, supported by a CAGR of 6.9% by 2022. The growth in disposable income, reducing the process of entertainment products, rise in demand for connected products by the customers, and increase in product building by the retailers are some of the factors, leading the market towards growth. Following the trend of modern technology, several electronics and entertainment devices providers have come with innovative home entertainment products. Some of the recent market activities are as follows:
Recent activities in the market:
New products have been launched in the market. Recently Samsung, a leading tech giant company has uncovered its new 4K rotating TV, the Sero. The TV is like a giant smartphone for your living area, offering an experience of utilizing a smartphone. The Sero can be positioned vertically and horizontally. Furthermore, the company made its announcement during an annual tech conference Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in Las Vegas. Moreover, the 43-inch size TV would rotate automatically according to the Samsung Galaxy device, it is synced with. Though the company is yet to announce the date, when the TV would be launched, however, the company also announced to launch a new TV with an 8k borderless frame, with new screen sizes.
Following the same trend, a UK-based audio equipment provider, Ant Audio has recently launched its new range of rock series party speakers and home entertainment systems. The range of speakers includes Rock 150, Rock 300, and Rock 400 Bluetooth party speakers and home entertainment systems. The Rock 150 is built with a 4’ Inch 15 W subwoofer and has a digital screen and wired microphone with control buttons. A microphone has also been included for karaoke. The rock 300 party speaker has a 4-inch subwoofer and 40 hm + 2.5 inches * 2 tweeter speaker setups. Along with remote control, a karaoke with recording function and Echo features have also been provided with it. Furthermore, the Rock 400 speaker has a 5-inch subwoofer and 40 hm + 2.5 inches * 2 tweeter speakers. Additionally, it has 2000mAh capacity and Bluetooth version 5.0, wired mic and remote control, and karaoke with recording function and echo features.
Other than the perks of these entertainment devices, its affordability plays an important role as well. Moreover, its reducing prices with improved features have made it more acceptable among the crowd. The market witnesses an opportunity for growth with the rise in demands for streaming content. In addition, the further technological advancements with integration of more features offers worthwhile opportunities to the industry, in near future.
Chief editor of review team at FinancesOnline
Chief editor of review team at FinancesOnline Alex Hillsberg is an expert in the area of B2B and SaaS related products. He has worked for several B2B startups in the past and gathered a lot of first hand knowledge about the industry during that time.
Asia-Pacific becoming pillars for the growth of Global Baby Diapers Market
Better safety on the cards: Innovation & technology to transform sports protective equipment


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Getting big business in South Africa and government to pay their small business suppliers on time is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses and when the problem persists for too long, it can ultimately shut down a small business, warns the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC).
“More than ever before, now is the time to ensure that all your small business suppliers are paid quickly. We are urging big business in South Africa and government to release these all important payments now,” NSBC founder and CEO Mike Anderson emphasises.
He indicates that Covid-19 and the economic downturn have and will continue to have a devastating impact on small businesses throughout South Africa.
“Small businesses need to pay their workers, their rent, suppliers and other key operating expenses, and survive as a family. What they don’t need right now, or at any time in fact, is that additional burden of not receiving payment on outstanding invoices. We have limited control over how long the pandemic will disrupt our nation, but we are in control of how quickly we can pay our small business suppliers,” he says.
Anderson highlights that for any business, the amount of money flowing in or out is critical to its success.
He indicates that through the Prompt Payment Code, an NSBC initiative, the organisation is challenging the way small businesses are being paid.
“We are championing the importance of big business and government paying small business suppliers within 30 days or much quicker. It’s a highly recognised process where business and government openly commit to paying small businesses on time.”
He cites the findings of a recent Covid-19 National Small Business Survey, which indicates that late payments are at an all-time high.
“The average amount owed to each small business is now at its highest level. Big business and government are mainly to blame for small businesses waiting for payment. More than half of all small businesses in South Africa are burdened with late payments. The result is that small businesses are going out of business due to late payments,” Anderson notes.
He emphasises that intentional late or nonpayment is “totally unacceptable”, noting that the majority of the time, when a small business goes out of business, a family goes out of business.
“Procurement policies urgently need to be changed to accommodate for early payments. Late payments to small businesses coupled with the current crisis and the economic downturn spells out disaster for many small businesses, the mainstay of our economy, the very engine of our society and the future of job creation.
"We see small businesses going out of business every day, in many cases due to cash flow as a result of late or non-payment. Prompt payment is vital to the cash flow of every business, and especially to smaller businesses. The Prompt Payment Code is about encouraging and promoting best practice between government, larger organisations and their small business suppliers.
“We all have a collective responsibility to do whatever we can to keep small businesses in business and their workers employed. By paying small businesses quickly, this is the most meaningful step in the right direction,” says Anderson.


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Ted Baker, the British fashion brand, revealed a 22.1 per cent hike in revenue for the 13 week period to November 10th 2012 as consumers snapped up items in the UK and overseas.
Retail sales for the period were up 24.6% from the same time last year as average retail square footage climbed 13.7% to 269,942 square foot.
"We were pleased with our overall performance, particularly in the UK and also in the rest of Europe where we have opened further concessions in leading department stores in the Netherlands, Ireland and Spain as well as our first concessions in Germany," the group said in a company statement.
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Ted Baker's e-commerce business continued to perform well while its move into Asia, with the opening of its first store in Beijing, was 'encouraging'.
It added that momentum in the US was disrupted by the effects of Hurricane Sandy towards the end of the period.
Wholesale sales rose 14.2% for the period after a good performance from its US and UK wholesale businesses. It expects group wholesale sales for the full year to be some 12% ahead of last year.
Gross margins were, as anticipated, in line with last year.
Founder and Chief Executive Ray Kelvin said: "We are very encouraged by the reaction to the brand and collections in our new markets where we are investing for the longer term development of the brand and further new store openings are planned for the coming months, including our first store in Toronto, Canada, further stores in Shanghai, China as well as a new store in Heathrow Terminal 3."
"Whilst we are pleased with our performance to date, full year results will as always be dependent on trading over the key Christmas period."
FCA sets new sustainability labels for green investment funds - what do they mean?
The FCA has unveiled its anti-greenwashing measures and labelling regime, affecting financial products like green investment funds and savings accounts. We explain how they work.
By Ruth Emery Published
How to complain about your financial services provider
News The Financial Ombudsman Service is anticipating higher caseloads from mortgage borrowers and insurance customers next year - here is how to complain if you are unhappy with a financial product or service
By Marc Shoffman Published


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Over 60% of Bordeaux châteaux posted price rises in the 2014 campaign, some higher than others but increases didn’t necessarily mean bad value.
Pernod Ricard’s Irish subsidiary, Irish Distillers, has unveiled the first single pot still Irish whiskey to be finished in Bordeaux casks.
The latest en primeur campaign was over 5% more expensive than international merchants predicted according to Liv-ex.
The 2014 campaign has been neither a roaring success nor an unmitigated disaster but some merchants are now questioning their approach to future campaigns with one major merchant announcing a review.
Following Robert Parker’s in-bottle scores of the 2012 Bordeaux vintage some of the wines, including Haut-Brion, have seen substantial price increases.
Universally acknowledged as one of the best wines of the vintage, has Montrose gone too far with a 54% price hike?
The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 index ran flat in May with Bordeaux first growths accounting for the majority of wines that went up – and down over the course of the month.
A bottle of fine wine sold at a London auction last week could be undrinkable, despite the £11,750 price-tag.
The end of the 2014 campaign is in sight after a flurry of late releases and only Montrose remains unreleased among the big-name estates.
Auction house Acker Merrall & Condit hopes that lots of rare Bordeaux and Burgundy from two private cellar collections will enchant bidders at its HK sale in May.
© 2015 Union Press Ltd | Unit 122, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS, UK | Registered in England and Wales No. 03606414 | Tel: +44 (0)20 7803 2420


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Rawalpindi : The local administration, Rawalpindi has increased the prices of all daily used items like; milk, yogurt, mutton, beef, pulses, rice, etc in the open market. The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi has issued a notification to increase the rates of all eatable items here on Thursday.
According to notification no. IPWM/RWP/42/246 issued by the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi has increased the prices of mutton by Rs200 per kg and has fixed the price of one-kg mutton Rs1000 against Rs800. The price of one-kg beef has fixed Rs500 against Rs400 but it was already selling at Rs650. The DC has also increased the price of one-litre milk by Rs40, yogurt by Rs30 per kilogram and white channa by Rs10 per kilogram. Similarly, DC has fixed the price of 1-liter milk at Rs130 against Rs90 but it was already selling at Rs130, the yogurt price fixed at Rs140 against Rs110 but it was already selling at Rs140 in open market shops. The local administration
has also increased the prices of all pulses by Rs2 to Rs10 per kilogram.
The Deputy Commissioner has fixed the rate of one kilogram sugar at Rs88 but shops keepers in open markets are selling the commodity at Rs110. Majority of shopkeepers were not selling sugar. It seems that the local administration, Rawalpindi is unaware of the prices of daily consumable items like sugar, meat, pulses, firewood, coal, rice, milk, ‘atta’ and ‘roti’ sold in the open market.
The price of 100-gram ‘roti’ has been fixed at Rs7 and 120-gram ‘naan’ at Rs10 whereas ‘naanbais’ were selling a ‘roti’ at Rs10 and a ‘naan’ at Rs15 for the past six months, without government permission. The local administration did not fix the prices of ‘atta’ and ‘ghee’ and mentioned in notification that ‘atta’ prices are as per notified by the food department while ‘ghee’ will sell as per printed prices.
While a 20-kilogram ‘atta’ bag is being sold at different prices between Rs950 to Rs1250 and 1-kilogram ‘ghee’ is selling at Rs270 to Rs330.
The local administration fixed basmati rice at Rs150 while it is being sold from R190 to200 per kilogram, ‘daal channa’ is being sold at Rs170 instead of Rs150, ‘daal mong’ fixed price is Rs155 but it is being sold at Rs260 per kilogram, ‘daal masoor’ rate is Rs160 but it is being sold at Rs170, white chickpeas price is Rs145 while it is being sold at Rs170 per kilogram in the market. The local administration has fixed the price of ‘daal mash’ at Rs270 but it is being sold at Rs280.


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Apple Watch SE 2 awaited to launch one year from now alongside a new tough model
Apple recently launched the Watch Series 7 lineup and presently the organization is gearing up to launch new models in its portfolio of wearable gadgets. According to the report coming from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the Cupertino-based organization could patch up the whole lineup.
It is being accounted for that the Apple Watch lineup for the upcoming year could incorporate an updated version of the Apple Watch SE, which may be named Apple Watch SE 2. In addition to that, the organization is additionally expected to launch a rugged design version focused on competitors.
Alongside these new gadgets, the organization is set to proceed with the standard arrangement which will be redesigned with more features in the forthcoming Apple Watch Series 8, offering every one of the top notch highlights from the tech goliath.
The Apple Watch SE 2 will be in accordance with the first SE model that was dispatched in the year 2020, focused on financial design clients. It highlights designs like the ordinary Apple Watch models yet comes up short on a portion of the high level features, for example, always-on display, blood oxygen sensor, and ECG usefulness.
Up until this point, nothing is had some significant awareness of what the refreshed Watch SE model could offer however there’s plausible of a somewhat changed design and some extra features identified with wellbeing and wellness the board yet it’s only hypothesis right now.
Apple is likewise intending to dispatch a rough form of its smartwatch with supported solidness which will be focused on towards sports competitors. It is said to have a “ruggedized” design and may include a case more impervious to scratches, marks, falls, and then some.
At present, the tech goliath has three arrangements of smartwatches — Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple Watch SE. The organization will presently be extending the offering and focusing on specialty clients with a rugged design.


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“India is extremely significant to Xiaomi. It is our largest international market outside of mainland China, and I am truly excited that Mi 4i will be launching first in India, followed by our other global markets,” said Xiaomi founder and chief executive officer Lei Jun.
Mi 4i features a 5-inch 1080p full HD display with a sleek unibody design. It is powered by Snapdragon 615 second-gen 64-bit 8 core processor at 1.7 GHz clock speed, which has been created by Qualcomm.
Xiaomi has collaborated with manufacturing partner Foxconn to manufacture a motherboard that is one of the smallest and thinnest found in a phone this size, making space for a huge 3120mAh battery that can power through 1.5 days of normal usage — that is on average 38 percent more battery capacity across 5-inch premium devices, and 72 percent higher capacity than the iPhone 6 battery.
It also features 4G dual SIM slots with a 13 mega pixel (MP) front and 2 MP rear camera.
Xiaomi Global vice president Hugo Barra also announced that the extremely popular Mi Band is coming to India, and will be sold exclusively on Mi.com.
Xiaomi is already selling one million units of the Mi Band a month, and Mi India fans will now be able to get their hands on one. (IANS)


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Stephen: Video games hall of fame adds The Last Of Us and Wii Sports
Written by Stephen Lethbridge on May 10, 2023
The World Video Game Hall of Fame has announced its 2023 inductees. Barbie Fashion Designer, Computer Space, The Last of Us, and Wii Sports beat finalists Angry Birds, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Goldeneye 007.
The new Hall of Fame in Buffalo, New York will open June 30th.
Barbie Fashion Designer was released for PCs in 1996 and allows players to design clothes for their dolls and print them on fabric. “Barbie Fashion Designer became a jumping-off point for the girls’ games movement and shook up the software and gaming scene,” manager Kristy Hisert said. The iconic Wii Sports brought motion-based technology to mainstream games. The Last of Us went on to inspire an HBO series, and Computer Space was the first commercially available video game.


text: The commercials Michael Jordan starred in during his early years in pro basketball had the Chicago Bulls guard starring alongside Spike Lee, aka Mars Blackmon, who revered the Nike Air Jordans the star wore. \u201cMoney, it\u2019s gotta be the shoes!\u201d Blackmon repeated over and over. Nike has made plenty of sneakers since then worn by basketball players of all ages. Some are more noticeable to the public eye than others. Take the Nike Hyperdunk 2011, for instance. They are made in the color volt, which basically glows in the dark, allowing the footwear to be seen in the dead of night. They certainly can be seen any time the Hamden Hall boys\u2019 basketball team takes the floor for a game. The three captains, Victor Joshua, Darren Payen and B.J. Davis, came up with the idea last fall when they were looking for sneakers on Eastbay, a website that sells sneakers and sports equipment. \u201cWe decided to go with them to make us the \u2018New Three,\u2019\u201d Davis said. He is referring to the dynamic trio of Danny Oglesby, Casey Hughes and Scott Draughn, who played and won New England Prepatory School Athletic Council Class D championships for Hamden Hall in the 1990s. Coach Keith Kaliszewski had to find enough pairs from more than just the Eastbay site to outfit almost the entire team. The players or a family member paid for the individual sneakers, approximately $80 each. \u201cAt first, I wasn\u2019t a huge fan of them, but they definitely grew on me,\u201d Kaliszewski said. \u201cI had warm-up shirts (safety green, a similar color) made that are the same color before our first game.\u201d The coaches and players have received comments on it. The one that stands out came on Twitter from the Greenwich Time newspaper: \u201cHamden Hall has maybe the most hideous sneakers in state.\u201d That came on Jan. 4, when Hamden Hall won at Brunswick, a Fairchester League school based in Greenwich. Kaliszewski retweeted it. Joshua, Davis and Kaliszewski all noted that the Hornets already had a target on their backs after winning the NEPSAC Class C title last season. Wearing sneakers such as the Nike Hyperdunk\u2019s only enhances opponents\u2019 determination to beat them. \u201cI think they give us a lot of attention,\u201d Joshua said. \u201cBut other than the color, there\u2019s not much to them. They\u2019re like any other basketball sneakers. It doesn\u2019t even cross my mind anymore. You have to get used to it, but you also have to remember there is still a basketball game to be played.\u201d The captains encouraged their fellow students to wear similar-colored shirts for the Jan. 14 game against Hopkins. A parent donated over 100 shirts for the student sectionin the 64-62 win by Hamden Hall on a Darryl Best buzzer-beating layup. \u201cThere was a line of kids who waited for an hour before the game to get one,\u201d Kaliszewski said. \u201cIt snaked from the from the front of the (Beckerman) athletic center to the back.\u201d To receive breaking news first, simply text the word nhsports to 22700. *Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.


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Government-owned infrastructure company Avtodor has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei to jointly develop connected roads
On Wednesday, Huawei signed a MoU with state infrastructure company Avtodor to cooperate on the creation of high-speed roads.
The deal potentially includes the deployment of ‘optical communication lines’ alongside roads, which will form the backbone for a network of autonomous vehicles. In addition, plans will be put in place to ensure that there is a stable mobile connection throughout the road network. Some of these roads will be operated on a toll basis.
"The document was signed by Chairman of the Board of Avtodor State Company Vyacheslav Petushenko and General Director of Huawei Enterprise in the Eurasia region Xiao Haijun on behalf of Huawei Tech Company LLC," said the announcement.
The exact scale of this deal is unknown, but given the scale of the infrastructure involved, is likely to be a major financial boost for Huawei.
The Chinese vendor has found itself under increasing pressure from US sanctions over the past year, with disruption to its supply chain leading the company to begin to lose its grip on much of its European market. Today Proximus and Orange Belgium selected Nokia to replace Huawei for their 5G network, while neighbours France and Germany are also assuming measures that would see the Chinese company slowly removed from their national networks.
But Russia, naturally, is not one to be swayed by American overtures; in fact, measures by the US have only served to drive Huawei and Russia further together. Last year, Huawei announced plans to invest more than $10 million into its Russian operations, including spending $7.8 million to promote 5G in the country and train 10,000 specialists by 2025. Huawei was notably a key partner in launching Russia’s first 5G test zone in Moscow and is currently contracted with numerous operators to rollout 5G within the country.
Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei said back in August that the increased US sanctions had led the vendor to transfer their US investments to Russia, including expanding their R&D team. As part of this process, Huawei’s Russian research team will join the development of their Harmony operating system, as the vendor moves to build a challenger to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS systems.
While Huawei has not yet lost sight of its European ambitions, it is becoming increasingly clear that US sanctions are driving a long-term wedge between the US and Chinese tech communities. It will be hard for Huawei’s Harmony system to gain traction early on in the face of its well-established rivals, but Huawei is very serious about growing the platform. Right now, it plans for 100 million devices to run HarmonyOS, but it’s 600 million smartphone users could soon follow.
Regardless of its immediate value, China and Russia – the US’s largest cyber opponents – increasing their technological is surely something of a worry for Washington.
Also in the news:


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The Special Tour
The Special Tour
Please note: General Admission Floor/Pit guests will be able to line-up at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina HomeCourt Entrance beginning at 8:00AM day of show. All GA Floor/Pit guests must enter through this entrance.
April 25, 2022 – Three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning, RIAA multi-platinum certified artist Lizzo is fresh off the release of her anthemic new single “About Damn Time,” available now via Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records. Now, the superstar is continuing the launch of her new era by announcing The Special Tour, extensive North American arena dates with support from special guest, Atlanta rapper Latto. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on September 23 in Sunrise, FL, and runs through November with stops including New York City on October 2 and Los Angeles on November 18.
Lizzo’s The Special Tour will visit Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Thursday, October 20. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, April 29, at 10 a.m. at spectrumcentercharlotte.com or ticketmaster.com. Fans who pre-save/pre-add Lizzo’s upcoming SPECIAL album HERE will receive early access to purchase tour tickets.
American Express® Card Members will have first access to purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, April 28, at 10 p.m. local time. Lizzo has been a longtime partner of American Express, celebrating Pride with the brand in June 2019 and closing out the 2021 season of American Express UNSTAGED with an epic performance for Card Members in Miami last December. From early ticket access to exclusive artist merch, to innovations like wearable payment technology at music festivals, American Express is always focused on making your experience with music better #withAmex.
As the official wireless partner for The Special Tour, Lizzo and T-Mobile are teaming up to bring T-Mobile customers access to stage-front pit and awesome lower bowl tickets at every U.S. tour stop, even at sold-out shows! Un-carrier customers can snag their Reserved Tickets starting 30 days prior to each show at first-day prices – just another way T-Mobile thanks its customers simply for being customers. For more information, visit https://www.t-mobile.com/music.


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Industrial Efficiency Conference 2019
The NCPC-SA’s 4th biennial Industrial Efficiency Conference 2019 focused on empowering businesses and policy makers to adopt and support a cleaner, more efficient model of doing business, while addressing environmental and socio-economic challenges.
The conference focused on the following themes:
RECP in the digital economy
Sessions addressed resource efficiency best practice, as well as how smarter, digital infrastructure could be used to enhance the circular economy, and the ability of industries to become more resource efficient and better manage their footprint.
Developing circular economy producers and consumers
By showcasing products of businesses that have adopted RECP, to raise awareness about the importance of consumer and customer purchasing decisions in driving the transition to a circular economy.
This year, the conference included a session dedicated to improving the efficiencies of the foundry sector, hosted at the conference by industry support programme, the National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN).
The breakaway sessions and presentations were:
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Equipping Industrial Efficiency


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Samsung has released an update for its international Galaxy S3 smartphone that disables on-device search functionality.
The over-the-air upgrade currently rolling out is described as a "stability" update. But although it brings system improvements, it also strips out the local search functionality from the device's built-in Google Search app.
This means that when S3 owners conduct a Web search on their smartphone will not be included.
The change is thought to be the result of the continuing patent spat between the South Korean company and Apple. Although Apple owns a patent that covers local searches, it has not been cited in any legal battle so far. Samsung probably decided to limit the functionality of the smartphone rather than face more legal wrangling over patents.
It is not the first time that the Android operating system has been modified in response to legal challenges by Apple. Other notable instances of Android modifications include the way in the which Android devices now implement slide to unlock, as well as the removal of the bouncing scroll UI effect. Samsung has also been forced to redesign hardware in order to avoid sales injunctions in countries including Germany.
Apple was also defeated in a London court earlier this month when it tried to have Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablets banned in the UK after it failed to convince a judge that the South Korean firm had copied the look of its iPad.
Apple was ordered to publish the fact that its competitor had not infringed its registered design on its website and in magazines as a consequence.
Samsung was more successful in Germany on Tuesday when an appeals court in Dusseldorf extended a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 across the EU because of a related claim.
The two firms are set to clash again in the US on Monday when a jury will hear patent infringement suits filed by both companies against the other.


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Nissan recalls over 1 million vehicles over airbag software glitch
27 March 2014
Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor is recalling over 1 million cars, SUVs and vans mainly in North America over a software glitch which may not activate the front passenger air bag in a crash.
It is the second recall in a little over a year by the carmaker for some of the vehicles to fix the same problem.
The latest recall is for the Altima mid-size car, Leaf electric car, Pathfinder SUV and Sentra compact models from the 2013 and 2014 model years, as well as the NV200 Taxi van and Infiniti JX35 SUV from 2013 and the Infiniti QX60 and Q50 SUVs from 2014.
The recall affects almost 989,701 vehicles in the US, around 60,000 in Canada and the rest in other countries.
Nissan said that the vehicles' software called the occupant classification system, may not detect an adult in the front passenger seat and the air bags may not inflate.
Front passenger seats have sensors that gauge the passenger's weight and turn off air bags off if a child is sitting.
In its filing with US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan said that the system may not work if there is "high engine vibration at idle when the seat is initially empty and then becomes occupied, or unusual occupant seating postures immediately upon being seated."
Nissan noted that there have been accidents, but no injuries or deaths related to the problem.


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It’s been a while since the Windows 10 Version 1809 Update was released, but it seems like the issues associated with the update don’t cease to appear. While users faced issues such as automatic file deletion at launch, there were a number of bugs marring the release later on as well.
A support article published at Microsoft’s website mentions that “Microsoft has identified issues with certain, new Intel display drivers. Intel inadvertently released versions of its display driver (versions 18.104.22.16844, 22.214.171.12445) to OEMs that accidentally turned on unsupported features in Windows.” Microsoft further says, “After updating to Windows 10, version 1809, audio playback from a monitor or television connected to a PC via HDMI, USB-C, or a DisplayPort may not function correctly on devices with these drivers.”
Meanwhile Microsoft has stopped rolling out the 1809 Update to users who use a HDMI, USB-C or Display Port for playback, as it silences the audio for some users. The good news is that Microsoft will be working along with Intel to come up with a solution “in an upcoming release”. While Microsoft blames Intel for the said issue, Intel is still verifying the issue. Intel gave a statement to The Register, saying that “We are investigating feedback that in some instances customers who have installed the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) are experiencing issues with certain versions of Intel Graphics and Display Audio drivers. We are working with Microsoft to verify these reports and will share more information when it is available“.
Major Windows Updates are always associated with a wide array of bugs, so there’s nothing new, but given the fact that it’s been almost close to two months since release and issues are still appearing inadvertently, it is not a good sign. Although the issues aren’t as severe as the initial file deletion issues, it is a cause of concern for people who have been affected by the said issue.


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E-waste to energy: Old laptop batteries can be repurposed
A tech start-up has a plan to reuse and repurpose dead laptop batteries. Bengaluru-based Nunam found that old laptop batteries are adequate to power lights, charge phones and provide energy to other low consuming products. Discarded laptop batteries still retain 80% of its original potential, not enough to run the laptop but can be recycled.
Nunam collects old batteries from e-waste dealers and distributes their repurposed energy storage systems to street vendors and small shopkeepers. Nunam’s first prototype is a sleek, grey box of 28 interconnected lithium-ion cells salvaged from discarded laptops. It’s a 12-volt battery with a capacity of up to 18 Ah that can power lights, mobile phones and other low-wattage devices. Each cell and unit of the second-life energy storage system comes with a serial number and is GPS-enabled. When the batteries expire, Nunam’s team will collect them and send them to recycling centres.
Founders Darshan Virupaksha and Prodip Chatterjee launched the first batch of the prototype in October. The second-life battery units are being distributed for free to vegetable sellers and other street vendors in Bengaluru, in association with SELCO Foundation.
According to The Better India, people who can’t afford electricity, spend about Rs 10 a day on candles to keep their homes and shops lit — a total of at least Rs 300 a month. Reprocessing batteries has a big impact on the country’s energy plans. As many as 90% of batteries are not recycled currently. Repurposing these items puts in place a system which will cut down the cost of energy by 50%, as opposed to buying new lithium-ion-batteries. Not only does it save energy producing resources, but also reduces chemical pollution caused due to dumping of batteries on landfills.
Source: The Better India
Image source: Nunam


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This spring, US consumers were excited about tax rebate checks – a Harris Poll found that 45% said the checks would help stimulate the economy – but now that summer is over and most stimulus rebate checks are cashed, attitudes have changed, a new Harris Poll finds?(via Retailer Daily).
More than half of Americans (52%) say spending the checks did not stimulate the economy and 37% say it did, according to a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,710 US adults surveyed online August 11-17.
Among the findings:
- More than half of Republicans (52%) say rebate checks did stimulate the economy while three in five Democrats (61%) and over half of Independents (56%) say they did not:
- In April, just under three-quarters (73%) of Americans predicted they would receive payment; 71% now say they did receive a rebate check.
- Some seven in ten Americans with incomes of $34,999 or less and incomes of $75,000 or more (70% each) say they received a check.
- More than four in five adults with incomes of between $35,000 and $49,999 (86%) and between $50,000 and $74,999 (87%) say they received rebate checks.
How the Checks Were Spent
Though the government expressed a hope that the checks would be spent to spur the economy, what actually took place was slightly different.
What was predicted in April:
- Americans said they would use some of the rebate to reduce their non-mortgage debt, paying off bills or credit cards (38%) or adding to their cash savings (35%).
- One in five (21%) said they would spend the money on other things they wanted to buy.
- 20% said they would use the rebate to take a leisure trip.
- 17% said they would spend their money on home improvements.
- 16% said they would use the money in restaurants and for dining out.
- One in ten said they would use the money for technology devices or entertainment events.
What happened in August:
- People primarily used their rebate checks to reduce non-mortgage debt, such as paying off bills or credit cards (36%) and to add to their cash savings (29%).
- One in five (21%) did actually spend the money on other things they wanted to buy.
- Just one in ten (11%) actually used the rebate to take a trip for leisure purposes.
- Americans spent their money on home improvements (14%) and in restaurants and dining out (12%).
- Only 5% said they used the money for technology devices or entertainment events.
As predicted, much of the rebate money ended up deposited in savings or being mailed to credit card issuers. Retailers did try to get some of the rebate money, but that did not end up occurring as much as they, and probably the White House, wanted.
The economy is still one of the most important issues facing the country. With the economic uncertainty, Americans thought they would want to put away some cash and help reduce debt and that is exactly what they did.
What seemed like a great economic fix in the earlier part of the year has not panned out, and Americans are still looking for Congress and the White House to provide some relief – but with the November elections just two months away, it is unlikely that either will be able to actually do something that will help voters before the election.
How voters react to that inaction will definitely affect their behavior in November.


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ADA — One product that Alticor does not make or sell is snake oil, and the Ada-based direct marketer is hoping to keep the Federal Trade Commission from slapping it with rules aimed at those who do.
Quixtar Chief Counsel Sharon Grider said the company filed comments and rebuttals this year regarding the FTC’s proposed rule changes, which she said are aimed at “snake oil salesmen.”
In April, the FTC issued proposals that would require representatives presenting “business opportunities” to meet new guidelines aimed at combating hundreds of enforcement actions against work-at-home and multilevel marketing companies, according to an FTC press release.
The proposals would require sales representatives of multilevel markers to provide recruits with a one-page disclosure addressing five items, according to the FTC: whether sellers make earnings claims; a list of legal actions against the seller that involve fraud, misrepresentations, securities or deceptive or unfair trade practices; whether the seller has cancellation or refund policies and such policies’ terms; total number of purchasers in the past two years and the number of them seeking a refund or cancellation; and a list of references. If earnings claims are made, the sales representative must present the recruits with a separate statement.
While current regulations cover companies that offer start-up costs under $500, the proposal would do away with that limit, applying the new rules to all multilevel marketers.
The FTC said that the proposal also prohibits: “misrepresentations about the material terms of the business relationship; the use of shills; misrepresentations of endorsements or testimonials; failure to honor territorial product guarantees; and failure to honor refunds.”
Grider said Quixtar and Alticor support the FTC’s effort to rein in fraud.
“We believe this can be accomplished in a way that will not penalize legitimate opportunities such as Quixtar or impose undue burdens on the hundreds of thousands of Quixtar Independent Business Owners who rely on Quixtar for some or all of their income,” Grider stated.
“We have proposed a ‘safe harbor’ approach to the FTC that would offer reasonable disclosure requirements to any opportunity that offers new participants a 90 percent refund of initial payment, plus a 90 percent refund of any unsold inventory. Such business opportunities would be required to make simple and standardized disclosures, including information about how to claim a refund, how to get comprehensive information about the business opportunity, and some meaningful indication of the average income of active participants.”
That would let Quixtar off the hook for providing a list of litigation allegations and the number of cancellations or refund requests from participants, she said.
“We have confidence that the FTC and Quixtar share the goal of protecting consumers while allowing legitimate business opportunities to operate,” Grider said.
It’s likely to be several years before any rules go into effect, she added. Steven Toporoff of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection said the next step in the process has yet to be determined.
“The rule-making process is long and there are any number of opportunities for the public to have input,” Toporoff said. “We received about 17,000 comments. We need to analyze those to see where people’s concerns rest, and we will take it from there.”


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With Paris announcing the cancellation of its upcoming men’s and haute couture fashion weeks, London is next to voice out its arrangements to the fashion calendar.
Stay-at-home orders for a large proportion of the global population has forced the brands, organisations and institutions of the world of fashion to take radical steps, notably with regard to runway shows.
What format will be adopted for forthcoming fashion weeks? How do designers and brands intend to present their future collections? Will fashion shows be open to the public? The biggest institutions in the world of fashion are seeking solutions to these questions, now that Paris’ men’s and haute couture fashion shows that were scheduled for June and July have been cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The British Fashion Council has just provided some answers with the announcement that binary shows will no longer be held in the British capital, effectively putting an end to London Fashion Week Men’s for good. From now on, there will be one ‘genderless’ platform, where designers present their collections and brand identities at a combined London Fashion Week.
The change will come into effect this June on dates that were initially planned for London Week Men’s (from 12–14 June) with a 100 percent digital showcase, in line with social distancing measures. Following its launch, Londonfashionweek.co.uk will be open to both the professionals and the public from all over the world. The new platform will feature multimedia content by designers, creative artists and brand partners in the form of interviews, podcasts, designers’ notes, webinars and digital showrooms.
With the new format, the British Fashion Council is hoping to enable brands and designers to sell their existing collections to the public, and collections for seasons to come to retailers.
As it stands, the names of the designers participating in this first session have yet to be disclosed. However, the schedule is expected to be busier than usual now that it involves both women’s and men’s clothing. It also remains to be seen whether the new format will also be embraced by New York, Milan and Paris, which have yet to communicate on their plans.
This article is published via AFP Relaxnews.


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MIUI 8, the next major upgrade after MIUI 7 has been officially released at an event in China alongside the Xiaomi Mi Max 6.44-inch Android phablet. The MIUI custom ROM based on Android was launched back in August 16th, 2010 and now it is one of the most popular Android ROMs in the world featuring richer user experience and better themes.
“We hope your eyes would still be comfortable after reading on phones for 6 hours”, said Xiaomi VP Mr.Hong Feng.
After a period of 18 months dedication, Xiaomi has finally developed its own font called Mi Lanting and thereby becomes the third mobile phone company to have its own font after Apple and Google. The new MIUI fonts will provide enhanced mobile reading experience for all MIUI users who loves spending more than 5.5 hours on a single day.
From the above image we can clearly see that Xiaomi has concentrated on the centre-grid of characters. The fonts are well optimized to reduce the stiffness and roughness.
MIUI 8 Mi Lanting font
Note: Currently the font works only on China ROM.
Do you like the Xiaomi Mi Lanting font? Comment below!
Stay tuned as we will update once the font is released for other MIUI Global ROM phones.


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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many of us grow up believing that skipping breakfast is a dietary travesty – even if only two thirds of adults in the UK eat breakfast regularly, according to the Association of UK Dieticians (BDA), and around three-quarters of Americans.
The clue for why breakfast is supposed to be important is in its name: we’re advised to eat it to break our overnight fast.“The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through the night,” explains dietician Sarah Elder. “Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy, as well as protein and calcium used throughout the night.”
But there’s widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keep its top spot in the hierarchy of meals. As well as the rising popularity of fasting diets, there have been concerns around the sugar content of cereal and the food industry’s involvement in pro-breakfast research – and even one claim from an academic that breakfast is “dangerous”.
So what’s the reality? Is breakfast a necessary start to the day… or a marketing ploy by cereal companies?
The most researched aspect of breakfast (and breakfast-skipping) has been its links to obesity. Scientists have different theories as to why there’s a relationship between the two.
In one US study that analysed the health data of 50,000 people over seven years, researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate a large lunch or dinner.


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FERNLEY, Nev. — Deceuninck North America announced recently that longtime president and CEO, Filip Geeraert, will retire from his role, effective July 1. He will transition to serve as chairmain of the company's board of directors.
According to a June 1 press release, Francis Van Eeckhout, CEO of Deceuninck Group, the Belgian-based parent company of Deceuninck North America, said a global search for Geeraert's replacement has been concluded, and a replacement will be announced soon.
“We are excited to begin this next chapter in our Deceuninck story,” Van Eeckhout said in a statement. “Filip's strong, steady hand as the leader of our North American operations for nearly a decade has produced verifiable results across the board for Deceuninck — in providing customer solutions, in product innovation and in greater market share. We now have a highly qualified successor in place to assure our customers, employees and stakeholders that the future is bright.”
Per the press release, Geeraert engineered a period of sustained growth for Deceuninck North America — which launched in 1995 in Monroe, Ohio — despite the Great Recession, recording “a number of years marked by double-digit growth for Deceuninck North America in its key markets.”
Geeraert also oversaw the company's $22.5 million Western expansion when the company opened a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fernley in 2016.
“This year marks my 20th year with Deceuninck North America, and without a doubt, it became my second home over the past two decades. My work has always energized me, and I am proud of what my team and I accomplished,” Geeraert said in a statement. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lead Deceuninck North America during a period of time that presented many opportunities, and we effectively capitalized on them to generate terrific returns. I have been blessed working with people who brought out the best in me.
“I am delighted to pass the leadership to a well-respected executive who has held positions in multiple continents, including the U.S. The future is indeed bright, and I look forward to sharing it with our customers, our employees and the Board in the years to come.”


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Global solar power developers are slowing project installations due to rising component, labor and freight costs as the global economy rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, executives say. industry and analysts polled by Reuters.
The situation suggests a slowdown in the growth of the zero-emission solar energy industry as global governments attempt to step up efforts to tackle climate change, and marks a reversal for the sector after a decade. lower costs.
It also reflects another industry rocked by supply chain bottlenecks that developed during the recovery from the coronavirus health crisis, which is causing businesses from electronics manufacturers to home improvement retailers to suffer. huge shipping delays as well as skyrocketing costs.
âThe narrative is changing,â said Bruno Brunetti, clean energy analyst at S&P Global Platts, in an interview, citing cost inflation.
One of the main obstacles to solar power is the tripling of the prices of steel, a key component of racks containing solar panels, and polysilicon, the raw material used in the panels.
Soaring ocean freight rates along with higher fuel, copper and labor costs are also weighing on project costs, company executives said.
Research firm IHS Markit warned last week that its global solar installation forecast for the year could rise to 156 gigawatts from a current projection of 181 GW if price pressures do not ease.
Wall Street has also punished the industry in recent weeks, causing the MAC Global Solar Index (.SUNIDX) to fall 24% this year after tripling in 2020.
Project developers in the United States, the No.2 solar market behind China, told Reuters they are struggling to price projects for 2022 given lack of clarity on how long the price spikes will last. .
Solar engineering, procurement and construction company Swinerton Renewable Energy said some of its customers have also put “takeovers” on projects due to start later this year while they wait to see if prices drop. .
“We just got used to such an inexpensive source of power,” said George Hershman, chairman of Swinerton. “Like everything, it’s hard to accept that you’re going to start paying more.”
Contract prices for solar power were already up 15% in the United States in the first quarter compared to a year ago due to higher interconnection and permit costs, according to a quarterly index from LevelTen Energy .
U.S. panel maker First Solar Inc (FSLR.O) told investors in April that congestion at U.S. ports was delaying its module shipments from Asia.
And a US manufacturer of solar mounting systems, Array Technologies Inc (ARRY.O), withdrew its guidance for the year last month due to steel and freight costs.
In Europe, some projects that do not have strict deadlines for when to start supplying electricity are being delayed, executives and analysts say.
“The situation has not been resolved as prices have remained high, so those with the ability to wait are still waiting,” said Jose Nunez, chief financial officer of Spanish solar tracker maker Soltec Power Holdings SA (SOLPW.MC ). Nunez said Soltec is seeing project delays in all of the markets it serves.
Supply constraints could put upward pressure on relatively stable European solar prices later this year as companies seek to preserve already very slim profit margins, according to LevelTen.
In China, the world’s largest manufacturer of solar products, producers are already raising prices to protect margins, leading to slow orders.
According to three solar panel makers in China polled by Reuters, panel prices have risen 20 to 40 percent in the past year, following soaring costs for polysilicon, the raw material for solar cells and panels.
âWe have to make the product, but on the other hand, if the price is too high, the developers of the project want to wait,â said Jack Xiao, marketing director of BeyondSun Holdings, a panel maker that exports 60% of its products. .
A state-backed solar cell plant manager who asked not to be named told Reuters production fell because customers were reluctant to fulfill orders at current prices.
Chinese company Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ.O), a major producer of panels, said last month that prices for its products rose 10% in the first quarter from the previous three months, an increase that ‘she plans to pass on to her customers.
“We will continue to increase prices and we are prepared to drop some volumes in order to protect margins,” said Yan Zhuang, president of the company’s module manufacturing division, in a conference call with investors in the month. latest.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Home Tags Kemin
Kemin Industries, a global nutritional ingredient company that uses science to create solutions and products for half of the world’s population, has recently launched...
Kemin launches LYSOFORTE® Liquid. It is a naturally derived liquid bio-surfactant that is added directly into the oil or fat line during feed production. Mixing the bio-surfactant with the oil and fats early enhances its efficacy and helps standardize the energy value of the oil, in combination with the well-known effects of LYSOFORTE® on nutrient digestion and absorption.
Kemin has recently established new quality control laboratories, logistics office and warehouse in Herentals, Belgium to provide safer and higher quality products.


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Why is broadcast radio terrified? They are attacking Howard in the press by saying the four million listeners who switched to Sirius in the last year is just a drop in the bucket of their 280 million listeners. But that's exactly why they're so scared. There's another 280 million potential new buyers who might also switch. Sirius has tremendous growth potential.
Sirius has sold four million radios so far. And there isn't any particular reason to think that eventually they might sell tens of millions every year. Apple has sold 50 million iPods since 2001.
One thing that has been holding back Sirius sales that there are shortages of their most popular players. They're selling them just about as fast as they can make them. But there is another thing that has been holding them back. Their radios are crap.
Don't get me wrong, satelite radio is great. It's digitial, you can get a signal anywhere in the United States. It has commerical free music and, most importantly, two channels of Howard Stern.
Unfortunately, the actual radios, the hardware being sold is pretty lousy. The radios are generally ugly, poorly designed and manufactured. I got a Starmate Replay and the LCD broke when I pushed my fingers too hard on it. I then bought the top of the line S50 and the buttons feel cheap and don't respond properly. Moreover, the S50 is suppose to be portable, but you can't listen to Sirius live, you have to have pre-recorded the content. Recording is for some reason limited to 2 hour blocks. Overall, Sirius radios feel like cheaply made electronics from a Chinese knockoff company. These are not slick iPods.
This isn't too surprising. Before Howard announced he was moving to Sirius, the company was in deep trouble. It was losing money like crazy and had less that 600,000 listeners. It makes sense they didn't have the kind of money that Apple has to throw into the research and design of iPods let alone Apple's experience in manufacturing.
But thanks to Howard that's all about to change. 4 million new subscribers represents $40 million in cash a month flowing into Sirius, more than enough to upgrade their products.
And new products are coming, in particular the Stiletto, which looks much slicker and solves a lot of the problems with the S50 including the recording limit. It offers true portability.
Another key development is that the Stiletto will be the first radio that will be able to pick up Sirius in WiFi zones. This will expand the coverage of listening to inside buildings where the need of an antenna prevented fans from getting Sirius. This will mean that people all over the world will finally be able to hear Howard.
And that's the problem for traditional broadcast radio. Their core technology is completely outdated however pretty, cheap and availible their hardware is. That's why they're scrambling for HD radio, but the whole notion of radio being broadcast by individual stations across the country is outdated regardless of any changes they might try. It simply makes more sense to get radio from satelite, and the technology for getting it is simply going to keep improving.
Right now, over 4 million people were willing to buy crappy radios with lots of problems just to listen to Howard. But as the radios improve, people might actually start buying them because they are slick products. How long will it take before a large percentage of those 280 million traditional radio listeners switch over to satelite. It took Apple 5 years to get to 50 million iPod users. I think Sirius might get there a lot faster.
And that's another reason for Sirius to smile. They are not only in the cable television subscriber business (which is a very good business to be in) where they get monthy payments for the content they broadcast, but they are also in the hardware business like Apple. They come out with a cool new product like the Stiletto, and Howard's millions of fans would buy the new toy, AND keep subscribing. Heck, maybe they'll even give the old one to a friend who will then subscribe.
And Sirius has an advantage over Apple because of it's subscription model. When they come out with a new product, rather than discount the old hardware, they can simply give it away for free. As they already are doing with a lot of outdated crappy radios. But it's worth it in the long run for the subscription fees. And guess what, when those new listeners get hooked, they'll buy cooler new radios.
This also works for the retailers Sirius counts on for sales. They understand that this is a business where they can sell a new radio to an old customer anytime Sirius comes out with a cooler, sleeker, more fuctional product. It's a pretty neat trick to suddenly find yourself int the iPod and cable subscription business, to of the most profitable business to be in today.


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SUNBURY, Pa. Weis Markets on Tuesday announced it will host two senior health and lifestyle expos -- the first in Williamsport, Pa., on Oct. 19, and the second in Bloomsburg, Pa., on April 19, 2011. The expos will feature exhibits from dozens of local and regional companies that provide products and services for adults ages 50 years and older.
"The information offered at the expo will be of special interest to folks 50-plus that have different needs as they age,” stated Deborah Verderame, show coordinator. “The exhibitor mix is excellent,” she said. The mix will include representatives from healthcare organizations, hospitals, insurance companies, home care suppliers and mobility product companies, among others.
Aspecial feature of the expos will be a free “Early Bird Breakfast" prepared by Weis Markets and served 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Courtney Thomas, Miss Pennsylvania 2010, will serve as the official expo hostess. Thomas will visit the booths of the expo sponsors for photo opportunites with guests and exhibit staff. Exhibitors also will provide door prizes and have prize drawings that visitors may enter at each booth.


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Kia’s third model to enter the Indian market is set to be introduced in the hotly-contested compact SUV segment. We got a glimpse of the car at this year’s Auto Expo. Christened as the Sonet, the car will take a few of the most popular offerings in India including the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon. Here are 5 things you need to know about the car.
Ahead of its complete unveiling, Kia has given us a few teasers of the car that sheds a dim light on its exterior and design. The Korean manufacturer claims that except for its signature tiger-nose grille, the Sonet will be a brand-new model in terms of styling. The car is highlighted by muscular wheel arches, a connected taillight unit, gold paint, darkened C-pillar and flush door handles.
The silhouette of the car suggests that the car will have an upright stance with conventional proportions and high ground clearance, similar to the Hyundai Venue.
If the Seltos proved anything, it was Kia’s strength in providing a car filled to the brim with features. The Sonet is expected to be nothing less. Considering that the Venue and the Vitara Brezza have rooted itself as the most popular contenders in the segment, the Sonet must arrive with an attractive package. A few notable features from the Seltos will be carried over to the Sonet. Additionally, a few features such as an 8-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, built-in eSIM for UVO car connectivity features, push-button start with keyless entry, automatic climate control, wireless charger, electric sunroof, rear AC vents, six airbags and much more could be expected.
Kia has not put out an official word regarding the powertrain options in the Sonet. However, we expect the car to share its engines with its cousin, the Hyundai Venue. Both models will be based on the same platform as well. This means that on offer would be a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit delivering 120 PS and 171 Nm, a 1.5-litre petrol unit that produces 115 PS 144 Nm and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel unit that puts out 115 PS and 250 Nm of torque. A 6-speed manual and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic should be the transmission choices.
In addition to this, Hyundai’s iMT option that recently debuted on the Venue is also expected to make it to the Sonet. For the unaware, the intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) offers the convenience of a 2-pedal clutch-less technology combined with a traditional manual gear lever. This eliminates the need for drivers to constantly use the clutch pedal.
4. Launch Date and Pricing
The car is set to be unveiled in the flesh on August 7. Several dealerships across the country have unofficially commenced bookings for the car while the official bookings are expected to open by mid-August. The car is most likely to be launched in September this year.
Considering that the car will lock-horns with aggressively priced monikers like the Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue, we expect the Sonet to come in at around INR 7 to 11 lakh.
5. Kia’s Most Important Product
As we mentioned before, the Kia Sonet will be introduced in the most hotly-contested segment in India. Manufacturers have lately taken up an expanding their line-up, aiming to hitch their wagon in the segment’s high demand.
Badges like the Vitara Brezza and Venue has seen exceptional demand since their launch in the Indian market. Keeping in mind such a deep-rooted dominance, Kia is expected to bet big on, what will be its smallest offering.
Since its launch in August last year, the Seltos has witnessed a cumulative sales of more than 45,000 units. Speaking to Autocar India, the company’s president and CEO, Han-Woo Park, revealed that the brand was expecting at least 70,000 units of sales in its first full year in the market.
To put things into perspective, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has made frequent appearance in the top-10 selling cars in India with sales going as high as 5,08,673 till the end of 2019.
The Hyundai Venue, on the other hand, recorded a monthly average of 8,805 units last year. Other chief rivals for the Sonet in the same segment include the refreshed Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, and the Mahindra XUV300.


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Microsoft has confirmed that starting next year, it would be raising the price of its first-party games from $60 to $70.
This change brings Microsoft into the same category of publishers and game developers that claim rising development costs and high maintenance costs of online games, among other reasons for raising their prices. Of course, what these companies do not mention is that the video game industry has been experiencing record profits for a few years now.
Regardless, all Microsoft first party games will cost $70 from now on. It is worth noting that this is the base price of just the vanilla version of whatever game they release. There may be additional costs due to DLC, special editions, possible subscriptions, and other such monetization tactics.
The game that gets to kick off this new era of $70 Microsoft games is none other than the much-anticipated space exploration game, Starfield.
It is hardly surprising that Microsoft made this shift. It is the current trend in the AAA games industry. We are now living in the era of $70 games and subscription models after all.
When it comes to Microsoft’s decision, there is one silver lining for consumers. First-party games from Microsoft will be available day one on Game Pass.
The topic of pricing AAA games is a hotly debated one. One perspective is that the games cost more to make so players should pay more to enjoy them.
Another perspective is that games have been selling more copies to more people than ever before and earning in billions so the industry doesn’t need to put additional financial pressure on players.
Where do you fall on this debate? Is it fine for Starfield, a game released by Bethesda, to be priced at $70? Does Xbox Game Pass adequately soften the blow?


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China Telecom's profit doubled in 2004
China's largest telecoms firm, China Telecom, has reported 2004 net profit had more than doubled to 28.02 billion yuan ($US3.6 billion) from 13.88 billion yuan a year earlier.
The fixed line provider said growth was boosted by a strong Internet business and growing subscriber numbers for its phone services.
Local phone revenues totalled 80.34 billion yuan after the company signed up 25.66 million new customers last year, pushing its subscriber base to 187 million, chairman and chief executive Wang Xiaochu said.
"Such (subscriber) growth made an important contribution to the increase in the usage volume and our operating revenue," he said.
Revenue in 2004 came in at 161.21 billion yuan, up from 151.55 billion yuan in 2003.
Domestic long distance services contributed 26.23 billion yuan to China Telecom's sales and Internet services 14.11 billion yuan.


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Apple Watch Launches in Austria, Denmark and Ireland September 25
Apple has updated its regional websites for Austria, Denmark and Ireland to announce the Apple Watch will be available on September 25.
Apple Watch models with prices were also added to the Apple Store app in Norway and Poland, but no release dates have been listed in either country.
- Apple Watch Sport: €399 to €449
- Apple Watch: €649 to €1,249
- Apple Watch Edition: €11,000 to €18,000
- Apple Watch Sport: 3.099,00 kr. to 3.499,00 kr.
- Apple Watch: 4.999,00 kr. to 9.699,00 kr.
- Apple Watch Edition: 85.000,00 kr. to 140.000,00 kr.
- Apple Watch Sport: €429 to €479
- Apple Watch: €679 to €1,279
- Apple Watch Edition: €11,300 to €18,500
MacRumors previously reported the Apple Watch was expected to launch in Austria, Denmark and India this month, leaving India as the sole country of the three that has yet to announce an Apple Watch release date.
Austria, Denmark and Ireland will be part of the fifth Apple Watch launch wave:
April 24: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, U.K. and U.S.
June 26: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan
July 17: The Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand
July 31: New Zealand, Russia, Turkey
September 25: Austria, Denmark, Ireland
Apple Watch sales have also expanded to dozens of Apple Premium Resellers this month.
Apple will this month release iOS 17.4, its biggest iPhone software update of the year so far, featuring a number of features and changes that users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 10 new things that your iPhone will be able to do after you've installed the update, which is projected to arrive by March 7. When the day arrives, be sure to check Settings ➝...
After more than a year since announcing the feature, Google Maps is finally rolling out glanceable directions on Android and iOS (via Android Police). The feature allows users to view turn-by-turn directions and a live ETA directly from their device's lock screen – information that was previously only visible when a phone was unlocked. Glanceable directions also work on the app's route...
iOS 18 will be compatible with the iPhone XR, and thereby also the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models with the same A12 Bionic chip, according to a post on X today from a private account with a proven track record of sharing build numbers for upcoming iOS updates. The post was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, and it has since been deleted. However, this was likely because the...
The existing 15-inch MacBook Air arrived in June 2023, which is not that long ago in terms of Mac update cycles. However, Apple released the current 13-inch MacBook Air back in June 2022. It is now the oldest Mac in Apple's current crop, having not been updated in 600 days. But rumors suggest that is unlikely to be the case for much longer. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has...
Apple Maps has been providing navigational guidance to Apple users for almost 13 and a half years now, and much has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. We want to hear from MacRumors readers. Which do...
Apple is working on a new version of the iPad Pro that is set to launch as soon as March, and the refresh will mark the biggest design update to the Pro lineup since 2018. Apple is transitioning to OLED displays, and the swap will allow for a major change to the overall thickness of the device. CAD drawings of the upcoming ~11-inch and ~13-inch iPad Pro models give us some insight into just...
Apple today introduced a new beta firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, both the USB-C and Lightning versions. The new firmware is version 6E188, up from the prior 6B34 firmware released in December. Apple does not often provide details or notes on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware, so it is unclear what's new. Note that this software is limited to developers at the...


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Handheld batteries are a major fire risk in established recycling facilities and immediate action is needed to remove them from the general recycling stream, according to the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR).
ACOR CEO Pete Shmigel is calling on environment ministers to establish a national battery product stewardship and recycling scheme, with robust manufacturer participation.
“As a result of the digital age, battery consumption is going up by about 300 per cent per year and millions of post-consumer batteries are ending up where they don’t belong, which causes not only environmental harm but increasingly fires and occupational health and safety risks,” Mr Shmigel said.
“Analysis by ACOR shows that a national battery recycling scheme would cost less than one per cent of a typical battery’s retail price, and that seems a very small contribution for manufacturers to make to ensure better environmental and safety outcomes.”
According to Mr Shmigel, only three per cent of batteries are recycled in Australia, compared to 70 per cent in Europe, which has long-established, government-mandated schemes.
Mr Shmigel added that many batteries end up in household kerbside recycling bins as a result of “wishcycling.”
“Batteries that wrongly end up in our industry’s established materials recovery facilities for packaging or scrap metal recycling operations are known to explode as a result of heat and pressure from normal operations,” Mr Shmigel said.
“We are now consistently experiencing the operational and cost impacts, and should not wait to see somebody hurt.”
Outside selected retailer initiatives, Mr Shmigel said there is no alternative, comprehensive or accessible way for Australians to present used batteries for recycling.
“What we have in Australia is not recovery but malarkey. For nearly a decade, there’s been chain-dragging from major battery manufacturers and governments on setting up national programs, where all consumers can easily recycle their used batteries, just as they can their computers, TVs and mobile phones,” Mr Shmigel said.
Mr Shmigel said battery recycling solutions were put forward by industry and NGOs at the last two Meetings of Environment Ministers, however no substantive decisions were made.
“In the meantime, insurance premiums in our industry are known to have increased by five-fold per year in some cases due to increased fire risk,” Mr Shmigel said.
“Because we have very limited to no control of batteries coming into our facilities, that’s a totally inappropriate cost shift when producers are not taking appropriate responsibility.”


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Foreign companies have demanded over 4,600 tons of coffee from SNS Company, barely three months after government decided to boost its production with FCFA 900 million.
The results of an effort by government to up coffee production in the country and boost performance of the sector are already visible. The former Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze visited the Société Synergie Nord-Sud (SNS) company in Nkongsamba, Littoral Region and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the company.
Three months later, coffee processing companies from Senegal and America have already sent Letters of Intent (LOI) for the purchase of over 4,600 tons of coffee beans from the company.
Sources from the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development say the American company, Karismaat Corp sent an LOI for the supply of 1,500 tons of coffee while Mansa Product Senegal and Café Touba International of Dakar sent the same document for the supply of 2,145 tons and 1,000 tons respectively.
SNS is a major coffee transformation company with an annual production capacity of 450 tons. The MoU signed with government for upgrade of its transformation plant to an annual average transformation capacity of 7,000 tons of coffee beans per year, also encouraged local coffee growers in the Bare-Bakem and Melong production basins of the Mungo Division to revitalize their coffee farms.
We gathered many of them are reviving abandoned coffee farms and adhering to the use of farm inputs provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The recent demand for Cameroon’s Robusta Coffee from Senegal and America are apparent indications that there would be more request in the near future.
SNS may however be ready to live up to expectations, given that the MoU it signed with government in January paved the way for the creation of 500 direct jobs and 6,600 indirect jobs - this would mean more citizens working in the production and value addition chain to boost both coffee growing and transformation.
- 23 août 2019 12:21
- 0 likes


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Businessman considers possibility of exporting Armenian fruits to Bulgarian market
YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. During the recent Armenian-Bulgarian business forum in Yerevan, Armenian businessman Gevorg Grigoryan operating in Bulgaria announced that he considers the possibility to export Armenian fruits to the Bulgarian market, novinite.com reports.
The businessman plans to organize production in Armenia and supply fruit, tomato paste and jam to Bulgaria. He stated that Bulgaria is a convenient transit destination for exporting Armenian fruit to the EU countries.
The Armenian-Bulgarian Business Forum was held in Yerevan on March 12.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan


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The McCarthy family from Feenagh are finalists
A COUNTY Limerick family who say dairying is "their life and their passion" are in the running for the "Oscars of the Dairy World".
Ornua and the National Dairy Council have announced 12 farming families, from eight counties, representing 12 dairy co-ops nationwide, have reached the finals of the 2021 NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards. The awards recognise, and celebrate, the highest standards of excellence in dairy farming with a focus on milk quality, animal welfare and sustainable farming practices.
Limerick is very well represented by the McCarthys from Feenagh. Michael and Alex McCarthy have been farming together for the past four years.
Michael, a fifth-generation farmer, began helping his father out on the family farm almost 46 years ago. They live on the farm with Michael’s wife, Mary Ita, and Alex’s family, wife Siobhan and daughter Chloe.
Since Alex’s return to the farm four years ago, the father and son duo expanded their land to enable further growth, and subsequently increased their herd size. Made for the outdoors, Michael considers himself a lucky man - dairying has been one of the loves of his life, and himself and Mary Ita are most happy when farming, gardening or spending time with their granddaughter.
Nominated by Kerry Agribusiness, the McCarthys will find out if they are cream of the crop when the overall winner is announced at a special outdoor awards ceremony at Moorepark Dairy Open Day on September 15.
Every year, the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards showcase and celebrate the dedication of Irish family farms to producing the best quality milk in the world, and their commitment to the highest standards of hygiene, food safety, animal health, and environmental protection.
The nominated farm families are role models whose commitment inspires others and previous winners have provided a standard that has helped farms across the country adopt new and more sustainable ways of farming.
The theme of this year’s event centres around "Irish Dairying: Delivering Sustainably" and offers an ideal platform to celebrate farms that are industry leaders in sustainable food production.
Commenting on the awards, CEO John Jordan at Ornua said: "Ireland’s food and drink sector has won its place on the world stage due to the quality of our produce and our focus on sustainable production.
"Maintaining this competitive advantage has never been more important, as our unique Irish grass-fed, family-farmed system is valued by consumers at home and abroad. The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards are a great way of celebrating and recognising Ireland’s high calibre dairy farmers and superior on-farm practices that are being adopted throughout the country."
The judging panel for this year’s awards included Dr Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, Professor Pat Wall from UCD and, Dr David Gleeson from Teagasc.
Professor Wall said: "Every year, entrants to the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards impress the judges with high calibre production practices and commitment to sustainable farming. Each finalist was put through intense scrutiny, including a thorough analysis of milk quality reports and technical data spanning 12 months.
"The judging process also included an inspection on farm to gain insights into areas such as animal welfare and sustainability. All finalists clearly demonstrated excellent standards in all facets of food production and are true ambassadors for Irish dairy."
Zoe Kavanagh, CEO of the National Dairy Council said: "The landscape that we’re living in is changing. Now, more than ever, consumers are demanding natural sustainably produced food – transparency and authenticity are now more important than ever.
"Irish dairy has one of the lowest carbon footprints internationally, primarily due to the unique grass-fed, family based Irish farming system which is extremely efficient and involves less intensive farming. It is in all our interests to continue to nurture that approach and support future generations to farm with excellence."
The overall winner of the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards will be announced at a small, outdoor awards ceremony at Moorepark Dairy Open Day on Wednesday, September 15.
To facilitate those that cannot attend due to governmental guidelines, the event will be live streamed from 9am until 10am and those interested can register by clicking here.
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